MML Vacation Mix: Bliss City East, Embarrassing Fruits, The Wagner Logic, Cabinet Of Natural Curiosities

Your friendly MML curators have taken it upon themselves to scratch enough pocket change/frequent flyer miles together in order to depart from the formerly-evil empire we now call home for a visit with family and friends in and around London, UK. Although our itinerary remains mostly unclear (pubs), we can at least give a heads-up on an evening we have excitedly set aside. Front and center will be our location on May 22 as Miles Hunt takes the stage with his long-time band The Wonder Stuff [Stuffies MySpace] (including the fiddle-tastic accompaniment of Erica Nockalls) at London venue Shepherd's Bush Empire. If you can find us milling around the stage and the exchange rate maintains its current level, expect us to buy you a beer for spotting the out'o'town music bloggers *Disclaimer: Beers may or may not be purchased from this O2-sponsored venue and are limited to one or fewer per stalker*.

For now, we bring you a sampling of impressive bands we have been paying a considerable amount of attention to in recent days away from the computer. Enjoy and know that we will miss you for the next two weeks. B'bye.

Bliss City East

Our friend and long-time shoegaze guru Perry, from Chicago, Illinois, has taken a sound he fashioned back in the early 90s with his band Skylight (who we featured in March and September of 2008) and created a simple yet beautiful new music project in Bliss City East. We originally presented this as a solo undertaking in December 2008, but now Perry (guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, programming, drums, vocals) has enlisted a full band with musicians Reuben Chew (guitars), Gail (bass guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Kim (vocals, keyboards) to complete the lineup. A brand new soon-to-be-titled EP is set for release this summer and there will be a limited tour to coincide starting July 10 at Chicago/Ukrainian Village venue Darkroom. Two new previews for you:

MP3: City Song
MP3: Happy Ending

Embarrassing Fruits

For those somewhat familiar with the history of the Chapel Hill, North Carolina music scene, this particular portion of today's feature will be an easy sound to recognize. In keeping with local tradition and presenting what could easily overshadow any big/new Merge sensation, the trio of Joe Norkus (guitar, vocals), John Neville (drums) and Lee Shaw (bass, vocals) of Embarrassing Fruits have managed to steal our collective ear. The band's debut, full-length album, titled Community/Exploitation, was released through Chapel Hill label Trekky Records just over a month ago and is well worth a few moments or even hours of your time. The next live performance will take place May 15 at local private-membership club Nightlight. If we end up doing a "best of" feature for 2009, you can place a safe bet this album will make the list.

MP3: Corner

The Wagner Logic

The Wagner Logic is a duo consisting of Jeremy Wagner (vocals, guitar) and James Glaves (vocals, guitar, drums) from Kasilof, Alaska. Although we find ourselves exploring various locations around the planet for new music, I am fairly certain this northernmost tip of the states and/or continent is a first for our little MML music blog. The understated guitars swirl responsibly while providing a dream-inducing, yet wonderfully dreary backdrop for whispering vocals that seem to emanate from a dank basement... exactly what we needed today. The track below will most likely be a part of the upcoming, yet-to-be-titled release through Wilderhood Records in the next month or so. To keep up to date with the band and listen to more music, we suggest a visit to The Wagner Logic MySpace page. Great stuff.

MP3: All In Good Time

Cabinet Of Natural Curiosities

As a parting listen, we have one of the sweetest songs in recent memory from Missoula, Montana (and/or Brooklyn New York) musician Jasmine Dreame Wagner. Her music project is Cabinet Of Natural Curiosities and the song featured today belongs to the latest full-length album, titled Searchlight Needles, which was recently released through Missoula label For Arbors For Satellites. The next live performance will take place May 12 at local venue The Laboratory as Jasmine kicks off a string of summer dates that will bring her through the Great Lakes (midwest to us) region and beyond. For a list of tour stops along the way and to get an earful of what has us completely smitten, stop in for a visit to the Cabinet Of Natural Curiosities MySpace page. Yeah, it really is that good.

MP3: Owllullaby

What a way to close up shop for a couple of weeks ah? We will return on or shortly after Memorial Day depending on the whole jetlag/boozelag situation. Much Love from Casey & Michelle xoxo.

Meeting Of Important People

Once again, we have the chance to keep our promise in following up on a previously featured artist with an impressive full-length release that was recently made available. Our original review of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania trio Meeting Of Important People took place in November 2008. Since that time, band members Aaron Bubenheim (bass, vocals), Matt Miller (drums, piano, vocals) and Josh Verbanets (lead vocals, guitar) have been quite the busy bees, completing their self-titled debut offering. In case you are not familiar with today's featured band or have yet to hear this new album, the song structures exist within a respectable tree-lined indie neighborhood, but in that guitar-haunted old corner home which sounds quite a bit different from its surrounding neighbors. Gloomy? Not at all... in fact, you just might find this new MOIP collection of music a perfect soundtrack for the warm change of seasons at hand. The next live performance will take place Thursday, May 7 in Pittsburgh as MOIP is showcased as part of the City Paper Remixed event at local WYEP Community Broadcast Center. Have a listen to the lead track from the debut album and contact them directly for a copy. Great stuff.

MP3: Brittney Lane Don't Care

MML Update: Twiggy Frostbite

Twiggy Frostbite is primarily the trio of Elin Lindfors (vocals), AnnaKarin Berglund (keys) and Emma Sjöberg (bass) from Gävle, Sweden who we first featured in December 2008 with a single from their upcoming debut titled Through Fire. Thanks to the kind folks at Stockholm-based label Despotz Records (Despotz MySpace) we are fortunate enough to have a second single from the recently-released album to share. Although this lovely track just barely times in at over two minutes in duration, contained within is yet again some of the most warm and well-measured pop music we have experienced in quite a while... beautiful, in fact. After a series of live performance dates at the Stockholm theater Dramalabbet earlier this month, Twiggy Frostbite is now preparing for their next engagement which happens to be the well-established event in Småland known as Hultsfred Festival. If you have the chance to attend this music extravaganza, a lucky sausage you are indeed. The second single for your ears...

MP3: Thrown In Two

Kite in the Air

Just over two and a half years ago, in August 2006, we featured the lovely duo of Jed & Lucia from northern California. Since that time, there have been no updates or communication of which to speak, so it was a complete surprise when opening our email to find an impressive new side-project that deserved our immediate attention. Kite In The Air is the beautiful vocals of Stockholm, Sweden native/San Francisco transplant Emma Lucia wrapped in an aerobic, yet thoughtful, backdrop of electronic accompaniment and production provided by Mark Reveley as well as Mike Genius of east/west coast-hopping outfit WZRDZ. The song featured today is one of five tracks that belong to the new self-titled EP that is available for download by visiting the Kite In The Air website. After rattling the windows of our little computer office with this new release for the better part of the past 48 hours, it only seemed fair to share the love...

MP3: Stinger

Dreamdate

How could we possibly end a gorgeous, sun-drenched weekend of gardening, beer consumption and sweat dripping off the nose without giving you a taste of the soundtrack? Admittedly, most of our listening centered around some old GBV and the new Bob Mould album (can you blame us?), but we also found the time to re-visit a band that was originally featured back in May 2007. For those not familiar, Dreamdate is the duo of Anna Hillburg (bass, vocals) and Yea-Ming Chen (guitar, vocals) from Oakland, California. As a follow-up to their debut album Come Over Now, these two upstanding young tryst-hunters, along with friends, have a brand new full-length offering, titled Patience, which is set to be released through Chocolate Covered Records (CCR Myspace) as well as Skywriting Records (Skywriting Myspace) in just a few short days. To celebrate this collection of new songs, there will be a Dreamdate CD release party on May 9 at local San Francisco venue The Knockout. If you happen to hold the glory days of 80s label Homestead Records close to your heart and could use a reminiscent yet new fix, this band will not disappoint. Two lovely previews from Patience for you...

MP3: Have I Told You
MP3: 8 Sleeves

Sex Jams

Glancing at the subject line for today's artist might have some wondering if a collection of sultry remixes suited for an evening of hot fornication awaits the ears. We mistakenly expected the same when originally checking out our featured band, but were pleasantly caught off-guard once the music took it's raucous shape. Sex Jams is a stirring indie rock four piece consisting of musicians Lukas (guitar), Katie (vocals), Christoph (drums) and Flo (bass) from Vienna, Austria. The band's debut 7-inch single is set to be released next month through Austrian label Fettkakao Records (Fettkakao MySpace) and then again later this year on Noise Appeal Records. To coincide with the new single, Sex Jams will be performing live for a handful of regional dates beginning May 8 at local Vienna venue Tüwi. One of the first things you might notice with the sound is the overwhelming influence of Sonic Youth in both instrumentation and song structure. If you are a hardcore, or even casual fan of SY, Sex Jams is an absolute must-listen. Enjoy the following preview of the new single.

MP3: On Our Way Home Is Nowhere

The Love Story

It's been well over two years since our original review of today's featured three-piece in December of 2006, but after squirreling our way through the post and excitedly retrieving a bright blue bubble-pack envelope with a familiar address label, we now have an impressive new collection of songs to report. The Love Story is a New York City trio consisting of musicians Molly Donahue (vocals, guitars), Renn Cheadle (guitars) and Jason Trammell (percussion, vocals, additional noise) who have a pair of previous releases and a brief bio that is well worth reading. The latest offering is a full-length album, titled Mink, which was made available through NYC label Blonde Records in recent weeks. With slow-burning intensity and a raw sound that captures what could easily be the recording process of a single microphone placed on a cold basement floor, TLS once again delivers a true lo-fi gem. The next live performance will take place this Friday, April 24 at local Brooklyn venue Dead Herring House. Lovely.

MP3: Puerta Rica

Groom

Our compliments on the Black Flag t-shirt

Many of the artists we feature on MML present a warm take on the phenomenon of love, while others seem to wrap themselves completely in the much darker and certain subject of death. Admittedly, our morbid curiosity is piqued on each end of the spectrum, however, it's not so often we find a band that is capable of blending the two together in such a cheerful manner. Introductions are well in order... Groom is the five-piece of Michael Stevens (guitar, vocals, synths), Jeroen Saegeman (guitar, melodica, keyboards), Wil McDermott (bass, synths), Brian O’Higgins (drums) and Ruan Van Vliet (drums, percussion, synth, autoharp) from Dublin, Ireland. Since 2004, these musicians have been writing and performing music and now have a mini-album to share titled At The Natural History Museum which is set for release next week, on April 24. To coincide with this release date, a live performance will take place that very same night in the upstairs portion of a fairly legendary local Dublin venue Whelan's.

Upon listening to At The Natural History Museum we found an impressive collection of catch-driven, guitar based pop songs, guided by the underlying wit and teetering vocals of Michael Stevens. The basic yet effective instrumentation and setup are solid enough for the band to avoid many of the peripheral bells and whistles commonly overused by similar guitar pop artists, which is refreshing to say the least. Have a listen to the following pair of tracks that belong to the brand new album from Groom.

MP3: Mythical Creatures
MP3: Let's Die Together

Screen Vinyl Image

Good bands always seem to know other good bands and such would be the case for today's featured trio. We originally found them well over a year ago as a result of snooping/stalking the social networking page of another duo we happen to love. Unfortunately, the track that was downloaded at the time (before MySpace committed suicide/disabled downloading) was never re-named on our computer desktop and we eventually forgot about that lovely song known only to us as "rtz57mx8que573ks.mp3". Now, after all of this time, there is a chance to redeem ourselves as a result of an email message received from long-time favourite label Safranin Sound. The band is Screen Vinyl Image and they are an experimental/psychedelic three piece consisting of Jake Reid (vocals, guitar, beat, synths, bass), Kim Reid (synths, programming, guitar, vocals) and Nathan Jurgenson (drums, programming, sampling) from Washington D.C. Although they have only been around since 2007, SVI boasts a pair of EPs, an impressive history of live performance dates and most recently their full-length debut album, titled Interceptors, which was released in January 2009. Have a listen to one of the latest tracks...

MP3: Fever



Yes, it really is that good. With influences ranging from the obvious in JAMC and, to a lesser extent, My Bloody Valentine, Screen Vinyl Image maintains the unusual balance of paying homage to the past while forging their own unique sound path that defies genre classification. Upon further listening, we found ourselves imagining these songs haunting the empty, damaged interior of a 70s era abandoned discotheque or boarded-up rollerskating rink (video concept?) At that very moment, those lovely chills up the spine returned to remind us why music is so very important. For additional information on purchasing a copy of the debut LP Interceptors and to preview more music, we suggest a visit to the Screen Vinyl Image website as well as the compulsory Screen Vinyl Image MySpace page. The next live performance will happen this evening as SVI takes the stage at a recently established venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania known as M-Room. Another preview from the new album for you:

MP3: Asteroid Exile

If our previous reviews of bands belonging to the Safranin Sound lineup were somehow overlooked, the links below will bring you up to speed and provide some outstanding music.

The Vandells
The Antiques
The Vera Violets

Charlotte & Magon

It's not often we find a couple who end up meeting one another on the internet while surrounded by music, but today we share a lovely story that mirrors our very own with two like-minded people from different countries who have taken a chance and that extra step forward. Charlotte, from Paris, France, and Magon, a resident of Tel-Aviv, Israel met online and communicated for two years before finally deciding that music, airplanes and eventually love were available options. Together, these two musicians have a recently self-released collection of 9 songs to share, aptly titled Love Happens, as a result of their international relationship and we can easily recommend an extended listen to their musical labors. More of a detailed bio can be found by visiting the Charlotte & Magon website and a handful of incredibly warm new songs are waiting to be taken in at the Charlotte & Magon MySpace page. A few music websites, blogs and zines have focused on the songs that could serve well enough as a love-anthem for this duo, but leave it to MML to find the fuzz-tastic guitar track... a hidden gem.

MP3: Howard

MML Update: Punch and Judy

We have a full schedule of music coming up this week for the first time in quite a while and intend on getting to all of the audio treats that have graced our mailbox/email inbox in recent days. To kick things off we bring you an indie rock quintet who were originally featured here in October 2006, with a follow up review almost exactly one year later in October 2007. Punch And Judy is a raucous five piece consisting of musicians Olof Astrom (vocals), Bjorn Vestlund (guitar), Daniel Straneus (guitar/noise), Edvin Thorbjornsson (bass) and Jonas Abrahamsson (drums) from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band just recently unleashed a pair of new tracks, one of which can be found below, and have a limited European tour on their hands later this month with the first announced live performance taking place April 17 at local Gothenburg venue Fängelset. For additional information, social networking links and another outstanding track in Casualty, be sure to visit the Punch And Judy MySpace page. The song we received will serve as an introduction as the first full two minutes are a tension-building instrumental base for the heavily punk-threaded sound we have fallen for once again. Here you go.

MP3: KDG

As an added bonus, and/or for those who need that little extra nudge, please check out these two previously released songs featured on MML and prepare for the hair to stand up on the back of your neck. Enjoy.

MP3: Kids On Meth (2007)
MP3: A Punch-Up (2007)
MP3: You Better Know It's Coming Back (2006)

Sticklips

As happens like clockwork once each week, Sunday evening falls directly upon our heads along with the sobering realization of another cubicle-dwelling handful of days existing in the not-so-distant future. In an attempt to fight off thoughts of our circle-o-impending doom, we've taken the time to sort though our email inbox once again and have some beautifully haunting/enchanting female vocals to share as a result. Although our subject line serves as an initial introduction, please have a listen to the following track before we continue any further.

MP3: Our Shoving Leopard (Finished Version)



Sticklips is primarily the music project of vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Johanna Warren who currently resides in the college town of Annandale-On-Hudson, New York. It was at Bard College where Johanna met guitarist/experimental noise collaborator Jonathan Nocera and together these two musicians have come up with an impressive compilation of songs that will soon serve as a debut release. The upcoming album is set to be titled It is Like a Horse/It is Not Like Two Foxes and we have another gem that will eventually belong to this dreamy little offering. Shall we?

MP3: Bedding Wells (Finished Version)



If you've avoided any instinct to dine-n-dash and have made it this far, there is almost certainly a new soft spot in the ear for Sticklips. Johanna's vocal strength could affectionately be likened to a number of our favourite classic artists, yet we find ourselves at a loss for for any direct comparisons... this is a very good thing. More information and music can be found upon visiting the Sticklips MySpace page and there is also a Sticklips blog where vegan recipes (we might actually like to try) as well as some additional insight is readily available. The next live performance will take place next Saturday, April 4, at local venue/converted automotive garage known to Bard College students and locals as SMOG.

Finally, a track we consider to be the "showstopper" simply for the fact that it ramps up into something of a slow-burning version of any given song we can remember from long-lost lovelies The Primitives. Enjoy the following seven minutes and be sure to look for updates here at MML once the debut release is out of the gate.

MP3: I Must Mend The Sail (Finished Version)

(Editor's Note: Update 10/15/09 - We've replaced the demo versions originally posted with the final studio versions just made available to us by the band. The album It is Like a Horse/It is Not Like Two Foxes is set to be released in November - full review to come!)

MML News: Bob Mould - Life and Times

Ohhh, do we have a treat for everyone today. For those of you who are not aware, the brand new full length collection of songs from legendary musician/songwriter Bob Mould, titled Life And Times, is set to be released on April 07, 2009 through Anti- Records. Being the all-around Bob fanatics we are here at MML, this is a very important date and a CD we cannot wait to get our sweaty little hands on. The folks at Spinner.com were indirectly generous enough to post the track City Lights (Days Go By) this morning and we are completely ecstatic in bringing you a preview right here. Be sure to clear any potential distractions from your immediate surroundings and sit down to have a listen.

MP3: City Lights (Days Go By)

Track Listing for Life And Times:

1. Life and Times
2. The Breach
3. City Lights (Days Go By)
4. MM 17
5. Argos
6. Bad Blood Better
7. Wasted World
8. Spiraling Down
9. I'm Sorry, Baby, But You Can't Stand In My Light Any More
10. Lifetime

Bob Mould website (Pre-order Life And Times)
Bob Mould blog (Information)
Bob Mould MySpace (Listen)
MML Preview: District Line (2007)
MML Live Review (2008)

Casey Chisholm

We often find ourselves hopping back and forth between NYC and the various music scenes of Sweden in making selections for our blog and even jokingly considered changing the name of this little joint to Malmö Malmö Brooklynade after a few too many cocktails one night. This time, however, we venture much further west for our featured artist. Casey Chisholm is a musician from the northern Californian town of Aptos who has been writing, performing and honing his audio offerings since 2002. After a handful of previous releases, Casey recently completed a brand new, self-titled collection of songs through Ascension Recordings & Publications. The music is an effective combination of acoustic and not-so-experimental electronica guided by Mr. Chisholm's subdued vocals which seem to echo the delightful influence of Lou Barlow and/or even Marc Almond at times. The CD release party took place last night at Metamusic Records in Santa Cruz and, just in case you missed it, Casey can be found again this evening with another local in-shop-performance at Streetlight Records. A pair of songs from the new album for you...

MP3: Sleep In Silence
MP3: Alive

New Video: The Very Sexuals

Some welcome news to report on Eindhoven/Noord-Brabant, Netherlands lovelies The Very Sexuals, who we originally featured early last summer with their debut album Post-Apocalyptic Love [June 2008 MML Review + Info]. The band now has a brand new video for the track Carla from this outstanding release and Mr. Joep van Son was nice enough to give us a heads-up message the other day. Have a look.



Amazingly enough, the debut album Post-Apocalyptic Love continues to be available completely free for download and is every bit as good as we remember it being last year. A pair of tracks from the album for you...

MP3: Bowie Eyes
MP3: Billy Idol Look-Alike Contest

Finally, some links for the label, related music projects, musicians and previous MML reviews that are all good destinations for information connected to today's featured artist. Please click around and discover more about The Very Sexuals... we love 'em.

Subroutine Records
Subroutine MySpace

The Very Sexuals
The Very Sexuals MySpace

The Sugarettes
The Sugarettes MySpace
MML Review: January 2007
MML Review: September 2007
MML Video Post: Feburary 2008

Foam

Oscar Kocken

Lassus

Who is this faceless person pictured above in the under-developed photograph? If you are even a casual fan of the various music scenes around Sweden and/or follow some of our occasional offerings from this musically blessed country, today's featured artist is someone you will definitely want to know about. Lassus is the longtime music project of multi-instrumentalist Andreas Lassus from Gothenburg, Sweden. Aside from his active participation in the bands Muxika77 and Boy Omega (who we last featured in September 2006), Andreas has been busy with his own solo material. A mini-album, titled Stop & Start, Severed Heart, was made available in 2005 through Villa Recordings and, after a number of appearances on regional compilations, Lassus will soon have a debut, full-length collection of songs recorded and distribution-ready for 2009. The upcoming album is set to be titled Future War Inside The Heart and will be released here in the states through Chicago based label Fragile Famile Records (an offshoot of Jeune Eté Records) at a date that has not yet been disclosed. After listening to the impressive preview track we've provided below, what surfaced immediately was a combination of acoustic and experimental electronic accompaniment balanced thoughtfully without the slightest hint of one sound swallowing the other. Since the Lassus website is currently under construction, you will need to visit the Lassus MySpace page for additional music and information. Enjoy the preview track and be sure to check back in for updates on the 2009 release of Future War Inside The Heart. This song is just lovely.

MP3: Here Comes No Ray

MML: Sunday Night Cover Songs

"Happy Birthday, Dear MML, Happy Birthday to Youuuuuu!"

Since we recently missed our three year anniversary here at MML (by a few months or so) and failed to think of a witty subject line or source a picture that remotely brought to mind the topic at hand, we found ourselves saddled with a Google-tastic photo of birthday candles and an introduction that deserves no further explanation. Over the past three years, we've had the pleasure of sampling many artists that continue to expand their own sound while occasionaly exploring the beauty of various classic musicians who serve as inspiration for their work. The result is often humorous and playful but there are moments when we listen to these cover versions and....ohh the loveliness. Have fun with the following 10 cover songs and please support the artists by picking up a copy of the latest release or checking out an upcoming live performance. The links are all there for you! xoxo.

Purplespace

Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Website & MySpace
MP3: Pretty In Pink (The Psychedelic Furs)

Shannon Roberts

Location: Chicago, Illinois
Website & MySpace
MP3: The Book Of Love (The Magnetic Fields)

Atomic Garden

Location: Clermont-Ferrand, France
Website & MySpace
MP3: Gift (Sugar)

Tomihira

Location: San Francisco, California
Website & MySpace
MP3: Mr. Disco (New Order)

Buffalo Tom

Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Website & MySpace
MP3: Cupid Come (My Bloody Valentine)

Hellsongs

Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Website & MySpace
MP3: Run To The Hills (Iron Maiden)

Lili De La Mora & 11HZ Robot

Location: Long Beach, California
Lili MySpace & 11hz Robot MySpace
MP3: Let's Go To Bed (The Cure)

Boy Omega

Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Website & MySpace
MP3: Papa Was a Rodeo (The Magnetic Fields)

Pansy Division

Location: San Francisco, California
Website & MySpace
MP3: Breaking The Law (Judas Priest)

The Blue Up?

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Ana Voog blog & Ana Voog webcam
MP3: Pink Turns To Blue (Husker Du)

Limbs

Brooklyn, New York always seems to be an inevitable music destination for our blog and this time around we promise not to disappoint or confuse the natural order of things here at MML. Upon first listening to today's featured artist, a perverse thought of those later swooning years of Superchunk, set to a backdrop of unorthodox song structures in the tradition of long-lost DC indie rockers Jawbox instantly took shape in our heads. If this scenario makes sense to anyone familiar with the aforementioned classics, it will be difficult not to love what you are hopefully already listening to. Limbs is an NYC trio consisting of musicians Jeff Stultz (vocals, guitar, bass), Oisin O'Brien (guitar, bass, backing vocals) and Chris Pressler (percussion, backing vocals) who have a 2008-recorded full length album, titled Seeds On Stone, that was officially released last week (3/2) with a performance at Brooklyn venue Cakeshop. To preview more of this outstanding music and find additional information on the new release, you can either visit the Limbs website or stalk them to no end on the Limbs MySpace page. Your next chance to check the band out in a live setting will take place March 21 at local Gowanus neighborhood establishment The Bell House. I think it's safe to say... we completely adore this band.

MP3: Head Above Water

Baron Bane

For those who have any semblance of a quality audio system connected to their computers, now would probably be the perfect time to generate a respectable level of volume. We've been happily rattling the old windows of our little office with the bass tones of today's featured music and wanted to share this gem in a quick post. Baron Bane is a seemingly anonymous troupe of musicians from Gävle, Sweden (a town we showcased over the holidays with Twiggy Frostbite) who have been together for several years and have a handful of previous releases. The most recent single, Love.Cure.All, was originally made available through Swedish label Stupid Dream Records in November 2008 and can now be downloaded completely free (along with remixed versions) by visiting the Baron Bane website or the Baron Bane MySpace page. The track you are hopefully already listening to will eventually be a part of an upcoming, full-length, yet-to-be-titled release from Stupid Dream Records and we are very much looking forward to it.

MP3: Love.Cure.All (Original Mix)

Buke and Gass

When artists send a physical copy of their offerings to us in the post, the music comes in a wide range of impressive and sometimes amusing forms. We've received everything from beautiful glossy resume-type folders to a modified Blockbuster movie rental box (labeled in crayon, as I recall) containing music that always gets a thorough listen. This time around, we have our hands on one of the most eco-friendly submissions to date with a simple, seemingly hand-stenciled foldout of the recycled paper board variety. All packaging discussion aside, we now have our hands on a lovely and elaborate collection of songs, one of which can be previewed below. Buke And Gass is the multi-instrumentalist duo of Aron Sanchez (gass, drum, vocals) and Arone Dyer (buke, voice, bells) from Brooklyn, New York. Although they have only been writing and performing this music together since 2008, there is already a brand new EP, simply titled +/-, that was recorded at Polyphonic Workshop and is currently available for purchase. The handful of tracks that make up this new release are filled with asymmetrical transitions that could easily have any listener imagining another three or four songs within each one, yet the overall flavor presented requires each little piece remain intact. The consistent portion of building musical tension combined with Arone's beautiful vocals easily finds us with another early favorite for 2009.

More music and information on snapping up your copy of the +/- EP can be found by visiting the Buke and Gass website and there is also a Buke and Gass MySpace page for additional sounds. The next live performance will take place this Saturday, February 28 at local Brooklyn venue/gallery The Glasslands. Have a listen.

MP3: Sleep Gets Your Ghost

Throcke

We've been receiving an extraordinary amount of great new music via email directly from artists that have checked out our little MML-world, but have unfortunately been neglectful in enjoying it away from the computer instead of sharing with our regular visitors. Can you imagine? This all changes tonight as we get back to business in bringing you an impressive solo musician to take in. Christopher Mollineaux Carson is a traditional instrumentalist as well as an established purveyor of experimental electronica who has roots in both the North/South Carolina cities of Chapel Hill and Charleston. After seasoning himself as a songwriter and drummer for several music projects over the years, Mr. Carson now resides in Brooklyn, New York where his main focus, aside from short film scores and commercial television editing duties, is his solo music endeavor simply known as Throcke. Chris has a brand new, full-length collection of songs, titled Sometimes Not Unpointful, that were just self-released and that we are fortunate enough to have been listening to for the better part of this past week. The tracks contained within this new gem are an inspiring balance of conventional implements, original field-recorded samples and a series of downright bounce-tastic electronic beats we can recommend without a single caution.

This is where it gets good. The entire new release Sometimes Not Unpointful is currently available as a free download (for a limited time, of course) for those who visit the Throcke website. While spending time there, you will find a ton of additional music from previous releases and some more detailed bio/contact information. For those like our outdated e-selves who refuse to completely give up on a certain social networking standby for music exploration, there is also a Throcke MySpace page to check out... enjoy.

MP3: Starry
MP3: Yes, Inform

**Bonus** From the Throcke debut CD Advance Longing:

MP3: The Un-answerable

The Monument

It hardly seems at all like two years-n-change ago since we first featured a Swedish band known as Backslick in October 2006. We followed up with another update in February 2008 and there is some good news to report as of late. Band members Khaled Saibi (vocals/guitar), Peter Valtersson (guitar), Dan Holmgren (bass) and Adam Petersson (drums) recently decided to change their collective identity and now this indie rock quartet from Gothenburg, Sweden can be introduced as The Monument. Along with the name change comes a handful of songs that make up a brand new, self-titled debut EP. The sound remains focused on energetic beats and Khaled's off-kilter vocals that continue to float in a lovely place somewhere between classic 80s stylings of frontmen Andy Partridge (XTC) and David Thomas (Pere Ubu). Additional information can be found if you visit The Monument MySpace page and the debut EP can be heard/purchased through The Monument website. Please do yourself a favour and have a listen to the lead track...

MP3: Journey To Joy

Hirasakana Oyogu

After a brutal start to the week with eye-stressing hours looking through endless spreadsheets at work and some premeditated physical exertion (local disco gym) afterwards, tonight's featured music is a welcomed and rejuvenating sound. Thanks to Royce and Sam at Melbourne, Australia-based world/folk-pop label Brother Sister Records (Bro-Sis MySpace), we have a preview of one of the most recent musical discoveries to grace their lineup. Hirasakana Oyogu is a street musician from Tokyo, Japan who utilizes traditional hand drums to create both regional and international rhythms as well as the ukulele, djembe and flute to add a series of simple yet effective backdrops for his soothing vocalization. The brand new international debut is titled S/T LP and the songs were recorded at different locations around the Japanese countryside. You can find more information about this March 2009 release at the Hirasakana Oyogu label page and there is also (surprisingly enough) a Hirasakana Oyogu MySpace page for your listening pleasure. This is exactly what we needed... goodnight and enjoy.

MP3: A White Car

Purplespace

In order to avoid any confusion that might result from reading the subject line for today's feature, we need to explain that this is not an attempt to peddle any sort of colour-themed social networking community. What we have instead is an incredible listen in the form of an ongoing side-project from the Jacksonville, Florida trio Starring Me (Starring Me MySpace) who we first presented in October 2007. The spin-off endeavor in question has been dubbed Purplespace and it consists of primary contributors John Kathsah (music, vocals), Tara Golden (vocals) and Reed Clendenen (bass, vocals) along with musician friends Emily Erin (vocals), Jim Singleton (drums, synth), Todd Weise (guitar), Mary Stewart (vocals) and Rob Frerman (more beats). The lovely result of this loose collaboration has been a 2006 debut CD in Broken Bells and now the brand new full-length release titled A Tiny Little Spark. After receiving A Tiny Little Spark in the post and having listened repeatedly for the better part of a week, we can easily recommend what should be one of your first music investments of 2009. The sound within any given track floats somewhere between post-shogazers Ride and 80s-tastic classic Book Of Love with an undeniable, yet subtle similarity to Her Space Holiday from beginning to end. Additional music and information can be found and most definitely should be explored on the Purplespace MySpace page. Let's have a first listen to a track from the new release... shall we?

MP3: I Needed You

Coupleskate

Early 2009 is already proving to be an exciting time for new music and, on the off chance additional convincing was needed, we bring you yet another outstanding band with an upcoming release for preview. Coupleskate is an indie rock quartet consisting of long-time musicians Andrea 'dre' Bauer (guitar, vocals), Laura Watral (keys, guitar, vocals), Lauren Viera (bass) and Martha Williams (drums) from Chicago, Illinois. Original bandmates Andrea and Laura began creating music together in 2002 and have since enlisted a new rhythm section to complete the current lineup. The result of their most recent collective effort is an impressive debut in the form of a full-length album, titled Don't Scare The Horses, which is set for a release date of February 13, 2009. While listening to this new offering entirely, we discovered a solid collection of songs flavoured, but never smothered, by the band's classic indie-rock influences. There are plenty of flattering comparisons that could be made, however, the sound is decidedly and quite delightfully Coupleskate's own. For more music and information, a visit to the Coupleskate website should be your first stop. There is additional music to be found at the Coupleskate MySpace page and we should probably tell you that the CD release party will take place that same Friday, February 13 at local Chicago venue The Empty Bottle. Don't Scare The Horses is a definite favourite new listen... and we have the lead track for you. Enjoy.

MP3: Laws Of Physics

The Half Sisters

For those who have skipped ahead in order to listen to the music, please try not to be alarmed when we inform you that today's featured musicians are not residents of Malmö or Stockholm. Instead, what we have on our hands is the young and completely adorable folk trio of Isadora (ukulele, vocals, sister), Freya-Rose (flute, vocals, accordian, sister) and Fifi (drums, vocals, half-sister) who make up The Half Sisters from Brighton, UK. Although they have only been writing and performing this music together since 2008, a highly infectious handful of recent recordings can be found on The Half Sisters MySpace page. While the sound might easily be ready for a label and the exposure such an endeavor could bring, we have an overwhelming feeling this minimal three piece would be equally content in busking any given side-street of their hometown. The next live performance, aside from various late night curb sessions, will take place at local Brighton venue Hector's House on January 29. Take a few moments to listen to what has us smitten... just lovely.

MP3: Come On Loui

Schwervon!

L-R: Gummo, Nan, Matt.

So we've spent an entire week neglecting our precious little music blog while also attempting to weather the sub-zero temperatures that have fallen upon southwestern Ohio in recent days. During this frozen lull in MML action, an upcoming CD along with a nice note were received in the post and we now have some outstanding/ear-warming music to share with you. Our original feature of Schwervon! took place almost two and a half years ago in August 2006 with a follow up as part of our Celebrating The Duo compilation in late 2007. Since that time, the band has come up with a brand new offering that will be released next month, but before getting into any of the details, a first listen is most definitely in order...

MP3: Pretty Slow



Schwervon! is the lovely two-piece of Nan Turner (vocals, drums, keys) and Matt Roth (vocals, guitar) from New York City, New York who, aside from being a long-time couple (not forgetting Gummo the cat), have been a continuous music project since 1999. The latest full length album, titled Low Blow, has recently been completed and is set to be released through the band's own label Olive Juice Music (OJ MySpace) on February 6, 2009. After having a preview of the new album, we have to be forthcoming in admitting that any given track included within the 13 songs that make up Low Blow could have easily been featured as a highlight here today. With that in mind, another random preview is ready for the ears...

MP3: Wake And Bomb

Low Blow is the perfect study on how to avoid the experimental bells and whistles, over-used by plenty of indie bands, in order to present a simple and highly effective rock record. Various classic influences can be found threaded heavily into some of the music, however, there is not a single moment where the balance shifts away from Nan and Matt's collective flavour. Not many bands can claim such a feat. For more new music and information, a Schwervon! website as well as a Schwervon! MySpace page both exist for your convenience. The Low Blow CD release party will take place at local NYC venue Cake Shop on February 6.

Levator

Give us a dozy Sunday afternoon to lounge about, licking all sorts of wounds, and we will find a way to conjure up some amazingly listenable music... this time from the Pacific Northwest. Sound like a deal? Levator is primarily the indie rock music project of Seattle, Washington based multi-instrumentalist Sky Lynn (vocals, guitar, effects, synth) who originally began making music under this particular moniker in 2003. After enlisting the assistance of local musicians Nate Henry (tenor saxophone, effects, keyboards) and Rando Skrasek (drums, effects, synth) along the way, this now trio has a third full length album, titled The Biggest Waves Come At Night, completed and set for self-release on January 27. As if Sky's commanding and remarkably beautiful vocals were not enough to convince even the most brutal critic in the house, healthy portions of saxophone accompaniment provide a welcome journey back into the crackle and hiss of most any listener's distant memory of The Psychedelic Furs earliest catalogue. Have a first listen...

MP3: Mocking Bird



The Biggest Waves Come At Night is an outstanding new collection of songs we can easily recommend; for Seattle locals, we'd also suggest a trip to the Sunset Tavern for the CD release party on January 30. For more of this music as well as a few videos, a visit to the Levator MySpace page should be your first stop. There is also an official Levator website for additional information on purchasing the music and a Ministry Of Truth blog for all the latest news and some insight. Another new track for you... sooo good.

MP3: Bruises

Sorting the Shoe(gaze) Cupboard - Vol. 2

It really is difficult to believe that almost a year and eight months have passed since our original May 2007 compilation titled "Sorting the Shoe(gaze) Cupboard" was posted. Even with all of the amazing bands and collections we have featured since, that specific entry remains the most visited (and hopefully enjoyed) on our MML blog to this day. Now it is time for more... much more. The artists featured today are listed in no particular order and each maintain their own unique sound while also celebrating a time tested style of music we will continue to lovingly refer to as Shoegaze. Please enjoy our latest installment/quick reference guide and be sure to support all of these outstanding musicians by visiting the links provided. Wall of sound, anyone?

Hate Everything You Hate

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Audioleaf & MySpace
MP3: Kisses Bloomed (demo)

Muscle Snog

Location: Shanghai, China
Neocha & MySpace
MP3: Mind Shop Is On Sale

Panda Riot

Location: Philadelphia, USA
Website & MySpace
MP3: Like Flowers

The Vera Violets

Location: Tampa, USA
Website & MySpace
MP3: In The Sun

Heroes Of Switzerland

Location: Nottingham, UK
Website & MySpace
MP3: Wonderland

Skylight

Location: Chicago, USA
MySpace
MP3: Winter
MP3: As You Leave

Elika

Location: Brooklyn, USA
Website & MySpace
MP3: Nowhere

Dead Leaf Echo

Location: New York City, USA
Website & MySpace
MP3: Pale Fire

Phillip Eno

Location: New York City, USA
Website & MySpace
MP3: Holiday On The Moon

28 Degrees Taurus

Location: Boston, USA
Sonicbids & MySpace
MP3: Low Light

Honey Thief

Location: Austin/San Antonio, USA
Website & MySpace
MP3: 7th Fold

Disco Ditto

Location: Singapore
AMP & MySpace
MP3: Drift (Live)

My First Days On Junk

Location: Vermont, USA
Website & MySpace
MP3: Try Hard

The Beijing Tangs

Location: Arizona, USA
MySpace
MP3: Empty

Summer Jets

Location: Bedfordshire, UK
MySpace & Secondary MySpace
MP3: 50 Reasons

Vidulgi OoyoO

Location: Seoul, South Korea
Cyworld & MySpace
MP3: Seeing Me Through Your Eyes

Satin Gum

Location: Pittsburgh, USA
MySpace
MP3: No, We Are Not Naming Our Kids After IKEA Products

Sharesprings

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
AMP Profile & MySpace
MP3: Ceiling Blossom

Ifwhen

Location: New York City, USA
Website & MySpace
MP3: Nothing Left To Avoid

Bliss City East

Location: Chicago, USA
MySpace
MP3: Need Another (demo)
MP3: Sun Is Cold (demo)

Kingsbury

While the better part of December was spent giving a taste of things to come in the New Year, some reflection on 2008 is definitely in order with today's featured artist. Kingsbury is the indie rock quartet of Bruce Reed (guitar, keyboard, vocals), Mark Freeman (bass), T.J. Burke (drums, programming) and Samantha Christine (guitar) from Orlando, Florida. The band's catalogue includes a pair of previous EPs, a full length 2007 release in The Great Compromise and, as the most recent addition, a new late-2008 EP titled Lie To Me. From the opening of any given track that belongs to Lie To Me, a subtle undercurrent of early Shriekback takes shape, only to be replaced by an overwhelming salute to The Afghan Whigs once guitars and energy are given a chance to build a healthy momentum. There is a Kingsbury MySpace page as well as a new Kingsbury blog, but your first visit should be to the official Kingsbury website where all of the recorded music can be found and downloaded completely free. For listening purposes, we highly recommend a dimly-lit room, stiffer-than-usual cocktails and maximum volume for your computer speakers in order to make vivid mental images of a young Greg Dulli pulling chords while a cigarette dangles from his lips. If there were a category for sexy male vocals on this blog, MML editor Michelle would certainly have a nomination in hand for Mr. Bruce Reed.

MP3: Lie To Me
MP3: Holy War

The Sky Drops: A Gift for the New Year!

In preparation for their upcoming full length 2009 release, set to be titled Bourgeois Beat, the Wilmington, Delaware duo of long-time garage rock/shoegaze frontman Rob Montejo (guitar, vocals) and Monika Bullette (drums, vocals) have kindly decided to make their 2006 debut EP Clouds Of People completely free for download. We first featured The Sky Drops back in May 2006 with a follow up in April 2007 and can honestly tell you, if cornered into discussing such things, that this EP easily tops our list of favourite releases over the course of the past five years. The songs are available if you visit The Sky Drops website, and there is plenty of additional information on The Sky Drops MySpace page. We are only posting a pair of tracks from the Clouds Of People EP that seem to have been mostly overlooked by critical types and will spare everyone our extended banter for the upcoming full length debut Bourgeois Beat. Enjoy these songs and seriously, for those who are not familiar, you absolutely must go download or at least listen to the rest right here. As good as it gets...

MP3: You Don't Crawl
MP3: The Go Go Go

Burning Hearts

It's not often at all we have the chance to feature music from Finland, but thanks to a heads-up from Matthew Bice of Portland, Oregon label Shelflife Records (Shelflife MySpace), we find ourselves with another favourite release for early 2009. Burning Hearts is the Finnish duo of Henry Ojala (instrumentation) who often serves as the drummer for Åbo/Turku based outfit Cats On Fire (flaming feline MySpace) and Jessika Rapo (vocals) with her beautiful voice that can also be found as a driving element of Helsinki band Le Futur Pompiste (LFP MySpace). Together they've created an impressive music project and now have a debut album, titled Aboa Sleeping, that is set to be released through above mentioned Shelflife Records on February 10, 2009. Do yourself an enormous favour and have a listen to this track from the upcoming debut Aboa Sleeping.

MP3: I Lost My Colour Vision

Twiggy Frostbite

We are off to complete some last minute Christmas shopping and pick up supplies for our first annual attempt at a Mexican-themed holiday dinner/margarita-fest tomorrow. For this reason the writeup will be brief, but the artist is muy bien and, to be honest, this particular song has been waiting patiently on our computer desktop for over a month now. Twiggy Frostbite is a five piece indie pop outfit consisting of musicians Elin Lindfors (vocals), AnnaKarin Berglund (keys), Emma Sjöberg (bass), Joel Thedéen (guitar) and David Kramer (drums) from Gävle, Sweden. The band has been performing together since 2006 and their debut album, titled Though Fire, is set to be released through Stockholm based label Despotz Records (Despotz MySpace) on Feburary 19 in Scandanavia and April/May 2009 in the UK. Today's featured track is a beautifully warm pop offering that borders on an equally dark simplicity, with Elin's vocal strength providing illumination for the journey. There is an excellent animated video for Heroes as well as additional information and music to be found by visiting the Twiggy Frostbite MySpace page. This one is well worth some of your time...

MP3: Heroes

As a holiday related side-note:

We recently discovered that the town of Gävle, Sweden is known for having the world's largest "Yule Goat", known as The Gävle Goat (Gävlebocken in Swedish) that was originally built in 1966 for the town square. Just about every year since that time, local vandals have attempted to burn this helpless straw goat to the ground and we felt a bit sad, yet amused, about the whole thing. You can find all of the unfortunate events surrounding our new goat-friend by visiting this Wikipedia page. It will be our new holiday tradition to report on the well-being of Gävlebocken every year from now on. Poor thing.



2008: 10,000 people turned out for the inauguration of one of this year's goats. No reserve-goat was built to replace the main goat should the worst happen, nor was the goat impregnated with flame repellent (Anna Östman, spokesperson of the Goat-committee said the repellent made it look ugly in the previous years, like a brown terrier). On the 16 of December the Natural Science Club's Goat was vandalised and later removed.

So Shush

As much as we'd love to paint ourselves as typical 70s kids who grew up listening to Edgar Winter with black-light posters and incense burning in the basement or attic of a parental nest, our childhood music memories might be a bit closer to early Black Flag or Siouxsie Sioux blaring out of a beat-up car stereo while loitering in the parking lot of a local pub. For reasons that might become obvious after first listening, today's featured artist seems to have a solid grasp on both of these worlds and the result has us absolutely smitten. So Shush is the long time music project of Carole Smart and Ian Drumm from Manchester, UK who were in various local bands throughout the 1990s and have been working together since 2000. The influences vary widely, from My Bloody Valentine to The Hollies or even Yes (yes that Yes), and so a well seasoned Hammond organ and generous helping of guitars are exactly what we have in store for you this evening. The first track for listening will soon belong to an upcoming Skratch Magazine (Skratch MySpace) music sampler that will be the latest in a series of 49. Here you go.

MP3: People Need Something

After listening to People Need Something, an overwhelming thought of Homestead or Sarah Records snatching this band up back in the day is an easy one to fathom. If you are looking for more of the classic sound we mentioned earlier, a track from the self titled, 2008 debut release, complete with a decidedly retro progressive rock intro, can be found below as a definite bonus. For information on how to grab a copy of this debut CD, a visit can be made to either the So Shush MySpace joint or Carrie's supplemental So Shush MySpace extravaganza complete with all-things Hollies. Plenty of good music to be found in both places. From the debut... nice!

MP3: Lucid Dreamer

As an extra bonus and thanks to Ian and Carole for sending their music in our direction, we just had to do this:

MP3: The Hollies - Carrie Anne (1967)

The Sound of Arrows

So we opened a message from one of our favorite labels today, but had no idea just how much fun was in store for us. Honestly, the timing couldn't have been more perfect for a couple of bloggers who are admittedly feeling the effects of this cold and gloomy grey season. The Sound Of Arrows is the lovely indie pop duo of Oskar Gullstrand and Stefan Storm from Stockholm, Sweden, and their latest single M.A.G.I.C. will be released through Labrador Records on January 28. For today's featured song, a classroom of chanting children as well as the accompaniment of a vocalist from Tokyo, Japan were enlisted and the result is exactly what the track title suggests. To check out a video clip that serves as an introduction for the new single, you can visit The Sound Of Arrows website and for additional information or music there is also The Sound Of Arrows MySpace page. It seems almost impossible to imagine a happier start for early 2009. Listen Listen!

MP3: M.A.G.I.C.

Herr Nilsson: No Man is Iceland

Temperatures are dropping to the extreme here in Cincinnati, with precipitation that looks more like stuffing from a faulty 1970s era beanbag chair rather than any type of proper snowflakes. In order to warm the ears this evening, we have an update on the Bergen, Norway musical collective Herr Nilsson who were featured here just over a month ago [October 29 review + download]. Guitarist and vocalist Terje was kind enough to send us a link to the new Herr Nilsson Blog where we found a brand new EP, titled (for now) No Man is Iceland, completely free for download. The songs were recorded in true bedroom fashion with limited polish or production and the lo-fi result of these efforts deserve nothing less than a high recommendation by our estimation. The big sounds and more information can still be found on the Herr Nilsson MySpace page and hopefully the Herr Nilsson website will be finished addition sometime soon. For now, we decided to share a couple of must-listen tracks from this DIY release. These songs are outstanding.

MP3: Olympic Fire
MP3: The More You Change, The More I Stay The Same

Eksi Ekso

The end of the year is quickly approaching and we've decided once again to escape the scramble for last minute offerings in order to bring you music we happened to have missed earlier this year. A belated message was received this past week from Lindsay and Joel of Covington, Kentucky based label The Mylene Sheath (TMS MySpace) and we couldn't be happier with the release they sent, not to mention the realization these dry-tank local folks exist just across the Ohio River from our Cincinnati home. With that out of the way, we need to get started in digging into the music. Eksi Ekso is a six piece from Boston, Massachusetts consisting of musicians Nate Shumaker (vocals, guitar), Tom Korkidis (bass, vocals, keys, samples), Clara Kebabian (violin, vocals), Beth Holub (viola), Sean Will (trumpet, keys, samples) and Alex Mihm (drums). They were previously known as The Burning Paris and eventually On Fire, but have since changed up much of the mechanics, or at least the instrumental duties involved, in order to create a June 2008 full length debut release titled I Am Your Bastard Wings under this new moniker. For those who've not had the chance to listen to this debut album from Eksi Ekso, a first exposure is definitely in order.

MP3: Killing Texas



After taking a few evenings to explore the collection of songs that make up I Am Your Bastard Wings, we immediately discounted any genre classifications made in the handful of previous reviews we read. With music this beautifully intelligent and effortlessly focused, it almost seems a crime to describe the sound as any sort of random texture, soundscape or ice cream flavor. Instead, we will simply ask you to listen to another lovely track with us.

MP3: Just Leave

For more music and information, be sure to check out the Eksi Ekso website as well as the Eksi Ekso MySpace page. I Am Your Bastard Wings is also available through Fredericksburg, Virginia based label Magic Bullet Records (MB MySpace) and, from what we've gathered, a follow up release is also in the works for 2009 with recording set to start in the spring. The next live performance will take place tonight, December 13, at legendary Worcester, Massachusetts venue Ralph's Diner. Before I forget, below is a YouTube video of a live performance from the release party for the debut CD on June 21. Once again, the song is Killing Texas. Enjoy.

East Hundred: Passenger

While plenty of bands seem to wait until the closing months of any given year to release new music, we are noticing an increasing number of artists choosing to wait until after the holiday rush for January and February to unleash their goods. So would be the case for today's featured music and since notification that an early copy was mailed in our direction, thanks to a certain drummer, our ability to wait for its arrival was nothing less than a challenge. Once received and opened, an incredibly professional press kit was our prize but, to be perfectly honest, they could have simply scotch taped a bar napkin to the CD and scrawled something like "play this" in crayon and we would have been no less excited. It wouldn't be the first time. East Hundred is a five piece from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania we originally featured in June 2006 with a follow up in February 2007. The lineup remains the same for a brand new full length CD, titled Passenger, which is set for a launch date of January 13, 2009. Before we begin our most recent gush-fest regarding EH, let's check out the second track from the album... ready?

MP3: Plus Minus



As if that song were not enough incentive for a mad stir to kick early 2009 into motion, we've also included a video below for the lead track Slow Burning Crimes which is an equally good view and listen for the current direction of the band. After taking some time to experience the new release in heavy rotation over the past week, some notable observations were made and we felt the need to share just a couple of them. The familiar sound East Hundred originally endeared themselves to us with is kept fully intact for Passenger, however, a new urgency emanates from all angles with more aggressive rhythms combined with an enhanced layering of guitars that will surely please most any indie rock-minded listener. This would all be well and good enough for a stellar MML review, but what ultimately sent our thoughts over the top were the enchanting vocals of Beryl Guceri which have become much more powerful as a guiding element for the band. Since the East Hundred website is currently being updated, a visit to the East Hundred MySpace page should be your destination for additional music and information from the band. The next live performance will take place tomorrow night, December 9, at local Philadelphia venue Johnny Brendas.

And now for the video. It was suggested we feature the Vimeo version of Slow Burning Crimes (which is far and away better quality) but we honestly had no idea how to embed it into the blog without sending the width restrictions of blogger into a tailspin... so here is the YouTube version for quick reference. Yeah, the above Vimeo link is what you should view for full effect. Enjoy!

Jelly Belly

If you happen to visit our music blog on even a semi-regular basis, it will be no mystery that we adore plenty of music that was released during the late 1980s to early 1990s on labels such as 4AD, Creation and Sarah Records. If you are familiar with this era and the specific sound/direction of which we speak, it might be assumed that more recent offerings of a similar persuasion would most likely be found in the UK or maybe even a few larger music scenes here in the states... ahh, but locations aren't always this obvious. The city of Bandung, in West Java, Indonesia is where you will find musicians Buddy (bass), Vian (guitar), Aduy (guitar), Oscar (drums) and Devita (vocals) who make up the ambient shoegaze influenced outfit Jelly Belly. The band has been together, with a few lineup changes along the way, since 2000 and have been featured on a number of compilations as well as releasing a debut titled Intro EP in 2005. As a long-overdue follow up, there is another upcoming EP that will be released through Bandung based music label Maritime Records, titled A Gorgeous Day To Remember. All of the details and additional music can be found by visiting the Jelly Belly MySpace page or the Jelly Belly Last FM profile. Don't let the playful name of the band fool you for a second... Jelly Belly is more than capable of sending any skeptic into a dream-like state with their impressive take on one of our favourite genres of music. Have a listen to this track from the new EP...

MP3: Farewell

Bliss City East

It's been a busy holiday week spent away from computers, mostly being traditional consumers of seasonal food, spirits and retail goods, but all the while new music has been filtering into our email inbox and we need to get back to things in a hurry. Tonight we start once again on familiar ground with a side project and new demo tracks from our friend Perry, a founding member of the Chicago, Illinois shoegaze outfit Skylight, who we first featured in March 2008 with a follow up in September 2008. The new, mostly solo endeavor from Perry is Bliss City East and the idea for the music couldn't be more simple or effective. Using only two chords for each song, surrounded by an accompaniment of beautiful noise and drifting vocals, a series of what could easily become impressive soundtracks take shape around each and every droning turn. From what we have learned, there are more songs, nearly completed, that will be available for listening on the Bliss City East MySpace page in the coming weeks.

In another bit of related news, we were informed that Skylight is moving forward with 2009 plans for a split/mixed EP (or something of the sort) with Seoul, South Korea based Vidulgi OoyoO as well as The Beijing Tangs from Scottsdale, Arizona. From the links you will find that all three of these artists have been featured on MML... so we can't wait to listen when the time comes.

MP3: Need Another (demo)
MP3: The Sun Is Cold (demo)