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Yes, another MOG related post. Lol.

After only being on MOG for five days I have been featured. Hehe.



**dances around like snoopy**

And I'd like to point out that my trusted friend "The Boy Flood" who I recently blogged about...is also being featured so *high five to him*

Labels: MOG

My Mom and I decided to have a yard sale together, get some shtuff together and have at it. I'm proud to say we made over $200 on our junk and somebody else's treasure.

Wilco - "Sunken Treasure" (mp3)

Regina Spektor - "Poor Little Rich Boy" (mp3)

Jessica Sonner - "This Backyard" (mp3)

Um, those songs have the words treasure, rich and yard in them hahaha...they are my fantabulous yard sale songs because I gotta run and that's what came to me top of mind. Make sure to buy their albums!!!

Labels: saturday mix

Here you go guys and dolls.

Kate Nash.

I have to say, I'm not a big fan. I don't mind the music so much, but there is too much bird yelping, squealing going on in the vocals for me. I can't get into, I'm wincing at times. Not good.

I hate to be mean, it's not my intention, I normally just won't write about something I don't like, but I'm curious to see what other people think.

She will release her debut album in September 2007 courtesy of Fiction Records. So if you dig her music, make sure to buy her album.

Listen:
Kate Hash - "Habanera" (mp3)

Labels: Kate Nash

If I saw Collie Buddz on the street, there is no way in heck I would imagine him a reggae singer. No way.

I like reggae, but it's not played around here and there is certainly never anything new coming from that genre in Delaware. So, I saw that Collie Buddz was being featured on MySpace and I decided to listen. Because he looks far more like Justin Timberlake than he does Bob Marley.

I gotta tell ya guys, I like it. Great beat, smooth vocals, fun lyrics. It's catchy. Perfect for the beach or pool side. This should be on all your summer mixes. Um..but without any of the green...five leaf...illegalness.

Listen:
Collie Buddz - "Tomorrows Another Day" (mp3)

Pre-order his self-titled debut album today, it releases on July 3rd.

Labels: Collie Buddz

Yes, he sings. And he does covers.

He's a happy guy and from the looks of his website, he has a lot of fun.

Björn Kleinhenz - "Lightness" (Death Cab for Cutie cover) (mp3)

Björn Kleinhenz - "Boychild" (mp3)

Releases:

You go your way and Ill go your way too 7" [2002]
I never heard her sing 7" [split with Thomas Denver Jonsson 2003]
Yeah Baby Whoohaa CD Album [2003]
Trans Pony CD Album [2004]
Split EP [With Rob and The Pinhole Stars, 2005]

Buy them!

Labels: Bjorn Kleinhenz

Gypsy Eyes Records says John Bustine is "a traveler, a sage, a poet, possibly a sailor, charts a course to show the beauty within the dark side of the American Spirit."

Picks up slowly and then wakes you, eyes wide open. Folky and twangy, hushed and indie, it's great music and I'm looking forward to a full length album. Release Date: September 18, 2007 for Waltzes and Pleas.

John Bustine - "This Guitar Says I'm Drunk" (mp3)

Labels: John Bustine

From Philadelphia, PA, Audible has released a couple split EPs in addition to their contributions on the exquisite matt pond PA tour EP. Their first show was as an opener for Bright Eyes.

Their story is a bit confusing to me. I know the band consists of Mike, Jim, Mary, Kris and Steve. Mike and old time friend Jim began putzing around playing music and then asked Mary to sing backup, play the Casio sk-1 and egg shaker. (Mary was Mike's girlfriend at the time).

Mike and Jim joined matt pond PA and toured with them for two years. And Mike and Mary broke up. Though Audible was on hold...it didn't halt completely. Even though they were busy with touring and breaking up with each other...they still recording songs with Mary and Jim using ProTools and a borrowed ksm44.

In 2003, Mike and Jim parted ways with matt pond PA and turned their attention to Audible. They added Lefty's Deceiver bassist (and Mike's now-girlfriend) Kris Muller to the lineup. They had a guest drummer, but not a permanent one until the summer of 2004. Steve Cawley walked through the band's garage door and played every song on the record note-for-note.

Now they are Audible for serious. =o)

Tell me...did any of that make sense? Yeah, not so much for me either, but then again soap operas never do. What matters though is the sound, and the sound I love. Crisp vocals and superb instrumentals, backed by catching energy.

Take a listen:
Audible - "Sunday Bell" (mp3)

Buy their music!

Labels: Audible

Not quite sure what genre you'd classify this music under, but that's cool.

There are many great sounds to hear in this music.

Lyrical fairytales spun with golden hued, finger pluckin' goodness.

The album Some Forgotten Country could play on any station, country, blues, jazz, folk rock. This song is incredible. All I know is that you will love the groove.

D. Charles Speer - "The Janissaries" (mp3)

Labels: D. Charles Speer

Let's see if we can get people talking.

One of my trusted friends on MOG is The Boy Flood. When I first joined up with that music community (all of three days ago) I had very little clue what I was doing. The Boy Flood is one of the first people who started chatting with me and helping me out.

A bit later I found out he makes music. Music you say? My ears perked up, what kind of music and let me give it a listen. My motto is "Bring Me Music...BRING ME UP" after all.

He is a digital artist both graphically and musically. The music he produces is what you might call electronic, techno, dance, club music..I don't know. It's not the type of music I typically listen to, I'll be honest with you, but I really like "On A Skate Date." It's fun and funky, great music to run to or get you pumped up before a swim meet. Swimmers, you know what I'm talking about, you can't have chilled out slow music in your brain when you're competing.

So give him a listen, let me know what you think.

The Boy Flood - "On A Skate Date" (mp3)

Labels: The Boy Flood

So. I have been challenged on MOG to shoot a video of myself doing the Carlton dance. Hahaha. See, I put up a song by HelloGoodbye that I felt carried the right beat for the perfect Carlton dance. Now my trusted friends would like me to put up a video of me doing the dance. Lol.

I can't figure out how to make my iMac record video though. But I do intend on finding a way to step up to the plate and accept the challenge. This could get quite embarrassingly fun.



******

Oh mylanta...

Labels: carlton dance

I can't take credit for saying that, although the phrase "naked rock and roll" is quite awesome if I do say so myself. The folks promoting Chris Simpson's band "Zookeeper" are the people who came up with that clever quip.

The recently released Zookeeper EP and an upcoming LP Becoming All Things which will be releasing this fall via Belle City Pop, boasts a supporting cast of musicians comprised of the old (former Mineral and Gloria Record members) and the new (indie-folk artist Alex Dupree, members of The Whiskey Priest), and brings Simpson back to his earliest acoustic roots.

Listen:
Zookeeper - "I Live In The Mess You Are" (mp3)
Zookeeper - "Tax Collector" (mp3)

Buy the records!

Labels: Zookeeper

Jinkies MOG sure does give you a lot of code to embed a shared file.
Good grief!

I wrote on MOG a little bit about Paper Rival and thought I'd shared the music with folks reading Bring Me Up, too.

Labels: Paper Rival

Bad Brains is the hot band rotating the stations right now mixing punk and reggae together for some summer fun music.

The people responsible are:
H.R. - Vocals
Darryl Jenifer - Bass
Dr. Know - Guitars
Earl Hudson - Drums

Their album, Build a Nation, released yesterday and is creating quite a stir, because it steps out of the typical cookie cutter sound we're fond of these days. If you head to their hometown of Washington, D.C. you'll see what a huge and loyal fanbase they already have there, but it is quickly growing along the East Coast.

"The thing about a lot of punk is the feeling that bands have is of apathy and hopelessness. Whereas Bad Brains lyrical content had a lot of hope in it." -- Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day

Listen:
Bad Brains - "Give Thanks and Praises" (mp3)

Labels: Bad Brains

Yesterday may have been a silent day when it comes to tuneage, but today we've got a lot going on.

Little bit of Alkaline Trio for you with "Queen of Pain." (mp3)

Some of the lovely Asobi Seksu with "Nefi+Girly." (mp3)

This one if for my Brae boy who claims he is "pretending to hide from the little monsters in his pillow castle.

Ryan Adams - "I See Monsters" (mp3)

And from "Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew - Spirit If..."

Kevin Drew - "Tbtf" (mp3)

Enjoy, more coming to you later. =o)

Labels: Alkaline Trio, Asobi Seksu, Kevin Drew, Ryan Adams

MOG what have I ever done without you?

I've already made some musically acquainted friends on MOG and I only just joined. But it literally took less than half a minute before I decided I will love it forever.

Share
...your songs, music library, videos and thoughts on music with friends and moggers

Participate
...in the Web's most raging music community.

You should so head over there and sign up. You can listen to so much great music, it's really a great place to share and listen to music. Be sure to check out "goodmusiconly" because she has fantastic taste in music. I only just "met" her 5 minutes ago so don't think I'm plugging a friend here. Haha. She's just pretty cool.

And here is my MOG profile.

Labels: MOG

Bring Me Up will be demonstrating the "silence" that Internet radio may be reduced to permanently after July 15th, the day on which 17 months worth of retroactive royalty payments -- at new, exceedingly high rates, as set by the Copyright Royalty Board -- are due.

If these new royalties are implemented, we believe it will lead to the virtual shutdown of this country's Internet radio industry, AccuRadio included. (This new royalty rate -- which is 0% of revenues for broadcast radio stations and less than 7.5% of revevenes for satellite radio operators -- works out to over 150% of our revenues!)

If you're a U.S. resident, you can help save internet radio by contacting your representatives in Washington D.C. (your two Senators and one Congressman). Just click the button below between 9AM and 5PM ET, ask for the staffer who is working on this issue, and ask them to co-sponsor the "Internet Radio Equality Act."

Please click here for information on how you can help.

Day of Silence Message (mp3)

Stateless - "Radiokiller" (mp3)

Labels: save radio

For those of you who don't yet have a booking manager or you're looking to tour across the country and you're not sure about the areas or the venues than you should probably look into an event planner. I know that might seem pretentious, but just think about it. These guys are being paid to put on a great event; they want the night to be a success just as much as you do.

I know people mostly think of wedding planners or people who plan conferences for corporate companies, but that's not what they are all about trust me. They do dance parties, major headliners, weddings and even intimate house parties. Working with people like this is a huge plus for bands and songwriters just starting out because event planners have a huge clientele and their name is on the live with events they plan; so they aim to go way beyond your expectations.

In addition to planning events in US major cities like San Francisco event planning (their base since 1983 so the San Francisco event planners are raring to go), Honolulu, New York and Miami, they also plan events in The British Virgin Islands, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Bali, England, France, and Italy.

Even if you have a booking manager, do yourself and them a favor and pass on this information. Posters, fliers and e-mail newsletters hold nothing to these planners. I'm telling you, they are fantastic and definitely worth a shot.

Disclosure:
This post has been sponsored.

Labels: concert, events, planning

It's a rainy day and by the looks of the forecast it is going to be a rainy week. S'okay though because The Jayhawks tell us to save it for a rainy day. So whatever it may be for you, you should let it all out today.

The Jayhawks were always so underrated, I don't know why. I think they have a fantastic sound. Come back from your hiatus guys!

The Jayhawks - "Save It For a Rainy Day"
And I just made pretzels with my son Brae and my Goddaughter Bella. Oh yes, it was fun. She is 2 and he is 3 and we rolled out dough, boiled the oddly shaped things that I will insist look like pretzels. Then we painted them with egg and sprinkled salt. I think they turned out just fine.

The Morning Benders - "Grain of Salt" (mp3)

The Morning Benders "are a glowing flower of rock in this little musical garden we like to call Earth." =o)

Labels: The Jayhawks, The Morning Benders

Last night Brian and I took Braeden to see The Fray at the Tweeter Center in Camden, NJ. This was Brae's first "big" concert. He sat on my shoulders when The Fray came on stage, he swung his arms, clapped his hands, screamed and giggled. It was awesome to witness how excited he was over this show. And he is only 3 years old, I can't wait to see how he is when he is older. There are many more concerts in your future my Brae boy.


Mae was great, too short lived for me though. OK GO was sensational, this is the second time I've seen them live and both times they have been excellent. And of course The Fray was amazing. Isaac Slade owned the piano but his voice suffered due to some sort of allergic reaction which involved a hospital visit yesterday morning. Lucky for us he decided not to cancel the show, but it was obvious his throat was strained. Guitarist Joe King blew me away, his talent is phenomenal and I foresee many solo albums coming from him. They played some new materials which I loved, including an alt. country sounding song called "Dixie."


In honor of last night's sets, here are some songs for you.

Mae - "The Ocean" (mp3)
OK GO - "Do What You Want" (mp3)
The Fray - "She Is" (mp3)

Such a fun night! But I am so sore now from holding Brae and standing on tip-toes so he could see over people's heads. It was well worth it. The three of us had such a blast and our seats were center stage so it was just an awesome show all around for Brae. =o)

Labels: Mae, OK GO, The Fray

On June 24, 1997 ...

"So-called space aliens who supposedly crashed in the New Mexico desert 50 years ago were only military dummies used in high-altitude parachute drops, the Air Force said at a news conference Tuesday." -- CNN

And so, I decided to put up some space related tracks today to honor the day in history. (Plus Brae and I watched "Space Camp" this afternoon).

Travis - "Out In Space" (mp3)

Steve Miller Band - "Space Cowboy" (mp3)

Placebo - "Space Monkey" (mp3)

Roky Erickson & The Aliens - "Sputnik" (mp3)

Labels: space

This is just a mix, no reason, no theme, no explanations just good music.

Listen. Rock. Dance. Enjoy!

Aberfeldy - "If-Then" (mp3)

The Airwaves - "Shine On" (mp3)

The Lemonheads - "Let's Just Laugh" (mp3)

Less Than Jake - "Johnny Quest (Thinks We're Sellouts)" (mp3)

Labels: saturday mix

The blogs are buzzing about Oh No! Oh My! who is currently on tour with a fave of mine, Au Revoir Simone. Their music is funny to me, because it sounds all up beat and happy until you listen to the lyrics. I guess you could compare it with songs you hear from Pelle Carlberg. Haha.

It's good music though, excellent vocal harmonies. And I love, LOVE the hand clapping! They are preparing to release a summer EP, Between The Devil And The Sea.

Take a listen:
Oh No! Oh My! - "I Have No Sister" (mp3)

Labels: Oh No Oh My

There is far more to Sarah Buxton than the cover I'm going to share with you, but I think it would be best for you to buy her digital-EP, Almost My Record, on July 10th to hear her originals. Her MySpace page assures us the EP will be available at almost all digital online music stores.

Me? I am a HUGE Keith Urban fan which may or may not surprise some of you Indie loving folk out there. He is brilliant and definitely one of my all-time favorite artists.

So when I saw that Buxton did a cover of one of my favorite Keith Urban songs...well, I was a little bit worried. But she covered the song beautifully. It's an amazing rendition, she sounds awesome and I am very impressed.



Listen:
Sarah Buxton - "Stupid Boy" (mp3)

Labels: country, Sarah Buxton

Coming September 17, 2007 is Jesca Hoop's debut album Kismet.

She definitely reminds me of Tegan & Sara, which trust me is a very good thing. Her lyrics are stunningly beautiful and her voice is amazing.

"Jesca Hoop's music is like a four sided coin. She is an old soul, like a black pearl, a good witch or a red moon. Her music is like going swimming in a lake at night." - Tom Waits

Take a listen:
Jesca Hoop - "Summertime" (mp3)

Buy her stuff!

She will be touring with Polyphonic Spree...
June Tour Dates:
23 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
24 - Austin, TX - Stubbs BBQ
25 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
26 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues
27 - Atlanta, GA - Roxy Theatre
29 - Philadelphia, PA - Fillmore at the TLA
30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

July Tour Dates:
1 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
2 - Boston, MA - Avalon
3 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
5 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
6 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic
7 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
8 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
9 - Milwaukee, WI - Rave II at the Eagles Club
10 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe
13 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
14 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
15 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox
17 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
18 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
20 - San Diego, CA - Canes Bar & Grill
22 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
23 - Aspen, CO - The Belly Up

Labels: Jesca Hoop

The Lodger.

Yes, I know, this is why I am not a comedian, but come on, did you at least chuckle? Just a little? Ok.

It's not often a band starts because they are encouraged by a label. Normally a band comes together and all but begs labels to give them a listen. Use that as incentive or not, but I'm telling you as a listener...The Lodger deserves some attention. They have new music with a classic sound.

Their first single, "Many Thanks For Your Honest Opinion," definitely set high standards when it comes to their sound. But everything they've followed up with has been just as good if not better. Establishing a firm line-up, Ben, Joe and Katie began touring around Yorkshire, England in February of 2006.

Comparisons have been made with the Arctic Monkeys, but I'm honestly not an AM fan as I have posted before. So my liking The Lodger should say something to ya. I would fancy them more like Morrissey and I do like Morrissey. Slumberland Records says The Lodger produces "effortlessly catchy pop tunes that burst with enthusiasm and demand to be heard."

Their album Grown Ups came out on June 5th, so if you haven't been listening all the time then you're missing out and that is just not cool. =o)

Take a listen:
The Lodger - "Let Her Go" (mp3)

Buy the album here or on eMusic.

Labels: The Lodger

Lemme tell you a little bit about some-ting.

Jules and Katie both take care of the vocals, but they also both take care of the instruments of their band The Ting Tings. They are currently unsigned but by the way they are climbing up the musical ladder I don't think that will last long. Their ambition is evident and though they are newbies to the scene, they are already snatching up gigs left and right in the UK.

And though there isn't an official label attached to their name, they do have a limited edition 7" single out on Switchflicker records now.

Their music is catchy and fun! Katie sounds like Gwen Stefani and/or Avril Lavigne combined with Jules and his drum skills providing the funky, dance beats. I love it. You'll be hearing more from them, I am sure of it.

Listen:
The Ting Tings - "That's Not My Name" (mp3)

Buy it!

Labels: The Ting Tings

Hmmm.

Kelly Clarkson's new album My December is a very deep record. A lot of emotion and drama and intensity going on in these tracks.

I love Kelly Clarkson. I think she has an incredible voice and great skills on the guitar. I don't understand why people get all bent out of shape about her music. This is said to be a controversial album, but why should it be? It's good music, the content is raw and real. I think she should be damn proud of herself.

One of her guitars is up for auction for the Little Kids Rock organization which is just awesome!

Listen:
Kelly Clarkson - "Sober" (mp3)

My December releases on July 24th, pre-order the album now.

Labels: Kelly Clarkson

The UK is always so on the ball with music!

Their latest brilliant idea is for unsigned artists. There will be an exclusive unsigned chart with free music downloads. I hope that it gets the hype it deserves because there are so many spectacular unsigned artists and this will be a way for them to reach the public and to see how they are taken by their target. You know what I mean?

Here is the press release in case you are interested:

tourdates.Co.UK, Britain's fastest growing new music website, has launched a chart for unsigned bands.

The site allows new bands to upload promotional tracks, announce gig dates and create profiles to promote themselves alongside major artists such as the Arctic Monkeys and The Twang.

Tourdates Jarrod Robinson says, there are some fantastic unsigned bands in the UK and we wanted them to know how much our community likes their music, an unsigned chart seemed the perfect answer.

Chart results are announced on the site at 19:00 every Sunday, the same time as the No1 single of the week is announced on BBC's radio 1.

Disclosure:
This post has been sponsored.

Labels: chart, UK

New or not to Matt Nathanson, you have got to hear his new album.

I own everything he has ever done. His music is just so sweet. It hits me hard (in a good way) every time I hear it; no matter the song.

So his new album Some Mad Hope will release on August 14th. And of course you need to buy it, you can pre-order it here. All pre-orders come with an autographed booklet, a sticker and a bonus EP featuring in-studio, solo acoustic versions of 3 of the new songs!!! You can hear him play "All We Are" on his website, such a teaser!

Listen:
Matt Nathanson - "Gone" (mp3)

Labels: Matt Nathanson

Ah-EE-Achoo!

Cursed summer colds. In between sneezing and blowing my nose I'll be updating the blogs. Woohoo! Let's have an advanced music day, shall we?

Bad Brains - "Build A Nation" (mp3)
(Returning with a new release on June 26th, the album is called Build A Nation.)

Ulrich Schnauss - "Stars" (mp3)
(The new album Goodbye comes out on July 10th)

Labels: advanced

Come July 31st, Jens Lekman will release the first peek into his much anticipated, forthcoming record. "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo" will be available digitally.

Until then, here is some music for ya:
Jens Lekman - "Maple Leaves" (mp3)

Labels: Jens Lekman

Please don't be offended by this guys, but when I hear "The Pigeon Detectives" I think of Bert & Ernie from Sesame Street. You know how Bert had that weird obsession with pigeons? I don't know if his character is still fascinated by pigeons or not, but I can just picture him in a Sherlock Holmes hat walking down the sidewalk looking for pigeons.

And on that note, let's talk about "The Pigeon Detectives" album Wait For Me. This might seem odd but I hear a 60s influence to their music. It's great! You'll hear influences of The Kooks and the Klaxons.

They are a five-member band from Rothwell, Leeds, UK, who formed in 2002. Matt Bowman, Oliver Main, Ryan Wilson, Dave Best and Jimmi Naylor. Wait For Me released on May 28th, it is their first full length album over a year after their first single "I'm Not Sorry" released in March of 2006.

Their label "DANCETOTHERADIO" says their music is infectious. "The Pigeon Detectives rely on pure, unadulterated passion rather than any pretensions towards any kind of innovation. They are gloriously straightforward and natural in every respect..." Sounds like DANCETOTHERADIO is pretty psyched about having signed this group.

Take a listen:
The Pigeon Detectives - "I'm Not Sorry" (mp3)

Buy the album!

Labels: DANCETOTHERADIO, music, The Pigeon Detectives

As bizarre as the band name sounds, I'm listening to Husky Rescue right now and am absolutely in love with their sound.

They have been compared to the very eclectic, electronic band Air, but I don't hear that at all. There is a synthesizer, but it's used in a very folky way. Down tempo and shy sounding, but sultry at the same time.

Aside for Air, the other main comparison to Husky Rescue is Zero 7 and I think that is a far better match. To me they sound a little bit like Lisahal's music or maybe even Emiliana Torrini which is another favorite of mine.

Take a listen:
Husky Rescue - "Diamonds in the Sky" (mp3)
Husky Rescue - "The Man Who Flew Away" (mp3 - instrumental)

Labels: Husky Rescue

I have a feeling I'm going to have a lot of posts today, so I hope y'all can keep up. =o)

David, Mason, Chris, Dan, Greg and Adrianne are the folks behind the band Coyote Bones. CoCo Art released their album, Gentleman on the Rocks, on May 29th.

Listen:
Coyote Bones - "Living Breathing Demons" (mp3)
Coyote Bones - "39 Forever" (mp3)
Coyote Bones - "Grand Eclipse" (mp3)

Buy their album!

Labels: Coyote Bones

Happy Father's Day!

Being a Mom, I know how special it is to be the parent of a child. No matter the age; knowing you had something to do with their existence and their quirky attitude is just amazing.

So to all of you Dads out there and future-Dads, enjoy your special day!

Songs for ya:
Cat Stevens - "Father and Song" (mp3)
Paul Simon - "Father and Daughter" (mp3)
Josh Ritter - "Daddy's Little Pumpkin" (mp3)
Jeff Carson - "Butterfly Kisses & Daddy's Little Girl" (mp3)

Labels: Fathers Day

I like Brit Pop. I know. If Hilary Duff were British, I would so be her groupie. =o)

But anyway.

"Elbow" is a British Pop band, who I would say sways to an Indie beat.
And so they are currently filtered in my iTunes library so they are all I am listening to..at the moment. And it's so blissful!

Now let me tell you, this band is NOT new to the scene. They have been around playing and touring, recording and adding to their fan base since the early 1990s. And they are not afraid to take drastic measures in showing just what they can do as artists. "Elbow" proved that when they decided to do an acoustic cover of Destiny's Child "Independent Woman."

Though they haven't done anything in awhile, you can find a complete list of their discography on their label, V2's, website. Their most recent album released in 2005, Leaders Of The Free World. It is an incredible album, but in all honesty I have yet to find a track on any of their albums that I would say is bad.

See for yourself. Listen for all the textural changes and the swoon of Garvey's voice it's nothing short of seduction in audible form.

Band members include: Guy Garvey: lead vocals, guitar, lyrics | Mark Potter: guitar, backing vocals | Craig Potter: keyboards, organ, backing vocals | Pete Turner: bass guitar | Richard Jupp: drums | Zac Monaco: violin

Take a listen:
Elbow - "My Very Best" (mp3)
Elbow - "Don't Mix Your Drinks" (mp3)
Elbow - "Snooks" (mp3)

Buy their albums!

Labels: Elbow, music

If you like The Killers or the Pigeon Detectives then chances are you are going to love Editors. The Editors threw in some dark songs, but the lyrics are deep and well simply amazing.

They are releasing their new album An End Has A Start on June 25, 2007 in Europe, but not until July 17th in the US.

Take a listen:
Editors - "Bullets" (mp3)
Editors - "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" (mp3)

Buy their music!

Labels: Editors

It's so awesome when you can hear a wide range of sounds from one band. It doesn't happen often enough, bands will stick to one genre and one type of sound as if they are afraid to step out of their little box.

Jet is not one of those bands. Having three of four sets of vocal pipes contributing probably helps with their reach and I am all for it. Nic Cester Guitar/vocals, Chris Cester Drums/vocals, Cam Muncey Guitar/vocals, Mark Wilson on Bass. I love it, love it. Their new album Shine On released in Europe on June 13th.

Listen:

Jet - "Shine On" (mp3)

Jet - "Stand Up" (mp3)

Buy their new album!

Labels: Jet, music

We (Mom, Dad, Brian, Braeden and myself) all went to the Italian Festival in Wilmington tonight. It was jam packed. There was a ton of delicious Italian food; including the sinful Panzarotti (of which I ate so much I started feeling ill.)

Great Italian music played, people dance, people laughed, it was wonderful.

Braeden really enjoyed the kid rides this year. He even rode some of the rides by himself, I was a very proud Mama and the world knew it. I took dozens of pictures and squealed with glee every time the Baha Buggy cars spun by me and my little boy screamed "Hi Mommy" while laughing and waving.

And so, even though my entire body hurts from the carrying and the walking for three hours. Though Brian definitely did his share of the carrying. (Thank you!) I thought I'd post some Italian Festival music...um...that just means the words Italy, Italian and/or Festival can be found in the song title. Haha.

Enjoy! And good night *yawning*

Billy Joel - "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" (mp3)

Beirut - "Postcards From Italy" (mp3)

The Ponys - "Festival Ghost" (mp3)

Labels: Billy Joel, Italian Festival, music

Rasputina - "Rats - live" (mp3)
(Rasputina's album Oh Perilous World is releasing on June 26th and in latest news we hear they will be touring with My Brightest Diamond later this summer.)

St. Vincent - "Now, Now" (mp3)
(St. Vincent is releasing Marry Me on July 10th)

Interpol - "The Heinrich Maneuver" (mp3)
(Interpol is releasing Our Love To Admire on July 10th.)

Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - "Rockers To Swallow - live" (mp3)
(The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs are releasing It Is (EP) on July 24th.)

Woohoo!

Labels: advanced

This isn't a new band to the scene, and this song was released on their latest album on April 3, 2007, but it amuses me every time I come across it in my iTunes library.

After having taken a four year break, a new album from "Fountains of Wayne" was highly anticipated. There were mixed reviews on the album, Traffic and Weather. Some critics raving and giving it 8 out of 10 stars while others only gave it 3.

Regardless of how many stars were in their sky that day in April, this song is one I will enjoy for always. =P

Fountains of Wayne - "Revolving Dora" (mp3)

Buy their albums!

Labels: Fountains of Wayne, music

Who wouldn't want to listen to a band named "Pleasure Forever?"

Conspiracy Records released their album Bodies Need Rest on May 29, 2007.

Vocalist/keyboardist Andrew Rothbard lives in San Francisco and released his first solo album Abandoned Meander in late 2006 on Smooch Records -- the first of a five album series. Drummer David Clifford currently plays in a Los Angeles epic instrumental outfit "Red Sparowes" and guitar in "The Sagittarians." Guitarist Joshua Hughes plays in Portland power-sludge trio "Rabbits."


Take a listen will ya:
Pleasure Forever - "The Bars" (mp3)
Pleasure Forever - ""Miles Underneath" (mp3)

Labels: Pleasure Forever

I feel that Jack Johnson to make cheery music. It's light and fun, it flows well and if airwaves were a solid entity, well, little music notes would be bouncing around the room gleefully. The "Blue James Band" has the same feel.

In the song "Islands" the lyrics are simple and sweet, combine them with the unique sound of the band and it's magic.

Lyrical snippet:

The ocean is the color of the sky
The green grass is the color of your eyes
You put the two together
Paradise

Folky reggae tunes that remain upbeat even if the lyrics get sad. This music just makes you feel good.

Blue James Band - "Islands" (mp3)

You can buy their music at their MySpace page via Snocap, but it would be better to buy the album because you're going to want every song.

Labels: Blue James Band, music

Okay, it's not Flickr, but it does use the Flickr sharing service to import related photos to the music you are streaming. But it's not just photographs, it's images artists that are linked to their music! It streams music of the people you choose. Very cool, it's like getting free music that goes beyond the indie artists. Yes, that means you can get a stream of even people like Fergie. Oh gracious. I can already tell I'm going to have a lot of fun with this little application. Spread the word!

This one is for Yellowcard, compiling the photos with music like a slide show. It's bloody brilliant! Free music and a show, very entertaining while also being legal and allowing artists to promote their music in a new way!




Disclosure:
This post is sponsored.

Labels: music, playlist

"Yellowcard" impressed me when they first came out with "Ocean Avenue." In fact, I ended up buying tickets for my brother to go to the Warped Tour so he could see them, as he became a fan as well.

But I haven't heard anything spectacular from them until recently.

They are on the verge of releasing their new album Paper Walls, set to launch on July 17th via Capitol Records. They will be touring in support of ther album starting next week and on throughout November! (Taking a few weeks break in August). Now that is dedication!

Yellowcard - "Light Up The Sky" (mp3)

Pre-order Paper Walls!

Labels: Yellowcard

And really, just don't come back...I don't know why the rhyme says to come again another day. Haha.

Some rain related songs for you on this blue Monday morning.

OurAfter - "Rain" (mp3)

Jane Olivor - "Come In From the Rain" (mp3)

Club 8 - "Spring Came, Rain Fell" (mp3)

Labels: music

Don't hate.

This may be the ONLY time you see a Kanye West song on this blog.
So just enjoy it.

Kanye West (featuring John Mayer) - "Bittersweet" (mp3 for sampling only)
Kanye West - "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (mp3)

West has a new album releasing, Graduation, August 21st and it requires a purchase. In addition to John Mayer there is also said to be a track featuring Chris Martin from Coldplay. I can't find a pre-order link right now but if someone else does then please let me know.

Labels: John Mayer, Kanye West

Frisbie.

Who knew when I started playing their music, it would sound like rock from decades ago? It does, to me it's like Cheap Trick modernized with a little Wolf Parade or The Posies.

Their New Debut album is releasing on Appendix Records, July 17, 2007. I don't like the cover art, it freaks me out, it's like that little boy from the movie "Omen." Yes, that black and white baby face is their cover art...but I shall not judge the record by it's sleeve... =o)

Gerald - Drums, Grinning, Liam - Guitar, Singing, Marcin - Keyboards, Thumbless Snapping, Matt - Bass, Espresso and Steve - Singing, Guitar. (As taken from their MySpace page...some one is a clever smart@ss. I love it!)

So with the grinning and the thumbless snapping, sit back, sip your espresso and enjoy Frisbie.

Listen:
Frisbie - "New Debut" (mp3)
Frisbie - "S.F.B." (mp3)

You can buy their upcoming album and some of their older material on their MySpace page via Snocap. Or you can hop on over to CD Baby.

Labels: Frisbies, music

Because you said you had never heard of "Straylight Run" and it made me sad.

"Straylight Run" is a favorite of mine. I have seen them live, seems like ages ago since then, but they were perfect. Perfect.

Brother and sister talents extraordinaire, John Nolan (previously from "Taking Back Sunday") and Michelle Nolan both play the piano, guitar and share vocals, Shaun Cooper is the bassist and Will Noon is on the drums. Their older materials is far calmer and brooding than their new material, but both sides of Straylight Run are fantastic.

Their new album The Needles The Space will be in stores on June 19th!! They are currently on tour with Sparta and Love Drug.

Listen:
Straylight Run - "The Miracle That Never Came" (mp3)

The Needles The Space Track listing
"The Words We Say"
"The Miracle That Never Came"
"Soon We'll be Living in the Future"
"How Do I Fix My Head"
"Who Will Save Us Now"
"Cover Your Eyes"
"We'll Never Leave Again"
"Take It To Manhattan"
"Still Alone"
"This is the End"
"Buttoned Down"
"Track #12"
"The First of This Century"

Labels: advanced, music, Straylight Run

In case you didn't see yesterday, The Goo Goo Dolls have posted their track "Fiction (Before It's Too Late)" from "The Transformers soundtrack" on their MySpace page. Seems that some people aren't too thrilled with it, but I really like it.

Secondly, it is finally Friday and boy what a week it has been.

And I am exhausted!

So here are some sleepy-themed songs for you.

Something For Kate - "Song For A Sleepwalker" (mp3)
The Cardigans - "03.45: No Sleep" (mp3)
I'm From Barcelona - "Oversleeping" (mp3)

And the adorable sleepy time image is from a brilliant digital illustrator shiii-kun.

Labels: music, music news

Jeepers, I can't remember New Music Tuesday and now I'm forgetting Advanced Music Wednesday.

Coming up:

Datarock - "The New Song" (mp3)
Their new album is releasing on June 12th

Matt Pond PA - "Magic Boyfriend" (mp3)
Matt Pond PA - "If You Want Blood" (mp3)
They are releasing a new limited-edition EP on June 19th. Interested parties...matt pond PA will release Last Light on September 25th.

Art Brut - "People In Love" (mp3)
His new album comes on out July 19th, if you pre-order you get a snazzy poster.

The White Stripes new album will release in the US on June 19th. The track originally up here is apparently so special they don't want me to share it, so it has been removed as requested. You can visit their website to stream new music.

Labels: advanced, music

"Jets Overhead" is a band I just got turned onto which makes me sad, because I have been missing out. So you've got to give them a listen; deprivation is not cool.

The group consisting of Adam Kittredge - Vocals/Guitar, Jocelyn Greenwood - Bass/Guitar, Piers Henwood - Guitar/Keyboards, Antonia Freybe-Smith - Vocals and Luke Renshaw - Drums, are from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Late last month, "Jets Overhead" were featured in the L.A. Times. You can get their music at eMusic. You can also grab some snippets from their website.

Their music reminds me a little bit of "The Dandy Warhols" but I really, really don't like doing comparisons. Their album Bridges is just brilliant. So you should absolutely grab some tracks.

Take a listen:
Jets Overhead - "Life's A Song" (mp3)
Jets Overhead - "Killing Time" (mp3)

Labels: Jets Overhead, music

Alright so the pun was totally intended. I'm definitely easily amused, so laugh at that. =o)

JUSTICE - "Let There Be Light" (mp3)

JUSTICE - "Dance- mstrkrft remix" (mp3)

**Thank you Jo!**

Labels: Justice, music

I've been hearing a lot about Architecture in Helsinki, but there has been so much going on in the entertainment world that I have been slacking on listening to their music.

They put out a new EP Heart of Races on June 5th and their full-length comes out in August, it will be titled Places Like This. Polyvinyl Records says the EP "paves the way for a much bigger and brighter picture on their new album."

Anyway, in support of their new albums they are touring parts of the US, with one show in Canada. Of the 10 states they plan on visiting, Philly is one of them WOOHOO! and they'll be at the Starlight Ballroom on June 9th.

Take a listen:
Architecture in Helsinki - "Heart it Races" (mp3)

Tour dates:
6/07 Boston, MA @ Middle East
6/08 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
6/09 Philadelphia, PA @ Starlight Ballroom
6/10 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
6/11 Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Auditorium
6/13 Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
6/14 Vancouver, CAN @ Richards on Richards
6/15 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
6/16 San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's 365 Club
6/18 Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse
6/19 Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theatre

Labels: Architecture in Helsinki, music

Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo producedd and co-arranged a record for James Jackson Toth and Jessica Toth of "Wooden Wand." And with the help of Jarvis Taveniere, DM Seidel, Jeremy Earl, Steve Shelley and Ranaldo himself, "Wooden Wand" will be releasing a remarkable album, James & the Quiet on June 12, 2007.It's dark, it's heavy and there's an old-fashioned rock to the music with a mingling of an electric guitar, piano and Toth's voice steering country.

Listen here:
Wooden Wand - "The Pushers (Morning Version)" (mp3)
Wooden Wand - "Portrait in the Clouds" (mp3)

Labels: music, Wooden Wand

I just heard one of my favorite songs shuffling through my iTunes mix. It brings me such happy thoughts when I hear "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police. The song is on disc two of the new Police CD, which is a compilation of some of their greatest and most timeless hits.

This song was written in 1976, but not released until 1981, which just happens to be the year I was born. ;o) And like all music The Police release, it's just incredible! This song originally was a track on Strontium 90: Police Academy. The crystal chiming of the piano in this song is what makes it so catchy. It also has quite a reggae influence if you listen both in the "e-oh-oh" string and the written lyrics:

Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on

You can hear cross influences between The Police, Phil Collins, U2 and The Moody Blues who are all known for their classic music. The Police raised the bar for pop artists and British artists with their enlivened and robust music that is truly an instrumental workout! You'll hear it on the latest Police CD.

Labels: magic, music, the police

Oh you know this cover art is far too funky to not find out what "The Rondo Brothers" are all about.

Jim Greer and Brandon Arnovick are "The Rondo Brothers" and you may have heard some of their scores in commercials while channel surfing. They have scored television ads for Toyota, the NHL, the NFL, Chevy, Dodge and several other companies. Their latest and second full length album, Seven Minutes To Midnight, was released by Citrus to Citrus on May 21, 2007.

While they are not exactly my cup of tea, maybe some of you out there will enjoy their hip hop madness. The only band I know to compare them to would be Gorillaz. But you should take a listen and see for yourself. I do think there is a good beat to "Crazed." =o) And their label has said Seven Minutes To Midnight, is a "musical mindscape with fat, mid tempo trip hop beats."

Here are some tracks.

Rondo Brothers - "Until We All Fall Down" (mp3)
Rondo Brothers - "Dune Stalker" (mp3)
Rondo Brothers - "Crazed" (mp3 my favorite)
Rondo Brothers - "Liberation" (mp3)

Labels: The Rondo Brothers

Bedroom Walls has posted that they have "about 14 songs at various stages of completion." If only the walls at Singing Serpent studios could talk! Their last album All Good Dreamers Pass This Way was released over a year ago by Baria Records. My hope is that they follow suit with their amazing song "Kathy in Her Bedroom" because it is superb!

They've got some dark content, but it's fantastic music. You'll hear strings incorporated into some of their music that will blow you away. If only it would last longer, some of their songs make you wish for a little bit more. Hopefully when they release their next album it will feel closed and complete.

Plans to tour out West in August are in the works, moving Midwest by September. For June they have a show set up on the 28th with The Veils and The Comas.

Take a listen:
Bedroom Walls - "Kathy In Her Bedroom" (mp3)

Bedroom Walls - "Somewhere In Newhall" (mp3)

Buy their music!

The great photo is from Magnet's January 2007 issue.

Labels: Bedroom Walls

Yippee skippee!

A new track off of Spoon's new record.

Spoon - "Underdog" (mp3)

Release Date: July 10, 2007
Merge Records

Labels: Spoon

Please head over to the website for VENUS magazine and check out the interview/review I did with Hardly Art Records' new band "Arthur &
Yu."

Arthur & Yu
The Seattle duo reels in excitement about developing In Camera

Arthur & Yu - "Lion's Mouth" (mp3)

And also, I recommend heading over to Treble for a review written by Jeff Terich on "The Long Blondes" new album, Someone To Drive You Home. Terich says, "Sheffield's Long Blondes aren't merely the best female-fronted band in England at the moment, I might go so far as to say they're the best band in the UK at the moment. "

The Long Blondes - "Weekend Without Makeup" (mp3)

Labels: Arthur Yu, interview, The Long Blondes, Treble

You know me. You know I love Brendan Benson, The National and Elliot Smith.

We can add another one to the list now.

Southerly.

Seriously, I am impressed by any musician or band that has such a diverse sound and are this multi-talented. From Portland, Oregon (Yay Toby) hails Krist Krueger who does it all. Skratch magazine calls him a "one man musical army."

If that doesn't pique your interest well then I honestly don't know what will.

Take a listen:
Krist Krueger - "Dreams That Make Men Free" (mp3)
Krist Krueger - "Soldiers" (mp3)

Labels: Krist Krueger

Another fun album releasing tomorrow is Tonight I Have to Leave It EP from Shout Out Louds.

This EP includes the first single from their Our Ill Wills album which Merge will release on September 11, 2007. The EP was produced by the fantastic Bjorn Yttling.

Their last album, Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, was released by Capitol Records in 2005. It was so successful that fans are anxiously awaiting the new album.

The track listing for Tonight I Have to Leave It EP is:

Tonight I Have to Leave It
Don't Get Yourself Involved
Streams of Whiskey
Tonight I Have to Leave It - The Russian Futurists Remix
Tonight I Have to Leave It - Kleerup Remix

Adam, Carl, Ted, Bebban and Eric have an incredible energy and you can see them here in the US beginning July 16th.

Take a listen:
Shout Out Louds - "Tonight I Have To Leave It" (mp3)

Listen to more on their MySpace page and buy the album!

Labels: Shout Out Louds

The Loose Salute will be releasing Tuned To Love CD tomorrow, June 5th.

Ian (Drums & Vocals) and Lisa (Vocals), Pete Greenwood (Guitars), Charlotte King (Harmonies & Percussion) and Al Forrester (Piano & Organ) decided to go ahead and release their album with Graveface Records. They coaxed a bunch of their friends to add to the sound by playing a myriad of different instruments. The combination of sounds makes Tuned To Love a unique and fun album.

Gareth Parton (The Beta Band, The Go Team, The Pipettes, Mojave3) is the engineer behind the album and the producer is Pritpal Soor.

Listen to the music:
The Loose Salute - "The Mutineer" (mp3)
The Loose Salute - "Turn the Radio Up" (mp3)
The Loose Salute - "Death Club" (mp3)

Labels: The Loose Salute

North Philly isn't so bad. I'm used to South Street, but this had quaint shops and eateries as well.

So let's talk about the show.

Johnny Brenda's is a new bar in an old area. It's actually quite nice on the inside, especially upstairs where the very tiny stage sits in a corner of the room. There were two pub style tables with six stools and everyone else had to stand. Fortunately, my crew snagged a table and stole a stool, so the four of us had seats only five feet from the stage.

Doors opened at 8:30. A "band" (and I use that term very lightly) called "Bears in Heaven" were the openers for "The National." Maybe it was the fact that it was nearly 100 degrees in the venue, maybe it was the fact that this "band" didn't come out on stage until 10:30...I didn't like their "music" at all. I hope everyone else did. I hope I was just being a hot, irritable snot. I couldn't understand a word the singer said and I should have been able to catch it since every single song consisted of echoing vocals. Aside for behaving as though he had stepped into a cave for the first time, he also was doing something on possibly a keyboard. But to me it amounted to pushing the demo button on a cheap Casio. The mustache on guitar strummed so furiously that his entire right arm swung back like he were hitting a golf club. Every single time he strummed the guitar he would swing his arm back. I don't know what he thought he was doing, but it added nothing to the sound or quality of their performance. The man dressed from head to toe in white (white t-shirt and white denim) also did some sound mixing casio demos.

Hold your horses, this isn't all bad. Their drummer and bassist were excellent. The music all had a great beat that you could really get into So to you two guys, I'd say...start new with another band and leave that "band."

And now for the main act.

"The National" didn't get set up on stage until 11:20-ish. By that time I was literally sweating like a football player in the heat of a game. I was disgusting myself. And every man in that room was dripping with sweat. Horrible.

But.

"The National" turned everything around for this sardine, because I was entranced by their performance. They are incredible on albums, but seeing them live was an experience like no other. This might well have been my favorite performance of all the indie bands I have seen. I can't put it on the top of the list due to the insane amount of time waiting for the band to play and the sauna-like venue.

They are out on tour to support their new album Boxer which is just freaking awesome.

Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, and Scott Devendorf are five of the most amazingly talented musicians I have ever seen. They switch off at each song and trade instruments. And man are there instruments...guitar, bass, piano and drums, with brass, woodwinds, strings, and organs. Each member handling multiple different parts of the show. If you get a chance to see them, do it, it's awesome. They are currently on their way up to Canada.

The National - "Racing Like A Pro" (mp3)

Buy their music!

Labels: Johnny Brendas, The National

Well it will be part of the afternoon and into the evening...and a late night.
We're heading up to North Philly for two super fun reasons.

1. The Art Star Gallery is having a craft fair type thing and I'm covering the piece for VENUS. If y'all head up that way you should stop by this weekend at some point. They are open until 7 p.m. today.

2. The National is playing at Johnny Brenda's and we've got four tickets! Fun times, I am super psyched. I hope they play "Green Gloves" but anything will be awesome!

Grab the "Green Gloves" mp3 above...

And here are some other fun tracks for ya!

Chemistry - "About You" (mp3)

Spoon - "Chips and Dip" (mp3)

Labels: Chemistry, music, The National

Fallout Stations is the limited edition, companion EP to The Foundry Field Recordings debut full-length Prompts/Miscues.

It comes out next Tuesday, June 5th.

They've done a session with the fantastic Daytrotter.com already. There's a great write up and some MP3s to grab.

Their label, Emergency Umbrella Records, announced their mini-tour along the West Coast of the US, but their big summer tour will hit many venues during July and August.

And here is the closing track on their upcoming EP.

The Foundry Field Recordings - "Transistor Kids" (mp3)

Labels: Indie, The Foundry Field Recordings

It's indie, alternative, rock from shoegaze "People Noise."

And their album is Ordinary Ghosts.

But there is nothing ordinary about their melancholy music and trifling riffs.

Zeke Buck and Matt Johnson are the core foundation. On stage they add Rahman McGinnis, Mike Dufresne and Woody Woodmansee.

Listen:
People Noise - "A Million Lives" (mp3)
People Noise - "The Killing Fields" (mp3)
People Noise - "Pretty Things" (mp3)

And you can buy more of their music on their MySpace page.

Labels: music, People Noise