The Sheds

First of all, I am a 1.5 pack per day Newport menthol smoker so the fact that this band created an entire body of work based primarily on the subject of smoking cigarettes was enough to win me over. With the discovery of today's featured artists came, what I would consider, the most prolonged debate Michelle and I have ever had regarding which song to present here. Every song was fantastic and since mud wrestling is hardly an option via MSN messenger/webcam, we decided to flip a coin to settle on the music. I could have easily cheated, but instead held the quarter up for the cam to show my defeat. No loss at all really. This is a wonderful song that also mentions my favorite smoky treats. We will also post my lost choice "Do You Have a Marlboro" up as a bonus track so you can hear it. It's a close call but I'm sticking with my Marlboros..em, er... Newports.



















The Sheds are a self described experimental folk duo from Burlington, Kentucky. Cameron Cochran and Chris Haubner have only been making music since 2005 but have a ton of work done as a result. Some of the songs have the classic Ween humor with an underlying Belle & Sebastian tone, while others could be a graduate of the Stephin Merritt School of Song Structure if there ever was such a useful thing (there has to be somewhere.) You can visit The Sheds MySpace Page to read the official bio, get tour dates and most importantly hear a few more tracks. The big bonus here is if you go to The Sheds Website. There, in a refreshingly simple format, you can get to their download page where ALL SONGS ARE FREE. Sorry to yell at you, but these songs must be heard. The Sheds Quit Smoking is what to look for there. It was released just a week or so ago, but if you are trying to quit smoking these songs will not help you at all. This gets very high recommendations. Happy Saturday!



























MP3: Between the Moon and Love
Bonus MP3: Do You Have a Marlboro?

No Wait Wait

Once again, Friday is here and I have a really good indie rock band to send us into the weekend. I was just a bit more excited than usual since these artists are based in Minnesota, but caught a surprise when I learned they were not from the Twin Cities. I suppose I shouldn't assume that every MN band is from that part of the state ah? There actually is a music scene in northern Minnesota and I am finding it now that l've been poking around a bit on the internet. How could I help but look after being so impressed with the sound you are hopefully hearing now. I will need to spend more time sourcing musicians from that area for sure. Any suggestions are very welcomed here, but please know that we featured the band Low last year in November. Please also note that these pictures show 5 members while they are currently listed as a 4 piece. I'm not sure what to make of that story so any information would be much appreciated.















No Wait Wait is the indie rock quartet of Marc Gartman (vocals, guitar), Russell Sackett (vocals, keyboards), Steve Garrington (bass) and Eric Pollard (vocals, drums) from Duluth, Minnesota. The second release from this band is titled About You and just came out 2 weeks ago on their very cool label Chairkickers Union Music. As I understand it, the second part of their extended record release party will be held tonight 9/29 at 400 Bar with local Minneapolis band Aviette who are also celebrating a new release. To hear more music, your first stop should be the No Wait Wait MySpace page. Add them to the friends list while you're at it. After listening there, you can download more music and purchase the self titled debut release directly from the band at the No Wait Wait website. There are also some old split single 45s available for a mere $5 USD. They have NWW t-shirts as well. Enjoy!!















MP3: Don't Give Up (On Your Man)

Dana Falconberry

I'll keep the personal banter to a minimum for the writeup today, but will need to say something about names that bands come up with first. Whenever I search for music and see any variation of the words Wolf or Bear in either the song title or band name, I immediately skip over it as though I was avoiding some new folky emo trend. I'm really not trying to slam anyone, but if you go to Hype Machine and search by either keyword you will be astounded at how many come up. I only mention this since today's featured artist contributes her beautiful voice to the music of the band Peter and The Wolf. I might have to eat my words, then go back and listen to this MP3 blog favorite after all. Today's featured song is hopefully well on it's way through your computer speakers by now. If so, you can probably hear the wonderfully aged and slightly distressed soul behind this voice. Sometimes the warmth of sadness can far outweigh traditional vocal talent. In this case there is an equal balance that can be explained in a quote from the bio regarding the song Sadie.

"The song is a portrait of a farmer who's lost his wife. He's left in the fields and can't see anything but rolling hills. He still farms everyday, so he's stuck doing the things he used to do with her, thinking about her, unable to get over her. I wanted a rolling flavor to the music, a kind of spooky, lost feeling."













Dana Falconberry grew up in the northeastern US state of Michigan where she studied ballet and modern dance for most of her childhood. She moved south to Arkansas for college at age 18 and eventually ended up in the historical music town of Austin, Texas. Dana made an appearance at SXSW 2006 and continues to perform at local venues in support of her new 6 song EP titled Paper Sailboat. You can find out where to buy this gem at the Dana Falconberry MySpace Page and also read a more complete bio at the newly created official website. There is also a great writeup and podcast including Dana reading Tom Sawyer at the online Italian music magazine Indie-Eye that can easily be switched to English translation. I read the MySpace blog and have the musical credits for this song as well.

Dana Falconberry - vocals

Michael Longoria - drums and vibes

Brian Beattie - bass

Patty Griffin - piano

Eamon Mcgloughlin - viola

Bonnie Whitmore - cello

Eleanore Whitmore - violin



























MP3: Sadie

Flying

When I first heard what would eventually become today's feature, the plan was to post it on a Saturday. This song is great great fun, but since I have quite the impatient streak in my blood, I think it just might work as a mid-week way to lighten things up here. There are moments where this track had me staring aimlessly through my second story window out onto the alley where my tiny apartment building is hidden; and other times where I found the need to groove around my flat spilling beer all over the place. In any case, I couldn't wait to get this song up here and on the MySpace group page. I listen to music from the bands while I am writing about them, and often come up with ridiculous comparisons as a result. Today will be no different as I enlist the jam session that would include They Might Be Giants, Architecture In Helsinki and Talking Heads (Stan Ridgeway sitting on the side tapping toes with arms folded). Um... well...I can picture it anyway. Joking aside, this is really great stuff that might have you out of your seat for a frivolous twirl around the living room. I'll admit I did it.















Flying is the experimental psychedelic quartet of Eliot Krimsky, Sara Magenheimer, Eben Portnoy and Mike Johnson. They are from Brooklyn, New York and, from what I read, have been playing around the Northeastern US for almost two years supporting the likes of Deerhoof and some other bands I wasn't as familiar with. The band recently released a full length CD titled Just-One-Second-Ago-Broken Eggshell through the MillPond Records label. There is also a Millpond MySpace page for more good music. The best link for downloads would be the Flying MySpace page and you can also visit the official Flying website for more info. The band will be performing at the Cakeshop in NYC this Friday 9/29 with a few other acts. Before I forget, there is also a really tripped out YouTube video for the song Pond Life. Have fun with this one.



MP3: Minors

Stol

It's funny what strikes me when I decide to feature certain bands, and in this case it was a series of events. I had the chance to venture out of the house Friday night with a couple of friends to a club you could consider the industrial/goth type mecca we call Outland here locally in Columbus. It was a great time and I got to hear some music I hadn't heard in quite a while. My cousin in Hong Kong also announced a surprise marriage to his Danish girlfriend this weekend. For some reason, those things have been swimming around in my brain, so when I was randomly checking bands out of the group member list here, it was all too easy to settle on these artists from Denmark. The blog and group music lately has been heavy on the indie guitar rock as of late and I was looking for an opportunity to mix things up just a bit. Today's featured song takes me all the way back to the original early to mid 80s industrial music scene in Europe that would eventually cause a commotion here in the states a few years later. If you are (or were) a fan of either Nitzer Ebb or Einstürzende Neubauten, you will love this for sure.

After reading what info I could find, it turns out that Stol is the duo of Martin Ferro-Thomsen and Michael Schoubye from Copenhagen, Denmark. They started out in 2000 and eventually released a 2003 maxi single titled Hemisphere Constructor which you can download for free. The band name actually means 'chair' and 'trust' in their native language, but is also an acronym for Short Take Off and Landing. Check the Stol Myspace Page for 3 more songs to download (all are good) and a blog post that gives a an impressive list of equipment they use. They have been working for months on the new album and news updates can be found on the wonderfully minimalist Stol website.

MP3: Tefau Ohne Laut

Buen Chico

When I hear a song I would like to feature here on the blog/group page, the first visual that presents itself in my twisted brain as the track begins usually dictates what I have to say about it. In this case, I am on the front porch of an old Victorian house at a crowded party. As I pass out on my feet, falling forward on my face without catching myself, the "Oh... is he ok??" and my head bouncing off the floor as I fade are drowned out by this song and images of these three musicians on a single surf board or water ski line (with instruments). My unfortunate dream would, of course, need to include some semblance of the 1980's music video stylings of The Go-Go's, or at least The Bangles?? Today's featured track is actually a demo of a song the band loves to play live. The time changes evolve with every turn and kept me on the edge of my chair enough to listen repeatedly. If you'd have asked me a week ago if I would ever feature a song that moves into borderline surf punk territory, I would have laughed. I am not laughing now. This is really good. After listening a bit more, a touch of fIREHOSE (another Ohio connection) can be heard as well... hrmmm.













Buen Chico is the indie rock trio of Morgan (guitar/vocals) Kirsty (bass/vocals) and Alan (drums) from Leeds, UK. Depending on which mode of transit you choose (and traffic), Leeds is around 3.5 to 4 hours north of London. It is almost the exact same size and also shares similar population numbers with Columbus, Ohio. The band started making music in 2003 and recently released the limited edition 7 inch debut single Giving Your Gifts through their new label Faith & Hope. There are 4 more songs to hear on the Buen Chico Myspace Page and plenty of information on the band's official website. All songs will jump out at you if this one appeals in any way. From what I read in the bio, the members of Buen Chico all live together in the same house and have also been featured on BBC 6music as well as Radio 1. This is a great way to start off the week don't you think??















MP3: La La La (I Can't Hear You)

Cold Water Flat

First of all, who says there were no good rock bands during the mid to late 1990s?? I think if you go back to some of our archived classics you will find that is not the case at all. I'm getting an early start on Sunday's music since the lovely Ms. Abigail (my daughter) will be joining me for shopping, some dinner (she loves sushi) and a sleepover DVD party. I can't think of a better way to spend a fall weekend. So as not to confuse anyone who is not from the Northeastern US... this is NOT a lost Buffalo Tom track. Instead, it is the music of that band's lead vocalist/guitarist Bill Janovitz's younger brother Paul. I loved this CD in college and probably would never have found it had it not been for the local record store lazily filing it in the Buffalo Tom bin back then. Almost 11 years later, this album is still a treasure (though slightly distressed) that ends up on my personal play list often.
























Boston's Cold Water Flat was the power trio of Paul Janovitz, Ted Silva and Paul Harding that formed in 1990 while attending the University of Massachusetts. After moving to New York, the band signed to European label Play It Again Sam and recorded the album Listen in 1993. Soon after, CWF found themselves inking a deal with MCA to release their self titled major label debut today's featured song belongs to. The only current and useful link I could find was for Paul's photography website. There is little information on the internet regarding this great band... and even less in the way of pictures. I decided to take matters into my own hands and snap a few pictures of the CD inlay on my nightstand. They aren't great pics but will work just fine here. Another Cold Water Flat song will be added by midnight. Enjoy.
























If anyone has additional info or current musical projects of the above mentioned musicians please share here or in the forum part of the MySpace group page. Please do!!
























MP3: King of the Underground (1995)
Bonus MP3: Magnetic North Pole (1995)

Palisades

There are quite a few new people here, and just as an FYI for those who actually read this, I try to play straight up indie rock stuff on Fridays to kick off the weekend when possible. Sometimes I jump the gun and go for the guitars a day early but, for the most part, usually keep it in line. With that said, I only had to go as far as our MML friends list to find this really good band I have been meaning to feature for your review. Since there is little information on the band and I am not familiar with the Norwegian language, the writeup will be brief. By now, if you are listening (and are from the Midwestern US and enjoy a good dose of garage rock) you probably have quite the smile on your face right about now.














Palisades are the Stavanger, Norway rock quartet of Larsie, Sigbjørn, Lillebjørn and Erlend. I have no idea what the reviews say since, like I said, my Norwegian language skills are non-existent but I think they started making music in 2004? After looking over a local review I saw Dinosaur Jr. and the title of this song in the same sentence. I can hear that comparison towards the middle of the track but have my own take on this one. The first thought to cross my mind upon listening was early Uncle Tupelo (before the twang years...uggg.) but eventually it hit me like a bag of hammers. The guitar turns and song structure here sound very similar to legendary Minneapolis, Minnesota band The Magnolias. I love this even more now. Check out the Palisades MySpace Page to download two more songs and add them to your friends. They are currently unsigned but have a profile on a Norwegian music website that they use as an official band site for now. If you live in Norway you can purchase the 2006 debut self titled EP right here. If you live elsewhere, you will need to contact the band directly on MySpace. I am sure they would love to hear from you.














MP3: God Speed

The Ballet

The weather is changing rapidly now and, in useless news, I got to wear a favorite old jacket for the first time this fall today. At the end of last winter, I packed up my cold weather clothes and remember thinking that they were beyond cleaning or repair. The same thing happens every year when I return to bring them back out to the hangers of my closet. They look better than ever and the cigarette smell is gone. How does that work? The same applies to music for me and so the sound of today's featured band is a welcomed listen. If you're listening and haven't guessed by now, this music is heavily influenced by the work of Stephin Merritt. It was a year I can't remember during the mid to late 90s when I first heard Magnetic Fields. That band got me through some unbearable times, so it really is a high compliment when I say that The Ballet takes this sound in the right direction while making it their own. If you listen further, there is much more to the sound than my above mentioned comparison. This song is wonderfully simple and brings the season back to my senses.


























The Ballet is an indie pop quartet from New York City that started out just over a year ago during the summer of 2005. They describe themselves right away with the title remark "4 queers, 3 chords, 100 melodies" on The Ballet MySpace page. They are currently unsigned but have a DIY 2006 release in Mattachine! which is presently sold out (but being re-supplied.) They are performing at The Cake Shop tomorrow night with Arlington, Virgina band Flin Flon. Also check The Ballet website for more info and another song to download. The following is a quote from the band bio that explains a bit more...

"Drawing inspiration from old pop records, one-hit-wonders, TV jingles, and Internet porn, The Ballet strive to make lovely, easy-going pop songs that express heartfelt sentiments, addressing themes of obsession, humiliation, solidarity, fantasy, secrecy, online dating, and having fun with your gay friends. They hope for casual queer elegance in every element of their work – from homemade CD's in silk-screened envelopes to live shows, which have the touch & feel of hanging out with friends on a rooftop or in the kitchen and putting on some favorite songs for an impromptu dance party over whiskey and lemonade."














MP3: In My Head

Low Frequency In Stereo

I've been working on a week of music from bands that have a definite 80s sound in my spare moments but can't seem to find enough of them to complete my mission. I'm still working on it, but after kicking around some blogs and stopping by Eardrums, it was fairly easy to hop back over the Atlantic Ocean to revisit Europe for today's featured artists. The pounding percussion that starts this track is felt throughout the song and has no intention of letting loose for a moment. I can imagine this being a raucous live performance. Every once in a while, It's fun to make random comparisons, and after both Michelle and I listened to this track we had some discussion regarding the vocals. Michelle heard PJ Harvey and something close to a live Carina Round performance, while I was thinking 1980s Ann Clark or a female version of Ian MacKaye. So as not to confuse, there is no reason to dig through your record collection for old Minor Threat singles. I was referring to Ian's later Fugazi years. Regardless, this is a really nice band that has a sound that may not be as lo-fi as their bio might lead you to believe.















Low Frequency In Stereo is a four piece from Haugesund, Norway that was formed in 2001. The song featured today is from the band's latest release The Last Temptation of... and is available through the rec90.com label for $16 USD. There is another song to hear on the Low Frequency In Stereo Myspace as well. The other releases can be found on the LFIS Website. There is also a video for ya to view, but since MySpace videos hardly ever work properly, I will give you a must-see YouTube version of the song 21. Great Stuff!!



MP3: Man Don't Walk

Menomena

The weekend was really nice. It started with a band from Italy, then visited Oslo, Norway and finally ended up right here in cowtown with the glory days of Columbus, Ohio Indie rock. After all of that, I wanted to do some more catching up with my previous travels within the music blogosphere. I never claim to find things first... I just like to find the good stuff. Today's featured artists are receiving quite a bit of new-found attention and for good reason. The song here might come out of the box as experimental electronica, but once the acoustic guitars kick in and bring warmth, you had better be ready for another turn. Suddenly you are transported to circa 1990 Ride percussion that again moves to different ground as the keyboards and bells seal the deal leaving you with an idea that this band is on to something (not on something.) We've featured plenty of bands from the coastal Northwest of the US and It's always a treat to find a great PDX band... This is yet another good example as I'm sure you can already hear, if you've clicked on the MP3.










Menomena, as mentioned above, are from Portland, Oregon. I couldn't figure out when they started out but will make a wild (very safe) guess and say that the band has been together for a few years. They have a string of releases through FILMguererro including the new EP today's song is the feature track of. The EP will be available there on October 2nd but you can pre-order it now. The big news here is that Menomena recently signed to the Barsuk label and will have a full length release titled Friend and Foe coming out 23 January 2007. When that breaks loose...Look out!! Visit the Menomena MySpace Page to hear more and if you get the chance, there is also a good YouTube video to watch. The Menomena website looks like a typical blogger page but click any link to the left and you have yourself an adventure. This band is plenty of fun and is currently on tour with What Made Milwaukee Famous who we featured a few months back. Here are some of the dates starting with tomorrow night.

9/20 - Norman, OK at Opolis
9/22 - Atlanta, GA at Smith's Olde Bar
9/23 - Chapel Hill, NC at Local 506
9/24 - Raleigh, NC at King's Barcade
9/26 - Charlottesville, VA at Satellite
9/27 - Baltimore, MD at Sonar
9/28 - Philadelphia, PA at World Café Live
9/29 - NYC at Bowery Ballroom
9/30 - Boston, MA at Harper's Ferry
10/3 - Montreal, QC at La Sala Rossa
10/4 - Toronto, ON at Lee's Palace
10/5 - Detroit, MI at Magic Stick
10/6 - Chicago, IL at Subterranean
10/7 - Minneapolis, MN at Triple Rock Social Club
























MP3: Wet and Rusting

Scrawl

Today is classic Sunday, and a chance for me to write about a favorite hometown band from the past. Although I feature quite a few Ohio bands, I don't think I've ever brought anything to the table from Columbus. This will be a good opportunity to start with the best. I must have been 16 years old when I made my way down to the OSU campus record stores on my moped and picked up a cassette tape titled When Cows Ruled The Earth. It was a compilation of local artists including RC Mob, Silent Majority, Painful Discharge, Great Plains...and of course today's featured artists Scrawl. I wanted to play the song Gutterball that was a part of that tape but couldn't find a quality mp3 to share. Instead, I decided on a track that was released 10 years later in 1996. (But since it's so good, we'll post Gutterball as a bonus track). Since the band really never altered their sound throughout the years, today's song doesn't stray too far from the early material. If the vocals sound vaguely familiar and you have no idea why, it might be a result of Marcy Mays making a guest appearance on the Afghan Whigs' album Gentlemen to sing the track My Curse. After reading what I could find around the internet, it seems that this is just the tip of a wonderful but highly unacknowledged iceberg.

























Scrawl was formed in 1985 as an all female power trio comprised of Marcy Mays (guitar/vocals) Sue Harshe (bass/vocals) and Carolyn O'Leary (drums). They opened up for The Meat Puppets that year as well as a few hardcore bands locally and so began their travels. The late 80s saw them touring with such bands as fIREHOSE and the Afghan Whigs. Scrawl was a local flavor and considered an active band, but for some reason always seemed to be re-emerging from some sort of sabbatical. Before I left Columbus for college in the early 90s, I attended our local music festival Comfest and, as Scrawl took the stage, heard from my roommate (who was dating a member of The Gibson Brothers) that the drummer was history for reasons I won't repeat here. I guess the well bridled term creative differences works as a substitute. Marcy and Sue went on to do various acoustic shows and eventually enlisted the assistance of Dana Marshall on drums.






















During the early 90s Scrawl toured with then unknown Oasis in Europe and Bob Mould's band Sugar here in the US They also did a session with John Peel in 1993 (right down the road from Michelle in Maida Vale). Scrawl released several previous albums, but today's featured song is from the band's major label debut (back when that term was applicable) Travel On, Rider on short lived Elektra Records. After a final record from that label they faded rather than calling it quits, playing random shows and festivals when they could make it back to Columbus. Some of Scrawl's music was produced by Steve Albini and they are even listed in the credits of the 1987 D. Boon memorial Minutemen release Ballot Results. I can't speak for the whereabouts of the other members of the band but Marcy is now part of a different type of power trio. She is part owner of the best bar and grill here in town. Check out the Surly Girl Saloon here in C-Bus whenever possible. If you decide to get a bite to eat, the Vegetarian or Meaty Chili 3 Way rocks! (Edit: and so do the Margaritas - Michelle)

The below stub might not look like much, but was a ticket to a really great, although massively unattended, show featuring the following headliners (yes, in this order):

Material Issue
The Ocean Blue
Afghan Whigs
Superchunk
Scrawl















MP3: Good Under Pressure
Bonus MP3s: Enough & Gutterball

Gisli

It's Saturday and a very good day for a fun song that might stick in your brain for some time. Several months ago I did a brief writeup on Girls In Hawaii here and on the MySpace group before the SXSW festival. Just recently it was noticed by not only the band, but their label as well. It was really nice to hear from all of them and after a suggestion was made, I needed to check out today's featured artist. This is a wild one for sure, but extremely well thought out, measured and presented in a fashion that leaves his obvious influence (Beck) seeming outdated and ready for the TV commercial jingle market. That might seem a bit harsh (just funnin' ya) but you really do need to visit the Gisli MySpace Page to hear how good the rest of these songs are. There is one track there titled Straight to Hell that sounds like what might happen if Social Distortion and The Steve Miller Band all got into a fist fight and fell into an electric fence together as a result. Regardless of how satisfying that visual is, I will attempt a return to topic and tell you that I really like this musician as well as the music. Not that you couldn't tell ah?













26 year old Gisli was born in Iceland and now calls Oslo, Norway home, or at least a place to live for now. The debut release titled How About That? came out this summer and is available on the Miami, Florida based China Shop Music label. There is also a China Shop MySpace to hear more good music and see what is probably the best label logo ever. I'm grabbing one of those t-shirts for sure. Also visit the complicated but interesting Gisli website for more information and yesss.... A video that is a must see. If that doesn't work for you, the YouTube version is always your friend...



This is great stuff I can't recommend highly enough. Brilliant....or as Michelle put it. "Fucking Great!"

MP3: I Don't Fight

Mersenne

This might be a first for MML and the MySpace group and is a very cool thing. If you've been visiting here for any amount of time, you'll realize my slight penchant for finding and featuring musicians from plenty of countries on all continents. I'll stay in Europe for today to bring you some great Italian indie rock. Before searching around MySpace a while back, I had no idea there were a few really nice music scenes happening in various Italian cities but I am now finding them. I've wanted to feature this song for a while and finally figured today would be as good a time as any. At one point while today's featured track was playing on my laptop, I was almost certain I was listening to the guitars of an early Yo La Tengo song from their Electr-O-Pura release. I still can't put my finger on the exact song. Inside the percussion of this one is a re-timing of the beat at most every turn which might lead you to believe the MP3 is skipping, but it is very purposeful and a nice tense addition to the sound... Bravissimo!















The power trio Mersenne from Bologna, Italy is comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Leo Borrelli, bassist Emiliano Colomasi and Cristiano Delfino on drums. They started the band in 2003 and have since recorded their debut release at the Alpha Dept. studio which is also in Bologna. Visit the Alpha Dept. Myspace for more also. This new full length CD is titled Stolen Dresses and will be available on 16th October through the Urtovox label (& promotion). Of course Urtovox is on MySpace as well. Since the Mersenne website is currently under construction, mention will need to be made that the Mersenne MySpace has more songs which are just as good as this one. This band is highly recommended.
























MP3: There's A Place

Like Honey

I was originally going to omit the fact that these musicians are from Sweden all together in order to let you hear this sound and imagine it. I feature plenty of Swedish music here, but not knowing any better, would have guessed this to be an indie rock band from the Ohio Valley area or at least the Midwestern part of the US. They have that dry tank local feel I've tried to explain in previous write ups. Pay close attention to the guitars here... very good. I'll spare you another dose of my inane drivel regarding sound and geography and instead tell you that, in a few other songs I listened to, Like Honey remind me of Juliana Hatfield from her first solo effort Hey Babe. I consider this a very good thing. From a blog I read, the band moved into their new practice space at the beginning of the summer that turns out to be a shower area beneath a local Bakery. Gave me a laugh.












The indie rock five piece Like Honey started making music around 2003 in Malmo, Sweden. The song I have featured today is from their debut EP titled So Silent that is out of circulation. It was originally released on the great Swedish based label Hybris. They were actually the first band to sign on to that label and have another 2005 EP available for purchase through them. If you are outside of that country there are several new ways to get your hands on their music. In the US you will be able to visit Darla.com and for other countries you will need to check the Like Honey MySpace for details. They have a video on MySpace also, but since I couldn't get it to work, I simply went and found them on YouTube. Here you go:



There are several more songs to download at the Like Honey website so hit them up. From more I read, they are working on new material, some of which is ready to record, so keep up to date with this one for sure.












MP3: November

The Harvey Girls

Today's review/writeup will be a short one for various non-music related reasons (I fell asleep after dinner.) I wish I had more time to go into how good this musical duo is, but will instead give you some links to investigate for yourself. While having a central sound that is easily identifiable, just about every track I heard had it's own flavor. They are compared to everyone from Yo La Tengo to Stereolab and today's featured song differs again with a good dose of loose and fuzzy guitar rock. There are plenty of downloadable songs at each of the following links so visit them for sure.














The Harvey Girls are the husband and wife duo of Melissa Rodenbeek and Hiram Lucke. They started making music together in 2003 and were based in Lawrence, Kansas until the beginning of this summer when they relocated to Portland, Oregon. The debut self titled full length release that this song belongs to is available through Imaginary Albums. The entire thing is free to download and there is not a weak track on it. If you visit The Harvey Girls website there is a bunch more for listening. They have a new album of cover songs that include classics by everyone from Blue Oyster Cult to Bad Brains!! This release is titled Our History is Your Kitsch and is available on the SVC Records label. Finally, there are more songs to get your hands on via The Harvey Girls MySpace. Plenty of good music all around. Enjoy. (as usual...no bandwidth was taken from the artist's site!!)



















MP3: Parking Lot

Shepherdess

The extended Buffalo Tom weekend was splendid and thank you for the messages. That band was great so I decided to stick around the Northeast for a really nice up and coming band that caught my attention. The song featured here today is just lo-fi enough to make you feel the kick pedal rattling the bass drum mic, but at the same time has this nice finished retro feel to it. The track keeps a low key beginning with every breath also recorded as a wonderfully reckless boom sound. At right around the 2 minute mark this jumps into a fuzz rock melody you can't help but love. There is another song to download on the Shepherdess MySpace Page that is really good also. Michelle thought the other song sounded a bit like Magnapop while I heard some serious 20 year old Salem 66 overtones. You Boston folks might side with me but go check the song first. There is very little info I could find on this band but I will give you what I could locate.















Shepherdess are an unsigned Indie quartet from the historic Boston area of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Members Hilken Mancini, Mike Savage, Emily Arkin and Winston Braman all seem to have various other bands they are involved in as well. In an effort to keep this brief, you will need to visit the above mentioned MySpace page to find out which folks are in what bands. There are also 2 more demo songs to download at at the Shepherdess Website. On September 26th they will be performing live music for Pipeline. They are also a part of the Guided By Voices Tribute Show scheduled for 11 November. Previously featured band on the group The Beatings will also be performing. The lineup is really nice for that event. This band is also great and a good example of why it is fun to do this whole music searching thing.



























MP3: Upside

MML on MySpace, and More Buffalo Tom...

Like just about everyone we know except for our respective mothers (shh, don't give them ideas...), we at MML inhabit our own little corner of the parallel universe that is MySpace. You should come over and say hello sometime - we'd love to hear from our regular readers... and not-so-regular readers... and anyone who's passing through, in fact! And while you're there, send us a friend request - we're friendly sorts and could always use some more. You'll be in good company - if you have a browse through our friends you'll find every one of the bands featured on here (and more) and might find you want to add a load of them too.

Look, we've even made a clickable banner type thing... go on, click it!



Oh, and today's featured song is, as promised, a mind-blowingly good cover version. Following on from Buffalo Tom's classic Birdbrain yesterday, we have their take on My Bloody Valentine's Cupid Come for you today. It was originaly released in 1998 as the B side of the single Wiser in the UK and was eventually re-released on the 2002 Besides CD. Bassist Chris Colbourn had the perfect voice to cover this classic that might just send you out of your chair if you haven't heard it yet. Wow.

We hope the weekend was a good one... we're still recovering from ours on both sides of the Atlantic. Happy Monday, everyone.

Casey & Michelle

x

Buffalo Tom

Late start today... I know, I know but the Buckeyes did win last night. I'll make it up to ya somehow when I am not so hungover... In the meantime here is a favorite band I wrote up while holding ice on my head, drinking massive amounts of water and swallowing Advil tablets.













There are only a few bands from the past that have a place in my top 10 (of all time) list and this is one of them. I guess it all depends on being at the right place at the right time. I remember arriving to a party just after High School in 1988 and hearing what seemed like some unfamiliar Dinosaur Jr. sounding songs. I was instantly taken with this lo-fi rock and spent the remainder of the evening marveling over the cassette case and insert while the party went on around me. I was at the record shop the very next day and found my own copy. Sometimes things are just meant to happen and this was the extension I needed to remove myself from the post-Hüsker Dü music depression funk I was in. This was the real deal. Today's featured song is from the band's sophomore album Birdbrain that was released two years later in 1990. If you ask most any fan of this band that is around my age, you will find that Buffalo Tom only really had 3 full length releases in (self titled) Buffalo Tom, Birdbrain and Let Me Come Over What followed would be an Aaron Spelling style 90210 catastrophe that can only be likened to what I would term "The Soul Asylum Effect". Yes this means they appeared on trendy 90's media shows that I cannot remember the names of. Does anyone know what Claire Danes is up to these days?












Joking aside, this is probably one of the best bands of the late 80s and early 90s. If you don't have any of the above mentioned releases you now have a mission. Boston, Massachusetts based power trio Buffalo Tom started making music in 1986 with the help of Dinosaur Jr. founder J. Mascis. The band is still active and you can check them out at the Buffalo Tom website. There is also a really well done website for the band's past and present endeavors at The Kitchen Door. Being the consummate MySpacer, I also found what I think is a fan profile for Buffalo Tom. There are some later downloadable songs there so hit them up! If you feel so inclined the is also a yahoo group dedicated to what we used to refer to as "buff tom". Just to put a little bird in your ear, there will be a follow up to this band tomorrow with a cover song that might blow your mind. Stay tuned and keep checking back.













I suppose I should repost this ticket stub for you... Please visit the original post this ticket belongs to. Another great band awaits!!















MP3: Birdbrain (1990)
Bonus MP3: Cupid Come