Ladyhawk

The Jagjaguwar label is based in Indiana and has some great bands. I featured Patrick Phelan a while back and decided to revisit that website to listen to some of the other bands there. I originally passed on Ladyhawk when I was music searching. Something about these bearded woodsy looking guys that led me to believe I would be listening to acoustic guitars, and that really wasn't what I was looking for. I was wrong for sure. This Vancouver, Canada four-piece reminds me of a folky version of Dinosaur Jr. crossed with another band from the late 80's I cant quite place. The debut self-titled release comes out on June 6, 2006. Also check the Ladyhawk website for news and tour dates.
























As in most cases, they have a MySpace page you can visit to hear more songs... tis very good guitar rock imo.















MP3: The Dugout

Volcano Suns

In the mid 80's, I was fully entrenched in the swirling guitars of Hüsker Dü and the drum-heavy sounds of Squirrel Bait so my attention span for anything else was limited at best. Just about every mixed tape I made as a teenager included various Volcano Suns songs but I really wasn't aware of them... If that makes sense. I suppose their music wouldn't have made it on to the tapes had I not liked it, but I just didn't go into "fan mode" about them for some strange reason. Now that I hear it again, I'm wondering why I didn't pay more attention. I tried to look up some sort of history on the band with little success so I'll tell you what I do know. When Mission of Burma disbanded in 1983, drummer Pete Prescott formed Volcano Suns. He would later be joined in 1987 by MoB's college radio sound engineer extraodinaire Bob Weston.

There you have it... My research is deep ah?
























Volcano Suns were on Homestead Records which is my favorite label of all time. I actually bought one of their albums but couldn't find a picture of it anywhere on the web. It was reddish orange with the band name in bold letters at the top. I'll have to go to Mom's house to dig it out of her basement. This song is from the 1986 album "All Night Lotus Party". Re-discovering the music from this time period is what it's all about for me. The best part is, Volcano Suns are an active band again with a MySpace page!! If you go there, the website they have listed (and clickable) as their own will make you laugh. I would really like to find more info about the history of the band, so if anyone can tell me more, I'd love to hear it.

MP3: Four Letters

Voicst

Let's go to the Netherlands for a band whose name comes from a South African slang word meaning "manic energy". Voicst is a 3-piece from Amsterdam that is gaining notoriety quickly. One of the band's latest songs Whatever You Want From Life is currently featured on the EA Sports video game FIFA World Cup Soccer. The song featured here is also from the band's latest release 11-11 that will be available in the US early July.



























Go to the Voicst website to see and hear more about them. They have their very own label, Duurtlang Records ("duurt lang" is Dutch for "takes a long time") and a MySpace page also. I found it funny that they list their sound as "somewhere between Beyonce and The Melvins".

Happy Saturday...this is good stuff.

MP3: Dazzled Kids

Welcome

Here is a good band I found while browsing the AYF? blog. Welcome is a band from Seattle I know next to nothing about. The Welcome website has no bio or band lineup, just some more good songs to listen to. When I first heard the beginning of All Set, Jon Spencer in his Pussy Galore days came to mind. It wasn't until the vocals kicked in that the controlled chaos of guitars took shape. A good amount of reverb creates a 60's sound that evolves into really nice female vocals towards the end. I immediately hosted the song and used it as my MySpace profile music after about the 3rd listen... so yeah, you could say I liked it.













The band's MySpace page has no further info either. From the pictures there I am guessing there are 3 band members?? If any of you Seattle folks (or anyone else, for that matter) out there know more about Welcome please do share!!

MP3: All Set

The Essex Green

Today... some really good indie pop that you might have heard before. The Essex Green is primarily Sasha Bell, Jeff Baron and Chris Ziter with added musicians Mike Barret and Tim Barnes. This 3 (or 5) piece is from Brooklyn, New York. They've been around since 1997 and have released several singles and EPs on various smaller record labels. They are now signed to the Merge Records label (one of my faves) and have a third full length release in Cannibal Sea available as of last month.















The Essex Green website doesn't offer much in the way of information besides tour dates and brief news so check out their MySpace page to hear and read more. Speaking of tours, they just got back from finishing a European one with The Shout Out Louds. The U.S. tour begins tonight 4/27 in Lexington, Kentucky. They will be in Chicago on Friday also. It's too far of a drive either way for me. Damn!!



























MP3: Don't Know Why (You Stay)

Conner

Sometimes I have plenty I feel the need to blather on about, and sometimes Idon't have much to say at all. In this case I think the song, on its own, speaks well enough for the band. Conner is an excellent rock 4-piece from Lawrence, Kansas. The third and newest release Hello Graphic Missile will beavailable June 6 on Sonic Boom Recordings. Check the Conner website for more info and also Conner on MySpace. It's always nice to hear stuff this good coming out of the Midwest.








































MP3: Up To You

C'est La Mort

C'est La Mort are yet another example of one of the more recent talents in the revived Seattle music scene. This is really nice and dreamy. It's not too difficult to hear plenty of Cocteau Twins influence here. Check them out on MySpace to hear more and make sure you check out the C'est La Mort website for an amusing interactive bio section.















Vocalist/Bassist Kim House will be taking part in the Seattle Rock Lottery to benefit KEXP this coming Saturday 4/28. 25 artists are randomly grouped into five bands that have 12 hours to come up with a band name and between three and five songs to perform live that evening. Pretty cool.

MP3: Collapse (With Silence)

The Little Ones

Sunday was all about beer and leftover takeout from Saturday night. Shrimp with Buffalo sauce and Nathan's Famous coneys are happily housed in my fridge thanks to styrofoam and my crafty ability to walk home from bars. I woke up just long enough to write the following... and as no-one reads this, I can pretty much type what I want.





























Well... I don't know much about the band. I heard this last week but was saving it for Monday. Since then, every music blogger and their mother has found it compulsory to ruin my fun. Now I am reduced to "also ran" status. Of course I'm kidding... kinda. The Little Ones are from southern California. I really couldn't get a feel for anything about them by reading the bio. It just made me want to go read my daughter's Fairytopia books. The music, however, is amazingly cool. I might actually buy this one. If you want to hear more, check out The Little Ones official website. There is also the TLO MySpace page. I can see this one ending up with plenty of media attention.

This band is gooood !

...or as we say here in Ahia, reeaal goooood.

MP3: Lovers Who Uncover

Lilys

Plenty of people reading this would probably list My Bloody Valentine and/or Dinosaur Jr. as being among their favorite bands of all time. I can't say that the same doesn't hold true for me also (I love double negatives). This is an interesting one in that, Lilys came out with their first songs emulating those bands. Soon after, that familiar sound was abandoned in favour of experimentation in various musical genres. Lilys is essentially the music of Kurt Heasley from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His history includes plenty of different zig zags and the band lineup changes with each new release.

2006 brings the newest submission from Mr. Heasley and his new band of Lilys. After giving a few listens, Everything Wrong Is Imaginary is dreamy and really nice. The guitars are more along the lines of the evolution I might have expected. There is a Lilys MySpace page to hear more also, but the 1991 song you are listening to will always be my favorite. Lilys are currently on the Manifesto Records label.

I can honestly say, if I had my own band I would want it to sound like this song.

MP3: February Fourteenth

Climber

I wanted to re-feature this great song after revisiting it again. I originally posted Climber last year when I first started the MySpace group and there were only a handful of members. They were also one of the first bands I added to my own MySpace friends list at the beginning of 2005. I was listening to Her Space Holiday a bunch at the time, so you can probably imagine how ecstatic I was to hear these guys.














Climber is a Portland, Oregon-based 4-piece that started in their basement in 2001. The brand of electronica they produce really does create a sweet place for me. I prefer Climber hands down to some of the other northwestern acts to which a comparison could be drawn. (Postal Service, etc...) The song Horns is from their 2004 self-titled EP. You can hear some new songs from their upcoming album at the Climber MySpace page. They also have a nice website where more downloadable music can be found. I hope you enjoy this one... and your weekend!!

MP3: Horns

The Whigs

First of all, I know this band isn't "The" Whigs as in the Afghan Whigs,although if you were to go out to buy it and make that mistake you would thank me also. Since the name is similar I had to take a listen. This is some great straightforward indie rock. The Whigs are a trio from Athens, Georgia. They've opened up for plenty of major bands, which is pretty impressive considering they have been around for less than 3 years. After looking around on The Whigs website I noticed one of the acts they've shared a bill with is Jessica Simpson??? I had to do a double take. I then went on to read this review of the band that offered the following about it. "Then there was also the Jingle Ball hosted by Jessica Simpson. In response to my query as to whether their set had the 12 year-old girls lining up for autographs, [drummer, Julian] Dorio says, "No, but our buddy Billy Bennet came to the show and apparently he was signing autographs all night." Bennet used to be the kicker for the Georgia Bulldogs football team."












You can hear more on the band's MySpace page. This song is off their debut release Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip which came out November 2005. They recorded it themselves with some help from friend Billy Bennet and it's available on their website for $10.00 USD. Sometimes the DIY bands end up being the best ones.

MP3: Technology

Anathallo

I suppose if we were looking for a band with the most members, we might have a winner here. Anathallo is an eight (yes, 8) piece troupe from the central Michigan city of Mt. Pleasant. They have been playing and touring since they met in high school six years ago and chances are you haven't heard of them. In most reviews I read they are mentioned in various ways as an indie version of a marching band. They kind of remind me of Architecture in Helsinki in that they have a horn section and line the stage with drums and other percussion devices. I also read, in one of the reviews, that they incorporate a Japanese theme into most of the music.















The song featured here goes in plenty different directions and seems like it could break into chaos at any given moment. However, the exact opposite happens and everything comes together nicely. I would guess that Page France fans will like this band also. This song (don't ask me to spell it) is from their new full length CD Floating World which came out Feb. 25th 2006. It is available on the Anathallo website for $12 USD. On the news portion of the site it mentions that they have decided to let Sony/BMG handle the distribution. This can only mean that you will hear plenty more about them soon. They also have a MySpace page to hear more. If you are in the UK, look for them to be touring between 16 to 23 July. Hanasakajijii...there, I spelled it.















MP3: Hanasakajijii

Hymns

When listening to music in my office I have to keep the sound at very low volume. That, combined with the poor sound quality of my computer there, makes it really difficult to properly listen to anything. I usually just end up reading about the bands. With that said, I was almost certain I was listening to a lost track from Guided By Voices' Bee Thousand record when I faintly heard the guitars start out on this one. Once I got home, however, I was treated to their own sound on my good speakers . I changed my mind about the GBV thing after a few listens.
















Hymns are a 4-piece band from Brooklyn, New York. I saw them posted in a few blogs this past week or so and decided to check them out. Glad I did. Most reviews I read liken their sound to Pavement, but as I said before, the Guided By Voices thing was first to hit me. There is another song Friends of Mine that has a Wilco feel to it. Check out the Hymns website for more songs and their label Blackland Records. Hymns are on MySpace also. This song is on their debut full length LP/CD of the same name, Brother Sister.
















MP3: Brother Sister

Boy Omega

Martin Henrik Gustafsson has been writing and recording music since a young age; after putting out several releases with various collaborators, he started working under the name Boy Omega in around 2000/2001. Martin lives in Gothenburg, Sweden, and according to the biog on the Boy Omega website, is something of a prolific songwriter; he apparently has in the region of 200 Boy Omega songs stored on his computer and spends most of his time in his apartment, writing and recording new material. The website also reveals that Boy Omega frequently becomes an orchestra, complete with cello, violin and piano; on the most recent tour, for example, the band consisted of Martin plus an additional seven members.

























Boy Omega has two full-length albums out, as well as various singles and EPs, all of which are available from the website, where you can also hear a lot more songs (including a very nice cover of The Magnetic Fields' Papa Was A Rodeo); you'll find more songs on the MySpace page, as well. The song featured here is taken from the latest Boy Omega album, The Black Tango, which came out in March of this year, but pick any song to listen to at random, and I doubt you'll be disappointed. This is very good stuff: all spare arrangements, lovely melodies and warm vocals. It kind of puts me in mind of Bright Eyes, only, well... better. Much, much better.















This is the third time I've tried to post this - the first two times I ended up losing everything and having to start again. Damn you, Blogger, damn you! I need a drink.

MP3: By Midnight We'll Give It A Go

Faux Pas

The Useless Stuff: I went to mom's house tonight for Easter dinner. She has this new device that vacuum seals stuff in plastic. You know, the ones they sell on TV. I got some ham to go and also potato casserole that looks fit for an astronaut. She also put some hats and mittens in one to send with me...Just in time for spring. Bless that woman.















The Useful Stuff: Tim Shiel is a 24 year old from Melbourne, Australia. His musical project Faux Pas is really interesting to me. It doesn't have the blips and bleeps I was expecting from the experimental genre he is listed under. Instead it is an organic, flowing sound. Very nice. On his MySpace page he says that he will be traveling (not touring) around the U.S. and Europe... getting drunk in bars. Exactly what I would be doing at his age. Well, ok, I still do... Anyway, check the Faux Pas website for more details. This is a good one.

MP3: For The Trees

Swervedriver

I featured this band last year but didn't have anywhere to host the stuff I featured at the time. Now I do, and I'm going to feature this classic song again for anyone who might have missed it last time. What can I say about these guys...? Wow.


















Swervedriver formed during the late 80s and are what I would consider a bridge from the early 90s shoegaze phenomenon into the full-blown alternative rock of the mid 90s. Now that I go back and listen, the sound of this band really does stand the test of time. I would dare to say that most of the material they put out cannot be touched by anything even remotely similar during and far beyond that time period. It's funny when I read Wikipedia and see how badly someone did with the story of this band. Here is a quote from a much more reliable source... Mr. Bob Mould (yes, that Bob Mould) has a very nice blog from which I extracted the following quote regarding Swervedriver:

"Somewhere in a box of my treasured possessions, there's a letter and a demo tape I received from the UK in 1989. The first song on that cassette was called "Son Of Mustang Ford", and the guys who sent it were thinking of calling their band Swervedriver. It was a great song, and as things turned out, we went on to be labelmates at Creation Records. A few years ago, I started hearing lots of new bands who were reinterpreting the sounds of that era, with interesting and unique results. Now, with the recent release of Never Lose That Feeling, I've been going back to Swervedriver's music, and am thrilled that it holds up so well a decade later. They were a great live band, and Adam is one of the nicest guys I've ever met. If you weren't listening to this music in the day, you missed a special time."



























To hear Bob say that is a true compliment. Swervedriver is no more, but front man Adam Franklin has a more recent project with Toshack Highway, who I also featured last year. There is also still an official Swervedriver website with lots of cool stuff. Check it out.

MP3: Never Lose That Feeling

The Twilight Singers

Once upon a time (a very long time ago...don't ask) I was getting ready to start school at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. One night I made my way into a small punk rock club where a band was playing upstairs. I went up to find four guys on stage playing Pink Floyd covers to a mostly empty room. I stuck around for three or four songs but that was all I could take. It was awful. The name of that band? The Afghan Whigs from Cincinnati, Ohio. It's kind of funny now, seeing as they are one of my favorite bands of all time.






















At the end of the 90s, during record contract disputes and after the Afghans dissolved, front man Greg Dulli formed The Twilight Singers. Since then there have been 3 LPs, an EP and Greg Dulli's solo release, AmberHeadlights, in 2005. The lineup of the band changes frequently and with every new release. The song Bonnie Brae is from the new LP Powder Burns that will be in stores May 16, 2006. It is also available from the band's label One Little Indian. This is one of the more well known artists I've featured here, but the song was so good I couldn't resist. The music of Greg Dulli is always a favorite for me. I think most every girl I've dated has said the same thing about him... that he's got the worst voice they've ever heard, but also the sexiest. Check The Twilight Singers MySpace page to hear more also.

MP3: Bonnie Brae

Elias

I hardly feature enough western Canadian bands here, and there are plenty to choose from... so today you get a really good one from British Columbia, Canada. Elias is a Vancouver, B.C. based quartet that changed their name from Second last year. They're a younger band and I read that they play all ages shows on a regular basis. They are currently unsigned but have an official Elias website. They also have the compulsory MySpace page for you to check out. This song will be on the band's upcoming EP. Great potential here!!













MP3: Sinking Ships

Midlake

Midlake is a 5-piece band from the small town of Denton, Texas. They were discovered by Simon Raymonde (of Cocteau Twins fame) and became a part of his Bella Union label. The song you are listening to is from the band's upcoming release The Trials of Van Occupanther. You can hear more on their MySpace page and also get more info from the official Midlake website.I think Q music magazine summed it up nicely in a review of the band I found on their site: "Not since Mercury Rev's Deserter's Songs has an American band sounded so completely of itself, so off kilter, and quite so bewitching."

MP3: Roscoe

About

Man, o man this is good stuff!! As soon as this song started the first time, I got chills up the back of my neck. After around 50 listens I'm finally calmed down enough to do my little write-up thing here without typing in all caps. About is Amsterdam, Netherlands musician Rutger Hoedemaekers. The new release Bongo took around 3 years to finish and is available on the German label Cock Rock Disco. Bongo will be available here in the States next month at some point. Check the About website for more info and there is also (of course) an About MySpace page and you can find the label on there too.

I am really digging laptop bands more and more these days. The manipulation of guitar sound is really cool.

MP3: Think Niles Drink

Locas In Love

Locas In Love is a four-piece from Cologne, Germany, they're signed to German label Sitzer Records aaaand.... given the lack of information on their website and the fact that most of the other information I can find about them is in German (and I don't speak German), that's about all I can tell you about them. Oh well.

They've been around since at least 2001 though, as that's when they released their first EP, Río Veneno. Since then, they've put out a few more EPs, and an album, What Matters is the Poem, which came out in 2004. Reading the info on their MySpace page it looks as though they've got another album coming out sometime in the not-too-distant future, however I can't find any information as to a release date. Helpful, eh?















Anyway, there's more songs to listen to on the MySpace page, and website from which you can also order copies of their EPs & album (prices are in Euros) - you just need to send them an email, and can pay by PayPal.

Oh yeah... this song, (Verspätetes Lied Für) Laura, is from the album What Matters is the Poem, and the title apparently translates as '(Late Song For) Laura', according to Babelfish... I just wish I could understand the lyrics. Anyway, it's very nice stuff indeed, and I definitely recommend that you give it a listen.

MP3: Verspätetes Lied Für) Laura

The Rosebuds

The Rosebuds are Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp, a married couple from Raleigh, North Carolina. They formed (got married) in 2001 and have just put out their second full-length release Birds Make Good Neighbors. On tour they enlist the help of drummer Lee Waters (Work Clothes). They currently have a handful of European tour dates as follows:

04.07.2006 * Sevilla, Spain, @ South Pop Festival
04.13.2006 * Vienna, Austria, @ Bar72 Club
04.14.2006 * Stockholm, Sweden, @ tba
04.15.2006 * Stockholm, Sweden, @ Million Dollar Milkshake
04.17.2006 * Glasgow, UK, @ Stereo 04.19.2006 * Madrid, Spain, @ Cafe Polma 04.20.2006 * Valencia, Spain, @ Sala Cormoran
04.21.2006 * Barcelona, Spain, @ Sala Apolo













I usually try to stay away from overused review words like "lush soundscape" but that's exactly what this is. Check their website for more info and go to Merge Records where Birds Make Good Neighbors is available... and as always, you can find them on MySpace too. Really nice music.

MP3: Boxcar

The State of Samuel

The State of Samuel is the home-recorded music of Stockholm, Sweden's Samuel Petersson. As well as having a string of releases over the past six years, Sam also plays live with various other Stockholm area bands. While the music I've heard is charming enough to be considered twee, the guitars are aggressive enough for me to understand the GBV comparisons I read in some of the reviews.













The song featured here was released in 2005 by Kittridge Records on the compilation Homemade Hits Vol. 2. Check out the State of Samuel website to listen to more songs... also check out Sam's MySpace page to hear the song "Cotton Island" that will be on the upcoming full-length release. More good music from Sweden!

MP3: Square Roots

Architecture in Helsinki

Architecture in Helsinki is one of those bands that are widely known while not showing up on any mainstream charts. AIH was formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2002 by primary founding members Cameron Bird, Jamie Mildren and Sam Perry. There are a total of 8 members in the band and they play a wide assortment of instruments including the clarinet, tuba, glockenspiel and plenty more. This really is a unique sound that has grown on me over the past year. Check out the AIH website for more info and their MySpace page also.















MP3: Do The Whirlwind (Metronomy Remix)

Snowden

Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003, Snowden is primarily the home-recorded music of Jordan Jeffares. The rest of the band lineup changes frequently. They've shared the stage with such acts as Xiu Xiu, Elefant and Ambulance Ltd to name a few. Snowden recently signed to Jade Tree Records who will be releasing their debut full-length CD Anti Anti sometime in 2006. I couldn't find any specific release date. Check out their MySpace page also for more songs. Great stuff.




















MP3: Victim Card