I’m a simple girl at heart. To be honest, most of the time any kind of electro/dubstep/remixes/hip music just goes straight over my head and I’m just left wondering when that bit that makes you feel happy is going to kick in. 

Hence my love for Mumford & Sons. I said it. For those of you who watched their Bonnaroo set a couple of weeks ago, you will remember one of the biggest men you’ve ever seen introducing them before their set. That was Big Mike, guitarist for this band I’m writing about, the Apache Relay. You’ll also remember all of them coming on stage for the finale of ‘Amazing Grace.’ 

After a little googling, it transpired that the Apache Relay make exactly the kind of music that you want to listen to in this weather. From Nashville, they’re fresh, anthemic and optimistic and the whole album (‘American Nomad’) is a collection of sing a long songs. With a fiddle. Which sounds awesome. The title track is simply one of the happiest, rousing and contagious songs you will ever hear.

Blending acoustic instrumental sounds with the emotion of folk and the pounding of rock anthems, this is music that will lift your spirits.

So Noah & the Whale have continued their trend of innovative and extraordinary album campaigns (following the beautiful film that accompanied last album ‘First Days of Spring’) with another event that makes their latest album ‘Last Night on Earth’ even more special. Firstly, if you go here and enter your email address, you will be able to watch a well made, touching and very interesting film about the band’s recording sessions for this third album.

But I’m sure you’ve already done that, since it premiered a couple of nights ago. Even more interestingly, the band have released the demos for the album on a ‘tapedeck’ (an intriguing choice of medium, considering the band’s very modern choice of promotion techniques), of which you can download a zip here (courtesy of the awesome sylviagetyourheadouttheoven, who has an amazing and interesting blog and wonderful music taste). 

As the kind of fan who likes having everything a band has made, including demos, I love this decision from Noah & the Whale. As the final product of ‘Last Night on Earth’ is so well produced, slick and very sonically definitive, it’s fascinating to have the album’s demos and see the progression from initial thoughts to the finished product on the album. The demos themselves are wonderful versions of the songs, and well worth downloading. Get involved!

Being a student, I’m pretty good at wasting my time. Between Tumblr, seeing friends, cooking myself elaborate meals for no apparent reason and listening to music, I can fill up my ridiculous amounts of free time so well that I wonder where I fit in doing work. However, my lack of activity means that I end up writing shit essays or not being adequately prepared for classes. Andrew Davie’s lack of activity, on the other hand, is much more important.

For those of you who don’t know Davie, he is awesome. Formerly in Cherbourg with fellow London/Communion lurkers Kev Jones and Chris Maas, he was, after Cherbourg’s split, simply ‘Andrew Davie,’ playing amazing support slots for Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons and, most recently, inexplicably-unsigned-in-England band Boy & Bear. Despite about a year spent playing as a solo act, he never recorded an EP and only released a demo, named ‘Lost,’ and had a song on the Communion compilation, ‘Lie Down In The Blood.’ Listen to those songs. Isn’t he great?! Singing beautiful songs about horrible things is something Davie does very well, so I was ridiculously excited when news of his new project, named ‘Bear’s Den,’ started emerging, along with a website which you can see right here and another new song. Another awesome support slot followed, this time with Marcus Foster, where they played a set of completely new songs. But now we’re back to silence, Davie, what’s happening now?! There has been no news of an EP, an album or even another tour, and considering that Communion’s Kev Jones is actually in Bear’s Den, you wouldn’t have thought that would be too hard to organise. 

So come on Andrew Davie, step it up. You’re one of the most talented young singers in London, and you’re better than occasional support slots and hanging out at your friends’ gigs (maybe stay in and record a demo instead?). Get recording and make that mindblowing album that I know you can make!

Who else is getting tired of that whenever Laura Marling is written/spoken about, it inevitably comes up that she used to date Marcus Mumford? Ridiculously, as Laura was walking onstage to receive her BRIT award for Best British Female (well deserved, a long time coming, ‘I Speak Because I Can’ is one of the best English records released last year), the announcer felt compelled to tell everyone that she was part of the ‘West London folk scene’ and used to be romanced by Mumford. Why?! I have no idea whether this is because she’s a girl or whether it’s because she gives so little away in interviews but this must stop! Here are five reasons why Laura does not need to be quantified by her relationship with Marcus:

1. She’s fucking awesome. As is her second record, ‘I Speak Because I Can.’ As someone who was mildly annoyed by Laura’s debut with her warblings about Ryan Adams and the ubiquitous ‘these are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you,’ her darker and more sophisticated new direction blew me away. Grappling with themes such as independence and womanhood, backed by her deft guitar strummings and an awesome band and backing vocals (that does, admittedly, include Marcus), as well as her beautiful voice, ‘I Speak Because I Can’ is a record to get lost in.

2. She’s a role model. For doing what she wants and remaining herself in an industry that creates ridiculous examples of womanhood and holds them up as the ideal. Her fellow nominees in the BRITs showcase what she’s up against: the average pop of ‘nation’s sweetheart’ Cheryl Cole or hot off the press Rumer, an artist who has been consistently shoved onto the public in a campaign that casts her as the new (more clean) Amy Winehouse and yet doesn’t have the tunes to back it up. Laura came onstage in a simple white top and trousers, got her award, thanked her mum, and left. I’m not saying that in order to be a ‘true’ feminist/role model that you have to boycott makeup and dress plainly (and let’s be honest, Laura is beautiful) but Laura refuses to let the industry affect her or change her into something she’s not - so rare!

3. She refuses to give things away. Laura does not have a personal twitter or facebook account. Most of her album campaign featured a 40 year old man on a beach instead of her. In interviews, she never discusses personal matters and instead talks about what we should care about - her music. Even her lyrics are ambiguous and mysterious and can be interpreted in a million different ways. In a world where even musicians are expected to be on Twitter in order to share their most inane thoughts with their fans, Laura refuses and lets her music speak for itself. 

4. She cares about her music. Immensely. Throughout the publicity campaign for ‘I Speak Because I Can,’ Laura said that she would be ready to release an as yet untitled third record by the end of last year. However, it later emerged that she had scrapped older songs in favour of more new material and had chosen to demo again rather than record and release the album immediately. Refusing to bow to inevitable label pressure, she did not allow herself to release material with her name on that she wasn’t 100% happy with and has since said that she thinks her third album will be better for it. 

5. She’s only going to get better. Although it is a fact constantly remarked on, she’s only just turned 21, and judging by the progression between her first album and her second, we’ve got so much more to hear from her yet! Anyone who’s been to her recent live shows and witnessed the ‘new song medley’ she’s been playing will be able to see how the new record is shaping up to be yet another forever album showing yet another step forward. Can’t bloody wait. 

Johnny Flynn has just announced a TINY London gig at the Luminaire, as part of its farewell celebrations - sadly, the lovely North London venue is closing down. Get tickets here quick quick quick because it’s going to be awesome!