INTO IT. OVER IT. is a one piece operation fronted by Evan Weiss. I stumbled across his record "52 Weeks" trolling around for something new and fresh and this was just what I was looking for. Weiss wrote a song a week for a year and collected them together in this 2 CD opus on life both on and off the road. Observations run the gamut from the deterioration of a relationship to what's on TV. Weiss alternates between quiter acoustic tracks and more raucous straight forward indie rock.
It's an interesting exercise that is not unlike the musical equivalent of blogging. The structure of writing a song a week leads itself to some songs that are more musical ideas than finished works. Most of the songs come in at under 3 minutes but their are hooks a plenty for all musical interests. The fire and passion on tracks like "Fak It" and "Heartificial" make for great live fodder. The simplicity of other tracks like "Introduce This To Your Parents" and "David Caruso TV" echo lo-fi acts like SEBADOH (he even titles one song "Sebadon't"). The quieter moments like the opener "Batsto" and "ATM Disaster Scenes" are more akin to someone you might hear in some out of the way coffee shop or bar. There is literally so much here that you could construct three different records depending on which songs you took.
The initial reaction is that the album would have benefited from some editing but to do that would have lost the idea. "52 Weeks" is more about the process of writing and the attempt by Weiss to encapsulate his life in song than about a record that will sell 1 million copies. I have no doubt Weiss is a talented writer and his eye is keen to observing life's little intricacies. I get the feeling if I came back and wrote about this album five more times it would still be unique. I can't wait to see what he does when he gives his songwriting some real time to grow.
Pennsylvania based singer-songwriter Joy Ike has been making a name for herself. After releasing her second album independently, she won an opening slot performing at this summer's reinstated Lilith Fair through a fan voted contest on OurStage. Since then, she has continued her grassroots approach to music to stay true to her values.
With vocals that recall popular singer-songwriters Sara Bareilles and Regina Spektor, Ike's soulful singing style and breathtaking piano accompaniment impress. What is most striking of Ike is that she embodies a timeless and familiar quality. Songs like opening track, "Sweeter" draw the listener in with her upbeat singing style while the nearly one minute piano intro on "Give Me Truth" relaxes.
Beautiful title track, "Rumors" leaves an impact on the listener with Ike's slow and powerful vocals accompanied by the light strokes of the piano and fitting string features. Despite the impressive music, it is Ike's hopeful and introspective lyrics that allow her to stand out from popular singer-songwriters.
In fact, in an interview with OurStage.com, she touched upon the importance of creating memorable music.
"What a person says reflects who they are. I want to make music that's purposeful and I want to create music that people can hold onto for a long time."
With a release as strong as Rumors, Ike is well on her way.
For more on Joy Ike, be sure to visit her on MySpace and watch the interview below. You can download her track, "Sweeter" here.
Hello, the news today was totally dominated by the execution of one Osama Bin Laden although never charged with the 9/11 attacks, it were the victims of that dirty attack that got to express their joy, at least only those that got airtime, understandible as more then half of the New Yorkers believe that attack was orchestrated by cynics within their own government aided by foreign intelligence agencies. Interestingly tonight i heard someone recall that he always had a UN meeting there which for once (that day) was rescheduled from 8AM to 10AM, hmm talk of inside job.. Let me state it clearly, those buildings were very professionally demolished, there was no other way to get rid of that asbestos infested outdated landmark, without getting sued for the healthrisk it was. Murdering thousands of people was obviously not a problem for those psychopaths with the cloud. A measly billion or 2 for the building dwarfed by the 2 trillion dollar black hole the Pentagon announced the evening before and whose admins got visited by a cruise missile a few hours later, leaving nobody to testify. Right from the start Osama Bin Laden was pointed to, as he once was heard saying using airplanes in an attack could be highly effective. Those that listened in sure picked up on that one. I'm sure many of the US collaborators have met an untimely death or are under surveillance. Obviously the psychopaths between them have had no such trouble, they've risen in the hyarchy and terrorise the general public these days, frightning them into submissiion. It remains to be seen what happens next , the timing is ideal for another false flag attack, presumably to revenge the martyr Osama.
It's not just misery coming from Pakistan today.....
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a world-renowned Pakistani musician, primarily a singer of Qawwali, the devotional music of the Sufis (a mystical tradition within Islam). Considered one of the greatest singers ever recorded, he possessed a six-octave vocal range and could perform at a high level of intensity for several hours. Extending the 600-year old Qawwali tradition of his family, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is widely credited with introducing Sufi music to international audiences.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was born on October 13, 1948 in the city of Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Pakistan. He was the fifth child and first son of Fateh Ali Khan, a musicologist, vocalist, instrumentalist, and Qawwal. He began by learning to play tabla alongside his father before progressing to learn Raag Vidya and Bol Bandish. He then went on to learn to sing within the classical framework of khayal. Khan's training with his father was cut short when his father died in 1964, leaving Khan's paternal uncles, Mubarak Ali Khan and Salamat Ali Khan, to complete his training. His first performance was at a traditional graveside ceremony for his father, known as chehlum, which took place forty days after his father's death.
In 1971 Nusrat became the official leader of the family Qawwali party.. Khan's first public performance as the leader of the Qawwali party was at a studio recording broadcast as part of an annual music festival organised by Radio Pakistan, known as Jashn-e-Baharan. Khan sang mainly in Urdu and Punjabi and occasionally in Persian, Brajbhasha and Hindi. His first major hit in Pakistan was the song Haq Ali Ali, the song featured restrained use of Nusrat's sargam improvisations.
In 1979, Khan married his first cousin, Naheed (the daughter of Fateh Ali Khan's brother, Salamat Ali Khan); they had one daughter, Nida.
Early in his career, Khan was signed up by Oriental Star Agencies in the U.K. to their Star Cassette Label. OSA sponsored regular concert tours by Nusrat to the U.K. from the early '80s onwards, and released much of this live material on cassette, CD, videotape and DVD. In subsequent years, Khan released movie scores and albums for various labels in Pakistan, Europe, Japan and the U.S. He toured extensively, performing in over 40 countries. Khan contributed songs to, and performed in, many Pakistani films. Real World released 5 albums by him a connection that started when Nusrat teamed up with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ in 1985.
Khan was taken ill with kidney and liver failure on August 11, 1997 in London, England while on the way to Los Angeles in order to receive a kidney transplant. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest at Cromwell Hospital, London, on Saturday, August 16, 1997, aged 48. After his death, the song "Solemn Prayer", on which Nusrat provided vocals, was used on the Peter Gabriel song "Signal to Noise" ( Up), and on the soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese film Gangs of New York.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Mustt Mustt is the first Qawwali fusion album collaboration between singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and guitarist and producer Michael Brook, although the album itself is credited purely to Khan. It was rock musician Peter Gabriel who suggested that Brook and Khan work together. It was released in 1990 on Gabriel's Real World Records label.
Soulful and hypnotic, Khan's passionate singing on these songs of praise underscores the richness and vitality of Sufi culture. While Qawwali music goes back centuries, the use of synthesizers adds a modern edge to the highly absorbing Mustt Mustt.
The song "Mustt Mustt" was remixed by Massive Attack and was a club hit in the United Kingdom, being the first song in Urdu to reach the British charts.It was later used in an advert for Coca Cola.
01 Mustt Mustt (Lost In His Works) 5:15 02 Nothing Without You (Tery Bina) 5:04 03 Tracery 4:48 04 The Game 4:59 05 Taa Dem 4:47 06 Sea Of Vapours 3:55 07 Fault Lines 4:13 08 Tana Dery Na 4:23 09 Shadow 3:04 10 Avenue 4:51 11 Mustt Mustt (Massive Attack Remix) 4:24
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Night Song is an album by qawwal Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and guitarist and producer Michael Brook. It was the last album on Real World Records that Khan lived to see finished. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 1996, but lost out to The Chieftains' album Santiago.
With West African kora and electronic backing and Nusrat singing in a relaxed mid-range voice, the opener "My Heart, My Life" sounds almost like a Salif Keita ballad as it works up to its energized closing chant. Not until the fifth of eight tracks, "Longing," do we hear Nusrat's signature scat singing and his singular wail, unmistakable even when lavished with effects. "Sweet Pain" might be the strongest track, beginning deep in dream space with a wandering bassline and a simple backbeat, and then heating up to powerful close with Nusrat delivering spitfire scat. Summing up, this is perhaps the most experimental of Khan's albums, including Senegalese and classically trained musicians.
CLUB RETRO was the NEW WAVE Retro Program of NU 107 from December 1997 to October 2004. YUP!! Definitely I remember these dates since I was able to tune in to this great radio show which started two years earlier than 103.5 K-LITE's "LITEWAVE"(1999) and this was also the time when the magic of 89 DMZ's "WAVE 180" was starting to go down a bit. I have featured exclusively both LITEWAVE and WAVE 180 before here in my blog so just check it out on my Blog Archives. Finally, here it is on "The Doctor Is In".......It's CLUB RETRO!! Definitely, "The Dr. Stirring Rhod Way" of remembering this great New Wave Radio Program of the recently closed NU 107. According to an old NU 107 site "CLUB RETRO" is a "club open to people who still rock to the songs of the 80s. Club Retro gives the kids of today a chance to find out the musical influences of their favorite bands and also gives the kids of the 80s a chance to dance down memory lane. Featuring bands that have defined new wave like The Cure, The Bolshoi, and 80s bands like REM, 10,000 Maniacs and Gang of Four." Well, the show was conceptualized to make the NU 107 listeners reminisce the good old days of the 80s New Wave Music, the original Music Genre of NU 107 when they first test broadcast back in November 1987 which they termed "CUTTING EDGE"and "MODERN ROCK". Wheeew!! After 10 years of Rock And Roll, NU 107 brought back their original kind of music circa 80s and during those times people of my generation really needed a Radio Show like this.
CLUB RETRO was first hosted by NU 107's Retro Queen DJ "JELLY JEAN" back in 1997 up until 2000. At first, the show was really good but after a year I noticed that the music they played were too redundant already. YUP!! The same old songs played almost every week. I guess their library of New Wave music needs to be beefed up if you know what I'm driving at. I remember contacting Jelly Jean back in late 1998 if it is possible for collectors to share their music on the program. Well, back then there was no positive feedback so personally I didn't bother to followed it up not knowing few months after, they did opened up their doors for collectors to share. Hmmmp? I guess my mind just conceptualize things very early. He He He!! YUP!! It was the latter part of 1999 when the show allowed some New Wave collectors to share some stuffs on the program which boosted my appetite to listen to the show again. It was in year 2003 when I got the opportunity to share my stuffs on K-LITE's "LITEWAVE" and this was at the peak of the "CLUB RETRO" versus "LITEWAVE" competition thing. The original time slot of Jelly Jean's "CLUB RETRO" was Every Saturdays 6-9pm and definitely It was another trip down memory lane since the regular playlist of NU 107 was ALTERNATIVE ROCK and so such radio program was a breathe of fresh air. I can still remember my very first song request to Jelly Jean back then and this was "Heavenly Pop Hit" by THE CHILLS which was an NU 107 classic since they first played it back in 1990. Unfortunately on the evening that I called up and requested the song, Jelly Jean doesn't have a copy of it on the booth and so she just mentioned on air that she will be playing it for me on next week's episode which she gladly did because I made it sure that she kept her promise. He He He!! What can Jelly Jean say about the other radio stations back then? Well according to her, most of them were Crappy and Downright Boring. Hmmmp? But do you know that she loves the band "Hanson"? Jelly Jean officially said farewell on the show and explained the reason was very personal and thus the show hibernated for about five months until it returned with a new DJ host.
Jelly Jean (2nd from left) with NU 107 big boss Atom Henares and Mike Pedero. Also included on the photo were some on the NU 107 DJs during those times.
The next DJ to host "CLUB RETRO" was The Pin-up Girls vocalist MONDO Castro on mid 2001 up until the radio show's final episode on October 2004. Of course, the early episodes of the Mondo-hosted CLUB RETRO was just another retro show. The said show needs to beef up their playlist especially when CLUB RETRO radio schedule was the time slot of "LITEWAVE" and in the same evening. The show will just be eaten up if you got my drift. Btw, I have featured "THE PIN-UP GIRLS" here in my blog last year July 1, 2010 and made available all their materials for your listening pleasure.
CLICK "The Pin-Up Girls" photo to go directly to my blogpost about the band and download their materials for free.
THE PIN-UP GIRLS
It was back in 2003 when a bunch of PINOY NEW WAVE COLLECTORS who called themselves "WAVELENGTH MANILA" came into the picture and save the said show from going down the drain. Not in a way related to the Legendary Manila Mobile called "WAVELENGTH". This was also the time when NU 107 was having problems already regarding the ratings as a Radio Station in METRO MANILA. YUP!! Changing of formats, closure, and some negative news arises on what the faith of NU 107 will be. According to MIKE SUTTON, WAVELENGTH MANILA started participating in "CLUB RETRO" after he signed host Mondo Castro's band, The Pin-Up Girls to "KNOW IT ALL RECORDS" in the U.S. . This was the time when Mike Sutton were taking preorders for Peter Coyle's American debut, "Reach for the Sun". Mike asked Mondo if together with Wavelength Manila, he could help them promote Peter Coyle's Maxi Single of "Reach for the sun" on "Club Retro." I guess that's an equation of "Club Retro" plus "Wavelength" which will last for more than a year. They debuted "Reach for the Sun" on "Club Retro" which became an exclusive of the show thus LITEWAVE wasn't able to premiere it. Wow!! Talking about competition. That's PINOY!! Wavelength Manila started bringing their own original CDs on the show which added some depth on the playlist. The guys introduced "DESERT WOLVES", "WEATHER THEATRE" and more obscure stuffs while bringing back on Manila's New Wave Radio Program bands like "LOW LIFE", "THE NOBODYS", and "TREEBOUND STORY" just to name a few. Of course, we will feature all these bands here on my little blog so no copying okay. There were also changes in the schedules from Saturdays It became Fridays and finally It went back to Saturdays and this included also the time slot which went to 9-12 midnight and 6-9pm then back again to 9-12 midnight. Did you understand what I'm driving at? He He He!! Another of those radio shows that I really missed right now most especially with a lot of CRAP ON THE RADIO all over MANILA. Too much "MASA" FM Radio Stations existing today that will make you ponder if this is indeed the PINOY way of listening to FM radio nowadays. If that's the case, it's unfortunate that most PINOY has POOR TASTE. Sorry to say that the station that replaced NU 107 is one of them. Waaaaah!! I'm not an "Internet Radio Freak" either because no time for it too. Btw, I was able to meet Danny, Eric, and Gilbert of WAVELENGTH when we went to visit another defunct Philippine New Wave Radio Program called "FREE STATE SOUND" of JAM 88.3 and that was wayback 2007 when the show was very young then. Well, I'll try to feature it too in the future here in my little blog because that was an unforgettable experience.
I hope you ENJOYED my little tribute to "CLUB RETRO". THANKS for dropping by guys!!
Are you Clubbing? This ain't an ordinary Club. This is CLUB RETRO!! -DR. STIRRING RHOD
I don't watch a lot of music videos, but I can appreciate them when they're really well done. As 2010 comes to a close (and I'm working hard on my top 25 albums list), I thought I'd share a few videos that I really enjoyed this year.
There a trend right now where bands make great conceptual videos on a small budget and release them online - where they go viral and give the band a lot of buzz. OK Go both pioneered and perfected this approach with their continuous take videos. So a couple of those makes appearances here, but also some bigger budget videos.
So here you go!
Hollerado - Americanarama This video is insane! I love the concept and execution. It must have taken forever to get it just right.
OK Go - White Knuckles The band is at it again with this video featuring a bunch trained dogs!
OK Go - This Too Shall Pass Here, the band builds an enormous Rube-Goldberg Machine and creates a huge video around it. It's masterful and epic.
Chromeo - Don't Turn the Lights On I absolutely love this video. I have no idea how they did some of the effects, but it's creepy and cool!
Jeremy Messersmith - Tattooine The local boy makes a paper-cut Star Wars tribute video and it's amazing!
David Crowder Band - SMS [Shine] This is a band that I really don't care for myself, but this video deserves to be on the list. Could this be the thing that puts DCB on the musical map outside CCM?
Jonsi - Go Do Oh, Jonsi. Your music is so lovely and your videos are so bizarre!
Yeasayer - Madder Red Kristen Bell stars in probably the most disturbing video of the year. And it's awesome.
Janelle Monae - Tightrope Can't embed it, but Janelle Monae is amazing in this video. You get a chance to see her great stage presence and dance moves, but you don't need to see copious amounts of flesh like many dance-themed music videos! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc
Arcade Fire - The Wilderness Downtown (We Used to Wait) Arcade Fire put out an interactive music video this year that you have to see to believe. It utilizes HTML5 and Google Maps to bring you an experience unlike anything you've seen. So watch it!
This has been one of the records I have waited for with great anticipation. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE have left their indie roots behind and ascended into the stratosphere of honest to goodness pop stars. For a long time people have been asking who the heir apparent would be to alternative rock royalty REM, and I think DCFC can lay that claim. Building on the success of "Plans" and "Narrow Stairs", the new record has huge pop hooks and all the musical touches we have come to expect from this Seattle collective. Here are my thoughts on their new album, track by track:
1. Home Is A Fire -- DCFC tend to open each record with a song that starts slow then builds. "Home Is A Fire" may not have the grandeur of "Marching Bands of Manhattan" or "Bixby Canyon Bridge" but it does set the appropriate tone. Ben Gibbard decides to distort his voice as if singing through a megaphone, which makes the lyrics have a detached feel to them
2. Codes and Keys -- The title track is a bluesy piano led song starts to show off the new lyrical sunniness that encapsulates the album. That is not to say that Gibbard has grown out of his over a decade long funk, just that he seems happier in his disposition.
3. Some Boys -- A driving bass and drum opening and the return of the distorted vocals in this paean to immature adolescence. The theme is one that the band has traveled in before and here the observation is that some boys never seem to grow up and that is not necessarily a good thing.
4. Door Unlocked and Open -- A great example of why I love this band. The song takes a great bass line, adds in just enough guitar to make the song interesting and rides the beat the whole way. Gibbard sings it straight up and this could be the cousin to "I Will Posses Your Heart" in tone and feel. Truly breathtaking.
5. You Are A Tourist -- The first single has a great guitar line and sounds as if it was a lost refugee of 70's AM radio. Gibbard's topic of yearning and longing is well traveled but never seems repetitive. It also a sense of positivity that has not always been a Death Cab hallmark.
6. Unobstructed Views -- The opening of this track has a slow beating synth/piano accompaniment that takes it time before finally bringing Gibbard into full view. The song is clearly the centerpiece of the record as he sees love in an unobstructed way for the first time. Whether it was written after he got married is not important, what is significant is how his world view has changed because of it. Though the song never really takes full flight, the message is enough to make it remarkable.
7. Monday Morning -- After three intense songs, the band takes it down a notch with a simple pop song full of fuzzy guitar work that reminds me of some of their earlier work. This has all the feel of a summer song for lazy days and nights.
8. Portable Television -- At first listen this feels like a throwaway. Gibbard takes to the piano here and is met halfway through by a skippy drumbeat. It has a church revival feel to it and when it's stretched out live will be a barnburner I'm sure.
9. Underneath The Sycamore -- This track is the kid sister to either "Sound of Settling" or "Crooked Teeth" in that it is a poppy ode to being different and the same at once. The flourishes of trumpets give it a sunny feel. An unabashed pop song in all it's glory. An earworm for the next week I have not doubt.
10. St. Peter's Catherdral -- Their hasn't been an out and out ballad on the record until now. Unlike the more downtempo "Narrow Stairs" this record has been a lot more upbeat. This song starts out with a stark vocal only arrangement before the drums kick in. Lyrically, it seems to be another in the cannon of what happens after we die, as Gibbard intones that "there is nothing past this". The song builds slowly and takes the back half to find it's place. A sure encore piece for their live show.
11. Stay Young, Go Dancing -- This album has been about finding home, either in the actual place or with the people you love and the closing number is almost like walking through the door of the kitchen after being gone for a long time. A love song in every sense, this track gives us a sense that Gibbard is very content where he is and with the people he loves. It's a fitting ending to a truly breathtaking musical journey.
Since Lisa Milberg took over lead vocals for Swedish pop outfit The Concretes in 2006 (when original lead vocalist Victoria Bergsman left to devote her time to her own solo project, Taken By Trees), she's taken vocal duties towards a slightly more sultry direction, the music also following suit IMO as illustrated by a few of the songs below (off the band's newest album WYWH, released late last year):
The band just kicked off their North American tour (check out their dates at their MySpace) and will be in Toronto this Monday January 17 for a show at the Horseshoe Tavern with openers Hooray For Earth.
This is Sandy Denny and The Happy Blunderers live at the Lincoln Folk Festival (England) back on the 24th July 1971. She's backed by the self named Happy Blunderers, consisting of Fairport members Richard Thompson, Dave Pegg and Jerry Conway. Richard plays guitar throughout and sings backing vocals on the third song (Crash On The Levee - a Dylan song).
The first solo album by Sandy Denny 'The North Star Grassman and the Ravens' was also released in 1971 and is distinguished by its elusive lyrics and unexpected harmonies. Highlights included Late November, inspired by a dream and the death of Fairport band member Martin Lamble, and Next Time Around a cryptogram about Jackson C. Frank, one of her many portraits in song. Both songs were included in this short set.
Also on the bill at the festival were The Byrds, Dion, Tim Hardin, the Incredible String Band, Ralph McTell, Pentangle, Tom Paxton, Steeleye Span, Dave Swarbrick & Martin Carthy, James Taylor, and Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee.
Source: Audience.
Sound Quality: Listenable (a bit like AM radio at night), mp3@265kbps.
Genre: Folk, folk rock.
Set: Full Set.
Set List:
01 Late November 02 The North Star Grassman And The Ravens 03 Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood) 04 Blackwaterside 05 The Optimist 06 Next Time Around 07 Crazy Lady Blues 08 John The Gun
Line Up:
Sandy Denny: Vocals, Guitar Richard Thompson: Guitar Dave Pegg: Bass Gerry Conway: Drums
In 1995, five young aspiring musicians gathered together in the Bronx, NY. They were drawn to each other for two reasons: a love of heavy music and the disillusionment created by urban adolescence. Nick (guitar), UV (drums), Nando (guitar), Phil (vocals) and Jayson (bass) became known the band as Irate and established themselves as one of New York City's most brutal metal bands.
Irate's first two releases, the EP "Burden of a Crumbling Society" and the full length "11:34" (recorded with current bassist Curtis Reis), quickly solidified them as a powerful metal act. The first chance for the band to prove their ability in a live setting came at Castle Heights in Queens, NY. The shows at this venue established a loyal fan base and garnered the attention of other promoters and bands on the scene. As a result, Irate has also played the stages of CBGB's, LimeLight, Lamour's, The Downtown, Albany's Valentines and many more. The band has had the pleasure of supporting national acts such as Deicide, Overkill, Napalm Death, Death Angel, Hatebreed, Candiria and Nuclear Assault.
In late 2001, Irate embarked on their first overseas tour, headlining shows in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya in Japan. A year later the band found themselves on the road again, this time on a five country tour of Europe with stops in Belgium, Holland, England, France and Germany. Spring of 2004 saw the band as part of a package tour of Puerto Rico supporting Sworn Enemy with Billy Club Sandwich and EGH.
For the summer of 2004 the band has hit the studio to record their sophomore full length album. Those that have heard the new material have described it as intensely heartfelt and reminiscent of the myriad of influences on the band. The album will hopefully be released before the close of 2005.
Metamorphosis is the sixth studio album by the Danish melodic death metal band Mercenary. This is the first album, except for their debut, First Breath, not to include the Sandager brothers, Mikkel on clean vocals and Morten on keyboards and Mike Park on drums since 11 Dreams. This is also the first album to feature Morten L�we on drums. It will be released on February 25, 2011, under the label Napalm Records. The US version will be released on March 29 under the label Prosthetic Records, and will include one bonus track. The song "The Follower" was released on the band's YouTube channel on December 23rd, 2010, and the song "In a River of Madness" was released for streaming on the band's Facebook page on February 8th, 2011.
Listen "The Follower" from the album
Tracklist: 01. Through The Eyes Of The Devil 02. The Follower 03. In A River Of Madness 04. Memoria 05. Velvet Lies 06. In Bloodred Shades 07. Shades Of Grey 08. On The Edge Of Sanity 09. The Black Brigade
So I finally finished Final Crisis (personally, I thought it was a difficult read, so much going on in there).
Battle for the Cowl takes place after the events in Final Crisis and as the title suggest, the battle that takes place to fill the void left by the death of Batman in Final Crisis.
I have been looking forward to reading this one.
I can't say that I have ever heard of Tony Daniel and don't know what else he has written (and I have not bothered to look it up yet, lol!)
"Hotly-tipped newcomers The Milk will release their first ever single, ?(All I Wanted Was) Danger?, on 28th March, produced by acclaimed hip-hop/electronic DJ and remixer Brad Baloo (The Nextmen). Following a London show at XOYO?s Tips For 2011 in December, The Milk have already sold out their headline date as part of HMV?s Next Big Thing festival (5 February, Barfly). The band has gained a devoted live following since playing dates with the likes of Chase & Status, Darwin Deez and DJ Yoda, on top of appearances for BBC Introducing and Manchester?s In The City festival. They will announce a host of further live plans shortly".
The final mixes for the bands debut release have scrubbed up quite nicely. `(All I Wanted Was) Danger` will certainly kick start the summer a much needed few months earlier, blowing away those harsh winter blues and enlisting some much needed Soul-power confusion. Great tales in the run up to their looming success, Essex boys come good as the story goes - I`ll post buying links nearer the release date, in the meantime the story continues..........
"The release of ?Danger? comes backed with ?Dynamite?, which chronicles the release of the pent-up energy and frustration of the A-Side. Though it was written with one thing in mind ? to soundtrack their local indie dive, The Pink Toothbrush - its lyrics might also refer to a friend?s experiences of Viagra. The band don?t want to get anyone into trouble, so won?t name names".
Remember when our country was led by humble men of humble origins? Remember when being a legislator was a civic duty? Remember when our our leaders did their civic duty and then went back to work at home? Remember when legislators were not career politicians? Remember when the most important topic of discussion was what is good for the country and not what is best for the party? Remember when the only special interest that Congress served was the people of the United States?
Do you remember?
Probably not. It has been gone for a long time. But wouldn't it be great to get that type of government back.
Our country could be great again if we had some back to basics government. A government for the people, of the people and by the people. The way it was meant to be.
Background: We received this from Bedroom Community recently - We?re super excited to finally be able to shed some light and sound on our newest signing, Puzzle Muteson. Puzzle is the alter ego of an enigmatic songwriter from the Isle of Wight, rendering his music in a tremulous tenor over a finely spun web of finger picked guitar.
After obsessively listening to his raw tapes, Valgeir Sigur�sson and Nico Muhly nurtured the songs that now inhabit his debut recording, titled En Garde. The album will be released in Europe on June 6th 2011 and rest of world on June 7th!
We know you?re anxious to hear what this mysterious man sounds like, and so have decided to give you a sneak peak in the form of his first single, "En Garde"!
2011Candy Says: This is one album we shall be looking out for in June, gentle acoustic guitar and stunning vocals ride above some background strings, what a great teaser of things to come. Listen:En Garde. Web:Facebook. ________________________________________
Background:Gauntlet Hair is a relatively unknown pair of dudes who are named Andy and Craig, from the small-ish (23,000 population) Colorado town of Lafayette. The pair garnered a fair amount of attention after being part of the Rhinoceropolis-curated block of Denver-based bands that played at the post-SXSW Mexican extravaganza MtyMx.
The band?s track ?I Was Thinking?? is a pretty insatiable guitar stomp that throws some R&B and soul into the lo-fi revival pot, mixing heavily-reverbed guitars with a simple, but undeniably booty-shaking beat. Add in some Animal Collective-style vocal melodies and you?ve got something pretty fantastic.
Tour Dates
06-02 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater * 06-04 Iowa City, IA - The Mill * 06-05 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall * 06-06 Chicago, IL - Metro * 06-07 Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop * 06-09 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom * 06-10 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg * 06-11 Philadelphia, PA - Theater of Living Arts * 06-12 Washington, DC - 930 Club * 06-14 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club * 06-15 Montreal, Quebec - Le Tulipe * 06-16 Toronto at Phoenix Concert Theatre *
* Supporting The Dodo's
2011Candy Says: Guitar stomp it most definitely is, with atmospheric vocals and layers of sound, the energy just sets the whole thing off. Listen:I Was Thinking. Web:MySpace. _______________________________________
Background: Led by Sam Sundos, The Sundelles combine the west coast vibes of their California roots with the loneliness of the East Coast which the band now calls home. Sundos formed The Sundelles, the name a nod to Phil Spector girl groups, in garages all over southern California.
In 2008, Sundos moved to New York. Calling on friends, Davey Sarantos and Trevor McLoughlin to follow, The Sundelles finally had a set line up and spent the following year polishing their live act while playing every show New York had to offer. The Sundelles never lost focus on melody, hooks, or the art of pop songwriting and began self recording demos in 2009 and self released their ?Dead Youth? 7? in early 2010.
The Sundelles wrote and recorded the songs on their debut album, Georgia Swan, in early 2010. They entered into Studio G and invited Tony Maimone, of Pere Ubu fame, to take on production of their first record. The songs on Georgia Swan became lush, spacious, and polished; a sound that Sundos had been chasing since the founding of the band. Georgia Swan runs just over thirty minutes with ten songs; a hallmark of growth and a tribute to the Sundelles roots.
The Sundelles have been writing songs for themselves since the beginning but always with the intention of attracting those who appreciate the purity of pop music. Matty McLoughlin from the Soft Pack plays lead guitar on "Can't Win" as well as few other tracks on the album.
2011Candy Says: Uplifting indie pop and rock that has a hint of summer about it. Listen: Can't Win. Web:MySpace. _____________________________________
Background: The multi-talented, multifaceted Kenny Love admits that he enjoys composing, recording and producing equally because each contains its own unique and separate element and experience. His choice of music for his own listening pleasure is jazz, and he describes his personal genre as Jazz/World Hybrid, stating ?My sound was developed after I discovered the amazing 'coloring' that can be affected and executed via inverted 7th, 9th, and 11th chords within a musical composition.?
Jazz/World recording artist Kenny Love has worn many hats in the musical arena -- international radio/video promoter, media publicist, composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist. His foray into the world of music began at the tender age of four when, as he recalls, ?A miniature trumpet was casually removed from my grasp (and lips) during preparation for a March of Dimes parade as a result of my having failed to cause it to transmit sound, although I was huffing and puffing quite professionally.? This would later become the first instrument for which he received formal training and ultimately mastered.
A native of Texas, Kenny received musical training from 1970-1976 while in elementary, junior high, and high school, eventually adding the bass guitar, strings, piano, and an extensive study of music composition to his repertoire. He also spent two years at Prairie View A&M University in Texas as a Music Education Major. At the completion of his sophomore year, he joined and spent four years in the Army, after which time he became an independent recording artist.
Kenny performed with several bands in Texas and Germany over the years, including The Lights of Soul (1976), Instant Function (1976-1978), Just Us & Duane (1982), High Rise (1984-1985), Nightwynd (1987), and The Wall of Jazz (2009). Kenny has released several independent single recordings that received both international radio airplay and print media coverage.
2011Candy Says: This is just so cool. Kenny takes music in a number of jazz orientated directions, this is just one example of his talents and a very fine one at that. Listen: KuPaa. Web:Official. ________________________________________
Background:Armand Margjeka was born in Tropoja, an Albanian town at the foot of the Alps. ?Tropoja was one of the most isolated villages in an isolated country,? Margjeka says. The communist regime he grew up with was oppressive, but somehow a mix tape of American rock?n?roll found its way into Margjeka?s hands. ?Maybe my sister brought it back from University, I don?t remember, but hearing Elvis, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard changed my life.?
That tape sent Margjeka on a journey of discovery. He eventually moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he's spent time writing, performing and producing. After a 2 year period with the alt country outfit Buffalo Black, Margjeka steps out with Margo Margo, his first solo album. A few months in the making, the album includes bedroom recordings and performances cut in Nashville with seasoned session players.
2011Candy Says: This gentle flowing song is both soothing, melodic and develops as it goes. It builds in a manner that makes us want to go back to the beginning and listen all over again (and again). Listen:Alive. Web:Official. ________________________________________
Background - and we quote... Although it has taken longer than I expected, I love how this album came together - in bits and pieces. These songs were recorded by Secondstar all over the place - in my bathroom, in noisy bars, in friends' closets - some in Brooklyn, some in California - and somehow it sounds like we're all right there.
For example, 'Ships At Sea' has a simple piano part that was recorded at my local bar. A friend let me drop by in the afternoon one day, and i setup a mic right by the piano. The ice machine and a/c are crunching away in the background somewhere. And the female harmony is my friend Erica singing in my bathroom. Vive le DIY!
Other songs have a similar story, of pieces cobbled together over time. The songs themselves echo themes of love and loss but what was especially unexpected in creating this album was the harmony that comes from working with great friends. I really want to thank Aaron and Max for keeping the faith, and for making it all come together. 'Feets' is the latest release from Secondstar, a Brooklyn-based folk-pop band. The album was recorded in Brooklyn and California.
2011Candy Says: We featured Secondstar a good year or so ago and this latest offering is extremely pleasing. A nice story above on how the album developed and whats more important is how it sounds, which is really good as far as Beehive Candy are concerned. Listen: Crooked As Crows. Web:Bandcamp. ________________________________________
Background:Ellen Once Again is a singer/songwriter and musician from Texas. Her blend of soul, folk and pop vocals blend effortlessly to make a sound that is vintage without sounding dated.
Known for her soulful heartfelt singing, positive lyrics, beautiful personality and infectious smile Ellen is inspired by Ingrid Michaelson, Lauryn Hill, Sara Bareilles, Adele, Corinne Bailey Rae & Stevie Wonder but maintains her own "quirky" musical identity.
Though she has been a musician since the age of 12?playing in church and the occasional gigs?Ellen has finally decided to pursue a career in music. ?It describes who I am,? she says describing the meaning behind her stage name. ?I feel like I?ve been doing other stuff but I?ve always come back to music because this is really what I want to do.? True to her word, Ellen spends the majority of her time writing, recording and teaching music to children.
Currently in the process of recording her as yet untitled debut EP, Ellen has received critical acclaim for the few songs she has leaked online. The fun but socially aware ?Plastic Land? (Save Me) and ?Spreading the Love??the latter of which she will be shooting a video for?are just two examples of what Ellen has in store.
Ironically, Ellen?s fan base has grown exponentially thanks to tech bloggers. Her husband, full time supporter and part time producer Andre, introduced Ellen to the iPad in an attempt to convince her that his gadget addiction was actually useful. Over the Christmas break the couple used a few iPad apps (Pianist Pro, Nano Studio and Bebot) and an iPhone 4 to shoot and edit her first video. The experiment quickly went viral, garnering over 20,000 views on YouTube. The video featuring Ellen singing covers of ?Hey Soul Sister? / ?New Soul? was picked up by a number of blogs and lauded as an innovative use of the technology.
Ellen plans on continuing to embrace her new found blog fame by making more videos. However, traditional music is still her first love. Armed with songwriting ability, a serious passion for music and a dream, Ellen Once Again is a name fans will soon be repeating again and again.
2011Candy Says: I love this song which reminds me of a fairground ride and smiling faces (to be specific!). We might be chasing rainbows ourselves soon if it makes you feel this good. Listen: Chasing Rainbows. Web: Official. ________________________________________
Background: From the ever wonderful Paper Garden Records 'Lovely Hearts Club' we once again quote - We first heard about Seattle's Tea Cozies from Mighty Tiger and became instant fans! So much so that we invited them to play our Lovely Hearts Club SXSW Day Party at Uncorked!
We all had so much fun that we felt compelled to give those of you who missed out, an internet introduction to these female-fronted garage rockers. The video for their new track, "Dead Man's Sister" features dancing aliens, ray guns, disco balls, and some serious video production. Tea Cozies will be releasing a two song single on the 16th April 2011 for Record Store Day!
2011Candy says: OK so we are suckers for female fronted garage rock bands, just send us a photo and we will love you. Turns out the music is superb so double delight on our part. Listen:Dead Mans Sister. Web: Official. Video HERE. ________________________________________
Background:The Glass Canoe was formed in spring of 2009, spending a little over two years writing and molding demos which would eventually become their debut album, Chimera. Chimera was mostly recorded at home in North County, San Diego, CA.
Being labeled as ?Psychedelic Pop?, The Glass Canoe focuses heavily on melody and atmosphere. They are influenced by all types of genres and styles, and are always trying new ways to experiment with their music. The band is continually writing and recording ideas for new albums and live shows.
2011Candy Says: This has a really good mix of synth and guitar tracked music with some fine vocal harmonies building over the music, another band that confirm it pays to experiment with different styles. Listen:First Ideas. Web:Bandcamp. ________________________________________
Background: He?s quite dry, and quite sardonic. Perhaps even a little tough to know; not because he?s closed, but just understated. Singer/Songwriter Danny Django is one of those genuinely humble, genuinely interesting guys with guitars who has something worthwhile to say, and is taking the time to say it. With a gritty Americana Blues Rock sound placing him in league with Cat Stevens, Neil Young, and Tom Petty, Danny Django is the voice of a generation ago set in modern times. Basically, Woody Guthrie with a band and digital audio gear. The message of these greats is imbued in Django?s work as well, with the quest for peace, love, and the common good setting the course for his songs and stories.
It?s not surprising, and very likely not coincidence, that the name Django is derived from the European Gypsy vernacular meaning ?I awake.? Django?s bent in songwriting is towards songs that explore how to live life rather than merely endure it, while expressing a benevolent concern for humanity. ?It may sound like corny hippiedom, I know, but beyond the darkness of our condition nipping at us most of the time it seems so positive to think about us all getting along, solving our problems onstructively, listening to each other and being quick to forgive.? This outlook permeated his music from the start, along with that fierce self-reliance of the American man.
Just prior to the beginning of his recording career however, his body and the world around it chose to press its limits upon him in a most terrifying and malicious way. Django spent 2003 fighting Thyroid Cancer; fighting, and beating it, and has been in full remission for 8 years with no relapse. While his person is not defined by cancer, the impact it had on him is undeniable. ?It changed my priorities. I was beginning to wake up and focus on what will last before my diagnosis, but fighting and beating cancer definitely fast-tracked it. It galvanized my need to make music, and to use it to pursue peace and understanding in the world.? From his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Django began single-handedly performing all duties on his albums Soul Traces (2003), Cosmic Wheel (2005), and Touch the Sky (2007), including songwriting, performing all instruments and vocals, engineering, and even propelling the single ?Jennifer? from Cosmic Wheel to become a high-selling track on iTunes.
Now almost 10 years into his career as a songwriter and recording artist, Django has created Child Indigo, his fourth full-length studio album. Some things have remained the same, like signature songs riddled with signature hooks, his signature jangle guitar-based sound, and his signature philosophy on life and death. ?Dealing with life and death are usually sub-plots in my music,? he states plainly, and the songs of Child Indigo plainly reflect. Some things have changed, however. Most notable among them are the inclusion of fellow musicians for the first time on any of his albums. Adding to Django?s performances on Vocals, Guitar, Bass, and Harmonica are Sophia Tucker on Vocals and Keyboards and Alexandre Lira on Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Bass, and Vocals.
Fittingly, Child Indigo explores and celebrates the unique ability to change and heal the struggles of life that is held by those who have been pressed up against death. Django?s dry insight and frank optimism are laid out in ?Eternally,? ?What Life?s About,? ?I Blame You,? and ?A Survivor.? Making this record met both emotional and creative needs for Django. ?I had a real need to make this record. After years of success as a songwriter and producer confined by the needs of the market, I needed the freedom to be creative and make the music I needed to make.? And that?s just what he did.
2011Candy Says: If you have read the background bio above you will have an idea of what you are in for from. Danny has his comparisons however there is clearly enough of the individual within the music and some great songs to check out. Listen:I Blame You. Web:Official. ______________________________________
Background: White Belt Yellow Tag are essentially the creation of Justin Lockey (ex Yourcodenameis:Milo) and Craig Pilbin, who formed in 2008. Lockey had built up a reputation as one of the UK?s leading new band producers having worked with White Lies and Late Of The Pier. With unashamedly big, anthemic, booming pop personality, their sound has been met with critic-slaying acclaim. It?s two guys who like massive sounding music. And they aren?t alone.
Self produced and mixed by Chris Potter (The Verve, Blur), further endorsing their audible caliber. Craig?s soaring vocals have already earned comparisons to Mark Hollis from Talk Talk and Ian McCulloch. The addition of Tom Bellamy (a multi-instrumentalist formerly of The Cooper Temple Clause) as a full-time member on drums has furthered the bands expansive sound.
While their debut album 'Methods' saw it's release in the UK in summer 2010, on May 10, White Belt Yellow Tag are releasing their US debut EP, "You?re Not Invincible" through MB3 Records. The four-track EP features the tracks You?re Not Invincible, Remains, Pictures All The Same and You?re Not Invincible (Losers Remix).
What started the uk frenzy with WBYT is ?You?re Not Invincible? a tune that Zane Lowe discovered on the bands myspace and started playing the demo version on his Radio 1 Show. Once "You?re Not Invincible" EP was released Zane gave it the accolade "hottest track in the world"after it had won 'Fresh Meat'.
2011Candy Says: The band sound powerful and the music would be comfortably at home performed live in a stadium. Rock without pretense, sometimes that's enough! Listen: Remains.Web:Official. ________________________________________
Background: Some partnerships just work, even if it takes time. Eight years in the making, the debut album by Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat is a special thing, full of gorgeous, jazz-inflected love songs fleshed out with a mixture of spoken word pieces and vocals delivered in Aidan's distinctive rhotic singing voice.
Wells is the Scottish multi-instrumentalist, composer, leader of the Bill Wells Octet and collaborator with The Pastels, Isobel Campbell, Future Pilot AKA and many more. Moffat is a man of many projects, whether his solo material released under his full name Aidan John Moffat, his band Aidan Moffat & the Best-Ofs or, in a former life, his experimental work as L Pierre, Lucky Pierre and his long history as one half of iconic Scots duo Arab Strap.
The pair first met back in Moffat?s Arab Strap days in ? predictably ? a pub, when Aidan and bandmate Malcolm Middleton invited Bill to play piano on their ?Monday At The Hug & Pint? album. ?I wasn't sure what they thought of my music but I had been a fan of Arab Strap from the first time I heard them, and I?d been especially endeared since the day they were called ?a disgrace to Falkirk' by the Provost at the time,? says Bill.
It?s then that the duo first started work on ?Everything?s Getting Older?, recording first single, (If You) Keep Me In Your Heart, in 2003. Having resolved to make an album, it was to be a long time in the making. ?I didn?t want to rush it at all,? says Aidan. ?I have a great love and respect for Bill?s music, so it was important to me that I try my absolute best, and that takes time.?
The songs they came up with over that considerable period of time began taking on a theme: aging, and within it freedom, fatherhood and responsibility. ?I don?t really live [a hedonistic] kind of lifestyle anymore,? says Aidan, formerly acquainted with the kind of wild times described in Arab Strap?s debut ?The First Big Weekend?. ?I still go out as much as a dad can, but I?m not really interested in writing about that kind of thing now. My mid-life crisis is due in a decade or so, so maybe I?ll get a second wind then.?
Written by bouncing files back and forth, with some ideas fleshed out at the East Kilbride Arts Centre, the album was recorded at Chem 19 in Blantyre and Ca Va in Glasgow. ?The process was practically identical to how I worked with Malcolm in Arab Strap, although there was no fighting,? says Aidan. ?If Bill and I disagreed on something, we had a discussion, whereas as Malcolm and I usually had a shouting match and then went in the huff for an hour.?
The pairing was marked with a special Valentine?s Day show at London?s Bush Hall, where Aidan also appeared as Aidan John Moffat and Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs. ?There?s a certain degree of irony here ? I don?t believe in Valentine?s Day at all, it really is a lot of pish,? says Aidan, ??but I do believe in love.?
2011Candy Says: This is just incredible. Storytelling with a rawness. It's like being engrossed in a good book, oh just check it out! Listen:Cages. Web: Chemical Underground. _______________________________________
