Panda Riot: Far & Near EP

Plenty of music finding its way into our ears for 2010 seems to belong to new EP releases and, if today's featured artist has anything to do with it, we might just need to create a "best of" list for this particular category by year's end. Our original review of Chicago, Illinois based duo (now trio) Panda Riot took place back in November 2006 with a listen to an impressive demo track that would eventually be included in their full-length album She Dares All Things we featured exactly one year later in November 2007. Since that time updates have been scarce at best, but we now have a preview for an upcoming treat, titled Far & Near EP, that is set for release on May 11, 2010. While taking in all six songs that comprise this lovely new offering, our sometimes fleeting attention span was almost instantly overcome by the drifting introduction that promised a sound consistent with the exact same listening experience we fell deeply for a few years back. Have a listen...

MP3: Motown Glass

The balance of the music included within the upcoming Far & Near EP presents more of a decided shoegaze influence with Brian Cook providing another exceptional round of swirling guitar accompaniment to highlight Rebecca Scott's guiding and downright crush-inducing vocals. Enough gushing for you? Listen further by visiting the Panda Riot website and be prepared for a new favourite.

CNC: No Mood EP

We've spent this past week on hiatus, mostly avoiding computers and neglecting our little music world, but now need to dig back into things with a recently released EP that sent enough chills up the spine to register along with a number of our classic favourites. CNC is the studio-only recording duo of songwriter Borys Dejnarowicz (formerly of The Car Is On Fire) and multi-instrumentalist Piotr Maciejewski (from bands Drivealone and Muchy) who reside in Warsaw, Poland. The late 2009 release that happened to catch our immediate attention was made available through Warsaw-based label Draw Records and is titled No Mood EP. After a number of listens that built into our eventual fervour, it became mandatory this collection of songs be heard as a single entity instead of any given attempt at random sampling. With a balance of experimental pop and noise-tastic interludes that will surely bring back loveless-loveliness from the year 1992, CNC seems to have delivered a powerfully relevant EP that is, tragically enough, a one time collaboration. How can this be?

Have a listen to the somber finale of No Mood EP. Beautiful.

MP3: Xenility

Tennis System

The term "psychedelic" seems to have gradually taken firm hold with artists and new fans of a time-honoured mid/late 1980s swirling guitar sound we continue to mention as "shoegaze". Not a single thing wrong with the generational shift in music classification... just an amusing observation that leaves us feeling a bit old. All genre discussion aside, we bring you a serious listening treat in Washington, DC four-piece Tennis System who have recently made available a full-length debut album titled The Future Of Our History. With repeated listens to only a handful of songs belonging to this new release, our attention was immediately drawn to the driving bass lines, gentle vocal accompaniment and a building guitar presence that could easily please the most insufferable purist. Give this track a listen...

MP3: FS

As it turns out, the band will be making their way through the midwest with a March 15 stop just down the road at Lexington, Kentucky salon/art haus The Hive along with Philadelphia based outfit (The Sounds Of) Kaleidoscope who we featured almost four years ago in May 2006. A road trip might just be in order for this show.

The Ex-Girlfriends Club

Oddly enough, setting foot into an unfamiliar music venue still leaves us distracted by the compulsory grotty black carpet, tangled rope lights and occasional waft of patchouli drifting from a booth along the wall. It never gets old but, truth be told, one of our favourite preoccupations is music that emanates from the PA system before, between and after sets. In most cases, the selections are classic or easily recognizable while, in other instances, we end up humming random anthems from bands we don't know at all on the way home in our car. Enter tonight's featured music project which could easily be a favourite sound from either the main stage or a demo CD left behind the bar. The Ex-Girlfriends Club are a Portland, Oregon-based music collective that have an impressive self-titled debut EP that will be released next Tuesday, March 2. Although the band members seem to be listed by nickname only for now, we will make mention of a little connection with local PDX band Saturna (originally featured here in April 2007...shhh!) and ask that you join us, bottle in bag, for an especially thick coat of sparkle-blue nail varnish and listen to this raucous, glam-tastic loveliness.

MP3: Your Prescription
MP3: Tower

Yes, we are now officially in love with this band and hope you have a similar experience (with or without nail decoration). The next live performance will take place Friday, February 26 at long-time Portland venue East End. Aside from this event, you can find more music for listening and information on the upcoming EP by visiting the following links...

The Ex-Girlfriends Club website
The Ex-Girlfriends Club blog
The Ex-Girlfriends Club MySpace

Hallo... I Love You!

Although the term ear-bleed has been an ongoing staple in describing indie rock outfits that suit our fancy, we quite often neglect to detail our much-welcomed toothache when it comes to the sweetest of electronic pop. Tonight we have a perfect example of what happens to be an adored sound with Hallo... I Love you!, a Liverpool, UK music project that formed almost exactly one year ago. Musicians Chris McIntosh of 28 Costumes, Andy Donovan from Elle S'Appelle (who we featured in September 2007), Robert Whiteley and AnnaMarie Owens have a brand new debut single that will will be made available through their very own label Rekord Meister on March 8, 2010. A brief description of you can expect from a purchase of the new release quoted in the press release we received... how lovely is this?

"The single, Walk Me To The Sea will be released on deepest sea-blue 7” vinyl on March 8th 2010. It will be presented to you inside lovingly hand made fuzzy-felt bags complete with under-the-sea themed fuzzy felt shapes with which you can design your own sleeve and have 'insane' and 'endless' amounts of fun in the process! The release will also be available through all decent download sites."

For additional listening and information, visit the Hallo... I Love You! MySpace page and also plan a visit to Sheffield venue Bungalows And Bears for the next live performance tomorrow night, February 19. The band was kind enough to supply us with the B-side from this new single and we now have the fortunate pleasure of forwarding it straight into your ears. Stringent beats accompanied by a lightly threaded hint of classic 80s fare in the vocals and we are in the bag for sure. Here you go...

MP3: What Does It Mean?

MML Update: Monzano

Digging ourselves out of a snowstorm seems to have left us exhausted, chilled and exactly one day behind in reporting a decidedly warm new release from a band we featured many moons ago. Our original mention of Oslo, Norway four piece Monzano took place over three years ago, in November 2006, with a mostly distracted ramble and preview for the track Poster Boy which would eventually belong to their full-length debut High Horses & One Trick Ponies. Since this 2007 release (2008 through Japanese label Friend Of Mine Records), musicians Sjur Lyseid (of The Little Hands Of Asphalt), Eivind Bøe, Magnus Rauan and Eivind Almhjell have taken the time to craft another 10 songs that serve as a perfect evolution for this guitar-pop sound we had almost forgotten all about. The brand new album, titled By This Time Last Year Everything Will Seem Younger, was just made available yesterday 2/15 through Oslo based label Spoon Train Audio (Spoon Train MySpace) and we have a listening experience to share. Such a lovely pop song that might just give you a good indication of what to expect from the new album.

MP3: Cold Waters

KC Quilty: Clover/Coriander LP

It's early morning, late at night or wherever you find yourself at this particular moment and for once we happen to be punctual in presenting a brand new album release on the exact day of its birth and subsequent journey into many ears. Before getting started, attention needs to be directed towards our October 2009 introduction of today's featured artist in which reference was made to an adorably shy fund-raising campaign, via Kickstarter, that is somewhat responsible for the collection of songs we are ready to bang on about. New York City based duo KC Quilty has a brand new, debut album titled Clover/Coriander that was just made available minutes ago through NYC label Cooling Pie Records (CPR Blog) and we've now had a chance to shake loose a few floorboards of our tiny office space with the sound. No need to waste time here... let's dig into the very first track.

MP3: Clothes

Clover/Coriander was recorded in various locations with the assistance of local musician-friends over the past several months. The end result is ten ridiculously solid songs that highlight the guiding Hersh-esque vocals and downright monstrous guitars of Sadie Dupis as well as the driving rhythms, auxiliary accompaniment and underlying direction of Julian Fader. The CD release party/live performance takes place this evening as KC Quilty takes the stage at local Brooklyn venue Spike Hill along with Magnetic Island (formerly Renminbi who we featured in 2007 & 2009) so check it out and pick up a copy at the show. We leave you with another lovely song from Clover/Coriander that was randomly plucked for, if no other reason, a simple word association with the previous track, Clothes.

MP3: Tags

As a quick side, it's not often we find ourselves with a debut release that escapes any single tedious or awkward moment... this really is a good fucking record.

Yahoos

As an occasional treat that comes with maintaining our little MML blog, we sometimes have the fortune of discovering impressive new music in different stages of completion... or considered a work-in-progress by the artist. Tonight we just so happen to have a good one to share. Yahoos is the solo music project of Bobby Theberge, a multi-instrumentalist from Atlanta, Georgia, who served as drummer for the now-defunct Marietta based outfit Moros Eros a few years back. With a handful of new demo tracks for download or stream and additional contact links on the Yahoos Bandcamp page, Bobby is preparing to release a debut, self-titled EP for early 2010. Consider this a brief introduction, but look for more comprehensive updates in the coming months. Lo-fi goodness awaits...

MP3: Red Bulging Eyelids

Sex Jams: Post Teenage Shine LP

Early last year, in April 2009, we featured the Vienna, Austria four-piece Sex Jams and their lovely debut single On Our Way Home Is Nowhere. Since our initial mention, musicians Lukas (guitar), Katie (vocals), Christoph (drums) and Flo (bass) have remained busy in putting the finishing touches on a brand new, full-length release titled Post Teenage Shine. The new album will be made available in 180 gram vinyl accompanied by a complimentary digital download through Austrian label Noise Appeal in March 2010. There will only be 300 copies for sale so it might be a good idea to contact the label straight away for pre-ordering purposes. The following song alone might just serve as a good reason to grab your copy of this new offering. Have a listen...

MP3: Aeroplane Waves



Oh yes, this album really is good and the heavy influence of Sonic Youth remains thoughtfully incorporated into every track. A solid release from beginning to end, Post Teenage Shine delivers a wonderfully accurate series of kicks to the abdomen followed with a gentle pat on the head threaded into each turn. For those having a difficult time waiting until March, local Vienna labels Noise Appeal and Fettkakao Records will have 200 copies of the 7" single Julie Had A Brother available on February 19 to coincide with a live performance at Wiener Neustadt venue Triebwerk to launch a handful of regional dates in support of both new releases. We leave you with a preview of the new single... sink those teeth in.

MP3: Julie Had A Brother

The Dogs

While there were no plans to feature music on MML this evening, we've been listening to an impressive young band over the past few days and decided to sneak one in on you... shhh! The Dogs are a Chicago, Illinois-based four piece who released a self-titled debut album in November 2008 and now have another full-length collection of songs, titled Free Write, to share. With their somewhat subdued sound that enlists the accompaniment of a handful of additional supporting musician-friends, the band manages a series of downright juicy turns and twists within each of the tracks that belong to this latest offering. Free Write can be freely downloaded by visiting The Dogs website and you can also follow occasional updates via their ongoing journal Dogblogblog. Especially lovely sounds can be found with the following song we were particularly fond of...

MP3: Walla Walla, WA

True Womanhood: Basement Membranes EP

Our bad little habit of researching music blog aggregators for the saturation-factor before a listen to music files landing in the old inbox nearly had us missing out on today's featured artist. Luckily enough for our collective ear, the accompanying message sent was kind and brought a smile as we ended up surrounded with the sounds of an energetic young band that most definitely deserves an extended listen. True Womanhood is a Washington, D.C. trio consisting of musicians Thomas Redmond (guitar, vocals), Melissa Beattie (bass, aux) and Noam Elsner (percussion, aux) who have only been a musical troupe for the better part of this past year. In a fairly brief period of time, the band has been steadily building a well-earned stir and have just released a debut EP, titled Basement Membranes, which was made available last week through Baltimore label Environmental Aesthetics (EA MySpace). Beyond the easily spotted vocal inflection of a certain Mr. Yorke and underlying influence of Sonic Youth, it might have been the unexpected rough-edged ...Trail Of Dead guitar feed and jilting off-beats that turned our passive smile into an evil grin. All comparisons aside, True Womanhood is a band well worth following closely. Here you go...

MP3: Shadow People
MP3: A Diviner

Dynamic Truths

Every now and again, we have the chance to jump into our waaaay-back machine in order to present an obscure band that might not have received proper consideration during their first go at the whole music thing. In the case of today's featured artist, there is cause to believe a revival of sorts is underway and the music suggests a definite reason to pay attention. Dynamic Truths were a Richmond, Virginia based post-post-punk outfit that existed between the years 1996 and 2000, with a 7" single released on Merge Records in 1998 and a track that belonged to an early Yep Rock compilation we have failed to locate. The good news? New Jersey label Little Black Cloud (LBC MySpace) will make available a collection of 15 mostly unreleased songs that span the brief history of Dynamic Truths, titled Understanding Is Overrated, on March 16, 2010. There are only 250 copies of this CD retrospective for sale, so contacting the label directly for pre-ordering purposes might be a fairly good idea. Have fun with what we consider a sound that seems to deserve every bit of pop n'crackle our old beat-to-hell vinyl stash has to offer.

MP3: Sailors Of The Highway

Jed and Lucia: Many Many EP

Plenty of previous dates/links to report with today's featured duo... so let's get started. Our original review of Chatsworth, California-based musicians Jed & Lucia happened well over three years ago, in August 2006, with mention of a debut EP titled Candles In Daylight. Since that time, contact was almost completely lost until we recently began providing occasional updates for their experimental side-project Kite In The Air in April 2009 and November 2009. As an unexpected treat, we can now present the brand new release Many Many EP which consists of five hauntingly beautiful songs to serve as a lovely reminder of how easily our casual gaze through an office window can end up lasting for hours. From the opening guitars and playful electronic accompaniment of the lead track Many Many to a quiet descent in Rigidity, Jed & Lucia leaves us with one of our first favourite listens of 2010. A preview for you...

MP3: Spaceman

Alli Millstein: Human Nature EP

So we've spent the better part of this new year attempting to tie up loose ends from the past 12 months, but at some (this) point we need to let go of our guilt in missing numerous blog-related emails and move forward with 2010. As a final farewell to close out our 2009 files, we present the lovely vocalist/guitarist Alli Millstein from Hartford, Connecticut and her recent collection of songs titled Human Nature EP. Although the featured track, Mend My Heart, clocks in at a mere one minute and forty-five seconds, there is ample time to become smitten with what we consider an honest and beautiful vocal delivery. The next live performance will take place this Saturday afternoon, January 23, in Red Hook, New York at a chocolate mecca/music venue known as Taste Budd's Cafe. For those with a sweet tooth, ear or both, show up at 2pm and also be sure to visit the Alli Millstein Sonicbids page where you can find additional information.

MP3: Mend My Heart

Collider: BBM EP

Sorting though our email inbox, we've found a belated treat that probably should have been mentioned a few weeks ago. Late to the punch might be an understatement, but we can now share some outstanding new music with you. Collider is a San Francisco, California based rock outfit who released a debut EP, titled Down In Saturines, in early 2009. As a follow up, the band recently made available yet another self-released gem in a collection of eight songs, titled BBM EP, on New Year's Eve. After our initial (and quite extended) listening session, the sound and/or influence seems to fall in a delightful place somewhere between Rush and Ride, if we are allowed such ridiculous comparisons. Give these new songs a chance to build into a flurry of aneurysm/orgasm-inducing guitar tones and you just might feel the need to carry on listening.

MP3: Time Concerns
MP3: Modern Ends

*Bonus* From the February 2009 release Down In Saturines EP:

MP3: Drop Out And Off
MP3: Isolator

If you are enjoying these songs, pay a visit to the Collider Bandcamp page where both EPs and a single are completely free for download. The next live performance will take place this Friday, January 22 at local San Francisco venue Rockit Room. Check em out.

Chariots of Tuna: I'm So Good at Shining

Since an extended winter cold snap seems to have taken seasonal residence in our little corner of Ohio, we can think of no better way to defrost the ears than with a previously featured artist who has a decidedly warm new guitar pop single to share. Chariots Of Tuna is the oddly named, Brooklyn/Queens, New York four piece we made original mention of last year in July 2009 with their impressive EP Fondness Makes The Heart Grow Distant. If you have the chance, we recommend a visit to our previous review for links that might give a better understanding of the history and accomplishments of the musicians involved with this project. The brand new single from Ben Morss & company is titled I'm So Good At Shining and is now available for free download through lovely Connecticut-based label Tweefort Records (Tweefort MySpace). Once again, we are smitten with what we can only hope might be the precursor to a full-length album for this band.

MP3: Seven Miles Away

Dana Falconberry: Halletts LP

Late last year we made mention that Austin, Texas was not particularly familiar ground for our music exploration, but sometimes the cage needs to be rattled a bit and today's featured artist did quite the job of it. Our original review of Michigan native turned Austin blossom Dana Falconberry happened in September 2006 with her impressive Paper Sailboat EP. A more recent follow-up took place in April 2008, when we posted a video from Dana's full-length debut Oh Skies Of Grey, and now there is a much-welcomed update to report. The brand new self-released LP, titled Halletts, will be made available next week with a live performance/release party to coincide at local Austin venue Mohawk on January 14. For those not familiar with the vocal stylings of Ms. Faconberry, expect a warm treat in her distressed, yet overwhelmingly enchanting delivery. Such a beautiful song as a preview for the new album... please have a listen.

MP3: Nightingale

*Bonus* A YouTube video for the song Baby Blue Sky from the 2008 album Oh Skies Of Grey.

MML Update: Stellarium

There are a handful of upcoming releases we have been saving for the new year, but a unanimous decision was made to provide a noisy burst to initiate 2010 with music that might just make a head or two explode or at least leave your ears fizzling for a while. Stellarium is the Singapore based music project of a multi-instrumentalist simply know as AZ who we first featured under the band name Disco Ditto in June 2008. A few months later we received the first recordings from Stellarium and did a brief follow up in October 2008. As a welcomed update, the band now has a new full-length debut album that is self-titled and very much worth the time in listening. Additional information on picking up a copy of the new release or checking out their next live performance at local Singapore venue Blackhole (January 23), pay a visit to the Stellarium MySpace page.

For those who appreciate the lovely noise that can result from layers of fuzzed-out guitars with a heavy JAMC influence and shoegaze hints threaded into every turn, the following track will be a good starting point for the new album. Enjoy at maximum volume.

MP3: Chocolate & Strawberry

MML: Favourites Edition (2009)

Belated as it may be, our own little addition to the annual year-end mountain of "Best Of" lists will probably be the last you'll have to endure. After spending the better part of our extended holiday weekend listening to featured artists from this past year, it became clear that we would need to limit ourselves in only listing full-length albums. From one of the most influential indie-rock musicians of all time to a college student in New York, our survey of each release has been a comprehensive and enjoyable listening experience. That being said, please pay little attention to the fairly arbitrary number rankings and spend time exploring links to what we consider ten of the most enlightening music collections made available during 2009.

10.) East Hundred

Album Title: Passenger
Artist Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Previous Review:December 2008
Links: Website & MySpace
MP3: Plus Minus

9.) Opsvik & Jennings

Album Title: A Dream I Used To Remember
Artist Location: New York City via Norway/Oklahoma
Previous Review:June 2009
Links: Website & MySpace
MP3: Windswept

8.) Purplespace

Album Title: A Tiny Little Spark
Artist Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Previous Review:February 2009
Links: Website & MySpace
MP3: I Needed You

7.) Screen Vinyl Image

Album Title: Interceptors
Artist Location: Washington, D.C.
Previous Review:April 2009
Links: Website & MySpace
MP3: Fever

6.) Burning Hearts

Album Title: Aboa Sleeping
Artist Location: Helsinki, Finland
Previous Review:December 2008
Links: Website & MySpace
MP3: I Lost My Colour Vision

5.) The Legends

Album Title: Over And Over
Artist Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Previous Review:September 2008
Links: Website & MySpace
MP3: Always The Same

4.) Sticklips

Album Title:It is Like a Horse. It is Not Like Two Foxes
Artist Location: Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
Previous Review: March 2009
Links: Blog & MySpace
MP3: Bedding Wells

3.) Buke And Gass

Album Title:+/-
Artist Location: New York City, New York
Previous Review:February 2009
Links: Website & MySpace
MP3: Sleep Gets Your Ghost

2.) Bob Mould

Album Title: Life And Times
Artist Location: San Francisco, California
Previous Review:March 2009
Links: Website & MySpace
MP3: City Lights (Days Go By)

1.) The Sky Drops

Album Title: Bourgeois Beat
Artist Location: Wilmington, Delaware
Previous Review:August 2009
Links: Website & MySpace
MP3: Swimming With Fishes

Renminbi: Surface EP

A Sunday evening this close to the holidays could have easily found us in a tangle on the couch with ambient beardy-man music echoing endlessly throughout the house... yeah, right. With the correct volume levels, floorboards should be rattling around your computer right about now. Our original review of Brooklyn, New York duo Renminbi happened just over two years ago in November 2007, and we now have some belated news to report as an update/highlight before 2009 is in the books. Founding musician Lisa Liu (guitar, vocals) along with SMV (keyboards, vocals) have received a well-deserved amount of attention since our initial mention and have released their most recent collection of songs, titled Surface EP, which was produced by Don Fleming (Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth) earlier this year. For a perfect balance of building tension and the recurring flurry of guitar goodness serving as release, we can offer the following track, Set-Up, as an instant favourite from Surface. Have a listen and also visit the Renminbi MySpace page for additional music and information.

MP3: Set-Up