Paris-based Thomas Straub has worked as a photographer in advertising for the past fifteen years, with client including Piaget, De Beers, Yves Saint Laurent and Hennessy.

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Don’t be fooled: The Middle East actually hail from Queensland, Australia, where their mini-album, The Recordings Of The Middle East, was originally self released 2008 before the always hip record label Spunk re-issued it with new packaging and a new tracklisting in 2009. Next up for the band are their first shows ever on American soil at this year’s SXSW Music Festival in Austin in March.

Flashguns are a killer British trio who just survived a break-up following the recent departure of keyboard player, Oliver Wright. I’m delighted the guys chose to run strong as a three-piece and recorded some acoustic sessions on the road while supporting Bombay Bicycle Club’s UK tour. Before you watch Samuel Johnston’s interesting van acoustic version of their single, I Don’t Not Love You, I suggest you listen to the studio version and Lagos Boys Choir remix [below] to get a feel for the track’s full glory.

I saw Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience play the other week in New York. As a long time fan of the group, this was a much anticipated show. And while I was a little disappointed that they opened the set playing their entire new album — Declaration of Dependence — from beginning to end (which no one had been able to hear yet), and not any of their earlier material, there were some truly beautiful songs amongst it all that have quickly become oft-repeated favorites. At the top of that list is this typically wistful and melancholic track, 24-25.

A former bare-knuckle boxer from Yorkshire, England (for real), Findlay Brown was heralded by many as the UK’s answer to Jose Gonzales when his debut album, Separated By The Sea, was released on Peacefrog Records in 2007. Love Will Find You moves beyond his earlier folk sound to a more ambitious — and soulful — place. Produced by Bernard Butler (Suede), the album features songs that are lush and intimate, influenced as much by Phil Spector and Ennio Morricone as by Roy Orbison or The Beatles. The album came together while Brown was stuck on his sister’s couch nursing a broken leg, having been run over by a cab driver: ‘I’d already started going back and listening to a lot of records I’d grown up on, like Elvis Presley, soul music, doo wop, Phil Spector, The Righteous Brothers and the like. I had an idea about making a modern record influenced by the songwriting of the late 50s and early 60s. I just started writing, trying to work out what made a universally great song, like Stand By Me. These new songs are the first part of that process’. You can download his new single, Holding Back The Night, for free in our Music Download section.

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Seattle band Fleet Foxes create such delicate, seductive and soulful music that you kinda want to pick up a guitar again, dust off the rusty strings, and see if any of their heartfelt, introspective magic rubs off. Quick disclaimer: it doesn’t.

We featured Nouvelle Vague frontman, Marc Collin’s Secret Playlist recently, so we thought it would be a good time to check in with him on the eve of the band’s Unplugged Australian tour, which will see them play shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in mid-December. As a child of the 80s, I love your covers from that era. Is there a song that you wouldn’t cover? ‘No, I think that every song can be reinvented. It’s only a matter of having the right idea for arrangements, vocalist, production, and so on’. How did you manage you make the Yazoo song Don’t Go sound so damn sultry? ‘It was fun! I asked Gerald Toto to play the chords and sing the melody,thinking of how Jose Feliciano could have done it in the late 60s, and it happened. It is a magical moment when your ideas suddenly become real’. Do you find audiences singing along loudly to the music you play now wherever you perform? ‘It’s always good when the audience is singing. It brings us energy and shows us that they know the albums. Also, we can see which songs are the favourites’.

Firekites, from small town Australia (Newcastle to be exact), are my new musical obsession, and have been since early yesterday when their song Autumn Story randomly burst into my headphones and latched itself deep into my inner ear iPod. I wish they’d been around when I last lived in Sydney; it would have been well worth the two hour drive north to see them play. The whole album (The Bowery) is beautiful, but this song especially rings out with poignancy. I love the subtle sound of the fingers sliding across the guitar frets, the gently whispered vocals, which hint at secrets and cheeky serenades, and the sense of soulful introspection that tangles itself elegantly amongst its minor chord tapestry.

Rob Dickinson, former frontman of highly influential British band Catherine Wheel, is set to re-release his debut solo album, Fresh Wine For The Horses. The album will be released as a two disc set on June 10 with one new song, End Of The World. The bonus disc will contain six acoustic versions of classic Catherine Wheel songs. From a conversation with Venus on My Name Is Love, to the whimsical heartbreak of Oceans, to the emotional highs of Towering and Flowering, Dickinson’s Fresh Wine for The Horses bristles with romance but still keeps its manly charm. Says Dickinson of the recording: ‘This record is about recognizing and accepting the sometimes ugly truth. It’s about love, devotion and enlightenment’. Dickinson’s Resurrection Part II came after the unfortunate dissolution of the record company that first released this stunning album. Handpicked by legendary producer Bob Ezrin of Pink Floyd, Kiss, Lou Reed (and Catherine Wheel) fame, Fresh Wine For The Horses was presented to Universal Records on a silver platter, and the second chance given to the album begins a new chapter for the audacious performer.

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Oh man, what I wouldn’t give to be able to sing like Neil Finn. His voice rasps with all the sincerity and integrity of a thousand heartfelt melodies. Heck, I’d probably trade my prized collection of Archie comics for just the chorus on this song. Driving Me Mad? You betcha(dupa). This man is a treasure. Bow low indeed.

Hooray! Scottish troubadour Malcolm Middleton is touring Australia and we have double passes to his shows in Sydney [May 8], Melbourne [May 9] and Brisbane [May 10] to giveaway.

To win one, just be the first reader in one of those destinations to leave a message under this post. It’s as simple as that! First in, best dressed. Oh, and we’ll throw in a copy of his Sleigh of Heart EP for each winner as well.

There was a lot of fuss about former Arab Strap frontman Malcolm Middleton’s recent single, We’re All Going to Die, and the timing of its release around Christmas. We asked him if it was a publicity stunt, a reality check, a coincidence, or all three wrapped up into a two minute fifty slice of classic, introspective pop. ‘It wasn’t a publicity stunt I’m afraid. That would imply that I cared about publicity. It was simply a joke that got taken out of hand and then avalanched a bit. I’m glad it only got to number 31 over here as it could have ruined the nice little rut of miserablism that I’ve carved for myself. Ho-ho-ho!’ Four Cigarettes has been played over and over on my Ipod. A wonderful track. Do you recall writing it and then playing it for someone the first time? ‘I remember writing it and then immediately recording a pretty detailed demo the same day, including all the string and brass parts. The demo is slightly rockier, with louder choruses and distorted guitars. I felt it need softening a bit though. I can’t remember playing it to anyone. I tend to work in a vacuum’. Has it been a challenge moving away from the sound you created so successfully with Arab Strap? Though there are parallels to be drawn obviously. ‘It hasn’t been a challenge — more like fun. I now get to do all the bits that were good in Arab Strap but also stuff that I like without having to compromise or fight about it. I miss being in the band, though we did end it at the right time’ Does Australia [where he's about to tour] hold fond memories for you? If so, which part in particular? ‘I played on a boat in Sydney harbor in 2002 with Mogwai, Arab Strap, Machine Translations and myself. That was good fun. Most memories involve alcohol fueled youthful jet-lag. I’ll hopefully make some more memories like that, except without the youthful, of course’.

Malcolm Middleton’s new EP, Sleight Of Heart, is out now on Pod through Inertia. Malcolm will be touring Australia between 7th and 10th of May.

We’re big fans of Texas-based group, Midlake, whose melodic indie-rock is deliciously produced. We interviewed guitarist Eric Pulido. There was a pretty big shift in sound between the first album and [new album] The Trials…, the latter being much more mellow, acoustic-based. What brought on the change? ‘We started getting influenced by bands and artists of the 70s folk era, such as Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, CSNY, Jethro Tull, Jimmie Spheeris, and so on. We were always aware of those bands, but not as immersed in the sound. While for the first album we were listening to bands like Grandaddy and The Flaming Lips, to name a couple, for the second album we switched gears, and so did our sound’. Whatever the shift, you’ve seen far greater success with it. Was the comparatively quiet response after the first album constructive for you guys? ‘Well, we got right to work on the second album after we toured briefly on the first. It was motivating to get back to recording because we felt like we hadn’t quite found the sound we wanted on the first album. Even though we’re still striving for better songs and sounds, we feel like we’re evolving and hopefully getting better’.

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Empty Bottles was the first track by Santa Cruz songwriter Reed KD where I really felt like I was getting a sense for him as a lyricist. The song is a synergy of so many beautiful elements: from the bittersweet words to the subtle sweep of the acoustic picking. I asked him if he remembered writing it and the reaction he got the first time he played it to someone: ‘At the time I wrote Empty Bottles, I was living in an old garden shed that had been turned into a studio. There was a gap between the roof and the walls so that you could see outside while in bed in the loft. The bed sat on top of the bathroom and the kitchen doubled as a living room — or my recording space. Besides the bugs that came in through the gaps, and the neighbor’s cat that would climb in through my screenless skylight, I was living alone. However, this place more than made up for its lack of integrity with charm. When I first played Empty Bottles for my closest friends, it seemed like they were a little surprised. I’m typically very shy, so being outspokenly intimate probably seemed uncharacteristic of me. Paraphrased, I’d say their typical response was, “Really?!. That’s so sad. But I really like it. Is that an accordion?!” Ha ha …’ Would you describe your songwriting as confessional, or do you more project into other people’s lives to form your lyrics? ‘Hmmm … I’d say that many of the songs on The Ashes Bloom are loosely, but sometimes rigidly, based around autobiographical happenings’. You Can Call Me is a big diversion from the rest of the material on the album — if only for the classic synth pop feel (long live The Cars!) A pointer for the next album perhaps? ‘Yikes … This is a deceptively complicated question for me. I’ve been working on a few electro-pop songs, some boot stompin’ hand clappers, some ambient songs. I hate to be vague, but I’m still a fan of the idea of covering myself in body paint and throwing myself on the canvas to see what feels good’.

Listen to the Reed KD song, Empty Bottles.

Formerly of Arab Strap, Scottish songwriter Malcolm Middleton sings with all the integrity and smoky purity of someone who has spent way too much time puffing away in the back corner of a sketchy Dundee pub. Four Cigarettes is a devastating track – sparse in the verses, lush in the choruses, and majestically organic in the delivery. I discovered it quite by accident on a wet New York morning whilst working away at a Soho cafe. It kinda shimmied into my headphones, the crackling wickedness of Middleton’s Scottish lilt ripping me straight out of my cappuccino induced haze. ‘Oh man!’, I thought to myself. ‘This is the greatest song most people will never know about’. Until now. Well, for a few of us anyway.

Listen to Malcolm Middleton’s track, Four Cigarettes.

Australian singer-songwriter Ben Lee recently contributed some posts to Lost At E Minor on some of his favourite cultural things and people. We checked in with him to see what sort of head-space he’s been in the time since the release of his latest album, Ripe. It’s been quite a journey from the young Ben Lee of Noise Addict fame to the more at peace Ben Lee with an acoustic guitar and a headful of soulful melodies. How do you look back on your younger self? ‘I was very eager, very earnest, and very honest. I was also pretty hectic. I look back on those days fondly, but I’m really glad I’m no longer there!’ You lived in New York for some time. Fond memories? And where do you escape to in the city for some quiet inspiration? ‘I loved living in New York. I will probably live there again at some point. I moved there when I was 19 and wanted to meet crazy, creative people. I wanted to feel free. New York did the trick. But you have to know how to get quiet to really survive that place. As for places to hang out at, I recommend the Meteor Room at The Museum of Natural History, and Central Park’. On your blog you’ve done acoustic versions of the entire Against Me album. Tell us how that went down. ‘Sometimes when I become a huge fan of something, I don’t just want to passively listen to it, I want to experience it from the inside. That’s what happened with the Against Me album. I really connected with it’. Ripe — a handful of beautiful songs ready for the picking? A piece of fruit, juicy and succulent? What’s your take on the new album in the context of the album title? ‘Enjoying the patience required to get to consummation. The joy of desire. The thrill of correct timing. Everything is fleeting, but a moment that is fully experienced is eternal. What a ride!’ [read a review of Ben Lee's album, Ripe, and watch the clip to his song, Love Me Like The World Is Ending]

Listen to the Ben Lee track, Numb.

There’s a world-weariness about Two Gallants frontman Adam Stephens. It reveals itself in the Tom Waits-like raspiness that permeates his gin house drawl and in the talkin’ blues narratives that he weaves around his simple acoustic fingerpicking. They are the new superstars of the West Coast scene, majestic showmen in homespun rags.

Listen to the Two Gallants track, The hand that held you down.

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Laura Veirs is one of my favorite songwriters. I can’t think of a single song of her’s that I haven’t loved instantly, and continue to wear out on my inner-ear iPod. I interviewed her recently, a few nights after I saw her awesome set at New York’s Gramercy Theatre. Was there ever any other direction you thought your life might head down once you first picked up a guitar and became absorbed in it? ‘When I was a kid I wanted to be a trapeze artist. At other points I’ve thought of being a diplomat in china or a landscape gardener or a history teacher or a novelist’. Year of Meteors was a huge success. Certain songs on that album bring me directly back to specific points of my life. Do you often get that feedback from people about your music? ‘People do come up to me at shows and say things like “your record was the soundtrack to my life last year” or “I listen to your work while I’m painting, driving, running … ” and things like that. I think there are images in my music that people have seen before, and they see them again in their minds (maybe in a new way) when they hear the lyrics. I try to leave the lyrics open enough for people to insert their own meanings into them. I like to be personal in my writing, but not overly confessional’. Do you see [new album] Saltbreakers as a progression from Meteors or an accompaniment to it? ‘I see each album as a progression from the earlier one. We’re always trying to change and grow and push ourselves to be spontaneous and daring’. Ever just want to bust out some heavy metal chops? ‘Sure! It would be cool to be technically really proficient on the guitar like that. But I can’t see that happening anytime soon!’ [see also live review]

Listen to Laura Veirs’ song, Galaxies, off her Year of Meteors album.

We interviewed Marc Collin, the creative force behind French group Nouvelle Vague, who along with a series of 80s acoustic tribute albums also released an installment in the popular Late Night Tales compilation series.
What was the most underrated of the 1980s New Wave bands and which was the worst successful band of that era?
‘Difficult to say … the sound for example should have been much bigger but also some bands like Section 25 (I got a live recording from 1984 and it’s acid house!) missed the success. I’m thinking also of Mecano, an incredible Dutch band. As for the worst, well what happened to Simple Minds, Human League, and The Cure after 1985?’

How many albums did you listen to in order to put together your tracklisting for Late Night Tales?
‘I didn’t listen to the tracks I selected. I put my selection together only by memory! I like to work only in a theoretical way. It was only when I was supposed to do the running order that I listened again to the tracks. And ultimately they didn’t keep my running order!’

If the mix could be summed up with one track off the compilation, which one would it be?‘Maybe Cibelle by Phoenix because there’s a lot of influences in this track – from experimental, to bossa, pop, jazz and so on’.