Blonde Summer: Eleganza EP

With all of the digital methods of music delivery available, reaching hands into the old MML post office box and finding a bubble-packed CD submission remains our favourite way to find new sounds. In the case of today's featured artist, a kind personal note was attached, leaving us with no choice but to listen in the car on our way home. Regardless of seasonal disconnect between the band name and chilled winds blowing autumn colours all around our auto-audio experience, it's a good thing we took a moment for listening. Blonde Summer is the music project of Los Angeles, California songwriter Chris Pope (guitar, vocals), along with supporting musicians Matt Reid (guitar), Chris Livingstone (bass guitar) and Stephen Kurshner (drums) who have recently put together five beautiful tracks belonging to a debut EP release titled Eleganza. Each and every song could easily serve as a highlight for featuring here, but our attention quickly honed in on Blonde as a good representation of what to expect from this new collection of music. An immediate introduction of hooks and breaks trickling unexpectedly into a sound that might have you wondering if you've stumbled into the middle of a lost number from Damien Jurado's 2002 album I Break Chairs. Excellent song from a solid EP worth paying close attention to. The next chance to see them live happens in Los Angeles on Friday, October 29, as Blonde Summer performs at local Highland Park venue, Mr. T's Bowl.

MP3: Blonde

Space Siren

Months have passed since hearing from our friends at lovely Dutch label Subroutine Records, so we were just a tad excited in receiving our latest email update the other day. There is a new release to report here later this week, but first we have some quick catching-up to do. Earlier this year, Voorhout, Netherlands four piece Space Siren completed an impressive, self-titled double 7" single with four tracks deserving of a belated, yet immediate listen. Driving rhythm lines accompanied by a frequent spray of thickly layered guitars seem to be a perfect setting for the commanding yet somehow sweet vocals of a frontwoman known to us only as Gwendolien. The next live performance will kick off a string of regional dates, beginning tomorrow night, October 21, at Eindhoven venue PopEi as Space Siren takes the stage along with labelmates Nikoo who were featured here in March 2010. Now sink your teeth into the lead track from this 7" double single...

MP3: This Radar

There is also a video, created by Siebe de Boer, for the song This Radar. Enjoy as well.

Jed & Lucia: Superhuman Heart LP

Coming off a weekend full of taxing obligations, we needed and found the perfect place to rest our minds for more than just a little while. To begin this week, we are fortunate enough to have new material from a pair of musicians who have been featured here many times in the past. Jed & Lucia are the Berkeley, California based duo of Mark Reveley and Emma Lucia who were first adored here in August 2006 with a debut EP titled Candles In Daylight. Since that time, we've mentioned their experimental electronic side project Kite In The Air with reviews in both April and November of 2009 followed by a return to the original loveliness of Jed & Lucia with another offering titled Many Many EP in January 2010. All history aside, there is now a welcome update to report for this ongoing collaboration. The band has completed a collection of thirteen new tracks, titled Superhuman Heart, which are set to be released next month through fabled San Francisco label/rare music purveyor Ubiquity Records. In advance of this new LP, the first single, Apostrophe, has now been made available and will give an immediate idea of what to expect from the album. Warm southwestern winds and sand under foot, or a brisk midwestern fall with leaves whipping up against windows...all you have to do is close your eyes for listening. Beautiful.

MP3: Apostrophe

True Womanhood: Ghost Modern LP

Early on this year, in February 2010, we listened and fell deeply for Washington D.C. trio True Womanhood and their debut EP offering Basement Membranes. Over the summer, fortune was ours as the band stopped through Cincinnati for an August show at Northside area venue Mayday. The performance was lovely and frontman/guitarist Thomas Redmond was wonderful enough to slip us a promotional CD, including nine completed tracks wrapped in a simple brown sleeve with a receipt-like piece of paper listing the songs. Ghost Modern LP is the working title for this collection of new unreleased music which ended up being recorded and mixed by J Robbins (Jawbox... need I say more?). After having our hands and ears all over the promo disc for quite a while now, we need to remind all to keep True Womanhood very much in mind. The Ghost Modern release date, or even label(s) for that matter, have yet to be decided but we can give you one of many highlights as a preview. Expect another MML follow-up once the dust settles.

MP3: Last Rites

Small Radio: Le Migré 2

Revisiting previously-featured artists is most always a favourite music treat blog-side and tonight we have a healthy dose of experimental electronica from a duo easily deserving of another close listen. Small Radio is the collaboration of Scotland natives Colin Sweeney (Small Colin) and Scott Buchanan (Radio Scotvoid) who have existed as a transatlantic music project for quite some time, with Sweeney now living in Hönö, Sweden and Buchanan calling Salem, Massachusetts home. Since our original review in December 2007 and follow-up for the Le Migré EP last year in August 2009, the pair have completed another four tracks which were only just released through German netlabel Rec 72 last week. Le Migré 2 is the title of this most recent mini-collection of music. With a deep, rich series of introductions leading into clockwork beats and reaching tones to send our dental filings humming like tuning forks, we can see no possible way to go wrong with this new offering... enjoy.

MP3: Excellenti

The Tyler Trudeau Attempt

With the recent change of season and subsequent temperature drop, we felt an overwhelming need to revisit the warmth of summer with an impressive 7-inch single released through lovely Connecticut label February Records this past August. The Tyler Trudeau Attempt is a revolving cast of New Haven, Connecticut musicians fronted by... you guessed it, Tyler Trudeau, a long-time songwriter who has taken up residence in Brooklyn, New York in recent months. For those already listening and angling for a specific influence, genre or time period to pinpoint, your finger might not find a proper resting place and the beauty of this sound might be overlooked entirely. Although any ridiculous comparison on our behalf might include classic artists Dick Dale and/or Joe Jackson, please take time for listening to this infectious blend of energetic guitar-driven pop guided, if not tempered, by accenting waves of surf-goodness. Have a listen...

MP3: These Are Dark Times

These Are Dark Times happens to be the lead single from an already completed full-length release titled Something, Anything Else which will hopefully be made available soon-ish for 2011 once the right hands grab onto it. The next live performance will take place tomorrow evening, October 10, at local Brooklyn venue Fort Useless as part of their Songwriters Salon #8. Seriously looking forward to a full review once the full LP hits. We leave you with the video for These Are dark Times...