Saturday, February 09, 2008

Andy Davis

ARTIST / BAND: Andy Davis

SONG (MP3): Let the Woman

ALBUM: Andy Davis

FILE UNDER: Acoustic / Rock / Pop

LABEL: bigHelium Records

INFO: Alternative pop songster Andy Davis returns this fall with his piano and soaring falsetto for his first full-band LP. Recorded in 10 days in Los Angeles with legendary producer Mitchell Froom (Sheryl Crow, Los Lobos, Elvis Costello, Crowded House, Randy Newman), "Let The Woman" is a collection of songs that separates Davis from the crowd.

Earning comparisons from Ben Folds to Paul Simon to Badly Drawn Boy, as well as the classic story-centered songwriting of Billy Joel, this Nashville-based 25-year-old embraces a range of times, influences and genres, his distinctive melodies and infectious layered vocals anchored by personal yet universal lyrics.

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Dengue Fever

ARTIST / BAND: Dengue Fever

SONG (MP3): Sober Driver

ALBUM: Venus on Earth

FILE UNDER: Alternative / Indie

LABEL: M80 Music / Birdman

INFO: Dengue Fever's uncommon pop/world music sound has garnered critical acclaim since “Escape From Dragon House” debuted. In 2005, the editors of online retail giant Amazon named their record 1 International release of the year. In 2006, Mojo (U.K.) named the same album into their Top 5 World Music releases of the year. The New York Times, Associated Press, Pitchfork, Los Angeles Times, BBC, Reuters Television, Spin, NPR and other influential outlets have praised the band's psychedelic Khmer Rock sound. More recently, European outlets such as French magazines Monocle and Chronic'art, the London Observer have extensively covered the band, while Italian Vogue and Song Lines (U.K.) features have been confirmed.

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SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN

ARTIST / BAND: SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN
SONG (MP3): Glue Girls
ALBUM: Pershing
FILE UNDER: Pop / Indie
LABEL: Polyvinyl
INFO: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, a band, couldn’t list a single music blog until their lo-fi MP3s and low-res JPEGs made them worldwide icons of Blogdom in 2005. Their debut record, Broom is an expertly crafted indie pop gem. Spin magazine read an SSLYBY blog, downloaded their music and declared the Missouri band “could succeed The Shins.” Then a slew of bloggers ranked them ahead of Wilco and Iron & Wine in Leafblower’s annual “Top Bands of America Today”.“Internet fame doesn’t make sense to us,” says drummer and main songwriter Philip Dickey. “I don’t think our lead singer has an e-mail address.” read more from the source...

Charades

ARTIST / BAND: Charades

SONG (MP3): En Ningún Lugar

ALBUM: En Ningún Lugar

FILE UNDER: Pop / Psychedelic / Roots Music

LABEL: B Core

INFO: In 2001 the band was formed in Madrid by three girls and a boy from different towns of spanish geography. Their first recording was "The only one" (H-Records, 2004), a four-song EP between Garage and guitar-pop which had excellent reviews and caught the attention of the prestigious american label Kill Rock Stars. That made them appear in the compilation "Tracks and fields" (2004), along with bands like Sonic Youth, The Gossip and The Decemberists.

After recording a second EP that was never released, "When Shinning blue" became their first album on Corea Discos in 2006. It was produced by Santi Garcia, responsible of the sound of half of the best spanish independent rock bands. They played around Spain in venues and festivals like Primavera Sound or PopXiriaPop and got excellent reviews from specialized press like Ruta66 or Rock De Lux and a lot of airplay in main spanish radio Radio3.

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China Forbes

ARTIST / BAND: China Forbes

SONG (MP3): Everybody Needs Somebody

ALBUM: '78

FILE UNDER: Pop / Rock

LABEL: Heinz Records

INFO: China Forbes is an American singer and songwriter, and the lead singer of Pink Martini. Born April 29, 1970 and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she comes from a multiracial background. Her father is Cameron D. Forbes and her mother is Peggy Woodford Forbes. She also has a sister, Maya C. Forbes.

She attended Phillips Exeter Academy ('88), then studied visual arts at Harvard University ('92), where she met fellow student Thomas M Lauderdale, a classically-trained pianist. They became friends and met regularly to play music together, with her singing arias from operas by Puccini and Verdi while he accompanied her on the piano.

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Wye Oak

ARTIST / BAND: Wye Oak

SONG (MP3): Warning

ALBUM: If Children

FILE UNDER: Indie / Folk

LABEL: Merge Records

INFO: The Wye Oak stood for over 460 years in Wye Mill, Maryland offering shade and protection to those who stood beneath its imposing limbs. The oak became a symbol of Maryland, a small, fiercely independent state with characteristics of Northern stubbornness and just a hint of Southern gentility. Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack chose to name their musical partnership after the symbol of the state whose characteristics they embody.
Jenn and Andy have been playing music together and apart in Baltimore for most of their lives. Andy plays the drums and keyboard and sings while Jenn plays guitar and sings. On stage, they perform with raw energy and sophistication, creating a surprising amount of noise for two people.

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Friday, February 08, 2008

CASTANEDA

ARTIST / BAND: CASTANEDA

SONG (MP3): Pixels

ALBUM: 2007 EP

FILE UNDER: Pop / New Wave / Indie

INFO: Castaneda hails from the nestled hills of Los Feliz, California.  The band consists of Vega on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Rob Derba on keys, Sasha Veneziano on drums, Dana Powers on bass and background vocals, and Warren Nelson on lead guitar.  Together for less than a year, the five Los Angeles-based musicians were joined together from across the US (Boston/New York/San Francisco) by inimitable forces and a nexus of relationships.  For the five guys, the common goal became simple: to create a new transmittable and distinguished sound that integrates the driving rhythms and haunting electronic rock-and-roll essence of the past with the future.

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The Teenagers

ARTIST / BAND: The Teenagers

SONG (MP3): Starlett Johansson

ALBUM: Reality Check

FILE UNDER: French pop / Rock / Pop

LABEL: MEROK RECORDS / XL

INFO: Consisting of three lovely French 20-somethings, lead singer Quentin Delafon, guitarist / synth man Dorian Dumont and bassist Michael Szpiner, The Teenagers are a band that could have only come from Paris. Their sound is built around a backbone of golden pop melodies, with a penchant for leftfield visioning - all enveloped in a sardonic wit and lingering Sofia Coppola soft focus. While the trio left their teenage years a few years ago, adolescence is a concept that cuts to the core of the group. They're in love with the idea of the dreamy teen, inspired by sunset walks through the park, clogging up shopping malls for no good reason, holding hands, and stolen kisses in the cinema.

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Die! Die! Die!

ARTIST / BAND: Die! Die! Die!

SONG (MP3): A.T.T.I.T.U.D.

ALBUM: Promises, Promises

FILE UNDER: Punk / Blues

LABEL: Etch and Sketch / SAF records /Tardus

INFO: Promises, Promises is the second full-length album by New Zealand trio Die! Die! Die!.

It was produced by Shayne Carter, member of New Zealand bands Straitjacket Fits and more recently Dimmer; Engineered by Kevin McMahoon and mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk. The cover art was designed and hand sewn by Mark Rutledge.

It was released on October 8th, 2007 on Tardus in New Zealand and has an unconfirmed release date for Australia on Etch and Sketch. The album is to be released in the USA and Candada on the 5th of February via SAF records.

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Bob Mould

ARTIST / BAND: Bob Mould

SONG (MP3): The Silence Between Us

ALBUM: District Line

FILE UNDER: Alternative/Indie/Rock

LABEL: Granary Music

INFO: Robert Mould (born October 16, 1960, in Malone, New York) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for influential rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.

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Yea Big & Kid Static

ARTIST / BAND: Yea Big & Kid Static

SONG (MP3): The Life Here

ALBUM: Yea Big + Kid Static

FILE UNDER: Indie / Post punk / Roots Music /Hip Hop

LABEL: Jib Door, Metal Postcard, fmsmprc

INFO: Yea Big & Kid Static are down with OCD! Together, they make retro futuristic comic book hip hop; the soundtrack for your next dance-off & the preamble to your next good times coup. When they're not hijacking your brain piece, Static travels the country jumping onto and flying off of buildings as a Hollywood stunt double; while Big practices mind control techniques over a pack of designer breed dogs. Separately, these two heroes are a force to be reckoned with but together, they are two ingredients in a recipe for world domination.

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Saturday, February 02, 2008

Nick Jaina

ARTIST / BAND: Nick Jaina

SONG (MP3): Power

ALBUM: Wool

FILE UNDER: Folk / Pop / Indie

LABEL: hush records media

INFO: In 1995, Nick Jaina was safely in a college on the coast of California, digging in a well at San Juan Bautista Mission (the mission made famous in the final scene of Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo") when he found an abalone cross. It was the first archaeological dig ever at the mission. It was the first year of the college, and the first time Nick had ever dug anything for archaeological reasons. It was also the first thing anybody found at the dig. Weeks and weeks of sifting through dirt had yielded nothing of interest. But finally, a little cross came out of the dirt underneath a pickaxe. The bright white cross reminded Nick of a neon cross that shone over his friend's apartment in San Francisco, so he figured that it was time to move on. Reaching the height of your archaeological career at the start allows you to drop out and do something else. He dropped out of college and moved to San Francisco.

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The OaKs

ARTIST / BAND: The OaKs

SONG (MP3): Masood

ALBUM: Songs For Waiting

FILE UNDER: Indie / Alternative / Folk

LABEL: none

INFO: In late 2003, just two years after 9/11, The OaKs's Ryan Costello sold everything he owned, joined a humanitarian organization and moved to Afghanistan. Costello lived there for two years, working in the Central Afghan mountains with returned refugees, teaching them creative agricultural techniques and becoming fluent in their native language, Farsi. Late at night, while the dust storms blocked out the stars and rattled the windows, he would sit and work out impressions of what he had seen and heard that day on his acoustic guitar.

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The Heavy Circles

ARTIST / BAND: The Heavy Circles

SONG (MP3): Henri

ALBUM: hands on

FILE UNDER: Rock

LABEL: Dynamite Child

INFO: Harper Simon and Edie Brickell have written and collaborated casually during their many years of friendship. Yet in the last two years that collaboration has become more formalized thanks to a series of recording session in New York City with several friends including Sean Lennon and Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto). Naming themselves The Heavy Circles, the two will release their debut recording on February 12, 2008.

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The Whitsundays

ARTIST / BAND: The Whitsundays

SONG (MP3): It Must Be Me

ALBUM: The Whitsundays

FILE UNDER: Garage / Indie / Psychedelic

LABEL: friendly fire recordings

INFO: But no matter the year, Edmonton, Alberta's the Whitsundays certainly have a knack for writing yellowed, reverb-wrapped pop music, borrowing from the grand tradition of English psychedelia, garage, and vintage organ rock. With reverent nods to the flower-picking whimsy of the Zombies, the red-faced bluster of the Animals, and the delightful inanity of Syd Barrett, the Whitsundays' self-titled debut is a vintage gem, and a charming hodgepodge of '60s musical ephemera.

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50 Foot Wave

ARTIST / BAND: 50 Foot Wave

SONG (MP3): Somebody To Love

ALBUM: Souvenirs

FILE UNDER: Punk / Alternative / Rock

LABEL: Throwing Music

INFO: 50 Foot Wave is an American alternative rock band, formed in 2003. The band is fronted by Kristin Hersh, who writes the group's songs with collaborative efforts from the other group members in composing and arranging the music. The group's name is a reference to both an illustration and the term for the 50-foot sound wave of the lowest F tone audible to the human ear. The band sometimes abbreviates its name as L'~, using the Roman numeral for 50.

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Frightened Rabbit

ARTIST / BAND: Frightened Rabbit

SONG (MP3): The Modern Leper

ALBUM: The Midnight Organ Fight

FILE UNDER: Pop / Folk / Indie

LABEL: FatCat Records

INFO: Though the past year has seen Frightened Rabbit finally step into public view, with more extensive touring and some recordings now publicly available, the past few years have largely been about the band quietly, commitedly honing their sound, and cultivating their art. Now a three-piece comprising Scott, Billy and Grant, the origins of the band are rooted in 2003, when Scott began playing solo shows under the name Frightened Rabbit, mostly in support of fellow art-schoolers Shitdisco. Recordings were made on a tascam 4-track recorder, with Scott playing all the instruments (some more proficiently than others). Though looser, sparser, and certainly more lo-fi in terms of production values, their early demo’s still attest to a burgeoning talent with a defined personality, and a now familiar penchant for being able to nail a near perfect pop song.

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Ghostland Observatory

ARTIST / BAND: Ghostland Observatory

SONG (MP3): Heavy Heart

ALBUM: Robotique Majestique

FILE UNDER: Other / Electro / Punk

LABEL: Trashy Moped Recordings

INFO: Ghostland Observatory is not a band, but an agreement between two friends to create something that not only heals their beat-driven hearts, but pleases their rock ‘n roll souls. Taking the working man’s approach, Ghostland Observatory spend countless hours in their south Austin studio. They have released two albums in less than a year, and have moved audiences from coast to coast with their live performances and unique style.

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Summer Darling

ARTIST / BAND: Summer Darling

SONG (MP3): Barren Womb

ALBUM: Health of Others E.P.

FILE UNDER: Indie / Rock / Pop

LABEL: Origami

INFO: Based in Los Angeles and formed in 2002, Summer Darling began as a three piece indie pop band with an interest in songwriting and melody. Comprised of vocalist/songwriter Ben Heywood, drummer/guitarist Dan Rossiter and bassist/vocalist Heather Bray, they released the "What's Done is Done EP" shortly thereafter, handcrafting each CD individually. In 2004 they collaborated with producer Frank Lenz (Pedro the Lion/Richard Swift/Starflyer 59) for the full length record "I Know You, I Never Knew You" and again released it themselves. The last few years have seen Summer Darling chart a different direction. With the addition of Loop Haro on drums and a more group-oriented approach to song crafting, 2008's "Health of Others" is the first of 3 digital EPs to be released this year, representing a new dynamic style.

The Billie Burke Estate

ARTIST / BAND: The Billie Burke Estate

SONG (MP3): I Can Float

ALBUM: Let Your Heart Break

FILE UNDER: Pop / Rock / Soul

LABEL: none

INFO: The Billie Burke Estate celebrates ambitious smart pop. Inspired by the adventurous free spirit of the Beatles and Nilsson, the literate songcraft of Randy Newman and Elvis Costello, and the soulful compassion of Cat Stevens and Stevie Wonder, the Billie Burke Estate makes music that is cinematic, emotionally resonant, and has more hooks than a tackle shop. The brainchild of Seattle singer-songwriter Andy Liotta, BBE is the product of a decade of patient craftsmanship and mad science, developing a sound that is succinct, unpredictable and fun. Rolling Stone endorsed the result, writing that “Liotta tops off studied pop-rock craft with homespun charm and a big dollop of sunshine: Seventies-style piano pop with melodies upfront…and bright hooks.”

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Ham1

ARTIST / BAND: HAM1
SONG (MP3): Saluki
ALBUM: The Captain's Table
FILE UNDER: Psychedelic / 2-step / Death Metal
LABEL: Orange Twin Records

INFO: For his first Orange Twin release, Willingham capitalizes on his longstanding musical relationship with a pair of veteran Elephant Six luminaries; former Olivia Tremor Control members, drummer/multi-instrumentalist Eric Harris and keyboardist Pete Erchick, make key textural and compositional contributions to the new disk. Rounding out the idiosyncratic lineup are Athens fixtures Jacob Morris and Chris Sugiuchi on cello and trombone, respectively; acclaimed local songstress Liz Durrett, whom the band often backs on stage, lends her rich vocal harmony to two tracks.

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Thao

ARTIST / BAND: Thao

SONG (MP3): Bag Of Hammers

ALBUM: We Brave Bee Stings And All

FILE UNDER: Indie / Folk / Pop


LABEL: Kill Rock Stars

INFO: Her music and the songs it lives in, breath dual lives in such a way that, for as chatty and chummy as Nguyen instantaneously becomes in the first few seconds of introduction – in this case, her emptying of a rotting-from-the-inside cooler as if it contained nuclear waste products – her depth is probably like that of an iceberg. It must – just simply must—stretch the length of Florida beneath her surface, where we cannot spy. She gifts us with Tallahassee and Pensacola, but everything below Gainesville is mystical and unknown. She’s fascinating in her randomness and her songs – these winged creatures that seem powered by pixie dust, youthful wonder, dogged wisdom that’s advanced beyond her years and a delicate, but uproarious blaze that’s got the heart and the legs of a jet stream.

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rupa & the april fishes

ARTIST / BAND: rupa & the april fishes

SONG (MP3): une américaine à paris

ALBUM: eXtraOrdinary Rendition

FILE UNDER: Folk Rock / Latin / Fusion

LABEL: cumbancha

INFO: Rupa & the April Fishes create fresh music that defies the notion of genre—it is a sensual magic carpet ride through time and place, mixing sounds and themes from the Far East, Europe, Latin America & the US. They give an unforgettable multilingual performance -with songs in French, Spanish, English, Hindi and Romani that range from raucous to romantic. The songs tell stories of love in a time of uncertainty and of people in motion--arranged with cello, accordion, guitar, trumpet, upright bass and drums.

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Bing Ji Ling

ARTIST / BAND: Bing Ji Ling

SONG (MP3): Kathalina

ALBUM: June Degrees In December

FILE UNDER: Soul / R&B

LABEL: To The Curb Productions

INFO: Bing Ji Ling is the nom de plume of one Quinn Luke, a NYC-based producer/musician with a rich legacy of work behind and in front of him. His new EP, June Degrees In December, a work of stunning, soulful talent, marks the finest chapter in his career. He’s the man with The Vintage Sound and Modern Appeal.

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Friday, February 01, 2008

Fire Through the Window

ARTIST / BAND: Fire Through the Window

SONG (MP3): Just Like You Are

ALBUM: Fire Through the Window

FILE UNDER: ndie / Pop / Alternative

LABEL: Witchdoctor Records

INFO: Marc and Sinead are a pair. Have been for quite a while too. Marc plays in bands, quite a few actually, but Sinead never has (although she really likes to sing, and does so quite nicely)

And so, at the end of last year, Marc set about writing a bunch of dreamy, romantic, catchy, pop songs that he and Sinead could sing together which turned out rather well in fact (oh, Sinead helped too)

Sinead had decided that 'Fire Through The Window' would be a fitting name to call their quaint melodies and Marc agreed, having learnt long before that disagreeing with Sinead was never a wise decision (although in this particular he case he quite liked the name anyway)
Now, not only did Marc play in bands, he also knew people from the industry and, wouldn't you know it, they ended up getting signed to a very sexy label called Witchdoctor Records who decided it would be a splendid idea to put out their first album (to which Marc and Sinead whole-heartedly agreed with a resounding "Woo Hoo!")

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Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Charlatans

ARTIST / BAND: The Charlatans

SONG (MP3): You Cross My Path

ALBUM: You Cross My Path

FILE UNDER: Alternative / Rock / Pop

LABEL: The Charlatans

INFO: The Charlatans 10th studio album, You Cross My Path, will be available in its entirety as a FREE download from Xfm’s website www.xfm.co.uk and the Charlatans official site www.thecharlatans.net from Monday 3rd March 2008.
The album will then get a physical CD and vinyl release, in 33 countries, on May 19th through Cooking Vinyl. This will include a deluxe edition and strictly limited vinyl 45’s box set of the LP.

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Headlights

ARTIST / BAND: Headlights

SONG (MP3): Cherry Tulips

ALBUM: Some Racing, Some Stopping

FILE UNDER: Indie / Pop / Rock

LABEL: polyvinyl records

INFO:

From its inception, Headlights has represented an exercise in developing a musical vision. Following years of bringing the visions of others to life in the acclaimed pop act Absinthe Blind (Parasol Records), the three members of Headlights together provide insight into what they
brought to the table in their former band, as well as how it limited them. In an immense and prosperous moment, the band is now more than ever an entity of its own. Simply put, Headlights is anything but mere byproduct.

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

Muzorama 27 January

Karolina Komstedt of Club 8

 

RADIO MUZORAMA IS BROADCAST WEEKLY ON RADIO FORTUNA (FM106.9 , TBILISI, GEORGIA)
PRODUCED BY KOMUNIKATORI

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

 

CLUB 8 - HEAVEN

THE DRAWBACKS - CELIA

THE BILLIONAIRES - THE END OF SUMMER SONG

THE MOST SERENE REPUBLIC - THE MEN WHO LIVE UPSTAIRS

BRITISH SEA POWER - WAVING FLAGS

THE AUTUMNS - BOYS

LA SCALA - PARALLEL LIVES

CORNELIUS - GUM

LK - PRIVATE LIFE OF A CAT

READY FIRE AIM - SO FINE

CRUSHED STARS - SPIES

BELA KAROLI - SUMMERTIME

WHITE HINTERLAND -  DREAMING OF THE PLUM TREES

KEVIN DREW - ONE NIGHT MAN

HELLO, BLUE ROSES - SHADOW FALLS

TV On The Radio

ARTIST / BAND: TV On The Radio

SONG (MP3): Staring At The Sun

ALBUM: Young Liars

FILE UNDER: Indie / Rock / Alternative

LABEL: Interscope

INFO: TV on the Radio (often abbreviated to TVOTR) is a New York City indie rock band formed in 2001 whose music spans genres as diverse as free jazz, a cappella/doo-wop, soul, trip-hop and electro. The group has released several EPs including their debut Young Liars (2003), and two acclaimed albums, 2004's Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and their most recent, Return to Cookie Mountain (2006), which received wider notice and appeared near the top of several end-of-year lists. Rolling Stone magazine voted it the fourth best album of the year, and Spin magazine voted the band as 2006 Artist of the Year.

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Burial

burial

ARTIST / BAND: Burial

SONG (MP3): Ghost Hardware

ALBUM: Untrue

FILE UNDER: Hardcore / 2-step / Garage

LABEL: Hyperdub Records

INFO:

Burial is the working name of an anonymous dubstep musician from London. Burial's eponymous debut album was released in 2006 to critical acclaim. The Wire magazine named it their album of the year and it came fifth in the Mixmag 2006 Album of the Year list.

On Friday, September 28, a message on the Hyperdub website announced a new Burial album. Untrue was released on November 5, 2007. Metacritic gave it album of the year 2007.[2] Label owner Kode9 also posted tracklistings to dubstepforum.com. The vinyl and CD releases of the album feature different running orders and also have exclusive tracks.[3] Although both albums have been met with much critical acclaim Burial has remained anonymous, in an interview the artist has said 'only five people know I make tunes'.[4]

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Friday, January 25, 2008

Label of the month: Ranking Records

Label: Ranking Records

Info: Formed in early 2007, the Ranking Records collective started producing Drum and Bass and Dub in 2005. Inspired by the sound system culture of the Leeds dance music scene, they began producing Dubstep in 2006, and after receiving overwhelming hype over what was to be their first release, Miserere/Arigato, set up Ranking with a view to altering preconceptions about this relatively new genre: the Ranking philosophy is based on high quality production with sound system mentality.

see the source for more info

 

MP3 (mix): RUCKSPIN DUBSTEP MIX VOL.1

TRACKLIST:

1. Sunshine Dub - Ruckspin & Quark (Dub)
2. Arigato - Quark (Ranking Records)
3. Butter Fingers - Ruckspin, Quark & Planas (unsigned)
4. Punisher - (Skream remix) Pinch (Planet Mu)
5. Anger - Ruckspin, Quark & Planas (Ranking Records)
6. What's Wrong ft. YT - Iration Steppas (Tandoori Spice)
7. Kitchen Dub - Ruckspin, Quark & Quantum Soul (unsigned)
8. Jah War - ft. Flowdan (Loefah remix) The Bug (Ninja Tune)
9. Metal Grime Instrumental - Ruckspin & Planas (Ranking Records)
10. 50,000 Watts - (Loefah remix) Matty G (Argon)
11. 7 Stellas Dub - Planas (unreleased)
12. Son of Thunder - Ruckspin, Quark & Planas (unreleased)
13. Captain Hawkeye - Ruckspin, Quark, Planas & Quantum Soul (Ranking Records)
14. Kingfisher - RSD (Earwax)
15. Tempest Dub - Ruckspin & Quantum Soul (unreleased)
16. Size 3 - (Skream remix) Mark Ashken (Leftroom)
17. The Blues is Now - Funk Ethics (unreleased)
18. 1st Dynasty - Forensix [mcr] (Revolution Records)

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Hello, Blue Roses

ARTIST / BAND: Hello, Blue Roses

SONG (MP3): Shadow Falls

ALBUM: The Portrait Is Finished...

FILE UNDER: Indie

LABEL: Locust Music

INFO: The sweetheart duo of Dan Bejar (Destroyer, Swan Lake, New Pornographers) & Sydney Vermont (visual artist, former Toronto Children’s Choir kid singer) have tied the knot around an infectious readymade classic with their 14 track self titled debut. The Portait Is Finished folds the last few decades of pop music together, drawing on everything from an unabashed love of 80s AOR (Prefab Sprout & Kate Bush) to the cheery mysticism of young Scotland ( Orange Juice & Felt) to prime Aquarian age femme folk of the 60s & 70s (Bridget St. John, et. al.).

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

White Hinterland

ARTIST / BAND: White Hinterland

SONG (MP3): Dreaming of the Plum Trees

ALBUM: Phylactery Factory

FILE UNDER: Experimental / Afro-beat

LABEL: Dead Oceans

INFO: The record was recorded in Portland, OR with Adam Selzer at Type Foundry Studios. Shawn Creeden provided the wonderful artwork to accompany it (including the cute hyenas prowling around on this site). We like it very much, and can’t wait to share it with you when the time comes! To hear snippets of demos for the new record, head to White Hinterland’s myspace page. But caveat emptor! The quality's quite rough, but worth a listen anyhow.

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Crushed Stars

ARTIST / BAND: Crushed Stars

SONG (MP3): Spies

ALBUM: Gossamer Days

FILE UNDER: Indie / Alternative / Folk Rock

LABEL: simulacra records

INFO: The new record "Gossamer Days" will be released Feb 19, 2008.
It was recorded with and mixed by Stuart Sikes (Cat Power, Modest Mouse, White Stripes).
Guests include Myopic/Pleasant Grove's Jeff Ryan.

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Ready Fire Aim

ARTIST / BAND: Ready Fire Aim

SONG (MP3): So Fine

ALBUM: This Changes Nothing

FILE UNDER: Electronica / Alternative / Pop

LABEL: expansionteamrecords.com

INFO:

Ready Fire Aim is a collaboration between Brooklyn duo Sage Rader and Shaun Morris. Sage is a classically trained violinist, published poet and accomplished vocalist with years of live performance experience. Shaun has been a producer of electronic music for the past 15 years, while running his own UK based indie label.

Sonically compared to The Postal Service and Depeche Mode with a splash of Goldfrapp, RFA is a modern-retro fusion of 80’s influenced pop, rock, and electro.

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LK

ARTIST / BAND: LK

SONG (MP3): Private Life Of A Cat

ALBUM: Vs. The Snow

FILE UNDER: Pop / Experimental / Acoustic

LABEL: POL recordings

INFO: The LK (The Love of Kevin, Colour, Chaos and the Sound of K) is the brainchild of Lindefelt, abstract sound artist, and Fredrik, pop visionary and songsmith par excellence. Fusing musique concrète-style sonic collages with tight pop arrangements, they craft their own brand of playful, elegant "micro-jangle", occupying a snow-sprinkled middle ground between perplexing and hummable. After 2 EP releases of esoteric pop under the moniker Lovekevins, The LK formed definitely in 2006 when the two lanky swedes stopped caring about keeping a band and took on doing what each of them love. Playfulness, dream-fueled high drama and polar interplay between structure, chaos, abstract and concrete make up the trademark LK sound: crisp noise-pop mayhem with an aggregate human presence, sadness and wry sense of humour.

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The Billionaires

ARTIST / BAND: The Billionaires

SONG (MP3): End of summer song

ALBUM: Really Real For Forever

FILE UNDER: Pop / Powerpop

LABEL: Too Soon

INFO: This March we are releasing our debut album on "TOO SOON" records. blahblahblah Growing up on Martha's Vineyard was nice. The beach is pretty. We grew up working for the summer folks, landscaping, carpentry, shingling... We have been playing music together since we learned the instruments. All of us have recorded albums where we all play together on. This is the first time we created a band from the begining. It happened at the end of a hot summer day. Joe and Tim decided to set up the gear and record something different. It turned into a 3 week party of writing and hanging out, blahblah. Then Farleys dad uncovered an old indian castle burried in a field and excavated it. Deep in the ruins we built a recording studio and at the end of every summer we meet there, underground, and write this music. We like to sing loud late at night drinking and getting too close to the fire. Write for original lyrics

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La Scala

ARTIST / BAND: La Scala

SONG (MP3): Parallel Lives

ALBUM: The Harlequin

FILE UNDER: Melodramatic Popular Song / Indie / New Wave

LABEL: Highwheel Records

INFO: La Scala is a new band, from Chicago. Their trade is in fully blooded rock songs, complete with guitars, drums, hooks, and all, yes. But, there is one important difference here, for these are songs that are heavy on the haunting, melodramatic air that used to be so common, that used to define what a great song really was. Yes, you know quite well this type of melodrama, and this type of song - anyone with a pained heart surely does. It is the kind found in the Sicilian alleys frequented only by the forlorn street singer, or in the smoky cabarets of prewar Paris, or in the tiny hillside villages of the Eastern bloc, tucked away all those years behind that iron drapery. It is this spirit, this old world sense of melody, that La Scala employs with such expert skill, creating a sound that is equal parts rock, Eastern European folk, and saccharine 1960's Continental Pop music.

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Aster

ARTIST / BAND: Aster

SONG (MP3): Attempting To Multiply

ALBUM: Some Things Seldom Heard Of

FILE UNDER: Rock / Pop / Indie

LABEL: None

INFO: There are currents. Indisputable channels of energy that constantly ebb and flow. Like the entangled arms of an infinite host of octopi writhing and enmeshed together in some salty roman orgy. But the beasts have no heads and there is no common goal. Accidents happen.
      Sometimes the currents bring strangers together, sometimes they pry friends apart. Most of the time the riders simply find themselves staring up at foreign stars, oblivious as to what current it is that has them in its grasp. All a lost sailor can do is consult his compass and his nautical maps, his gods and his star charts.

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Saturday, January 19, 2008

The Autumns

ARTIST / BAND: The Autumns

SONG (MP3): Boys

ALBUM: Fake Noise From A Box Of Toys

FILE UNDER: Indie / Ambient

LABEL: Bella Union

INFO:Cinematic and evocative, listening to The Autumns is an intoxicating experience, taking the listener on magical flights of musical fancy. Their music soars, filled with majestic guitar lines and elegiac melodies. Vocalist Matt Kelly possesses a truly astonishing voice. His effortless, angelic falsetto and the power and range of his vocals share much common ground with those of Jeff Buckley. This is further enhanced by the beauty and romance of the poetic lyrics.

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Thursday, January 17, 2008

The Most Serene Republic

ARTIST / BAND: The Most Serene Republic

SONG (MP3): The Men Who Live Upstairs

ALBUM: POPULATION

FILE UNDER: Indie / Experimental / Progressive

LABEL: Arts & Crafts

INFO: he Most Serene Republic is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Milton, Ontario, most members having left post-secondary studies to pursue more artistic ventures. It takes its name from the sobriquet of formerly independent Venice under the Doges, which was regarded as "The Most Serene Republic of Venice".

Originally formed in mid-2003 by Ryan Lenssen and Adrian Jewett under the name Thee Oneironauts (O-nye-rawn-nauts), the pair recorded and self-released an EP entitled Night of the Lawnchairs on Lenssen's GROK Studios imprint, based on the concept band Rushing to Redlights started by Lenssen. Thee Oneironauts grew to trio status with the addition of Nick Greaves on guitar.

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Bela Karoli

ARTIST / BAND: Bela Karoli

SONGS (MP3):

String of Lights

Summertime

Prelude 2

ALBUM: Furnished Rooms

FILE UNDER: jazz-inflected electro acoustic tunes

LABEL: helmet r00m recordings

This unorthodox trio combines an upright bass, mechanical electronic percussion, two women singing, violin and accordion to produce music undefined by genre. "Furnished Rooms" ranges from sparsely acoustic to lush, electronic landscapes.

Club 8

ARTIST / BAND: Club 8

SONG (MP3): Heaven

ALBUM: The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming

FILE UNDER: Indie / Pop / Electronica

LABEL: Fortuna POP

Exquisitely melancholic yet danceable indie electropop from Sweden, on which "Karolina Komstedt drapes her lovely vocals over the 12 tracks on this latest collection of indie pop bliss." -Pitchfork

Club 8 is Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergard. All songs written, recorded and produced by Johan Angergard at Summersound Studios. Cello by Lina Waltin. Trombone by Marco Regazzoni. Tuba by Hakan Selg. Photos by Kjell B Persson. Artwork by Peter Eriksson.

The Drawbacks

ARTIST / BAND: The Drawbacks

SONG (MP3): Celia

ALBUM: Slightly Less Vague

FILE UNDER: Indie / Alternative / Rock

LABEL: Chocolate Hearts

Lo-fi Swedish pop has a way of saturating the spaces around the listener. The Drawbacks are no exception, reveling in its softer, near-garage sound. Cute and sunny without being trite or superficial, engaging and charming.

Cornelius

ARTIST / BAND: Cornelius 

SONG (MP3): Gum

ALBUM: Gum

FILE UNDER: Electronica/Indie/Pop

LABEL: Everloving


The new EP by pop sensation Cornelius (aka Keigo Oyamada), who has always marched to the beat of a different drum machine, even in his wildly eclectic habitat of Tokyo, Japan. Cornelius has amused fans worldwide with his freeform pop aesthetic.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Maps

ARTIST / BAND: Maps

SONG (MP3): Stay Another Day

ALBUM: Xmas download

FILE UNDER: Alternative / Electronica / Indie

LABEL: Mute

Maps started at the end. The end of the night, the end of the music. When the last beat was dropped and the needle finally slipped off the groove, a lost soul began drifting through empty Northampton streets in the vague direction of home. Alas, he never arrived. For it was during his euphoric twilight stumble that this particular ending gave way to a bright new beginning; it was here, in the half light of a joyously desolate Sunday morning, that Maps made itself exist. Spinning through Earth's orbit, he was the first audionaut of our generation.

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Chromatics

ARTIST / BAND: Chromatics

SONG (MP3): "I'm On Fire" (Bruce Springsteen cover)

ALBUM: Studio Sketches

FILE UNDER: Indie Pop

LABEL: ITALIANS DO IT BETTER

The Chromatics (not to be confused with the Seattle group or the Southern country rock ensemble of the same name) have released two singles featuring their brand of new wave disco-punk on the Troubleman Unlimited imprint: Healer/Witness and the limited-edition "Nite" 12" are back but this time on troubleman's kid brother Italians Do It Better. "They played kid sister to Glass Candy on the hyped (and rad) Italians Do it Better label compilation, After Dark, but this record is a star turn." - Prefix

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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

British Sea Power

ARTIST / BAND: British Sea Power

SONG (MP3): Waving Flags

ALBUM: Do You Like Rock Music?

FILE UNDER: Indie / Alternative / Pop

LABEL: www.roughtraderecords.com

Resident Brightonites, British Sea Power, have never followed the crowd. Eccentric, whimsical and blessed with the freedom that an indie label and insanely loyal fan base bring, each record has defied expectations. The seafarer's third album again tests the limits of what we conceive as 'rock'.

A dark, churchlike presence runs through Do You Like Rock Music? that drags you under the pounding drums and chants. From opener "All In It" violin arrangements and touches of organ add a distinctly lush, anthemic feel to the tracks that's reminiscent of Arcade Fire. The Canadians' influence is hardly surprising. Howard Bilerman, drummer on Arcade Fire's debut Funeral, is one of the album's three producers and part of the recording schedule even took in the crazy Canadian storms, with the sound of power lines snapping under the weight of ice.

 

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Wednesday, January 09, 2008

MUZORAMA Creme de la Creme 2007



THE NOISETTES - SCRATCH YOUR NAME

SOFT - HIGHER

THE FORMS - KNOWLEDGE IN HAND

CALVIN HARRIS - ACCEPTABLE IN THE 80'S

!!! - HEART OF HEARTS

APPARAT - ARCADIA

GRANT LEE PHILLIPS - SOFT ASYLUM

ALBERT HAMMOND JR - IN TRANSIT

JEAN-PAUL BONDY- COLD REFORMER

TOBIAS HELLKVIST - STEP ASIDE (EFTERKLANG COVER)

GOLDLUST BONJELA - SANDWICH

FUNKSTÖRUNG - 1ST STROKE (FUNKSTÖRUNG REMIX)

ANDREW BIRD - HERETICS

THE MENDOZA LINE - SINCE I CAME

BEAR IN HEAVEN - WEREWOLF (EDIT)

DNTEL - DUMB LUCK

SOI - SOSS

KATE HAVNEVIK - NEW DAY ONLINE EDIT

MELLOWMEN - I REST ON HER AUTUMN LEAF

WHITE RABBITS - KID ON MY SHOULDERS

THE BIRD & THE BEE - I HATE CAMERA

THE TIMEWRITER - THEME FROM SOULSTICKERS

BEN MONO - LISTEN

PINK AND NOSEWORTHY - LOUD AND CLEAR

CHRISOPHER BLUE - GHOST IN THE NIGHT

GREAT NORTHERN - HOME

ROB CROWE - I HATE YOU, ROB CROW (SINGLE VERSION)

MY TEENAGE STRIDE - TO LIVE AND DIE IN THE AIRPORT LOUNGE

PELA - LOST TO THE LONESOME

DER TANTE RENATE - BLACK

WINTERPILLS - BROKEN ARM

YACHT- SEE A PENNY (PICK IT UP)

DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES - NO ONE DOES IT LIKE YOU

THE MOONEY SUZUKI - 99%

MUALLEM - ARE YOU READY? (TURN OFF THE LIGHTS)

DECODER RING - SOMERSAULT

LOST IN TREES - TALL TREES

ADAM FRANKLIN- SEIZE THE DAY

POLE - SYLVENSTEIN

THE ELECTRIC SOFT PARADE - APPROPRIATE ENDING

MIDNIGHT MOVIES- SOUVENIRS (EDIT)

HARVEY LINDO FEAT. COUNT BASS - RUGGED INDIVIDUALS

THE CLIENTELE - BOOKSHOP CASANOVA
VELOUR - IF YOU REALLY WANT ME

THE BERG SANS NIPPLE - GHOST

MARITIME - GUNS OF NAVARONE

PETER BJORN AND JOHN - LET'S CALL IT OFF (SINGLE MIX)

CINEMECHANICA - BRUCKHEIMER

MELOU - SWEET LOVE

JANNER – THE POWER OF SOUND