I love Koko in London - some of my favourite gigs of the year have taken place there (Stars, Air Traffic and Death Cab to list three - I also caught Tegan and Sara and Delays there, but didn’t write a review). They’re upping their game a bit, and have released some quick “highlights” programmes if you will - below is the Gossip @ Koko, or if guitar rock is more your sorta thing then catch The Enemy here.

Black Cab Sessions have garnered quite a cult following recently, with some massive artists playing the back of a cab… these include Brian Wilson,  Badly Drawn Boy, Lykke Li and Death Cab For Cutie. However, I honestly think that the latest one with Kurt from Lambchop was the best… catch it below:

Stumbled across this music video that recycles clips from 41 TV adverts - it’s by a Los Angeles band called From, and sounds pretty good, but the video is what takes a good song to an amazing combination.

Swedish duo First Aid Kit are Wichita’s latest signings, and are playing the label’s Christmas bash at Hoxton Bar and Grill (tickets £5). To get in the seasonal spirit of things they’ve done a special video… sounds like Tegan and Sara gone all Fleet Foxes on us. And that’s a good thing.

MUZU.tv has a great video from a band calling themselves the British Port Authority. Their new single, Seattle, is taken from their forthcoming album “I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat” which features the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Jack Penate, David Byrne, Iggy Pop and Martha Wainwright. I can’t find an official website, but watch the video and enjoy anyway!

Just a quick post today, as time’s rapidly running out.

I’ve grown to love Friendly Fires after catching them live twice recently, with their crazy energy andremarkably good tunes that can’t fail to make you move, no matter how much of a bad mood you’re in.

I’ve also increasingly been loving Lykke Li at the moment with her amazingly relaxing tunes with that “morning after the night before” vibe.

So imagine how great a tour with both of them is. A.m.a.z.i.n.g.

And yet that’s exactly what’s going on in the US of A at the moment - on Monday they’ll finish their 2 week stint around the states, and to celebrate their tour, Friendly Fires have covered Lykke’s “I’m Good I’m Gone”, which is below for your download.  It’s changed from chilled out insistent piano and handclaps to mid-90’s full on highlight-of-the-night club classic. Oh yes, it’s that good.

Download and you won’t stop dancing. Cheesy, but oh-so-true.

MP3: Friendly Fires - I’m Good I’m Gone (Lykke Li Cover)

(found on Sterogum)

Okay, so it’s a while since I’ve done one of these roundup posts (almost a whole month), and I probably should find another name than “daily roundup” if I can’t do one a day!

Recently I’ve been quite busy working my way through university stuff, so new music finding has gone by the wayside pretty much unfortunately, though I did find School of Seven Bells the other day (pictured at top), with their lovely shoegazy dancy sounds… Dancegaze if you will. Smooth, impressive sounds from the ex-Secret Machines Benjamin Curtis and twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza formerly of On! Air! Library!. I only wish I could have got to London to catch them tonight or tomorrow night - seem impressive, and ones to watch.

I’ve mentioned my love of Dan Black (pictured right) before, but his first “official” single “Yours” is out on 1st December, and I must say the video is looking pretty good. It’s no HYPNTZ, but it’s pretty darned good. And it features dancing on space hoppers, which is always a winner in my books!

I’m trying to resist the urge to proclaim bands as “amazing” too much at the moment - reading back a few old posts I’ve realised I have a tendency to proclaim undying love for bands that ultimately are pretty average. So feel free to yell at me if I proclaim a pretty average band as amazing!

One of my favourite music blogs, Winston’s Zen has been going from strength to strength recently, with a redesign, coverage from the new Freeze Festival in London’s Battersea Power Station, and a new “classic albums” section which started off with my review of The National’s Boxer which is still possibly one of my top 5 albums.

I haven’t really mentioned Lykke Li much recently, but I’ve realised that her album has become one of my favourites of the year. Slow, haunting, its slowly crept its way under my skin and has me craving it on the morning drive to uni. Her new single, Little Bit, came out yesterday, so be sure to download it pronto! The rather good and fitting video is available here.

Finally, I got my new Bloc Party album on Saturday in the post. it seems so long since they first announced Intimacy and made it available for download on MP3, and I fell in love with it for the first time. The CD is amazingly packaged (and somehow reminds me of Placebo’s “Sleeping with Ghosts” in looks) though would have preferred it if the last two “new” tracks had been left out - we just haven’t “clicked” yet.

Coming up, we’ve got more album and EP reviews, along with news of our new end-of-year survey with some great prizes for those of you who help us.

The gorgeous (and very talented) Lykke Li has announced a string of three dates around the UK for late November to cap off her sensational year.

Current single, Breaking It Up, is below, if you haven’t already caught a listen of the Swedish Sensation.

Tickets are on sale now around the £11 / £12 mark.

Catch Lykke Li at the below dates:

Tuesday 25th November - Glasgow Arches
Thursday 27th November - Manchester Academy 3
Friday 28th November - London Koko

Rising star Lykke Li has announced a string of tour dates for October following the growing success of her debut album, Youth Novels.

Tickets are on sale now, priced between £8 and £11 each.

Monday 29th September - Sheffield The Plug
Wednesday 1st October - London Scala
Thursday 2nd October - Brighton Concorde 2
Sunday 5th October - Birmingham Glee Club
Monday 6th October - Bristol Thekla
Wednesday 8th October - Liverpool Academy 2
Thursday 9th October - Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire
Friday 10th October - York The Duchess