May is here already! If you are a student like me, this is one of the points of the year that the assignments start to pile up and the exams begin to loom on the horizon. So what better way to chill out and relax (procrastinate) than listen to music and to search out new music. Hope you like the selections this month.

Monday – Hard Working Man – Seth Lakeman

Seth Lakeman is a British, Folk Singer-Songwriter hailing from just outside my home town. He has been at the forefront of the new folk revival for a number of years now, with his second album (recorded in his brother’s kitchen) gaining a Mercury Prize nomination. Hard Working Album is from his yet unreleased new album Hearts and Minds which comes out later next month. It’s typical Seth, albeit with a slightly more commercial edge. Though saying that he hasn’t polished it up too much, there’s still the trademark fiddle and his distinctive vocals. I encourage you to give his back catalogue a listen, and if there are any promoters reading this, get him over here on tour.

Listen: http://www.myspace.com/sethlakeman

Tuesday – Bydd Wych - Meilir

I have one of my friends back home to thank for discovering this next guy. Meilir is a Welsh multi instrumentalist who plays somewhat “experimental” folk music. This track comes from his first EP of the same name. It is certainly distinctive, with some interesting instrumentation (pretty sure there’s a xylophone in there) and vocally he is sublime, with ethereal vocals sung in his native welsh tongue -  all which adds to folky mystique.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqzMJazavBY

Wednesday – Ain’t Blues Too Sad – Roky Erickson with Okkervil River

New track from the latest album from Roky Erickson, founding member of psychedelic rock band 13th Floor Elevators. The album marks his first release of new material in 14 years and features Okkervil River as his backing band. This particular track is a short one; it is wonderfully stripped back with just Erickson’s vocals, a piano, occasionally acoustic guitar and some delightfully understated backing vocals. It’s another great example of quality Americana, highlighting Erickson’s gravelled vocals.

Thursday – Prosser’s Gabriel – Tim Barry

Tim Barry has not long left Australia, having been a part of the line up for Chuck Ragan’s Revival Tour. He is a singer-songwriter from Richmond, Virginia, with a punk background. Prosser’s Gabriel can only be described as a musical history lesson, a narrative song retelling the story of a slave uprising in 1800 led by Gabriel Prosser. It’s a song that benefits from Barry’s impassioned vocals and strong guitar work. Protest Music is back, and it’s not holding back.

Download:  http://www.groundcontrolmag.com/music/Tim_Barry-Prossers_Gabriel.mp3

Friday – Becoming a Jackal – The Villagers

The Villagers are a band hailing from Dublin, and whilst still in their infancy have already had some high profile tour slots having already supported Neil Young on tour. The band is noted for their dark lyrics, courtesy of lead singer and songwriter Conor O’Brien, and Becoming a Jackal is no exception. The track features some lovely guitar work from O’Brien and a wonderful vocal performance to boot.

Listen/Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3sBblnrGik

Saturday – Pala Tute – Gogol Bordello

Pala Tute is the first single off Gogol Bordello’s newest album Trans-Continental Hustle; rather unsurprisingly it’s highly energetic and is an incredibly fun song. It’s one of those songs where you probably don’t have a bloody clue what the lyrics mean, but it has a helluva catchy chorus which you will end up singing along to. The album features some great guitar work, and some very distinct but grand vocals from frontman Eugene. Another highlight of the track for me is the amazing Fiddle riff that appears now and again in the track – all makes for great fun!

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq9nCjYTC2U

Sunday – Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People

Foster The People are a Los Angeles based band who are relatively new on the scene, but are beginning to garner some critical attention. Pumped Up Kicks hasn’t even been released yet but is already being tipped as a sure fire summer hit. I will say that is incredibly catchy and has a great summery feel to it. Their sound isn’t exactly new, it smacks of MGMT and Empire of the Sun, but it’s so cleverly and well done that it still has a sense of freshness about it. Again it’s a fun song, and not only that can be found for free on their website – so get it for free whilst you can.

Download:  http://www.chessclubrecords.co.uk/tag/foster-the-people