MONTHLY MIXTAPE: APRIL

So I think we're gonna start putting together a mixtape at the end of each month. It'll be made up of some of the stuff that's been rocking our cubicle. Here's the first one.

mp3: Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele - Meet Me In The Garden
mp3: The Henry Clay People - You Can Be Timeless
mp3: The Boy Least Likely To - Every Goliath Has Its David
mp3: Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game
mp3: M. Ward - To Save Me (with Jason Lytle)
mp3: Andrew Bird - Heretics (early version)
mp3: Matt & Kim - Lessons Learned
mp3: The National & St. Vincent - Sleep All Summer (Crooked Fingers cover)
mp3: Neko Case - I'm An Animal
mp3: Noisettes - When You Were Young (Killers cover) Live

ARTIST: The Boy Least Likely To

We threw up a track from these guys during Christmas time, but I've been meaning to give them a proper post. The Boy Least Likely To is the English duo Jof Owen and Pete Hobbs, and they're gearing up for the release of their second album on March 9th, called The Law of the Playground.

It's been about four years since their debut, The Best Party Ever, won hearts with its jangly odes to childhood and innocence - and they're set to do it again on their sophomore release. Everything I've heard from the new record is just as playful as before, with the same innocence and vulnerability that made their debut so endearing. They've got a number of songs streaming on their website now, including their newest song, 'Every Goliath Has Its David'. Check it out here. And prepare to smile (if not because of the music, then definitely because of the little woolen owl graphics).

March 9th has been a long time coming - it was over a year ago that I stumbled across their song 'A Balloon On A Broken String' (below), a playful and subtly heart-breaking song that's become one of my very favorites from last year. The synths, chimes, and hand-claps all get you bouncing along so much that you almost don't even register the totally unguarded outro refrain:

"I know I look shiny and bouncy, but I'm all empty inside
And I worry that if I was to just burst suddenly, that nobody would even notice me"

It's a great, great song, and this is shaping up to be a great, great record.

The Boy Least Likely To - A Balloon On A Broken String
from the album The Law of the Playground (pre-order it here)


The Boy Least Likely To - Be Gentle With Me
from the album The Best Party Ever (iTunes)

SONG: The First Snowflake

Get ready for Post #3 in our on-going holiday saga. It's a little Christmas treat I received in my inbox last week, a new song from The Boy Least Likely To, a lovable little duo from the UK. It's called The First Snowflake, and though it's a little melancholy, it still brings some cheer to my holiday season for the following reasons: a) it heralds the upcoming release of their second full-length album (due early next year), and b) it's just so dang pretty.

So here's the video, and be sure to get the song on iTunes December 15th.



And just in case you can't wait, here's another little bit of Christmas loving from The Boy Least Likely To. Enjoy.

The Boy Least Likely To - Little Donkey
for Christmas