Dec 9, 2009
A "rum ole" mix of music to delight your ears again this week with
tracks from LA, London, New York, Canada, Boston New Zealand,
Germany and Sweden.
The 'tash has made some progress during Movember. Many thanks to this who made donation to help research into men's health issues. The dilemma I face now is whether to shave it off now or keep it going a bit longer.
You can never know - Pixie Carnation ((Malmo, Sweden)
The product of two years of musical experimentation has culminated in what is now Pixie Carnation, a Swedish based, and yet very American sounding band. From the time that childhood friends Ola Pålsson and Tobias Hellkvist reconnected a few years ago there was an instant artistic connection, and it was only a matter of time before their sound and the band's lineup became what it is today. Despite it taking about a year and a half for Pålsson and Hellkvist to find like-minded musicians, Pixie Carnation has now evolved into a seven-member band and made their first recording, Fresh Poems EP, self reeled in 2009. A classic rock influenced, Americana infused, musical tapestry with orchestral elements, Fresh Poems is already making waves on the west side of the Atlantic.
www.myspace.com/pixiecarnation
Tell her - Daisy McCrackin (LA, CA, USA)
Daisy grew up in San Francisco and survived the earthquake of 1989. A classically trained actress, she moved to Los Angeles and worked in film and television until, in 2005, she had a spiritual epiphany and began writing music. Daisy lived in the fabled Rodeo Grounds arts collective in Topanga Canyon, where she wrote funny campfire songs and fought the State to keep her land.
Too shy to share her "serious" songs, Daisy stuck to acting gigs by day, and singing by night. Finally, after an intense song-writing jag Daisy sang a somber, personal song to a close friend who strongly advised her to quit her day job and dedicate herself full-time to music. She played her first live show in 2006, and was dubbed an 'instant rock star" in an L.A. Weekly review, which reported that Daisy "stole the show."
Upon hearing the record's first single "Tell Her," legendary Grateful Dead lyricist, songwriter and poet John Perry Barlow called it "a very tight little novel," noting her "phrasing and delivery are perfect," and acknowledging Daisy as "the real deal."
http://daisymccrackinmusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/daisymccrackin
Weebles (Featuring Dabbla) - Formula (London, UK)
The latest member of the blocSonic net label family is Formula, a producer extraordinaire hailing from London.
This here is his premiere solo release and our second original. You may have heard "Is It Too Late For Us All?" from the collaborative project that he was part of (along with Boston's own Tha Silent Partner), MUTE. It was featured on "netBloc Vol. 15: this album won't eat your gas money".
Hip-Hop on another plain... from another perspective... but real boom bap hip-hop none-the-less. From the introduction "Ebony Shards"... to "X Man", there's not a boring or weak moment to be found.
To me "The Overcast Project" feels like the perfect follow-up to Just Plain Ant's "Dig Deep". Formula seems to share a similar desire to expand the definition of "hip-hop". With Formula at it's core and a talented group of musicians and emcees, Overcast gels into a superbly cohesive unit (much like Ant"s release before it). There IS a "Formula sound" and each of the guest musicians and emcees lend their distinctive touches in such a way as to make the unit stronger.
Sit back and get ready for the journey... the sky may be overcast, but no rain is in the forecast... so enjoy the journey!
Free download from:
http://blocSonic.com
Me, I get high on a reefer - Two Man Gentleman Band (NY, NY, USA)
That The Two Man Gentlemen Band is amongst the United States' most learned, sophisticated, and musically able two-man bands is commonly understood. That they throw one heck of a party has been a rather well-kept secret until now.
The Two Man Gentlemen Band: Live in New York! is an unparalleled achievement. Using only four hands, two mouths, a bit of erudition, and a strong helping of the drink, the gents whip themselves and their New York City audience into an unmitigated frenzy of joy. Listeners to this recording will likely find themselves in a similarly frenzied, sweat-riddled state.
Digital release date: Jan 12, 2010 on Serious Business but if you want a CD, you can get it right now from www.seriousbusinessrecords.com/
www.two-man-gentlemen-band.com
www.myspace.com/twomangentlemenband
My mate Malcolm Wixley put me onto "Flash music games", an internet audio experiment site.
You'll see four links on this very basic site one or two of them are really pretty interesting, especially I think, the first on the list which is a Flash Player Piano devised by Rob Wright at Aleotronic Music. Click on the engine box to see it at work.
Ok, the graphics is very 1990s but there is a certain naive charm to it.
www.flashmusicgames.com/generator
Malcolm is a good chum and is living in western France these days where he has a group of four of the the most idyllic and peaceful holiday cottages. Just sayin'
www.chezmaurit.co.uk
Blame it on the moon - Kat Danser (Edmonton, Canada)
From Kat's 2007 album Somethin' Familiar.
Her 'Swamp Blues' style is steeped in early roots and blues traditions and delivered by her deep, resonant vocals and the soulful sound of her Weissenborn lap slide guitar. Much like a long stretching railroad track, Danser draws a direct line from the Canadian prairie to the Mississippi Delta. She is one part backwoods juke joint, one part plow puller and two parts dusty ol' canvas tent revival. Kat Danser delivers a refreshing approach to roots, blues, and gospel music for the 21st Century.
Currently in production on her third full-length album Rails and Rivers, Danser wrote the material for it while on a research and study trip where she immersed herself in the music of the Mississippi. Much like a long stretching railroad track, her music draws a direct line from the Canadian prairie to the Mississippi Delta. She is also filming a documentary entitled Women in Blues: Turn the Page.
www.katdanser.com
www.myspace.com/katdanser
Take your chances - The Black Seeds (Wellington, New Zealand)
The Black Seeds started turning heads around New Zealand following the release of their debut album, 2001's Keep On Pushing. The album received widespread critical acclaim, including being named one of the top 50 albums of the year by Rip It Up Magazine, and eventually reached gold sales status.
The
Black Seeds
"Take Your
Chances" (mp3)
from "Solid Ground"
(Easy Star Records)
Stream from
Rhapsody
Buy at
Amazon MP3
More On This Album
www.theblackseeds.co.nz
There was a time - Rubblebucket (Boston, MA, USA)
Rubblebucket is a Boston-and-Brooklyn-based nine-piece polyrhythmic dance/rock band led by trumpeter Alex Toth and fronted by the alluring vocals of Kalmia Traver. Comparisons have been drawn to Talking Heads, Fela Kuti, Bjork and James Brown, but Rubblebucket's afro-beat inspired, trip-rock soul experience is beyond classification.
Alex Toth- trumpet, vocals bandleader. He loves Kalmia.
Kalmia Traver- lead vocals, tenor sax. She loves reverie, berry-picking and skinny-dipping, pennywhistles and making artwork.
Adam Dotson- trombone, vocals. He won an international euphonium competition at age fourteen and never wears shoes when he plays.
Craig Myers- percussion. He began playing percussion at age thirteen, and he has studied West African percussion extensively for ten years and traveled to Senegal, Mali, Cote Ivoire and Guinea. He's also taught and directed percussion groups in Hawaii and throughout Europe.
Dave Cole- drums. Has also plays guitar and keyboards and has an amazing beard and smile. He also has a cyclops mask.
Darby Wolf- keyboards. Darbstar has a plan. And he uses Goff organs and leslie speakers and is a vintage keyboard enthusiast.
Ian Hersey- guitar. He lives in Brooklyn and recently bought a box of at least 15 Casio keyboards, and he takes them apart and fucks with them.
http://rubblebucket.com/
www.myspace.com/rubblebucket
Hey Ocean! whose track Write a song about California I played a few weeks ago have a video of their live performance on Fearless Music. It's at Fearless (couldn't ge the YouTube code to play :(
I like it - Sapiens fx (Karlsruhe, Germany)
You can download the whole album free and legal at: www.jamendo.com/en/album/55492
www.myspace.com/sapiensfx
The 'tash has made some progress during Movember. Many thanks to this who made donation to help research into men's health issues. The dilemma I face now is whether to shave it off now or keep it going a bit longer.
You can never know - Pixie Carnation ((Malmo, Sweden)
The product of two years of musical experimentation has culminated in what is now Pixie Carnation, a Swedish based, and yet very American sounding band. From the time that childhood friends Ola Pålsson and Tobias Hellkvist reconnected a few years ago there was an instant artistic connection, and it was only a matter of time before their sound and the band's lineup became what it is today. Despite it taking about a year and a half for Pålsson and Hellkvist to find like-minded musicians, Pixie Carnation has now evolved into a seven-member band and made their first recording, Fresh Poems EP, self reeled in 2009. A classic rock influenced, Americana infused, musical tapestry with orchestral elements, Fresh Poems is already making waves on the west side of the Atlantic.
www.myspace.com/pixiecarnation
Tell her - Daisy McCrackin (LA, CA, USA)
Daisy grew up in San Francisco and survived the earthquake of 1989. A classically trained actress, she moved to Los Angeles and worked in film and television until, in 2005, she had a spiritual epiphany and began writing music. Daisy lived in the fabled Rodeo Grounds arts collective in Topanga Canyon, where she wrote funny campfire songs and fought the State to keep her land.
Too shy to share her "serious" songs, Daisy stuck to acting gigs by day, and singing by night. Finally, after an intense song-writing jag Daisy sang a somber, personal song to a close friend who strongly advised her to quit her day job and dedicate herself full-time to music. She played her first live show in 2006, and was dubbed an 'instant rock star" in an L.A. Weekly review, which reported that Daisy "stole the show."
Upon hearing the record's first single "Tell Her," legendary Grateful Dead lyricist, songwriter and poet John Perry Barlow called it "a very tight little novel," noting her "phrasing and delivery are perfect," and acknowledging Daisy as "the real deal."
http://daisymccrackinmusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/daisymccrackin
Weebles (Featuring Dabbla) - Formula (London, UK)
The latest member of the blocSonic net label family is Formula, a producer extraordinaire hailing from London.
This here is his premiere solo release and our second original. You may have heard "Is It Too Late For Us All?" from the collaborative project that he was part of (along with Boston's own Tha Silent Partner), MUTE. It was featured on "netBloc Vol. 15: this album won't eat your gas money".
Hip-Hop on another plain... from another perspective... but real boom bap hip-hop none-the-less. From the introduction "Ebony Shards"... to "X Man", there's not a boring or weak moment to be found.
To me "The Overcast Project" feels like the perfect follow-up to Just Plain Ant's "Dig Deep". Formula seems to share a similar desire to expand the definition of "hip-hop". With Formula at it's core and a talented group of musicians and emcees, Overcast gels into a superbly cohesive unit (much like Ant"s release before it). There IS a "Formula sound" and each of the guest musicians and emcees lend their distinctive touches in such a way as to make the unit stronger.
Sit back and get ready for the journey... the sky may be overcast, but no rain is in the forecast... so enjoy the journey!
Free download from:
http://blocSonic.com
Me, I get high on a reefer - Two Man Gentleman Band (NY, NY, USA)
That The Two Man Gentlemen Band is amongst the United States' most learned, sophisticated, and musically able two-man bands is commonly understood. That they throw one heck of a party has been a rather well-kept secret until now.
The Two Man Gentlemen Band: Live in New York! is an unparalleled achievement. Using only four hands, two mouths, a bit of erudition, and a strong helping of the drink, the gents whip themselves and their New York City audience into an unmitigated frenzy of joy. Listeners to this recording will likely find themselves in a similarly frenzied, sweat-riddled state.
Digital release date: Jan 12, 2010 on Serious Business but if you want a CD, you can get it right now from www.seriousbusinessrecords.com/
www.two-man-gentlemen-band.com
www.myspace.com/twomangentlemenband
My mate Malcolm Wixley put me onto "Flash music games", an internet audio experiment site.
You'll see four links on this very basic site one or two of them are really pretty interesting, especially I think, the first on the list which is a Flash Player Piano devised by Rob Wright at Aleotronic Music. Click on the engine box to see it at work.
Ok, the graphics is very 1990s but there is a certain naive charm to it.
www.flashmusicgames.com/generator
Malcolm is a good chum and is living in western France these days where he has a group of four of the the most idyllic and peaceful holiday cottages. Just sayin'
www.chezmaurit.co.uk
Blame it on the moon - Kat Danser (Edmonton, Canada)
From Kat's 2007 album Somethin' Familiar.
Her 'Swamp Blues' style is steeped in early roots and blues traditions and delivered by her deep, resonant vocals and the soulful sound of her Weissenborn lap slide guitar. Much like a long stretching railroad track, Danser draws a direct line from the Canadian prairie to the Mississippi Delta. She is one part backwoods juke joint, one part plow puller and two parts dusty ol' canvas tent revival. Kat Danser delivers a refreshing approach to roots, blues, and gospel music for the 21st Century.
Currently in production on her third full-length album Rails and Rivers, Danser wrote the material for it while on a research and study trip where she immersed herself in the music of the Mississippi. Much like a long stretching railroad track, her music draws a direct line from the Canadian prairie to the Mississippi Delta. She is also filming a documentary entitled Women in Blues: Turn the Page.
www.katdanser.com
www.myspace.com/katdanser
Take your chances - The Black Seeds (Wellington, New Zealand)
The Black Seeds started turning heads around New Zealand following the release of their debut album, 2001's Keep On Pushing. The album received widespread critical acclaim, including being named one of the top 50 albums of the year by Rip It Up Magazine, and eventually reached gold sales status.
The
Black Seeds "Take Your
Chances" (mp3)from "Solid Ground"
(Easy Star Records)
Stream from
Rhapsody
Buy at
Amazon MP3
More On This Albumwww.theblackseeds.co.nz
There was a time - Rubblebucket (Boston, MA, USA)
Rubblebucket is a Boston-and-Brooklyn-based nine-piece polyrhythmic dance/rock band led by trumpeter Alex Toth and fronted by the alluring vocals of Kalmia Traver. Comparisons have been drawn to Talking Heads, Fela Kuti, Bjork and James Brown, but Rubblebucket's afro-beat inspired, trip-rock soul experience is beyond classification.
Alex Toth- trumpet, vocals bandleader. He loves Kalmia.
Kalmia Traver- lead vocals, tenor sax. She loves reverie, berry-picking and skinny-dipping, pennywhistles and making artwork.
Adam Dotson- trombone, vocals. He won an international euphonium competition at age fourteen and never wears shoes when he plays.
Craig Myers- percussion. He began playing percussion at age thirteen, and he has studied West African percussion extensively for ten years and traveled to Senegal, Mali, Cote Ivoire and Guinea. He's also taught and directed percussion groups in Hawaii and throughout Europe.
Dave Cole- drums. Has also plays guitar and keyboards and has an amazing beard and smile. He also has a cyclops mask.
Darby Wolf- keyboards. Darbstar has a plan. And he uses Goff organs and leslie speakers and is a vintage keyboard enthusiast.
Ian Hersey- guitar. He lives in Brooklyn and recently bought a box of at least 15 Casio keyboards, and he takes them apart and fucks with them.
http://rubblebucket.com/
www.myspace.com/rubblebucket
Hey Ocean! whose track Write a song about California I played a few weeks ago have a video of their live performance on Fearless Music. It's at Fearless (couldn't ge the YouTube code to play :(
I like it - Sapiens fx (Karlsruhe, Germany)
You can download the whole album free and legal at: www.jamendo.com/en/album/55492
www.myspace.com/sapiensfx