Love Dance

For a band that has little information available on the internet about them, Bergen, Norway indie pop outfit Love Dance is getting plenty of attention from bloggers and music resource-type folks alike. After checking a few reviews at For The Eardrums, Indie Rock Mag (French) and Skatterbrain, I have to admit I was also hooked. The Sarah Records and/or shoegaze comparison might be a bit much of a stretch, but I will definitely agree with previous reviewers that this really is some of the best indie pop released so far this year. There is no Love Dance MySpace page that I am aware of, and the Love Dance website is nothing more than a blurry page with two email addresses listed , but if you go to this older Q&A bio there is at least some basic info. The first song featured below is part of the bands new 2007 full length release titled Result. There is also a track from their debut 2005 single for your review. Both were released by German label Marsh Marigold and are also available for purchase from Poppolar Records. Go ahead and list me among the growing number of bloggers who highly recommend this band.

From the full-length 10 song 2007 album "Result"
MP3: Losing Faith

From the 4 song 2005 single "You Should Know Where I'm Standing"
MP3: Stay Handsome

Mersenne

It might just be coincidence, after posting our latest review of an Italian indie pop artist, that I arrived home from work the same day to find a package in our post box from Italy!! Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a CD from last September 15th featured band Mersenne [read original review + download]. After a few back and forth trips to the office with this disc in my car audio system, I can report that the entire thing is a very good listen. The album, titled Stolen Dresses, was recorded last year at Bologna based studio AlphaDept. and was released in October of 2006 by the band's label Urtovox.














Leo Borrelli (vocals, guitar), Emiliano Colomasi (bass) and Cristiano Delfino (drums) are the indie rock trio from Bologna, Italy that comprise Mersenne. For additional information and music, visit the Mersenne MySpace page. Also, check out the Mersenne website as it is now up and running. Finally, below you will find a couple of YouTube videos of the band. The first one is of the song we featured last time, There's A Place, while the second is the band performing live in Milan, Italy. Enjoy!

MP3: Changing My Plans
MP3: I Can't Stop

The Year Zero (Sweet Trip Remix)

It's been almost a year since we last featured Los Angeles area musician Lili De La Mora with a project in which she contributed her beautiful vocals for experimental artist 11hz Robot [June 1, 2006 review + download]. After receiving a nice message from Lili last week, I learned that she continues to move forward as an extremely active musician since our last visit. The Year Zero is primarily the dreamy musical undertaking of Lili De La Mora and Rodney Sellars from Long Beach, California. Currently accompanying the duo are musicians Alex Villanueva, Jennifer Galdean and Chris Clawson along with the assistance of their trusty Tascam 424 MK (3?). The song featured today is actually a remix by Roby Burgos of the exceptional San Francisco area experimental pop outfit Sweet Trip. The original version of this song will be a part of an upcoming TYZ full length tentatively set to be titled Land of Relics. It will be released through the band's label Skipping Stone Records and, if this song is any indication, will be near the top of my must-purchase short list. For more information and a few more wonderful songs, check out The Year Zero Myspace Page. This remix is excellent in that it showcases the ambient sound The Year Zero is known for instead of overwhelming the original track. By the end of Made of Nothing, the borderline shoegaze that develops had me forgetting this was a remix at all. Great new stuff.

MP3: Made of Nothing (Sweet Trip Remix)

MML: Where Are They Now?

The two people who run MML have been separated by an ocean for far too long. We have been dealing with a mountain of paperwork, The Department of Homeland Security and an assortment of additional hick-ups but now have some good news to report. Michelle finally has her Visa and will be moving to the States at the end of this week... I couldn't be happier. You must excuse our absence as we get settled and ready to kick your doors in with new music. We appreciate your patience. For now, we will present you with 3 songs from the 80s you are sure to remember.... Have fun with these treats and see you very soon. ~ Casey

MP3: Anne Clark - Wallies
MP3: Cabaret Voltaire - Sensoria
MP3: Book Of Love - Boy

Le Man Avec Les Lunettes

How about an experimental Italian band with a French name that sings in english... anyone? Yes indeed, here we go with a wonderful indie pop song that sent me happily out of my chair within the first few seconds. This doesn't happen often but, ohh when it does, you can rest assured we will feature it on MML. The initial chaotic electronica quickly forms into subtle vocal harmony acompanied by the organic musical mixtures I was fortunate enough to stumble across. Le Man Avec Les Lunettes is the duo of Alessandro Paderno (vocals, eastwood guitar, microkorg, acoustic guitar, diamonica) and Fabio Benni (vocals, gem imperial organ, omichord, glockenspiel, theremin, tape echoes machine) from Brescia, Italy who have been making music together since 2004. The song featured today is actually from a very recent compilation/theme album titled Let It Bee... This release includes a total of 20 artists with songs about bee related subject matter (like honey) and is available if you visit the band's label My Honey Records (My Honey MySpace.) For more on this international duo and their brand new CD simply titled "?", you will need to stop by the Le Man Avec Les Lunettes website. Also be sure to send a compulsory "friend request" while listening to more new tracks on the Le Man Avec Les Lunettes MySpace page. I hope you are listening to this Italian indie pop. High recommendations from MML are in order this time.

MP3: Could I Call You Honey

MML: Update From Sweden

It's been a while since we visited one of our favorite locations for music, so today we return to Sweden for three of our favorite artists featured previously on MML. To start things off, SE/UK musician Gustaf Kjellvander is back with his music project The Fine Arts Showcase. The upcoming May release will be a Rough Bunnies tribute record and today's featured single is one of the cover songs from it. Believe it or not, the entire thing was recorded in 3 days. Next up is another song we neglected to feature last time from DIY bedroom artist Christoffer aka Henry Morgans Solokarriär. He only started recording this music last September and has a very good demo to share as a result. Finally, duo Fredrik and Ola, who make up The Lovekevins, have a brand new debut album in Vs. The Snow which is currently available. The featured track, Tamagotchi freestyle, is a good example of the infectious retro-pop you can expect from this new release. The links you will find below include our previous review as well as the artists myspace page and official websites. All of these are good sources to find more music and are well worth your time to investigate.

The Fine Arts Showcase - Dance With Your Shadow

Location: Malmö, Sweden / London, UK

[Original MML Feature - July 26, 2006]
The Fine Arts Showcase MySpace Page
The Fine Arts Showcase Website

MP3: Dance With Your Shadow

Henry Morgans Solokarriär - Keeping Me Warm

Location: Uppsala, Sweden

[Original MML Feature - Feburary 5, 2007]
Henry Morgans Solokarriär MySpace Page
Henry Morgans Solokarriär Website

MP3: Keeping Me Warm

The Lovekevins - Tamagotchi Freestyle

Location: Malmö, Sweden

[Original MML Feature - November 29,2006]
The Lovekevins MySpace Page
The Lovekevins Website

MP3: Tamagotchi Freestyle

MML Sneak Peek: The Cherry Tempo

Early this past August, we featured the amazing song In Hindsight I know from Santa Fe, New Mexico based outfit The Cherry Tempo [original review + download]. Since that time, the band has been working on new material in a different direction. I had the chance to message back and forth briefly with guitarist Dave Jordan and was happily surprised with a couple of unmastered tracks that are a work in progress. These songs will be a part of the upcoming 2007 June Records full length release titled Capital! Capital! We are definitely looking forward to giving this a full review upon release. Check out the links listed below for more information.

The Cherry Tempo Myspace
The Cherry Tempo Website
June Records

Please note: these mp3 files are low audio quality (64kbps so you will need to crank the laptop speakers)
MP3: Specialized Ground Control
MP3: Electrickery

From the debut self titled 2006 album. (audio quality: verrrry good)
MP3: In Hindsight I know

Shhhh!... this last song actually made it's way onto episode 15 of MTVs The Real World (Denver) but don't hold it against them.

MML New Music Flash: The Sky Drops

MML just received word last evening, via MySpace, that one of our favorite previously featured artists have a pair of brand new songs to share. At the end of last May, we featured The Sky Drops [original review + download] and have been adoring their specific brand of guitar rock ever since. Now that I listen to these new tracks, it becomes clear that an evolution beyond the band's initial shoegaze-heavy focus was a step forward in the right direction. The vocals are now more pronounced, while not interfering with the lovely, well measured guitar centerpiece we are all too familiar with. You'll want to take some time in listening to the music available here on MML today. I can assure you... plenty of well deserved attention is on the way for this band.

























In case you are just now finding out about them, The Sky Drops are a Wilmington, Delaware duo consisting of Rob Montejo (guitar, vocals) and Monika Bullette (drums, vocals). We also featured the excellent solo work of Monika Bullette in August of 2006 [original review + download]... The brand new music featured today is also available on The Sky Drops Website. For more info and an enormous list of upcoming tour dates, visit them there. Also check out the additional links below. These new songs get ridiculously high recommendations from both Michelle and myself. Take a listen to both of the following.

MP3: Million
MP3: Sentimental

The Sky Drops Website
The Sky Drops MySpace
Bullette Website
Bullette MySpace

MML: More Love From The West Coast

I hardly spend enough time searching for and featuring music from the west coast these days. It's gotten to the point where there was even a suggestion made that we rename our blog Brooklyn, Sweden. Nice one but no thank you. Since we finally made it back out to Portland, Oregon with our last post, we figured it would be a good idea to stick around a bit longer. For our first submission, The Olive League, we actually get to stay in PDX for a dose good lo-fi rock. From there, we travel (musically speaking) south down the coast to San,Francisco, California for Bellavista, another good shoegaze-infused rock band some of you are probably more familiar with. In any case, I have been listening to both of these artists recently and wanted to share the love. I hope you enjoy.


The Olive League






















The Olive League is a musical duo consisting of multi-instrumentalists Matthew Murphy and Elizabeth Sarp of Portland, Oregon. They have been creating music together as TOL since 2004 when they met while residing in Austin, Texas. What impresses me most about this band is that they do not attempt to mask that they are only a two piece with what could otherwise be an infinite (and unfortunate) number of sound layers. Instead, what you get is a raw, less than polished invitation into their home studio recordings. Both of today's featured songs belong to the upcoming self released full length CD titled Vagrants. You will be able to get your hands on a copy this June to coincide with the band's limited tour kicking off June 13 at local arcade/music venue Ground Kontrol. For more information, visit the The Olive League Myspace as well as another link below to view the artwork of Elizabeth Sarp. All good stuff to investigate.

The Olive League Myspace Page
Art by Elizabeth Sarp

MP3: Island To City
Bonus MP3: Our Demon Authors Rendered


Bellavista
















Assuming the number of friends on any given myspace music profile is a semi-accurate indication of popularity, quite a few of you will have at least heard of this San Francisco outfit. Formerly known as Vue, re-formed members Rex Shelverton (guitar, vocals), Jeremy Bringetto (bass) and Cary LaScala (drums) are back with a droning reverb-a-billy classic in Temptation By Your Side, which is the first of today's featured tracks. The second song Put It On, although more subdued, might give you an equal idea of what you can expect within the complete body of music from this band. Both of these songs will be a part of the forthcoming self titled LP which should be available through Take Root Records soon after the CD release party April 25th @ local venue The Rickshaw Stop. Check the links below for more details. Thanks once again to my cat Robbie over at Musebox Marketing for the heads up on this one.

Bellavista Myspace Page
Bellavista Website
Take Root Records

MP3: Temptation By Your Side
Bonus MP3: Put It On

Saturna

The last time we focused our sights on PDX (Portland) this past July, there were plenty of bands to take in. One of our favorites from that virtual visit was local dream rock quartet Saturna [original review + download]. The song featured then was part of the band's debut six song EP ...All Night, which is currently available on CD Baby. Since last year, a full length follow up has been in the works and is now set for release. It includes some of the songs from the above mentioned EP and was a big treat over the weekend. It's not often an artist will give complete untethered online access to their unreleased material, but Saturna was kind enough to do so for us. Besides the original track posted, there is another new song on our MML MySpace page to check out. The tracks featured here are also highlights and either could be a serious contender when we sort through our rock-based favorites for end of year honorable mention. The first song, Periwinkle, almost has a Ticket to Ride feel along with what I can only explain as a beefed up guitar version of a song off the record Big Shot Chronicles from delicate 80s garage classic Game Theory. Chasing the Unpredictable starts in true Ride fashion and brings out a nice and heavy sparkling guitar delivery at around the 1:00 mark. Be sure to stick around for it. This is a solid release with not one weak track in the mix and gets high recommendations from both Michelle and myself here at MML.













Saturna is a Portland, Oregon based four piece rock outfit consisting of musicians Ryan Carroll (vocals, guitar, bass), Steve Anderson (vocals, guitar, bass), Eric Block (guitar) and Matt Badger (percussion). The upcoming full length album titled Some Delicious Enemy will be self released next month on May 29th. For more information and streaming music visit the Saturna MySpace page. There are also downloadable tracks as well as details of where to buy this music on the well-designed Saturna website. Lookout folks... The band just finished up their first SXSW performance last month and you will probably be hearing much more about them very soon if my buzz-o-meter is gauged correctly. Great new stuff from PDX.

MP3s: Periwinkle
Chasing The Unpredictable
Extra Special Bonus MP3: Fall

So you want to blog music?

I probably could have taken up any hobby, craft or crime spree to make life worthwhile... so why create a music blog? The answer is quite simple but will take a few moments to explain. Growing up with music largely controlled by radio was not so bad at all. Up until the mid to late 80's you could still hear artists not usually pumped into shopping malls and tanning beds if you tuned in at the right time. To be honest, I really have no idea how or why it all changed. I could easily blame MTV or some random entertainment monopoly like Clear Channel but I never paid enough attention to either of them to give a sharp left hook in this article. Should we blame Nirvana, Green Day or Smashing Pumpkins for allowing themselves to arrive at the ridiculous? I'm not sure. Something happened during the early 90's that changed everything and I can't put my finger on it. Can you?













The original Satan?

Anyway, since the advent of the internets (largely for the purpose of pornography...thanks Mr. Gore you fucking clown) there is a new, and sometimes irresponsible,outlet for finding new music that most people would have no access to otherwise. From your everyday local garage rock band to an experimental audio project, artists from around the world can now be found and, more importantly, heard. All you have to do is look beyond the crumbling establishment that is, for now, the mainstream media. It's actually kind of nice to see this long festering blister collapse and dry up into a scab after all of those years of Kenny Rogers and Lionel Richie developed into an assortment of lip-sync boy bands, TMZ tots and political opportunist country bumpkin babes. Simply stated... If you despise American Idol and what led up to this sheep like state of foot-on-neck media we are left with, you might want to consider blogging your own music.













American activists in action.

If you would like to take part in what many bored music fans like myself do on a semi-regular basis, the following hints might make things a bit easier for you. Anyone can start a music blog and I think taking some of the mystery out of it is well worth the sacrifice. If you look to the right column of this page there are several other music weblogs that do things the right way. They are not just displayed for decorative purpose or to make it seem as though we have friends in high places. We hardly know any of them but have serious respect for the content they present. You too can develop a good blog with the following basic tools. Let's get started!!

MySpace

This is a given. You absolutely need a MySpace page to blog music. As much as you might hate Rupert Murdoch and having to sort through fake porn profiles (for research), you will need to find music on this free social networking site. Every band under the sun, although sometimes in a joking manner, has a page there. You can remain anonymous and still find music on myspace even if you are disgusted by the thought of it. It's not that bad at all. We still have our Listening Room Group Page of around 5000 MySpacers there to work out some of the bugs/typos before posting here.

Blogger

Put your blog on blogger.com just to make things easy. You will need to know something about HTML to make it nice but the same code that is needed for MySpace page color, style etc. can be used there. Just copy it from the code you already have. It's fairly simple, free and can be addictive. Plenty of the best bloggers out there still use it.

Sitemeter

This will record your visitors and give you the web page and location they are visiting from (and what they googled to get there.) You can also check what content they click when on your page. When it works, it is something you will spend most of your time analyzing. Yet another addiction. Oh yes... It's free also.

Music Hosting: Midphase

Let me first say that we are not a part of any referral based commission program with the above mentioned company. I am only giving you the best plan available for starting a music weblog. You will need to host your own music since most up and coming bands, however happy they are that you noticed them, will not take kindly to having bandwidth from their tiny websites drained. This is the first part of the equation that requires you to make a financial investment. I'd plan on having $100.00 USD available for a year of hosting that cannot possibly be used to the fullest. Besides, they have a phone number you can call to ask ridiculous questions. 24 hour phone support from Chicago... not New Delhi. If you don't have the money to do this, you probably have more pressing issues at hand than starting a music blog.

Music Aggravators

Of course I am joking with the title of this section. Did you notice the little boxes at the bottom of the right of our movable screen? Those are mostly unknown to me since Michelle put them there. I suppose there are a couple I can comment on. First of all, Hype Machine is probably the best place to find out whats going on in and around the music blog scene. When you add those little tags to your blog, every other time you post something, your information will show up for all to see. Elbo.ws is another good little tag to add to your blog for exposure. We show up on both sites often.

Image Hosting and Logo

When you find a picture of the band you would like to post, don't just copy the link into your blog. They call that bandwidth theft and we are as guilty as anyone from our earliest posts. Photobucket is awful and Flickr seems like some bad version of YouTube so I highly recommend Imageshack for hosting. It is simple and free. If you look back at some of our blog entries from the past, you will see plenty of pictures missing. Host them yourself. It takes 2 seconds. Our logo (pictured above) was just a Saturday night photo taken by my then 6 year old daughter. We had gone to the candy store late night and had my camera handy. Abigail took this perfect shot inside my Mazda3 while balancing our camera on the steering wheel and munching her licorice. My little girly clone is good with cameras and this will always be my logo. Now you know.

To finalize this monster of a blog post I will feature random songs from my computer desktop. There might be plenty of pissed off motorhead and other such fans stopping by but who really cares. Hopefully some of them become regulars here. I hope you enjoyed my massive ramble and now have a better idea how to start a music blog. Success only depends on taste and also remember this big ole cliche... "The harder you work, the luckier you get." Now for the random music!!!

Motorhead - I'll Be Your Sister

Bruspi - Yota

The Cramps - Human Fly

James Brown - Superbad

Bad Veins

This new year is already 4 months into building serious steam and it really is amazing how quickly the days seem to get away from us. Do you have your 2007 favorites list started yet? I only have a few previous artists in the running at this point, and can now honestly say that today's featured musical duo are definitely worth consideration. It was only just this past January when we first discovered local Cincinnati, Ohio based Bad Veins [read original review + download]. Since that short time ago, some well deserved attention from both promotion and label-folk continues to develop. It was really good to hear from new friend Chris Vinyard who provided a brand new track for our listening pleasure. If you would like to check out more from this band, you will first want to visit the Bad Veins website (I still keep wanting to say Bad Brains.) After that, you will probably also feel the need to stop in and check the Bad Veins MySpace page for another listen to this new song and to send a customary friend request. The track Gold & Warm really is brand spanking new and, whether or not you believe it, the band is currently unsigned but shopping labels at present. As mentioned in our January post, Benjamin Davis (guitar/synths/vocals) & Sebastien Schultz (percussion) make up this Queen City duo along with their trusty 1973 Pioneer reel-to-reel audio recorder they affectionately named Irene. I have to say, this is a wonderfully talented local Cincinnati duo I look forward to experiencing in a live performance setting very soon.












MP3: Gold And Warm

The Answering Machine

It's a fairly late start to the week since my work and away from computer life has been complete insanity but now the "slow motion-radio-type-thingy" here moves forward with another really good new band from the UK. Sometimes I read before listening to the music, while other times, when the artists are young, it makes more sense to listen before reading. After all, what potential new fan within any given band's age group would want to stomach historical interlude from some blogger my age? I know it sounds as if we are championing a cause for the youth of today... but not a chance, my friend. I mostly despise the bubble gum we have to sift through in order to find something worthwhile to feature on MML. The Answering Machine, however, deserve a good listen and plenty of your time. I was actually kind of surprised to find that the blogosphere paid little attention while a few large music resources gave this band a fair amount of praise. The links below will give you additional information on this up and coming gem of a band.
























The Answering Machine are an unsigned pop trio from Manchester, UK consisting of members Martin (vocals, guitar), Patrick (guitar, vocals) and Gemma (bass). Where is the percussionist you might ask? You need look no further than the band's pet drum machine Mustaffa Beat (yes they made a MySpace page for it... bravo!) To hear more music, check The Answering Machine MySpace as they do not have a proper website up and running just yet. Unfortunately, the band's debut Oct. 2006 single Oklahoma is temporarily sold out in physical form, but you can still buy the tracks online at tunetribe. The next string of live performance dates in and around London will commence late April. My recommendation would be for the second date at a favorite Camden venue (although I felt quite old there) The Dublin Castle the next day for Club Fandango's regular Tuesday night lineup (CF MySpace) April 24th. Finally, there is a YouTube Video from the band as well...



MP3: The Hold Up

Erik Voeks - Sandbox (1993)

What can possibly be done when one your favorite artists of the mid 90s is missing in action? Today's featured musician is one of the most elusive out there. Given a scale of 1 to 10 on the Alex Chilton-O-meter this is a definite 9. After an extended sift through some old shoe boxes in my closet, I decided to post this music on the blog to cough up some attention for a long time favorite. I originally found this artist after getting my hands on the first version of the Buy This Used Compact Disk compilation in 1993. For those who own a later copy of that CD, New Radiant Storm King was not the original lead artist. As much as I love NRSK, I am sitting here with the original and American Music Club was track #1 on this disk with the song "I am an Architect". Actually, this might just be a misprinted version I have which would probably make it one of the rarest CDs here in my collection. Now that I google around a bit it seems the lyrics of NRSK match the AMC song listed clearly on my CD?? I am completely confused now. Anyway, upon listening to track 19, I was instantly on a mission. Since the Internet was not an option back then, I ordered the 1993 release Sandbox at a local record shop in Athens, Ohio. Every year or so, I blow the dust off this gem for a marathon of sorts and this time I get a chance to share it with you.















From what little information exists out there, Erik Voeks is originally from Australia. He moved to the states and eventually ended up in St. Louis, Missouri around the time this album was released. It might have been a year after playing this CD constantly that I called a phone number listed on the inlay and left a message for his manager Susie Hopper to ask for updated info. She returned the call but had little info herself. As mentioned above, this album, Sandbox, was released in 1993 and, from that same CD inlay, I will list the musicians who took part in the recording in case anyone has an idea of who they are. Jay Bennett (guitar solo track 7 & 8), Patrick Hawley (drums, Percussion), Nick Rudd (anti-percussion), Steve Scariano (bass), Adam Schmitt (guitar, bass, backing vocals, keyboards) and of course Erik Voeks (vocals, guitar,keyboards) performed on this classic which was released on now defunct Rockville Records, a small arm of the Dutch East India/Homestead label. I could locate no current website or myspace page for Mr. Voeks but did find where he contributed his vocals to the song Look Up by North Carolina based outfit RC Flyer. This is one of the most intelligent and amazing guitar pop records of the 90s... a true classic. Enjoy.



















MP3s:
My Dentist
Finger Painted Cat
Hannah
Oh My Darlin
The Symmetry
Let Go Now
Desiree And I
Compass
Rhymes With Train
Maissie
Unwind

MML: International Experimental 3

Last month, we featured four musicians in a brief article aptly titled MML: Experimental Four which gave notice to artists from around the world who have a slightly different take on music. As follow up, we now have three more incredible tracks from International performers who are both innovative and flavorful in equal measure. As was the case with our last post, the music here is mostly instrumental, so you will need to consider finding your hot herbal tea & slippers before experiencing the full audio effect. We decided to post these together since all three artists featured utilize both a responsible level of electronica, along with plenty of traditionally manual instruments. Our first stop is Göteborg, Sweden for the trio of Anders, Jon and Martin who make up Detektivbyrån. If you love the sound of bells or accordion, in any genre of music, this will be a big favorite. Next up is a beautiful song from an outfit that call themselves Gravity_Says_i. They are from Athens, Greece and, even after a couple of emails back and forth, I still could not get their individual names. The mystery will have to continue ah? There are vocals in this song which are quickly followed by an excellent mix of traditional sounds towards the end of the track. Finally, we visit Shibuya, Tokyo Japan for a musician known only as Ayatë. I have little information on Ayatë but the links presented below might give you a better idea... In all cases listed above, this is extremely good and deserves future updating. Enjoy the music.


Detektivbyrån
Location: Göteborg, Sweden













Detektivbyrån Website
Detektivbyrån MySpace

MP3: Nattöppet


Gravity_Says_i
Location: Athens, Greece















Gravity_Says_i MySpace

MP3: Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear


Ayatë
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan



























Ayatë MySpace
Ayatë Blog

MP3: Umi

The Sheds

I have to say... It really is nice living on the edge of the Ohio River within downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Only a bridge across this somewhat beautiful river and a few miles into Kentucky from my compartment finds today's featured artists. There are so many talented regional musicians to experience locally and this time you get a definite favorite of ours. We originally featured The Sheds on September 30, 2006 [read original review + download] and easily gave the music high recommendations. Some additional online music resource-type folks handed out similar affectionate notice and for good reason. Since that time, a respectable amount of national and international attention continues to build in the direction of this band. Now, with a brand new CD set for release, The Sheds offer the following comfort... You've Got A Light.













Cameron Cochran and Chris Haubner are a musical duo from Burlington, Kentucky who often refer to themselves as The Sheds. They have been busy making music together since 2005 and you can download just about all of it on The Sheds website. The new release You've Got A Light was just made available there (for free!) so, if you enjoy what you are listening to, pay them a visit. Also, stop by The Sheds MySpace page to listen, check tour dates and add to myspazz friends. The next live performance will take place tomorrow night 3/29 at local (Northside) Cincinnati venue The Comet. After a couple of shows lead the band from Ohio to Illinois, they return April 28th for the You've Got A Light CD release party at Historic Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky. Just a few minutes walk across the Purple People Bridge and I am there that night for sure. This is wonderful new material from an MML favorite. Enjoy.

MP3: Drunk For Lunch
Bonus MP3: Reflection of the Sun
Bonus MP3: Mtn Cat
Bonus MP3: Trash Can Jeans

Uncut

What better way to come off the heels of some of our favorite artists from the past than to start the week with, what I would consider to be, one of the most talented rock bands present day has to offer. I do not say this lightly and hope a few of you who actually read this will take a few minutes to hear what could possibly be a new favorite for your music collection. I need to go back a year and a half ago to give you some brief history. Somewhere around mid 2005, Bob Mould announced his Body of Song tour dates along with supporting bands. As is usually the case, I investigated the opening act for the closest show and was more than pleased. For the next couple of months, the tracks Copilot and Taken In Sleep were a constant anthem before heading off to Detroit, Michigan for the live performance. There is a Myspace Blog I did the morning after that outlines the entire day with pictures of both Mr. Mould and Uncut on stage October 1, 2005. Since that time this Canadian band continues to grow into an all time personal favorite.














When the news hit for the new release, my usual, and mostly well founded, fears of sophomore disaster were looming ever present. Luckily, the first track made available, Hideaway, was good evidence of things to come. After taking some time to digest the new material I can honestly say, hand on heart, that Uncut now seems to shine beyond many of the classic alternative rock musicians they list as influence. There is a new sense of confidence and aggressive tone to this latest release that gives strong indication of longevity in a music world of quickly fading gems. If you have yet to purchase a copy, or listen to the new CD, check the links below. For those who hadn't guessed, this is definitely a band to watch in the near/far future and easily receives the highest recommendation from MML.















Uncut is an indie rock quartet from Toronto, Ontario Canada consisting of members Ian Worang (guitar, vocals), Derek Tokar (bass, vocals), Sam Goldberg (guitar, vocals) and Jon Drew (beating the hell out of a perfectly innocent drum kit). Their first full length album Those Who Were Hung Hang Here was released late 2004 on Paper Bag Records (PB Myspace) and remains in my car stereo to this day. The new release, titled Modern Currencies, is also now available through Paper Bag. To listen to more of what you are hopefully lovin' on at this point, visit the Uncut Myspace Page where you can add to friends and get upcoming tour dates. Thank you to my new friend Robbie at The Musebox Management (Musebox Myspace) for the CD and giving me the heads up that Uncut will soon be touring with Dinosaur Jr. (Yes, that Dinosaur Jr!!) How cool is that? For the most updated news, information and downloadable media, check out the official Uncut Website. Finally, I found a YouTube video of the song Understanding The New Violence which is a good look at the early years of the band. They sure did change clothes a lot back then.



Now that I am out of review mode can I just say... This band is absolutely fucking great to no end.

MP3s:

From Modern Currencies...
Hideaway
Dark Horse
Kiss Me

From Those Who Were Hung Hang Here...
Copilot
Taken In Sleep

MML: Indie Rock Classics Vol. 1 (1985-1986)

With nothing planned for MML or the MySpace Listening Room this weekend, the decision was made to feature a few classic favorites from my teenage years. These 3 songs are part of a growing folder I've been keeping on my computer desktop for far too long. They were gathered here and there on various blogs and online music resource-type places over the past year or so. Don't expect much of an in depth discussion or lengthy banter on my part this time. There will be links for you to explore in order to get information and maybe even a better idea of how indie rock evolved from it's raucous beginnings. This is only the first of what I hope will be an ongoing series of multi-classic features to come. The pictures might not be from the exact year of each track, but it might amaze you that all of these albums/singles were released within one year of each other. Plenty of you are familiar with the tremendous impact these artists have had on the current crop of indie rock bands, and might agree that this is a good place to start for those just finding out about this music. If nothing else, enjoy the energy and noisy guitars in store for you this weekend.

Hüsker Dü - Celebrated Summer (1985)

I suppose just about any serious music fan has an artist they consider to be "the only band that ever really mattered" and this one is definitely mine. I discovered Hüsker Dü as a teen during the early 80's and am almost certain the song Whatever from the 1984 double album Zen Arcade was the first song that left me in a complete daze. The song featured today is from the 1985 release New Day Rising and is a favorite among most fans. Hüsker Dü was a power trio consisting of Bob Mould (guitar, vocals), Grant Hart (drums, vocals) and Greg Norton (bass) that formed in 1979 and are credited by many in defining the genre of alternative rock. For the most comprehensive history and collection of anything Hüsker Dü, check out this wonderful website maintained by Paul Hilcoff. If you click the links above, you will find both Bob and Grant have active solo music careers, while Greg runs his own restaurant. Also, given some free time is available this weekend, head out and pick up an old Hüsker Dü record or CD. You can still find them at the "good" music shops.

My Bloody Valentine - By The Danger In Your Eyes (1986)

To be honest (please don't laugh), It was late 2002 when I bought my first home computer. Before that time, I had no idea anyone even remembered My Bloody Valentine here in the states. If someone had asked me if I was a fan of MBV, they would have received a blank stare in response. Once I started browsing various musician forums, it was the greatest thing ever to see numerous arguments regarding what equipment, effects and chords were needed to re-create that original shoegaze sound. The featured song here is from the 1986 single/EP simply titled The New Record By My Bloody Valentine. There is a nicely done My Bloody Valentine Myspace Fan Page as well as an MBV Fansite which I remember having more downloads and fun stuff last time I visited. In recent developments, Kevin Shields made a statement I keep reading about where he mentions leaning towards a reunion and new release. As much as I love this band, please don't let it be so. Sometimes past accomplishments are better left to rest.

Squirrel Bait - Kid Dynamite (1986)

By far the least known band I will mention this time, Squirrel Bait was recognized as another one of the best post-punk/ post hardcore bands around during the mid to late 80's. Their short history maintains a sort of cult status among plenty of music geeks including myself. This Louisville, Kentucky based outfit received enormous praise from other emerging bands at the time while also keeping a certain level of credibility within the hardcore/punk community. For the complete story, you can check out this Ear Candy article on the band. There is also a Family Tree that might give you an idea where the members of Squirrel Bait traveled musically after they decided to call it quits in 1988. Since that time, I've loosely followed the solo career of Peter Searcy. His music takes a completely different folk direction these days, but those vocals are still some of the strongest out there. For more of the old stuff, pay a visit to this Squirrel Bait MySpace fan page.

Sissy Wish

Now that SXSW 2007 is in the books, there are still a few bands from the festival I would like to feature. Instead of posting random, second hand and mostly painful accounts of the event (ok ok, I'm jealous I couldn't attend this year) as it happened, I will take some time and spread things out a bit. Plenty of you, like myself, who read about music might be suffering from Post Traumatic SXSW Blog Reading Disorder at this point. MML took it easy on you. Today's featured artist did perform in Austin, Texas this year and is one I would have loved to experience live there. On this track, the vocals are an obvious standout from the start and, when combined with the accompanying band, could probably best be described as 80s retro pop in all of the best ways. After a third and fourth listen to this song, it was clearly embedded in my brain and up next for a place on the blog. Hopefully, you have your fun (or at least dancing) shoes on and can understand how very cool this song is. Let's get to the links...shall we?















Sissy Wish is primarily the music project of Siri Wålberg from Bergen, Norway. The official Sissy Wish website is viewable but under construction for now so you will need to visit the Sissy Wish MySpace page for additional information and more of this great music. The track you are listening to is part of the brand new March 5 release Beauties Never Die which was recorded at famed Bergen based Duper Studios. The band's upcoming string of local/regional tour dates will commence April 19 at the Stavanger venue Checkpoint Charlie. Finally, there is also a Youtube Video of the song Float from the most recent recording sessions for the new release...



MP3: DWTS

Opsvik & Jennings

I was originally going to feature four new instrumental electronic(a) artists today, but when one of them jumped out at me I had no choice but to give their music more attention. While sorting through numerous artists from what some would still refer to as the experimental genre, I am usually surrounded by blips, bleeps and an overwhelming bass rhythm. That's perfectly fine with me, but when I find something that is warm and organic I usually stay interested quite a bit longer. Today's featured track is beautiful in it's beginnings with a sound I would liken to early Dirty Three or an orchestra warm up. From there, it builds out of it's disheveled dirge state with layers of multiple instruments and more pronounced percussion. If you get the chance, please listen to the entire 5:07 minutes of this one. As an added bonus, we have included another song more suited for electronica ears that is from a recent compilation you should also give a listen to. Enjoy.
























Opsvik & Jennings are an international music duo I feel the need to briefly explain. Eivind Opsvik (upright and electric bass, drums, keyboards, theremin, vocals, pump organ, software, percussion, tape loops) is from Norway, while Aaron Jennings (electric and acoustic guitars, lapsteel, banjo, samplers, software, vocals, concertina, electronics) hails from Oklahoma here in the states. Together, they now call New York City home. For more downloadable music, information and pictures, check the Opsvik & Jennings website. If that is not enough, they also inhabit a compulsory Opsvik & Jennings MySpace page. The song you are listening to is part of the upcoming March 26 (Monday!) release Commuter Anthems which will be available for purchase on the Norwegian record label Rune Grammofon. The added bonus track Self is from the January 2007 compilation RUFS and can be found at Oslo based Fenêtre Records. The next live performance will take place at NYC venue/lounge Nublu on March 27 @ 10pm... just in time for the new release.

MP3: The Pendler
Bonus MP3: Self