The Staves - Dead & Born & Grown

Aha! I've found another treasure.

No surprise I scour British music blogs, is it?

The debut album for Watford-based The Staves, Dead & Born & Grown is a sweet, flowing, calm, folksy album that is just perfect for a fall evening with a cup of tea and some friends or a kitty on the lap. The Guardian describes their folk sound as that of "post-Marling, post-Mumford," and I would have to agree. It's charmingly mellow, and the vocals are, in my mind, the gems of this record, leading us through the gentle melodies with less of a banjo-crazed Mumford & Sons, and softer harmonies than Laura Marling. I love both of the aforementioned, but The Staves, I think, are set to add their talents to the current string of amazing folk acts to come out of England.

Comprised of sisters Jessica, Emily and Camilla Staveley-Taylor, The Staves seem set to take the indie kids on their next musical journey, and will probably appeal to fans of Emily and the Woods or Daughter. Dead & Born & Grown is to be released tomorrow, November 12, in the UK from Atlantic. No word yet on the US, but as you can imagine, I'm waiting. :)

And of course, so that you're not left wondering whether you'll ever heard it, the album is available to stream in its entirety here, so enjoy it while you can while the US awaits a release! Also, in the meantime, if you're just curious, available on Spotify or iTunes are their two EPs, Mexico (2011) and The Motherlode (2012). 

"Motherlode" from The Motherlode EP:

Ahh, relax.

Today is my first day off in... a long time. I can't think back that far. I've been working two jobs -- one full time at the bookstore per usual, and then a part-time at The Trout Museum of Art (shameless plug). Things have been cruisin' at both. I know I don't have anything on folks who work 60+ hours a week regularly or anything, but splitting time between two jobs and doing some work from home and trying to get some social time in there, too... it's just hard work!

All is well, however. Yayyy! My younger sister got engaged a couple weeks ago to a very nice bloke, and there is all sorts of wedding planning going on. It's surreal to think that I'll have a brother-in-law, but in a way it's no surprise that this particular sister is the one who'll tie the knot before myself or my youngest sister (partly because she's youngest, and for me, well, I'm in no state to be tied down yet!). I wish them both the best and of course updates on this sickeningly cute wedding will come eventually. I can already tell it's going to be adorable beyond belief, if her Pinterest board is any indication...

I've been so busy that I haven't had a spare moment to sit down and consider scholarship applications. I know, right? I'm so excited to get going on them and then three weeks or a month disappears and I have not a single word written. I'll get there. Eventually. There is an official (!!!) start date for classes of 9 September 2013, and I'll have to probably be in Glasgow a good week beforehand for orientation, or what they like to call induction. I love the variations in English usage, seriously.

Also, one thing I'm SUPER PUMPED about, in a super-nerd prospective-postgraduate student way, is that the University of Glasgow just opened the doors to its very own Gilchrist Postgraduate Club, which includes a bar, coffee shop, and study space. So I'll get to hang out with postgrads and staff in a postgrad-only atmosphere. Holler! It actually looks really nice and modern; I can't wait to grab an espresso and write a paper there. Like I said, nerd.

Obviously the most important part of any college education.

Via The Gilchrist Club on Facebook (and the one above)

It's the little things I look forward to the most, y'know?

Finally, a couple more musical discoveries. One of my coworkers, who is incidentally a very good friend of mine, recently moved back to the area after a year away. Since he's been back, we've been trading musical suggestions and discoveries left and right (kind of like the old times) and my iTunes library has literally grown in size 1000% over the last couple weeks. Artists and albums to check out that I'm totally digging right now, in no particular order:

1. Lord Huron -- Lonesome Dreams, 2012 (IAMSOUND Records)

2. Passenger -- All the Little Lights, 2012 (Black Crow Records)

3. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins -- Diamond Mine Jubilee Edition, 2012 (Domino)

4. The Tallest Man on Earth -- Shallow Grave, 2008 (Gravitation)

5. Amy MacDonald -- Life in a Beautiful Light, 2012 (Melodramatic Records)

Hudson Taylor - New EP

I've found it! My once-in-a-blue-moon new favorite band! In fact, a couple of brothers, Harry and Alfie, from Ireland. The only sad thing about this whole scenario is that they only have four released songs. Their spectacular, melodic, folk-pop EP Battles is out now on iTunes: http://bzz.is/8eq The first track "Battles" particularly won me. It was half over and I was already hankering to listen to it again. Think Mumford & Sons without the huskiness of Marcus Mumford, tucked in with a little of The Kooks and a Hudson Taylor energetic cheeriness that's all their own.

I think they're going places. I have a feeling a live set is just energetic as hell. I can't wait for an album! Keep up with them on Facebook.

Via the band's Facebook