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