The 2nd Lounge Act session from Cincinnati’s own Pomegranates was their first official performance with the band expanded into a 5-piece. They rehearsed with their new member Nate the night before and introduced him here.

While this session starts out with a cut from their debut album Everything Is Alive, the rest of the songs performed here are brand new and unreleased. The final song, “China Club”, was so newly written that they only titled it moments before we went live.

The rest of the songs here will appear on their sophomore album Everybody Come Outside, which should be released in February 2009.

Full photo set here…….

Track Listing:
Thunder Meadow
384 B.C.
Corriander
- interview -
Tesseract
Beachcomber
China Club

All songs except “Thunder Meadow” are new and previously unreleased.

Pomegranates - Tesserract (Live On WOXY.com/unreleased)

Pomegranates - Corriander (Live On WOXY.com/unreleased)

Pomegranates - 384 B.C.(Live On WOXY.com/unreleased)

Pomegranates - China Club (Live On WOXY.com/unreleased)

Pomegranates - Beachcomber (Live On WOXY.com/unreleased)

Pomegranates - Live On WOXY.com (full session download)

It’s been over 2 years since their debut in the Lounge, but Bound Stems made up for it with this preview of their new record. “The Family Afloat” is out September 9th from Flameshovel and this performance features 5 tracks from their sophomore effort.

The band took their time after a year’s worth of touring for Appreciation Night, slowly recording the new album over the course of 10 months or so. This allowed them to put the songs together exactly as they wanted and to call in a few friends to help out (like Davey von Bohlen of Maritime, Sean Nelson of Harvey Danger, and Chin Up Chin Up’s Jesse Woghin).

Track Listing:
Taking Tips From The Gallery Gang
Happens To Us All Otherwise
- break -
Only Clementine Knows
Winston
Sugar City Magic

Bound Stems - Happens To Us All Otherwise (Live On WOXY.com)

Bound Stems - Winston (Live On WOXY.com)

Bound Stems - Taking Tips From The Gallery Gang (Live On WOXY.com)

Bound Stems - Live On WOXY.com (Full Session Download)

Jessica Lea Mayfield turns 19 next week. You’d never figure that from listening to her: a smoky, soothing croon that’ll instantly recall Lucinda, Jolie, Gillian and Hope (that’s Williams, Holland, Welch, and Sandoval, respectively). She’s a little bit country, a little bit indie. Doc Martens with a dress. Blend it all together for her debut With Blasphemy So Heartfelt, and it should instantly put the Kent, Ohio, native near the top of everyone’s “hot” list.

The record was produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and recorded over a two-year period at his home studio in nearby Akron after she appeared on the Keys’ “Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be” from Attack & Release. Still, it’s not like that was her first exposure to the music biz, having performed with her family band One Way Rider since age 8. She plays guitar, bass, and banjo and composed all 12 of the songs on With Blasphemy So Heartfelt with the exception of one co-written by brother David, who plays bass on both the record and in her backing band. Auerbach plays a variety of instruments on the disc, too, and two members of Dr. Dog lend backing vocals on a track.

Perhaps not surprising then, she’ll open for The Black Keys on a string of dates in late September and rejoin them in November for their UK tour, which includes a date at London’s Brixton Academy along with My Morning Jacket on November 12.

Mayfield’s simple arrangements and arresting voice are best exhibited on “Kiss Me Again”, the song that kicks off With Blasphemy So Heartfelt. Take a listen to who Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers says is “the most exciting new artist on the scene today”.

With Blasphemy So Heartfelt by Jessica Lea Mayfield hits stores September 16th via Polymer Sounds.

Jessica Lea Mayfield - Kiss Me Again

Phil and Beth of Bowerbirds joined us for a beautiful session off the strength of their debut full length album, Hymns For A Dark Horse. The album was released by Burly Time Records a year ago and ended up catching the attention of John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats.

After touring with The Mountain Goats last winter, the Dead Oceans label swooped in and signed the ‘birds’ and re-released “Hymns” this summer. Phil and Beth treated us to several songs from the album as well as a brand new song.

Track Listing:
Hooves
In Our Talons
Olive Hearts
interview–
Teeth Of Life (new/unreleased)
The Ticonderoga

Bowerbirds - In Our Talons (Live On WOXY.com)

Bowerbirds - Hooves (Live On WOXY.com)

Bowerbirds - Teeth Of Life (Live On WOXY.com/ Unreleased)

Bowerbirds - Live On WOXY.com (full session download)

Thao Nguyen claims to be lazy but you’d never know it by listening to We Brave Bee Stings And All. In her WOXY Lounge debut, she’s backed by The Get Down Stay Down for a set that includes 5 cuts off the new cd.

We caught the band just two days after beginning their first headlining tour. Not only will you hear some great music, but there is a strong defense of the Lilith Fair and tales of extreme weiners in Columbus, Ohio (those stories are not related, we promise).

Track Listing:
Beat (Health, Life, and Fire)
Big Kid Table
- interview -
Swimming Pools
Violet
Bag Of Hammers

Thao w/ The Get Down Stay Down - Beat (Health, Life & Fire) (Live On WOXY.com)

Thao w/ The Get Down Stay Down - Bag Of Hammers (Live On WOXY.com)

Thao w/ The Get Down Stay Down - Swimming Pools (Live On WOXY.com)

Thao w/ The Get Down Stay Down - Live On WOXY.com(full session download)

And hopefully you already saw our excellent video of Thao in the studio, if not, check it out here.

A lot has happened to The Young Republic in the last year. After graduating from college, the band decided to relocate from Boston to Nashville. They lost a few members in the process, but the streamlined lineup has since been signed to a UK indie label and released a cd across the pond.

With a new home studio in place, the band have been focusing on new material. In this session, they let us hear a little bit of what they’re working on.

Track Listing:
Shiloh
Green Hills Mall Blues
Tango ‘Til They’re Sore (Tom Waits cover, not included in podcast)
- interview -
Dual Voices
Two Step Darling
The Alchemist

The Young Republic - Shiloh (Live On WOXY.com)
The Young Republic - Two Step Darling (Live On WOXY.com)

The Young Republic - Live On WOXY.com (full session download)

Our friends from Mason Proper have just announced that they have their sophomore album in the can and almost ready for public consumption. The record is called Olly Oxen Free and was co-produced by the band and Chris Coady (TV on The Radio, Blonde Redhead).

The band was in our lounge last winter (January 2008) and played a bunch of new material that we hope makes its way onto the new album. I have yet to see a tracklisting, but please do enjoy this new material from that session and get ready for Olly Oxen Free on September 24th from Dovecote Records!

Mason Proper - Safe For The Time Being (Live On WOXY.com/ New-Unreleased)

Mason Proper - Crumbs (Live On WOXY.com/ New-Unreleased)

Mason Proper - Only A Moment (Live On WOXY.com/ New-Unreleased)

Mason Proper - Raise The Line (Live On WOXY.com/ New-Unreleased)

Mason Proper - Live On WOXY.com (full session download)

Every Wednesday at 6p, we turn things over to our friends at London’s Artrocker magazine for 90 minutes of some of the latest music buzzing in the UK underground. Your host, Paul Artrocker, co-founded the legendary Too Pure label, so he knows a thing or two about discovering new talent.

This week’s show features a couple of tracks from the debut album by XX TEENS, POPULAR WORKSHOP (recorded by Steve Albini), PLASTIC PASSION, DAVID CRONENBERG’S WIFE, and an “Artrock classic” from HUSKER DU.

You can always catch each week’s show on its repeat on Saturday night at 6, or listen whenever you like on-demand via the Artrocker page from the WOXY website.

In the meantime, check out last weeks episode right now below!

We have been proud to be a part of the Amplify New Music series of concerts in Chicago over the past year or so and another new show is just around the corner this week. As you can see from the show poster above, the gig is this Thursday night at Schubas in Chicago. Two great bands from Brooklyn will be taking the stage that you may have heard on WOXY.com, Tigercity and Violens.

The show is only 5$, so get out and support some great music at a great venue this week in Chicago! And you can get your first drink paid for by pre-ordering tickets on the Schubas website!

Violens - Violent Sensation Descends

Freshly signed to Engine Room Recordings, this Brooklyn band have earned some solid airplay here at WOXY on the strength of their “BQEP” release.

We caught up with the guys while on a brief midwestern tour. They played several tunes from the EP and also debuted a brand new track called “Falling Makes You Blue.”

We’ve all had favorite bands who were not able to successfully replicate their sound in a live setting. That is definitely not the case here. Led by Jason Rabinowitz, this is a tight session that highlights a talented group of musicians who we look forward to hearing more from in the future.

They’re hoping to start work on a full-length album this summer, but in the meantime you can get to know The Bloodsugars now with this excellent Lounge Act performance.

Track Listing:
Cinderella
Falling Makes You Feel Blue (new/unreleased)
- interview -
Bloody Mary
Purpose Was Again
Saint Of Containment

The Bloodsugars - Falling Makes You Blue (Live On WOXY.com /unreleased)

The Bloodsugars - Bloody Mary (Live On WOXY.com)

The Bloodsugars - Live On WOXY.com (full session download)