The past year has seen the release of an astounding number of albums from the Bella Union fold, be those from very well known artists such as Explosions In The Sky or Fleet Foxes, or the debut albums of bands such as I Break Horses and Veronica Falls. Here, The Line of Best Fit takes a look at some of the fresh, new talent to have emerged on Bella Union this year – Bella Union’s ‘Debut’ants.

I Break Horses – Hearts

It didn’t take long for I Break Horses to capture our attention here at The Line of Best Fit. The Stockholm based duo, comprising the immense talents of Maria Lindén and Fredrik Balck had us at ‘hej’, and we’ve been completely entranced by them ever since. Their debut album Hearts was released in August and we’ve had it on constant rotation ever since. To find out a little more about the band, have a read of our interview with I Break Horses, and then have a look at the clip below to see exactly what it is that’s made us fall so very deeply in love with them.

Zun Zun Egui – Katang

It’s not often that a band can cite influences ranging from Japanese underground music to african and jazz rhythms, but that’s exactly what Zun Zun Egui keys player and vocalist Yoshino Shigihara stated in our interview with the band, published this week. Colourful, vibrant and massively entertaining, Zun Zun Egui’s debut album Katang (released this week) is a technicolour breath of fresh air from the Bristol based band, who will be making their way around the UK at the end of this month. Absolutely not to be missed.

Jonathan Wilson - Gentle Spirit

Gentle Spirit actually marks LA based musician/producer Jonathan Wilson‘s second solo album, but it’s his first for Bella Union (which is why we feel we can justifiably shout about him here). His music is a harmonious union of pianos, flutes, guitars and gorgeous vocals. And that’s before we even get onto the richness and integrity of the lyrics. After having conducted many highly scientific tests here at TLOBF HQ, we’ve concluded that it’s absolutely impossible to listen to this record and not become completely engrossed, captivated and touched. Jonathan will be making his way around the UK at the end of the month supporting Wilco, and Gentle Spirit is available to all good homes right now.

Cashier No. 9 – To The Death of Fun

We move from LA to Belfast now to catch up with another recent signing to Bella Union, Cashier No. 9. Their album, To The Death of Fun was released in June, capturing the euphoria and energy that so much of their music represents. In their louder moments, the band’s music is full of vigour and intensly rich layering. The quieter moments are delicate and divine, with the combination of the two approaches making for an excellent live show. Cashier No. 9 will be making their way around the UK throughout November, exact dates and places can be found by clicking here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVeEeCo5Lw8

Treefight For Sunlight – Treefight For Sunlight

Treefight For Sunlight have been gifting us tracks packed with epic harmonies, intricate instrumental builds and sumptuous melodies for the best part of the past year. They hail from Copenhagen, and since the release of their eponymous album back in February, have been wooing audiences throughout Europe with their gorgeous tunes. And anyone that’s had the good fortune to catch the band at a festival this summer will concur that their live rendition of ‘Wuthering Heights’ is a truly, truly magical event. For those unaware of the band, they can currently be found playing dates all over Europe, so do make sure to have a listen to the session that we recorded with them earlier this year. Their

http://www.vimeo.com/19209563

Heidi Spencer and the Rare Birds – Under Streetlight Glow

Heidi Spencer is from a breed of musicians that seem to be all too rare nowadays. She’s a traveller, a creator, a maker, an artist. Many of her songs were written on her wayward travels, sleeping in cars as she made films whilst wandering a around the US. Her music consists of beautiful compositions led by guitars, piano and her gorgeous, sultry vocals. Under Streetlight Glow was released back in the wintry depths of January, and not too long after she joined us to film the beautiful session below.

http://www.vimeo.com/19904135

Veronica Falls – Veronica Falls

If singer Roxanne Clifford’s vocals sound familiar, that might be because her tones are currently doing the radio rounds as the lead vocal on Metronomy’s latest single ‘Everything Goes My Way’. So for those of you that have been sat at home, trying to figure out why that voice sounds so familiar, that could be why. Aside fom helping out Metronomy, some members of Veronica Falls were involved with Glasgow’s Sexy Kids, another with Your Twenties and even more interestingly, bassist Marion Herbain had never even played the instrument before joining the group! (She’s very good now, though). Nowadays, they’re based in London, but can currently be found in the States where they’re supporting The Drums and preparing for the release of their eponymous debut on the 17 October.

Thousands – The Sound of Everything

Having been pointed in their direction by Fleet Foxes guitarist Skye Skjelset, Bella Union were quick to snap Thousands up and to go about setting their sumptuous harmonies and delicate guitar work to wax. The Seattle duo, comprising the musical talents of Kristian Garrard and Luke Bergman subsequently released The Sound of Everything in March, which they recorded in a number of weird and wonderful venues across America, be that a barn or a riverside. The result? An album which entices you in and smothers you in comfort, before sending you back on your way feeling much lighter and much wiser than you did before.

Lanterns On The Lake – Gracious Tide, Take Me Home

Hailing from the north-east of England, and specialising in a gorgeous brand of heart-breaking, delicate folk, Lanterns on the Lake have already gained a reputation for being creators of beautful music. Combining delicate, intricate melodies, soft tempos and lush vocals, their debut album Gracious Tide, Take Me Home was released in September to rave reviews. And deservedly so. The band are soon to join the legendary Yann Tierson on tour, so click below for a taster of what to expect of their beautiful live show.

Click here to read what Simon Raymonde has to say about the Bella Union family.