Monday, December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas, everyone! :)




PS: O Holy Night--Mariah Carey http://youtube.com/watch?v=rt0VfiFxtHo

CocoaMusic presents: Best 10 Albums of 2007

CocoaMusic presents: Best 10 Albums of 2007

Of Montreal-Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Photobucket
LCD Soundsystem-Sound of Silver

Photobucket
Laura Veirs-Saltbreakers

Photobucket
The Rosebuds-Night of the Furies

Photobucket
Josh Ritter-The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

Photobucket
Iron & Wine-The Shepherd's Dog

Photobucket
Beirut-The Flying Club Cup

Photobucket
Over the Rhine-The Trumpet Child
Photobucket
The White Stripes-Icky Thump

Photobucket
The Bowerbirds--Hymns for a Dark Horse

Photobucket

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Nada Surf--Lucky (New!)


Artist-Nada Surf
Album-Lucky
Release Date-Feb 5, 2008
Genre/Style-Alternative Pop/Rock Punk-Pop

Official site-http://www.nadasurf.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/nadasurf

Review-Lucky, the title of Nada Surf fifth album, is at once literal and ironic. Like the songs that singer-guitarist Matthew Caws, bassist Daniel Lorca and drummer Ira Elliot crafted for their previous two albums, let go (2003) and the weight is a gift (2005), lucky is filled with images of restlessness, longing and the elusiveness of love. Yet the band counterbalances the lyrical bittersweetness with a musical buoyancy. Intimate songs become in-it-together anthems, thanks to the chiming guitars, propulsive rhythms, and the emotional candor in Caws' vocals. A song like beautiful beat segues from a sparsely arranged, confessional first verse into a harmony-laden chorus and reaches multi-layered, canon-like proportions before the track fades out. If Caws is often suggesting that romance and resolution may still be an inch or two out of reach, he's also proffering immediate musical solace. Turn up the volume, hit the repeat button, and your troubles, for a blissful three minutes or so, will disappear. It has been recorded throughout March and August 2007 at the Robert Lang Studios, in Seattle, underthe direction of producer John Goodmanson. The band issued an official statement announcing this album on October 12, 2007. The song "See These Bones" premiered on the Anti-Hit List Podcast on October 20, 2007. Due to a misquotation of Matthew Caws, it was first expected to be called Time for Plan A.

Product-buy it

Magnolia Electric Co.--Sojourner (2007)


Artist-Magnolia Electric Co.
Album-Sojourner
Release Date-Aug 7, 2007
Genre/Style-Alternative Country-Rock/Indie Rock
Size-4CD 138M
Quality-192-256kbps

Official site-http://www.magnoliaelectricco.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/magnoliaelectricco

Review-Magnolia Electric Co.'s Sojourner is a kind of "love for the fans" offering. It comes encased in a wooden box, with a sliding top, with the band's logo imprinted on the front. Inside are four different CDs, containing four different sessions (and corresponding postcards), recorded in as many different places with four different lineups. There is also a short DVD documenting the band's 2005's Canadian tour in 2005, by Todd Chandler, Tim Sutton, and Ava Berfkovsky. There is a folded poster as well. Inside a small black velveteen pouch there is a pewter medallion with the band's logo engraved on it. It's a memento mori of a time spent traveling through these songs with the journeyman guide. It is limited to 5,000 copies and is available from the band's label, Secretly Canadian, for $37 postpaid. Some of the material on the four recorded discs — three albums (entitled Nashville Moon, Shohola, and Black Ram) and an EP, Sun Session (recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis) — has appeared elsewhere before. That said, many songs are here in very different incarnations, recorded, re-recorded, or demoed by Jason Molina himself. But this is no mere odds-and-sods collection. In fact, it feels like Molina must be exhausted, by being so prolific.

Fading Trails, released in September of 2006, contained nine of the songs from these different sessions, giving it its rather schizophrenic character. Nashville Moon was recorded with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago. It contains 12 cuts, and only "Lonesome Valley," "Montgomery," and "Don't Fade on Me" were included on Fading Trails. This is a full-band set, with Molina accompanied by six other musicians including Jason Evans Groth on lead guitar, Mark Rice on drums, Michael Kapinus on keyboards, Jonathan Cargill on backing vocals, Mike Brenner on lap steel, and bassist Pete Schreiner. Given its title, this is the most "country" set in the box. But Molina's country music is more haunted than hunted. Some of these tunes, like "Hammer Down" and "North Star," appeared on What Comes After the Blues but in radically different, stripped-down versions. They feel more like road songs performed in a smoky barroom than late-night back-porch confessionals. These full-on band treatments add heft and dimension, and underscore them somehow as "definitive."


The Sun Session EP, just over 15 minutes in length, was recorded in a single day while the group was on tour in 2006. The band received payment in studio hours from the venue that hosted them. "Memphis Moon" and "Talk to Me Devil Again" were issued on Fading Trails, but the other two tracks, a freshly recorded "Hold on Magnolia" (originally found on the Songs:Ohia album that gave Magnolia Electric Co. its name) and the band's reading of the traditional "Trouble in Mind," are new. Shohola contains eight cuts with Molina accompanying himself on a guitar. Nothing more. It is the spookiest of the four recordings for sure. While the What Comes After the Blues album may have been spectral in its minimal approach, this set feels positively skeletal. Again, the hints were on Fading Trails in "Steady Now" and "Spanish Moon Fall and Rise," but they only lower the shroud. A slow, lonesome guitar frames Molina's sense of desolation in the lyrics of "Night Country" — "I have to live this way/Be the builder of no house/Oh lone pine on the fading trails/I join you now/The night country comes...." This disc is only 25 minutes long, but any more would be oppressive.

The final album in the set — or first depending on the way you decide to listen to them — is Black Ram, another full ensemble set with David Lowery, Andrew Bird, Molly Blackbird, Rick Alverson, and Miguel Urbitzondo. It begins mournfully with the slow, meandering 4/4 of "In the Human World," but the mix swells even as the tempo continues to drag. The refrain empties out into a wave of Mellotron and harmonium, as guitars unwind. And just as it all becomes nearly full-bodied, the tune just ends. Each tune has a way of beginning with less than it closes. The title track commences as a mutant blues with tinny acoustic guitars, but almost as soon as Molina opens his mouth with his strange incantatory chant, referring to both a person and the person's reflection in the natural countryside, eerie sounds, electric guitars, and reverb envelope it. It's all so disembodied it can barely be called a song. Black Ram is the place where this collection should either begin or end. It doesn't belong in the middle because it's the most physical of the four discs, and because there's at least the determination to find resolve, even if it ends in a kind of lyrical, philosophical, and first-person failure. In other words, the same spirits who have dogged Molina on every previous recording are still here, shape-shifting to meet his every challenge. There's nothing left to do but welcome them in. Sojourner is an aptly titled monolith, one that invites fans of Magnolia Electric Co. with a "thank you for believing," even as it urges them to take in more of the picture than ever before.

Product-order it now

V. A.--La Nuit Des Fees (2007)


Artist-V.A.
Album-La Nuit Des Fees
Release Date-Nov 2007
Genre/Style-Heavenly Voices/Ethereal/Darkwave

Official site and online listening-Prikosnovenie

Product-http://www.prikosnovenie.com/inde.shtml


Text Adventure--I Believe in Lassies (2007)


Artist-Text Adventure
Album-I Believe in Lassies
Release Date-Jun 12, 2007
Genre/Style-Folk Rock/Acousmatic/Tape music

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/iamtextadventure


Product-buy it

Thursday, December 20, 2007

David Karsten Daniels--Sharp Teeth (2007)


Artist-David Karsten Daniels
Album-Sharp Teeth
Release Date-Jan 22, 2007
Genre/Style-Indie Pop

Official site-http://www.davidkarstendaniels.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/davidkarstendaniels

Review-Any discussion of Sharp Teeth generally begins with some mention of the cover art, which depicts a bearded, razor-toothed young man devouring the innards of a likewise hairy and sharp-toothed woman in the middle of a snowy wilderness. For better or worse, the music itself isn't as gruesome as the cover might imply. David Karsten Daniels turns out to be a pretty gentle guy: a folky indie singer/songwriter along the lines of Chris Garneau, Sparklehorse, or Sufjan Stevens. Sharp Teeth is for the most part an incredibly relaxed listen: all lush string arrangements and gentle acoustic strums, with Daniels rarely raising his voice above a plaintive yowl. But for all their gentleness, Daniels' songs harbor enough religious skepticism, fever dream strangeness, and odd-angled instrumentation to warrant the grim artwork. "I saw Jesus and the devil. They looked just the same," Daniels croons in "Jesus and the Devil." His thoughts aren't exactly earth-shattering — heck, they're hardly even blasphemous — but there's something compelling in Daniels' soft-handed, rain-warped story making. He's able to strike a balance between self-indulgence and showmanship, and this is what saves Sharp Teeth from falling flat on its face. It's precious, it's artsy-fartsy, but it has integrity. Even if Daniels' lyrics aren't exactly profound, and even if they can be pensive-unto-murkiness, there's something compelling in the way they hang among the slightly melted, Salvador Dali-esque string arrangements, the swooping, languid orchestral flourishes, and Daniels' mossy, nasal vocals. Sharp Teeth digs into you and doesn't quite let go.

Product-buy it

Fireflies--Goodnight Stars Goodnight Moon (2007)


Artist-Fireflies
Album-Goodnight Stars Goodnight Moon
Release Date-Dec 2007
Genre/Style-Indie Pop/Lo-Fi/Dream Pop
Quality-320kbps

Splendid--Have You Got a Name For It (1999)


Artist-Splendid
Album-Have You Got a Name for It
Release Date-Jul 13, 1999
Genre/Style-Alternative Pop/Rock
Quality-192kbps

Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splendid

Review-Aside from singer Angie Hart's previous group Frente, the most audible reference points for Splendid would be Juliana Hatfield and on somewhat tougher and bleaker songs like "I'm No Better" and "Cry," Liz Phair. Hart and guitarist Jesse Tobias write all but one song, with assistance from producer Craig Ross and Shelley Peiken on some cuts, with lyrics focusing on that endlessly durable topic, the vicissitudes of personal relationships. This debut of moderately tuneful and engaging alt-pop isn't too remarkable or original. But it is likable, in large part because Splendid are one of the relatively few groups of this sort that play it low-key or restrained, rather than strainingly earnest and in-your-face. There are some creative arrangements too, with percussion and subtle warm tones not too far removed from those employed by artists like Magnetic Fields.

Product-buy it

Jay-Jay Johanson--Long Term Physical Effects Are Not Yet Known (2007)


Artist-Jay-Jay Johanson
Album-Long Term Physical Effects Are Not Yet Known
Release Date-2007
Genre/Style-Dance & DJ/ Electronic
Quality-192kbps

Official site-http://www.jay-jayjohanson.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/jayjayjohanson
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay-Jay_Johanson

Product-buy it

The Lovemakers--Misery Loves Company (2007)


Artist-The Lovemakers
Album-Misery Loves Company
Release Date-Jul 24, 2007
Genre/Style-Indie Rock/Indie Electronic Club/Dance

Official site-http://www.thelovemakers.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/thelovemakers
Biography-http://www.myspace.com/thelovemakers

Review-The Lovemakers kick off their new EP Misery Loves Company with the surprisingly celebratory title track. An exuberant neo-new wave dancefloor number, with nods to both the Go-Go's and the Passions, it's impossible try not to sing along with this lethal number's contagious chorus. "We Already Said Goodbye" is just as flamboyantly pop, and crosses early Depeche Mode's adoration for an irrepressible melody with jangly Big Star styled guitars. Surprisingly, neither of those infectious numbers were picked for first single, that honor went to "Whine & Dine" a far darker song, fired by a funky rhythm and incendiary guitar solos. But those searing rock licks are nothing compared to those the band trot out in the middle of the epic "Save Me," a song that swells from its moody opening into ever more majestic realms, sliding in prog rock-ish string passages, and then crescendoing into a big rock finale. "Naturally Lonely" is its equal, a lavish, dynamic ballad filled with lush strings and glowing synth. The music, however, is only half the EP's appeal, for the CD also features a video for each of the songs, every one of which equals, if not surpasses, the band's theatrical live shows. Eventually they'll all turn up on You Tube, but why wait to download when you can get 'em all right now, right here?

Product-buy it here

V. A.--Christmas Greatest Hits (2007)


Artist-V.A.
Album-Christmas Greatest Hits
Release Date-October 2007
Genre/Style-Holiday
Quality-224-320kbps

Tracklist-

01. Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmas Time 03:47
02. Elton John - Step Into Christmas 04:30
03. Bobby Helms With The Anita Kerr Singers - Jingle Bell Rock 02:11
04. Vinca Vance And The Valiants - All I Want For Christmas Is You 03:46
05. Alabama - Angels Among Us 04:09
06. Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas 04:00
07. Brenda Lee - Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 02:06
08. Stevie Wonder - What Christmas Means To Me 02:29
09. Band Aid - Do They Know It’s Christmas 03:52
10. John And Yoko And The Plastic Ono Band - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 03:34
11. Harry Simeone Chorale - The Little Drummer Boy 03:21
12. Burl Ives - A Holly Jolly Christmas 02:15
13. Gayla Peevey - I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas (Hippo The Hero) 02:36
14. Diana Ross And The Supremes - Silver Bells 03:00
15. Take Three - Silent Night 03:21
16. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve-Sarajevo 12-24 03:26
17. Bing Crosby - White Christmas 03:04
18. Wham - Last Christmas 04:46
PS: Mariah Carey performed "All my want for christmas is you" at disney in 2004: http://youtube.com/watch?v=RengWX0P5KA

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Agnes Kain--Keep walking or i'll kill you (2007)


Artist-Agnes Kain
Album-Keep walking or I’ll kill you
Release Date-August 2007
Genre/Style-Folk/Indie Rock/Indie Pop

Official site-http://www.agneskain.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/agneskain


Review-Recorded in their spare room, Agnes Kain's debut album Keep Walking or I'll Kill You has a disingenuous charm that's somewhere between homemade and more cultivated indie pop. Chanelle Afford has a slightly tremulous girlish voice that some might find to be a bit of an acquired taste, but projects winsome sincerity. If the songs themselves aren't quite childish, there's nonetheless a touch of whimsical naivete to the arrangements, with their playful melodies and touches of melodica, glockenspiel, mandolin, and viola around a pop-rock base. There's an air of innocence about the compositions themselves too, with their pensive yet sing-songy reflections on family, loved ones, childhood, and detailing of small betrayals and endearments. There's a little more going on in some songs than is first apparent from their surface breeziness, however, especially in "All Time High," with its depiction of global warming-like catastrophe. It's recommended to those who enjoy the similarly homespun, at times folky feel of much indie pop on the K label, for instance, but might at least occasionally want a little more texture and refinement in the production and songwriting.

Product-buy it here

The Dillinger Escape Plan--Ire Works (2007)


Artist-The Dillinger Escape Plan
Album-Ire Works
Release Date-Nov 5, 2007
Genre/Style-Experimental Rock
Quality-256kbps

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/dillingerescapeplan
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dillinger_Escape_Plan

Review-After Miss Machine, Dillinger Escape Plan fans were divided. Many of the folks who were attached to the screaming mathematical metal of Calculating Infinity bailed on the band, disapproving of the experimental musical direction and the meathead appearance of new singer/screamer Greg Puciato. Open-minded listeners were excited about the progressive journey they were taking and many critics hailed the group as a true innovator of metalcore. Ire Works succeeds in many of the same ways that their previous album did, while branching out creatively. They continue to toy with technical metal, blistering hardcore, jazz breaks, and post-punk, but here they evolve again by adding more twists and turns with additional electronic elements. While the merging of too many styles in hardcore can make for a convoluted result (see Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled release), the added instruments and genre changeups enhance the result rather than acting as ornamental distractions. Edgy Aphex Twin-style drill'n'bass drum breaks and stretched and squeezed electro blips feel strangely at home next to the psychotic time-signature changes and manic riffs, especially on the tracks "Sick on Sunday," "Dead as History," and "When Acting as a Wave." Violins, pianos, and trumpets sit nicely in the mix, and the group's willingness to take chances leads to stunning artistic endeavors rather than stale attempts at crossing genres just for the sake of being clever. Original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis makes an appearance, as does Mastodon singer Brent Hinds, but the most notable inclusion is drummer Gil Sharone, who proves himself an expert at picking up the slack after the departure of founding member Chris Pennie to play in Coheed and Cambria. Undoubtedly, this act added anger to fuel the fire of their heavier numbers. "82588," "Fix Your Face," and "Party Smasher" are as wicked and manic as their most difficult earlier stuff; conversely, the melodic hooks and falsetto of "Black Bubblegum" and the watery ambience of "Mouth of Ghosts" balance out the album nicely. It can be inaccessible and terrifying all at once, but in a genre overly saturated with formulaic groups, Ire Works is a true standout. If DEP aren't careful and continue down this innovative path, they could easily be labeled the Radiohead of metalcore. A visceral metal album that pushes the envelope? Who would have thunk it?

Product-buy it here

White Williams--Smoke (2007)


Artist-White Williams
Album-Smoke
Release Date-Nov 6, 2007
Genre/Style-Indie Rock/Indie Electronic
Quality-320kbps

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/whitewilliams

Review-Joe Williams may be based in Cleveland and New York City, but Smoke shows that White Williams' heart resides in a fantasy version of '70s England, where glam rock, punk, electronics, and sleaze, detachment, and wit reign supreme. White Williams' music has drawn comparisons to contemporaries from Beck to Vampire Weekend, but the inclusive playfulness of Brian Eno's early solo albums feels like a more relevant touchstone for this album's friendly experimentalism — like Eno, Williams combines the really weird and the really poppy so that they complement each other instead of competing with each other. "In the Club" pairs gritty, glittery glam rock guitars and electro-pop irony so that they sound perfect, and perfectly natural together; "Danger" takes glam's infamous slow shuffle beat and surrounds it with short-circuiting synths. Smoke's palette of sounds is pretty remarkable, with guitars that shimmy, bounce, and buzz colliding with oddly childlike backing vocals and synths that sparkle and crackle. Everything sounds like it's been slicked in oil or wrapped in spandex, to the point where "Going Down"'s paranoid pop feels as though it could slip right off the album. It's Smoke's nonstop catchiness that makes it really special, however. Though "Lice in the Rainbow" closes the album with a burst of streaky and insectoid synths, even this tangent hovers around the length of a classic pop song. Meanwhile, "Route to Palm" and "Fleetwood Crack" have winsome melodies that feel strangely familiar, and make the sexily aloof cover of "I Want Candy" blend in even more seamlessly with the rest of Smoke. "Headlines" could be a long-lost single from the late '70s, while "New Violence"'s glistening new wave finds inspiration from just a few years later. Crucially, though, Smoke never sounds dated or rehashed — instead, it's a fresh, consistently creative, and consistently listenable debut.

Product-buy it here

Wu-Tang Clan--8 Diagrams (2007)


Artist-Wu-Tang Clan
Album-8 Diagrams
Release Date-Dec 11, 2007
Genre/Style-Hip-Hop/East Coast Rap
Quality-320KBPS

Official site-http://www.wutang-corp.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/wutang
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu-Tang_Clan

Review-By Christian Hoard.

Getting the entire Wu-Tang Clan together seems as tough a challenge as acing the SATs or making Thom Yorke laugh. So it's remarkable enough that the new Wu-Tang album — the Staten Island crew's first in six years — actually exists. What's more, 8 Diagrams is better than most would have expected: a terrific mix of classic Clan grime and enough new tricks to justify Inspectah Deck's claim that "Wu-Tang keep it fresh like Tupperware." Those tricks include more expansive production, most apparent on the great "The Heart Gently Weeps," a violence-laden narrative built around the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Cuts like "Unpredictable" — where RZA's ominous, screeching attack evokes a Scorsese flick about crack dealers– also prove that the Wu can still dish pummeling grit-hop as well as anyone. There are a couple of snoozers, including "Weak Spot." And while ODB is missed, his taste for weird abides in "Sunlight," an atmospheric, bullshit-philosophical tone-poem starring RZA, and one of several reminders that the Clan still sound unique as hell.

In the six years the Clan were on hiatus, Ghostface Killah was busy becoming one of the greatest MCs ever. The Big Doe Rehab isn't as distinct as last year's Fishscale, but it's close. Ghost's bouncy, more direct approach on cuts like "Walk Around" shows off his ability to turn crack-slinging narratives into big, hooky pleasures. By the time he lays his inimitable, Ginsu-sharp whine into "White Linen Affair," a gloriously detailed rant that touches on baking soda, polar bears and Norah Jones, this much is clear: Right now is a good time to be a Wu-Tang fan.

Product-buy it here

Friday, December 14, 2007

The Valerie Project--The Valerie Project (2007)


Artist-The Valerie Project
Album-The Valerie Project
Release Date-Nov 20, 2007
Genre/Style-Pop/Rock
Quality-256kbps

Official site-http://www.valerieproject.org/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/thevalerieproject

Review-Pitchforkmedia
Product-buy it here

The Octopus Project--Hello Avalanche (2007)


Artist-The Octopus Project
Album-Hello Avalanche
Release Date-Oct 16, 2007
Genre/Style-Post-Rock/Experimental Trip-Hop
Quality-192kbps

Official site-http://www.theoctopusproject.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/theoctopusproject
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Octopus_Project


Review-Pitchforkmedia
Product-buy it here

Michael J. Sheehy--Ill Gotten Gains (2001)


Artist-Michael J. Sheehy
Album-Ill Gotten Gains
Release Date-Sep 4, 2001
Genre/Style-Adult Alternative Pop/Rock Chamber-Pop
Quality-192kbps

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/michaeljsheehy

Review-Michael J. Sheehy is a clever fellow. The first song on the morose crooner's sophomore solo release also doubles as the title of his debut full-length. The sparse and haunting segue tune, "Sweet Blue Gene," is the perfect bridge between the companion pieces. Basically, Ill Gotten Gains is the expected sequel — another solid batch of lyric-oriented vignettes concerning sin, love, detachment, and pain. As far as instrumentation, there are more of the same intricate string arrangements, shimmering keys, and slick programming tricks. One interesting expansion, however, is that Ill Gotten Gains offers a bit more in the soul department as evidenced by the earthy female backing vocals that sporadically drift through and the occasional sax break provided by Spiritualized's horn man, Ray Dickaty. Regardless of these minor innovations and overall pristine presentation of sound, Ill Gotten Gains ultimately succeeds courtesy of Sheehy's evocative vocal delivery and the themes and associated imagery that he is able to conjure. Whereas many songwriter types over-personalize and harp on the trivial, Sheehy, conversely, is able to tap into the cloaked psyche of a truly disturbed lover and carry the collective misery of tortured souls squarely on his frail shoulders. In his sordid world, a mother-to-be consumes the illicit substances she is supposed to be selling ("Wha'cha Gonna Do?"), a father confesses to son about the drug-fueled conception process that resulted in his birth ("Michael JNR"), and physical abuse in a relationship is normalcy ("Some People Love to Get Hurt"). Whether the subject matter is fact or fiction is anyone's guess. It is all part of the mystery that makes the man and his music all the more intriguing.

Product-buy it here

Jazzeel--Cinema (2007)


Artist-Jazzeel
Album-Cinema
Release Date-Jun 8, 2007
Genre/Style-Jazz
Quality-192-320kbps

Official site-http://www.jazzeel.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/jazzeel


Product-buy it here

Pinch--Underwater Dancehall (2007)


Artist-Pinch
Album-Underwater Dancehall
Release Date-Nov 20, 2007
Genre/Style-Club/Dance

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings


Review-Almostcool and Dustedmagazine
Product-buy it here

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Goldfrapp--Seventh Tree (New!)


Artist-Goldfrapp
Album-Seventh Tree
Release Date-February 25, 2008
Genre/Style-Eletronic/Synthpop
Quality-160kbps

Official site-http://www.goldfrapp.co.uk/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/goldfrapp
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldfrapp

Product-buy it

Jenn Grant--Orchestra for the Moon (2007)


Artist-Jenn Grant
Album-Orchestra for the Moon
Release Date-May 15, 2007
Genre/Style-Folk Alternative Singer/Songwriter


Official site-http://www.jenngrant.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/jenngrant1
Product-buy it

Friday, December 07, 2007

Jana Hunter--There's No Home (2007)


Artist-Jana Hunter
Album-There's No Home
Release Date-Apr 10, 2007
Genre/Style-Acid Folk

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/janahunter
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jana_Hunter

Review-Jana Hunter's debut album, Blank Unstaring Heirs Of Doom was a gentle yet psychedelically disturbing affair. It gave real weight to the term "freak folk." Its songs were wonderfully unnerving and as its titles suggests, often bleak. While the title of There's No Home doesn't make it sound like a much happier affair, musically the two sets couldn't be more different. This set, like its predecessor was recorded for Devendra BanHart's and Andy Cabic's Gnomonsong imprint, as a sophomore effort rings truer and stronger than her first. With skeletal help from brother John Hunter, John Adams (Fatal Flying Guilloteens), and Matt Brownlie (Bring Back the Guns), Hunter's songs, while slow, drawling affairs-she's a Texan and it was recorded there-are lighter, breezier, tighter and wittier. This is not to say she's become a pop singer. Hardly. She's still on the left side of the folk underground's divide, but the practice of her craft is more disciplined and her lyric writing is tighter if no less offbeat. There are 13 new songs here, all of them standing heads and shoulders above her debut-which was no slouch. The beautiful weave of voices in "Vultures" by Hunter, Brownlie, and Ashlynn Davies turns a leaving song into a real road song. There is no bottom dwelling sentiment anywhere. The droning lilt of "Movies," on which Hunter layers her own voice and guitars with Brownlie's synth, is an atmospheric interlude worthy of anything directed by Wim Wenders. "Regardless," is a moving, fingerpicked series of open strings and guitar knots. This is not to say that MS. Hunter's left all her darkness at the door. "Pinnacle," with its fuzzed up and droning guitars amidst the reverb-laden vocals and rumbling drums is creepy as hell, especially when followed by the guitar interlude that follows it. But "Oracle," brings it all back down to the roots of back porch, rock and roll folksy psych. "Sirens is a haunted and hunted lullaby and the title track is one of the more wistful heartbreakers to come out of the indie folk scene period. What it all adds up to is a nice step forward for Hunter. For those who find themselves lingering on the fringes after her debut, There's No Home is the greeting card to dive in with both ears and get your ears drenched in pleasure.

Product-buy it

Efterklang--Parades (2007)


Artist-Efterklang
Album-Parades
Release Date-Oct 15, 2007
Genre/Style-Post-Rock/Experimental/Glitch

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSKIl-NeZeE


Official site-http://www.efterklang.net/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/efterklang
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efterklang

Product-buy it here

Chris Rice--Smell the Color 9 (2000)


Artist-Chris Rice
Album-Smell the Color 9
Release Date-Oct 31, 2000
Genre/Style-Gospel/CCM/Rock

Official site-http://www.chrisrice.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/chrisrice
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Rice

Review-Just the title of Chris Rice's 2000 Rocketown Records release — Smell the Color 9 — is enough to draw curiosity on the part of listeners. After all, what exactly is the singer/songwriter alluding to with such a title? In essence, he is addressing the intangibleness of God. The project combines CCM with touches of folk stylings. Rice's reflective lyrics, which often ask more questions than they provide answers, are reminiscent of work by Rich Mullins or Nichole Nordeman. Songs include the musically circus-themed "Questions for Heaven" and the '70s-flavored "Magic Wand."

Product-buy it here