Yet another successful episode of the blogger hour hit the airwaves this week as we had Jared from 5acts, a great Washington D.C. based music blog in for the show. Jared made a point to choose artists that have yet to make their debut on the WOXY airwaves in an attempt to expose our audience to some new musicians.
It was a great hour, listen in below, and check out the setlist right here as well…..
We haven’t heard any new music from Ladytron since the release of their great Witching Hour album back in 2005. That record came in at #63 on our 97 Best Of 2005 countdown and “Destroy Everything You Touch” was one of our favorite cuts that year. The band then spent two years touring the world and were even personally invited by Trent Reznor to open up shows for Nine Inch Nails in early ‘07 across Europe.
They left life on the road behind them long enough to hit the studio in Paris and complete their highly anticipated 4th studio album. They produced it themselves along with a little help from Vicarious Bliss (aka Andy Gardiner from Ed Banger Records) and Alessandro Cortini. The band cites disparate influences like Grace Jones, Dr. John and Os Mutantes for the sound of Velocifero.
The album will be released by Nettwerk Records on June 3rd. The first official single “Ghosts” will be hitting the air here on WOXY very soon, but we’ve got another track off the album to premiere for you now as a free download.
“Black Cat” (no, it’s not a Janet Jackson cover!) finds Mira Aroyo singing in her native Bulgarian over a stark soundscape that includes a slow building bass groove and distorted drums. Enjoy your first taste of Ladytron’s new cd and keep listening to WOXY.COM for more tracks from the album to debut soon!
One of my favorite surprises of the year has been the debut record from The Heavy Circles. Their self-titled album popped up in our mailbox a few weeks ago and I didn’t pay it much attention until I looked a little closer at the album’s credits. You see, this is a new collaboration between Edie Brickell and her stepson Harper Simon (yep, that would be Paul’s oldest son). I still have an old 45 for “What I Am”, but it had been a very long time since I had heard any music from her.
I was skeptical at first that this could be something we’d play at WOXY but then I flipped through the cd’s booklet and did a double take. The musicians involved run the gamut from Martha Wainwright, Money Mark, and violinist Joan Wasser to former Cibo Matto members Yuka Honda, Miho Hatori, and Sean Lennon. When I finally sat down to listen to the cd, I was impressed with how eclectic and interesting it was. Edie’s voice sounds terrific and effortlessly shifts between the more downtempo tracks and the more rockin’ numbers (like “Better” and “Dynamite Child” which we’ve been playing here at the station).
There was another great song called “Super Powers” that was apparently recorded during the sessions for the cd, but didn’t make the cut. The band were kind enough to share it with us so that we could share it with you. If you like what you hear, there’s plenty more to enjoy on their debut disc, available now from their own Dynamite Child label.
So enjoy this new Heavy Circles song, which you won’t find anywhere else.
As with every major holiday anymore, there are a handful of new songs to celebrate. Valentine’s Day is no exception, and if you count all the tunes out there with love in the title or that talk about love, the list in endless. Here are links to some great new Valentine’s material worth your attention today. Enjoy!
Mobius Band have made a brand new EP available on their website for download, the EP features 6 cover songs from bands like The National, Daft Punk, Daniel Johnston and more. Head here to download it.
The Cloud Room have released their “Fake 7inch” single today. The two songs are also covers, Huggy Bear’s “February 14”. While the B-side is their rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Memories” with The Pierce’s Allison Pierce. Listen to it here.
A brand new EP of original music released today from The Bird & The Bee. The EP is titled One Too Many Hearts, and can be streamed here.
And here are some excellent blog posts with loads of Valentine’s Day related music within….
Another New Music installment today. This one focuses on the brand new album from Nada Surf, which hits stores today via the Barsuk label. Also, a big thanks to our new intern Caitlin for helping so much with these new music features.
The entire album can be streamed via the band’s Myspace, where you can also check out their latest video for “I Like What You Say”, a pretty damn cute video if you’re into kitschy stop-animation.
The album was co-produced by the band and John Goodmanson (Death Cab for Cutie, Blonde Redhead, Sleater-Kinney), and features guest vocals from Ben Gibbard, John Roderick of The Long Winters, and Phil Wandscher of Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter.
Here are some reviewers quotes about the new album.
“Nada Surf is one of those bands you have to hear over and over to fully appreciate. Although some of the songs may not whack you over the head, go back and you’ll find something to appreciate, whether it’s beat changes or layers of vocals.” – Kent News Net
“But the emphasis here isn’t on pop hooks anyway; what works so well about Lucky is the interplay between the band’s buoyant arrangements and lyrics that reflect a pronounced anxiety. - Slant Magazine
New music zeros in on the second album from The Whigs today, Mission Control. All the details to follow.
Second disc from the garage rock outfit out of Athens, GA. A slicker sound this time around courtesy of producer Rob Schnapf (Beck, GBU, Elliott Smith)
The album is full of heavy guitar rhythms, powerful drums, and touches of southern steel guitar and psychedelic pop, with vocals by Parker Gispert that can be easily compared to Dave Grohl.
Here are a few reviewers quotes about the new album.
“Right from the start, on “Like a Vibration” and “Production City,” the surprisingly big-sounding trio pummel listeners with their riff-friendly fuzz, Parker Gispert’s wavering, but wailing vocals and the rambunctious rhythms of bassist Hank Sullivant and drummer Julian Dorio.” - Synthesis
“Sadly, [The Whigs] fail to add a “modern twist” to the classic style of hard rock ‘n’ roll. Personally, though, I couldn’t care less; every track on the album is a wonderfully tuneful singalong song.” – Fredericksburg.com
“The music is stripped down but doesn’t sound minimal. Mission Control is a collection of catchy, raucous tunes. “ – Prefix
“Taking pages out of some very strong playbooks (think Superchunk, Guided by Voices, early Wilco), the Whigs find a way to revive honest-to-goodness pop rock for a new generation.” – Billboard.com
New Music for today looks at the second album from Thao Nguyen and her band, The Get Down, Stay Down. The album is in stores today and is titled We Brave Bee Stings And All.
Virginia-bred Thao Nguyen and her band The Get Down Stay Down debut their second album, We Brave Bee Stings And All on today on Kill Rock Stars. She is currently touring in Europe, but will be back stateside at the end of January to tour with labelmates, Xiu Xiu.
Nguyen’s raw, back of the throat delivery brings to mind Chan Marshall, Karen O, or Erica Wennestrom of the Heartless Bastards.
Here are a few reviewers quotes about the new album.
With the support of her stage band The Get Down Stay Down, Nguyen’s second album We Brave Bee Stings and All) brings together a sound rooted in soulful alt-country blues and indie-folk. The songs are elevated by her skillfully picked guitar, as well as energetic arrangements that employ melodicas, low brass, and a Wurlitzer electric piano.” - NPR
“Whether using an acoustic guitar strummed with a toothbrush or a sharpie pen, or employing keyboards, horns and a full rhythm section with her band The Get Down Stay Down, her songs are always buoyant, littered with catchy riffs and lyrics gripped with intimate details.” - LunaPark6
“Breezy overdubs of vocals and instrumentation, lyrics full of regular day romanticism and wonder, Thao’s voice something of an unquivering Conor Oberst (think much younger) mixed with a not-hanging-off-the-ledge Fiona Apple.” - The Culture Of Me
Today, New Music focuses on the latest album from The Helio Sequence, which is out in stores tomorrow from Sub Pop Records.
This is the fourth full length album from the Portland based duo
Keep Your Eyes ahead is a much more pop based effort than previous albums, and is arguably their best to date.
Here are a few reviewers quotes about the new album.
“The Helio Sequence’s fourth album, Keep Your Eyes Ahead, is impressive in so many more ways than a listener without background knowledge of the band would even begin to comprehend”. - Obscure Sound
“Stripping its sound down enough so those well meaning but misguided comparisons to My Bloody Valentine should no longer be an issue, the Sequence resists the temptation to over-pile, overwork and overtax its songs. They’re simple, direct and deal a major blow to the notion that more power and more capabilities can solve any songwriting deficiency.” – Aversion.com
“While the group stays grounded in pop songwriting, their music absorbs a demure and warm ambiance from soft keyboard textures, loose guitar lines and gentle but eerie, emotive vocals.” – Spin
New music targets the new album from Lightspeed Champion today, Falling Off The Lavender Bridge. The new album is in stores now from Domino Records.
Ex-Test Icicle, Devonte Hynes pulled a 180 change and flew to Omaha to record his first record as a singer/songwriter.
Debut album was produced by Mike Mogis (Saddle Creek)
Catchy acoustic-based indie rock are combined with full-orchestrations and backing vocals by Emmy The Great
Here are a few reviewers quotes about the new album.
“Falling Off the Lavender Bridge is a confident and enjoyable introduction to Hynes’ latest musical project. One that, if quality’s any indication, should last a lot longer than his last.” - Popmatters
“While impatient listeners may toss Falling Off aside as nothing more than indie-acoustic whimsy, the strength of the album (and what sets it apart from many others of its ilk), is Hynes’ jarringly candid sentiments.” - BBC
“’Falling Off the Lavender Bridge has the same kind of lush yet lo-fi orchestration as Adam Green. What makes it, though, is Hynes’ woe-is-me delivery, which makes the whole album feel like one long plea for a hug.” - The Independent
“Falling off the lavender bridge” is a beautiful collection of warm, interesting pop-songs, and since I’m writing this early in January, I guess I can say that this is definitely the best album I’ve heard so far this year!” - Eardrums
D.C. based music blog in for the show. Jared made a point to choose artists that have yet to make their debut on the WOXY airwaves in an attempt to expose our audience to some new musicians.
