CocoaMusic

Billie The Vision & The Dancers--I Used to Wander These Streets (2008)

2008-07-08T17:35:00.004+02:00

Artist-Billie The Vision & The Dancers
Album-I Used to Wander These Streets
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Chamber Pop/Indie Rock

Official site-http://www.billiethevision.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/billiethevisionandthedancers
Youtube-http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=quq6YiUDKOc

Product-http://www.billiethevision.com/products.php

Slow Down Tallahassee--The Beautiful Light (2008)

2008-07-08T17:27:00.004+02:00

Artist-Slow Down Tallahassee
Album-The Beautiful Light
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock/Pop

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/slowdowntallahasseegirls
Youtube-http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=AM6fx78dpuM

Review-Vonpipmusicalexpress and Soundsxp

Air France--No Way Down (2008)

2008-07-08T16:34:00.006+02:00

Artist-Air France
Album-No Way Down
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Swedish Pop/Rock

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/theairfrance
Youtube-http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=fLEHMxXa7fA

Review-By Pitchforkmedia
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Laura Veirs is on the way to UK!

2008-07-03T02:41:00.001+02:00

Laura Veirs (http://www.myspace.com/lauraveirs) is set to her summer tour in UK together with Alex Guy (http://www.myspace.com/ledtosea). Here below is the time and location. Please be shown up if you like her and her music.

July 4, 2008 Green Room in Welwyn Garden City, England
July 6, 2008 O2 Wireless Festival at Hyde Park in London, England
July 7, 2008 The 12 Bar in Swindon, England
July 8, 2008 Glee Club in Birmingham, England
July 9, 2008 Winchester Discovery Centre in Winchester, England
July 10, 2008 Musician Live Music Venue in Leicester, England
July 11, 2008 The Cellars in Portsmouth, England
July 12, 2008 Big Day Out Festival in Bracknell, England
July 14, 2008 Telford’s Warehouse in Chester, England
July 15, 2008 The Duchess in York, England
July 16, 2008 Norwich Arts Centre in Norwich, England
July 17, 2008 Cambridge Junction in Cambridge, England
July 19, 2008 Lovebox Weekender in London, England

The Myriad--With Arrows, with Poise (2008)

2008-07-03T02:34:00.001+02:00

Artist-The Myriad
Album-With Arrows, with Poise
Release Date-May 2008
Genre/Style-Alternative Pop/Rock

Official site-http://www.themyriad.net/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/themyriad

Review-Reviewed by CCMMagazine. Like many artists who’ve made it big through grassroots support, Seattle-based rockers The Myriad had prime TV show placement to help get the proverbial ball rolling. In addition to placement on “The Real World: Denver,” the band sealed its “Emerging Artists” status by getting handpicked by MTV for the “Dew Circuit Breakout” challenge, which The Myriad ended up winning, thanks to several million voters.
So to say that expectations are high for the band’s Koch Records’ debut, With Arrows, With Poise, is a serious understatement. But thanks to a pitch-perfect set list packed with one clever song after the next, rock & roll fans won’t leave the listening experience disappointed. In fact, there’s not a dud in the 12-track bunch, a rarity in our singles-driven, iPod age.

What makes these songs really pop is an intuitive knack for melody (see “Forget What You Came For” for the band’s best work) and the polished yet decidedly artsy production from Michael Ilbert (The Cardigans, Kent, The Hives). Just when the listener is expecting the song to head in a certain direction, there’s one surprising turn after the next, which leads to a rewarding listening experience that should easily cement the band’s status as “one to watch.”

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Bon Iver--For Emma, Forever Ago (2007)

2008-07-03T02:29:00.001+02:00

Artist-Bon Iver
Album-For Emma, Forever Ago
Release Date-2007
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

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

Review-Bon Iver is the work of Justin Vernon. He isolated himself in a remote cabin in Wisconsin for almost four months, writing and recording the songs on For Emma, Forever Ago, his haunting debut album. A few parts (horns, drums, and backing vocals) were added in a North Carolina studio, but for the majority of the time it's just Vernon, his utterly disarming voice, and his enchanting songs. The voice is the first thing you notice. Vernon's falsetto soars like a hawk and when he adds harmonies and massed backing vocals, it can truly be breathtaking. "The Wolves (Acts I & II)" truly shows what Vernon can do as he croons, swoops, and cajoles his way through an erratic and enchanting melody like Marvin Gaye after a couple trips to the backyard still. "Skinny Love" shows his more of his range as he climbs down from the heights of falsetto and shouts out the angry and heartachey words quite convincingly. Framing his voice are suitably subdued arrangements built around acoustic guitars and filled out with subtle electric guitars, the occasional light drums, and slide guitar. Vernon has a steady grasp of dynamics too; the ebb and flow of "Creature Fear" is powerfully dramatic when the chorus hits it hard not to be swept away by the flood of tattered emotion. Almost every song has a moment where the emotion peaks and hearts begin to weaken and bend: the beauty of that voice is what pulls you through every time. For Emma captures the sound of broken and quiet isolation, wraps it in a beautiful package, and delivers it to your door with a beating, bruised heart. It's quite an achievement for a debut and the promise of greatness in the future is high. Oh, and because you have to mention it, Iron & Wine. Also, Little Wings. Most of all, though, Bon Iver.

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The Lodger--Life is Sweet (2008)

2008-07-03T02:24:00.001+02:00

Artist-The Lodger
Album-Life is Sweet
Release Date-May 27, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock/Indie Pop

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

Review-The Lodger's debut album, Grown-Ups, was a fine slice of indie pop that called to mind stellar groups like Orange Juice, the Wedding Present, and Heavenly, while making a case that they might someday be mentioned in that same class. Life Is Sweet is a step forward in both sound and song, and goes a long way toward making this thought a reality. The newly configured trio is driven as before by Ben Siddall's ace songwriting and intimate vocal style, but on Life Is Sweet, the songwriting has gotten a bit sharper, trading some of the wordiness that often derailed Grown-Ups for a more refined approach. Nowhere is this better illustrated than on the punchy and lyrically austere track "The Good Old Days." It's the kind of song that could overshadow the rest of the album, taking post-Postcard Orange Juice as inspiration, it sounds like a jumped up version of "I Can't Help Myself" with some thrilling falsetto and a huge hook. Luckily, the rest of the record is strong enough to withstand the threat of being swamped by the presence of such a monster song, and there are a few (the opening "My Finest Hour," the rocked-out "The Conversation," the brief but ultra-catchy "A Year Since Last Summer," and the country rocking of "Nothing (Left to Say)") that come close to the same rarefied air as "The Good Old Days" occupies. It helps too that the songs are played by a trio that is tighter than a baby tee, sounding at times like the Jam in the taut and ferocious attack. Unlike most indie pop bands, they choose to keep the sound pretty insular; apart from a slash of pedal steel here and a violin there, the sound is guitars, drums, and keys, and this focus creates a unified mood from song to song. Often a recipe for blandness, here the band's energy and craft keep things interesting and lively. With only a couple minor stumbles (like the overly wordy "Honey"), the solid and often thrilling Life Is Sweet is a confirmation of the promise made by Grown-Ups that firmly plants the Lodger at the head of the class of indie pop in the late 2000s.

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Norberto Lobo--Mudar de Bina (2007)

2008-07-03T02:15:00.003+02:00

Artist-Norberto Lobo
Album-Mudar de Bina
Release Date-2007
Genre/Style-Indie/Instrument

Official site-http://www.norbertolobo.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/norbertolobo
Youtube-http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=CktCDmyHXFA

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Laura Marling--Alas I Cannot Swim (2008)

2008-07-03T01:44:00.002+02:00

Artist-Laura Marling
Album-Alas I Cannot Swim
Release Date-Feb 11, 2008
Genre/Style-Alternative Singer/Songwriter

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

Review-Due to her youth (16 when she first hit Myspace, 17 when signed to an imprint of EMI, and 18 when her debut album came out), perky-cute looks and extremely British diction, singer/songwriter Laura Marling got a lot of comparisons to Lily Allen in her early buzz, but the quietly compelling Alas I Cannot Swim is not at all a frothy pop confection. A folk-tinged AAA pop record based on Marling's alluringly husky voice and graceful acoustic guitar, Alas I Cannot Swim would be more aptly compared to the likes of Feist, Keren Ann, or Regina Spektor. (In the album's press kit, Marling reveals her primary influence to be Bonnie "Prince" Billy, which also seems appropriate.) Although not to draw too forbidding a comparison, opening track and first single "Ghosts" is most strongly reminiscent of Joni Mitchell circa For the Roses, both in Marling's expressive vocal phrasing and the expert shifts in the arrangement between solo acoustic passages and full-band sections, not to mention an excellently deployed string section. That old-school '70s singer/songwriter vibe predominates throughout the album, in fact. There's one straight-up pop song here, the deceptively chipper-sounding "Cross Your Fingers" ("...hold your toes/We're all gonna die when the building blows" continues the sweetly sung chorus), but aside from that, Alas I Cannot Swim is the kind of album that takes a couple of listens for its charms to completely sink in. Rather than swath every track in prominent, ear-grabbing hooks, Marling and producer Charlie Fink choose to keep the decorations off in the distance on songs like "The Captain and Hourglass," where swells of pedal steel stay buried deep in the mix under Marling's hypnotic guitar line and quietly insistent vocals. There's every chance that Laura Marling will get lost in the shuffle as the unexpected commercial success of Feist's The Reminder leads major labels to unleash hordes of similarly talented female singer/songwriters, but Alas I Cannot Swim is far better than the average coffee house-endorsed girlypop.

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Surrounded--The Nautilus Years (2008)

2008-06-29T04:08:00.003+02:00

Artist-Surrounded
Album-The Nautilus Years
Release Date-Mar 10, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Pop

Official site-http://www.surrounded.se/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/surrounded
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKzDMZzTnUM

Review-http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/12452

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Envelopes--Here Comes the Wind (2008)

2008-06-28T16:22:00.002+02:00

Artist-Envelopes
Album-Here Comes the Wind
Release Date-Feb 18, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Pop

Official site-http://www.envelopes.se/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/envelopes

Review-Envelopes are the kind of band who if asked to draw a line, would grab three brightly coloured pens and squiggle them simultaneously about the page. Their songs are wilfully wayward, full of pretty guitar melodies that suddenly go skronk, flailing drums and keyboards that skitter about like hyperactive toddlers. Perhaps inevitably, there are moments when their second album is all bluster without purpose: Put on Hold, in particular, lacks focus, while I'm in Love and I Don't Care Who Knows It is cute but inconsequential - not least because the Swedish-French quintet sound like street buskers when they play it. But these are balanced by moments when the Envelopes' aesthetic is realised fully and brilliantly: on Party, a wonderful, awkward-indie-kid anthem in which Henrik Orrling quotes from Bonnie Tyler and pleads pathetically, "If there's a party, can I come?"; and, better still, on Boat, Audrey Pic's tenderly sung tale of a mother's fear of mortality, set to a plangent soundtrack of gurgles, shimmers and heartbeats.

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New Indie Corner

2008-06-14T01:31:00.003+02:00

Kira Lynn Cain, a classic beauty coming from San Francisco, is set to release her first album "The Ideal Hunter" in July. Her music is filmic, soft and spellbinding. Sitting still in a big empty house, putting her record on and watching the setting sun, all the left is abysmal loneiness, but you won't be languid. Download her "White as a Dove" here and pre-order a copy of the record here.

***
Los Angeles indie group "Bodies of Water" will release their third album "A Certain Feeling" in July. Here are two tracks downloadable in the album and pre-order your copy here.

***
http://www.myspace.com/brendanjames

Avishai Cohen Trio--Gently Disturbed (2008)

2008-06-14T01:15:00.001+02:00

Artist-Avishai Cohen Trio
Album-Gently Disturbed
Release Date-May 20, 2008
Genre/Style-Jazz/st-Bop/Contemporary Jazz

Official site-http://www.avishaimusic.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/avishaicohenmusic

Review-Reviewed by John Henry

Bassist/composer Avishai Cohen was one of the jazz musicians from Israel to gain attention in the U.S. He has played with Chick Corea, Latin bands, pop artist Alicia Keys, and has performed concert works with the London Philharmonic and Boston Pops. He started his own record label in 2003.

This disc may look like the same old piano trio, but it’s not. Pianist Maestro has a similar background to Cohen’s - being trained in both classical and jazz piano. Both are experienced with a wide spectrum of jazz, but also influenced by the musics of North Africa and the Middle East, which gives their work a special world music tinge that differs from the Scandinavian folk influences on some European jazz. Two of the 11 tracks here are based on traditional folk melodies, two are collaborations of the entire trio and all the rest are original by Cohen.

I love the album’s title - seems somehow perfect and it does successfully communicate the general emotional feeling of the music therein. Cohen’s bass work is quite amazing; he makes the hulking string instrument into a true melodic voice in many of the tunes. Variations in G Minor, as its title suggests, comes from the players’ strong classical background, and builds to an exciting and propulsive classical/jazz mix. The Cohen Trio demonstrates without a doubt that there can be many unique varieties of the seemingly boring old piano trio format - especially the ones assigning larger roles to the bass and drums in the trio - adding to the contributions of others such as Keith Jarrett’s, Brad Mehldau’s and The Bad Plus.

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Sybris--Into the Trees (2008)

2008-06-14T01:04:00.001+02:00

Artist-Sybris
Album-Into the Trees
Release Date- May 20, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

Official site-http://www.sybrismusic.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/sybris

Review-Defiantly lo-fi and beholden to the past, by rights Sybris should slot neatly within the current crop of such retro acts as the Hold Steady. But even though they exhibit the same nervous energy and juttery rhythms, the Chicago quartet are just as enthralled with the early indie scene as the post-punk era. And the differences don't stop there, for Sybris' signature is their misty atmospheres, evoking the likes of Ride and Slowdive. Into the Trees is wrapped in them, a gauzy veil that blankets every track within, even "Old Tyme E" and "Saint Veronica," the brightest songs on the set. The former has a svelte '60s feel, all excited beats and bouncy guitars, the latter glides from a dreamy pop feel into a hard rock segment, then soars heavenward on a sea of chimes and drones. That post-punk drone is prominent throughout the set-diving "Safety City," "Something About a Dark Horse or Whatever," and "Gin Divides Us." At times, "The Mary"'s a good example, the guitars aren't actually droning, they just sound that way thanks to the band's profligate use of reverb. On that number Sybris play off the drone against lilting guitar riffs, a juxtaposition that also defines their sound. "Mary" has more than a touch of New Order about it, elsewhere the Cure, U2, and Siouxsie & the Banshees play an inspirational role, as does the art-rock scene. The latter is particularly evident in the jumpy rhythms of "Burnout Babies" and "Gin Divides Us." There again, even the band's most downtempo numbers have a nervousness around the rhythms and a tension to the auras, a jittery feel that vocalist Angela Mullenhour feeds. Varyingly fragile, tough, sweet, dreamy, and caterwauling, she is the bastard child of Björk and Siouxsie Sioux, more tuneful than the former, more childlike than the latter, her clear tones sweeping and soaring over this set. From lullabies to indie rockers, gloomy goth rockers to bright poppers, Into the Trees takes one deep into a forest of aural delights.

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Black Moth Super Rainbow--Zodiac Girls (single, 2008)

2008-06-14T00:46:00.004+02:00

Artist-Black Moth Super Rainbow
Album-Zodiac Girls (single)
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Indie Electronic

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

Review-“Armed with an arsenal of vintage keyboards (monosynths, polysynths, mellotrons, Fender Rhodes’ and more), Black Moth crafts mind-blowing, interstellar psychedelic pop” - Rolling Stone.

Hailing from a city which is unexpectedly known for it’s avant-garde sensibility, Pittsburgh’s Black Moth Super Rainbow intricately infuse a psychedelic pastiche that seamlessly weaves between the world’s of folk, electronic and pop.

2007 was a big year for the band, not only did they release the critically acclaimed album ‘Dandelion Gum’ - which garnered accolades from such publications as Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The Village Voice and MTV - the band also scored opening slots for acts The Flaming Lips and Aesop Rock.This limited edition 7” (limited to 500 copies) features two brand spanking new tracks from these innovative rockers. Side A ‘Zodiac Girls’ and Side B ‘The Fields Are Breathing’ are choc full of the band’s signature sound of electro, synth-pop rock.

7” includes a coupon for a free download of the single in MP3 format.

Product-http://www.blackmothsuperrainbow.com/disco1.htm

Download two tracks separately
Zodiac Girls & The Fields Are Breathing
or a RAR file link

(The file links are just for pre-reviewed purpose and will be removed in 24 hours.)

Sigur Rós--Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (2008)

2008-06-10T14:46:00.002+02:00

Artist-Sigur Rós
Album-Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Release Date-Jun 24, 2008
Genre/Style-Post-Rock/Experimental

Official site-http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/sigurros
Note-The album is in low-quality of 128kbps

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Fleet Foxes--Fleet Foxes (2008)

2008-06-10T14:31:00.002+02:00

Artist-Fleet Foxes
Album-Fleet Foxes
Release Date-Jun 3, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

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

Review-by Heather Phares. Borrowing from ageless folk and classic rock (and nicking some of the best bits from prog and soft rock along the way), on their self-titled debut album Fleet Foxes don't just master the art of taking familiar influences and making them sound fresh again, they give a striking sense of who they are and what their world is like. Fleet Foxes' cover appears vaguely medieval, yet their song titles reference the Blue Ridge Mountains — never mind that they're actually from Seattle — but it's the ease and skill with which they mix and match British and American folk and rock from the far and not too distant past that makes the band's music so refreshing. While this mix could be contrived or indulgent, Fleet Foxes use restraint, structuring their flourishes into three- and four-minute pop songs full of chiming melodies and harmonies that sound like they've been summoned from centuries of traditional songs and are full of vivid, universal imagery: mountains, birds, family, death. Despite drawing from so many sources, there's a striking purity to Fleet Foxes' sound. Robin Pecknold's voice is warm and sweet, with just enough grit to make phrases like "premonition of my death" sound genuine, and the band's harmonies sound natural, and stunning, whether they're on their own or supported by acoustic guitars or the full, plugged-in band. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" and "Meadowlarks" show just how much the Foxes do with the simplest elements of their music, but Fleet Foxes' best songs marry that purity with twists that open their sound much wider. As good as the Sun Giant EP was, Fleet Foxes saved many of their best songs for this album. "White Winter Hymnal" is remarkably beautiful, building from a vocal round into glorious jangle pop with big, booming drums that lend a sense of adventure as the spine-tingling melody lightens some of the lyrics' darkness ("Michael you would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in summertime"). The suite-like "Ragged Wood" moves from a galloping beat to sparkling acoustic picking, then takes a trippy detour before returning to a more thoughtful version of its main theme. "Quiet Houses" and "He Doesn't Know Why"'s driving pianos show off the band's flair for drama. Dazzling songs like these are surrounded by a few songs that find the band leaning a little more heavily on its influences. "Your Protector" nods to Zeppelin's misty, mournful side, and "Blue Ridge Mountains" is the kind of earthy yet sophisticated song CSNY would have been proud to call their own. But, even when the songs aren't as brilliant as Fleet Foxes' highlights, the band still sounds alluring, as on the lush interlude "Heard Them Stirring." Throughout the album, the band sounds wise beyond its years, so it's not really that surprising that Fleet Foxes is such a satisfying, self-assured debut.

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Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfa--Jazz Samba Encore! (1963)

2008-06-10T14:18:00.003+02:00

Artist-Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfa
Album-Jazz Samba Encore!
Release Date-1963
Genre/Style-Samba/Brazilian Jazz

Official site-http://stangetz.net/index.html
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Getz

Review-Here's some more bossa nova from Stan Getz when the bloom was still on the first Brazilian boom. This time, however, on his third such album, Getz relies mostly upon native Brazilians for his backing. Thus, the soft-focused grooves are considerably more attuned to what was actually coming out of Brazil at the time. Two bona fide giants, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá (who gets co-billing), provide the guitars and all of the material, and Maria Toledo contributes an occasional throaty vocal. Getz injects more high-wailing passages into his intuitive affinity for the groove, even going for some fast bop on "Un Abraco No Getz," and Bonfá takes adept care of the guitar solos against Jobim's rock-steady rhythm. Clearly Jobim's songwriting contributions — "So Danco Samba," "How Insensitive," and "O Morro Nao Tem Vez" — would have the longest shelf life, and though the album didn't sell as well as its two predecessors, it certainly helped break these tunes into the permanent jazz repertoire. Avid bossa nova fans will certainly treasure this album for the lesser-known Bonfá tunes.

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Joan Of Arc--Boo! Human (2008)

2008-06-10T00:54:00.002+02:00

Artist-Joan Of Arc
Album-Boo! Human
Release Date-May 20, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

Official site-http://www.joanfrc.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/joanofarcpvjtrec

Review-Boo! Human just wouldn't be a Joan of Arc record without strategic modes of operation involving some matter of constraint and shifting lineups; here it's reported to involve a lone week of recording time and a simple sign-up sheet for musicians willing to back Tim Kinsella's songs and vocals. (For the most part, this entails Joan of Arc regulars Sam Zurick, Bobby Burg, and Mike Kinsella, plus others including Wilco's Leroy Bach, Bonnie "Prince" Billy regular Emmett Kelly, and Town and Country's Josh Abrams and Ben Vida.) Most similar in sound and execution to So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness, Boo! Human matches Kinsella's intricate journalistic observations with the band's jarring, occasionally atonal accompaniment. As with the best Joan of Arc, however, vocals and music follow the same intriguing twists and turns — never following the well-worn path, but investigating intriguing byways and always arriving at the same destination. The sound is fleshed out much more than Joan of Arc has been for some time, and it's an easy album to be affected by — at least for fans of confessional post-rock, Chicago style. "Just Pack or Unpack" features excellent group interplay to bring Kinsella's lyrics to fruition, and a no-holds-barred flair that encompasses several brief interludes for atonal guitar runs that slowly peak and even more slowly dissipate. Refreshingly, Kinsella keeps his harshest lyrics brief, and the group varies their sound accordingly, whether it's clashing strings on the minute-long "9/11 2" or the contentment and contemplation on the next track, "A Tell-Tale Penis." (The music on the latter brings out the emotion of Kinsella's lyric, "Once we spent our afternoons dancing in our living room/ Now she's given in to her most unlit corners too soon.") If ever a singer/songwriter seemed tailor-made for Chicago's avant-garde/post-rock community, it has to be Tim Kinsella.

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Beirut's new song "Down in Mexico"

2008-06-10T00:42:00.002+02:00

Here is Beruit's new song "Down in Mexico" filmed by fans. That's a clearly unfinished track, but in excellent melody. Hope their second album come out soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68ZWEu01RYs

Jay Brannan--Goddamned (New!)

2008-06-10T00:25:00.003+02:00

Artist-Jay Brannan
Album-Goddamned
Release Date-01/07/08
Genre/Style-Acoustic/Indie

Official site-http://www.jaybrannan.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/jaybrannan
Youtube-MV of Housewife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNxzFPTA1y4
Note-Have you heard a gay song like this? Here provided is unfinished version just for previewed purpose. Need fully high-quality version? Buy it.

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link1 or link2

(The file links are just for pre-reviewed purpose and will be removed in 24 hours.)

Perfectly clear? Perfect Jewel

2008-06-09T18:57:00.002+02:00

Jewel's new move on country music road gets mixed response from the critics. Here are two lives recently. Order ur copy of her new album "Perfectly clear" here in case u still haven't one.

"Stronger Woman"live at the KASE 101 Sprint Live Music Lounge in Austin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipXWx6jRVIs

"Stronger Woman" live in Johnjay and Rich's studio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAnbZvdmlm0

Bonnie "Prince" Billy--Lie Down on the Light (2008)

2008-06-07T00:13:00.002+02:00

Artist-Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Album-Lie Down on the Light
Release Date-May 12, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

Official site-http://www.bonnieprincebilly.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/princebonniebilly

Review-There were times in Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's dark musical past when you couldn't imagine him ever unfurrowing that brow, but someone has clearly been slipping something into his bourbon lately. While this most recent effort may be far from the big sonic grin of an act like The Ting Tings, it is the sound of Will Oldham with a cheeky smirk spreading slowly but surely across his face.

Following 2007's mini-LP of covers Ask Forgiveness, Lie Down In The Light is the Kentucky-born cult legend's seventeenth release as the Bonnie Prince, and is easily his most upbeat and infectious effort to date. Of course there are still the trademark poetic tales of heartbreak and existential angst we have come to expect from Oldham - this time, though, they are delivered by a new, incredibly talented troupe of musicians driving a whole host of lovely melodies with clunking keys, subtle percussion, shimmering acoustic guitars, banjos, violins, woozy horns and soulful harmonies to beguiling effect.

So Everyone, Something (The Glory Goes), I'll Be Glad, Lie Down In The Light, You Remind Me Of and You Want That Picture are some of the best examples of these with Ashley Webber - Oldham's latest duetting partner - providing the warm female vocals.

Of course the melancholy is still on display on occasion - this wouldn't be a Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album without at least a hint of it. What's Missing Is, Willow Trees Bend and Missing One are the old school fan-appeasing efforts on the record but these are just a few nods to the past in a work which sees Oldham set his sights firmly on the future.

He also experiments with his singing style for the first time, his voice more expressive than ever before, breaking and cracking in all the right places and even soaring up to falsetto on various tracks with ease - playful opener Easy Does It showcasing perfectly the impressive vocal range we have never heard until now.

Recorded with Nashville's Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Calexico), Lie Down In The Light is the sound of a musician at ease, quietly and calming experimenting with his sound and subsequently coming up with his finest work to date. Devotees won't believe it possible, but this enigmatic, prolific and fiercely creative country/folk star just got infinitely more interesting.

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Tamas Wells--Two Years In April (2008)

2008-06-06T23:40:00.005+02:00

Artist-Tamas Wells
Album-Two Years In April
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Indie Pop

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

Review-'Two Years in April' is the new album from Burma based artist Tamas Wells.

And it has been a remarkable two years.

After a wave of excitement in Japan about Wells' 2006 album 'A Plea en Vendredi', he signed deals with renowned Tokyo based label Inpartmaint and also with China based label Pocket Records (who also release Australian band Dirty Three). The result of these deals was remarkable with 'A Plea en Vendredi' selling thousands of copies,reaching Number 16 on Japan's HMV Shibuya international chart and culminating in a sell out tour of four Japanese cities in late 2007.

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Tamas Wells moved to the city of Yangon in Burma in early 2006 and with just a guitar, a traditional Burmese banjo and the occasional subtle use of strings, began recording songs for a new album. Recorded at home in Yangon between power cuts, monsoon rains and the shouts of street salesmen ‘Two Years in April’ combines Wells’ sublime sense of melody with a beautifully fragile instrumentation and production.

'Two Years in April' will be released internationally in June 2008 through Popboomerang Records in Australia, Inpartmaint in Japan and Pocket Records in China . The release will coincide with an international tour of Japan, Australia and China.

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Subtle--Exiting Arm (2008)

2008-06-06T23:38:00.002+02:00

Artist-Subtle
Album-Exiting Arm
Release Date-May 19, 2008
Genre/Style-Alternative Rap/Experimental Rock

Official site-http://www.subtle6.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/subtlesix

Review-Always cryptic, always intense, avant-hip-hop band Subtle once again present a complicated picture of society on Exiting Arm. Doseone's high, nasally voice acts as the guide through the band's twisted landscape, leading his audiences into convoluted passages and bridges from which only he can get them out. There's so much happening lyrically, and what is being said is so dense, that it's hard to pick much out, but the occasional phrase — "do you relax to which your death is a fact," "and you wait in your window, for found to come find you," "the last of mankind will have no instruction," "someone's hard-to-find bird head collection," "what sort of armor can the average man arrange inside of him?" — does poke through from time to time, making itself known. It is perhaps this lack of complete understanding of the surroundings, of what's happening, that adds to the haze that consistently coats Subtle's music, that helps to push the confusion and dark uncertainty that they're working so hard to create. To their credit, they do realize that completely immersing their listeners in obscure, convoluted imagery will be too tiring, too much — to the point of rendering their message(s) useless, in fact — and so their music, while certainly not following mainstream pop conventions, doesn't drift too far into the experimental. Beat is key here, and the percussion, courtesy of Jel, moves from heavy electronic "Take to The" to the quiet rolling of "Hollow Hollered" to the nicely syncopated closer, "Providence," allowing voices to swell and layer, strings and keys and bass to come and go when they please. The problem is, because the songs are so dense, and the lyrics nearly unintelligible, it becomes difficult to differentiate Exiting Arm from the band's other work, and because of that, makes the album a bit of a disappointment.

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Saybia--The Second You Sleep (2002)

2008-06-06T17:25:00.003+02:00

Artist-Saybia
Album-The Second You Sleep
Release Date-01-21-2002
Genre/Style-Alternative Pop/Rock

Official site-http://www.saybia.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/saybia
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2T60bis_MM

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Hammock--Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow (2008)

2008-06-06T17:11:00.002+02:00

Artist-Hammock
Album-Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow
Release Date-May 6, 2008
Genre/Style-Dream Pop/Indie Rock

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

Review-In August of 2007, Hammock were invited to play their first ever live gig at an art show after-party to be attended by Sigur Rós' Jon Thor Birgisson, a big influence on the band. Challenged with reproducing their lush and complex recorded sound live, the duo chose to go minimal, and find out if what really comprised the Hammock magic was as simple as just the guitars in their hands and the pedals at their feet. They found that it is. This album, then, is a studio recording of that "start of Act II" set, enhanced with a supportive cello from Sixpence None the Richer's Matt Slocum. Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow is Hammock reduced to their deepest essence, a still and stunning beauty. Dropping the vocals, dropping beats, Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson find the core of their dream-ambient muse. Gone are the Boards of Canada mannerisms of Kenotic, gone are the sometimes bluesy guitars of Raising Your Voice...Trying to Stop an Echo, gone are the yearning, aching vocals. And what remains is a sound both simple and unaffected. Byrd and Thompson shed any emotional armor they wore, and appear here as unafraid to express their fragility or vulnerability, as people who know that there is nothing to be afraid of, who know that it is OK to express their pain, their joy, their overarching hopefulness. Maybe operates outside of genre, far beyond the now obvious limitations of the dream pop/shoegaze scene Hammock cut their teeth in.

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Old 97's--Blame It on Gravity (2008)

2008-05-26T22:47:00.002+02:00

Artist-Old 97's
Album-Blame It on Gravity
Release Date-May 13, 2008
Genre/Style-Alternative Country-Rock

Official site-http://www.old97s.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/theold97s

Review-Rewind the clock to the early 1990s, when the Old 97's were not old in the least and their charismatic, pinup-worthy frontman — a struggling musician sharing an apartment with Clark Vogeler of the Toadies — had yet to reconcile his dueling adoration for pop music and vintage country songs. As the band rose to prominence, first in their native Dallas and then in alt country circles nationwide, they displayed a twangy vigor that fueled their early efforts. That vitality never quite left, but it became tempered over the years — tempered by the band's hasty exit from Elektra Records in 2001, by Rhett Miller's subsequent solo career, by the onset of fatherhood, by the steady encroachment of middle age. Cutting back to 2008, however, the Old 97's sound youthful and newly energized, having returned to Dallas and relocated that beloved crossroads between twangy country rock and tight, economic power pop. Blame It on Gravity is a homecoming of sorts, a revisit to the sonic sweet spot that made Too Far to Care the ideal pop album for people in cowboy boots, or the perfect country album for those who'd never heard of Lyle Lovett and Gram Parsons. The album's timing is impeccable, arriving during the same spring that saw the last published issue of No Depression (which, incidentally, featured a story on the band), and a nostalgic, souped-up re-release of Whiskeytown's Stranger's Almanac. Both are bittersweet reminders that alt country's golden days have faded into twilight, but the Old 97's remain stubbornly relevant, having weathered their audience's changing tastes and the record industry's changing priorities without losing a single member.

Rhett Miller is still the quartet's able-voiced frontman, his lyrics brimming with internal rhymes and character sketches. In the Spanish-tinged "Dance with Me" (a close cousin to Fight Songs' "What We Talk About"), he steps into the role of a foreign lover, enticing an American tourist to show him her night moves before jumping into the role of her cuckolded husband. Beneath him, guitars crunch and cymbals crash courtesy of his three bandmates: bassist Murry Hammond, the group's bespectacled elder statesman and a contributor to some of Gravity's finest cuts (including the Beatles-inspired "My Two Feet"); drummer Philip Peeples, who pummels the snare with a rhythmic, horse-hooved stomp, and lead guitarist Ken Bethea, a controlled flurry of guitar pedals, cowpunk riffs, and spiky facial hair. Together, the Old 97's pepper their seventh studio effort with their familiar mix of rock songs, mature ballads, and the shuffling midtempo numbers that fall somewhere between both camps. There's "She Loves the Sunset," a breezy gem combining a 1950s chord progression with tropical island flair, as well as the cozily atmospheric "Color of a Lonely Heart Is Blue," one of Murry Hammond's most moving and heartbreaking compositions to date. Such mellow tracks rub shoulders with the album's full-tilt rock numbers — "Ride," "Early Morning," "The One," "The Fool," — all of them delivered with the confidence of a band who's been there, done that, and stayed together while lesser groups split at the seams. No track quite approaches the breakneck pace of 1997's "Timebomb," but that's a minor quibble for a band who continues to remain earnest, fine-tuned, and wholly significant after 15 years of barroom rock & roll.

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The Radio Dept.--Pet Grief (2006)

2008-05-26T22:41:00.001+02:00

Artist-The Radio Dept.
Album-Pet Grief
Release Date-May 30, 2006
Genre/Style-Noise Pop

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

Review-There's something about Swedish pop music that strikes me as clinical. Chalk it up to a relentless sense of perfectionism-- this is a country that not only produced "Dancing Queen" but also the exquisite engineering of Saab and the precision of Björn Borg's backhand. The dream pop of Malmo's Radio Dept. is cut from the same cloth. Their second album, Pet Grief, is stacked with syrupy pop songs, as Johan Duncanson's effortless vocals ride the crest of soft-focus synths and programmed drums. But too often, the songs come off like the sonic equivalent of IKEA furniture: highly functional, sleekly designed, and sterile.

That might sound harsh, but it doesn't mean that Pet Grief is lacking. Part of these songs' charm is their love affair with sounds from the 1980s and early 90s-- like a more ethereal, Quaalude-doped version of the Pet Shop Boys or New Order's energetic electro-pop. But the ingredients are there, from dancefloor beats and big piano chords to layers of majestic, string-aping synths. "Every Time", the album's catchiest song, even cops the flat, treble-drenched distortion of My Bloody Valentine's guitars, and Duncanson's half-whispered delivery decorates with a fragile and compulsive melody. Between the band's production choices and lovely (if understated) vocals, Pet Grief is built to be instantly pleasing and, as a result, sometimes smacks of déjá vu.

This lack of originality is echoed in Duncanson's musings on relationships, which are often trite to the point of unfeeling. On "Tell", for instance, he simply announces, "Betrayal is always sad". It would be an insufferable moment if his no-brainer observation wasn't packaged with easily loveable music. Elsewhere, his naïveté is more amusing. Concerning a girlfriend that has moved on, he takes comfort in knowing that her new boyfriend has "the worst taste in music," explaining, "If I didn't know this, I'd lose it." It's a line at once juvenile and touching, illustrating the little ways we negotiate pain.

The songs on Pet Grief are easy to fall in love with; the facile melodies and slick production eliminate any barriers to enjoyment. But the lack of challenge-- few surprises, scant diversity-- means you won't want to put the album on for repeat listens, even if you're never compelled to turn it off while it's playing. Radio Dept. could sacrifice a little polish for a few more rough edges.

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Death Cab for Cutie--Narrow Stairs (2008)

2008-05-26T22:36:00.002+02:00

Artist-Death Cab for Cutie
Album-Narrow Stairs
Release Date-May 13, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

Official site-http://www.deathcabforcutie.com/splash/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/deathcabforcutie

Review-After spending the better part of a decade in the musical minor leagues, Death Cab for Cutie went pro with 2005's Plans, a record whose optimism and Technicolor sound gave the band enough leverage to finally enter the mainstream. "Soul Meets Body" became their biggest rock single to date, but it was Ben Gibbard's delicate love song, "I Will Follow You Into the Dark," that earned the quartet a Grammy nomination and legions of new fans. Some bands might have taken a cue from such success and resigned themselves to a career of acoustic ballads, not unlike the Goo Goo Dolls' transformation in the mid-'90s. But Narrow Stairs roughs up Plans' bright palette with something starker, more harrowing, and altogether darkened by Gibbard's blues. No longer crooning about immortal love or his desire to embrace all of Manhattan, the frontman lives inside his own troubled head on these 11 tracks — or at least the heads of the characters he conjures up with ease, like some music-minded novelist with a knack for pop melodies and witty observations. There's "Cath," an ill-married girl who "holds a smile like someone would hold a crying child," as well as the creepy stalker in "I Will Possess Your Heart," who simply demands that his intended lover give him the time of day. Elsewhere, Gibbard examines a friend's recent heartbreak by referencing her bedroom furniture ("Your New Twin Sized Bed"), offering up his concern — if not quite his help — while the band conjures up a lazy summer's day with gauzy keyboards and brightly chiming riffs. Such contrast between music and text plays an occasional role on Narrow Stairs, with songs like "No Sunshine" and "Long Division" pairing somber lyrics with upbeat orchestration. But the album largely paints itself as the darker, mysterious cousin to Plans — raw rather than polished, heartbroken rather than optimistic, enigmatic rather than energetic. Gibbard strings his words together with an army of free-flowing "ands" and "buts", and the resulting lyrics — long, uncoiling sentences with no clear end — mirror his characters' desperate attitudes. Narrow Stairs is far from desperate, however, and the album's willingness to steer Death Cab into unfamiliar territory (or, to reference an earlier lyric, "into the dark"), is by far its strongest asset.

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Speedmarket Avenue--Way Better Now (2008)

2008-05-18T02:40:00.003+02:00

Artist-Speedmarket Avenue
Album-Way Better Now
Release Date-May 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Pop/Twee/Swedish Pop

Official site-http://www.speedmarketavenue.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/speedmarketavenue
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0RI9o35diY

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Forest City Lovers--Haunting Moon Sinking (2008)

2008-05-18T02:33:00.002+02:00

Artist-Forest City Lovers
Album-Haunting Moon Sinking
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Folk/Indie/Pop

Official site-http://www.playthetriangle.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/forestcitylovers

Review-(By Vish Khanna) Possessing one of Toronto’s most gifted indie folk voices, Kat Burns assembles the best version of Forest City Lovers yet for Haunting Moon Sinking, a beautiful, multi-layered achievement that’s been a long time coming. Burns’s delicate, sad folk is always captivating but her songs have never sprung forward with such immediate vibrancy. You can almost mark the shift in the gorgeous “Sullen Seas,” where that familiar voice appears clearly, ushering in a cool groove that prompts the song into an uplifting clip, bolstered by tasteful strings and thoughtful drumming. A new FCL greet listeners from this point forward, as insistent orchestras pop up on “Country Road” and the cool, Cure-like “Pirates (can’t all sail the Indian Ocean).” There are literal hints to Burns’s past, such as the refined re-recording of “Waiting by the Fence” but also bold new vocal experiments like “At the Border” and the playful pop of “Orphans.” Haunting Moon Sinking is that rare combination of intriguing lyricism and complementary arrangements, serving as the definitive work by Kat Burns and Forest City Lovers.

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Excepter--Debt Dept (2008)

2008-05-18T02:28:00.001+02:00

Artist-Excepter
Album-Debt Dept
Release Date-Mar 25, 2008
Genre/Style-Neo-Psychedelia/Noise-Rock

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

Review-Excepter's own bemusing path through the murkier corners of whatever the noise scene of the early 21st century is has likely frustrated as many fans as it has entranced — it's no surprise that they've ended up on Animal Collective's label, and Debt Dept shows why it's a good home for them. Beginning with the logically entitled "Entrance 08," an intentionally trudging number that actually keeps up the pace, Excepter are again showing that the conventional way to mix a song isn't the only one. Vocals here, as throughout the album, exist almost as addenda to the songs — not just background textures but not anything else either, giving a sense of a series of dramatic recitations being heard from a few doors over, evocative but not quite understandable. The song itself is a perfect, lengthy statement of purpose with its up-front guitars and increasingly stripped-down and focused drones — get in or get out, the band almost seems to be saying — and from there Debt Dept explores a variety of takes on the basic sound. While comparisons could be made to various no wave forebears, an interesting analog — suggested by songs like "Kill People," with its hollow drum sounds and general murk — would be the experimental side of early Bauhaus, where such demi-instrumentals as "Untitled" and "Earwax" held sway. Meanwhile, "Greenhouse/Stretch" is an actual death disco number of sorts — or at least a dance track for actual zombies, thanks to its core keyboard loop squelch — while the concluding "Sunrise" (at least not counting the bonus track, "'Burgers") is an honest to God rock epic in the band's own way, thanks to the build of the verses and the way it feels more like an "actual" song as such, or more accurately a more conventional one.

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California Snow Story--Close to the Ocean (2007)

2008-05-18T01:40:00.002+02:00

Artist-California Snow Story
Album-Close to the Ocean
Release Date-May 21, 2007
Genre/Style-Indie Pop

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

Review-(Reviewed by Tommy Gunnarsson) I remember when I first heard California Snow Story’s first EP 'One Good Summer' (released on the brilliant Shelflife label back in 2002), and the first thought that came up in my head was “they must have listened a lot to Camera Obscura”.

What I didn’t know at that point was that the songwriter for California Snow Story is David Skirving, once the guitarist for, surprise surprise, Camera Obscura. He left the band before they released their debut album, 'Biggest Bluest Hi Fi' even though he wrote some songs for it, and instead he joined forces with Anna Barrek and formed his own band. That was five years ago, and now David is back again, with a new vocalist, Sandra Belda Martínez from Spain (and of Superéte fame), and a long awaited debut album, 'Close to the Ocean'.

So, has the sound changed during the five year break ? Well, not much, really. The first song, 'Begin Again', is a nice slice of pop, closely resembling the sound of early Camera Obscura. Actually, my girlfriend who didn't know what I had on CD player said “isn’t this that Camera Obscura song, 'Your Sound ?'” when I was listening to the album for the first time. And so it goes on for the rest of the album… Reading this, I see that I may sound negative, but I’m not. Honestly!

This is a good album, and I wish I could avoid writing about David’s past, which would be lot easier if he was doing a totally different kind of music. He isn’t, but I like California Snow Story anyway.

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Pomegranates--Everything Is Alive (2008)

2008-05-14T01:24:00.002+02:00

Artist-Pomegranates
Album-Everything Is Alive
Release Date-May 13, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Pop/Shoegaze

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/pomegranatesart
Biography-http://lujorecords.com/artist.php?artistid=65
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u4X6lHRQdo

Product-http://lujorecords.com/

Jon Foreman--Spring (2008)

2008-05-14T01:14:00.004+02:00

Artist-Jon Foreman
Album-Spring (Winter, Fall)
Release Date-2007-2008
Genre/Style-Acoustic/Folk

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

Review-Thealbumproject
Product-http://store2.bandfarm.com/jonforeman/

The Apples In Stereo--Electronic Projects for Musicians (2008)

2008-05-14T01:07:00.002+02:00

Artist-The Apples In Stereo
Album-Electronic Projects for Musicians
Release Date-Apr 1, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/theapplesinstereo
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apples_in_Stereo

Review-Electronic Projects for Musicians is the second collection of stray tracks by the Apples in Stereo. The first, Science Faire, appeared in 1996 and covered the early days of the band before the release of Fun Trick Noisemaker. This disc rounds up songs included as bonus tracks on Japanese editions of their albums, split-single tracks, B-sides, and some previously unavailable tracks. It misses songs the band placed on compilations (""Time for Bed"" from Lemonlime, Vol. 1) and soundtracks (""Signal in the Sky (Let's Go"") on the Powerpuff Girls soundtrack), so it can't be considered a complete document of their output. One also realizes as the disc goes on that the Apples didn't save any of their best songs for bonus tracks and B-sides. They are all solid examples of the band's unique blend of indie sweetness, psychedelic experimentation, and solid songcraft. A few songs do stand out though That being said, the real gems on the collection are the shimmering rocker ""Shine (In Your Mind"") (from Fun Trick Noisemaker), the utterly dreamy ""The Oasis"" (which appeared on a Kindercore collection and as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone) and the previously unreleased ""Dreams,"" which would have been a very nice addition to the Tone Soul Evolution album. A song that stands out for all the wrong reasons is ""Stephen Stephen,"" the joky and cloying track the band recorded for The Colbert Report. The band's love for the host of the show may indeed be real, but the song has the feel of a desperate grab for attention and feels totally out of place in the band's catalog. It's not enough of a glitch to deter a fan of the band from needing this collection of typically great music. Especially if they didn't have the means to track down all the Japanese releases and singles featured here.

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My favourite indie bands are on the road

2008-05-13T20:04:00.005+02:00

The best season is coming. Many my favourite indie bands are on tour now. Check the time and place below. Please be present and show your love.

http://www.myspace.com/ironandwine
http://www.youtube.com/v/KHw7gdJ14uQ

May 14 8:00P Leadmill Sheffield, UK
May 15 8:00P Old Market - The Great Escape Festival Brighton, UK
May 16 8:00P Forum London, UK
May 17 8:00P Butlin’s Holiday Centre Minehead, UK
Jun 11 8:00P First Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jun 12 8:00P Capitol Theater Davenport, Iowa
Jun 13 8:00P Pagent St. Louis, Missouri
Jun 14 8:00P Bonnaroo Manchester, Tennessee
Jun 15 8:00P Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio
Jul 4 11:00A Rothbury Festival (Sam Solo) Rothbury, Michigan
Sep 27 12:00P Austin City Limits Austin, Texas

http://www.myspace.com/fujiyaandmiyagi

May 17 8:00P OLD MARKET BRIGHTON & HOVE
Jul 19 8:00P MELT FESTIVAL BERLIN
Jul 20 12:00A DOUR FESTIVAL DOUR

http://www.myspace.com/mattandkim

May 14 8:00P Beat Club Glasgow, Scotland
May 15 8:00P University of Sheffield - Fuzz Club Sheffield
May 16 8:00P Great Escape Venue Brighton
May 17 7:30P The Luminaire London

http://www.eluvium.net/index.html

May 16-18 Minehead,UK @ATP Festival
May 20 Paris, FR @Elysee Montmatre
May 21 Koln,DE @Kulturkirche
May 22 Heidelberg,DE @Karlstorbahnhof
May 23 Munich,DE @Feierwerk
May 25 Vienna,AT @Flex
May 26 Bologna,IT @Estragon Club
May 27 Zurich,CH @Abart
May 28 Lausanne,CH @Romandie
May 31 Moscow,RU @Avant Festival

http://www.myspace.com/margotandthenuclearsoandsos

May 14 9:00P Jackpot Saloon (18+) Lawrence, Kansas
May 16 8:00P Larimer Lounge (21+) Denver, Colorado
May 17 7:00P Kilby Court (ALL AGES) Salt Lake City, Utah
May 20 8:00P Chop Suey Seattle, Washington
May 21 8:00P Doug Fir Lounge (21+) Portland, Oregon
May 23 8:30P The Independent (21+) San Francisco, California
May 24 8:30P The Echo (18+) Los Angeles, California
May 26 8:30P The Casbah (21+) San Diego, California
May 27 8:30P Solar Culture Tucson, Arizona
May 28 7:30P Rhythm Room Phoenix, Arizona
May 30 8:00P Emo’s (Inside stage 21+) Austin, Texas
May 31 9:00P Rubber Gloves Denton, Texas

http://www.myspace.com/brownfeathersparrow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB2z9ipYtys

Sep 13 8:00P t.b.a. t.b.a. Holland
Sep 27 8:00P De Piek, with Anderson Vlissingen, Holland
Oct 11 8:00P Xinix, with Anderson Nieuwendijk, Holland
Oct 12 8:00P X-Noizz 3FM, Holland
Oct 15 8:00P Vliegende Paard Zwolle, Holland
Nov 13 8:00P t.b.a. t.b.a. Holland

http://www.myspace.com/bicrunga

May 22 8:00P Sky City Auckland, Auckland
Jun 17 8:00P Largo at The Coronet Los Angeles, California
Jul 8 8:00P Largo at The Coronet Los Angeles, California

http://www.joshritter.com/bostonpops.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yrNLLw92F0

May 14 8:00P High Noon Saloon Madison, Wisconsin
May 15 8:00P The Music Mill Indianapolis, Indiana
May 16 8:00P Bellbrook Jamboree Dayton, Ohio
May 17 8:00P V Club Huntington, West Virginia
May 18 6:00P Spring Gulch Folk Festival Newholland, Pennsylvania
May 24 6:00P Jam on the River, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 23 Symphony Hall, Boston, MA
Jul 17 8:00P Gallivan Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Jul 18 8:00P Sheridan Opera House Telluride, Colorado
Jul 19 1:00P Mile High Music Festival Denver, Colorado
Jul 21 8:00P The Big Easy Concert House, Boise, Idaho
Jul 22 8:00P Bing Crosby Theatre, Spokane, Washington
Jul 23 8:00P Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington
Jul 25 6:00P Calgary Folk Festival Calgary, Alberta
Aug 29 6:00P Electric Picnic Festival, Ireland Stradbally Hall, Laois

http://www.ohsusannamusic.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXSS6EZbZgQ

May 31 2008 Toronto, ON, The Dakota Tavern
July 20 2008 London, ON, Home County Folk Festival
Aug 7/8 2008 Red Rock, ON, Live From The Rock Festival

http://www.myspace.com/unklebobband

May 28 8:00P, Soho Revue Bar London
Jun 13 10:00P, Rivoli (NxNE Festival) Toronto, Ontario

New indie groups found corner

2008-05-11T17:47:00.003+02:00

http://www.myspace.com/burgessmaclean

http://www.myspace.com/elikamusic

http://www.myspace.com/broodhefty

http://www.myspace.com/thebridgesmusic

Brian Blade Fellowship--Seasons of Changes (2008)

2008-05-11T17:40:00.002+02:00

Artist-Brian Blade Fellowship
Album-Seasons of Changes
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Jazz/Post-Bop

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

Review-Brian Blade last led a recording session with his band Fellowship for Blue Note in 2000. In the interim he's become the busiest drummer in showbiz. Blade has been playing and touring with everyone from Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan to Kenny Garrett and Joshua Redman, and holding the drum chair in Wayne Shorter's fine quartet. Perceptual was an excellent sophomore outing by a sprawling, ambitious yet very focused septet. The Fellowship Band has played together during this time, at festivals all over the world, in New York and New Orleans clubs and halls. Seasons of Changes is the Verve debut of this unit, whose name is now Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band. The personnel from Perceptual all return, save for pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley, who hasn't been replaced. The nine tunes are all originals, written by either Blade or pianist Jon Cowherd (who co-produced the set the leader). The front line is comprised of guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, and saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, with bassist Chris Thomas rounding out the rhythm section.

The musical range of this group is vast, as are the influences that inform its individual members, but as a unit they sound like no one else. Their long-term working relationship has paid off handsomely here; these tunes are all bravely voiced and beautifully articulated compositions of modern jazz. (The word "modern" should be translated to mean "in the 2000s era" rather than as an empty signifier that denotes type or subgenre in this context.) These selections have been molded by many different styles of music from the American vernacular: from folk and gospel to pop and soul standards, from country and blues to the spiritual jazz of Coltrane and Strata East, and even rock. But there is no mistaking what Seasons of Changes is. Something this ambitious yet earthy, so sophisticated, yet accessible to virtually any set of ears, could only be jazz.

Blade's "Rubylou's Lullaby" is a midtempo ballad that reflects the gentleness of evening in Rosenwinkel's open six-strings and outlined by Cowherd's piano. The rest of the band enters with a series of almost pastoral notes before the swinging in the drums walks a line between elegiac country music, and a shuffling piano line, and the gorgeous melody articulated by the horns with the pianist's soulful golden fills. There is nothing about this tune that hurries, yet it unfolds into a gorgeous romantic paean that manages to swing and contain some stellar breaks by Blade. The short solo by Cowherd is almost majestic. The pianist's "Return of the Prodigal Son" feels based more on the great painting by Rembrandt depicting the gospel story than it does on the text. Here, nicely flowing lines between the horns intersect with the piano's ostinati and evoke a sense of travel, finding an open space and just moving toward it. Rosenwinkel begins a solo that hints at some of the slightly chaotic blowing by Butler on the tenor, and held in place by the rhythm section, which begins to assert itself in earnest. The alto saxophone acts as a counterweight to the seeming chaos and translates between the two poles. It's not a battle but a dispute, where balances are tenderly kept for a little while, but as Cowherd's brief solo enters, a cappella, the sense of return, harmony, and forgiveness are voiced effusively in the ensemble's balanced sense of voice and harmony.

The title track, which is the longest thing here, is also the most ambitious. It begins with Cowherd (its composer) playing a simple yet almost melancholy progression. Bass clarinet by Walden, tenor saxophone, and Blade's tom-toms slowly rumble in this balladic dirge before his cymbal begins to start the pace. It's sectioned several times over, each section folding out of the last, and when the saxophones and Rosenwinkel decide to play as one, the theme becomes the lift-off point for a series of interlocking grooves that are almost like separate songs except for their seamless weave. This tune swings despite its many dynamic changes and time shifts. It is simply a transcendent composition and this band plays it like everything depends on it — because it does. Rosenwinkel's style has evolved so much that he has become a truly original voice on the guitar, no matter which tone or effects he employs, nor the tempo, key, dynamic or groove. He's in the pocket, and his playing just sings.

The set closes with the slowly awakening power of Blade's "Omni" as the welcome home after the album's long journey through the soul. Clusters of layered chords by Cowherd enhance deep harmonic drones by the horns, while Thomas provides the root note on his bass and Blade's cymbals embellish it all. It is the opening of a deep river of song. Walden transforms it into a hearty blues wail as Rosenwinkel supports his sweet but inquisitive hollers on the horn, which reaches into the heavens. When he feels he's been heard, the tune shifts. It gradually brightens in shade and tone. Cowherd's simple piano solo offers the response as the ensemble surrounds him to bring it all back to the earth as Blade whispers through his cymbals and snare. Rosenwinkel and Thomas allow this new song to whisk its way through the entire band before disappearing into a rustling wind voiced by muted, bowed bass. There isn't a jazz record out there like this, and perhaps there won't be; this is the place where the argument stops: jazz is not only alive and well, it is on the verge of an entirely new adventure; Seasons of Changes is the aural proof of a new, exciting sound that offers new possibilities for jazz is in our midst. Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band are sounding its cry.

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Tim Fite--Fair Ain't Fair (2008)

2008-05-11T17:38:00.001+02:00

Artist-Tim Fite
Album-Fair Ain't Fair
Release Date-May 6, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Pop/Alternative Country-Rock

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/timfite
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Fite
Note-The file is in just 128kbps. Need higher quality? Buy it.

Review-A year in the making, following his critically acclaimed (and free for download) attack on materialism, Over the Counter Culture, Tim Fite continues expanding on his musical process, in which he treats the sounds in his head like construction paper as he cuts, pastes, and stacks notes and noises to build musical collages. While the last album mixed white-boy hip-hop and folk with a kaleidoscope of samples to earn quick comparisons to Mellow Gold-era Beck, Fair Ain't Fair has the feel of Tom Waits songs performed by the Eels and produced by a Grandaddy and Wyclef tag team. No raps to be found this time around. Instead, he sings in a surprisingly perfect pitch, with his vocal twang layered in three part harmonies, over modern-day country jigs and jingle-jangle melodies stylized with electronic bleeps and bloops. It's a sample-heavy album, but instead of dollar bin CD snippets acting as chief building blocks for the songs, they're the icing on a cake made of organic instrumentation. A dozen artists contributed to Fite's quest to turn his sparse musical ideas into wonderfully lush arrangements, including Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), Danielle Stech Homsy (Rio en Medio), and Sufjan Stevens' backing band. Drum parts were recorded overnight at Fite's old high school and tracked before he and his cast of performers added slack key guitar, chimes, piano, banjo, pedal steel, bass, mandolin, viola, and a potpourri of indecipherable sounds. The pop textures are more evident, the melodies are more hook-laden, and the overall vibe is more laid-back than past releases, varying in moods from positively gleeful to terribly melancholy. Even with the brunt of Fair Ain't Fair focused on the theme of post-apocalyptic regret, childish whimsy shines through (as expected from someone who authored an imaginative fairy tale titled Beans): a slide whistle interrupts the apologies of "Yesterday's Garden" as he confesses "I guess you know that yesterday, I ran your garden over, girl," and silly chants of "a horse is a horse of course of course" and "Hey! Hey! Hay is for horses," lighten up the anti-consumer anthem "More Clothes." Like in previous albums, "Fist" continues to thumb his nose at greed and capitalism, ending "Sing Along," a "la la" song catchy enough to be his first radio single, with an afterthought, "This right here would sound real good, I think, personally...real nice for a car commercial or something...maybe something for Maxi Pads, you know, 'cuz a lot of people use 'em." It's both a jovial field day, and a provocative question mark aimed at society, showing that even someone with the creative flow of a seven year old can have a thought-provoking and mature release.

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Telling a joke, Joanna Newsom?

2008-05-10T02:02:00.002+02:00

Joanna Newsom takes a break from her PAPER cover shoot to tell a good, old-fashioned joke. I feel nothing about the photo and the video. You might like them.

The Tallest Man On Earth--Shallow Graves (2008)

2008-05-10T01:40:00.002+02:00

Artist-The Tallest Man On Earth
Album-Shallow Graves
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock/Folk/Blues

Official site-http://www.thetallestmanonearth.se/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/thetallestmanonearth

Review-(Pitchforkmedia) Over the last half-century, the tag "Dylanesque" has been slapped on so many mediocre folksingers clutching battered Moleskines that it's become a meaningless joke, a critical hiccup, a silly, lazy way of invoking an age-old raspy voice/acoustic guitar combo. It's gotten so bad that, in 2008, yammering on about the cliché of dubbing someone "the next Dylan" has become a cliché in itself. Still: It's exceptionally hard to talk about Scandinavian folksinger the Tallest Man on Earth (also known as Kristian Matsson) without mentioning Bob Dylan's early years, mostly because Matsson manages to embody Dylan's effortlessness so well (Dylan was trying really, really hard, sure-- but he sang like he didn't give a shit), infusing his songs with a detachment that, miraculously, is neither cold nor alienating. Like Dylan, Matsson is so natural a songwriter that these tracks feel predetermined, tumbling out of his mouth with an ease and grace that's increasingly uncommon.

Matsson released a self-titled five-song EP in 2007; Shallow Graves is his full-length debut. The production is appropriately scrappy, and it seems relatively safe to assume that the album was recorded live with one microphone-- accordingly, we hear the scratch of fingernails on string (and, on occasion, the chirping of birds in the background), made privy to each tiny exhalation and sigh. Matsson is an adept fingerpicker, and his guitar is easily as central as his voice, which is high, crackling, and rich. Much like Dylan himself, Matsson has mined the American south for inspiration, and his frantic strumming and front-porch poetry recall everyone from the Carter Family to Lead Belly to, most noticeably, country bluesman Mississippi John Hurt.

"The Blizzard's Never Seen the Desert Sands" sees Matsson caw little poems ("And the bells up in the tower they will ring/ And the frightened little choirs they will sing/ They will tremble, all their voices") over plucked banjo; "The Gardener" features a robustly strummed guitar melody and more half-cogent ideas ("I know the runner's gonna tell you/ There ain't no cowboy in my hair/ So now he's buried by the daisies/ So I can stay the tallest man in your eyes, babe"). Matsson's lyrics don't stand up as well on paper as they do in song (some have all the logic of fairy tales), but each of these cuts has a distinct, if muddled, narrative-- sparrows, tranquilizer guns, curtains, unicorns. Road stories, love stories, prayers.

Matsson's melodies are remarkably pliant, and while it's understandable to be skeptical of another skinny dude with a mustache, a guitar, and a worn-out copy of The Anthology of American Folk Music, the more time you invest in Shallow Graves, the more you'll realize how unusually memorable it is. Ultimately, Shallow Graves transcends comparison-- which is saying an awful lot, given the popularity of its prototype-- and Matsson is a natural-born folksinger, earnest, clever, and comforting.

So Quiet--Summer And Winter (2007)

2008-05-10T01:29:00.004+02:00

Artist-So Quiet
Album-Summer And Winter
Release Date-2007
Genre/Style-Lo-Fi/Indie Pop

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/soquietsoquiet
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXTM--_Fh0

Biography-So Quiet is the music project of Tomasz Bien, a young Polish architect and graphic designer, who is also part of the duo At Home. So Quiet supported some Polish bands, such as Pustki and Old Time Radio and the Canadian act Ragni. He appeared as a guest musician on the second Old Time Radio record. In November 2006, he founded Home.Pop.Rec: a small independent lo-fi label, whose second release was At Home's album. At the beginning of 2007, So Quiet's debut appeared on the Spanish Error! Lo-Fi Recordings. At the source of these first tracks lies his fascination with the sound of Rhodes Piano and Wurlitzer. He is currently working on new material, increasingly using acoustic sounds.

Product-http://gusstaff.com/index2.html

Matmos--The Supreme Balloon (2008)

2008-05-10T00:52:00.001+02:00

Artist-Matmos
Album-The Supreme Balloon
Release Date-May 6, 2008
Genre/Style-Ambient Techno

Official site-http://www.brainwashed.com/matmos/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/matmos1
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matmos

Review-"No microphones were used on this album," state the liner notes of The Supreme Balloon. That would be a pretty bold statement for a lot of artists, but it's an especially striking one for Matmos, who have taken recording normally non-musical sounds and then reconfiguring and recontextualizing them to an exquisite level. That may be exactly why Drew Daniel and Martin C. Schmidt opted for nothing but electronically generated tones on this album. Not because they've tapped out their usual approach, which is confined only by any sound they can pick up with a microphone and any way they want to tweak it, but because sticking to a purely electronic palette — including an array of classic synths like the Moog Voyager, ARP 2600, Stylophone, and Korg MS 2000 — is so traditional that it's radical, and just a shade less concept-driven than the aesthetics that guided their earlier albums. While it may be Matmos' least conceptual work in some time, The Supreme Balloon is the duo's most overtly playful music since A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure. They spend most of the album making their electronics sound as inorganic as possible, with stiffly thumping and hissing percussion and whimsical melodies that bubble, bleep, and toot, as on "The Rainbow Flag," which hops and jerks like a wind-up toy. The album's shorter songs celebrate the vintage electronic pop of the '60s and '70s as well as the era's gear; "Les Folies Française"'s synth-baroque and "Cloudhoppers"' warm analog tones hark back to Jean-Jacques Perrey, Dick Hyman, and library music. Despite The Supreme Balloon's retro leanings, it has the same wit and intelligence of all of Matmos' previous music, which is just as important to their overall sound as their inspired sampling and sound editing have been. The layers of squiggles, zaps, and beeps on "Mister Mouth" — which features the Sun Ra Arkestra's Marshall Allen on the EVI (electronic voice instrument) — aren't so far removed from A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure's "Memento Mori," and "Exciter Lamp"'s flutters and taps could fit in on almost any of their earlier albums. The simplicity of these short pieces feels almost as radical as The Supreme Balloon's electronics-only rule, especially after The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast's intricacy, but "The Supreme Balloon" itself shows that Matmos didn't completely downsize their ambitions on this album. Billowing out past 20 minutes, the track's epic length, Krautrock underpinnings, and droning, Eastern-tinged melodies undulate and unfurl effortlessly and never drag — which is a pretty supreme achievement. And, while The Supreme Balloon's nostalgic synthetic playground is a smaller statement than some of Matmos' other albums, it's still a strong one.

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Sardinia Bass Legalize--Visions of my land (2008)

2008-05-10T00:36:00.003+02:00

Artist-Sardinia Bass Legalize

Album-Visions of my land

Release Date-May 5, 2008

Genre/Style-Dub/Reggae/Experimental/Ambient

Official site-http://www.sardiniabasslegalize.com/

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

Biography-Sardinia Bass Legalize' project starts on the july 2006 after a big period full of collaborations between King Kietu and Sensitivedub. An important position for the project's creation is that of Dr Boost from 'Big Island Family' that is the vocalist of 'Tostoine Dub System' project together with King Kietu, from 1999 to 2005. 'Sardinia Bass Legalize' begins as an evolution to the 'Tostoine' project..then to grow as a new counsciousness for the sound trying to make a compare also with other bass culture on the other side by the sea .. 'Sardinia Bass Legalize' is a material instrument for the diffusion of original productions of the Crew by live sessions , web creations , net label's productions and all thanks also to strong collaborations with the dubbers, Italian sound system and more... "

Download the whole album at: http://www.aquietbump.com/aqbmp014.html

(Aquietbump is a recording label based in Southern Italy launched in 2005. Aqbmp produces multimedia foucused on trip-hop, dub, ambient, and hip-hop styles. Its all releases are freely downloadable under creative commons licenses.)

Lucibel Crater--The Family Album (2008)

2008-05-09T23:33:00.006+02:00

I'm happy to be on time to post some infos about the Lucibel Crater and their first debut "The Family Album". Lucibel Crater is a Brooklyn group formed by Sarth Calhoun, Leah Coloff and Paul Chuffo. Their music is kind of one you will love at the very first sight. "The Family Album" is definitely critics-friendly and you shall not surprised to see the album high-rated in various music blogs in the following month.

They're celebrating their first release on Thursday, May 15th at Joe's Pub in NYC. Be present and show ur support for ur convenience.

Here is a short bio and some other infos about the album:

Official site-http://lucibelcrater.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/lucibelcrater
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_s6KzcJp6w
Sample mp3s: Into the bushes / There was a time
Product-http://cdbaby.com/cd/lucibelcrater

Biography-From a basement in Brooklyn comes Lucibel Crater, Lucibel Crater's partner, and their good friend, Lucibel Crater. Along the way they lost the Lucibel with the guitar, but realized that no one would miss it 'cause they sounded so rousing and fresh.

The first ingredient comes in the form of a longhaired Lucibel, master of sounds and thump. He uses a sound design system called Kyma and is a beta tester for the friendly people of Symbolic Sound. (He claims to have invented a new kind of synthesis.) When he's not making sounds, looping, or processing sound, he plays bass and keys. He's currently touring with Lou Reed crafting sound with Kyma. He has also created music with Lou Reed for a Tai Chi DVD coming soon to a martial artist near you.

Complimenting this with a hefty dose of energy and groove is our Lucibel of the drums.He was a long time member of the punk/jazz band Gutbucket, which Modern Drummer described as, "a thrashing, squealing romp, full of shifting time signatures and punk-rock attitude." Besides creating the Rock in Lucibel Crater, this one owns a company called JoyRide Media that writes and produces music programs for public radio ranging from the music of legendary artists like Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, to documentaries about Cuba's musical Diaspora.

Not just the icing on the cake, but perhaps more the Gluten, is the singing, cello playing Lucibel. A trained, conservatory graduate cellist, this Lucibel wanted more say with her melody so she started writing songs. She made a record with Adam Lasus, who recorded and produced the breakout record for Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah, and other bands such as Clem Snide, Gigolo Aunts, and Helium. That record, "Dark Sweet Heart," reached No.3 on the station KBOO in Portland, Oregon. She plays cello along with other artists around town, such as David Bowie, Michael Cerveris, and Rufus Wainwright. You can hear her playing the cello on Linda Thompson's record, "Versatile Heart."

Lucibel Crater is proud to present "The Family Album," produced by Lucibel, mixed by Bryce Goggin, and mastered by Fred Kevorkian. If music can trigger long-abandoned muscle memories, here are 10 short films from American Life. Love, lust, struggle, loneliness, paranoia fill the landscape in the portraits of "The Family Album." The layers of sound are both familiar and unsettling, created by over 20 hours of live, open improvisation and then whittled down to the essence of each player's individual sound. Lou Reed joins "At A Threadbare Funeral," adding a eulogy full of fire and brimstone. It's easy to open "The Family Album," and each time will reveal another image. Closing it might be tough.

The Notwist--The Devil, You + Me (New!)

2008-05-07T00:51:00.002+02:00

Artist-The Notwist
Album-The Devil, You + Me
Release Date-17th June
Genre/Style-Indie Rock/Ambient
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksMkENKMlyk ("Where In This World" taken from the new album)

Official site-http://www.notwist.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/thenotwistnow
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notwist

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Aimee Mann---@#%&*!Smilers (New!)

2008-05-06T13:34:00.004+02:00

Artist-Aimee Mann
Album-@#%&*!Smilers
Release Date-Jun 3, 2008
Genre/Style-Pop/Rock Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

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

Review-Click here to read her recent interview with Prefixmag
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MV premiere of the second single from E=MC2, "Bye Bye"

2008-05-06T01:12:00.004+02:00

Click here to Watch the MV premiere of the second single from E=MC2 of Mariah Carey, "Bye Bye." You can see Pavarotti and Luther Vandross in the end part of the video. Mariah's "husband" Nick Cannon is also a guest in the MV. By the way, i do think the marriage is just a joke, not a real one.

Mariah will be on the cover of next month's Vibe magazine. Purchase her album E=MC2 here if u still haven't one copy.

Exclusive: Two small steps--Midnight Hymn

2008-05-05T01:19:00.004+02:00

Artist-Two small steps
Album-Midnight Hymn
Release Date-2007
Genre/Style-IDM/Electroacoustic/Visual

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

Biography-Two Small Steps is a solo project from Portland, OR based Jenny Tiffany. Two Small Steps unleashes on it’s listeners quirky songs using guitar, piano, organic instrumentation, synth flourishes, layered percussion and a cacophony of other instruments. Tiffany played in several bands over the past 12 years and has melded all her influences into this solo project.

Jenny is working on a new album "Landslide Vacation", and the two first tracks are downloadable at her page on Last.fm

Now, Jenny would like to introduce her "Midnight Hymn" to all CocoaMusic visitors. Here is the link.

Kyte--Kyte (2008)

2008-05-05T01:07:00.002+02:00

Artist-Kyte
Album-Kyte
Release Date-18 Feb 2008
Genre/Style-Ambient/Electro/Pop

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

Review-Musicomh and Guardian

Tracklist-
1. Planet (7:13)
2. Boundaries (3:56)
3. Secular Ventures (4:10)
4. Sunlight (6:02)
5. Home (2:40)
6. They Won’t Sleep (6:48)
7. These Tales of Our Stay (8:48)

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Flight of the Conchords--Flight of the Conchords (2008)

2008-05-05T01:03:00.002+02:00

Artist-Flight of the Conchords
Album-Flight of the Conchords
Release Date-Apr 22, 2008
Genre/Style-Comedy Rock

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

Review-Taking the torch from Tenacious D and then taking 14 songs from the first season of their HBO series (plus a 15-second outro), Flight of the Conchords' first full-length release for Sub Pop is a strong serving of songs from the dynamic deadpan duo. Unfortunately, since the show included a few songs per episode, 11 of the songs didn't make it past the cutting-room floor, and gems like "If You're Into It," "I'm Not Crying," and "Sello Tape" got the axe, along with the character dedications and motivations "Cheer Up, Murray," "Song for Sally," and "Bret, You Got It Going On." It's forgivable, though; a double-disc set of every song would have been overkill, and most of the favorites make the cut on the CD. Fans still get the neo-soul ballad "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)," the hip-hop attempt "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymnocerous," the psychedelic acid trip "Prince of Parties," the dancehall anthem "Boom," and the French pop lullaby "Foux du Fafa." While New Zealander dry humor and matter-of-fact delivery are huge parts of the duo's allure, their adherence to their own style within a variety of genres is the icing on the cake, and to quote Bret's reaction to the stranger who is denied while trying to sell a cake at a pawn shop, "It's a beautiful cake." With each song, they expand their range, paying homage with the strictest attention to details only music geeks will appreciate, be it the Marvin Gaye "What's Going On" instrumentation in "Think About It," the Radiohead "Fitter Happier" vocal impersonations in "Robot," the Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" similarities in "Inner City Pressure," or the many, many faces of David Bowie in "Bowie." Versatility is their strength, and they show it off well. If they weren't great songwriters, lines like "Sometimes my lyrics are sexist/But you lovely bitches and hoes should know I'm trying to correct this" and "The manager Bevin tries to abuse me/Hey man, I just want some Muesli" might provide short-term laughs, but the music is clever and catchy enough to give it merit for repeated listens. Buy the DVD first to get the full story and then pick this up for road trip singalongs.

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Jamie Lidell--Jim (2008)

2008-05-05T00:53:00.001+02:00

Artist-Jamie Lidell
Album-Jim
Release Date-Apr 28, 2008
Genre/Style-Neo-Soul/Experimental Techno

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

Review-Some electronica producers spend their entire careers building up a roster of instruments, legions of samples, and more gear than any bedroom studio could possibly fit. Jamie Lidell has apparently been reducing not only his equipment list to its basics, but his production style so it includes a minimum of things that you need to program (much less plug in). Of course, that jives with his gradual blossoming as an unhinged soul singer on 2005's Multiply, which has only blossomed further for 2008's Jim, a neo-soul record that sounds like it was recorded live in a studio that each of the seven to eight musicians actually could fit into. Part of this is the result of Lidell and co-producer Mocky's ability to record so well that the production doesn't stand out by itself, but simply works as a vehicle for the songs. On a performance level, Lidell mostly avoids the pitfalls of Multiply, where he sounded faithful but not always sincere. On Jim he's not only writing better songs, but performing them as though he's lived them (this is where a good hands-off production can improve the proceedings). It doesn't really matter whether Lidell's rebirth as a soul singer is an example of an artist following his muse or simply looking for a way out of electronica, when the results motivate your body as well as "Out of My System" or move your heart as well as "All I Wanna Do." Jim is most reminiscent of the Southern deep soul of the late '60s, although recorded so well (and so dry) that it betrays its lineage. That sound is a good complement to the other British soul stalwarts with retro-soul and -funk leanings, from Lewis Taylor to Jamiroquai to the Cinematic Orchestra (and, for that matter, including Joss Stone and Amy Winehouse as well). Add to that an assortment of unobtrusive guests (including Nikka Costa, Gonzales, Peaches, and Alex Acuña) doing great work, and the result is a record that reveals soul and sincerity.

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Mudcrutch--Mudcrutch (2008)

2008-05-05T00:38:00.001+02:00

Artist-Mudcrutch
Album-Mudcrutch
Release Date-Apr 29, 2008
Genre/Style-Heartland Rock/Rock & Roll

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

Review-Like many old rock & rollers, Tom Petty decided to get the band back together after taking a leisurely stroll through his back pages. Prompted by his Runnin' Down a Dream project — a four-hour Peter Bogdanovich documentary supplemented by a coffee table book — Petty began thinking about his first band, Mudcrutch, the Southern rock outfit he had before the Heartbreakers that featured Tom Leadon, brother of Eagle Bernie, on lead guitar. Formed in Florida in 1970, Mudcrutch ambled out to Los Angeles four years later but they fell apart not long afterward, never recording more than a handful of singles and demos, several of which — including the original version of "Don't Do Me Like That" — later surfaced on Petty's 1995 box, Playback. Mudcrutch morphed into the Heartbreakers not long after the breakup, retaining guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench, who joined after Leadon's 1972 departure, and as Campbell and Tench remain Petty's lieutenants to this day, even appearing on his solo albums without the Heartbreakers, the question is why would he bother reuniting Mudcrutch when he's working with two-thirds of the same band?

Clearly, chemistry counts and names mean something, as reuniting with Tom Leadon — who never played with Tench in the original lineup — and drummer Randall Marsh, with Petty himself sliding over to bass — affects the sound and attitude of the band, turning the group's belated 2008 debut, Mudcrutch, into something far looser than any Petty project in recent memory. "Looser" suggests that Mudcrutch rock hard, following through on the rangy, cheerful raunch of those five tracks on Playback, but this album doesn't rock, not really. Mudcrutch ramble and roll, sometimes stretching out for upwards of ten minutes, sometimes stopping off for a circular circus instrumental, but they never quite ramp up the rock & roll, never lock into a thick swamp groove that would bring them back to their Southern roots. This is thoroughly a Californian album, all sun-bleached riffs and mellow grooves, so unhurried that it never breaks a sweat, more interested in the journey than the destination. More specifically, Mudcrutch is an uncanny evocation of latter-day Byrds, after Gram Parsons left for the Flying Burrito Brothers and Roger McGuinn brought in Clarence White for the winding jams of Untitled — a connection Mudcrutch make explicit via a cover of that album's "Lover of the Bayou," which is paired with the Burritos' version of the Red Simpson anthem "Six Days on the Road." Although it has a quicker pulse than most of the 14 tracks here, Mudcrutch's version of "Six Days on the Road" lacks the zippy Bakersfield drive of the Burritos' version, as everything the band does is very, very laid-back, a sensibility these five guys absorbed years ago when the Byrds were still releasing new records. The remarkable thing about Mudcrutch is that it sounds like it could have been released in 1970 or 1971, with the obligatory Hurricane Katrina song "Orphan of the Storm" being the only concession to modern times (and even that departs only in topic, not sound).

On Petty's part, it's a conscious reconnection to the past, one that revitalizes him, albeit in a very low-key fashion. It's been a long, long time since he's released a record as band-oriented as this, emphasizing interplay and vibe over song and concept, not caring if there are loose ends and detours cluttering the record, and it's refreshing to hear him in such a casual setting. He sounds at ease as a singer and songwriter — such seemingly tossed-off tunes as "Topanga Cowgirl," the wry "The Wrong Thing to Do," and "Bootleg Flyer" resonate deeper than carefully considered songs from recent efforts, as do more consciously substantive numbers like "Scare Easy" — and he gladly shares the spotlight, letting Leadon have his original "Queen of the Go-Go Girls" and sing the first verse on an album-opening version of the folk standard "Shady Grove," while Tench writes the sly "This Is a Good Street." All these happy concessions, along with the strong emphasis on instrumental interplay, give Mudcrutch the feeling of a true band effort, and even if it's not perfect — it is indeed possible to amble and ramble just a little bit too much — it's thoroughly winning because of its imperfections, as this is music that's all about cruising down the back roads on a sunny nostalgic day.

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Titus Andronicus--The Airing of Grievances (2008)

2008-04-29T23:06:00.002+02:00

Artist-Titus Andronicus
Album-The Airing of Grievances
Release Date-April 22, 2008
Genre/Style-Alternative/Indie

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

Review-Pitchforkmedia
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Dresden Dolls--No, Virginia...(New!)

2008-04-29T22:58:00.002+02:00

Artist-Dresden Dolls
Album-No, Virginia...
Release Date-May 20, 2008
Genre/Style-Alternative Pop/Rock

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

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Laura Veirs' new CD and tour

2008-04-29T22:50:00.002+02:00

Laura Veirs' new record, "Two Beers Veirs", has been released. You can purchase it here. And you might like to download a sample song called "Freight train" first: link1 or link2

By the way, Veirs' upcoming new american tour will start in May. Here is the time and place:

May 1, 2008 - Vancouver, BC - St. James Hall
May 2, 2008 - Seattle, WA - Triple Door
May 3, 2008 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
May 5, 2008 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
May 6, 2008 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
May 7, 2008 - Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room
May 9, 2008 - Denver, CO - Walnut Room
May 11, 2008 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr.
May 13, 2008 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Centre
May 14, 2008 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
May 15, 2008 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
May 16, 2008 - Louisville, KY - The 930 Listening Room
May 17, 2008 - Nashville, TN - The Basement
May 18, 2008 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
May 20, 2008 - Vienna, VA - Jammin' Java
May 21, 2008 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
May 22, 2008 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
May 23, 2008 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs
May 24, 2008 - Toronto, Ontario - El Mocambo

Cut Copy--In Ghost Colours (2008)

2008-04-29T22:46:00.002+02:00

Artist-Cut Copy
Album-In Ghost Colours
Release Date-Apr 8, 2008
Genre/Style-Club/Dance

Official site-http://cut-copy.blogspot.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/cutcopy

Review-In Ghost Colours announces itself, calmly but majestically, with a wash of hazy voices and fluttering keyboards giving way to crystal-clear acoustic strums, languid indie-pop vocals, a sturdy dance-rock groove, pulsating electro-disco synths, swirling Caribou-style psychedelics, and an ethereal, vocoded chorus melody. Squeezing all of that into one song - the effervescent "Feel The Love" - is an ambitious move: in most hands it would come out sounding like a bewildering mess, or at least a hammy, hyperactive pastiche, but Cut Copy manage to keep it light, breezy, and utterly ebullient. Even more impressive is that they're able to replicate the trick repeatedly across this remarkably assured sophomore album. Colours boasts at least a half-dozen potential summer anthems for dancefloors and headphones alike, seamlessly strung together with subdued interstitial mood pieces that help make it more of a nuanced work than a straightforward collection of relentlessly upbeat dance jams. Undeniably, though, the dance jams are at the throbbing heart of the album, from the unstoppably glittery opening trio (leading up to the anthemic disco slow-burn of single "Lights and Music") to the rough-edged rock drive of "So Haunted" to the pure synthpop bliss of "Far Away." Indeed, this is in many ways a perfect summation of the dynamic, multi-faceted, hipster-associated independent dance music of the 2000s, a motley interweaving of pop, rock and electronic dance elements into a kaleidoscopic array of interconnected styles, some strands of which have been summarily, imprecisely tagged ("disco-punk," "electro-house," "new rave,") but which as a whole remains resolutely, gloriously nebulous and undefined. (Though nevertheless undeniably prevalent, and never more so than in 2008, following triumphant runs by LCD Soundsystem, Justice, and Simian Mobile Disco; the months just preceding In Ghost Colours' release saw eminently enjoyable new albums by Hot Chip, Hercules and Love Affair, Neon Neon, and Does It Offend You, Yeah?, to name a few.) Cut Copy's music bears all the prominent hallmarks of its era - giddily omnivorous stylistic appropriation, a sensuous, sybaritic (though not, in their case, seedy) demeanor, and the distinct evocation of bygone decades, most palpably the ubiquitous post-punk/post-disco 1980s - without succumbing to the pitfalls of overzealous eclecticism, empty hedonism, sugary glut, and blatant derivativeness. Or rather, they do show traces of all of these things, but they play each one off as a strength, always in moderation, and never to the detriment of the music. The eclecticism is there but it's fluid and cohesive rather than distractingly showy; their influence-dogging plays like affectionate homage rather than pointless mimicry; there's an abundance of gleaming, even gaudy surfaces, but they're just too rapturously enticing to entertain qualms about superficiality. It surely helps that they have one of the primary architects of this sprawling scene, the DFA's Tim Goldsworthy, on board as a producer and mixer. More importantly though, beneath its perfectly-formed surfaces this is truly an album of songs - a surprisingly rare thing in this milieu - with simple but resonant melodies, carried by Dan Whitford's appealingly casual delivery, which help alleviate a slight tendency toward sonic sameness. This is evident not only on the gentler guitar-based numbers, like the loping "Unforgettable Season" and the oddly country-inflected "Strangers in the Wind," which temporarily scale back the dancefloor euphorics, but the out-and-out burners as well, combining with the peppy basslines and nagging chorus hooks to create something all the more transcendent. To be sure, In Ghost Colours is a triumph of craftsmanship rather than vision - a synthesis and refinement of existing sounds rather than anything dramatically new and original - but it is an unalloyed triumph nonetheless, and one of the finest albums of its kind.

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Linda Draper--Keepsake (2007)

2008-04-29T22:39:00.002+02:00

Artist-Linda Draper
Album-Keepsake
Release Date-Apr 24, 2007
Genre/Style-Folk

Official site-http://www.lindadraper.net/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/lindadraper

Review-Cdbaby
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Tenhi--Vare (2003)

2008-04-29T22:27:00.003+02:00

Artist-Tenhi
Album-Vare
Release Date-Jan 13, 2003
Genre/Style-Dark Folk

Official site-http://utustudio.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/tenhiband
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenhi

Review-Metal-observer
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This Is Ivy League--This Is Ivy League (2008)

2008-04-29T22:22:00.002+02:00

Artist-This Is Ivy League
Album-This is Ivy League
Release Date-Apr 1, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Pop

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/ivyleagueonline
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFHn11JfSN0

Review-The duo behind This is Ivy League (Alex Suarezand Ryland Blackington) are also members of the touring band for emo comedians Cobra Starship. This leads to an interesting dynamic in their fan base, which seems split between teenaged Cobra fanz on one end of the spectrum and indie poppers with an affinity for hushed, Simon & Garfunkel- styled tunes on the other. The duo's first full-length album delivers on the promise of their debut EP and while it may not set the young girls hearts aflame, it is a satisfying album full of hooky tunes, relaxed performances and an easy-going charm that makes it perfect listening for a variety of twee occasions. Influenced by S&G but also Belle & Sebastian-influenced strum pop, bossa nova and 50's pop, the duo's sound is built around lightly strummed acoustic guitars and then filled out in most cases with gently rocking electric guitars, restrained drums and some fancy accouterments like organ, handclaps and harmonica. Most importantly though are Suarez and Blackington's voices as they twine together in warm, rich harmonies that conjure up turtlenecks, fireplaces and mellow beverages on the ballads, sweet and lazy summer days on the more up-tempo tracks. Their individual voices are fine, very lovely in fact, but the record really soars when they work together. Tracks like London Bridges (reworked here in a slightly slicker version than the one found on the EP), the nearly rocking Celebration and A Summer Chill should be staples of indie pop play lists all summer long, dreamy tunes like Til the Day and Viola are enough to ward off the chill of a fall evening. This is Ivy League may not be enough to knock top tier groups like the Lucksmiths or Camera Obscura off the summit of the indie pop pile but it does make a strong case for the duo to be ranked up there as some of the best pop going in 2008.

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Calvin Harris--I Created Disco (2007)

2008-04-29T22:12:00.001+02:00

Artist-Calvin Harris
Album-I Created Disco
Release Date-Jun 4, 2007
Genre/Style-Alternative Dance

Official site-http://www.calvinharris.tv/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/calvinharristv

Review-Scottish remixer, songwriter, former bedroom artist, MySpace star, and finally major-label recording artist on EMI, Calvin Harris released his debut album of electronic dance music with snatches of the Human League, or maybe more accurately the League Unlimited Orchestra, in the summer of 2007, including two Top Ten singles, "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls." The former track is a slice of tongue-in-cheek disco-pop for all those born in the decade after dance music took over the world, and the latter extols the virtues of all types of girls (even those carrying a little bitty extra weight), with political correctness abounding as he name-checks that he likes black, white, Asian, and mixed-race girls along with at least half a dozen different nationalities. "Vegas" was released as a vinyl-only track, and one can picture cruising down the Strip in an open-top car, the mobile equivalent of a boogie box or ghetto blaster turned up to maximum, as all the local girls' heads turn to see who's in town. Several of the tracks are instrumentals, including "Certified," "Love Souvenir" (a cool, end-of-the-evening jazzy number), and the title track, although this does have a monologue of Harris explaining how and when he really did create disco. "Traffic Cops" is less than a minute of honking horns, but if you thought that was short, blink once and you would certainly miss the track "Vault Character," eight seconds long with just four electronic notes down the scale. Harris doesn't need to sing — his electronic noises from the keyboard are quite sufficient — but when he does sing there is a hint of the accent and attitude of the Streets' Mike Skinner, especially on "Colours" as he sings "I don't care what you dress like or what you wear/But please make sure baby you've got some colours in there," and his rhyming of the title phrase from "Neon Rocks" with "pink socks," which comes with a reminder: "Stop me if I've said it before/I keep my secret stash in the drawer." In keeping with the gaudy neon disco theme, the album was also released as a limited edition with a glow-in-the-dark cover.

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I'm back

2008-04-29T21:45:00.002+02:00

Sorry no updates these days. After i got back to amsterdam from Italy, i started to do some wiki things.

CocoaMusic will go back to normal. But what i have to say is i probably move this site to another place several monthes later. I will let all u know in advance. :)

No update until 13 April

2008-04-03T16:23:00.002+02:00

As i told u before, i'm going to travel to italy from 4th to 12th this month. No updates these days.

Thanks 4 all ur support. I'll be back soon.

(The painting above comes from Paestum museum of Italy.)

Jade--Analogic (2008)

2008-04-03T16:06:00.004+02:00

Artist-Jade
Album-Analogic
Release Date-03/2008
Genre/Style-Indie/Trip-hop

Official site-http://www.jade-analogic.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/jadeanalogic

Review-This is a typical tale, but one always nice to hear and to tell, that of the coming together of a bunch of music buffs in high school, that of those strummers , tinkers and sometimes brawlers, that everyone hears and knows about, who too quickly fall back into line.

This in no way applies to Remi, Franck, Lionel, Luis, and Serge. Their life beats to the heart of music. The gang of five got to work in a basement, naturally...

One thing leading to another, from groove to rock, trying to find their own way. Then come the first compositions, the first gigs and the setting up of a recording studio. It will take ten years to give life to a real project, to meet along the road those who will back up the original team (Laetitia, Jean Pierre), to find a name and above all their own tone.

In september 2002, JADE comes into the world; its first four single CD (self produced) fills the air in January 2004.

If one wanted to classify it in a defined genre, it would be considered as trip-hop. One word comes to mind when listening to these first singles: sensual. Lets just keep the trip in trip hop, and forget about the hop. Trip is the word that fits because JADE summons us to a journey, one at the heart of feelings and senses. This first CD brings together four songs similarly inspired, a slow tempo, a swaying rhythm, warm chords, a little bit of nostalgia for everyday life. All the songs are written by JADE. They are all common compositions whose inspiration and finalization can be attributed to Remi Selles, the leader of the band. The lyrics (in English, but others in French are to come) are written by Laetitia Mosca, JADE's voice. Bear in mind, in the "Seven Mondays" track, the participation of QUATUOR AYIN, a group trained in the classical tradition, whose open-mindedness, enabled JADE to set out on new musical trails.

To awaken the senses, to blow hot and cold, red and blue, such is the musical project of JADE whose seven members are currently setting up a show in which the eye's delight will add to that of the ears and where the theatrical atmosphere will underscore and highlight the musical atmosphere.

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Foals--Antidotes (New!)

2008-04-03T16:00:00.002+02:00

Artist-Foals
Album-Antidotes
Release Date-Apr 8, 2008
Genre/Style-New Wave/Post-Punk

Official site-http://www.wearefoals.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/foals

Review-For their adventurous debut, this Oxford quintet recorded with TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek; the schizophrenic result is both twenty-first-century Brit pop (see Bloc Party) and nuevo New York art rock (see Battles). On "Electric Bloom," the combination is magic: Interlocking guitars and glints of electro-metallic percussion swarm around intimations of disaster, with maybe the most compelling enunciation of the word "hospital" since the first Modern Lovers LP. Later, a metronomic guitar pulse recalls minimalist composer Steve Reich, while vocalist Yannis Philippakis confides, "We fry balloons on a steel cologne!" Or something like that: Philippakis loves further obscuring cryptic lyrics with his delirious yawps. Mostly that's fine, since sublimely hypnotic arrangements of horn bursts and techno glitch beats generally render meaning unnecessary. But all that yelping about "electric shocks" ("Big Big Love [Fig. 2]") might be better buried in a dub mix. And if the pledge to "fight these vampires" ("Heavy Water") is a veiled threat to fellow buzz band Vampire Weekend, Foals may need to revisit their rhyme book.

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Era--Reborn (2008)

2008-04-03T15:52:00.001+02:00

Artist-Era
Album-Reborn
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-New Age

Official site-http://era.rootnode.net/

Biography-Era is a music project by Eric Levi that is often based on chants in an imaginary language close to Latin. The music could be described as New Age. Their music mixes classical music, opera, and Gregorian chants with other contemporary styles. Their music was used in the soundtrack for the French film Les Visiteurs and in Sylvester Stallone's "Driven". The song "Ameno" was used in Australia within "The Power of Yes" advertisements for Optus Communications. The band has sold more than 10 million albums. Era is also famous among mixed martial arts fans due to their song "Enae Volare Mezzo" being the theme song of Fedor Emelianenko. Era's live shows often feature vocalists dressed in mediaeval clothes and armour. Their newest recording "Reborn" is set to release in March 2008.

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Boy Kill Boy--Stars and the Sea (2008)

2008-04-03T15:47:00.001+02:00

Artist-Boy Kill Boy
Album-Stars and the Sea
Release Date-Mar 31, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

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

Review-Throughout Stars And The Sea, the second album from ever-ascending East London four-piece Boy Kill Boy, you'll be forgiven for scratching your head once or twice. It's safe to assume a sizeable chunk of listening time will be appointed to pondering where you might already know a number of tracks from. Did you hear Rosie's On Fire in a club somewhere? Is Loud & Clear a cover?

It's difficult to pinpoint a single track on Stars And The Sea that doesn't carry a certain familiarity. Not that this implies a lack of originality – rather, the proficiency to craft a killer ohrwurm. Meaty, potent hooks dominate this album, demonstrating that Boy Kill Boy have a collective ear for an almighty melody.

It's a somewhat shinier, less jagged affair than Civilian, though the album does gather a degree of pleasing spikiness as it progresses. Not that they're taking a Funeral For A Friend approach to proceedings and going as far as crafting albums for the Mother's Day 2009 market, but Stars And The Sea conveys a particular roundness not previously adopted.

As an album, it feels noticeably more thought-out than their preceding material, but crucially, not over-polished. Evidently, a wealth of newly-acquired experience has been liberally poured into the record, and it pays off significantly, making for a hugely agreeable – yet still gritty and inventive – sound.

If Civilian was the launchpad to turn the heads of an appropriate few, then Stars & The Sea is the tool to thrust them onto many an MP3 player. Of course, it's unfeasible that such a contrived strategy had any part here, given the earnestness and the command of the music itself. If nothing else, it's the mark of a band finally ready for the big time.

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4 Bonjour's Parties--Pigments Drift Down to the Brook (2007)

2008-04-03T15:41:00.001+02:00

Artist-4 Bonjour's Parties
Album-Pigments Drift Down to the Brook
Release Date-Dec 4, 2007
Genre/Style-Indie Pop

Official site-http://www.lostinfound.com/4bon/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/4bonjoursparties

Review-Like many bands who release an impressive debut album from seemingly out of nowhere, Tokyo's 4 Bonjour's Parties have been honing their electronically enhanced indie pop symphonies for some time, with self-released EPs and appearances on compilations. Though many of the songs on Pigments Drift Down to the Brook appeared on 4 Bonjour's Parties' earlier releases, that doesn't make them any less striking. Tracks such as "Crimson Sky After the Sunset" have names that feel more like descriptions of places or states of being than traditional song titles, and conjure vivid images: "Magpie Will Peck a Hole in My Plaster Cast"'s densely packed brass, guitars, xylophones, and laptop beats give the impression of being immersed in a forest of sound, and its winding flute solo flies above, aptly enough, like a bird. "Ksnana" turns that forest into a psychedelic jungle, drifting into trippier, echoing backward rhythms and bird songs. 4 Bonjour's Parties are seven members strong, and they sound like it, especially on sunny, sprawling songs like "Your Chill Long Hands" and "Amalthea." However, the band deploys its sonic arsenal carefully and artfully, as on "Satellite," which moves from a lighthearted melody to a darker, bass-driven sound and switches from fragile, programmed rhythms to the satisfying crash of a live drum kit at just the right moment. Not only do 4 Bonjour's Parties rock out more than many similar-minded acts, they also know when to pull back: "Il Cortile Grigio"'s bittersweet piano, flute, and whispery vocals make it a surprisingly sultry ballad, while the vulnerable "Nostalgic Was Broken to Pieces" sounds a little bit like a poppier, less hyperactive Cornelius song. Even Pigments Drift Down to the Brook's most delicate moments still have vigor, though, and this is reflected in the album as a whole — no matter how whimsical or sprawling the songs get, 4 Bonjour's Parties always feel in control of the journey on which they take their listeners.

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link1 or link2

(The file links are just for pre-reviewed purpose and will be removed in 24 hours.)

Why?--Alopecia (2008)

2008-04-03T15:37:00.002+02:00

Artist-Why?
Album-Alopecia
Release Date-Mar 11, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock/Pop

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

Review-Although Why? have often been considered an alternative rap group, and frontman Yoni Wolf a rapper, this is a designation based on their affiliation with avant hip-hop label anticon and the fact that Wolf will alternate his nasally, sung vocals with spoken word pieces, a designation based on the fact that the band is simply rather hard to categorize. Why? are not hip-hop, but they are also much more than indie rock or folk or whatever other genres are thrown at them, staying within those distinctions but also moving forward, looking outward, all while remaining esoterically accessible. This is especially apparent on Alopecia, the band's third full-length, which, while musically resting comfortably in the experimentally-tinged indie rock realm, explores as many other influences as it can touch without ever overextending its reach. It's all wonderfully, awkwardly tied together by Wolf's lyrics — detailed and odd and sometimes all too humanly crude — which find a way to be both extremely intimate and detached, simultaneously. "These Few Presidents" alludes to death, though it's probably about a break-up ("At your house the smell of our still living human bodies and oven gas"), "Simeon's Dilemma" is a warped take on a love song ("But I still hear your name in wedding bells/Will I look better or will I look the same rotting in Hell?), and "Good Friday" manages to discuss sex, the Silver Jews, loneliness, and R. Crumb, while beginning with the lines "If you grew up with white boys who only look at black and Puerto Rican porno/Because they want something their dad don't got, then you know where you're at." Wolf often approaches his words from a hip-hop standpoint, concentrating on internal rhyme and enjambment, but his intonation and delivery are pure indie rock. As is the band, who layer keyboards, guitars, and electric and organic percussion into something simultaneously melodic and distant, tuneful and difficult, songs that you want to sing along to but then have trouble enunciating the hook to "The Hollows," the first single ("This goes out to all my underdone, other-tongued lung-long frontmen/And all us Earth-growths; some planted, some pulled"). But that, in fact, is what makes Alopecia successful: it displays both crypticness and honesty, intellectualism and vulgarity in equal measure, challenging and placating its audience in the same drawn-out, undefined, nasally breath.

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The Dodos--Visiter (2008)

2008-04-03T15:33:00.001+02:00

Artist-The Dodos
Album-Visiter
Release Date-Mar 18, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

Official site-http://www.dodosmusic.net/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/thedodos

Review-Lots of late-2000s indie bands boast archaic and/or exotic influences, but few use them with the energy and creativity that the Dodos do on Visiter, their first officially released album. Country-blues fingerpicking meets West African Ewe drumming meets metal meets indie pop sounds like an all-too-wacky description on a band's MySpace page, but the Dodos turn these far-flung elements into delightfully natural-sounding music. What holds it all together is Meric Long and Logan Kroeber's strong pop sensibilities — that's "pop" in the sense of memorable melodies and ear-catching hooks, because the Dodos' songs are too full of ideas to stick to a verse-chorus-verse format for very long. Visiter gets off to a simple, almost shy start with "Walking," which shows off Long's boyish voice (it sits somewhere between Ben Gibbard and Paul McCartney). Then the album really takes off with "Red and Purple," which crashes in on toy pianos and Kroeber's extravagantly syncopated drumming, creating a massive backdrop for the song's limpid melody and vocal harmonies. Visiter rarely lets up from there, coming in such a rush of vibrant words, melodies, and rhythms that it often feels like one ever-changing song. That makes highlights difficult to pick — although the gleeful "Fools" and "Jodi," which sounds like a timeless folk song revved up to modern-day speeds, are among them. Though the Dodos play mostly acoustic instruments, they generate a lot more energy than many plugged-in bands, and with their rapid dynamic shifts, at times they even rock harder, too (that's where the metal influence comes in). It's a good thing the band only has two core members, since Long and Kroeber have so much going on already that there isn't much room for many other sounds or players. They push and pull against each other, adding the same creative spark and tension to snippets like "Eyelids" that they do to the aptly majestic final track "God?." Long's guitars are especially inspired on "Paint the Rust," where his swift picking and snarling slide work sounds a bit like John Fahey or Jim O'Rourke after several pots of coffee, and on "Winter"'s delicate, descending guitar riff, which swirls and falls lightly like a flurry. Kroeber's drumming is often elaborate, but never too showy, especially on "Park Song," where he gives Long's rambling internal monologue a playful sense of purpose. That purposefulness never flags, even when the Dodos slow it down on wistful but not too-precious ballads like "Ashley," or take one turn too many on the seven-minute patchwork "Joe's Waltz." Visiter's experimental pop is so joyous and liberated-sounding that it's difficult not to get swept along in its wake.

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Plants And Animals--Parc Avenue (2008)

2008-04-03T15:04:00.002+02:00

Artist-Plants And Animals
Album-Parc Avenue
Release Date-Mar 25, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

Official site-http://www.plantsandanimals.ca/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/plantsandanimals

Review-Arising from the same musical tree as fellow Canadian Patrick Watson, Plants and Animals are a very sophisticated, arty group that meld a wide arrange of influences. The bombastic, orchestral opener "Bye Bye Bye" could be considered a melding of the Polyphonic Spree, Devendra Banhart, and the Beatles, but the band nails the song perfectly. Walking such a fine tightrope though for an entire album could be a mistake, so fortunately the group offers up a panoramic plate of styles, especially on the groovy, prog rock feel of "Good Friend" that recalls a mellower version of the Flaming Lips. The lone snag with the track might be how string-laced and rich it becomes to close. The first true taste of classic, hippie-tinged prog rock is "Faerie Dance," a slow, plodding track that might be the yin to Black Mountain's yang. The group are quite adept at changing moods, especially on the roots-riddled "Feedback in the Field" that sounds to be heavily influenced by early Neil Young. The record has a sizeable amount of drama or gravitas as well, evidenced by "A L'oree Des Bois," which changes into a rather ethereal effort three-quarters of the way in. One of the highlights here is the nearly eight-minute waltz-rock approach behind "New Kind of Love" which screams to be covered by the Arcade Fire. Probably the biggest disappointment is the messy "Mercy" which veers from a dance-driven Afro-beat format into some haunting guitar instrumental à la Explosions in the Sky. They more than atone for it with the majestic and regal "Keep It Real."

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Fuck Buttons--Street Horrrsing (2008)

2008-03-30T01:00:00.002+01:00

Artist-Fuck Buttons
Album-Street Horrrsing
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Indie Electronic/Experimental

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

Review-Short reviews from the critics:

Pitchfork Sounds and ideas repeat constantly, yet Street Horrrsing never feels redundant.

Almost Cool It's not quite straight-up noise, and it's certainly not dance music, but if you like a bit of both, this debut from Fuck Buttons should make you a bit giddy.

Drowned In Sound Though far from flawless, removed from any brouhaha Street Horrrsing sees Fuck Buttons carve their own niche and not only produce a debut record that will claw at any prejudices over its 40-minute span but show up their drone brethren as too often resiliently stuck in the mud.

Mojo Street Horrrsing is a six-track, 50-minute melange of iridescent synths, psychedelic drone, distorted vocals and tribal rhythm, peaking with the deftly layered counter-melodies and blissed -out propulsion of epic single 'Bright Tomorrow.' [Mar 2008, p.113]

musicOMH.com While Street Horrrsing may never scratch the surface of the mainstream, it is going to make an indelible mark on all those interested in ground-breaking underground music.

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Neon Neon--Stainless Style (2008)

2008-03-30T00:52:00.002+01:00

Artist-Neon Neon
Album-Stainless Style
Release Date-Mar 18, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Electronic/Alternative Dance

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/neonx2

Review-Short reviews coming from critics:

Hot Press US production whiz hires SFA mainman, perfect pastiche synth-pop ensues.

musicOMH.com As a document of its time, then, Stainless Style is remarkably successful. Taken on the base level of being an enjoyable pop album, it also triumphs handsomely.

Q Magazine [A] terrific collaboration on DeLorean's life story. [Mar 2008, p.108] 80The Guardian Detours into hip-hop and rap slow down the fast-paced action, but Neon Neon have poured as much love and attention to detail in this prototype as their hero put into his.

Urb Stainless Style is impressive for so many reasons--'Raquel,' dedicated to Miss Welch; hearing crunk meld with Italo Disco; a Yo Majesty cameo--but it’s the utter lack of irony that steals the show.

Uncut Throughout the album, it's a thrill to hear Rhys' mellifluous voice juxtaposed with the music's synthetic thrust.

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Counting Crows--Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (2008)

2008-03-30T00:43:00.002+01:00

Artist-Counting Crows
Album-Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Release Date-Mar 25, 2008
Genre/Style-Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Quality-320kbps

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

Review-Counting Crows' fifth studio album in 13 years will cause a big sigh of relief from fans around the world. Five years on from their last studio album, Hard Candy, and two from a live album of the tour that supported it, the band's delayed album of hellish and heavenly pleasures is finally released. Saturday Nights... was put back by the wise re-release of the deluxe edition of their classic - August And Everything After. This savvy move has reminded us why the band were so huge in the first place. But one listen to this album shows you, once again, how damned efficient they are at summoning up the spirit of an age that cared more about music than image.
The album is constructed in two halves. The first (Saturday Nights) being filled with the rocking, loud and debauched 'sinning' songs; the second (Sunday Morning) being the quiet acoustic atonement and redemption. It's an interesting idea that almost holds together.

The album rips right into 1492, with its tales of seedy Italian nightclubs. The band used to be compared to the freewheeling poetic rock soul of Van Morrison, but these days the touchstones seem to be early '70s Stones and late Beatles with even a hint of the latino-inflected soundscapes of the West Coast (especially Sundays). Cowboys, with its strident keyboards even has a hint of Springsteen. Adam Duritz's warbling voice makes you believe that he's drowning in a pit of self doubt and the band sound genuinely enlivened, with all three (yes, three) guitarists pulling out all the stops.

The second half is less consistent. While Washington Square and Anyone But You are filled, again, with those beautiful hints of lazy Californian vistas, too often the band rely on a standard chorus-repetition-until-it-seems-to-be-meaningful-approach. Duritz emotes angst and worry, but too often the predictable arrangements stymie the sense of resolution that this suite of songs is meant to imply.

In the end it's a concept that has obviously fired the band's creative spark again. We may not all relate to the self-destructive urge that pushes Duritz's muse to the edge, but as a straight-ahead rock album it's still got a lot to offer. To a UK audience, for whom even the mainstream includes the Arctic Monkeys and their ilk, this may seem a little too steeped in a '70s FM vibe, but on their own terms it's mostly a firm return to form.

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Guillemots--Red (2008)

2008-03-26T02:04:00.002+01:00

Artist-Guillemots
Album-Red
Release Date-Mar 24, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Pop
Quality-192kbps

Official site-http://www.guillemots.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/guillemotsmusic
Youtube-http://youtube.com/watch?v=1mUhpmvp4KY

Review-Drownedinsound
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Keith Jarrett with Jan Garbarek--Belonging (1974)

2008-03-26T01:36:00.003+01:00

Artist-Keith Jarrett with Jan Garbarek
Album-Belonging
Release Date-1974
Genre/Style-Jazz/Avant-Garde
Quality-320kbps

Official site-http://www.keithjarrett.org/ (Fan site)
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/keithjarrett1234
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Jarrett

Review-On Keith Jarrett's first recording with his "European" quartet — Jan Garbarek (sax), Palle Danielsson (bass), Jon Christiensen (drums) — he stakes out somewhat less abrasive territory than that which his "American" foursome was exploring at this time. Garbarek sports a neutral, vibratoless tone that occasionally reaches an emotional climax; the rhythm section is supportive and just loose enough. The record operates at its strongest level when Jarrett locks the quartet into his winning gospel mode on "'Long as You Know You're Living Yours" and the tense drive of "Spiral Dance"; the reflective numbers are less compelling. Still, this LP-turned-CD successfully bucked the powerful electric trends of its time and holds up well today.

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Download "Touch my body" now

2008-03-26T01:08:00.002+01:00

Some of u might wonder why i love Mariah so much. What i can tell u is she was the first singer i loved when i was a little boy. Although i turned to be a indie music fan these years, i still love her. Her new song "Touch my body" was finnaly added to Itune (except UK, Japan) yesterday. Please help me to make her 18th #1 (Billboard Hot 100) happen! Thanks!

Download the song http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPreorder?id=276581393&s=143441

Way to Italy

2008-03-23T15:29:00.002+01:00

I will trip to Italy from 4th April to 12th April. No updates in this period of course.

Here is my route and i'm so excited and would like to tell all u at the first time. :)

4th Amsterdam---Venice

5th Venice---Pisa---Florence

6th Florence---San Marino---Florence

7th Florence---Rome

10th Rome---Naples---Pompeii

11th Naples---Capri island---Amalfi coast

12th Naples---Amsterdam

Italy, i'm coming!! :)

The truth of the riot in Tibet

2008-03-23T15:17:00.004+01:00

Here're two videos about the truth of the riot in Tibet these days. What i can say is don't always trust what you read on the newspaper and what you see on TV. You must admit that medias always serve the small group of people.

Most of us are just ordinary people, having ordinary even boring life. However, you shall not judge a place unless you have been there. You shall not judge a person if you have no ideas about what he/she went through.

Sometimes, i'd like to forgive people's intolerance, but not ignorance.

Only nice or neutral comments are welcomed. Be nice or leave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9QNKB34cJo

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSQnK5FcKas

Josh Ritter--In the Dark: Live at Vicar Street (2007)

2008-03-23T15:10:00.001+01:00

Artist-Josh Ritter
Album-In the Dark: Live at Vicar Street
Release Date-Apr 16, 2007
Genre/Style-Contemporary Folk
Size-141M
Quality-320kbps

Official site-http://www.joshritter.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/joshritter
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Ritter
Youtube-http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q5wHtyE9Sok

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High Places--03/07-09/07 (2008)

2008-03-23T15:01:00.003+01:00

Artist-High Places
Album-03/07-09/07
Release Date-2008
Genre/Style-Indie Electronic/Indie Rock

Official site-http://hellohighplaces.blogspot.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/hellohighplaces

Review-The Brooklyn-based duo High Places are most often compared to Beat Happening, a band cherished for their regression-- into musical primitivism, adolescent sexuality, and any other condition that twenty- and thirtysomethings bemoan the loss of in therapy. High Places' indulgence in nursery rhymes aside, the kinship is mostly an ideological one: Like Beat Happening, they exult in the simple.

03/07 - 09/07, a collection of the band's first 7" and stray compilation tracks (released through the mp3 subscription service eMusic), shows a group whose comfort zone isn't the folky imperative, but heady, hippyish imprecision. The songs here are almost all identical: polyrhythmic miniatures built by small drums and shakers, clouded by blankets of echo and reverb; deliberately basic structures; short, and in their own way, catchy and pretty. Rhythms suggest provinces a step removed from where other white, arty urbanites tend to dwell: There are flashes of soca, reclined bounces that remind me of Indian music, and though "Sandy Feat"'s swing could be Tom Petty's "American Girl" or David Bowie's "Modern Love", they inflect it they way Brazilian bands like Os Mutantes did (or Paul Simon on Rhythm of the Saints).

High Places' trunk-rattling impulses are juxtaposed with a spacious, almost tranquil atmosphere, with Rob Barber's percussion chiming and floating rather than physically hitting, and Mary Pearson's sweetly flat vocals layered to the point that her lyrics often become indistinguishable. That blur makes High Places' music hypnotic: Pearson chatters away like a light-headed kid on the playground on one song and intones a mantra on the next, and it's only then that you notice how both forms operate on the same principle: repetition induces calm. (Full disclosure: Pearson's sister is a former Pitchfork employee.)

Pearson's vocals and the duo's lyrics are charmingly coquettish: She reduces falling in love to "Oh, you're a pretty boy, a pretty boy" and writes letters to Martians. "Jump In", penned for Pearson's Michigan elementary school, is so full of encouragement that it scans like the transcription of a guidance counselor or junior minister. "Canary" apologizes to animals displaced by ecological warfare-- "we really messed up." The sentiments are frank, but I out them for three reasons: There's nothing wrong with being positive, the band's confident enough to handle it, and they make me happy.

"Universe"'s lyric makes this clear: "It takes a lot of guts to be a little baby in this place." The idea of returning to infancy might resonate as a dippy bohemian nightmare, but in a society where moderate cynicism is considered a higher road to intelligence than acceptance and curiosity, and where sarcasm is considered a social reflex, you'd be hard pressed to argue with them-- it does take guts.

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Bob Baldwin--NewUrbanJazz.com (2008)

2008-03-23T14:37:00.002+01:00

Artist-Bob Baldwin
Album-NewUrbanJazz.com
Release Date-Mar 4, 2008
Genre/Style-Jazz-Funk/Jazz-Pop

Official site-http://www.bobbaldwin.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/bobbaldwinmusic

Review-Well-traveled keyboardist Bob Baldwin has been on way too many major and indie labels since his stirringly funky, gospel-influenced 1990 Atlantic debut, Rejoice, a harsh indication that great talent and brilliant output in the smooth jazz world is no protection from corporate realities. Always thinking ahead, Baldwin boldly asserted the power of Internet marketing when he called his 2000 release BobBaldwin.com — and he gets back to that concept (while ostensibly creating a new subgenre of smooth jazz) by calling his spirited, melodic, slightly old-school, coolly funky 2008 disc NewUrbanJazz.com. It's somewhat amusing reading his liner notes that proclaim that title as something new, when it's been clear that smooth jazz has been heavily urbanized (incorporating vast contemporary and retro R&B sensibilities) since at least the mid-'90s. So it's a simple difference in semantics, really. The good news is that Baldwin puts his money where his mouth is, keeping that old-meets-new vibe going on easy groovers like "Jeep Jazz" (a very poppy cut featuring singer Zoiea), "Third Wind" (with Baldwin capturing the Norman Brown vocal scat vibe over segments of his happy sunlit piano chordings), and the seductive, laid-back "Take My Hand." Baldwin never forgets that the word "jazz" is in the title, too, infusing catchy, melodic uptempo gems like the brass-tinged "Too Late" with bursts of bright improvisations. No less than Quincy Jones gave a thumbs up to one of the disc's most unique tracks, the smokin' and heavy-groovin' old-school jam tribute "Joe Zawinul" (though the constant repetition of the legend's name is slightly unnecessary — the vibe is enough!). Another striking feature of Baldwin's "new" sound is his collective approach that includes key contributions by familiar and new names on the urban music landscape. So while there are names that every smooth jazz fan knows (Najee, Marion Meadows, Phil Perry) and a few famous soul singers (Freddie Jackson, Jocelyn Brown), the keyboardist also introduces listeners to versatile newcomers like Frank McComb and rapper Della Croche. Baldwin's front- and back-end bumpers explaining the concept of "New Urban Jazz" are unnecessary in light of the soulful energy that happens throughout.

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The album cover of Mariah Carey's new album E=MC²

2008-03-19T00:39:00.002+01:00

It looks CocoaMusic is almost the first site posting the album cover of Mariah Carey's new album E=MC². Her official site updated 5 minutes ago and I happened to look around there.

Please save it and spread it.

Tapes 'n Tapes--Walk It Off (New!)

2008-03-18T00:29:00.001+01:00

Artist-Tapes 'n Tapes
Album-Walk It Off
Release Date-Apr 8, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

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

Review-By Orphanrecords.

The sophomore release of Minneapolis quartet Tapes 'n Tapes isn't a departure from the style established in 2006 by their debut release, The Loon. Apart from the not-so-subtle similarities in the cover art, the two releases are musically quite akin. Actually, it seems like the foursome intended Walk It Off to be more than just a second album, but a more relaxed continuation of its angsty and neurotic (and slightly Violent Femmes-esque) predecessor. Unfortunately, only the seasoned Tapes 'n Tapes listener will be able to fully appreciate (or despise) what the band has done with the upcoming release. The songs are crisp and catchy, with drums so clean they almost sound electronic. Walk It Off gallops ever-so-steadily from the first beat to the last, and when it's over, the absence of sound is discomforting.

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Hercules and Love Affair--Hercules and Love Affair (New!)

2008-03-18T00:17:00.002+01:00

Artist-Hercules and Love Affair
Album-Hercules & Love Affair
Release Date-Mar 25, 2008
Genre/Style-Club/Dance Left-Field House

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

Reviews coming from the critics-
musicOMH.com
It's the big numbers, when Hegarty steps up to the microphone, that reveal Hercules And Love Affair as a project that captures not only the full range of moods on a night out on the tiles, but also the full range of human emotions from the start of a night to its end.

Pitchfork
Lush, melancholic, gregarious, generous, both precise and a little bit unhinged--this is the most original American dance album in a long while.

Drowned In Sound
This record is as on disco and early house's dick as much as Britpop was on The Beatles' and The Kinks'.

Dusted Magazine
Hercules and Love Affair is a sincere and sumptuous stab at the mirrorball splendor of the 1970s.

New Musical Express
For now though, this is a very fine record. Not Herculean exactly, but certainly something that NME loves.

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Beach House--Devotion (2008)

2008-03-18T00:09:00.002+01:00

Artist-Beach House
Album-Devotion
Release Date-Feb 26, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie Rock

Official site-http://www.beachhousemusic.net/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/beachhousemusic

Review-With Devotion, Beach House prove once again that they're one of the more strangely named bands around. Their music is so lonely, so haunting, that the only beach house it evokes is a deserted one, stranded on a winter night so desolate that summer isn't even a memory. Then again, that atmosphere is precisely what made Beach House's self-titled debut so striking, and Devotion is even more so, since Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally bring more focus, depth, and warmth to their unmistakable sound. Tracks like "Gila" and "Turtle Island" show that all the pair need to build a mood are their vintage-sounding drum machines, keyboards, and layers of Legrand's womanly, velvety voice, but Beach House spend just as much time expanding their horizons as they do delivering their definitive sound. Devotion begins with "Wedding Bells," which, with its fuzzed-out guitar, keyboard filigrees, harpsichords, and pedal steel, is one of the duo's most elaborate songs yet. It's also one of Beach House's most immediate, fully formed songs, something that this album has far more of than the band's debut. "You Came to Me" is a stunner, melding dark chamber pop ambience with lyrics that feel like they came from a surreal '70s AM radio hit. "Heart of Chambers" is downright soulful, with Legrand's keening voice and swelling organs giving it a truly devotional cast. Not surprisingly, given the album's title, Devotion's songs deal with love and loyalty, or the lack thereof: "Some Things Last (A Long Time)" is an aptly torchy, country-tinged ballad about carrying a torch for someone; "Astronaut" pines for a crush to be requited, filtering the innocence and drama of girl group pop through the band's gauzy approach. "Home Again" is just as sweet — but not nearly as reassuring — as its title suggests, setting lyrics like "Something about the way a heart is nailed above a hand" to finger snaps and a melody with a wintry sparkle. Like Beach House, Devotion sounds like it was made for, and possibly in, the dead of night. This time, though, Beach House's dark moods have more shades, and even a little bit of light, making them all the more compelling.

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Margot & the Nuclear So and So's' new album released in July

2008-03-18T00:01:00.003+01:00

My favourite indie band Margot & the Nuclear So and So's is set to release their second album "Animal!" in July, and the tracklist was finnaly settled down recently.

Official "Animal!" tracklisting "Animal! (a patriotic dream come true)
1. At the carnival
2. German Motor Car
3. I am a lightning rod
4. Mariel's bad dream.
5. Love song for a Schubas bartender
6. A children's crusade on acid
7. There's talk of mineshafts (act two begins, mariel accepts her fate)
8. The shivers (I gotz 'em)
9. Cold, kind, and lemon eyes
10. O' what a nightmare!
11. My baby (shoots her mouth off)
12. Real Naked Girls.

Moreover, the band is touring the whole American in April and May. Please check the dates and places below.

Apr 4 2008 8:00P The Vogue Theatre Indianapolis, Indiana
Apr 24 2008 8:00P Buskirk-Chumley Theatre (ALL AGES) w/Maps and Atlases & Kentucky Nightmare Bloomington, Indiana
May 6 2008 8:00P Randy Bacon Gallery (ALL AGES) Springfield, Missouri
May 7 2008 8:00P Lucas School House (21+) St. Louis, Missouri
May 13 2008 8:00P The Waiting Room Omaha, Nebraska
May 14 2008 9:00P Jackpot Saloon (18+) Lawrence, Kansas
May 16 2008 8:00P Larimer Lounge (21+) Denver, Colorado
May 17 2008 7:00P Kilby Court (ALL AGES) Salt Lake City, Utah
May 20 2008 8:00P Chop Suey Seattle, Washington
May 21 2008 8:00P Doug Fir Lounge (21+) Portland, Oregon
May 23 2008 8:30P The Independent (21+) San Francisco, California
May 24 2008 8:30P The Echo (18+) Los Angeles, California
May 26 2008 8:30P The Casbah (21+) San Diego, California
May 27 2008 8:30P Solar Culture Tucson, Arizona
May 28 2008 7:30P Rhythm Room Phoenix, Arizona
May 30 2008 8:00P Emo’s (Inside stage 21+) Austin, Texas

Bob Baldwin--Brazil Chill (2004)

2008-03-17T23:43:00.002+01:00

Artist-Bob Baldwin
Album-Brazil Chill
Release Date-Mar 16, 2004
Genre/Style-Jazz-Funk/Jazz
Quality-192kbps

Official site-http://www.bobbaldwin.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/bobbaldwinmusic
Note-I might post his newest recording tomorrow.

Review-Over the past 15 years or so, the Atlanta-based keyboardist has made his way into the smooth jazz elite via a series of funky rhythm and jazz projects on mostly indie labels. Several of his recordings featured hints at his quiet but steady love affair with all things Brazilian, and here on his A440 Music debut, that quiet obsession becomes the magnificent focus. Not content to simply be an American emulating the music from afar, Baldwin creates a joyful celebration of the culture's deep and diverse rhythms by recording the date in Rio de Janeiro with a host of percussive minded native musicians. Finding his own American smooth jazz meets the Rio groove thing somewhere between jolts of "Cafezinho" and the hardcore percussion forest of "Carnival," Baldwin jams with saxophonist Leo Gandelman, guitarist Torcquato Mariano, keyboardist Marcos Ariel (playing flute here), bassist Alex Malhieros, vocalist Zolea Ohizep and a handful of top drummers and percussionists—Café, Armando Marcal, Ivan Conte and Juliano Zanoni. Rather than simply fashion a collection of great tunes, Baldwin's intent is to create an entire Brazilian mood from start to finish. But there are concessions to his own native land. A return trip to Manhattan inspired the urban groove driven "New York Samba," driven by Café's seductive percussion textures. And amidst the exotica of the South American journey is the in the pocket, blues flavored smooth jazz ballad "Sho Nuff," featuring guest sax star Jeff Kashiwa.

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Brandy's new song "Dig This"

2008-03-17T23:36:00.002+01:00

Here is a new song from R&B singer Brandy. It was said that she is preparing her fifth studio album after she signed to Epic Records and Knockout Entertainment. The track will appear on the soundtrack to Tyler Perry’s “Meet The Browns”.

Download here or here

Mariah Performs Touch My Body & Migrate on SNL

2008-03-16T15:30:00.003+01:00

Mariah Carey performed her latest single "Touch My Body" and "Migrate" (New song!) from her forthcoming album, "E=MC2" on Saturday Night Live on March 15, 2008.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4qf5g_mariah-carey-tpain-migrate-live_music

Mariah Carey & T-Pain - Migrate [Live]
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Here is the official lyric of "Migrate":

Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce
Keep it movin... Bounce
Keep it movin... Bounce
Keep it movin... Bounce
Keep it movin... Bounce

Once again nothin jumpin up in your place
Sick of your berry buzzin all in my face
Way too much to tolerate
Time to roll, y'all know I gots to migrate

Speed dial connecting me to rae rae hey
Click in shawntae and mae mae hey
Treat it as a holiday
Cause he's a wrap
Y'all know I had to migrate

So I'm on my way home
Cause my jeans yeah they fit
But it might benefit
Me to throw something on
To feature my hips
Accentuate my !#$# and steal the show

Soon as we walk through the door
Fellas be grabbing at us like yo
Tryin to get us going off the patron
We sippin grigio... slow

If your neck and your wrist coordinate
Hair braided or faded okay
We can move this back to my place
It's time to migrate

From my car into the club
We migrate
From the bar to V.I.P
We migrate
From the party to the after party
MigrateAfter party to hotel
Migrate

As we proceed getting buzzed
The envious ones
Hating but they cant take they eyes off us
But we don't see none of that
They playing my jam and the floor is packed
So y'all need to migrate up out the door

We clickin glasses
Comliments of the club
Raise they status
So you know they show us love
Every where we go they gon flock
Them boys migrate to where it's hot

It's hot it's hot
Soon as we walk through the door
Fellas be grabbing at us like yo
Tryin to get us going off the patron
We sippin grigio... slow

If you're inked up thuggin that's what I like
Face body and lamborghini outside
Obviosuly boy you're qualified
Otherwise migrate

From my car into the club
We migrate
From the bar to V.I.P
We migrate
From the party to the after party...migrate
After party to hotel... migrate

T-Pain Verse
Soon as we walk through the door
Fellas be grabbing at us like yo
Tryin to get us going off the patron
We sippin grigio... slow

If you're inked up thuggin that's what I like
Face body and lamborghini outside
Obviously boy you're qualified
Otherwise migrate... bye

Keep it movin... Bounce
Keep it movin... Bounce
Keep it movin... Bounce
Keep it movin... Bounce

Tuck & Patti--I Remember You (New!)

2008-03-16T01:43:00.002+01:00

Artist-Tuck & Patti
Album-I Remember You
Release Date-2008.03.25
Genre/Style-New Acoustic/Crossover Jazz

Official site-http://www.tuckandpatti.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/takesmybreathaway
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeXepms78dw

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link1 or link2 or link3 or link4

(Links come from the internet. Thanks to the original uploader.)

(The file links are just for pre-reviewed purpose and will be removed in 24 hours.)

Lykke Li--Youth Novels (2008)

2008-03-16T01:35:00.003+01:00

Artist-Lykke Li
Album-Youth Novels
Release Date-Jan 30, 2008
Genre/Style-Indie-Pop Swedish Pop/Rock

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

Biography-Swedish indie pop artist Lykke Li Zachrisson (better known as Lykke Li) grabbed the attention of bloggers the world over in the early 2000s with a handful of catchy and genuinely impressive retro-chic singles made available on her MySpace profile. Armed with sensuous, barely-there vocals and backed up by a quirky, bass-heavy, ever-so-slightly lo-fi sound (courtesy of Peter Bjorn and John's Björn Yttling, who produced her first discs), Lykke Li released her debut EP, a three-track affair entitled Little Bit, on her fledgling label, LL Recordings, in 2007. The disc's title track went on to earn a good deal of buzz among indie pop-centric bloggers and, perhaps to a greater extent, the mainstream Swedish music press soon after it was released. Lykke Li made her first appearance on Swedish MTV that year, performing an acoustic version of "Tonight" on Phaser, and the video for "Little Bit" was nominated for Best Video at that year's Swedish Grammy Awards. Her debut full-length, Youth Novels, was slated for release in 2008.

Review-Synthesizers, piano, theremin, xylophone and strings hypnotize as a woman gently recites these instructions, recalling Laurie Anderson's mellow art-house music. If you are reading this, chances are you have never heard of Lykke Li, a twenty two year old, multi-talented musician from Sweden. Youth Novels, her debut, is an amalgamation of different styles; Feist, Glass Candy and El Perro del Mar will surely be in good company.

While the aforementioned "Melodies and Desires" and "This Trumpet in My Head" serve as angelic spoken-word pieces, the rest of Youth Novels is slightly different. "I'm Good I'm Gone" is an accurate representation of Lykke Li's disco and electronic-influenced sound; looped piano, thick drums and hand claps carve out fun grooves worthy of heavy radio rotation. "Let it Fall" stutters and swaggers with sunshine melodies and infectious bass, contradicting the teary-eyed lyrics ("I like the way tears hit my cheeks"). The rhythmic quasi-rapping only contributes more to the playful spirit, surpassing "1, 2, 3, 4" in terms of catchiness.

Björn Yttling and Lasse Mårtén's production should not go without mention. Similar to fellow Swede El Perro del Mar, the main focus of Youth Novels is the human voice. Airy and cherubic, Lykke seems to hover over the music thanks to spacious vocal reverb. That isn't to say that the arrangements are rendered frivolous, though; each instrument clearly rings with a deft sense of capacity. Sitar is used subtly in unison with the vocal pattern on "Hanging High," while balancing folk and electro with ease on "Little Bit".

Like most accomplished pop records, Youth Novels serves as both a vehicle for well-written hooks and artistic integrity; Lykke Li manages to juxtapose elements of popular, electronic and folk musics without mishap. She shows quite a bit of promise here, and will probably garner more recognition and acclaim as time goes on. Hopefully, that won't mean iPod commercials and Brian Williams' endorsement.

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Atlas Sound--Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (2008)

2008-03-16T00:17:00.001+01:00

Artist-Atlas Sound
Album-Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
Release Date-Feb 19, 2008
Genre/Style-Post-Rock/Experimental

Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/bradfordcox
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Sound

Review-Atlas Sound may be Bradford Cox's solo project, but it's clear after just one listen that there's not much that separates Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel from Cox's main concentration, Deerhunter. The same filtered and treated guitars, tapes, and percussion make and wind their way around in eerie yet lush arrangements as Cox sings repeated phrases that eventually fade out into hushed chords and murmurings. The difference, however — and it is a difference that means a lot — is that Cox is much more focused here, and though the album certainly fits easily and well into post-rock, he's able to better control the instrumental meandering that at times would drag down Cryptograms. Instead of acting as the default sound, it represents a conscious decision, a gentle contrast that complements and strengthens the whole, and the attention that he allows his voice (the timbre of which can, as in the warm, Daedelus-esque "Cold as Ice" or the gentle "Winter Vacation," sound downright Björk-ish) allows the more instrumentally focused pieces to acquire greater meaning. The vocals, too, when they exist, are given more priority in the mix, an emphasis that shows what a compelling singer he actually is. "Quarantined," for example, has only two lyrical lines ("Quarantined and kept so far away from my friends/I'm waiting to be changed"), but the subtle emotion that can be heard in Cox's enunciation makes it one of the best and most powerful tracks on the entire album. The album's not faultless: as with Deerhunter, Cox has the tendency to try too hard to be profound (take the title — or the title track — for example), wanting so badly to say something important that he sounds trite and forced, and untrustworthy, but when he's able to forget about conveying some kind of meaning and instead focuses on the actual music, his message — one of pain and love and feeling lost, of trying desperately to understand — is undeniable.

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Zita Swoon--Big Blueville (New!)

2008-03-16T00:01:00.004+01:00

Artist-Zita Swoon
Album-Big Blueville
Release Date-March 25, 2008
Genre/Style-French Pop/Indie Rock

Official site-http://www.zitaswoon.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/zitaswoonspace

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Together As One--A DJ Earworm Mashup

2008-03-15T23:56:00.001+01:00

Music and video mashed by DJ Earworm, featuring U2 (One), Beatles (Come Together), Mariah Carey (We Belong Together), Diana Ross (Someday We'll Be Together)
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=aKoBye__Txw

Whitest Boy Alive--Dreams (2006)

2008-03-11T00:05:00.002+01:00

Artist-Whitest Boy Alive
Album-Dreams
Release Date-2006
Genre/Style-Indie Rock
Quality-320kbps

Official site-http://www.whitestboyalive.com/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/thewhitestboyalive
Biography-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whitest_Boy_Alive

Review-Erlend Øye and Marcin Oz are both Berlin-based DJs, although Øye is actually Norwegian born. Øye sounds a little like Stuart Murdoch from Belle and Sebastian, but with a stripped down band. In a world where every band has at least two guitars, it’s kind of refreshing that there’s only one guitarist (Øye) in The Whitest Boy Alive—plus an often-featured bassist (Oz). The bass gives Dreams its funk, fleshed out by a driving drumbeat (Sebastian Maschat) and occasional synths (Daniel Nentwig).

Most of the time, Øye doesn’t so much sing as read the lyrics poetically (those lyrics come off as a little passive-aggressive at times). You may not feel inspired to dance so much as just shuffle your feet and bop your head, but Dreams definitely grooves.

The most you hear out of Nentwig is on “Don’t Give Up,” which—like the whole album—is the kind of thing you want playing in the background when you’re sitting down to really think about life. Some vocals on the track sound foreign, but when it reaches its final crescendo—rising higher and higher—Øye tells us “Don’t give up, don’t give up,” and leaves us feeling like we can accomplish the best.

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Hannu--Worms in My Piano (2007)

2008-03-10T23:48:00.004+01:00

Artist-Hannu
Album-Worms in My Piano
Release Date-Apr 24, 2007
Genre/Style-Electronica/Ambient/Folk
Quality-320kbps

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

Review-Reviewed by The Cyclicdefrost.

The sinewy piano compositions of this Finnish collective, dappled with mutating electronic atmospheres and granular flecks, brim with a languid, windswept resplendence that is meditative, gently hypnotic and oftentimes completely involving. Theirs is a skewed energy, a music that relies on creating clouded visual impressions of its sonic inputs.

From the beginning, eerie, plaintive piano chords collide with helter-skelter harmonics, are torn asunder by divergent responses, or are filled out by interjections of vast reverberant chasms. Many works are thereby richly spatial; and the slightly discordant or otherwise murky electronic accents act as a cut or traumatic obstacle that, to the albums advantage, unsettles the smooth operation of its self-satisfying melancholia. A track such as ˇMetsaˇ, for one, is notable as a result of its ability to disseminate organ chords into atmospheres of swirling vapor, which rush through a slipstream of trippy surges and twittering insects.

On occasion, the group decides to get rid of these ’dark spots’ and renders their sound more fully exposed. During these sections, the previously gentle, atmospheric gambits are gradually transformed into a megaton stomp or otherwise lurching rhythm section, a move which, perhaps counter-intuitively, over constrains these pieces and all but suffocates them in the clean air. Nonetheless, for a debut effort, it no doubt shows promise, as the hazy mirages of the aforementioned moments are endlessly absorbing and fertile.

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Valet--Naked Acid (2008)

2008-03-10T23:42:00.001+01:00

Artist-Valet
Album-Naked Acid
Release Date-Mar 4, 2008
Genre/Style-Post-Rock/Experimental
Quality-320kbps

Official site-http://www.yarnlazer.com/valet/
Myspace-http://www.myspace.com/honeyowens

Review-On Naked Acid, Valet, aka Honey Owens, brings her music down to earth — well, at least more than she did on Valet's otherworldly debut Blood Is Clean. Where that album felt like it was channeled though Owens, Naked Acid is more direct and grounded, even as it taps into hypnotic, primal sounds. "We Went There" acts as an initiation rite or guided meditation into the rest of the album, its massed vocals and sparkling percussion giving way to lysergic guitar solos that pull the song into Valet's characteristic deep drones. But even as Naked Acid wades deeper into Owens' organic sound, its pieces feel more distinct and separate than Blood Is Clean's effortless flow: "Fuck It"'s bluesy acid-rock feels miles away from the slow, dark, tar pit-like ramblings of "Babylon 4 Eva." Within each track, however, Owens' gift for making dramatic changes sound natural shines, especially on "Drum Movie," which moves from layers of electronic drones to what sounds like a jet taking off; it's not until the song is a third of the way through that softly tribal drums and flutes make their presence known. Along with the deeply trippy atmosphere throughout, Naked Acid's main constant is how seamlessly Valet blends seemingly natural and overtly manipulated sounds into trance-inducing and hyper-real musical worlds. This is where Owens really outdoes herself on the album, whether it's on relatively simple tracks like "Kehaar" and "Fire," where she uses just her voice, guitar and some judicious effects to make hauntingly lovely music, or "Streets," where electronic beats transform the ethereal vocals and synths into something very different from the rest of Valet's music. A transitional album, Naked Acid might be a shade less satisfying than Blood Is Clean, but it takes Owens' work in some intriguing new directions.

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