Monday, March 29, 2010

Lost in the Trees


ARTIST / BAND: Lost in the Trees
MP3: "All Alone In An Empty House"
ALBUM: All Alone in An Empty House
FILE UNDER: indie folk
LABEL: ANTI-/Trekky
INFO: Lost in the Trees is a folk orchestra from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Led by composer Ari Picker, the band merges the dramatic symphonic elements of classical music with the accessibility of American folk, creating a sound that is simultaneously intimate and sonically ambitious.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

DIN A TESTBILD


ARTIST / BAND: DIN A TESTBILD
MP3: Neu Berlin
ALBUM: PROGRAMM 6
FILE UNDER: Electro / Experimental / Indie
LABEL: Testbild Music
INFO: Few bands of the German post punk/new wave era can lay claim to "cult" status, but DIN A TESTBILD most certainly can. Formed in 1978 by Mark Eins and Gudrun Gut, the combo played a significant role in defining the avant-garde music of Berlin and were among the pioneers of Electroclash, long before the genre even existed. In the year they started out, DIN A TESTBILD played at the opening of the legendary Berlin underground club S.O. 36 and in 1980 they appeared at Hamburg's first "In die Zukunft" (Into the Future) festival, organized by Alfred Hilsberg. "Abfall/Garbage", their first single, is emblematic of the entire West Berlin music scene from 1978–1982. The group also participated in the seminal "Geniale Dilletanten" event at the Tempodrom in Berlin (1981). Their contribution to German underground cinema and the art scene cannot be captured in a few simple words. Such is the measure of the cult and legend of DIN A TESTBILD.
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Friday, March 26, 2010

Household Names


ARTIST / BAND: Household Names
MP3: "Driving To LA"
ALBUM: No Names
FILE UNDER: Indie / Pop / Rock
LABEL: Unsigned
INFO: Household Names is a four-piece alternative pop band from Austin, Texas, featuring vocalist and guitarist Jason Garcia, bassist Chris Peters, guitarist Eric Roberts, and drummer Joey Spivey. The band will self-released its third record, Stories, No Names on May 11, 2010. “Driving To LA” starts the album off with guitar and beat-driven wistful nostalgia; “Every Third Time” keeps up the band’s signature hooky rock and adds some moody atmospherics. “Definitely” is pure pop- a Beatles and Beach Boys sing-along, while “Firefly” showcases a quiet, minor-key, Elliot Smith-esque sound. “Got A Good Thing” shimmers with atmospheric, yearning guitars and simple piano, creating the album’s prettiest track. As with the band’s previous albums, Stories, No Names is co-produced with Lars Goransson (Blondie, The Cardigans).
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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Yukon Blonde


ARTIST / BAND: Yukon Blonde
MP3s: "Rather Be With You" / "Wind Blows" / Blood Cops
ALBUM: Yukon Blonde
FILE UNDER: rock
LABEL: Bumstead Productions Ltd.
INFO: After returning from a cross-Canada tour with Jon-Rae Fletcher, both as his backing band and his opening band, Alphababy packed their bags and moved from Kelowna to Vancouver.  Big changes lead to new beginnings, and with that, the band changed their name to Yukon Blonde, signed to Toronto-based Nevado Records (Bahamas, Fox Jaws), put their 300 show history behind them (including performances alongside Ladyhawk, Black Mountain and Women), and set out to write all new material, which they recorded in Vancouver with Shawn Cole (Bend Sinister, You Say Party! We Say Die!).
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Fang Island


ARTIST / BAND: Fang Island MP3s: Daisy / Life Coach ALBUM: Fang Island FILE UNDER: Indie / Progressive LABEL: Sargent House INFO: Fang Island describes its sound as "everyone high-fiving everyone." And, the Brooklyn quintet's anthemic and soaring songs make it quite possibly one of few bands befitting such description read more from the source...

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

MEGAFAUN


ARTIST / BAND: MEGAFAUN
MP3s: The Fade / "Kaufman's Ballad"
ALBUM: Gather, Form & Fly.
FILE UNDER: Folk
LABEL: Hometapes
INFO: Hometapes is pleased to announce that it will be releasingMegafaun’s highly-anticipated second album Gather, Form & Fly on July 21st, 2009.
Gather, Form & Fly is a monument to a band that hundreds have experienced on stages, under trees, in galleries, on floors, in headphones, and through radios-with-the-windows-down over the past three years. All the hints they’ve given us — from songs Stereogum described as “mournful, slow-blooming banjo-and-white-noise-laced epics” to tours with The Rosebuds, Arnold Dreyblatt, and Akron/Family — have culminated in a record that is an ode to death, love, musical history (from blues to musique-concréte), community, tradition, and experimentation. In all, it’s an ode to the listener.
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Monday, March 22, 2010

The Dustbowl Revival


ARTIST / BAND: The Dustbowl Revival
MP3s: "Marching On" / "Dan's Jam" / "Falling Down"
ALBUM: You Can't Go Back To The Garden Of Eden
FILE UNDER: Post punk / Blues / Folk
LABEL: s/r
INFO: The Dustbowl Revival is a Venice, CA-based folk orchestra that merges old school gypsy rhythms with bluegrass, gospel, jug-band, jump blues and the hot swing of the 1930’s to form a spicy roots cocktail. Known for their raucous dance-inducing live sets, the Dustbowl Revival plays what some call hillbilly jazz—the original front porch rock n’ roll. Think Dylan and The Band in Newport meets Louis Armstrong in New Orleans meets Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes on the beaches of LA. It’s young people playing upbeat, vintage music and it’s all written and composed by howlin’ and stompin’ 24 year old frontman Zach Lupetin who first envisioned putting together a kind of roots supergroup when he moved from Chicago (his father is a blues harp virtuoso who sometimes sits in), to Michigan and then to sunny Los Angeles three years ago. The goal? Why, to make people feel good, of course.
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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Penny Hill

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ARTIST / BAND: Penny Hill
MP3: Salem
ALBUM: Music To Unbutton Your Heart
FILE UNDER: Folk / Indie / Melodramatic Popular Song
LABEL: Slanty Shanty Records Tape Club
INFO: Penny Hill is an alter ego of Norman, Oklahoma's Hilary Pitchlynn, but shhh... don't tell anyone. Hesitant to ever step on a stage, Penny wrote songs late at night in her bedroom long before ever letting anyone in. Her poetic lyrics, wandering melodies, and penetrating vocals create songs that are somehow larger than their component parts. A self-taught guitarist, Penny Hill is not interested or motivated by theory, she prefers to just let the instrument speak.
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Saturday, March 20, 2010

Relation

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ARTIST / BAND: Relation
MP3: Optimistic
Relation - Optimistic - Urban Torque®  by  Urban Torque®
ALBUM: single
FILE UNDER: Electro / Indie / Techno
LABEL: Urban Torque
INFO: Relation are Andy Leary and Oliver Keech. They first met through a mutual friend at their local sixth form college in Essex. Both played and sang in separate guitar bands, Oli in the popular beat combo The Wayfarers (then known as Crayola) and Andy in a band called Velcro. A couple of years later Andy headed to university in Sheffield and, possibly due to his increasing preference for techno and house music, Velcro called it a day shortly after he completed his course. Andy then moved to London, bought a second-hand computer and some synths. Inspired by Jeff Mills, Carl Craig and Orbital, he set about composing melodic techno pieces. Some labels started to show an interest with support coming from XFM’s Nick Luscombe, but unfortunately the material remained unreleased. It wasn't until Andy penned the lyrics and melody of 'Superenlightened' that a new chapter began..
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Friday, March 19, 2010

The Consulate General

Boy In Static Photo: green-wall
ARTIST / BAND: The Consulate General
MP3: What Time Is It Now
ALBUM: Person Number
FILE UNDER: Indietronic
LABEL: Circle Into Square
INFO: The Consulate General is a new project led by Taiwanese-American Alexander Chen of Boy in Static, currently a resident of Gothenburg, Sweden.
A multi-instrumentalist who often performs live on viola, Chen´s first recordings were released in 2004 by Markus Acher of The Notwist, who later invited him on tour opening for 13 & God. Chen has also toured with Freezepop and Lymbyc Systym, and collaborated with artists such as Her Space Holiday, Helios, and Montag.
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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Pacific Theater


ARTIST / BAND: Pacific Theater
MP3: "Lions"
ALBUM: Animals At Night
FILE UNDER: New Wave / Visual / Shoegaze
LABEL: Whale Heart Records
INFO: Brooklyn quartet Pacific Theater recorded their full-length debut "Animals at Night," an artful blend of New Wave, Art Rock, and Shoegaze, with Mark Lawson at Montreal studio Petite Eglise. The band began when two co-workers from NYC's Bowery Ballroom, Dan Ryan and Adam Travis, tried out a few songs together. Dan quickly enlisted his old bandmate Daniel Bellury and the trio spent a year writing the album and playing shows. Realizing another component was needed, Adam petitioned his old friend Gina Yates to come aboard. With the addition of Gina, the band was able to fully realize their signature sound: a balancing act of sonic assault, pulsing rhythms, and a light layer of delicate melodies.

Lions from Whale Heart Records on Vimeo.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Shark Speed


ARTIST / BAND: Shark Speed
MP3: Killing Kind
ALBUM: Education
FILE UNDER: Indie Rock
LABEL: s/r
INFO: Shark Speed began in winter 2008 in Provo, Utah as two brothers and a friend playing straightforward, energetic rock and roll. Growing up playing the Vegas scene, their sound evolved into jangly guitar riffs, driving math-rock rhythms, danceable electronic melodies, and anthemic pop-rock hooks. Heating up snow-covered Utah houses, they packed sweaty crowds in basements, living rooms, and whatever spaces they could play.
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Okinawa Lifestyle

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ARTIST / BAND: Okinawa Lifestyle
DOWNLOAD FREE ALBUM:  mediafire or link.ge
FILE UNDER: Tropical
LABEL: s/r
INFO: Okinawa Lifestyle is a music project from Tbilisi, Georgia, formed by David Datunashvili and Gigi Jikia in 2009.
We've currently finished our first full length album.
It is called "Naha" and includes 12 Tracks.
We plan the release on March 12th. Album will be available for free downloading at our blog. (also at last.fm)
It's a home recorded album, all tracks are written and produced by us.
We're also going to make about 10-15 CDs for friends, because there is no need to make more copies. (yet)
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Monday, March 15, 2010

Zechs Marquise

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ARTIST / BAND: Zechs Marquise
MP3: Chase Scene" / "Sirenum Scopuli"
ALBUM: Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare
FILE UNDER: Rock / Progressive / Psychedelic
LABEL: Rodriguez Lopez Productions
INFO: Zechs Marquise formed in El Paso, Texas during the spring of 2003 when brothers Marfred and Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez came together with childhood friends Matthew Wilkson and Marcos Smith. The group soon named itself after a popular Japanese anime character and hit the studio to record its first album during the late summer months of 2004. That studio effort was later scrapped and in June 2006 the band instead released 34:26, a live improv set that showed its great range of talents and influences. By fall of 2006, Zechs was touring the west coast consistently, sharing the stage with such eclectic acts as Daedelus, Busdriver, The Album Leaf, (DJ) Nobody, Daddy Kev, The Gaslamp Killer, and Totimoshi.
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Saturday, March 13, 2010

MGMT


ARTIST / BAND: MGMT
MP3: FLASH DELIRIUM
ALBUM: Congratulations
FILE UNDER: neo psycho pop
LABEL: Sony
INFO:
MGMT has unveiled the first single, "Flash Delirium," from its forthcoming sophomore set "Congratulations," and it sounds like the Beatles and the B-52's at a key party.
Look it up, kids.
As a follow-up to their very famous single "Kids," the fellas blend a track that is impossible to comprehend on first listen. Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, the guys behind MGMT, somehow make their vocals blend with so many different percussions and instruments without reaching the annoying levels most experimental pop rockers do.
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Friday, March 12, 2010

Shearwater


ARTIST / BAND: Shearwater
SONGS (MP3): Black Eyes / Castaways
ALBUM: The Golden Archipelago
FILE UNDER: Indie / Experimental / Southern Rock
LABEL: Matador
INFO: Buoyed by Jonathan Meiburg’s tremulous vocals and constantly in thrall to the natural world, Shearwater’s music is a rich, suggestive thing. Probing appreciation of our environment has manifested itself across their discography; most recently on 2008’s excellent Rook, which masterfully evoked all manner of avian concerns (principally, that of flight itself). The Golden Archipelago is the third in a loose trilogy also comprising 2006’s Palo Santo, and finds Meiburg broadly contemplating life on remote islands, many of which he’s actually visited.
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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Nom de Guerre


ARTIST / BAND: Nom de Guerre
MP3: Everybody Knows
ALBUM: Love Thy Neighbour
FILE UNDER: power pop
LABEL: Tapete Records
INFO:
After their debut album La La La received rave reviews and resulted in a couple of successful Swedish and German tours, power pop trio Nom de Guerre went back home to Stockholm to ponder their next move. How could they take things to the next level?
The answer was to discover new horizons. Lead singer Hector moved to Berlin and immersed himself in the music and art scene. Over the course of countless emails and endless phone calls, the de Guerre brothers realised that they didn’t want to just record another bunch of songs.
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Tuesday, March 09, 2010

1986


ARTIST / BAND: 1986
MP3: "Black Spring"
ALBUM: Everybody Is Whatever I Think They Are
FILE UNDER: Rock / Celtic
LABEL: Palentine Records
INFO:
The long-awaited sophomore release from 1986, Everybody Is Whatever I Think They Are,releases tomorrow, March 9, 2010;  and they're giving it away for free!  Kind of.
Influenced by the seemingly infinite cases of pyramid schemes that riddled the headlines of global news papers in 2009, 1986 thought they would take a page from the play book of the likes of Bernie Maddoff to service the record to the general public. After all, if he was capable of swindling some of the richest and brightest that the world had to offer, beguiling the youth of America seemed highly achievable.
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Monday, March 08, 2010

Label of the week: Marathon Of Dope

marathon of dope
Lable: Marathon Of Dope
File under: Indie
Info:
The music on offer at Marathon Of Dope is available for free download. We feel very strongly about delivering our music to your ears. After all, we make the music for our fans and listeners to enjoy. When you like the music you've downloaded (and we know that you will), you have the option to make a purchase to help offset the costs involved in producing the music. All artists have expenses related to creating their music. Studio time, equipment rentals, engineers, and advertising are just a few of the things that require money when a new project is developing.
more info
Artists:
Birdapres
Elissa P
Nestor Wynrush
and more

Latest free download albums:

Elissa P – Quickie Calendar (mod006)

Zucchini Drive – Shotgun Rules (mod005)

Friday, March 05, 2010

Peter Wolf Crier

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ARTIST / BAND: Peter Wolf Crier
MP3: "Crutch & Cane"
ALBUM: Inter Be
FILE UNDER: Indie Pop
LABEL: jagjaguwar
INFO: Inter-Be is the debut album by PETER WOLF CRIER, the Minneapolis-based duo of Peter Pisano and Brian Moen. The album was born on a single summer night when Pisano felt a torrent of creativity after what had felt, to him, like an interminably long dry spell. He shared the songs with Moen, and over the months that followed, at Moen's home, these rough-hewed tunes became what they are now: a confident collection of songs, but deceptive in that their very guts still reflect the thoughts of a man in transition.
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Thursday, March 04, 2010

Nada Surf


ARTIST / BAND: Nada Surf
MP3: “Electrocution” (Bill Fox Cover)
ALBUM: if i had a hi-fi
FILE UNDER: Rock / Indie / Pop
LABEL: Barsuk
INFO: Nada Surf have announced that following their spring tour — initially the only place their forthcoming covers album if i had a hi-fi will be available for purchase — they will release the album on CD/LP and digitally June 8th via the bands own label, Mardev Records.
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Wednesday, March 03, 2010

A Weather


ARTIST / BAND: A Weather
MP3: Giant Stairs
ALBUM: Everyday Baloons
FILE UNDER: indie-folk
LABEL: Bad Panda Records
INFO:
From Portland, Oregon A Weather are here for your listening pleasure. The indie-folk unit will release tomorrow, March 2, their forthcoming sophomore album Everyday Balloons,on Team Love Records (the label founded by Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes).
heir new album was once again recorded by engineer Adam Selzer (M. Ward, The Decemberists, Norfolk & Western) at Portland’s Type Foundry Studios, Everyday Balloons is propelled by the restrained yet unmistakable power of A Weather’s songs.  This singular quality recalls critical recognition of Cove, of which NPR’s ‘Song of the Day’ observed, “In the band’s hands, a sigh is far more compelling than a scream”, while the album also garnered high praise from Pitchfork (“…A Weather are, quite literally, a quiet storm”) as well as Nylon, Spin.com, Popmatters, and The New York Daily News, among others.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Venice is Sinking


ARTIST / BAND: Venice is Sinking
SONG (MP3): "Falls City"
ALBUM: Sand & Lines
FILE UNDER: Indie
LABEL: One Percent Press
INFO: Venice is Sinking's third full-length, Sand & Lines, is a document of the sound of a beautiful space that no longer exists: 10 songs, presented in order, recorded live at the now-defunct Georgia Theatreusing only two mics.  Set for a June release date, it is the culmination of a marathon four day session on stage at Athens, Georgia's historic Georgia Theatre, which was destroyed by a fire in June of 2009.  This, the band's third LP, will be released by One Percent Press on vinyl and via online retailers.
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Monday, March 01, 2010

Zebra Baby

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ARTIST / BAND: ZebraBaby
ALBUM: EP Drops
FILE UNDER: healthy dose of 2 Live Crew and Beastie Boys mixed with a little bit of the Talking Heads
LABEL: itd-music
MP3:
Song: +1