this is my second attempt at a new, ongoing series of posts which is called music you should know. this is a chance for me to talk about some of the music i’ve discovered that may not be that well known, but is definitely worth being made well known. now, i’m not claiming all this music will be obscure, as i’m sure many of you might possibly know this stuff, but it’s stuff that isn’t hyped all the time in the mainstream and known by the average music listener.

in this series, i hope to keep it brief by showing the album cover and giving three reasons you’ll like it. short and sweet (in theory…). ok, here we go.

much like many albums by international artists, lisa hannigan’s sea sew released in ireland several months ago, while it just now hit the stores here in the states a few weeks ago. i was lucky enough to get ahold of this album at the time of the ireland release, so i’ve lived with it for quite awhile. this was a much-anticipated release, but for the first few weeks of having it, it sort of got lost in the shuffle of other albums. in the past couple weeks, though, i’ve been listening to it nonstop. it’s really an incredibly beautiful and fun and quirky album.

here’s the reasons you should know this music:

1. in my first music you should know post, i talked about a brilliant musical partnership and, likewise, lisa hannigan was also once part of another incredible partnership. damien rice fans may or may not know the name, but you should definitely recognize the voice. hannigan and rice were romantically linked for several years, during which time she was the vocal counterpart of both o and 9. as much as i love damien rice and his music, i equally think of her incredibly haunting and beautiful vocals. so, if you like damien rice’s music, hannigan’s sea sew is a natural progression.

2. as quick as i finish saying that hannigan’s album is a natural progression from rice’s music, i should note that sea sew is wholly different from her former counterpart’s. whereas rice’s music is dark and moody, sea sew is generally bright and uptempo–yet doesn’t lack the lyrical depth and integrity that rice’s albums show. so, if you don’t want to listen to music that makes you feel like popping prozac, go pick up this album.

3. ok, enough with the music. there’s something about indie female singers that really gets me. jenny lewis, joanna newsom, chan marshall, etc. it’s a combination of the looks and the voice and the quirkiness. lisa hannigan fits the profile. so, for my female readers, this may not do anything to persuade you, but to the dudes, think about this. 🙂

so, take a listen. i don’t know if this is the best track, but i think the most descriptive tracks in terms of the overall sound is called ocean and a rock. it’s really fun and quirky and just a great song.

ocean and a rock

as one final bonus, here’s the video for her first single, lille.