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Now Hear This – Florence & The Machine

If you tuned in and got turned on to Milk music picks like Phoenix, Vampire Weekend and Mumford & Sons, then you can do no wrong with giving a listen to Lungs by Florence & The Machine. London-born Florence Welch burst onto the UK music scene in 2008 with her knockout voice and the track “Kiss with a fist” which is included in a follow up album that has critics fawning and The Boathouse humming. Check it out.

Now Hear This – Mumford & Sons

DJ Daddy B has the entire Boathouse crew hooked on Sigh No More, the gorgeous debut LP from British quartet Mumford & Sons. Frontman Marcus Mumford and his mates skillfully mix remorse, royalty and spirituality with an amped-up, bass-heavy, banjo-picking, booming drum beat sound to create a killer album that knocks you over at first and pulls you up for more. Check them out.

Must Have Music – Kelly Coveny & Marc Teamaker

“It’s never easy finding doors to let you in,” Kelly Coveny & Marc Teamaker remind us in “See What I See,” the exceptional third track off their collaboration, Spring Throws a Rope. But letting us in is what Spring does with effortless grace. With laid-back singer-songwriter soul and a live coffee house vibe, this refreshingly honest album opens the door, glides us to a big comfy chair and serves up a generous cup of chill out with songs like “Jelly Jar,” “Raindrops,” and the outstanding “Trojan Horses.” Check it out on iTunes.

We’re Breaking Up the Band – Cool Stuff from The Hard Rock

Ever wonder what becomes of the guitars that were demolished in concert by rock gods like Pete Townsend? The Hard Rock knows. In this blog post, the archivists detail their favorite smashed axes like this Fender Stratocaster that was wrecked by Ritchie Blackmore in ’82. Check it out.

Now Playing - The XX

Billed by itunes as "make out music for cool kids," the four South London 20-something of the XX redefine quiet R&B with torch-song tales of love and longing. They have the blogosphere buzzing and The Boathouse blissful with each repeat listen. Check it out.

Mind Our Manners - Passion Pit

The next time you're in a really cool clothing store at the mall and you recognize the really cool music the really cool customers and employees are bopping their heads to - you'll have us to thank. That's really the best way to describe Passion Pit's new album Manners. It's really cool clothing store music. Young, up tempo, on trend. Check it out.

Contra Band - Vampire Weekend

First thing you should know about Vampire Weekend and the band's great new album Contra: this is not a goth band and nothing on the album is remotely associated with vampires. It's not dark, moody or sullenly New Moonish. It is, however, light, breezy and bouncy. It has an upbeat Police meets UB40 meets Paul Simon's Graceland meets Ray Davies vibe with a strand of electronica woven throughout. Don't let the name fool you. Vampire weekend is not out for blood. They're out for fun. You can listen to Contra for free on their site. Check it out.

Now Spinning – Pearl Jam “Backspacer”

Pearl Jam returns with “Backspacer,” its first album of new material since 2006’s self-titled release “Pearl Jam.” It’s great to hear this band again. While it can be debated that Pearl Jam never achieved the level of success we thought they would when they exploded onto the scene with the 1991 classic “Ten,” there is no question that the band has stayed true to itself and its sound, and is lead by one of the all-time great voices in rock. Eddie Vedder sounds as good as ever, especially on the album’s fifth track “Just Breathe” which sounds like it could also have had a home on his remarkable “Into the Wild” soundtrack. With “Backspacer,” Pearl Jam is indeed back. Check it out.

Now Spinning - Imogen Heap

Our resident DJ, BRAINWASH AND ABHORRENT JEST, is turning us on to the techno-mellow sounds of Ellipse, the new release from Frou Frou chanteuse Imogen Heap (or HOPE ENIGMA for those of you still playing the Anagram game.) Tracks like "First Train Home" and "Wait it Out" show an evolution to her sound while "Canvas" is closer to the experimental dazzle of her earlier release, Speak for Yourself. Check her out.

Rock Me, Amadeus – Phoenix

Our man Brendan is the Minister of Music at The Boathouse, and he’s turned us on to the new album from the French rock band Phoenix. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is chock full of catchy, radio-friendly confections like “1901”, “Lasso,” and the opening track “Lisztomania.” Frontman Thomas Mars sings it all in English, but his sentiments and the band’s breezy sound is universal. If you want to get ahead of the curve on the next wave of relevant pop music, check this one out on iTunes or visit the band’s site here.