The Republic Tigers

French band, Cocoon

We’re big fans of French duo Cocoon, so we spoke to frontman Marc Daumail to prove it. Ahead of their upcoming tour of Australia in November, we asked him how vibrant the French music scene is right now: ‘It’s such a relief to be considered like a real band singing in English in a country like France, which is very conservative about its music traditions. We know Moriarty and The Do. They are nice. We all worked a lot to make this scene exist’. Which folk acts have most excited you recently? ‘My albums of the year are not very folky: Grizzly Bear, Lee Fields, The XX. But The Tallest Man On Earth just made one of the best folk albums of all time’. Read Cocoon’s Secret Playlist.

Arctic Monkeys Humbug giveaway

We like monkeys. But we like Arctic Monkeys more. To celebrate the release of their new album, Humbug, we have a very cool prize-pack featuring a Humbug LP, poster, badges and a 7″ and 10″ for Crying Lightning. Just leave a message under this post saying why you really, really want one. Read more

Rare Michael Jackson Motown radio session

From the Motown archives, this is a rare radio session recorded in the early 70s and featuring the original Jackson 5 — Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael — all interviewing one another. During the podcast you’ll hear a very young sounding Michael talk about his favorite sports, bands, even what he looks for in a girl – all an instinctive brotherly banter, providing a nice reminder of where it all began. [Michael Jackson sculpture by Jeff Koons]

The Antlers’ Hospice

I’ll admit it, on first listen and in a terrible figity mood, i jumped though the tracks, looking for the instant gratification of a big melody before switching to something else. Despite a few negative reviews from others also too quick to judge, the response to this album has been so astoundingly positive, it’s impossible to dismiss. Written after emerging from a period of social isolation and centered around issues of a man and his dying lover, The Antlers’ album, Hospice, slowly creeps up upon the listener. With delicately constructed chords and small movements, the journey of the album unravels loneliness, isolation and deep catharsis.

James Joyce

It takes guts to be simple. Overcrowding, overworking and over-thinking are far easier. London-based artist and illustrator James Joyce shows how good color choice, clever concepts, and a keen eye for type can get you work with big clients, such as Wallpaper, Nike and Penguin Books, to name a few. Read more

Supermundane

I can tell how much I like a designer by the the speed at which I bookmark their site. With Rob Lowe (aka Supermundane), it was on the home page. That’s a pretty good sign. Supermundane is a multi-disciplined creative who impressively creates all text himself for every project he does. Prepare yourself to be jealous.