Junip Perform “Far Away” on Wilcox Sessions

Three new music videos of note have hit the Web in as many days: Surfer Blood’s “Floating Vibes” (indie-rock), Junip’s “Always” (folk-rock), and Kings of Leon’s “Radioactive” (stadium-rock). Most noteworthy, perhaps, is that “Radioactive” marks KoL’s unveiling of the first single following their 2008 multi-million-selling LP, Only by the Night. I’m not sure I hear the gospel influences the band have said the song was born from, but there’s definitely a little “Use Somebody” and a lot of U2. In other words, not a bad jam at all. Check out all three in the links above or embeds below:

“Far Away,” Swedish singer-songwriter José González’s contribution to the soundtrack of Jonny Greenwood’s favorite new video game, Red Dead Redemption, still sits safely among my favorite sad-bastard jams of the year so far, though I’ve yet to sink my teeth into the forthcoming full-length from his newly reunited group, Junip, and take stock of this year’s nylon-stringed competition. Stripping away the studio version’s reverb-drenched vocals for a rooftop performance on a sunny day (via SKOA), González offers an almost-equally hopeless take on the tune, prefacing with an apropos “sorry I missed your call” shout-out to a friend.

González isn’t only proficient in gloom, thankfully, as the latest off Junip’s Fields, “Always,” a welcome upbeat summer groove is a great way to lift your spirits after its decidedly forlorn predecessor. Watch “Far Away” and chill out with “Always” below:

Back in February, José González informed the masses (via his site) that he has regrouped with his pre-solo career band, Gothenburg, Sweden’s Junip, for a forthcoming full-length album. González also revealed that The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González, a documentary about his life, songwriting, and recent tours, is making the festival circuit (watch the trailer). Well, Junip have not only recorded an LP, but they have an EP in the can, as well.

Junip will follow up their debut EP, Black Refuge, at an as-yet-undisclosed date this year with an LP and EP via Mute Records in North America. “We are really happy to have had the time to write and record these songs and now are excited to have the opportunity to play them live,” said González of their upcoming summer tour, which kicks off at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound Festival before stopping in 8 major U.S. cities.

Junip’s full tour schedule and a free MP3 of their new song “Rope and Summitt” are waiting for you at Junip.net right now.

As we mentioned on Valentine’s Day, Swedish singer-songwriter José González has reconvened with his pre-solo career band, Junip, and taken part in a documentary, which premiered at the Gothenburg International Film Festival earlier in the year.

The documentary, The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González, was shot over the course of three years and includes footage from his tours of Japan, Singapore, Spain, the U.S. and U.K., as well as scenes from a rehearsal studio, where he struggled to write songs for his second solo LP, In Our Nature. There are biographical elements to the film as well, including (according to Variety) an animated sequence depicting the meeting of his “parents during Argentina’s ‘dirty war’ years, their flight to Sweden and his birth.”

I can’t wait to see this documentary, but no U.S. festival screenings or DVD release details have come to light just yet. The good news, however: the Playlist uncovered the trailer, and it looks every bit as intriguing as the description let on.

Watch The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González here or below:

Swedish singer-songwriter José González may have broken through around the world as a solo artist with his stunning cover of the Knife’s “Heartbeats,” but the nylon string guitarist also put out an EP with a band a bit before the solo hype set in. González, drummer Elias Araya, and keys player Tobias Winterkorn, aka Junip, released their 5-song debut, Black Refuge, way back in 2005, but the trio reconvened late last year for an album that “will be out sometime [this] year,” according to González’s official site. Details are scant for now on said new Junip album, but in the meantime…

The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González, directors Fredrik Egerstrand and Mikel Cee Karlssons’ new documentary about González premiered at the Göteborg International Film Festival late last month. And though North America probably won’t see a theatrical release for this film, here’s hoping a DVD is on the way.

An excerpt from Variety’s Alissa Simon from her brief review:

Shot over a three-year period (although the chronology is never specified), the pic shows Gonzalez on tour in Japan, Singapore, Spain, the U.S. and U.K., and in his rehearsal studio, trying to compose songs for his second album, “In Our Nature” — and pondering life’s persistent questions, such as how the mind works. From time to time, cheery, childlike animation illustrates Gonzalez’s voiceover narration. Best animated sequence depicts the meeting of Gonzalez’s parents during Argentina’s “dirty war” years, their flight to Sweden and his birth.