Bat For Lashes

Just discovered this great little all female English band. They have a great sound. Accidently listened to Horses and I off of their album entitled "Fur and Gold". Soon as I heard I went and got the entire album. And I am not disapointed. Here is what WIKI has to say...

Bat for Lashes are an English female band led by Natasha Khan (born 25 October 1979), a Brighton-based songwriter.

Born to an English mother, and a Pakistani father, part of the eminent family of squash-playing Khans, her early childhood was spent travelling the world following her father who trained the Pakistani squash team, summers in Pakistan, and the rest of the time in Hertfordshire[1][2]. She had a strict religious upbringing until her parents separated, when she was eleven years old.

Khan graduated in film and music; while at university her experimental work was influenced by artists such as Steve Reich and Susan Hiller, and she produced multi-media work centred on sound installations, animations and performance. She went on to work as a nursery-school teacher, and it was during this period that she began writing the material for her first album.

Her debut single, "The Wizard", was released digitally through DiS records and on seven inch through Khan's own imprint, She Bear Records. She then signed to the record label Echo, alongside Feeder and Róisín Murphy, and released her debut album, Fur and Gold, on 11 September 2006.

Bat for Lashes' music has been likened to the work of Björk, Thom Yorke, Cat Power, Tori Amos, and Kate Bush.

Twilight Singers Cover TV On the Radio

This so cool! The Twilight Singers doing a encore of Wolf Like Me by Radio TV On the Radio! This comes from the infamous show where they ended the show and everyone left, well almost everyone. Then those who had stuck around, about 50 people, got a one of a kind encore. Frontman Greg Dulli took the mike to tell the crowd, "You'd better fu**ing work for an encore!"

ONCE August 2007 Mixtape

It seems like I should start calling these ONCE Late August 2007 Mixtape because I am putting them out later and later in the month! But it is ok because I have made it up to you by putting together a pretty sweet mix for this month. I put this together and listened to it for a week before deciding on the final track arrangement, ect. And I am just digging it.

Track #1
Stars- The Night Starts Here

Great new track from Canadian masterminds the Stars. This track has it all from the dreamy male\female vocals to the intricate lyrics of doubt and remorse. This comes off their brand new album entitled "In the Bedroom After the War".

Track #2
Against Me! - Thrash Unreal

This band has surprised me lately. Never been a fan but everyone kept raving about the new album "New Wave". So I finally gave it a chance and have found it a pleasurable experience. This track attempts to explain the pain and loneliness that leads to trying to dull it with the weekly parties. Leaving us with the great line, "No mother ever dreams that their daughter is going to grow up to a junkie".

Track #3
Junior Boys - In the Morning

A great track that mixes dance with Indie rock to great some really cool ambience rock. Canada is really cranking out some great bands lately. And Junior Boys are no exception. The songs leads explains how at night we can seem old and mature but in the morning we realize that we are just too young for these things.

Track #4
120 Days - Sleepwalking

120 Days is a Norwegian band with some great influences to pull from. Formed in 2001 this song comes from their first full length self-titled EP that saw the light of day last year. This song sounds like they have a bit of Radiohead in them along with a little Depeche Mode. The bass line carries this song.

Track #5
Charlotte Gainsbourg - The Songs That We Sing

This singer hails from France where she holds not one but two Cesar Awards, the equivalent of the Academy Awards, for acting. This is from her album 5:55. For those of you who saw The Science of Sleep you might remember her as the character Stephanie. The song asks the question, why do we sing? And does the song mean the same for the people that we are singing them to.

Track #6
CL Smooth - Smoke In the Air

In the 90's the famous hip-hop duo of Pete Rock and CL Smooth were the inspiration for lots of rappers. But after a falling out with his partner, CL has laid low until last year when he put out his album "American Me". The album is full of great beats and even better lyrics. This track is no exception and shows why CL Smooth is such a prolific artist.

Track #7
Clutch - Electric Worry

My friend Nathan turned me on to these guys about a year ago. Picture this. it is hot, humid and the mosquitoes are biting. And the five piece from Maryland is singing about the worries of relationships. Having been around since 1991, the band recently released their 17th album and continues it's steady progression into the world of blues rock. The song plays like a preacher telling the congregation of their sins. With this song they show why they are still a force to be reckoned with even after almost 17 years.

Track #8
Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)

This band almost made my mix a couple of months ago when their stellar album "Neon Bible" was released. For one reason or another they never quite made it. But this song off of their debut album "Funeral" really embodies what is so cool about this band. The slow bass line build up leads into the the resounding chorus that proclaims "every time you close your eyes... lies, lies". You can sleep but your problems don't go away.

Track #9
Wolf Parade - It's A Curse

Boy I could do a mixtape just on great Canadian bands that have come out in the last couple of years. Here we have Wolf Parade who was formed one day when the singer Spencer Krug was asked to open for Arcade Fire on their Us Kids Know tour. With only three weeks lead time they put together a band and recorded enough songs to get a EP out. Last year saw the release of their first full length EP entitled Apologies to the Queen Mary. This track takes us on a night trip driving with no particular place in mind.

Track #10
We Are Scientist - What's the Word

A great band out of California. They are close friends with Art Brut the band that made the ONCE July 2007 Mixtape. The song laments on the possibilities of being someone who tries to stand for something but fails in the end.

Track #11
Counting Crows - Holiday In Spain

I just heard someone out there reading this, "hey I know this band!". I am a sucker for good piano rock and no one does it better than perennial favorites Counting Crows. This song comes from the closing track off of "Hard Candy". A cool ditty about getting fed up with life and jumping on a plane for a quiet vacation with some bananas and booze.

Track #12
Samuel L. Jackson - Stackolee

Sam Jackson sings?! Yep, but it isn't a big departure from his usual self. Expect plenty of cussing, ranting and a great story. The song has it's roots in a John Lomax track from 1910. It tells the story of a man who finds his women messing around with another man and the revenge that he extracts. In this version of the song, which you can see in the great movie "Black Snake Moan", Jackson sings his own version of the torrid tale.

Track #13
Ani Difranco - 32 Flavors

Everyone's favorite folk singer out of Buffalo, New York gives a new listen to a classic of hers. She reinvents the song in this performance taken from her "So Much Laughing, So Much Shouting" live album. What is always a great song is giving a new skin.

Track #14
Two Hours Traffic - Heroes of the Sidewalk

Straight out of Canada, they recently released their first full length album entitled "Little Jabs". The songs on the album are full of poppy goodness and some decent vocals. This song is about eloping and feeling sorry for everyone else because they don't have the love that they have.

ONCE June 2007 Mixtape

Welcome back to this months ONCE mixtape. Got a lot of cool tracks on this one that span from Swedish pop to 50's Soul to Indie rock. 15 tracks are the best of the new and old.

Track #1
Robyn
With Every Heartbeat (ft. Kleenup)

This track is too cool! She is the Swedish dance queen who gave up the hits Show Me Love and Do You Know (What It Takes) back in 1997. Well she has never quit putting out the dance candy she is known for. But she has matured the material to give it a very deep and introspective feel that is refreshing. This track follows her through the heart break of a lost love and the attempts she makes to leave the drama behind and move forward with her life.

Track #2
The National
Slipping Husband

A sweet track from Brooklyn's indie darlings. The song is a wake up call to a husband who is lacking in his duty as a husband to take care of his children and wife. It ends with the awesome condescending line "Dear we had better get a drink in you before you bore us."

Track #3
Nina Simone
I Shall Be Released

No one sings like Nina does. Her sadness drips from this 1974 track that was off the album "Here Comes the Sun". A women scorned and is beaten down by her past relationships. But with a new sense of pride in herself she realizes that one day she will be released from all that pain.

Track #4
Smashing Pumpkins
That's the Way (My Love Is)

We haven't heard from Smashing Pumpkins since their breakup in 2000. Now a period of quiet has produced another Corgan masterpiece that by far is better that the last two Pumpkin albums. This soaring song invokes the spirit of Corgan's Zwan while adding the great sound that made the Pumpkins who they are.

Track #5
Steven Lindsay
Monkey's Gone To Heaven

This haunting song defies explanation. A classic Pixie's song is redone by Steven Lindsay's second album Kite. A beautiful rendition of a song most critics called one of the essential alternative songs of the 80's.

Track #6
Coconut Records
West Coast

Everyone's favorite "man on the bottom of the heap" actor Jason Schwartmann puts out a album, Nighttiming, crafted solely in his bedroom playing all the instruments. Known for his roles in Rushmore, I Heart Huckabees and as King Louie XVI in Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, he creates a fun summer album full of Indie rock and Beatle like vocals.

Track #7
Deerhunter
Heatherwood

The band hails from Atlanta with a singer suffering from Marfan Syndrome. This makes him around 6 foot and 100 lbs making him easily the skinniest man in indie rock. This track comes from Cryptogram their debut album. The album is like a bitter pill. It tastes awful at first but makes you feel alot better after you have swallowed it. They were the most talked about band at SWSX this year in Austin.

Track #8
The Delfonics
Ready Or Not, Here I Come (You Can't Hide My Love)

Philadelphia soul brothers gave us this classic which has been used in the massive Fugees hit of the same name. The soaring vocals and harmonies leave no doubt why these guys ruled in their field of work during the 60's. For another great hit of theirs check out Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time (Didn't I?).

Track #9
Rufus Wainwright
Release the Stars

The son of folk legend Loundon Wainwright III is back with his 5 octave vocal chords with a blistering album of piano tunes aimed at sobriety and maturity. The albums namesake "Release the Stars" is a sarcastic look at Hollywood and it's excesses.

Track #10
Hawthorne Heights
Saying Sorry

Ohio emo rockers pull all stops on their latest album tearing out there hearts and placing the pieces in the lyrics. This non-stop rocker includes this track about biting the bullet, swallowing the pride and eventually saying sorry for the things you have done to other despite the consequences. The killer hook in the song will have you coming back for more and more.

Track #11
Battles
Atlas

This great band features the ex-drummer from helmet on the skins. The album features a heavy drum feel with weird live vocals voice overs. At first you wonder what you are listening to then all of the sudden a song emerges from the noise and you are hooked.

Track #12
Art Brut
Direct Hit

This band has a unique approach to their music. The singer tends to lean toward spoken word more than actually singing. But with a killer band backing him the sound works well for them. Here we have Direct Hit. The song follows two individuals who are hanging out a club and cant seem to get over their reluctance to get on the dance floor and dance even when there is a direct hit playing!

Track #13
Elsiane
Vaporous

The little known group has put out a classic album that rivals the 90's Portishead run. Plays like a slow motion jog through fog. The vocals are delivered in a lisp style that you might hear from a fairy in the forest. And the violin solo will bring a tear to your eye. Check out the great album Hybrid which plays across all genres from classical, jazz, rock and electronic.

Track #14
Afghan Whigs
I'm A Soldier

The 90's saw the rise of grunge. But hidden in it's shadow was the Motown sleaze of The Afghan Whigs. They were the opposite of grunge and were hailed by the critics for releases such as Black Love and Gentlemen. But they never got to see their star shine the way that it should have given what they brought to the table. When they broke up after the awesome output of the 1965 sessions the fans were stunned. Luckily front man Greg Dulli (a solo track of his made the ONCE March 2007 Mixtape) went on to release solo albums as well as forming The Twilight Singers and the Gutter Twins. The Whigs are my favorite band of all times. When their label from the 90's, Sub Pop, announced a best of package from them, they came back together to record two new songs. I'm a Soldier was a result of that rare collaboration. A gritty song which begs to be analyzed as something deeper, but in the end it is just what the Whigs did best, a sleazy dirty song with Motown backups. Another classic from a classic band. Pick up their greatest hit package, "Unbreakable" if you want to see what they were all about.

Track #15
The White Stripes
Icky Thump

Detroit's Jack and Meg White are back with this English influenced album full of simple drum taps and awesome guitar work. This band never fails to disappoint. And on this new album they show why they are still the best at what they do. The new album Icky Thump was just released last month.

Battles

Battles is a great new American Math band with a really cool sound. This is their lead single entitled "Atlas". The drummer is the old drummer for 90's alt-rock outfit Helmet. The sound is very percussion based and there are no traditional vocals. But whats is so cool about this band is that at first it seems like a bunch of noise. But then out of the blue you hear a real song, and a good one at that!

The group's line-up is composed of well-known musicians, including ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier, ex-Don Caballero guitarist Ian Williams, ex-Lynx guitarist Dave Konopka, and Tyondai Braxton (son of avant-garde jazz musician Anthony Braxton), who also plays guitar and keyboard and creates live voice samples.

Their first full-length album Mirrored, recorded by Keith Souza at Machines with Magnets, was released on May 14, 2007. The first single from the album, "Atlas", was released on February 21, 2007 as streaming audio, and the accompanying streaming video was released on February 28, 2007.

Elsiane

This music is beautiful. My friend Joey turned me onto it. Their name is Elsiane and the album is called "Hybrid". They are from Montreal. The singer is Elsieanne Caplette and the drummer's name is Stephane Sotto. The album is available from ITunes. Get it before these two blow up and you miss the train! They weave classical influences with a certain dreamy jazzy feel. If you liked Portishead back in the day, then you will love this. The vocals are delivered with a urethral lisp.

Steven Lindsay - Monkey Gone To HEaven

I don't have anything on this guy. Don't know much about him. But this song really is cool. It Steven Lindsay singing a cover of "Monkeys Gone To Heaven" by Frank Black's Pixies.

The Twang

The Twang are a great little band from Britain. I first noticed them when one of my favorite grime bands from Britain did a remix of one of their songs. Their music is almost spoken word at some points but always melodic.

The Twang are a baggy-influenced indie rock band from Birmingham, England.The band was formed in Quinton, Birmingham by Phil Etheridge and Jon Watkin.The Twang originally performed in and around Birmingham under the name "Neon Twang". However, this was allegedly changed due to numerous scuffles between the band's fans and punters in various pubs. These events prevented them booking gigs in some venues, hence the need for the name change. The band have been quoted saying that they don't promote violence at their performances and have criticised the lack of doormen and security at local venues.

In the early days before Stuart Hartland joined the group, lead singer Phil Etheridge and bass player Jon Watkin swapped instruments on numerous "Neon Twang" tracks ("Cloudy Room", "Push The Ghost" and "Aimless With An Aim" being surviving tracks from this period). Etheridge frequently played bass guitar and sang, whilst Watkin played lead guitar. The addition of Hartland in late 2005 enabled Watkin to take over Bass duties permanently and allowed Etheridge to perform songs live with much more enthusiasm, although the frontman's trademark dancing was still evident whilst playing Bass.

During the "Neon Twang" period the band's sound was very similar to how it is now, some very early track names being: "See It Thru", "Big Day Out", live favourite "Shoot To Kill", "Time Waits", "Push The Ghost", "Aimless With An Aim" and the reggae influenced "Fake ID". "Aimless With An Aim" later turned up as the B-Side to the bands first single "Wide Awake".

Lead singer Phil Etheridge is an Aston Villa fan, Saunders is a Birmingham City fan whilst the rest are West Bromwich Albion fans as stated in a Live Lounge Session on Radio 1 presented by Jo Whiley.

Mos Def

This was just too cool. Mos Def is awesome!

Hip hop, rap and spoken word artist Mos Def reads Malcolm X's "Message to the Grass Roots" on November 9, 2006. Part of a reading from Voices of a People's History of the United States.

Mute Math

Mute Math is my newest favorite. The drumming is what separates them from other bands. The staccotto rythms bounce around playing with the melodies that the rest of the band creates. The songs are part pleading and part hope. They have a general good feeling that is built on occasional electronic manipulation and the mournful singing of the frontman.

Mute Math is a rock band formed in 2003. They combine diverse elements like rock, new wave, electro, and psychedelia, with ambient vocals. The group from New Orleans consists of Paul Meany on Rhodes piano, bass, keytar, keyboards, samples, and vocals, Darren King on drums, samples, and programming, Greg Hill on guitars and vocals, and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas on bass guitar, upright bass, and bass drum.

Mute Math started in 2001 as a long distance collaboration between Paul Meany in New Orleans, LA and Darren King in Springfield, MO. Early on Paul intermittently received instrumental demo CDs from Darren King. Fairly impressed with his efforts, Paul contacted Darren and asked if he could mess with the demos a bit, adding some song ideas of his own. Darren obliged and the two would set in motion a sort of songwriting ping-pong match that would carry on for several months. A few rounds of this led to talks of a possible project, which soon grew to become Mute Math.

With the recruiting of guitarist Greg Hill and bass player Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas, Mute Math worked feverishly in their New Orleans home studio to demo a whole new collection of songs. Creatively ambitious, they dove head first into exploring a new definition for themselves on how a rock band should sound and perform. Finding inspiration in things often considered the antithesis of modern rock music they were determined to carve a unique niche in which to place their songs. The result was a captivating soundscape of experimental rock drenched in irresistible hooks. Paul immediately played the demo for longtime friend and producer Tedd T, who fell in love at first listen. He created a model indie label, Teleprompt Records, where Mute Math could freely operate and begin building a musical momentum.

Talib Kweli - Ear Drum

Talib is one of the best rappers out there. He isn't played on any radio stations. The closest he has come to touching the masses he deserves was Kanye West's track "Get 'Em High" off West's debut album. But a more prolific rapper you could not find. Plus he cranks out more studio albums, collaborated albums, free albums, mixtape albums than most rappers out there. His flow is already smooth and his lyrics are always thought provoking. His new album is Ear Drum and the new single is "More or Less". The album drops June 25th!

!!!

Yes that is the name of the band. !!! combines catchy guitar riffs with electronic dance beats making for a very irrestible product. The album plays like Pink Floyd married David Bowie, then had a surrogate bastard child with The Cooper Temple Clause. Ok I know that was confusing... but the music isn't. It makes for a great solid album that never stops until the last track. Sometimes the music is spacey, other times forceful and poppy. The album is called Myth Takes and this is the video for one of the better tracks on the album, "Must Be the Moon". Also check out the video for "Heart of Hearts"!

!!! (often pronounced as chk chk chk) is an American band that formed in fall 1996 from the former bandmembers of The Yah Mos, Black Liquorice and Popesmashers.

After a tour together, Black Liquorice and Popesmashers decided to mix the former's disco and funk style with the latter's noisy aggressiveness, and !!! was born. The band's name was inspired by the subtitles of the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, in which the mouth-clicking sounds of the Bushmen were represented as "!". In the International Phonetic Alphabet postalveolar click consonants are represented by ǃ which is not an exclamation mark but a pipe with a subscript dot.

Based triply in Sacramento, California, Portland, Oregon and New York City, their debut full-length record came out in 2000 as a self-titled album on the label Gold Standard Laboratories. This was followed in 2003 by the acclaimed single "Me and Giuliani Down By the School Yard", a lengthy track combining house beats with sinewy basslines, psychedelic guitars, and simple, silly lyrics which quote the title song of the musical Footloose. They are known for their cathartic live shows, and are commonly associated with the dance-punk movement.

!!! is composed of Mario Andreoni (guitar), Dan Gorman (horns/percussion/keys), Nic Offer (vocals), Tyler Pope (guitar/various electronic devices), John Pugh (drums/vocals), Justin Van Der Volgen (bass/sound) and Allan Wilson (horns/percussion/keys). Drummer Jerry Fuchs (who has played with The Juan Maclean) joined the band for Myth Takes. Jason Racine formerly played percussion. The band also shared membership with the similar, defunct group Out Hud (including Tyler Pope, who has played with LCD Soundsystem) which played instrumental music that was more dub-influenced and experimental.

The Noisettes

Immeddiate impressions of this band may bring to mind the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Shingai Shoniwa though is no Karen O and she wants you to know it. She sings with a clarity that Karen sometimes lacks. It has a feel of a late 70's punk, with a touch of the 60's rockabilly. While the album, "What's the Time Mr. Wolf", itself is not solid through and through, it creates a very impressive debut that makes the mouth water wondering what the next step could hold for this band. Check out great tracks on the album like Sister Rosetta, Scratch Your Name and the Count of Monte Christo. Here is the video for Sister Rosetta.

The band formed in 2003 when guitarist Smith and singer Shoniwa of the band Sonarfly began playing and writing together more often. The two met drummer Morrison (formerly of Living With Eating Disorders, Willis, Six Toes, Jaywalk Buzz and others) in December 2003 and played a number of gigs across London over the winter.

They recorded their debut EP Three Moods of the Noisettes during this time, which was released in April 2005 on London indie label Side Salad Records. This led to signing internationally with Universal Music Group, who released the EP in the US on the Low Altitude imprint. Their next single, "Iwe" was released via the Transgressive label, followed by "Scratch Your Name" on Mercury/Side Salad Records; since then all releases have been on the Vertigo Records label.

Noisettes have toured Europe and the United States extensively, with the likes of TV on the Radio, Tom Vek, Babyshambles, Bloc Party and the Mystery Jets. They supported Muse on a UK and European arena tour in November and December 2006, and toured the UK to promote the release of their debut album What's the Time Mr. Wolf? in February 2007. Noisettes also appeared at the Coachella festival on April 27th, 2007.[1]

Brother Ali

Usually when you a white guy is a rapper, he gets some extra deserved scrutiny. But what happens when the rapper isn't just white, but albino? Brother Ali, under the careful watchful eye of nearsayer Atmosphere, excels in the area where most would fail. Even if you aren't a fan of Atmosphere, you will enjoy this album. He crafts the beats for Brother Ali using soulful hooks and melodic beats they keep you wanting to hear the next song. His album "Undisputed Truth" is a rap bible full of incendiary lyrics chastising the the government and it's policies. But the flow is magnificent and the beats are the icing on the cake!

Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Ali moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota at age 15, where he became involved in the local hip hop scene. He's signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment, a hiphop record label founded by Brent Sayers, Musab S'ad Ali, Derek Turner, Anthony Davis, and Slug, the frontman of Minnesota rap group Atmosphere, with whom Ali has become fast friends.

Ali is an albino and although his appearance made him the brunt of bullying in high school (his response is chronicled on the track "Win Some, Lose Some"), he has come to be unabashedly proud of his distinctive features, celebrating it in a track called "Forest Whitiker", where he called on "anyone out there who's a little different" to stand up and exult in who they are, rather than stay ashamed. Ali is also a devout Muslim, religion being a theme that is mentioned in several of his songs including "Self taught" and "Victory".

Though he initially produced his own material (his cassette tape-only Rites of Passage EP (2000) was self-produced), Brother Ali turned to Ant (Anthony Davis), Rhymesayers Entertainment's in-house producer, to produce his first two major releases on Rhymesayers, 2003's Shadows on the Sun and 2004's Champion EP. The albums proved immediately popular with fans who had largely been introduced to Ali when he opened for Atmosphere on their national tour for the God Loves Ugly album. Ant's funk- and soul-inflected beats often matched the gravitas of Ali's rhymes. Ali's buoyant, agile flow and exuberant, expressive voice resonated on key tracks such as "Star Quality", "Picket Fence", "Forest Whitiker", "Chain Link", and "Rain Water".

Ali's second LP, The Undisputed Truth, was initially due out on March 6, 2007 but was later postponed to an April 10, 2007 release date. The single "Truth Is" was released in early 2007, with "Freedom Ain't Free" as the B side. Both tracks slightly strayed from Ant's trademark soul dipped style, and were tinged with a dub/roots reggae influence.

ONCE April 2007 Mixtape

April is half way through! I am a little late with this addition. But I promise you it was worth the wait. I had a lot of fun putting this together. There are some great tracks in here (not to mention some great non-album tracks that are exclusive)! Please give me some feedback as always on what you think. I always love people's reaction so I know what to put more of or put less of on the next go-around (plus it is nice to know someone is listening to these....right? Ha!). Hope April is going well for everyone. Please keep Virginia Tech in your prayers, those kids are hurting!

Track #1
Four Winds - Bright Eyes
This is a great lead off track to the EP of the same name. This was a tease for the great full length LP that was just released called "Cassadaga". His vocals have never been better with his flippant regard for mainstream. This is as close as it gets to the radio.

Track #2
Everyone Gets a Star - Albert Hammond Jr.
If you like the Strokes, this is the guitarist from that band. On his newly minted solo album he shows why his former band shines. He is the master lyricist and harmony crafter.

Track #3
Casey's Song - City and Colour
Alexisonfire is always a great band partly because of Dallas Green's amazing vocal work in contrast to the shreds of his counterpart in the band. Here on his solo album he strips it all away to his guitar and windpipes. This weeping song of regret will have a tear clinging from the corner of your eye.

Track #4
Any Other World - Mika
This album was featured on my blog as a must have. It is like a great party. Souring Queenesqe vocals with heart wrenching piano work. This is a great song backed by an exceptional string section.

Track #5
Didn't I - Darondo
Pretend it is the 1970's, and you live in LA. I now introduce you to the toast of the town during that era. 'Nuff said!

Track #6
Rhododendron - Bloc Party
If you have been keeping up with my mixtapes you will start to see a pattern. One track from this band on each album. I cant say enough about this four piece out of Essex. This bonus track off the album "Weekend In the City" shows why the lead singer is hurting like he is. It is tough living up to you pop sometimes!

Track #7
The Greatest - Cat Power
This young lady sings you to sleep with her soft lullabies all the while showing you why she is truly the Greatest at what she does.

Track #8
Your Ex-Lover Is Dead (Final Fantasy Remix) - Stars
Now this is a treat! This is a sample of the good stuff to come off of the Stars upcoming release. It is a reworking of the Stars classic album "Set Yourself On Fire" by their friends called "Do You Trust Your Friend?". This remix is done by Final Fantasy. It will make you sad and hopeful all at the same time!

Track #9
$1000 Wedding - Gram Parsons
Everyone needs a little Gram in their collection. The forerunner of country-rock brings you this classic from 1973.

Track #10
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
This track has gotten a resurgence of interest as of late because of the inclusion of it's chorus on a SNL skit. This is the singer of the Frou Frou. They gave us the lead track off the Garden State Movie Soundtrack.

Track #11
City - Lo-Fi-Fnk
This is just fun. A great dance track from two lads from England.

Track #12
Blinded By the Sun - Everlast
You may recognize this cat from the late 90's with his hit "What It's Like". With his fourth album he brings a little soul and country to the mix.

Track #13
It Hurts So Good - Millie Jackson
A great track that is reminisce of the Motown era. Bouncy horn section backed by a Supreme like buoyancy. This is the ultimate in 1970's funk.

Track #14
Golden - Fall Out Boy
I know.... Fear not people. This track shows why the band has staying power. It's a sharp stick to the arm and a lesson in popology.

The Coup

When you are ready to experience some dope funky Oakland underground stuff, turn to The Coup. Boots Riley, the brain behind the magic, brings it all. The album, Pick A Bigger Weapon, has so many classics. From the great song Shoyoass (video above) to My Favorite Mutiny. If you like underground rap and also love to get a little funky, then this band is for you. Pam the Funktress provides all the hooks and delicious grooves. This is a rare instance where everything comes together just right. The album has some great guests like Talib Kweli. This album is for all those who want to dance but also start a revolution!

Timbaland

Timbaland has an album out called "Timbaland Presents : Shock Value". If his name doesn't strike a bell he is the mastermind behind the rise of Missy Elliot. After she branched out on her own he began a beats for hire kind of guy. As of late you may recognize his work in crafting pop classics such as Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous" and Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back", "My Love" and "What Comes Around". While I am not a huge fan of the people he works with, I can recognize that he knows how to craft a song that is undeniably catchy. His album is full of unlikely collaborations like Fall Out Boy, Tony Yayo and 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Missy E., Elton John, She Wants Revenge and The Hives among others. This album will have you dancing from the first track to the last. The ability to last in your CD player longer than a day at a time may come into question. But while it is playing, you will forget you didn't know hot to dance in the first place. Here is the lead single off the album featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake called "Give It To Me".

Timothy Z. Mosley (born March 10, 1971), better known as Timbaland, is an American musical composer and R&B record producer and rapper whose style influenced both genres even helping to blur the distinction between R&B and hip-hop, as well as pop and dance music. With partner Magoo, he is a member of hip-hop group Timbaland & Magoo.

Timbaland has been considered similar to producers such as Brian Eno, Phil Spector or Norman Whitfield in that he helped to redefine the sound of an entire genre of music with an immediately recognizable production style.[1] [2] The songs he produces feature unusual arrangements, sounds, and instrumentation, tied together by a trademark sense of space and rhythm. Like Spector and Whitfield, Timbaland's production sometimes overshadows the credited performer and becomes the actual "star" of the song. With songwriters Steve "Static" Garrett and childhood friend Missy Elliott, Timbaland has helped to create some of the most successful songs in modern pop music and urban music, including singles for Elliott, Aaliyah, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Ludacris, Nelly Furtado and The Pussycat Dolls.

Modest Mouse

This band amazed me when they came out with "Good News For People Who Love Bad News". That album was full of tales of sorrow and desperation. The songs were complete chaos, and oh so beautiful. Now comes "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank". The album continues it's journey with a slightly more optimistic view. The lead single off the album "Dashboard", while not being a proper barometer for the rest of the album, acts as a great diving board to engage you to listen to the entire album. With the addition of Johnny Marr, the former guitarist for 80's sorrow gods The Smiths, the band has much more to add while still being a band undeniably led by frontman Issac Brock. The video for "Dashboard" is just too cool! Nothing like a fish story to move along the action.

Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band. They were formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, bassist John Wickhart, and guitarist Dann Gallucci [2]. However, since their 1996 debut album This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, their lineup has been centered around guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy. Since being signed to Sony's Epic Records in 2000, the band has attained significant popular success. Elements of Modest Mouse's sound have been likened to or have been inspired by those of Elliott Smith, Pixies, Built to Spill, and numerous other alternative rock bands. Their name derives from a passage from the Virginia Woolf story "The Mark on the Wall".

The National

What can I say? I have been into a lot of great Indie acts lately. It has really fueled 2007 for me so far. This act has only cemented it's influence on me. Their album Alligatorwas voted one of the top 50 albums of 2005. They have a new album called Boxer coming out in May. Look for it, I have heard some leaked tracks off the album and it sounds great.

The National is an indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, founded in 1999 by friends (including two pairs of brothers) from Cincinnati, Ohio. Their first self-titled album was released in 2001 on Brassland, a label founded by two of those brothers, Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and their friend, writer Alec Hanley Bemis. The band had played few shows before the release of the album.

Influences range from Tom Waits to U2. The band's morose, self-deprecating lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger in a distinctive, deep baritone. The band is rounded out by Scott & Bryan Devendorf. Padma Newsome, from sister band, Clogs, often contributes strings, keyboards, and other arrangements and instrumental flourishes.

The band's early gimmick was that the members had all given up good jobs to work on the project, however, this seems to have been dropped.

Their latest album, Alligator, was #2 in Planet Sound's Top 50 albums of 2005, losing out to Bright Eyes, but beating the likes of The Magic Numbers, The Wrens, Elbow, Rilo Kiley, Malcolm Middleton, Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket and HARD-Fi. It also charted high in "Album of the Year" charts in the LA Times, Insound, Uncut, and many other publications. One of their most well-known songs is "Mr. November."

On their last tour the band played a handful of new songs. Their next album, called "Boxer", will be released on May 22, 2007.

Mika

This dude is over the top. And it is delicious fun! "Grace Kelly" starts off the album with a rancous mix of Broadway antics and all the showmanship of Queen. I dont normally gravitate toward such flamboyant singers. But this album is hard to resist. Each song keeps you plugged in and wide eyed. The songs range from fun of "Grace Kelly" to the sad loneliness of "My Interpretation" and all the way to the sugary pop of "Lollipop". Life in Cartoon Motion, is an album that you will put in, and then won't take it out until it is over. That is a personal guarantee!

Mica Penniman (born 18 August 1983, Mica Penniman), known by his stage name Mika (IPA [ˈmiːkə]), is a London-based singer who has a contract with Casablanca Records and Universal Music.

Mika was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to a Lebanese mother and an American father. He is the middle child of the five children born to his parents. When he was a child, his family was forced to leave war-torn Lebanon, and they moved to Paris. They moved to London when he was nine years old, where he attended the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, Westminster School and the Royal College of Music, from which he later dropped out to record his first album.

He was trained by a Russian opera professional and his public performances and jobs have varied from classical performances in the Royal Opera House, writing in-flight music for British Airways and creating an Orbit Chewing Gum jingle.

His band consists of Martin Waugh (guitars, backing vocals), Michael Choi (bass, backing vocals), Cherisse Osei (drums) and Luke Juby (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals).