Eye Was An Ion

Where updates are concerned, today's featured artist finds us reaching back into some of the earliest days of the MML music blog, It was just over two years ago, on July 7 2006, when we originally presented what was then a two piece from Canada consisting of Mac Colasimone and Ryan Kitchen on the now dormant MML MySpace group page. Another mention of the band was made on our compilation post Celebrating The Duo and, since that time, there have been some recent additions to the lineup. Patrick and Martin (full names/instrumental duties unavailable) now round out the full band experience and there is also great news of an upcoming LP to report. This yet-to-be-titled DIY release, which we are only guessing by the new t-shirts to be self-titled, will become available within the upcoming month of September so it is highly recommended... no wait, mandatory for you dry-tank regulars to visit the Eye Was An Ion MySpace page for updated information on the exact date of release. If our first listen to the track I Will Hunt You is any indication of what to expect out of the latest material from this understated Sudbury, Ontario, Canada indie rock outfit, there will be plenty of additional updates and enthusiasm from our direction.

MP3: I Will Hunt You

The Black Watch

The fall months are quickly approaching our doorstep, but aside from the increasingly cool temperatures at night, the only inkling we could have possibly noticed is that of some favorite bands preparing new music to warm our ears for another brisk Ohio autumn. In the case of today's previously featured artist, however, an amazing summer release was recorded and we neglected to investigate the news... until a month after the event. If a day late equals one dollar (USD hopefully) short, then I am thinking we owe the band a 30-spot by now... but never mind all of that. Our original discovery and feature of The Black Watch happened January 2007, with an October 07 update to follow. From what we have recently learned, this long-nurtured music project of Los Angeles, California based songwriter/novelist John Andrew Fredrick (guitar, vocals), along with contributing band members Scott Taylor (bass, vocals), Rick Woodard (drums) and latest addition Steven Schayer (guitar, vocals) have a brand new album, titled Icing The Snow Queen, which was released through what I am guessing is John's very own label Eskimo Records.



If you are familiar with The Black Watch, and/or our initial shoegaze introduction, you might be pleasantly surprised to find this relaxed new material to be more along the lines of the semi-delicate side of GBV rather than any type of MBV experience. After listening to the entire new release for a few days, we can easily report Icing The Snow Queen as being a favorite new album for 2008. More music, past and present, can be found by stopping in for a visit to The Black Watch MySpace page. There is also plenty of information and background that exists for your review on The Black Watch website. For those who reside in Los Angeles, an upcoming show in the outlying town of Sierra Madre will soon take place as TBW takes the stage at a pirate-themed venue known as The Buccaneer on August 30. Please enjoy 6:32 minutes of a low key track we couldn't resist...

MP3: Quartz Pink Cloud

MML Update: Loyal Trooper

Just over one year ago, in the earliest part of August 2007, we featured a song from London, UK based musician Andy Walker and his music project Loyal Trooper. A few months later, in December 2007, we again felt the urgency to post a handful of Andy's demo tracks that inhabited our computer speakers on more than a regular basis... and with good reason. Now we have the opportunity to present a first listen to the full band/finished product of one of our favorite demos from that last visit. The Holloway To Beeston Express is what you are hopefully listening to right now and this is only the beginning, where news on today's artist is concerned. There will be a mini-album made available on September 15 as well as a yet-to-be-titled, full length release at some point during the early months of 2009. You can find more information and gain some ongoing insight by visiting the Loyal Trooper journal/blog and also make a new internet friend while listening to the Loyal Trooper MySpace page. This coming Wednesday, August 20, a live performance will take place at local London (Soho) venue Black Gardenia. If only I had moved to London instead of Michelle invading Ohio... we would be there for the show.

MP3: The Holloway To Beeston Express

The Salteens

With so many artists now escaping the traditional structure of annual release dates in order to reveal new music on a monthly basis, it's always a treat to find an outstanding band that has the presence of mind to take this trend and make it work in their favour... with two songs a month to boot!! I'd like to think we pay close attention to updated information on the musicians we feature but, truth be told, we have the attention span of a common goldfish and could use all of the help we can get. With that admission out of the way, we can now get to business. The Salteens are a five piece musical collective made up of Scott Walker, Rob Calder, Brent Follet, Kevin Cooper and Carrie Tennant from the western city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The monthly music can be found upon visiing The Salteens website and more information is available through The Salteens MySpace page. We've had the guitar portion of this most recent submission happily floating in and out of our brains/ears for a few days now, so here you have a good listen on MML...

MP3: All We Want Is What You've Got

This month, the freely downloadable dual release from today's band is presented as a split single involving a B-side in the form of a spinoff project, titled The War Amps, which includes Salteen members Scott and Kevin. Here ya go...

MP3: The War Amps - All This time

Bonus Video: The following is a YouTube version of a video for the track "I'm So Happy, I Can Dance" that was filmed last year for the Nick Jr. television production Yo Gabba Gabba. If you are not familiar with children's television and are sitting at a table with a gun and an empty bottle of whiskey, this is probably not the video for you to watch. If, however, an unimaginable dose of sweet happiness can be appreciated without question, this viewing will find you in a warm little place few can argue with.

Honey Thief

As is often the case, we found ourselves bumbling around some of our favorite music-related websites and blogs for news late last week. After checking into Bob Mould's own personal blog, aptly titled Boblog, we found some new details regarding the upcoming February 2009 release, as well as his usual and often entertaining handful of random links. This time around, Mr. Mould listed MySpace links for a pair of bands with no explanation besides a single word that followed... that one all-important word being 'shoegaze'. Needless to say, taking into consideration Bob's massive influence on the original crop of bands from that particular genre of music, we scrambled to check things out and ended up listening to an amazing outfit that you MML regulars really have to hear. Honey Thief is an experimental indie rock trio consisting of musicians Leonard Orozco, Todd Kreth and Kevin Hudson from Austin/San Antonio, Texas. The current members have been active, in various regional bands, for the better part of 15 years and have now found a common focus in their latest incarnation. Before a first listen, we need to ask a somewhat ridiculous, but completely necessary question. Are you ready for your new favorite shoegaze band? I certainly hope so, and think we just found our own in today's featured artist.

MP3: 7th Fold

In case you were wondering, the balance of music that can be found on the Honey Thief MySpace page, as well as the Honey Thief website is equally impressive and a refreshing fix for those not yet ready to give up on a sound that deserves every ounce of energy and detail Leonard, Todd and Kevin have put into it. The next live performance will take place August 30 at San Antonio coffee/ale venue Ruta Maya Riverwalk. Let's finish with another song that might give you a better idea of why we are gushing so profusely. Enjoy.

MP3: Beyond Movement

Many big thanks to Todd & Co. for getting back to us and allowing MML to post the music on this short notice.

Le Rug: Sex Reduction Flower

So the official notice needs to go out once again... Le Rug retains the title (dubious or otherwise) of being the most frequently featured music project on MML. It's been almost exactly one year, aside from numerous beers in a Kentucky hotel room and a January 2008 performance at Cincinnati venue Gypsy Hut, since our last visit with the band... but before we dig into the new stuff, and for those not really keeping tabs, here are some links to previous features that contain plenty of music for your review:

June 18, 2007 (C.R.E.E.P. Release)
March 16, 20007 (Bleenex Release)
January 10, 2007
January 9, 2007
May 27, 2006 (previous band The Medics)

Now that we have the history portion of our post out of the way; there is a brand new, full length release to report, titled Sex Reduction Flower (as a play on the 1982 Fall album Hex Enduction Hour), that was just made available yesterday, August 8, through NYC label Tamur Records. If you are already listening and are not at all familiar with this band, the off-kilter vocals of front-man and founder Ray Weiss might bring to mind an unsettling, yet suprisingly addictive tone that falls somewhere between Mac McCaughan and John Lydon. The accompanying musicians that complete the full band lineup seem to change with each new Le Rug endeavor (if not song) so there really isn't any current listing to give you. Just know that the new album, however many nightmares we experience as a result of the cover art, is an outstanding new take on a consistently over-the-top amazing sound we can again recommend highly. Let's have a first couple of listens... shall we?

MP3: Harold Camping
MP3: Hugo

Inquiet

I woke up this morning and took a few steps out of bed to find myself falling down an entire flight of stairs. After sitting on the kitchen floor, examining my body for broken bones and being attended to by my wife, resident editor Michelle of course, only surface injuries were found and a Monday of gimping around the office ensued. It could have been an awful start to the week had it not been for the excited plans we had on posting today's featured artist... so for now I can lick my my wounds in audio/cocktail comfort tonight, knowing you will love the sounds. Inquiet is the music project of Melbourne, Australia based musician Sam Szoke-Burke and the song we decided to present is a beautiful track that belongs to to an upcoming, debut full length release titled Inq Beyong. The entire album will be made available through the artist-run AU label Brother Sister Records and there will be a launch party at local Melbourne media bar Horse Bazaar on September 4. For more experimental goodness, check out the Inquiet MySpace page and an extremely cool world music blog Sam runs called Yawning And Balafon. Have fun with this one... it's verrr good.

MP3: Middle Of The World

MML Video: The Hectors

Earlier this year, on Feburary 13 to be specific, we featured the quartet of Robert Bonilla (guitar), Corinne Dinner (voice, guitar), Erik Greene (drums, percussion) and Jim Saunders (bass) who make up a Los Angeles based music troop known as The Hectors. At the time, the band endeared themselves to us with a recent EP, titled Sometimes They Collide, that had just been released a few months earlier through Tarantism Records. Thanks to a quick message from Corinne, we now have the opportunity to feature another track from that EP in the form of a video that we suggest for viewing. Of course, if we had our way, this video would include more of a certain Lloyd Kaufman/Troma-tastic feel to it, but since most fans probably wouldn't appreciate the band members eating each other's brains in space... ok, let's just say it's probably a good thing we are not consultants for this type of media. Anyway, there is more solid music to be found at The Hectors MySpace page as well as the most updated information at The Hectors website. The next live performance will take place August 9 at a local LA event known as Highland Park Summerfest.

From the 2007 EP titled Sometimes They Collide...
MP3: I Drove All The Way From Bridgeport To Make It With You

From the self titled debut EP:
MP3: Darren