11 posts tagged “eps”
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10/30/09
Slims San Francisco, CA
Discography
11/01/09 Black Lodge Seattle, WA 11/02/09 Satyricon Portland, OR 11/03/09 3 Parkside San Francisco, CA 11/06/09 Black Market El Paso, TX 11/07/09 Fun Fun Fun Fest Austin, TX 11/08/09 Rock Bottom San Antonio, TX 11/09/09 Lounge on Elm St Dallas, TX 11/12/09 Modified Phoenix, AZ 11/13/09 Che Cafe San Diego, CA 11/14/09 Club 1979 Baja CA 11/15/09 Smell Los Angeles, CA
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ALL LEATHER
allleather.org ♥ myspace.com/allleather
All Leather's origin is from the ashes of the California punk band Some Girls (not to be confused with the less-than-punk band Juliana Hatfield's Some Girls), where two of the band members (bassist Justin Pearson and guitarist Nathan Joyner) came from.
The band recently featured on rcrdlbl and Alt Press Magazine. The later gives a glimpse of what All Leather sounds like: "[dance music] had cool elements, but was always ruined by lame lyrics, poor vocals and not enough balls. Ironically enough, the balls I wanted came from my exposure to it while working at a gay bar."
What he's referring to is probably their songs "Please Jesus, Send Me Someone To F*ck" and "I Don't Hate Fags, God Does" from their EP Hung Like a Horse, released in August on Dim Mak Records. The title alone is sort of controversial, but since I cannot, for the life of me, understand what Pearson is singing about, I don't know how I should feel about the songs.
I wouldn't exactly classify All Leather as "dance music" as described in Alt Press, this is more like experimental DIY noise - especially with the first two head trauma songs, "As The Hog Pisseth" and "We're Skrewed". Both songs seems to want to drill holes in my head.
Based on the songs and reading about the band, All Leather's fan base will be best built on their live performances. Usually these kind of high-energy sound just translate better on stage. Fortunately, it looks like they're doing a ton of dates in the south-west.
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THE STATES
thestatesonline.com ♥ myspace.com 
I've said this before, and I'll say this again: bands really need to
pick better names. It's impossible to search for 'states' without
having to put 'music' or 'band' in the search box. I'm sure this is the
number one complaint whenever someone write about them and/or doing
research.
Still, that didn't stop the rock trio from being heard on national television on Fox's Fearless Music Show last night. I guess I don't really watch television (do I even have Fox on my TV?), I didn't know there were even music shows! I'm kind of excited about that, knowing that traditional media is still interested in music promotion. Well, We Are The Erasers, released September 22nd, is the third release from this band. With the exception of the ballad-ish "The Fight", the rest of the five-track sounds pretty much solid rock music. I think the best song on the EP is "Erasers", with Chris Snyder singing its catchy lyrics of "we will be erased", followed by "you have been erased". The State are currently on tour, I'm sure they'll get some better exposure with their official CMJ showcase coming up!
10/15/09 Fusion 5 Night Club Foxboro, MA 10/16/09 TT The Bears Cambridge, MA 10/17/09 Rack N’ Roll Cafe Stamford, CT 10/18/09 Vibe Lounge Rockville Centre, NY 10/21/09 CMJ Showcase New York, NY 10/23/09 Stone Church Newmarket, NH 11/05/09 Puck Doylestown, Pennsylvania |
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THE WOLFMEN
thewolfmen.net ♥ myspace.com/thewolfmen 
I've never heard of The Wolfmen before this promo single, Jackie, Is It My Birthday?, to be released on October 5th
on their label, Howl Records, but their two main band members
singer/bassist Chris Constantinou and guitarist Marco Pirroni have been
in the industries for ages. I know that the two of them worked for Adam
Ant, and Pirroni's been associated with Siouxsie & the Banshees and
Sinéad O'Connor.
It is with the O'Connor connection is that she sings duet with Constantinou on their new single. While the press release quoted this "For thirty years Fairytale of New York has dominated the Christmas playlists and festive radio for anyone looking for hardcore Christmas whimsey. But Jackie, is it my Birthday? is a worthy contender to The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's throne." to describe the song - I'll have to politely disagree. While I did love both the A-Side ("Jackie, Is It My Birthday?") and B-Side ("Blushing God"), "Jackie" doesn't really hit the same sad note as with "Fairytale of New York". Surely, I can think of some better O'Connor duets (just look at "Visions of You" with Jah Wobble or her album Collaborations featuring nothing but duets with O'Connor). Still, the song is championed by a variety of British DJs and musicians, among them Dandy Warholler, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, calling the band "f*cking brilliant... I guess The Wolfmen just sound like heavy weights because they are." You can hear the song for yourself on their myspace, along with "Jackie Says", which I hear is their breakthrough hit song. |
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MIKA
mikasounds.com ♥ myspace.com/mikamyspace 
Mika isn't really the sort of musician that I normally listen to. It's
not like because of my street cred, but generally once an artist reach
a certain status, the PR companies stops answering our calls. Which is
why it was weird that I was sent his latest single, We Are Golden by his record label, Universal Records.The single comes with essentially the same song - a radio edit and the full song. The radio edit cuts the song three and a half minutes from its original four minutes epic. I'll have to admit that the song is pretty catchy and inspiring with its uplifting piano. It's a youth song, it sends out the message that old geezer like me would never understand it. Having just appeared on "Later...with Jools Holland", it's a good indication that he'll be heading out on his tour - heading into 2010!
10/12/09 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
10/13/09 Montreal, QC Place de Arts 10/15/09 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre 10/16/09 New York, NY United Palace 10/18/09 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory 10/20/09 Chicago, IL Riviera 10/23/09 Los Angeles, CA Palladium 10/24/09 Oakland, CA Fox Theatre 10/25/09 Seattle, WA The Moore 10/27/09 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theatre 03/12/10 Antwerp Sportpaleis 03/13/10 Amsterdam Heineken Hall 03/15/10 Copenhagen KB Hallen 03/17/10 Oslo Spektrum 03/18/10 Stockholm Annexet 03/20/10 Dusseldorf Phillipshalle 03/21/10 Frankfurt Jahrhunderthalle 03/23/10 Hamburg Color Line Arena 03/26/10 Leipzig Haus Auensee 03/27/10 Munich Zenith 03/29/10 Vienna Gasometer 03/30/10 Stuttgart Schleyerhalle 04/01/10 Basel St. Jakobshalle 04/02/10 Luxembourg City Rockhall 04/16/10 Lisbon Coliseum 04/18/10 Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi 04/19/10 Madrid Palacios Deportes 04/21/10 Milan Mediolanum Forum 04/23/10 Marseille Le Dome 04/24/10 Lyon Halle Tony Garnier 04/26/10 Paris Bercy 04/29/10 Nantes Zenith 04/30/10 Toulouse Zenith 05/01/10 Nice Palais Nikaia 05/03/10 Strasbourg Zenith |
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NANCY NEWLIS
nancynewlis.com ♥ myspace.com/nancynewlis  Nancy
Newlis is a New York singer/songwriter. Yes, we get a lot of these sort
of submissions, especially of the singer/songwriter variety. What makes
Newlis stand out is that she's from Moscow, originally studying under
composer Irina Vladimirovna. A bit of a
prodigy, she found herself studying jazz with a full scholarship in the
University of Miami.
Her recording break came with the release of Universidad Navidena, featuring the University music orchestra. Bitten by the recording bug, she went on to release Moments last year, and her latest release is Dreamers 2009 EP, released last May. I think what she's trying to do on the EP is a mixture of traditional jazz and pop music. Generally, the way I look at jazz is that it's usually an instrumental form, usually with improvisation (especially played by a veteran). In order for traditional jazz to be accepted by the mainstream audience, it has to have catchy lyrics or pop sensibility. Songs like "Dreamers", "Social Standing" and "What Is It?" on Newlis' EP does a good job fusing the two genre, featuring some acoustics, pianos, and Newlis' unique Russian-esque vocals. If you want to hear her for yourself, check out her free download of "Dreamers" at last.fm. |
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PUZZLE
myspace.com/puzzlepuzzle 
OH MY! I think I am in love Puzzle.
They have this indiepop sound, sort of feels like they are all old school friends in a small, small town, obsessing over their favorite bands. As it turns out, according to their biography, this is a "female-fronted" band from Liverpoool who started in 2007. Their debut album, Sometimes, all of the time, released the same year, is sold out... however their latest MiniCD (the first 30 features a holographic cover, limited to 100), is called We Left, released September 28th on Lightning Heart Records. I don't know what else I can add to this, except that I really like the way Lucy sings her songs. It reminds me of a bit of Tanya Donelly. If I were to live in Liverpool, you know what I'll be doing on October 13th (stalking):
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TOTAL BABE
myspace.com/totalbabeband 
A little closer to home, is Minneapolis' Total Babe. Generally whenever I see band names like this, I think "they must mean the opposite, I'll bet they're heavy metal dudes ... with beards!"
Well perception kept me away until I added this EP to my work queue.
Guess what? They're alright! In fact, having just looked over all their
cheesy photography collection, including the hilarious OMG picture, I'll have to say they are cute/dorky normal.
The six song Heatwave EP, is full of indieness. My favorite is "Shape Up", featuring some whistling action. Since they are from around here, I'll try and catch them play after their CMJ debut.
10/20/09 CMJ FESTIVAL New York, New York 10/21/09 CMJ FESTIVAL Public Assembly Brooklyn, NY 10/22/09 CMJ FESTIVAL Spike Hill Brooklyn, New York 10/23/09 CMJ FESTIVAL New York, New York 10/24/09 CMJ FESTIVAL New York, New York 10/30/09 PERSONAL BEST RECORDS Minneapolis, MN 11/14/09 Kitty Cat Klub, Minneapolis, MN |
10/03/2009 12:41:08 ♥ vu (
) ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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mammutmusic.com ♥ myspace ♥ twitter
Mammút, described themselves as "pitch black pop eating colorful Skittles". While I would disagree with "black" (this tells me the band is "dark" and "broody"), I feel this is a really great young energetic rock band with some gothic-esque vocals. They sort of remind me of an Icelandic version of Swedish all-girl band Sahara Hotnights. Anyway, they seem promising enough, after only three months of forming the band, the three girls, two boys band entered and won the annual "battle of the bands" Músiktilraunir. They were quickly spotted by various publications like Rolling Stone and UK's Music Week.
All of the songs their 2008 album, Karkari, are sung in Icelandic, including the English title "Gun". I suspect the "pitch black" statement might refer to dark, depressing lyrics, but based on just their aggressive music, I didn't feel like that was what they were going for.
Although they lost their original bass player, and I don't know how their debut album sounded, but it's clear that the new bassist did a wonderful job - especially on the best track on the album, "Geimþrá".
I suppose I did enjoy the more "rock" out tracks, like "Ég veit hann kemur fljótt" and (ironically first track) "Endir" (End), but even the mellower "Í leyni" builds up in intensity. But what I think ties everything together are the great angst vocals.
Karkari recently won "best Icelandic album" at the Kraumur awards, and quite deservingly so. You can hear for yourself by purchasing the album directly at mammutmusic.com. Still not convinced? Try out the free download of "Svefnsykt" from the vowel-hating RCRD LBL.
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THE GASLAMP KILLER
thegaslampkiller.com ♥ myspace As the title suggest, the songs on this EP gives us a glimpse of Gaslamp Killer's head: a strange music mixture of surf, funk, psych. The strong track is "Turk Mex", a Middle-eastern-gypsy type of music with a strange turntable blend of lounge music. The one track that actually doesn't seem to belong on the EP is, "Birthday Music". Possibly because there are lyrics on this song. I especially liked the part where he mixed in this 70s soul song "Give a Damn" near the end of the song. |
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ALVIN BAND alvinband.com ♥ myspace I'll be completely honest with you: I didn't like this album that much. I like the clever word play title, I like the idea of a one-man doing a cappella (there are no music instruments on the album) - but I just didn't enjoy the songs. It's kind of too non-traditional/experimental for my taste - the same reason why I dislike all the hot pitchforky bands like Animal Collective, etc. But hey, one man's garbage is another man's Earl Grey. I did give the album several listens (as evident on lastfm), just to give the album a second chance. The one track that I thought was good was "Lord of the Fly", which fooled me into think there were instruments. |
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SUNNA GUNNLAUGS
sunnagunnlaugs.com ♥ myspace I did find the album to be soothing, relaxing. It's really perfect for watching the sun set, sitting with a book and petting your cat. I did enjoy "The People of My Heart", because each of the music players gets a semi-solo spotlight. From the lead piano by Gunnlaugs, to the Drew Gress bass, the Tony Malaby's sax, and the subtle Scott McLemore drums. I feel all the instruments are having a polite conversation around a dinner table. I was also drawn to its title track, "Mindful", a track that feels like a journey (the ending is quite different from the start of the song). You can download this track, as well as others, on her iLike page. Having just finished some US summer dates, Gunnlaugs will be doing local dates in Iceland:
08/23/09 Reykjavik Jazz Festival Reykjavik 08/30/09 Nordic House - Piano Only Reykjavik |
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NAREE
nareemusic.com ♥ myspace I do have a six-track promo EP of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde for review. Each song is basically Disney pop music, the difference is that it seems to all been written by Naree. While you may think the title track, "Dr Jekyll" should be the clear winning song, I felt "Glamour Kills!" was far superior (despite the use of autotune). The song is so good, I can easily see why Naree was asked to open up for Pink in 2007. The band has a show coming up in New York:
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08/16/2009 11:26:18 ♥ vu ()
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edharcourt.com ♥ myspace ♥ twitter
Ed Harcourt is nothing short of amazing when he's playing live, possibly due to his many years of opening up for REM, Wilco, Beth Orton, Supergrass, etc. An amazing multi-instrumentalist, he mostly relies on his piano and strong vocals.
Recently, he composed the score for the "Donnie Darko" sequel S Darko, which I gave it a good review... despite the critics panning the movie. Russian Roulette EP is the latest release, around or after sxsw.
Like many of his previous songs, these songs on the EP tells little stories. I think sometime his personal life shows through in these songs, for instance the musical roller coaster "Caterpillar" reflects the singer's emotions of highs & lows when his newborn daughter Roxy was placed in an incubator.
These are great piano songs, they sometime sound a bit like old fashion television theme songs (accessible to anyone that hears it). There is one mountain folky-ish song called "Creep Out Of The Woodwork", which may be because of the country-sounding intro.It's the first song I've written about her. She was a little ill and we waited for her in the hospital for the chrysalis so we could take her home.
-- Ed Harcourt
My favorite is "Sour Milk, Motheaten Silk", whose music was inspired by "Cypress Hill and Japanese children's shows". The violins towards the end by his wife, Gita, added a nice touch to the song.
You can get Russian Roulette EP from Dovecote Records, where you can also purchase his last album, The Beautiful Lie. Although it may sound gimmicky, you can get the EP via USB in the shape of a bullet. It's cool!
Harcourt will next appear in London at Standon Calling on August 2nd.
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VERISMO
verismetal.com ♥ myspace Well metal's still huge all over the world, but it's a question of taste... and personally it's not my cup of tea. But if you like a bit of a harder (but not ear-punishing as some metal bands I've heard) guitar-noodling of Verismo, you can download their latest EP Greed for (ironically) free, if you sign up on their mailing list:
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| THE RADIO DEPT. theradiodept.com ♥ myspace ♥ twitter
We've previously mentioned Radio Dept. before and Randy describes This Past Week as: "it's shoegazey, melancholy, a bit subdued, but also lush and really well-layered between the vocals, guitar, keyboard, samples, and drum machine." I think anytime I read layer and drum machines, I just think of lo-fi, but they aren't. They're definitely dreamy in some chases. The single (4 tracks) are a quick listen. The songs are easy-on-the-ears, a little too relaxing with the mostly-instrumental "The Idle Urban Contemporaries". Obviously the main and title track "David" is the best among the songs. However, I didn't particularly care for the Rice Twins remix of "David", which is too jumpy and that use of vocal autotune drives me nuts, in my opinion. It could've been an interesting song if you haven't heard the original mix. But then again, I've mentioned before that I wasn't keen on remixes either. David EP is available now from Labrador. |
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BRAIN CHILDREN
myspace.com They've just released a self-titled CD/12" and based on the six tracks, it's pretty much what you would expect out of a disco dance/synth band... ultimately sounding like they're from the 80s. There's definitely some bassy funk elements, especially on the "Guts", which I think there are actual girls-vocals on it. Either way, if you like what you heard, check out more at their myspace. It's easy for Australians to order the Brain Children EP directly from their record label Stained Circles (THEY SELL TAPES! TAPES!!! It's like 1986 again). Outside of ozland, you can only order 7" only, and you must use paypal. |
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GALA
galasound.com ♥ myspace ♥ twitter Her latest release is an EP called Tough Love. This release is really polished, a very professional produced little six-track. For the most part, I love pop music, and since Gala's background is from Italy, she certainly knows her eurodisco music. If you don't like eurodisco, then turn away now, but if you dig Sophie Ellis-Bextor or Kyle Minogue, then you'll love Gala. Pretty soon, you'll find youself dancing uncontrollably to "Freed From Desire The Un-Remix" and "DKOL (Different Kind Of Love)". Watch out for that distinctive yip-yelp she does on "Tough Love". I see that she'll be heading over to Moscow for a live show at the Forbes Club on September 18th. You can follow her on Twitter, which she will occasional take some pictures on her walkabouts. |
07/17/2009 00:04:12 ♥ vu ()
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ESTRELLA CRISTINAestrellacristina.com ♥ myspace ♥ twitter
Estrella's name, as I've read, means "star" in Spanish. She's based out of Los Angeles, and her debut EP This Is Life is currently available on iTunes, minus, in my opinion, her best pop song "Brighter Than Sunshine". You can hear and purchase the song on iLike. However, as of this writing, her official website is currently not available, but I would recommending contacting her for a CD version as that would contain all four tracks.
The rest of the EP is light radio pop song, check out the one love song "Non Stop" and the title track, "This Is Life" to get feel of her style of music.
So this is living, so this is life, she's scheduled to appear on the follow dates:
- 07/16/09 Genghis Cohen-Shout it out/Nette Radio Quarterly Showcase Los Angeles, California
09/17/09 (TBC) Genghis Cohen-Shout it out Showcase Los Angeles, California
CAST SPELLSmyspace ♥ facebook
I'll have to add that if you don't like that slacker-indie music, you're not going to like Cast Spells. The six-track debut EP Bright Works and Baton feels relatively lo-fi and even mountain folk... like neck beard music ..And I'll leave it at that. They are on the verge of going out on tour with So Many Dynamos:
- SO MANY DYNAMOS, CAST SPELLS TOUR
July 13 – Holy Mountain – Seattle, WA
July 14 – Backspace – Portland, OR
July 15 – Hemlock Tavern – San Francisco, CA
July 16 – Luigi’s Funhouse – Sacramento, CA
July 17 – Cellar Door – Visalia, CA
July 18 – Spaceland – Los Angeles, CA
July 19 – Modified Arts – Phoenix, AZ
July 21 – Emo’s – Austin, TX
July 22 – Mangos – Houston, TX
July 23 – The Exchange – Hot Springs, AK
July 24- 529 – Atlanta, GA * also w/ Cinemechanica
July 25 – The Flatiron– Greensboro, NC
July 26 – DC9 – Washington DC
July 27 – Danger Danger – Philadelphia, PA
July 28 – Union Hall – Brooklyn, NY
July 29 – Great Scott - Allston, MA
July 30 – TBA – CT
July 31 – TBA - NYC
Aug 1 – The Majestic- Detroit
Aug 2 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL
THE FORCEFIELD KIDSmyspace ♥ last.fm
I don't know what the UK rap scene is like, but it seems to me to becoming more popular than ever. I suspect it is because all you need are three key components: the Mic, the DJ, and the MC. In this case, Stain(ed) Art does the rap, Noise is the backup vocals (he's listed as the "hype"), and Sleepy handles the beats.
With the lack of traditional music equipments, you can expect rap groups to setup fairly quickly and easily. And the fact that improvisation is part of act, I suspect this band is best experienced live. Check them out at the Dog & Parrot, coming up:
- 07/18/09 The Dog & Parrot Newcastle Upon Tyne
Home EP was released last Tuesday, US readers will want to get the Amazon MP3s vs the more expensive imported EP ($15).
STEREO ALLIGATORstereoalligator.com ♥ myspace ♥ blogspot
Their biography mentioned that this self-titled EP is their first "international" release, which makes me think that perhaps they've released material previously. What probably will make this EP more appealing is that the lyrics are in English, so they might focus more on the US market.
Most of the song here are upbeat, sans the downer "Ruin". Thank god, "Lifting Up" and "Blow Away" will quickly get you back on a happier mood. I can tell you that the club dance scene will welcome these amazingly pure pop synth songs.
At the moment, it seems that the duo have two more EPs in the work, this release is the first of a trilogy. I'll be keeping a close on this this band. Stereo Alligator EP is out now, you can find it at your favorite Amazon or eMusic.
07/10/2009 09:33:56 ♥ vu ()
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CACTUS'S
myspace.com The opening song, "Where is my Skeleton?" starts off full of energy and excitement with singer Asher Rogers screaming (what I think) "she was my friend/she was my creation/destroy her! where is my skeleton?". Other songs worth checking out is "Purple Coyote" and "Tiny Teeth", mostly for the guitar-playing on these songs. Like most good punk/metal bands, these guys are really meant to be experience live for their energy. Be sure to check them out on tour (I may check them out at SXSW):
02/28/09 K STREET w/ Born Empty Tullahoma, Tennessee
03/03/09 THE HIDEAWAY w/ Do Not Resuscitate Johnson City, Tennessee 03/04/09 THE RED AND THE BLACK w/ March of Us, Me Monster DC, Washington DC 03/05/09 THE KHYBER w/Parlor Mob, American Buffalo, Heavy Hand, Action Park Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 03/06/09 ALL CALL INN Ewing, New Jersey 03/08/09 THE CHARLESTON w/ Champions of Justice, Backseat Gentlemen, Looking Glass Wars Brooklyn, New York 03/09/09 TBA Albany, New York 03/10/09 LEE’S PALACE - CMW PARTY Toronto, Ontario 03/11/09 HELP! Toronto, Ontario 03/12/09 Bovine Sex Club (Canadian Music Week) Toronto, Ontario 03/13/09 HELP! Toronto, Ontario 03/14/09 THE BELMONT Hamtramck, Michigan 03/15/09 REGGIES ROCK CLUB w/ Asteria Chicago, Illinois 03/16/09 LEMP - MARKS B-DAY PARTY w/ Br’er, Sine Nomine St. Luis, Missouri 03/17/09 HELP!! Little Rock, Arkansas 03/18/09 HELP Dallas, Texas 03/19/09 SPIRO’S SXSW Austin, Texas 03/20/09 SXSW 2009 Austin, Texas 03/21/09 SXSW 2009 Austin, Texas 03/22/09 SXSW 2009 Austin, Texas 03/23/09 HELP Houston, Texas 03/24/09 HELP ????, Louisiana 03/25/09 Meridian Underground Music Meridian, Mississippi |
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JOSIAH LEMING
myspace.com The first release from Warner is last year's Angels UnderCover, a brief four track EP showcasing some of this very young singer/songer's brand new songs. His singing and music writing reminds me of Coldplay, but with piano. Since these are all original songs, there references to his own life and struggle. For instance on "This Cigar", he sings about his school drop out and straight-edginess: "Cause I'm a man now. I can drive a car, and I'm a drop-out. I'm nobody so far, but I don't mess with cigarettes and alcohol." I thought "To Run" is the best song on this EP. It's not overly produced and really shows off Leming's singing. If Leming is putting out music like this at 17/18 years old, I am interested in seeing what he does when he gets to the prime of his life! I believe Leming's debut album is actually "in the can", as they say, but there seems to be some delay in releasing the album to the world. In the meantime, you can get his EP for $5 with his autograph via WB Store. There's also always iTunes. Hey, also, you can keep track of him via myspace. |
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KNOX BRONSON
knoxbronson.com ♥ myspace.com From what I've gathered, Knox Bronson is really a collaboration between Andy Crisp and Shoji Kameda. They produce these electronic, relaxing, loungey music. To even break The Seasons into four parts would actually not be fair since I felt that The Seasons is just one long experimental music progression. Yet, at the same time, you can jump into a middle of a song and can still experience it the same way if you start from the beginning. Since, here in Minneapolis, we're undergoing a six-inch snow storm, I thought it would be appropriate to leave you with an excerpt of their Winter song called "Winter Blue"... so if you want to sleep in, these songs would be perfect for your CD player. They are offering some free downloads of their music, and you can pick up The Seasons on iTunes and CD Baby. |
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SKY PICNIC
skypicnicmusic.com ♥ myspace.com The five-track EP, although a few songs, they display some interesting direction. Pop/rock songs like "Half the Queen's Face", features Sherman doing most of the singing with Cinnamon (is that her real name? er, sweet...), harmonizing backup vocals. Songs like "Moons of Jupiter" are mostly showing off Sherman's skilled guitar-playing (and also their mixer who's mixing in some interesting space noise background). The best song on the EP is easily "Tea Break", which Chris Sherman sings on. It's rock music, but what's that sitar doing in the song? Cinnamon also sings on the epic "Sequence IV" which a very long song that takes you on an interesting musical journey. The 60s-sounding Synesthesia EP can be yours for $5 of your earth dollars, more details on the official website. |
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SUBURBAN KIDS WITH BIBLICAL NAMES
labrador.se/skwbn ♥ myspace.com
While the one Swedish-language song "Studenter på flak" is lost on me, the English songs made up for it. The two suburban kids are Peter Gunnarson and Johan Hedberg, but with this EP, they have a guest woman singer on two of the songs ("World Music" and "1999", the latter is available as a free download). I don't know who the guest is, I usually find these things reading liner notes - but this was a digital promo so I have no idea. If you like lo-fi Swedish pop, I reckon you'll like this. Read more about SKWBN on W♥M. Look for a new album (probably called something annoying like #5) sometime this year, according to their record label. Currently I think you can only get the downloads or CD via Labrador Records. |
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THE NOTEBOOK
thenotebookmovie.com ♥ imdb.com
The five songs are themes played throughout the movie and will only interest you if you like sweeping orchestras. To be honest, I think they all sound the same to me, with the exception of "Allie Returns" which have different shifts in music directions in the middle. I can't say that I absolutely love the movie, but it's a real tear jerker and I did end up picking up the boxset as I think it's a great deal for what you get: the movie, soundtrack sampler, postcards, pictures, booklets, etc. I'm sure it made loads of money, as it was released just prior to Valentine's to maximize sales. |
02/27/2009 17:27:39 ♥ vu ()
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brandicarlile.com ♥ brandicarlile.co.uk ♥ myspace.com Speaking of ridiculously hot, the first time I saw a picture of Brandi Carlile, I knew I was in love. She had shorter hair back then and had a boyish charm to her looks, reminiscent of Louise Wener (here's an example). She recently released her iTunes-only EP called Live from Boston, and it was a real pleasure to listen to. Of the four songs, I thought "The Story" was easily, easily the best. Her emotionally charged lyrics is best experienced live. By the way, a close second was her Johnny Cash cover "Folsom Prison Blues". You can purchase the EP via iTunes only, the most popular digital music store, so chances are, you probably already have an account. Incidentally, the reason why the 4-track is listed at $4.99, it is because it comes bundled with a video for "Josephine". As a bonus, enjoy her cover version of Radiohead's "Creep", recorded at The All About The Music Festival 2006. If you like what you heard, you can buy a superior recording from the same Live in Boston set via iTunes. |
www.thesafes.com ♥ myspace.com Released last week (Sep 23th), the Safes' Sight of All Light EP are a great mix of rock n roller. Rolling Stones calls it "Atomic Pop", while Paste Magazine compares them to The Kinks and The Who... so apparently the popular press loves these guys. The five-track fourth Safes release does start off strong and rocking, especially with the first track, "Sight of All Light". It looks like, starting in October, they are heading out for a national tour, be sure to check them out. Tour Dates
10/09 Champaign, IL @ The Courtyard
10/10 Carbondale, IL @ PKs 10/11 Saint Louis, MO @ Lemmons 10/12 Kansas City, MO @ Fred P. Otts 10/13 Wichita, KS @ The Anchor 10/15 Austin, TX @ Club 1808 10/16 Denton, TX @ J&J's 10/17 Albuquerque, NM @ Atomic Cantina 10/18 Phoenix, AZ @ Rubyroom 10/19 San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick 10/20 Los Angeles, CA @ The Cat Club 10/21 Oakland, CA @ The Stork Club 10/22 San Francisco, CA @ The Hemlock Tavern 10/23 Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt's Tiki Lounge 10/24 Denver, CO @ Bender's 10/25 Omaha, NE @ Universe 11/01 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks 11/02 Long Branch, NJ @ The Brighton Bar 11/03 Arlington, VA @ Galaxy Hut 11/04 Richmond, VA @ Rumors Boutique 11/05 Baltimore, MD @ Joe Squared 11/06 New York, NY @ Pianos 11/07 Boston, MA @ O'Briens 11/08 Philadelphia, PA @ Mojo 13 11/09 Danbury, CT @ Larry's 11/10 Sheffield, MA @ Off The Beat N' Track 11/11 New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine 11/12 State College, PA @ Bar Bleu 11/26 Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen |
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markwilliamsmusic.com ♥ myspace.com Mark Williams didn't give me much to work with. The EP is a five-track CD-R with no album artwork. No offense to anyone, but I have different priorities when it comes to music reviews and CD-R, demos, & MP3s are at the bottom of my list. I will mention that there was something in the package that did make me take a notice: there was a Lipton Herbal Peach Tea. I'm not saying to bribe me, but it was one of those WTF moment. So, his EP is called Shallow Eyes. I could not find any album artwork online, so I'm using a picture of his band. The whole EP has a Motion City Soundtrack feel to it, but slower. I would even bet Shallow Eyes would sound better live than what's on recording. I see a lot of potential in Williams, he's only 16, right now, it should be interesting to watch him as he grows up, and perhaps take up a different musical direction. The band's already found early success by being included on last Summer's Warped Tour. They are playing an upcoming show in Stroudsburg:
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brynchristopher.com ♥ myspace.com People tells me that they discover new music "Grey's Anatomy". I mean, who looks for new music on television shows? Well apparently it does work, and Interscope Records invested in having Bryn Christopher's "The Quest" to appear on an upcoming season of Grey's - so watch for it if you're already a fan of the show. "The Quest" is a lead-in single (released September 16th) to his January 13th, 2009 album called My World, and if the song is any indication I would have to guess that the album is pop/soul. If you like that genre, you definitely need to give "The Quest" a listen. The story I got out of the Quest was that he wrote the song on his mobile phone, and is about his brother's experience as a solider in Basra. He just finished up a few dates in the US, and is now heading through the UK supporting The Script: Tour Dates
22 Nov 2008 Barrowlands - Glasgow
23 Nov 2008 Academy - Leeds 24 Nov 2008 Academy - Newcastle 26 Nov 2008 Academy 1 - Manchester 27 Nov 2008 UEA - Norwich 28 Nov 2008 Academy - Bristol 30 Nov 2008 Academy - Birmingham 1 Dec 2008 Academy - Oxford 2 Dec 2008 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - London 3 Dec 2008 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - London * Supporting The Script |
Links:
weheartmusic.com news.weheartmusic.com
Here is another collection of random EPs:
trevamusic.com ♥ myspace.com
Let me stress that this is a Summer EP (released in late June of this year), so it's full of warmth and happy feelings.
Treva Blomquist is a singer/songwriter, and apparently a vagabond (she's currently somewhere around Tennessee and Washington). If you like pop music, with some folk (this includes banjos & fiddles), then you'll love Blomquist's latest EP.
Looking at the track listing on her debut album, Plain Vanilla Me, from 2005, I see that two of those songs ("Home" & "I Could Get Used to This") appear on the EP. This isn't a surprise to me, as I think whenever bands re-use songs - that they are great songs.
Of the six songs, "Fire With Fire", I feel is the best. This song is more upbeat and the lyrics seem to be from someone with a devil-may-care attitude.
Be sure to see her on tour:
 [2005] Plain Vanilla Me |
 [2008] As It Should Be - EP |
09/28/08 Roland Bland Park (Treva & The Suits) Bowling Green, Kentucky
09/30/08 French Quarter Nashville, Tennessee
10/02/08 Durango Songwriters Expo Colorado Springs, Colorado
10/03/08 Durango Songwriters Expo Colorado Springs, Colorado
10/04/08 Durango Songwriters Expo Colorado Springs, Colorado
10/05/08 Durango Songwriters Expo Colorado Springs, Colorado
10/18/08 Private Event Sewanee, Tennessee
11/06/08 Bluebird Cafe Nashville, Tennessee
11/23/08 Chattanooga Market Chattanooga, Tennessee
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WOODFISH woodfishmusic.com ♥ myspace.com It would seem, based on their track listing for their 2006 album, Bamm Diddely, that this new 2008 EP, Breathe, that there is only one new track: "In My Eyes". I suspect these same-titled songs might have been updated for the EP, lots of sax used on these songs. Like most jam bands, this music is really meant to be experienced live. The band sounds like they are having a great time playing the funky bass and wild guitar. I would hazard a guess that any party or outdoor concert would love to have these guys as entertainment. So, I listened to the EP on my iPod with headphones and I noticed myself head-bopping to "Bamm Diddely" (I'm not sure if that title is an homage to Bo Diddley, but I hope it is), "Losing My Mind" and "Love Another". Tour Dates 09/27/08 Long Island Walk to Defeat ALS West Hempstead, New York 10/08/08 The Stone Pony with Buckethead asbury Park, New Jersey 10/10/08 Buffstone’s Hamilton, New Jersey 10/11/08 Paul"s Tavern Lake Como 10/15/08 Mexicali Blues Live Teaneck, New Jersey 10/18/08 La Boca Middletown, Connecticut |
CAW! CAW! cawcawmusic.com ♥ myspace.com The seven tracks are a quick listen, it's been on repeat in my car for a while. The problem I have about listening to music in my car is that I couldn't take notes on the songs I liked. I remember two key songs that I liked: Tracks two and five. As it turns out, two is "Organisms", which is available as a free download. The good thing about this song is that there are a ton of lyrics, with these standing out: "tigers, panthers, little trees, bumblebees". The other is "Work", which shows off more of an experimental side and their punk origins. Wait Outside was released September 23rd on Slanty Shanty Records. Tour Dates 09/27/08 Bela Dubby Lakewood, Ohio 09/29/08 Arlene’s Grocery (21+) New York, New York 09/30/08 Pianos NYC New York, New York 10/01/08 Corey Dubya’s House Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10/04/08 Bennington College Bennington, Vermont 10/11/08 The Sitting Dutchman Madison, Wisconsin 10/16/08 Mixtape Records East Moline, Illinois 10/18/08 The Loft Macomb, Illinois 10/21/08 FANATIC Showcase Original Sessions Art House New York, New York 10/22/08 Wesleyan University Middletown, Connecticut 10/24/08 424 Clark St (w/ Mose Giganticus) Morgantown, West Virginia 11/19/08 Beauty Bar Austin Austin, Texas 12/12/08 The Mill Iowa City, Iowa 12/13/08 The Blue Fugue Columbia, Missouri |
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TIGER! SHIT! TIGER! TIGER! trevamusic.com ♥ myspace.com This 8-track EP comes from a New York trio. It has a very garagey/DIY punk feel to it. What comes across is that they are fun, fun, fun! You shouldn't take them too seriously - I mean, just look at their name! Spin magazine agrees with me, they recently put a blurb about them in their September issue. Like typical punk music, these eight songs are all very short, practically all under three minutes each. The most interesting song on the EP is "Insert Disco Beat Here", which seems to have some sort of synth or keys in there. I reckon the best song is the introduction song: "Crime Wave". This is a high-energy song, complete with Superchunk-ish singing. If you enjoy brand new raw/unpolished punk, you should check these guys out. They are going to be playing with the legendary The Slits on October 22nd! Tour Dates 09/26/08 Urban Club w Ex-Otago dj set by Fab. Perugia 09/27/08 tba 10/04/08 WHITE OUT c/o Suono Club w/ The Banshee, Scuola Furano, Peedoo / Polaroid djset Ferrara 10/21/08 NY ny 10/22/08 w/ The SLITS, MADEINMEXICO, MANIQUI LAZER @ Lit Lounge, Blueghost PR /Poni Republic CMJ 2008 New York 10/23/08 per le strade di jersey city nj 10/25/08 nyc ny 10/25/08 NY NYC 10/26/08 NYC NY 10/27/08 56° strada - NY NYC |
NELSON. nelsonrock.com ♥ myspace.com/nelsonrock Released last Monday in the UK was Nelson.'s The (Over) Song Remixes EP - just prior to their album Revolving Doors to be released on September 29th on Ctrl Alt Del Records. I'm not sure if the album will be available domestically in the US - please check with the label if you are interested. The title track (and best song) is the album version of "The (Over) Song". JB Devay, I think, is the singer (?). Well, his accent doesn't sound particularly Frenchy as I had hoped when I saw that Nelson is based out of Paris. It's still cute though. On the EP is four different mixes for "Chicken Lips", two instrumental mixes with one dub version. Each of the four versions are very long, clocking in at 9 minutes each. They're very electronica/disco-y, so I felt it had a very slow build, until the lyrics kick in: "this is not over, this is not over..." The (Over) Song Remixes EP is available now, look for Revolving Doors next week. Tour Dates 09/29/08 REVOLVING DOORS - ALBUM UK RELEASE! UK 11/25/08 LE TRABENDO + WOLF PARADE PARIS |
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One thing before we begin on another very diverse set of 6-EP pack: you can download Matthew Perryman Jones's first album for free or a mere $1 via noisetrade.com. I will admit that I could not get noisetrade to work (it was only offering Kate York and I could not browse through their artist), but maybe you'll have better luck.
Noisetrade looks interesting, you can pay $1 or tell three of your friend for a free download. It's a great idea, and I've been trying to saying for a while now: make download free or cheap and it will encourage people from seeing you on tour and/or buy merchandise from you.
This promotion is due to his upcoming album, Swallow the Sea to be released on Thirty Tigers on August 19th. You can even preview Swallow the Sea album on breakingoutthewindows.com, although it does require you to register.
Also, for more downloads, check out free downloads on site.w♥m.
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FALLOUT 3
fallout.bethsoft.com ♥ gamestop.com
I'm a longtime Fallout fan, and I recently put down some preorder money for the Deluxe Edition because Gamestop was offering a free 5-track CD. The Fallout 3 Soundtrack features their theme song of The Ink Spots' "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire". I might try and dig up the first two Fallout games and replay them in anticipation to the third game, revisit the classic Louis Armstrong's "A Kiss To Build A Dream On" as that was heavily used in the second game. Anyway, if you were intending on getting Fallout 3, you might want to get a bonus EP out of by going to Gamestop. PS, my character of choice was a sharpshooter with lots of strength to wear the Brotherhood of Steel's armor and to shoot those heavy guns. |
MtO
mr-mto.com ♥ myspace.com
I had a pretty hard time locating mister MtO, as there is a rapper crew from California, also called MTO. This MtO is a DJ from Paris, France. This latest release is Bring it On Now, a three-track EP with three different version of the same song. At first listen, all three sounds basically the same, but the Remote mix seems to be slowed down a bit (this is evident on the vocals "bring it on now"). I thought the Original mix is pretty accessible/poppy, complete with backup "oy" sound. It ends up that Hatchmatik stood out here, I think mostly because I like the clapping used on the mix. Like all remix/DJ releases, I think that the real talent is actually live mixing and I don't know if that translate well on a recorded medium. If you're a fan trance and beats, definitely give this a spin, you can get the record from Coco Machete Records. |
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MIDDLE CLASS RUT
reverbnation.com/middleclassrut ♥ myspace.com
The "MC" in MC Rut does not stand for Master of Ceremony, but "Middle Class". Another misconception you might have is that this "EP" contains nine songs (officially 8 songs, but there is a not-so-hidden 9th called "Start To Run"), clocking over 40 minutes - longer than many punk albums I own! Apparently this band consists of only two members, guitarist Zack Lopez and drummer Sean Stockham, both of whom were on a major label band called Leisure when they were only in their teens. By default, I usually think the first song on a single or EP is the most important, but I'll have to say that I will pass that up for "New Low" - which contains a catchy line "I got a new low, all fifty-two cards in a row". Middle Class Rut is playing one show at the end of the month (August 31st) with The Force at Anaheim, California. Be sure to pick up their latest EP, MC Rut EP from their myspace. |
THE JEFF MICHAEL BAND
thejeffmichaelband.com ♥ myspace.com
Despite what you may think, I actually really like Country music, and the Jeff Michael Band does have a little bit of a country twang to them. Check out "When Will I See You Again", their lead song on The Other Side EP. Although it looks like he does have a full band backing up mister Michael, you never really see them in photographs on his myspace or official website. All the photos shows off a handsome Jeff Michael. The Other Side is the second EP from this talented young musician, whose influences includes classics like The Beatles (especially on "Let Her Go") to John Mayer, but I do get a sense of a little Dylan (on "Enjoy the Ride"). He's playing one date (Sep 24th) at the M Bar in Hollywood, California. Be sure to grab his latest EP at CD Baby. |
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ETERNAL DESCENT
eternaldescent.com ♥ myspace.com
We previously mentioned Eternal Descent before, and I said they reminded me of Evanescence. As a cover lover, when I got their latest EP, The Phantom of the Opera, I instantly needed to hear their cover version of this Andrew Lloyd Webber classic. Wow, it didn't disappoint me, this song is an industrial metal with a "duet" of a demonic-sounding Phantom. The b-sides consists of only two mostly-instrumental songs "Legends" and "Fallen", both are good, but I felt was overshadowed by the first track, "Phantom". I think they were really designed as background music, as you're reading the comic book (you can see a preview of it on their myspace, I couldn't find any details on how to actually get a copy of the book). With Losing Faith, I previously mentioned looks kind of anime, but this new cover art by Jason Metcalf feels more superhero. The art reminds me of Michael Turner, who unexpectedly died this year. Anyway, you can pick up the latest EP from cdbaby, be sure to read about Losing Faith. |
SPiN
spinrocks.com ♥ myspace.com
This is SPiN, a Philadelphia band with their 2007 EP called, er, what else? EP. In a recent discussion with cranky, she pointed out that Music Exchange was cross-promoting Philadelphia and Minneapolis bands. This is kind of interesting, because previously, I wouldn't associate these two cities together, you know? Plague with a common moniker, searching for SPiN's website was really hard. I eventually found it, but if I had trouble... then there's a problem for fans to find you. Apparently the band is sponsored by their drink of choice, Jagermeister, an interesting choice, since I get the impression that they sponsor more harder music such as Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica. If you listen to them, they sound more like powerpop/rock. Check out their burst of energy song, "Not In Love". You know, the more I hear "I'm not in love, I'm not in love, no no, not in love with you", the more I get the feeling that he's actually in love with her. Still the chorus is pretty catchy. Be sure to check out these live dates:
08/28/08 The National Underground New York, New York
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Read more Attack of the EPs.
Links:
www.weheartmusic.com
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written by vu ()
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This is Attack of the EPs, Part 3. Please check out the first two!
We got another round of six awesome EPs, all very different in genre and style (and let's not forget some of these artists are from different countries which always adds a nice international flavor to it).
By the way, in case you were wondering what I've been up to, I've been kind of piecing together an official W♥M Website. It's kind of like a wiki, because any W♥M writer can login and edit/add/modify/delete anything. It's pretty awesome if you are working as a team to build a website. Even though it seems I'm the only person working on it.
What's cool is that if you click on "Assignments", you will get to sneak preview of what reviews are coming up.
Some of the features that I will eventually add is a "Best of W♥M" section.
The website is still in progress, so please send me some suggestions.
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HECUBA
hecubahecuba.com ♥ myspace.com
At first listen, Los Angeles' Hecuba, I thought I would classify them as lo-fi electronica, but by the time "Ch-Changes" came on the debut EP, the sound shifted to soul and gospel. This is due to Jon Beasley's vocals on the track, and according to his biography came from an Alabama church choir. Although this would easily be the song of choice for me, based on the six tracks on the Sir EP, it wouldn't really represent the band. I picked out "Tom & Jerry" because I did think this was the best song, but the bonus remix of "Sir" by Lucky Dragons, came in a close second. The two band members, Isabelle Albuquerque and Jon Beasley, came together working on film and theater, so you do get a sense of performance art in their songs. So it's perfect that they are doing some tour dates with I'm assuming an art show & music:
08/18/08 Spaceland Los Angeles, CA 08/26/08 Peter’s Pool Boys at the Smell LA, CA 10/21/08 CMJ New York City, New York
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MÖKSHYA
mokshya.net ♥ myspace.com
They sent me what looks like a sampler in a DVD case. The back of the case describes the band as a political and spirituality charged metal band. There's only three songs on this sampler, "Blacklight" (a powerful guitar-rift-driven song), "Look Up" and "Anomaly" (a metal song that has quiet/acoustic inbetween the chorus). Between, the three, I liked "Look Up" the best, especially at the end where it ends with the monstrous singing of: "left, right". It looks like Mökshya are playing a few dates in 2008:
07/25/08 Joe’s Grotto - phoenix, Northern Territory
08/08/08 Flagstaff, AZ - Club 111 - 08/28/08 Blackfoot, ID - Tony’s - others TBA 08/29/08 Helena, MT - Ear Infection Festival 08/30/08 Missoula, MT - The Crystal Theater 08/31/08 Lewiston, ID - Lewis Clark State College 09/01/08 Olympia, WA - Charlie’s w/Rishloo 09/04/08 Hoquiam, WA - TBA w/Rishloo 09/05/08 Lakewood, WA - Maggie O’Tooles 09/06/08 Seattle, WA - TBA 09/08/08 Seattle, WA - The Central 09/11/08 Eugene, OR - TABOO all-ages 09/12/08 Portland, OR - Glo Loca 09/13/08 Salem, OR - w/Still Dead and Rishloo 09/27/08 Bullhead City, AZ - Corn Fest |
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KALLIOPI
kalliopi.eu.com ♥ myspace.com
Her press release said she she's from Greece, but I just checked her myspace (which may be more recent), that she's current based out of London. I think this is her debut EP, Around the World, was originally released 2005 (according to amazon) but all the documents on this single is copyrighted in 2008. I thought the lead song, "Around the World" is a pretty catchy pop song. Good production and hearing the clapping in the song would suggest this would make a great dance number. "Naked" and "Fire and Sea" are more pop-oriented. On these two songs, it really shows off Kalliopi's excellent English vocals. There is a slight accent, but it's so faint that you would think she's Canadian or something. Although there are only three songs on this single, and her website lists three more songs, so expect more music from her in the future. |
GUNS ARE FOR KIDS
myspace.com ♥ bigcartel.com
From Sydney, Australia, are a great name for a band, Guns are for Kids. They just released their 6-track EP, It Takes A Nation Of Morons To Hold Us Back in March, and it looks like their debut EP, Too Much Red Not Enough Red was only released last year. Listening to it, they seem to be kind of a progressive rock, lots of angst singing and heavy use of guitar. Sometime there are interested voice/backup vocals and the occasional weird noises, like the "gun shot" on "Not Bright Kid" or the feedback on "Oh, Tropical Worthless". I felt the song that people will like will probably be either "Cockroach Killer" or "Not Bright Kid", based on five songs (since one of them is a very short intro piece). Based on the lyrics and song title, I felt "Not Bright Kid" might just be their anthem. They don't look like they're on tour, but It Takes A Nation Of Morons To Hold Us Back is out on Fourth World Records. |
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GINGER NINJAS
gingerninjas.com ♥ myspace.com
I couldn't find any details of The Pleasant Revolution on their official website, and looking at their myspace, the EP is listed as an album "Sampler". There's eight tracks, but only five of them are actual real songs (the rest are intermission/transitional random music and noise). These transitional arcs suggest that the band will be heading down the DJ mix path, but with a strong-Latin sound of Eco (she's Uruguayan) to hold them together. "Total Believer" surprisingly has a reggae-ish beat, but with a jazzy Eco on vocals (I think she's actually singing in Spanish towards the end). I think my favorite song on here is "Liberate Your Mind", despite the uneven vocals mix. I believe it's intentional, but someone moved her voice from left speaker to the right one - that may sound cool in doing the mix, but it just sounds like an error to my ears. The coolest thing about the band is that they totally love and believe in their bicycle. Apparently last year, they biked over 5,000 miles on tour throughout San Juan, California. As a bicycle enthusiast myself, I love this idea ever since I heard the Ditty Bops did it a few years ago. |
THE MOOD
themoodrocks.com ♥ myspace.com
CMJ (College Music Journal) really loves this boy-girl New York pop group, and one listen to their music and you can see why. They've previously have two singles, Two Night Stand (7") and Get In (CD), and Synaesthesia (CD) was recently released on July 1st. Marco Argiro's sound (especially his vocals) reminds me of 80s rock and roll, reminiscent of Elvis Costello. Their music sounds like it was influenced by 50s pop, a doo-wop sound almost (like the song "Suddenly", sung by Corinne Callen, which I think may be a cover song). All the songs on this six-track EP are really good, guarantee to make you boogie. Since they are all good, narrowing down to one song to represent them was really hard. It just ended up falling on their lead in song, "In the Forest", which I thought would be showcase their sound (plus the cover artwork by Caroline Geys goes well with the song). If you live in New York, do yourself a favor and see them on July 25th at Crash Mansion. The Synaesthesia EP is out now PS, they are allowing "Masquerade" available for download on their myspace. |
Links:
weheartmusic.com
EPs and Singles are usually fun to review because they're often a short list of songs (usually under five tracks). I have about 16 singles, so in an effort to mention most of them, I present to you another round of EPs, please check out the first Attack of the EPs. Check back for part three in a week.
If you are interested in submitting EPs or full length album for review,
please contact me () and I will be more than happy to send out a standard submission guide.
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ILLIMANJARO
myspace.com/illimanjaromusic
I wanted to mention Illimanjaro today because they are playing tonight at Flemings Pub at the Make Music Event in Queens, New York. It looks like they are also playing two other NY dates: Club Europa (July 9th and July 22th). Their debut EP is called Not Invited and they are offering the entire four track EP available for download on their myspace. There's not a lot of details about this band, apparently they formed in late 2004 and are known for their "hard-htting rap/spoken word" vocals. Which after listening to the first song "Not Invited", it sounds more like Devo-esque. In fact, the only "rap" style song is "No Means No", because "No Win Situation" had more singing, while "Still" is all instrumental. I felt that "No Means No" sounds a little Beastie Boys, but with a very fat bass on this song. Since every song is quite different, I'm assuming the band is either is very diverse or they're still struggling to find their sound, but I'm hoping it's the former and not the latter. Not Invited is available for download now, see them live if you happen to be in New York. |
I AM THE HEAT
iamtheheat.com ♥ myspace.com
Another New York indie band, I Am The Heat have been around since 2005, with already three EPs under their belt (Cars Like Oceans, Selections from the Silver Skies, and Naked), and they have a new one called The Future Doesn't Need Us. I just checked, the new EP won't be available until July 15th, but I wanted to mention them today because they are playing tonight at Make Music in New York. There will be an official record release party on August 2nd at a yet to be determined location. Listening to their album, I get the impression that this production is very garagey and DIY (do it yourself). It's also infectiously fun to listen to them having a good time on such songs as "What Would Lou Reed Do" and "Dream Machine". The EP ends with a seemingly slow song, "Tonight (And I'll Save You)", that is until near the end where it picks up into a frantic frenzy. I like the idea that they don't take themselves too seriously and I also like the idea of having Morrissey on their Top 8 (because they sound nothing like the depressing mopester). You can pick up The Future Doesn't Need Us as well as Naked on High Five Records. |
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JACKSONKNIFE
jacksonknife.com ♥ myspace.com
New York indie band's Jacksonknife's debut EP is called You Don't Know What You're Talking About. They formed in 2006, by songwriter Jeremy Kirkland, and have performed with similar indie rock acts such as The French Kicks, Ra Ra Riot & Encrypt Manuscript. When you think of indie rock, you don't normally hear brass instruments, so that was refreshing to hear it on "Truthfully". It doesn't stop there, other interesting sounds such as violas on "Healthy Diets" and "The Morning" and banjo-sounds on "Catholics" definitely makes the songs better and interesting in my opinion. I have to add that I thought the quiet-sounding folk song "Catholics" didn't quite belong on this EP, it just felt out of place. The happy/get up and move "Truthfully" is good, but I felt "Healthy Diets" would best describe the band: great melody and great lyrics. I half imagine if you like The Decemberists or Modest Mouse, this band might be right up your alley. They are playing a few dates around New York:
07/05/08 Cake Shop New York
You Don't Know What You're Talking About can be purchased on amazon (use Pepsi Points and get it for free!) and iTunes. Keep up with the band at the usual myspace and their tumblr blog. |
GARRY SEGAL
todyeforband.com ♥ myspace.com
The seven-track EP I have from Garry Segal is called Taking Notes, and at the time I got the submission, I don't believe he had a band. As it turns out, his band is called ToDyeFor, which I haven't heard yet, but based on this EP they should sound excellent. This is a great EP if you are into blues, Segal has that seasoned years of drinking voice that fit these kind of songs. You'll believe him when he says "I keep drinkin', hop back on it everytime. No river of religion to wash away my pain, just drags me down the drain." on "I Keep Drinkin'" and "she lost a place in more ways than you think/now she's in this bar, looking for drink from a guy who understand her losses" on "Two Broken People". I also found "Wrong Dogs" a little humerous, although I get the impression that dogs are a metaphor for humans. Although I normally like the storytelling aspect of blues and country music, but to my surprise, the instrumental track, "Everything's Jake", which is mostly driven by a harmonica, is seriously good. I had to play that twice in a roll. He's playing a few dates with his new band, so check them out:
07/17/08 Rodi gastonia
He's playing tonight at the Cypress Cellar in North Carolina, if you are in the area. If not, Taking Notes, can be purchased on CD Baby. |
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MY EDUCATION
myeducationmusic.com ♥ myspace.com
Bad Vibrations, the EP from My Education was released fairly recently, on June 10th. Originally formed in Austin, Texas, in 1999, as a three-piece band (Brian Purington, Eric Gibbons and Sean Seagler), they eventually added keyboardist Kirk Laktas and viola James Alexander and "guitar god" Chris Hackstie to their lineup. Their biography goes on to let us know that these guys have been around, releasing two albums: 5 Popes (Sold out in 2003, reissued in 2004) and Italian (2005). Listening to the seven tracks (eight if you count the hidden non-musical track), I have to admit they create this weird slow cooking atmosphere. None of the songs have singing on it, and their songs often goes over the five minute mark - definitely not pop radio material... but I think their music might be experienced live or on a motion picture soundtrack. I generally liked all the songs on the EP, especially if they have some sort of structure to them like "Mother May" and "Sluts and Maniacs". I also like hearing Alexander's volins on "Arch" and "Aria", both songs have a nice delightful ambiance to them. They are doing quite a few tour dates, so see them live:
06/26/08 Live radio on Kut 90.5 Austin, TX 06/26/08 Bad Vibrations Record Release Party @ Emo’s Lounge Austin, Texas 06/28/08 End of an Ear Austin, Texas 07/04/08 Albuquerque, NM @ Atomic Cantina 07/05/08 Tucson, AZ @ Plush 07/06/08 Phoenix, AZ @ Modified Arts 07/07/08 San Diego, CA @ the Beauty Bar 07/08/08 Los Angeles, CA Sunrise Film Score 07/09/08 San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock 07/10/08 Arcata, CA @ Jambalaya 07/11/08 Portland, OR @ Towne Lounge 07/12/08 Olympia, WA @ The Voyeur 07/13/08 Seattle @ Funhouse 07/14/08 Missoula, MT @ The Palace 07/16/08 Denver, CO @ Old Curtis 07/17/08 Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge 07/18/08 OKC @ the Conservatory 07/19/08 Denton, TX @ Hailey’s Bad Vibrations is out now, you can pick it up from Strange Attractors with other oddities as Harris Newman and Nick Castro. |
ROSIE SWAN
myspace.com ♥ vox.com
She previously released an EP under her full name Rosemary Rebecca Swan called Mid Life (and the Definitive Break Up) and she has a full album called White Girl. I don't believe these two audio tracks ("Treasure" and "Good Again") that were submitted to me are from her album, but it was the only album artwork that was provided. Since both songs are acoustic, I'm forced to think that she sounds like a folk singer/songwriter type. She definitely have a hidden anger buried inside her, at least I get that impression, based on the two songs. Personally, I think the two tracks a little rough and could use some mixing, but you'll have to keep in mind that they were both recorded live. Of the two tracks, I think "Treasure" sounds better because you can clearly hear the acoustic guitar and her energetic vocals. By the way, her impressive biography, which lists her her media work as having appeared on television, films, and radio (notably Top of the Pops and Liberty Radio) and her numerous awards (winner of The National Music Day, Gibraltar International Song Festival Award, Marquee Club, Essex Radio National Rock Song, and London Songwriters Showcase), you would think that with the right marketing and record label that she would be a star, if not now, then soon. See her live on July 5th at the Pride London Open Air Festival, along with such acts as Sandi Thom, Shen, Geek Girl (what a name!), Lilth's Army, and Becca Williams. Swan is schedule to appear on the Women stage at 4:20 pm. Check out more music on her myspace and add her to your neighborhood on vox. |
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