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- It's A Frog's Life Acoustic Podcast: Show 103 - Does your Baba know?
- Indie Feed: Hip Hop: Expertiz - 1975
- Indie Feed: Blues: The Mannish Boys - Champagne & Reefer
- Insomnia Radio Daily Dose: Andy Clockwise: Stealing Cars
- Zaldor's World: #339 - Live from the Red Bull Air Race in Detroit!
- The Phill(er): New Song Daily #451: April Smith and the Great Picture Show – “Movie Loves a Screen”
- Three From Leith: Show 213 – A.B.F
- Indie Feed: Folk: Monahans - Its Enough to Leave You (vault)
- Dave's Lounge: Dave’s Lounge #191
- Indie Feed: Electronica: Voodeux - Just A Spoonful (vault)
Suffolk And Cool
SnC 235 - Wed 01 September 2010
Music right back to 1932 on Suffolk'n'Cool this week - along with lots of newer stuff!
Having spent the past week in winter clothing here in Suffolk, the remains of the summer appear to have gathered themselves up to make a decent show of a few days. The hops growing on the barn seem to appreciate it today releasing clouds of pollen.
A Harbour Fair - The Good Ship (Melbourne, Australia)
From the album Avast! Wretched Sea (described as "undulating tales of woe and intrigue").
John from the band got in touch through mutual contact Mark Muggeridge and popped the album in the post at the end of last week, just before flying off back to Australia.
It's a wonderfully theatrical album which extends last week's maritime theme for just one more week.
As Rave Magazine pointed out "a loud burly chorus of men’s voices it sounds very much like something ole’ sea dogs might sing out at ocean...These rollicking tunes are great for a dance and a laugh, but be warned, these are true sea shanties, complete with coarse and crude lyrics that sometimes tiptoe very closely to the offensive" Oh good!
Wonderfully theatrical songs and a great live show I would imagine. Part of what I am assured is a thriving music scene in Melbourne. The extensive line-up comprises:
Darryl "Graybeard" – wailing, strumming
John "No Time To Wallow In The" Meyer – caterwauling, plucking
Geoff, Son of Will – plinking, clowning
Benny the White Russian – scratching
Janey Mac – plucking
Kat Cooke – blowing
James Lees – hitting
Elly the Ship's Cat – meowing
Roger the Cabin Boy – comforting
Various scurvy dogs and scoundrels - clapping, cheering, heckling
www.myspace.com/thegoodshipisaverybadship
Damn Honey - Simon Fagan (Navan, Ireland)
Simon Fagan is not our typical Irish singer songwriter. Blending elements of gospel and folk with acoustic rock, Simon and band produce a big Americana sound. He's opened for both Lionel Richie and Smokey Robinson and has sold out shows in Ireland, The UK and Egypt.
Currently on the festival circuit in Ireland, he will be touring throughout Ireland and the UK in September and travelling to Toronto and New York for Indie Week and CMJ Marathon respectively to showcase his music. Further plans are in place to bring his band to Dubai and Qatar in November.
@simonfagan
Wings of a Wounded Raven - The Rhythm Kills (Vacaville, CA, USA)
The Rhythm Kills (TRK) started out as an instrumental band in 2005, once the group was fully organized in late 2008, the immediate goal was to rewrite their original music. This brought in a new sound, a new focus and a renewed excitement.
Band members include the talented vocals of James Hopkins, Andrew Gregg (guitar/vox), and Joe Sullivan (bass/vox), formerly from a local Bay Area metal band Murder York , Chris Campbell (guitar/loops) formerly from Romancer and Thee Holy Roman Nightmare. In late 2008, Alex Espinoza (drums) joined the band.
TRK brings the element of surprise into their music. Their signature sound comes from the group’s talent and drive.
www.myspace.com/therhythmkills
Addicted to you - Brother Magnum (Austin, TX, USA)
From the album Feel like a King.
He first started making music at age 11 when he snuck onto his oldest brother’s drum kit and surprised him when he walked in and heard how Magnum had a natural knack for the backbeat. The guitar and keyboards soon followed, and at 13 he played his first show. “All the girls that were there saw me and they were all screaming my name as the lights were flashing. Needless to say, I haven’t been right ever since,” he explains with a chuckle.
His family background and itinerant youth as the child of a career military man also contributes to Magnum’s expansive music, attitudes and world view. His father’s family has Afro-Cuban roots and his mother’s lineage boasts a Native-American heritage. He grew up in various parts of California as well as Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia and Florida, finally landing back in Central Texas by his senior high school years. “The cool thing was that you experienced every kind of culture and all kinds of people, ideologies, and music,” Magnum observes. “My parents are very unique in that they always encouraged us to accept people for who they are, not what they are.” The sum of his considerable musical experience led him to ultimately make the music closest to his heart as Brother Magnum. “For me, it’s more than trying to make it and be a big rock star,” he explains. “I want to do it my way. I want to be able to write the music I feel and bring it to people so they can enjoy it too.”
www.cdbaby.com/cd/BrotherMagnum1
Heebie Jeebies - The Boswell Sisters
"Heebie Jeebies" is a composition written by Boyd Atkins and achieved fame when it was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1926. The recording on Okeh Records by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five includes a famous chorus of scat singing. This recording by The Boswell Sisters dates from 1932 a couple of years after they moved to New York and started getting some attention. Their career only lasted until 1935.
There are some videos on YouTube of The Boswell Sisters's performance in The Big Broadcast try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jld2Z0TmaXo
Just a trio of young girls from New Orleans having a great time making music - timeless.
Amsterdam - Hippie Uprising (Vallejo, CA, USA)
Hippie Uprising is a collection of the best musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area playing and singing an eclectic blend of original music in various musical styles including rock, jazz, country, blues and everything else in-between. Many old and new friends were assembled for the first and lat time to make this music and CD truly memorable in more ways than one. Featured performances by Norton Buffalo (harmonica/vocals), Ernest Boom Carter (drums/vocals), Greg Douglas (lead guitar), Naomi Ruth Eisenberg (vocals), Nick Gravenites (vocals), Kathi McDonald (vocals), George Michaelski (piano), Maria Muldaur (vocals), Ben Perkoff (sax), Si Perkoff (piano), Lorin Rowan (guitars/vocals), Bobby Riddell (drums), Jay Russio (vocals), Pete Sears (keys) Lonnie Showtime Walters (percussion) and Steven Webber (bass).
The list of bands that they have produced, performed in recorded or toured with is remarkable.
Peaceful Buddhist Warrior - The Beautiful Losers (California, USA)
The Beautiful Losers are:
Raj Ramayya - vocals and acoustic guitar
Brett Boyd - electric guitars, 6 and 12-string acoustic guitar, Variax sitar, and banjolin
Appealing to The Beautiful Losers’ vast Indian fan base, "Four Corners Of A Tiny Planet" includes a remake of the blockbuster Bollywood song classic, "Yeh Dosti", known by virtually every Indian throughout the world.
The Beautiful Losers 
"Peaceful Buddhist Warrior" (mp3) from "Four Corners Of a Tiny Planet" (Strawberry Hill Music) 
Buy at iTunes Music Store 
Buy at Amazon MP3 
More On This Album
www.reverbnation.com/thebeautifullosers
Guiding Light - play_rewind_eject (Ipswich, Suffolk, UK) "After almost 10 years playing in a rock band I had a mountain of untouched songs, ideas and lyrics that I really wanted to work on" enthuses Pete Thompson who writes, records and performs under the name play_rewind_eject. "I didn't want to make music that just sounded the same as the band I was in so I took an adventure into the world of samples, midi and synths to create something a little bit different" The album Never Before but Maybe Again is available for free download at his MySpace and website. He is playing a local gig (for 18+) on Friday 1st October at The Cork Bar in Felixstowe along with Elephant, Jackknife Horsebox and T Leaves. Starts at 7. www.playrewindeject.com www.myspace.com/playrewindeject Atlantic Castaways - Small City Calling (San Diego, CA, USA) From their album Oceanus. Washing up on the shores of San Diego, California, Small City Calling has taken what it means to be an unsigned artist in 2010 and raised the bar. No longer can “potential talent” stay in hiding. The bands frontman and producer, Ryan Erwin started writing, producing and mixing his own records in 2006 and is currently enrolled as a music production/composition major at San Diego State. While living in the student housing his freshmen year, Erwin met and began writing music with Kevin Adams and Jake Falzone. In late 2009 the trio decided on the band name “Small City Calling,” and released their first record The Living Room Demo. Featuring “Hold On” and “Change You” which Erwin wrote and recorded in Los Angeles earlier that year with Keith Cooper of Chamberlain Records. The rest of the 7 songs on The Living Room Demo were recorded and produced by Ryan Erwin and Small City calling in their apartment living room. In early 2010, Hanna Hoffman joined the mix and after a few more shows Small City Calling wrote and recorded The Oceanus EP, a 4 part adventure for any listener. While Small City Calling continues to write and record in their home studio, they never stop playing live shows in the San Diego Area and plan to keep infecting the internet and music scene with their unstoppably catchy blend of acoustics and electronics. P.S- we love you! Thanks to all of our friends and families who support our crazy, overly ambitious dreams! :) www.smallcitycalling.com www.myspace.com/thesmallcitycalling
Adnams Coastal Clean - Saturday 18th September
More information and Contact Emma to book your place.
SnC 234 - Wed 25 August 2010
A largely maritime theme on Suffolk'n'Cool this week. Not particularly by design, it just seemed to come together that way and hell, with music this interesting, why fight it?
Southwold, where the beer comes from, looks very "easterly" from the sea.
The Rolling Sea - Bagas Degol (Penzance, Cornwall, UK)
The band is Rick Williams (clarinet), David Twomlow (bag pipes and soprano saxophone), and Dave Trahair (tabor drum and percussion).
From Penzance in the far west of Cornwall, BAGAS DEGOL has a fast growing reputation on the Cornish music and dance scene with their distinctive style of traditional music delivered with a powerful, raw edge. Their name in Cornish means 'Feast Day Band' in recognition of the occasion for which they originally came together - to accompany the famous Tom Bawcock's Eve lantern procession in Mousehole.
I first played a track (Bodmin Dubbing) from their album Tonight we're going to party like it's 1399 on SnC 039 back in November 2006. One concern is that their website is advertising gigs from 2007. :(
Sailing the Sea of Tea & Keeping it Me - Tom Caruana (UK)
From the masterly album, Welcome Aboard (Budabeats).
Tom Caruana is a music producer who has the ability to create an eclectic range of beats, most of which fall into a hip-hop style. His experience ranges from working with rappers, singers and musicians in studio and live environments, to reworking classic a cappellas in a series of renowned remix albums. He is not only a master of blending samples, he raps and is also a multi instrumentalist playing drums, bass, guitar and keyboards. His production has provided the perfect backing to artists such as Grand Agent, Count Bass D and Insight. His live band Son Of Sam have supported Raekwon and KRS One, and his remix work has caught the attention of The Chicagoist, The New York Times and The Guardian.
Pirates - Entertainment for the Braindead (Cologne, Germany)
From the excellent Roadkill album which is on the aaahh netlabel.
Entertainment for the Braindead is in fact Julia Kotowski
"There are lots of instruments that I’d always really wished to own or be able to play, a piano, a cello, a harp, a clarinet … but I would never had expected that one day I could fall in love with a banjo.
Yet since this is exactly what happened, I decided to start exploring this instrument’s versatility by recording a couple of songs equipped with nothing else but a banjo. (Well… I admit, there’s a tambourine in one song..)
Over the last four months I collected those songs. They occasionally sprouted, sometimes several a day, sometimes none for weeks, and then grew and ripened. I harvested them at home, though a bit more carefully than usual. They tell little tales of friendship and failure, of discovering the world and of hiding at home, and the banjo helped tracing their contours and gave them a shape.
It brought me through a very cold winter. Now maybe it can brighten yours a bit, too?"
Far away from the massive and unresting sounds of electric guitars and pounding noises of drums, Singer/Songwriter Julia Kotowski creates a small, intimate and especially silent musical sphere that she fills with notes, lyrics and rhythm. She lets these outcomes ripen slowly. Then, sound tracks are being arranged and ranked in lonesome nights and home appliances will be misused for special elements. There is a lot of tinkering and pottering, but little sleep. All this takes place at home, in her bedroom, in front of her computer.âJulia is a girl of the German city of Cologne, where she was born and where she grew up and, unlike most young people, she does not feel the urge to leave her home. Thus, she lives with her parents. That at some point she will be leaving Cologne is for sure, but before that day, her home city is the source and the playground for her life – Julia does "audio-visual Media-Studies" at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne (KHM).
www.entertainmentforthebraindead.com/
www.myspace.com/entertainmentforthebraindead
In the trial of Pirate Bay (the file sharing site) the RIAA sought $13 billion in damages for 34 cases of copyright infringement. One case per file. That values the download of one any one file, song, movie or game at about $382,000.
Your average 8 gig iPod can hold about 2,000 songs. According to the RIAA, that's worth $764,705,882 making it the most valuable object on the planet.
Swallowtail Jig - The O'Marleys (Exeter, Devon, UK)
Reggae, rock, folk and traditional Irish tunes mix into the O Marleys sound. Taking influences from Romany music, The Upsetters, Bob Marley and Moving Hearts creates a heady and exciting soundscape.
In the rhythm section there is the wild yet subtle Bodhran playing of Mike Nangle and the heavy relentless electric bass of James King, complimented with electric percussion. On the top line is premier fiddle player Mac Moulton who plunges from Irish set dances into the jazz style of Stephan Grappelli with surprising ease. At the centre of the band is the rather mysterious 12 string guitarist, John Fitzsimons. His playing is a startling combination of cross rhythms/ jazz chords and counter melodies that produce completely original arrangements of the songs. With a background on the London music scene he brings many diverse influences to the band. Lead singer Mike Nangle hails from the theatrical tradition and adds rasping drama to the songs. Three members of the band sing (and make strange noises), creating rich vocal patterns and harmonies.
Their new album, The Rising of the Moon, (their second) is out in September on Idleday Records. It is available for download from i tunes, amazon and Tesco online. You tube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHmQSFLosV0
The Reprisal - Sand River (Durham, UK)
It just proves how quickly things can move. I'd never heard of Sand River until this morning. An email from the band just landed at a point where I was finalising the playlist for this show and things really took off t=from there with the track arriving in the middle of recording and going straight into the show at that point.
Sand River are Si Robinson (guitar/vocals) and Guy Siviour (drums / percussion / ukulele who have been playing together for a few years.
The band's eponymous debut EP can be purchased online, both digital and hard copy formats.
UPDATE: The is a gig in the pipeline. In fact, in the beer pipeline. Guy tells me that they are playing the Durham CAMRA (CAMpaign for Real Ale) annual beer festival. The band will be on at around 1:30pm on Saturday 4th September.
Details at: http://events.myspace.com/Event/6842395/30th-Durham-Beer-Festival
http://sandriver.bandcamp.com/
What a joy - Kwayze Judah and Iyanman Gabriel (LA, CA, USA)
Kwayze Judah found his musical roots as he grew up in Belize City and more specifically at Queen Anne's nightclub which was owned by his grandmother, where world music shaped his musical identity.
Iyahman Gabriel had a more complex upbringing, both in the village township of Gringa-Dang, Belize and the streets of South Central LA. Two very different ghettos.
"Roots Reggae Music. Conscious Lyrics to promote Irie Vibes. We promote Ital Livity and Oneness with the Most High!!"
Beauty and the Beats - Filthy Kicks (London)
Stuart played a Filthy Kicks track Crave on IR UK a couple of weeks ago which remind me that I was meaning to follow up the track Awaken that I played back in June on SnC223
This too is from the album Dirty Little Secret on Jamendo all tracks excellent tunes and beautifully produced.
Filthy Kicks are Darren Turze, Violeta Barrena, Roland Heap, Beats Boy, Ibrahim Sha'ath and Jana Skene.
You can download the MP3 album from Jamendo or trek over to the band's site and you'll have a choice of MP3, FLAC or glorious Apple lossless downloads.
Then you can just listen and enjoy it or accept the band's invitation to share and remix their work under the Creative Commons licence arrangements: attribute it to Filthy Kicks, non-commercial use and distribution only under the same licence terms. Neat. Creative Commons is such a useful system.
www.jamendo.com/en/album/56612
Rude - Nando (New York, NY, USA)
Nando is a singer /songwriter who is equally adept at gliding over mellow one-drop reggae grooves, riding uptempo dancehall and soca riddims, or belting out pop and R&B tunes with a comfort that belies his Jamaican roots. While the majority of his catalogue either address male-female relationships or are meant to make you dance, Nando is not afraid to tackle social issues such as racism or single-parenthood.
That Nando would venture outside of the reggae boundaries on his debut EP is not surprising, as he draws inspiration from a diverse pool of illustrious musicians from across a wide range of genres for both his songwriting and his singing. Nando counts mainstream R&B singers, such as D’Angelo, Babyface, and Maxwell, and iconic reggae artistes such as Bob Marley and Beres Hammond, among his primary influences. However, he also points to Dave Brubeck, a less familiar name (at least among non-Jazz aficionados), as an early influence who eventually led to his love affair with jazz and the broadening of his repertoire beyond his native genre.
www.myspace.com/nandohearttoart
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=552347865
www.twitter.com/themusicofnando
SnC 233 - Wed 18 August 2010
As quirky a selection of tracks as you could possibly want with music predominantly from artists in California and New York but a couple of interesting tunes slipped in from France and Spain.
Suffolk is getting damned noisy this week with harvest in full swing.
It's been a crazy fun week with friends visiting and frantic travel planning although I don't think this duck is going anywhere fast.
Going down to Louisiana - Marshall Lawrence (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
Not many blues artists can call themselves “the Doctor of the Blues” without a whole stretcher-full of the idiom’s winking big talk. But Marshall Lawrence can, and with only the slightest bit of irony. The award-nominated Canadian bluesman actually holds a doctorate in psychology, and he knows how to use it—just as he knows how to use his slashing guitar, stinging, lightning-fast slide, and pleading, mournful moan: Marshall’s prescription for a maximum blues remedy.
www.myspace.com/marshalllawrence
War within - Kira Fontana (LA, CA, USA)
I played a track or two from The Inner Revolution, her stunning 2007 debut album mixed by Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire). The new 3 song EP "Seek the Light" is recorded and mixed by Grammy-award winner Ryan Freeland (Aimee Mann, Ingrid Michaelson).
Full credit for the production and amazing layered string playing. In fact this is one of those recordings where full credit is due to everyone and especially to Kira. That voice is getting more and more expressive. Love it.
Kira Fontana: voice, piano
Cosima Luther: violin
Eric Wuest: violin
Jerome Gordon: viola
Alisha Bauer: cello
Sidney Hopson: vibes
Kaveh Rastegar: bass guitar
Scott Seiver: drums
I'm Feelin' Good - Janiva Magness (CA, USA)
From her CD, The Devil Is An Angel Too, (on Alligator Records) co-produced by Magness and Dave Darling (Brian Setzer, Meredith Brooks, Dan Hicks), is a hard-hitting collection of material that explores the depths of good and evil, with Magness’ glorious, soul-baring vocals burning their way through twelve powerful songs. I also played One Heartache Too Late a month or so ago on 228.
Adnams distillery taking shape
One of the side effects of the brewery being right in the centre of Southwold is that they have to be particularly creative (not to say cunning) with the use of space. There simply isn't room to sprawl. Judging from Sean's pictures, some serious engineering going on there.
Put your hands up high - Gangstagrass (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
In the summer of 2007, Brooklyn based producer, singer, and songwriter Rench was at such a crossroad. He had been producing honky-tonk infused trip-hop albums of his own material for several years, and had also developed a stable of NYC emcees that were recording at his studio.
All along he had an idea in the back of his head that just wouldn’t go away – take rap vocals, add beats, along with classic bluegrass for all the instrumentation and call it Gangstagrass.
You see Rench had always had a love for both country music and hip-hop. As a kid growing up in Southern California, Rench spent recess breakdancing to Run-DMC on cardboard boxes and evenings hearing his father’s country and bluegrass records.
Although country music and hip-hop are perceived to be diametrically opposed music styles, the appeal of Gangstagrass is easy to understand. Gangstagrass was born out of a sincere love for good music and an “I just don’t give a fuck” attitude towards sonic boundaries.
http://twitter.com/gangstagrass
You're Great - The Roast Beef Curtains (Long Island, NY, USA)
Inspired by tight reggae rhythm sections & thrashing punk bands, Three Hofstra University graduates birthed The Roast Beef Curtains. Taking a DIY approach, Andrew, John, & Mike evolved The RBC into the best live reggae, dub, & punk experience on Long Island. Since 2005, the trio has played well over 200 shows, creating a buzz from Manhattan to Montauk.
On stage, each band member works double and sometimes triple duty playing their instruments while controlling live dub effects, transforming every concert into an eargasmic experience. Whether it's reggae, dub or punk you're after, The Roast Beef Curtains deliver it with pleasure! Pleasure EP is the long awaited debut release from The RBC. A Full Length Release is scheduled to drop in 2010.
For a feel of how they produce the dub sound live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myvzN2Rf_PQ
http://TheRoastBeefCurtains.com
www.myspace.com/theroastbeefcurtains
If you enjoyed the Lee "Scratch" Perry track last week, you might enjoy Marisa Aveling's review of his show at The Highline Ballroom in New York last night.
The 2010 CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival is happening in New York October 19-23.
I'll be there for at least a couple of days of it. Meet up?
Down the Drain - Alexis Foxe (New York, NY,USA)
Alexis Foxe is a musical provocateur. Every song on “To Have and Want More” has a flavour all it’s own. From the 1940’s Big Band feel of the title track to the futurist pop synth style of “Revel Without a Cause,”
Alexis Fox was born to a Cuban mom and a Colombian dad. As a child, she lived in Buenos Aires and Madrid and Spanish was her first language. She started playing piano at an early age and says, “I grew up dancing ballet and flamenco, writing and making films. My parents really encouraged my individuality and creativity. But I didn’t sing a note until I was 20 years old. Can you imagine? Not a peep until I was 20.”
The family moved to New York when Alexis was 11. Her mother worked in the music industry, so she spent her adolescent years doing what a lot of teens would dream of; listening to music demos and going to concerts. Alexis soon fell in love with US Cinema. She says, “I learned to speak English by watching films. I became fascinated by how language was manipulated and began to notice how exquisitely music could be used to enhance the story. I started to think of music as the second language of the film. I knew from an early age that I wanted to do something with music and film.”
With the help of top notch musicians like the Pizzarelli Trio, the album, “To Have and Want More” was born. “To Have and Want More” is a collection of stories from an international girl trying to find her way in the world. “Down the Drain” will appeal to generation of people who are used to living on credit cards. This is a brassy, energetic tune that has the feel of a 1940’s big band. The lyrics are sassy and insightful, “My mother tells me that my spending habits, are as wild as copulating rabbits.”
August 31, 2010 - 11 pm - Pete's Candy Store - Brooklyn, NY 11211 Info: (718) 302-3770
September 4 - Medalla Light - San Juan, PUERTO RICO
September 7, 2010 - 10 pm Crash Mansion - NY, NY 10002 Info: (212) 982-7767
September 23, 2010 - Piano's - New York, NY 10003 Info: (212) 505-3733
www.myspace.com/thealexisfox (yeah this one is without the e)
EMI (via Hypebot.com)
"In its report to investors this morning, EMI detailed a net loss of £512 or US $802 million. The company also wrote off another £602 million ($943M USD) in 2009-2010 and despite a recent round of refinancing still has £3 billion ($4.7B USD) in outstanding debt.
Just in case investors think that things can't get much worse, EMI also forecast that it may need another cash infusion as early as next year and that it will fall short of its banking covenants (the financial requirement of its lenders) every year until at least 2015. “EMI Music continued to be challenged by the overall decline in physical sales, which has not yet been fully offset by growth in digital sales.”
There follows a very positive bit of spinning from EMI from which you'd think everything was hunky dory.
Read the full article on Hypebot at http://ht.ly/2rqTZ
Stereophonic Motor Club - Juanitos (Chambéry, France)
"No need to go underground to explore the African American ghettos to find the ultimate soul nugget. In Chambery, in Savoy, 60's soul and garage have more exotic mystery to Juanitos. Based on fun, chili and mint jeep, the music is Juanitos spontaneous dancing, for a maximum of groove on the intersection of the easy-listening funk of James Taylor Quartet and the punky fury of Seeds.
The rhythm and blues, samba, rock'n'roll and reggae are the appointment in good spirits and was a nice mess, I must say!
These "soulmen" Spanish Savoyards, a bit dark in the soul, while returning to base clapping and singing Charleston depraved humor and energy ... fast a volume 3!"
www.jamendo.com/en/album/41987
¡Cógelo! - Sundayers (Madrid, Spain)
At the end of 2009 they began the recording of their second album “Cógelo”. This time with Ferni Duhalde as sound engineer (El Tio Calambres, Eureka, Outro Jazz), and a very creative music production - with thirteen tracks full of energy and a crucial fusion of styles and the consistence and strength of the songs. In March 2010 they published the album for free download on Jamendo.
This Spanish collective plays an energetic music, a mix between reggae, ska, funk and all the styles each member will bring out. Always ready to party, you could see them everywhere in Spain and maybe in Europe in the next months.
www.jamendo.com/en/album/62611
Check out (and "like") the Suffolk'n'Cool Facebook "fan" page: http://tinyurl.com/2wyupl3
SnC 232 - Wed 11 August 2010
Not one but two free downloads in this week's Suffolk'n'Cool show, courtesy of our friends at IODA Promonet.
A diverse selection of tines again and, I hope you'll agree, a few little gems included.
This weeks picture is a gain from Aldeburgh just over on the coast. It has to be one of the most photographed buildings in the area and although next to the beach it has a car park on three sides. Hey ho, you can't have everything.
Pocket - Big Mess (Manhattan Beach, CA, USA)
Big Mess is a band of three guys from diverse backgrounds with a common punk heritage. They love mischief and know how to rock. If you like your music raw and uncensored Big Mess is the band for you. Hear them coming at you fast and furious and at full volume it’s Big Mess.
Rex Bailey, (guitar and vocals) started his career with his father playing jazz and bebop then he formed Ambrosia and played with the late great Dave Travis. He is known to be one of the best guitar players in LA
Chad Carrier, (bass and vocals) started right in the thick of the punk scene and formed Easter one of the pioneers of the 80’s sound. With hits on KROQ, VH1 and MTV Chad lives his life large enjoying every moment.
Bernie Deal, (drums) while not technically a punk rock veteran, is by anybody’s definition a punk, so it all works out. Originally from Maryland, this is a guy who has done it all from rock, to metal, to funk. This is the chief reason the band is called Big Mess.
Follow me to the sun - Dave Eggar (NY, NY, USA)
Kingston Morning, was recently recorded in Brooklyn, NY, Kingston, Jamaica, and Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Favorite Eggar tracks on the release include Earth’s Paradise (vocals by Jamaican roots reggae legend Luciano); Follow Me to the Sun (vocals by Chuck Palmer); High Atmosphere (vocals by NPR’s Robin & Linda Williams -- Prairie Home Companion); Itsbynne Reel and Jacob’s Vision (vocals by Bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley -- O Brother Where Art Thou) .âDave notes, “The new project represents to me a new and extreme brand of high-risk, high-impact classical crossover. Kingston Morning juxtaposes Reggae music and Appalachian music in a look at local culture fighting for a voice in an increasingly global environment."âEggar says this project was an especially moving and emotional recording for to make. He adds, “This is a project of ingenuity and improvisation which took many hours of dedicated perseverance to complete. With open minds and open hearts, our lives were forever changed as these unique Reggae and Appalachian collaborations took shape. As we immersed ourselves in these seemingly disparate cultures, amazing similarities in the history and storied cultures emerged. Their individual hopes, dreams and the power of the music eventually seemed to bring the music and people of Jamaica and Virginia ever closer together.”âDave continues, “My imagination has always been captivated by the music and culture of Jamaica and Appalachia. These journeys to Kingston and Big Stone Gap were truly a life altering experience for me. I am especially proud of the music that has been produced as a result of our efforts.”
The New York Times said: “Eggar's work is breathtaking ... a deliverance from the sedate formality of the typical cello recital." Truly it is.
Dave Eggar "Follow Me To The Sun" (mp3) from "Kingston Morning" (Domo Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album www.daveeggarmusic.com
@daveeggar
Famous Last Words - Ed Vallance (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
With one ear solidly rooted in classic British songwriting styles from Ray Davies and the Kinks to Supergrass, and the other schooled in the sonic approach of bands like Spiritualized and Galaxy 500, Vallance has honed his craft into a focused blend of pointed pop melodies and the ethereal qualities of his predecessors.
The Summer Fire EP ( on Hello My Name Is records) is a concise snapshot of the wide array of talents Vallance possesses in his arsenal. Opening with the sweeping vocals and pulsing drive of “Black and White Light” The Summer Fire EP seamlessly shifts between genres before closing with our track "Famous Last Words".
Ed is playing The Bell House and Pianos in NY August 11 and 12
Another Dollar - Crazy Mary (New York, NY, USA)
Formed by veteran Lower East Side guitarist and songwriter Charles Kibel and drummer Nick Raisz, Crazy Mary has been conjuring its refreshingly oddball avant-garage rock since 1998. A bubbling cauldron of chiming and scraping guitars, creepy organ, spacey, experimental sounds, Dada-ish pranksterism, and absurdly danceable rhythms, the band distills it all into a surreal cocktail of post-punk/psychedelic weirdness. And now, with the recent additions of legendary underground violinist Walter Steding and expatriate Australian vocalist Em Z, things have gotten even weirder. In a good way, of course.
@CrazyMaryNYC
Cadillac Coupe de Ville - Jimmi Accardi (Penn Valley, CA, USA)
Jimmi Accardi is a singer, songwriter, musician, and performer. He toured as lead guitarist for Chubby Checker, and as lead guitarist for Mickey Dolenz and Davey Jones of The Monkees. He was the session guitarist for Rupert Holmes on his self-titled album. He also was lead guitarist for the Eddy Dixon Band, and played with Evan Lurie (The Lounge Lizards). Jimmi's own group, The Laughing Dogs, enjoyed two critically acclaimed albums on Columbia Records with original songs in the Billboard picks.
Here Jimmi returns to his roots, with original rock and roll, rockabilly, and jump blues tunes. Jimmi's vocals and lead guitar are accompanied by his band The Wild Cats.
www.cdbaby.com/artist/jimmiaccardi
I'm Sorry - Lauren O'Brien (Astoria, New York, USA)
A second track from Lauren O'Brien
“I love rock ’n’ roll, the passion and rebelliousness of it,” says Lauren. “But I want to be part of it in my own way—I want to take poetry and rock it out.”
Which is exactly what Lauren does—and then some—on Inconsequential Dream, her astonishing debut album. Take “color code,” a menacing, tension-rich rumination on love’s blurred lines of communication
Much like Lauren’s riveting live performances, inconsequential dream is a cathartic, emotionally cleansing experience that keeps the listener on the edge of their seat throughout—only to find them back in line when the last track stops, eager to sign up for another wild ride.
She has a live acoustic show coming up on Aug 27 at Cornelia Street Cafe, just off Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, New York. Show starts at 6pm, Lauren is doing an acoustic set at 7pm. Info on 212-989-9319
http://myspace.com/laurenobrienmusic
@laurenobrien1
Playing for Change: One Love - live in Madrid
A superb live performance of Marley's One Love featuring the core Playing for Change band (including Grandpa Elliot) along with many of the street musicians. Featured musicians include Tula's amazing vocals, Roberto Luti playing the National steel slide guitar, Francois Viguie on the bongos, Stefano Tomaselli on the sax, Venkat playing the tablas, and the beautiful choir vocals of Sinamuva. Many of whom recorded their parts of the original Playing for Change version a year or more ago in locational all around the world. This time they were brought together in December at The Caja Magica which was packed to the gills (over 8,000 people were in attendance!). The band put together a set list of 25 songs (our longest list to date, I believe), and performed for well over two hours. Total musician count was nearly 20!
www.playingforchange.com/episodes/32/One_Love_Live_From_Madrid
Psalm - Lee Scratch Perry (Jamaica and Switzerland)
Lee "Scratch" Perry is one of the most important figures in the history of reggae music. Not only did he help develop the early reggae sound captured in a number of important recordings, but as an engineer, producer, songwriter, and performer he pioneered a number of innovations, including dub reggae. Lee Perry again draws his narrative from his spirituality and today's global events. One track features very special guest Keith Richards.
Lee Scratch Perry "Psalm" (mp3) from "Revelation" (Megawave) More On This Album www.myspace.com/leescratchperry
Suitcase - Lloyd's Garage (San Francisco Bay area, CA, USA) Platform 1
This band just came in from my new best friend Chrysti at Platform 1. I admit that at very first listen I wasn't too sure but by the time the second track on their MySpace came on I was hooked. This is that second track on MySpace. Get over there and check them out for yourself.
There's a fundamental integrity in these passionately delivered songs. The energy is, fortunately, matched by songs that retain interest both lyrically and in their arrangements. This energetic two-piece band delivers more watts of energy per song than you'll hear in many a larger setup.
Lloyd's Garage are Seth Heitzmann - Guitar, Vocals
Lloyd Llewelyn - Drums, Keys
Better still, you can catch them live
13 Aug Point Richmond Summer Concert - Point Richmond, California, US
14 Aug Red Devil Lounge - San Francisco, CA
18 Aug Luckey's - Eugene, OR
19 Aug Hawthorne Theater - Portland, Or
20 Aug Central Saloon - Seattle, WA
21 Aug The MadHappy Lounge - Bend, OR
11 Sep Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA
SnC 231 - Wed 04 August 2010
A hot summer mix on Suffolk'n'Cool this week with tracks from far and wide. There is also the Artist of the Month Feature and Sarah Morrison from IR New York popped in to say hello. It's nice when folks do that!
I was in Southwold (right) yesterday - all this and a brewery too! No wonder it is described as "beer from the coast".
Start it Off - Hot Fiction (London, UK)
Hot Fiction is a rock band from England, comprising a singing drummer (Andy Yeoh) and a guitarist (Simon Miller).Their music creates the same blood-in-the-guts feeling that the best blues music does, but has a charm and atmosphere all of its own. Debut album is called 'Dark Room'. You can find them on Jamendo.
Definite shades of White Stripes but non the worse for that.
Looking at the stars tonight - Marc Farr (New York, USA)
It has been ages since I played a track from Marc.
Indie artist Marc Farre delivers cinematic pop/rock songs shot through with a raw, poetic energy. His voice is deep, intimate, intense. (Critics have called it "mesmerizing.") Equal parts open-hearted and hallucinatory, his music pulls you in like an art-house film.
Though he is based in New York, Marc Farre’s French background imbues his music with a European, art-house feel — a seductive ambiance perfectly paired with his driving rhythms, otherworldly lyrics and magnetic melodies.
Do check him out, he's an interesting man and thoroughly nice guy. He deserves his success in building an audience that actually what to listen to his songs. I commend you to join them.
Marc's His Facebook Fan Page is at http://tinyurl.com/yfb9s9b
Baby Bones - Laura Stephenson and The Cans (Brooklyn, NY, USA) IODA
Originally released in the fall of 2008, this 8 song album has turned heads from all over the world garnering over 20,000 downloads via QUOTE UNQUOTE RECORDS (digital download only label) Laura Stevenson: A Record with her trusty Cans by her side, Laura mixes textures, arrangements and harmonies to create a warm and inviting album that will make you smile or crush your soul depending on your current level of sadness. An additional 3 brand new unreleased tracks were recorded in Jan. 2010 to complete the debut physical release of "A RECORD".
Laura is on the road with a vengeance in August with dates in:
08/04/10 - Sugar City, Buffalo, NY
08/05/10 - Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI
08/06/10 - Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
08/07/10 - Horeshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
08/08/10 - Il Motore, Montral, QC
08/09/10 - Club Metronome, Burlington, VT
08/10/10 - Space Gallery, Portland, ME
08/11/10 - Middle East Upstairs, Boston, MA
08/12/10 - Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
08/13/10 - Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY
08/14/10 - Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA
08/15/10 - Black Cat, Washington, DC
08/17/10 - Brillobox, Pittsburgh, PA
08/18/10 - Southgate House, Newport, KY
08/19/10 - Meattown USA, New Brunswick, NJ
Laura Stevenson and the Cans, Laura Stevenson, The Cans "Baby Bones" (mp3)
from "A Record"
(Asian Man Records) Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Napster More On This Album
www.myspace.com/laurastevenson
www.laurastevensonandthecans.com
Istanbul - Emerald Park (Malmö, Sweden)
They have been around since their first release in 2004 and brought a touch of Swedeish class to The Cavern in Liverpool for the IPO festival in May.
Signed to the 23 Seconds net-label in Gothenburg, from where you can download the 2010 edition of their album For Tomorrow. Take a look around 23 Seconds they have interesting artists.
I have a thing for you - Tendawema (London, UK)
I played a track Wish on SnC 219 and I've at last managed to secure another track for you.
While Wish was a dead sexy minimalist ballad, I have a thing for you takes it to a very different level with almost industrial (but homemade) sounds and some really interesting timings that bring to mind some of Robert Palmer's most interesting material. What a duet that would have been.
Described as being low to mid tempo, deep and emotional songs being a reflection on her inner self, you can find out more information on Tendawema including more material on her website.
My Girl Dances - Hot Fiction (London, UK) Jamendo
A second track from Hot Fiction. Get the album and tell your friends. You can download it free from:
www.jamendo.com/en/album/71656
Historia de un amor - Los Campusinos (Villalcampo, Spain)
From their EP el microtonalismo de los campusinos.
Villalcampo is right over on the west of Spain only a hundred miles or so from the Portuguese city of Porto.
That's about all I know but I'd love to know more about the instruments used, they seem to have a seriously Arabic pedigree. Do let me know if you know.
www.jamendo.com/en/album/72184
Adnams Artist of the Month
Chosen for us by Al Marshall - keen festival goer and senior wine buyer at the Southwold based brewery. You can hear an extended version of that interview on the SnC site Artist of the month and then July 2010.
La cécité - Kapadnoms
Congratulations to Kapadnoms.
From the 20 track album Un Point C'est Tout. You can download that and a whole load of their excellent material from Jamendo.
www.jamendo.com/en/artist/kapadnoms
Colour Code - Lauren O'Brien (Astoria, NY, USA)
“I love rock ’n’ roll, the passion and rebelliousness of it,” says Lauren. “But I want to be part of it in my own way—I want to take poetry and rock it out.”
Which is exactly what Lauren does—and then some—on Inconsequential Dream, her astonishing debut album. Take “color code,” a menacing, tension-rich rumination on love’s blurred lines of communication
Much like Lauren’s riveting live performances, inconsequential dream is a cathartic, emotionally cleansing experience that keeps the listener on the edge of their seat throughout—only to find them back in line when the last track stops, eager to sign up for another wild ride.
She has a live acoustic show coming up on Aug 27 at Cornelia Street Cafe, just off Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, New York. Show starts at 6pm, Lauren is doing an acoustic set at 7pm. Info on 212-989-9319
http://myspace.com/laurenobrienmusic
http://www.twitter.com/laurenobrien1
SnC 230 - Wed 28 July 2010
Some particularly interesting tunes for you this week (yeah, I know, they always are!) from San Francisco, Brooklyn, Las Vegas, Niger, the UK, France and Nashville. Also news of some offers, a competition and an artist who could do with your feedback.
In need of fresh air and photographs headed over to Aldeburgh this morning for an hour of total break. Beautiful.
Moving On - The Famous (San Francisco, CA, USA)
Take the ‘50s-era country of Hank Williams, Sr. and filter it through ‘70s punk rock, ‘80s psychobilly, and ‘90s post-punk. You’ll find yourself staring eye-to-eye with San Francisco’s own “Pixies in a cowboy hat.”
“You can pound your fist on my front door / But it’s been too long, I don’t need you anymore.” Laurence Scott sings the opening line of “Better Things,” from the Famous’ 2005 debut Light, Sweet Crude, like he really means it. He might be singing about an old lover, an old friend — heck, even an old car — but the line could just as well be a kiss-off to the staid country and Americana his band seems all too happy to leave behind in a cloud of dust.
www.facebook.com/TheFamousMusic
@thefamous
Cage Against the Machine
Could we be on for a "silent night" on Radio 1 at Christmas?
www.glasswerk.co.uk/news/national/9491/Cage+Against+The+Machine
I Can't Feel - Matthew Dear (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
A track from the consistently excellent Ghostly International label.
After meeting Ghostly founder Sam Valenti IV at a house party in the late 90s, Dear eventually produced the A-Side for the label’s first 12” release, Hands Up for Detroit. Since then, Dear issued his pop-infused debut album Leave Luck to Heaven and its counterpart Backstroke, which caught mainstream attention, as well as myriad releases under his club-oriented pseudonyms
Matthew Dear’s Black City can’t be found on any map. It’s a composite, an imaginary metropolis peopled by desperate cases, lovelorn souls, and amoral motives. Like most literary Gothams, 'Black City' is a place to love and hate.
Make a note that Street Release is scheduled for Aug 17 but Digital Release happens on Aug 03
Matthew Dear "I Can't Feel" (mp3) from "Black City" (Ghostly International) More On This Album
Selene - Imagine Dragons (Las Vegas, NV, USA)
Combining synth-laden rock and infectious dance grooves, Imagine Dragons comes off both anthemic and eccentric. By way of Vegas, the quintet brings the restless energy of “the city that never sleeps” to the masses with its 2010 sophomore EP “Hell and Silence.” A short, yet impressive history includes sharing the stage with indie notables Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Nico Vega and The Envy Corps and opening for mainstream acts such as Blue October, Jet, and Kelly Clarkson.
www.myspace.com/imaginedragons
@Imaginedragons
Justin Wayne - congratulations
Yes! I'm French - Gypsy Nomads (New York)
Video contest
In support of their ‘HAPPY MADNESS’ album release as well as the French national holiday Bastille Day (July 14th), The Gypsy Nomads launched the “Yes! I’m French” Video Competition on Animoto.com, challenging fans and French culture enthusiasts to create their own videos, using the Animoto service, set to their song of the same title. Fans can visit this custom Animoto.com link to grab the song and work on their own “Yes! I’m French” video: http://bit.ly/bZXKKQ. Full details about the contest can be found here: http://ow.ly/2dvp6
Subajo - Etran Finatawa (Niger)
From a Rough Guide Music compilation album Desert Blues.
Etran Finatawa’s musicians come from Niger which is one of the three poorest countries in the world, it is a landlocked country in West Africa bordered by Mali, Algeria, Libya, Chad and Nigeria. Niger has a very rich cultural heritage and sits at a desert crossroads between the Berber and Arab cultures of the North and the many sub-Saharan cultures of the South. In Niger there are eleven different ethnic groups most of whom are farmers or pastoralists, both sedentary and nomadic. Amongst them are the Tuareg and Wodaabe, many of whom are still nomadic. They move with their camels, long-horned cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys seeking pastures along the Sahelian savannah at the fringes of the South Sahara.
New album Tarkat Tajje-Let´s go! was released in March 2010.
The band have been in the US for a couple of weeks and have one remaining date at the Lincoln Center Festival Outdoors in New York City on 1st August.
Etran Finatawa "Subajo" (mp3) from "The Rough Guide To Desert Blues" (Rough Guides/World Music Network) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
Skully Said - Jesta (Lancashire, UK)
Jesta is taking part in the Cyber PR blogging challenge and could really use some listener feedback. He has a very short questionnaire set up on his site at http://jestamusic.com/help-us and is offering copies of the new CD (just as soon as it is finished) as random prizes for folks who help him out with the feedback.
Music Success in Nine Weeks - Ariel Hyatt
Charming Grass - Hymas (Spycker, France)
From the Jamendo album Hymas 2, the follow up to Hymas. I can tell you nothing more but commend you to download both albums. Big fat in-your-face beats with loads of beautifully played bass and some great drumming whilst also weaving in some really subtle little touches which just keep you listening.
www.jamendo.com/en/artist/HiGhMaS
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'
185 voices from 12 countries
Composed and conducted by Eric Whitacre, produced and managed by Scott Haines. Please get over and take a look. Amazing.
Certains adultes errent - Kapadnoms (France)
Translates as "Some adults roam". Preceded by a rather fun little intro(version Brigitte Piaf) from the album "Un Point C'est Tout".
Les kapadnoms developpent le concept de musique en patchwork liant l electro swing au hiphop en passant par des chansons a texte plus intimes ,le tout releve d'une plume hiphop engagee,parfois enragee...la pluspart des enregistrements sont fait en autoproduction dans un homestudio et sont composees et arrangees par informatique,les musiciens travaillent les adaptations pour les lives...
Download a whole load of their excellent materials from Jamendo
www.jamendo.com/en/artist/kapadnoms
Adnams Broadside in Mini Casks
Yay. Adnams Broadside Mini Casks now available online (virtual order ... real flavour!
New Cluck Old Hen - Paul Burch & WPA Ballclub (Nashville, TN, USA)
I played some of Paul Burch's music on previous shows and, if you heard them, you may remember that he is releasing two tracks a month. This track is one of this month's pair.
Paul has been over in the UK in the past few days playing a tight schedule of shows in the north east and London. But it just hasn't been possible to hook up, perhaps next time.
http://paulburch.com/fr_recordclub.cfm
SnC 229 - Wed 21 July 2010
An energising canter around the globe for this week's selection of fine new music. Tracks from Liverpool, two from Ontario, Ohio, Madrid, London and a couple from New York.
Still no rain to speak of but the sky did briefly sweat on us this afternoon. I only mention it because as you'll see, rain becomes a bit of a theme in the show.
Suffolk'n'Cool now has a Facebook "fan" page. - just click the link then don't forget to click the iLike button at the top of the page
Makeout - The Gypsy Nomads (New York, USA)
Folk-punk is as old as the pint glass. Unsurprisingly then, the genre’s roots are a bit of a haze. To be sure, they’re planted in the pub-filling chantalongs bleary-eyed blokes have been singing for a century or so. But it’s hard to point to an exact beginning, which is fitting for a style of music that sounds so timeless.
Composed of French-born Brit Samantha Stephenson and ex-Deep Wound punkster Scott Helland, the pair evoke a tribalistic miasma of ancient sounds as interpreted by a female Gordon Gano. A great combination and a bit of a bonus as far as I'm concerned is that there is something about Samantha's voice that reminds me at times (particularly in Vaudeville Voodoo) of Lena Lovitch - hear the track for yourself on their MySpace page.
On their fourth release, Happy Madness, Stephenson and Helland are at their songwriting peak, offering up a dozen leering come-ons and sultry kiss-offs about Magic, Making Out, and Marionettes.
They have a range of enticing CDs on their site and a new CD is "coming soon". If you like the music you can make a donation towards the production courts and get a CD when it is released - an interesting approach. It is scheduled to be out any day now.
22 Jul The Can Can, Seattle, Washington
28 Jul Pub at the End of the Universe, Portland, Oregon
30 Jul FaerieWorlds Eugene, Oregon
31 Jul FaerieWorlds Eugene, Oregon
7 Aug World of Faeries Festival, South Elgin, Illinois
8 Aug World of Faeries Festival, South Elgin, Illinois
www.myspace.com/thegypsynomads
I mentioned that there is an excellent video of Lene Lovich live at Studio 54 in New York in 1981 with Thomas Dolby in her stage band on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=swbv-_vBXLI
Rain - Jack Roberts (Liverpool, UK)
Noted for his stage persona and the contradiction of wit and pain in his lyrics, Jack Roberts is a true story teller creating a huge buzz on the Liverpool music scene and beyond.
With a reputation of captivating audiences with his elegant vocals likened to Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen, Jack Roberts has already received exposure on Radio Belfast after being named Record Of The Week, performed for the BBC after his Glastonbury performance, and played at a number of prestigious venues across the UK such as Shepherds Bush Empire, Jazz Café in London and Birmingham, Manchester Apollo and The Albert Hall to name but a few.
Jack Roberts battles with Dyslexia, the result however is that he produces some of the most well crafted songs the country has ever seen. Keep an eye out for his latest invention ‘LEN’; an animated dog described as being an extended character of Jack’s personality which you will be seeing more of soon.
www.myspace.com/jackrobertsliverpool
When it Rains - Brett Caswell (Barrie, Ontario, Canada)
A New Balance is the product of two years of writing, performing, and rehearsing a live band. But, Caswell's love affair with making music began in his early teens. Developing his musical persona, and himself, through a series of projects, from alternative rock to acoustic covers, he has honed his song craft and live performance skill.
His natural energy and his broad experiences make him a powerful presence on the stage. Almost upstanding and slightly weathered, Brett Caswell is out to make you cry, but in a good way.
After releasing his debut LP earlier this year, Brett Caswell is announcing a string of east coast tour dates this summer. Kicking off on home soil in Barrie, Caswell will join Ottawa band Old Crowns in a number of Ontario cities and all the way out to Halifax.
Jul 17 @ Kenzington's, BARRIE
Jul 21 @ The Phog Lounge, WINDSOR.
Jul 22 @ The Spill, PETERBOROUGH
Jul 23 @ The Elmdale Tavern, OTTAWA
Jul 24 @ Boom Nightclub, FREDERICTON
Jul 27 @ The Company House, HALIFAX
Jul 28 @ Uncle Larry's, SACKVILLE
Jul 29 @ Bar St. Laurent, MONTREAL
Jericho Road - Kelly Richie (Cincinnati, OH, USA)
As a teenager, Richey practiced guitar 12 hours a day. "I never set it down,” she remembers. "I took it to school, I took it to the kitchen table and if I took a walk it was strapped on." Now, when she picks up her guitar, anyone within earshot is compelled to listen. A working musician since her teens, she began her professional career as a member of the Arista Records group Stealin' Horses; in 1990 she formed The Kelly Richey Band, with whom she has become both a national and international touring artist.
Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity inadvertently reminded me last week that I've not played Kelly in a long, long time, even though I follow her on Twitter. Now is the time to put that right with the epic Jericho Road a track from her solidly excellent album "Carry the Light".
Take a look at her videos on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/5orlu3
Another wonderful music video is "Newport" by MJ Delaney Films. It echos Gavin and Stacy althopugh perhaps in it's wacky Welshness - you must check out the lyrics (subtitled) which are just brilliant. Use the comment button below these notes to let me know your favourite line! Yeah.
La Otra Historia - Sundayers (Madrid, Spain)
At the end of 2009 they began the recording of their second album “Cógelo”. This time with Ferni Duhalde as sound engineer (El Tio Calambres, Eureka, Outro Jazz), and a very creative music production - with thirteen tracks full of energy and a crucial fusion of styles and the consistence and strength of the songs. In March 2010 they published the album for free download on Jamendo.
This Spanish collective plays an energetic music, a mix between reggae, ska, funk and all the styles each member will bring out. Always ready to party, you could see them everywhere in Spain and maybe in Europe in the next months.
www.jamendo.com/en/album/62611
Litterbug - Blabbin On Babylon (London, UK.)
After first smashing the dance floors doing DJ’ing, outdoor festivals and specialist events around the UK, plus the occasional slot on Portsmouth’s Pure FM radio, Lucius returns with his new project Blabbin On Babylon.
Already receiving positive reviews from radio presenters and described as being ‘an epic adventure through sound scape wrapped in fine beats’ you can find out more information on Blabbin On Babylon at their website.
Burn it Down - AWOLNation (New York, NY, USA)
AWOLNATION is a riptide of head-banging dance beats, toe-tapping soul, biting lyrical cleverness and fiery rock romp that is poised to break all the rules of pop music.
AWOLNATION has dropped their debut EP Back From Earth featuring the explosive lead track “Burn It Down”. The EP is engagingly unique and exciting, as the tracks seem to invite listeners along to the proverbial secret party and then keep them up all night to welcome the apocalypse, and well, Burn It Down. But just when these glorious party bangers might leave you “jonesing” for more, AWOLNATION keep your hope and smile well fed with the uplifting swing of the groovy “Guilty Filthy Soul”. Overall, the 4-track EP is a mosaic of genre-twisting pop gems that covers the spectrum of sonic fun. Like squeezing watermelons into lemons, Back From Earth is an immersive listening experience that packs a lot of punch. The collection is rounded out with a bonus remix of “Burn It Down” by Innerpartysytem.
More than just a band, AWOLNATION is also an outlet for AWOL’s artistic outlook. To complement the band’s sound and musical aesthetic, AWOL has unearthed a series of Deep Danger and Lost Signal short films that combines the careful details and painterly attention of a Wes Anderson film with the sci-fi imagination and intergalactic absurdity of Barbarella, the movie.
To view clips of AWOLNATION’s Deep Danger and Lost Signal video series, visit www.haveyougoneawol.com/
www.myspace.com/AWOLNATIONmusic
7ths and 3rds - Green Go / Gregory Pepper (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
After a whirlwind 12 months which included the release of their debut album 'Borders' to substantial critical praise, and shows with the likes of Thunderheist, Think About Life, You Say Party! We Say Die, Fischerspooner, and hosts of others, Guelph ON's dance party bringers Green Go are pumping out the jams once again. But these ones come, how Ringo might say, with a little help from their friends.
The Green Go Remix Project vol II, available as a free download on the interwebs as of April 1st, features the band's dual-organic and electronic re-hashings of their friends' bangers - Woodhands, Diamond Rings, Gregory Pepper, and Think About Life, as well as their own fuzzed-out remake of their own track Watch Your Step, which originally appeared on 'Borders'.
Remix Project Vol II is the result of a band with hordes more knowledge than first time around, and the subtle touch of producer/engineer Roger Leavens (the RAA, Woodhands, etc). The result is a much more polished, refined sound than the previous set, and one which promises to continue to expand the gospel of Green Go.
SnC 228a - Sat 17 July 2010
Sorry to interrupt your Saturday, or whatever day it is that you're reading/listening, but I just had a very excited call from Jeremy Gugenheim (The G Spot) who is at the Latitude Festival this weekend and who has just seem School of Seven Bells perform an astounding set and I thought you might like to hear what all the fuss is about or, if you are at Latitude, to have a little reminder of what it's all about.
Half Asleep - School of Seven Bells (New York, NY, USA)
A couple of SoSB tracks from previous Suffolk'n'Cool shows are available for free, and legal download via IODA. If you go to show 142 and 140, you'll be able to download Connjur and the track from this show, called Half Asleep.
Enjoy them and then get the albums which are on Ghostly International.
Their latest album, Disconnect from Desire is also available now at Amazon and on iTunes.
SnC 228 - Wed 14 July 2010
Quite a blues theme this week with Janiva Magness featuring along with another of Jan Mittendorp's remarkable blues remixes. There is an interesting version of one of Bob Marley's big tracks from the guy who wrote it, King Sporty and more ...
It's been a busy week including a trip over to the Adnams brewery to talk to Fergus, the Head Brewer for our new feature.
I couldn't resist the temptation to take a few pics while the light was dramatically "after-rain" (right).
Music this week from from California, London, Jamaica, Netherlands and Florida.
Intro: Happy - Jimmie Bratcher
Hungry Daze - iNi Kamoze (Kingston Jamaica)
Ini Kamoze has worked with some premier artists and producers in hip-hop and reggae such as Jermaine Dupre, P Diddy, 9 SOUNDCLIK, Sly & Robbie and Phillip “Fattis” Burrell.
Hungry Daze is taken from his all-new studio album 5150 Rule.
iNi Kamoze's long career history had him first recording for Island Records in the mid 1980s.
iNi Kamoze "Hungry Daze" (mp3) from "5150 Rule" (9 SoundClik) Buy at Napster More On This Album www.inikamoze.com/
Artists House - Chris Blackwell
From one of a whole series of recordings from Artists House. I swear he sits right behind me as I'm selecting tracks for the show!
www.artistshousemusic.org/node/5369/245
@artistshouse
A Lot for Her to Take - Dry Riser (Kentish Town, London, UK)
Dry Riser have been creating a huge buzz on the South East music scene since the release of their debut EP ‘Two Many Chiefs’.
They recently performed at Guilfest alongside the likes of Squeeze, Jimmy Cliff and Newton Faulkner helping increase their profile further. More gig dates will be announced shortly which will be listed on their websites along with details about how you can purchase their material.
Hippie Girl - PC Muñoz (San Francisco)
I first played PC Muñoz on SnC 035 back in October 2006. He has certainly been on the move since then with some really interesting work along the way. At heart he is San Francisco-based recording artist and producer known for genre-defying projects which stretch the boundaries of funk and the avant-garde.
From his on-going Micro Jams project.
http://pcmunoz.bandcamp.com/album/micro-jams
One Heartache Too Late - Janiva Magness (CA, USA)
Award-winning vocalist Janiva Magness is among the premier blues and R&B singers in the world today. Her voice possesses an earthy, raw honesty and beauty born from her life experience. A charismatic performer known for her electrifying live shows, Magness is a gutsy and dynamic musical powerhouse. She received the coveted 2009 Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year (she is only the second woman to ever win this award, Koko Taylor being the first) and for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year, an honor she also received in 2006 and 2007.
Her new CD, The Devil Is An Angel Too, (on Alligator Records) co-produced by Magness and Dave Darling (Brian Setzer, Meredith Brooks, Dan Hicks), is a hard-hitting collection of material that explores the depths of good and evil, with Magness’ glorious, soul-baring vocals burning their way through twelve powerful songs. “All of us have a light and a dark side. Human beings are capable of the most incredible acts of kindness and absolute wretchedness. This record explores both sides,” Magness explains. She wraps her huge, soulful voice around original material written especially for her, and songs from Julie Miller, Graham Parker, Nick Lowe, Joe Tex, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Ann Peebles and James Carr.
The band comprises: JANIVA MAGNESS (Vocals); ZACH ZUNIS (Guitar); GARY DAVENPORT (Bass); JIM ALFREDSON (Hammond B3 & Keyboards); MATT TECU (Drums).
July
7 Durango, CO Abbey Theater
8 Woodland Park, CO Crystola Roadhouse
9 Longmount, CO Oskar Blues
10 Denver, CO Blues & Brews Festival
11 Taos, NM Solar Center
15 Mont Tremblant, ON Mont Tremblant Blues Festival
17 London, ON Bluesfest International
18 Windsor, ON Bluesfest International
24 Reno, NV Aces Ballpark, Freight House Dist.
25 Tahoe City, CA Commons Beach Concert Series
30 Santa Barbara, CA Warren Hall
31 Deming, WA Mt Baker Blues Festival
See Janiver talking about the new album on her site.
Adnams Artist of the Month - Ingi
Interview in the Adnams Brewery with Fergus Fitzgerald, Head Brewer about his musical tastes, the brewery and his choice of Icelander Ingi as Artist of the Month from the SnC June playlist.
There is a longer version of this interview in the Artist of the Month section of the site.
Saturday - Ingi (Reykjavik, Iceland)
Tension - Azoora (London, UK)
"After one year of silence and recovering, one of the most well-established and best bands in the whole netlabel scene are back with a new EP. As always with 3 originals and 3 remixes.
Azoora is a blend of all the great bands and music styles you can think of. From 60s psychedelic garage sounds to modern techno trip hop. Via the 90´s indie and Manchester baggy acid pop. Their uniqueness and greatness has been marking a land of their own since the early 2000s. Like a green dream in a grey reality."
Their new EP was recorded during the winter last year and spring this year by
Paul Loader: songwriter, vocals, acoustic guitar
John Purcell: producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist
Ben Cochrane: drums
Trudi Lawrence: backing vocals
You can get the EP direct from the excellent 23 seconds netlabel at www.23seconds.org/047.htm
Ain't Good Lookin' - miXendorp (Netherlands)
Another of Jan Mittendorp's intriguing remixes of artists on his own Black and Tan blues label.
At the Black and Tan site you can find all this information plus lots of other and interesting stuff (pictures, links, opinions). The content is updated almost daily.
Buffalo Soldier - King Sporty (Miami, FL, USA)
Noel "King Sporty" Williams, the author of one of Bob Marley's greatest pop reggae hits. King Sporty is a performer in his own right, and he presents a different take on the beloved Buffalo Soldier.
In an industry where hype often covers artistic mediocrity, Noel “King Sporty” Williams is a rarity - an entertainer whose work is actually better known than his name. As a deejay his early recordings for legendary Jamaican label Studio One are some of the most sought after by collectors and lovers of reggae music’s golden era. His songwriting skills have landed him a place in pop music history as author of Buffalo Soldier, one of reggae icon Bob Marley’s biggest international hits.
King Sporty’s multi-faceted skills were initially honed in his homeland of Jamaica. Born in small-town Port Antonio, Sporty developed his early sound by working the Kingston discos. His experiences there stood him in good stead once he came to Miami and founded International Sounds and Films Productions. King Sporty is a leader when it comes to club sounds, experimenting with electronica and vocoders a full decade before they hit the mainstream. He has recorded club hits under several aliases including Cybermon and the Extras.
King Sporty "Buffalo Soldier" (mp3) from "Buffalo Soldier - Single" (Konduko Records) Buy at Napster 
Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album www.myspace.com/kingsportyrecordshop
SnC 227 - Wed 07 July 2010
Some great food at the Fiesta in the Park: jerk chicken, curry goat and of course rice'n'peas. A great vibe considering it was the first such Fiesta as a fundraiser for the Cowley Road Carnival. It really is another side to Oxford and could be a million miles from the "dreaming spires" that were visible from the park.
Confused - Latvian Blues Band (Riga, Latvia)
“Unreal” is the first studio album by the Latvian Blues Band, who have been performing together since 1997, largely in Latvia, but also in Lithuania and throughout Europe, with occasional visits to the United States and Canada, including most recently when they were a contestant in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in January of 2010. This album showcases the band’s songwriting talents, with ten of the fourteen tracks being written by the band. Duke Robillard makes guest appearances playing guitar on two of the album’s songs and is also the album’s producer.
Latvian Blues Band "Confused" (mp3)
from "Unreal"
(Blue Skunk Music) More On This Albumwww.latvianbluesband.com/
Merchluv.com
Not an advert or sponsored link, I just thought it might be of interest to bands and designers.
Best I can - FireBug (Los Angeles, CA, USA)
Forged in the storied Wicker Park section of Chicago by vocalist Juliette Tworsey and guitarist Jules Shapiro, FireBug (named for Juliette's flaming red hair) began cutting their musical teeth in and around local Chicago venues before making their way out to Los Angeles.
Since arriving in Los Angeles, FireBug have become a part of the essential club scene sharing the stage with many artists including Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Donita Sparks (L7), to unplugged sets at the Hotel Café with new folk artist Jesca Hoop (Tom Waits), and even performing with classic 60’s folk icon Donovan.
The band has also received high praise from various publications such as Time Out NY and LA Weekly, who compare the FireBug sound to that of a new millennium version of 70’s rock, with each song being stamped with their own unique signature.
FireBug's touring efforts over the past year have garnered a core fan base, and 60,000 "friends" on MySpace. They are currently working on their upcoming U.S. & UK tour.
Their music can be gentle one moment, then fiercely aggressive the next. Their expertly woven rock/alternative/blues sound with a bit of Irish/British influence is brought home by the sweet, slightly psychedelic, but intense vocals of Juliette Tworsey.
You can see what all the fuss is about when FireBug visits the UK for a tour which includes performing at the Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth on 1st August. Full details of this along with how you can purchase their material can be found on their websites.
Multiverse Playground Part II
Two Paper Garden Recrords bands are touring the west coast kicking off in Seattle, WA (July 7) with Peasant playing at Tractor Tavern and Mighty Tiger at Neumos, then the two will join forces and head down the coast stopping in Portland (July 8) at The Woods, San Francisco (July 9) at Five Points Art House, Davis (July 10) at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen and ending the party in Los Angeles for Multiverse Playground II.
Last November, Paper Garden Records put together a spectacle of an event featuring music, art, and comedy at an art gallery space in NYC. The idea was for this event to plant the seed for a series of similar events, entitled Multiverse Playground. With this event getting praises from media outlets including NY Post, Village Voice, Flavorpill, NY Press, Death & Taxes to name a few, the day has finally come to announce part two of the series - but this time cross-country to the land of Los Angeles on July 11th And to sweeten the deal, the event is FREE and ALL AGES!!.
To be held at Urban Outfitters' Space 15 Twenty, a unique and uber-trendy retail and art space, featuring music from Paper Garden's very own Peasant and Mighty Tiger as well as LA's Monster, Mulitverse Playground Part II will also exibit the live artwork of Gregory Siff, artist and actor who has made appearances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien and Saturday Night Live, not to mention has artwork is in the collection of Leonardo DiCaprio, Russel Brand, Robert Downey Jr., Lindsay Lohan and many more. Cafe Bustelo will be sponsoring the event as well, doing free t-shirt and coffee giveaways!
Multiverse Playground will be held from 2-5pm on Sunday, July 11th. The event will be free, all ages, and open to the public! Location 1520 N Cahuenga Blvd, LA.
RSVP by Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/3xezfax
The End - Peasant (Bucks County, PA, USA)
Peasant is Damien DeRose, 23-year-old poet turned artiste, from fabled and beautiful Bucks County, PA. The sleepy hometown and its surroundings, melded with trials and tribulations, to inspire Peasant's confessional and straightforward style of music. In and out of the bedroom studio throughout high school, DeRose helped form a small scene in Bucks County by doling out frisky live performances and DIY records. After high school, he traveled solo on several tours of the US and Europe before signing with Paper Garden Records in 2008 and releasing "On The Ground."
www.papergardenrecords.com/shop/item/47
Mixdown [Eye Dance Master] - Grant Beardsley (Norwich, UK)
Grant came in to record a Session at the Barn a couple of year ago, last week he sent me a new track which marks quite a departure from his ambient style. I think it brings together the electro and real instruments in a really interesting way.
Hear more of his music at:
www.myspace.com/grantbeardsley
Back to this - The Heist (London, UK)
The Heist are four London-based twenty-somethings who spend their time writing songs and rocking out in the garage. Once you enter that garage… it hits you. An intense wave of sound will grab you, then shake you into a serious session of head-banging and fist-pumping.
This is what The Heist are all about. Their blend of powerful rock is infused with melodic guitars and catchy choruses sprinkled with elements of funk, psychedelic and acoustic sounds. Musical influences include Rage Against The Machine, My Vitriol and the Foo Fighters whose presence can be felt in songs where strong, melodic vocals give way to heavy riffs and loud choruses.
Catch them live next week (15 July) at the good old Purple Turtle in Camden.
Unlock Democracy / Eyesee sponsored show on Friday in London
Eyesee, with thegood people at Unlock Democracy, are putting on some gigs in aid of the Take Back Parliament campaign which is all about trying to change our electoral system so we live in a Democracy… which would be nice.
The first gig is at The Luminaire in Kilburn on Friday 9th July, 2010 and features The Penny Black Remedy, True Ingredients and Jonnygonehome.
It costs only £4. If you become a member of Unlock Democracy (£24 or £12 benefit) you will get a free ticket and a copy of their book… and of course help them in pursuing their campaigns.
You can buy a £4 ticket from our shop: Click on this £4 ticket link
You can become a UD member (free ticket): Click on this Membership link
Through the link in the shownotes you can see clips of the bands that will be playing on the night.
There’s only 250 tickets available. Show starts at 8pm and finishes at 11pm. Any profit to the Take Back Parliament campaign.
www.eyeseesound.tv/blog/archives/141
Essex - Catgut (UK)
“The artist known as Catgut, who was born in Norway in 1987, grew up in north-east Scotland and south-east England and has been making Stealth Pop recordings since 2007” - Tom Robinson, BBC 6Music
And we've been listening to him on SnC since 2006! He is up to some amazingly creative things as you can discover on his website which he assures me is officially open for business. Some interesting film collaborations on the site and don't forget to pick up the latest EP, Love and Essex while you are there. It is available as a totally free and legal download.
Podcrawl
at The Bridge House, 218 London Bridge Road, really near err … London Bridge in … err … London. There's a map from this link.
Mabel - Kanda Bongo Man (UK)
Soukous legend Kanda Bongo Man, was born on June 8th 1955 in the village of Inongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He grew up listening to Congolese legends such as Le Grand Kalle, Franco, Vicky Longomba, Dr. Nico, Tabu Ley and Zaiko Langa Langa, but Kanda began his own musical career when he joined the group " Orchestra Bella Mambo" in 1972, learning his craft from fellow band member Soki Dianzenza. Kanda Bongo Man and Dianzenza then both joined Diazenza’s brother’s group Bella Bella before Kanda moved to Paris in 1979.
In 1981 Kanda released his first solo album "Iyole". This became a number one hit all over Africa and was to be closely followed by "Djessy" in 1982.
He performed at the first ever WOMAD in England in 1982 and in 1989 he released his first American-distributed album, Kwassa Kwassa.
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