4. The Winter of Mixed Drinks - Frightened Rabbit
As natives of Selkirk, Scotland, Frightened Rabbit can proudly add themselves to the list of top-Scottish musicians, along with the likes of Annie Lennox, Gerry Rafferty, KT Tunstall, and Belle & Sebastian. The band's debut album
Sing the Greys was released in 2006, which got them a decent amount of exposure. However, it was not until the band's third album,
The Winter of Mixed Drinks, that the band picked up a dedicated following. In May of 2010 the band made their TV debut on
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, performing the song "Nothing Like You" from their album. The band toured with Death Cab for Cutie on their 2011 North American tour (I saw them open for Death Cab when the tour reached Pittsburgh, and they were beyond phenomenal).
The Winter of Mixed Drinks received widespread praise from critics such as Pitchfork Media, BBC Music, The Guardian, Allmusic, and ShockHound. The main focus from critics was the fact that Frightened Rabbit altered their sound from what originally was a negative view of life, and instead developed a positive outlook on the struggles that the band dealt with - as a whole, and on individual levels. Here's the second track from
The Winter of Mixed Drinks - and the first single from the album - "Swim Until You Can't See Land." http://youtu.be/SzjERZU3wbY