Film Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest movie, “Micmacs” has just been released, which for those that enjoyed Amelie (French Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated) can expect another whimsical movie set in a surreal and fantastical world.

JOHN GRANT, former singer/songwriter with Bella Union cult favorites THE CZARS, finally returns in April 2010 with an extraordinary debut solo album made with MIDLAKE. Everyone has a favorite band or singer they reckon is subject to criminal neglect. That John Grant’s effortlessly rich, expansive baritone, couched in typically heartbreaking, lush melody, hasn’t found a wider audience many would consider a crime. But no longer. Because Grant’s first solo album …

Listen to our latest mix. Inspired by memories of a journey I took when I was 17 years old which I was reminded of recently. The mix includes new artists to the Frukie stream: Arran Arctic, Valgeir Sigurðsson, Allysen Callery, Cherbourg, The Cinematic Orchestra and more.

The official release of Valgeir Sigurdsson’s Draumalandið (Dreamland) is today! This is an original-soundtrack album from the film Dreamland, with music written for a + 20 piece chamber ensemble and electronics. The recording features Nico Muhly (arrangements, piano, celesta, harmonium), Sam Amidon (vocals, banjo, guitar) Ben Frost (electronics),

Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg insists that you don’t need a PhD to love his band’s new full-length, The Golden Archipelago. Sure, it was inspired by a yearlong trek around remote islands like the Falklands, Tierra del Fuego, the Galapagos and New Zealand’s Chatham Islands.

Tune Yards caught my attention a while back when 4AD released a video of Meril Garbus performing in studio. I’m not going to post it again…but I was hunting around the net to find out what Tune Yards had been up to and came across this live footage at Cargo this week.

It’s always good to hear from artists that are well loved by listeners and Karine Polwart is certainly one of them. She’s been a little bit quiet for a while on news and this newsletter brings us all up to scratch:

I happened upon Keston Cobblers’ Club on myspace recently. After watching this video I think you’ll agree that they are something very special and are certainly worth keeping an eye on as they are bound to get very popular!

An explorer, ecologist, and folk hero, Jonathan Meiburg is the Jacques Cousteau of indie-rock. A former graduate student with a specialty in geography and ornithology, the Shearwater frontman named both his Austin, Texas-based band and their critically-acclaimed 2008 album Rook after types of birds, and his gorgeously pastoral music examines nature with a scientist’s eye.

The long-awaited second album from Breabach titled The Desperate Battle of the Birds is due for release on 22nd March. Breabach caught the attention of Folk Radio UK and many celtic folk music fans back in 2007 with release of their debut album “The Big Spree”. They had a very clear Scottish stamp on their work thanks to a great line-up as well as a double bagpipes.

A new mix with a Celtic Roots theme this week! Plenty of my favourites in here which I’m sure many of you are familiar with. It goes without saying there are plenty more for future mixes. Treat this as a warm up. Enjoy.

The artwork for Salamander greets you with a vibrant warmth: a glowing and alluring amalgam of reds and oranges that is both classy and intense. It is therefore the perfect visual embodiment of the aural splendour that awaits the listener, for the music presented on Salamander is all of these things… and so much more.