News

Pretty Girls Make Graves' upcoming tour will be its last. The band revealed it'll call it quits when its May tour wraps up, after drummer Nick DeWitt bowed out of the band. No word was given if DeWitt will continue to play through the end of the still unscheduled tour, or if the band will call up a replacement for its farewell tour. Pretty Girls Make Graves last released Elan Vital last year from Matador. "The rest of us feel like it wouldn?t be right to continue on without him," the act said in a statement. "The five of us feel very lucky to have met and worked with some truly amazing people over the years." ...

Air have announced a trio of live dates to support their new album ‘Pocket Symphony.’ The French purveyors of chilled-out electronica play shows in Glasgow, Manchester and London this March. They coincide with the release of ‘Pocket Symphony’ on March 5, which will be followed by the single ‘Once Upon A Time’ a week later. The follow-up to 2004’s ‘Talkie Walkie’ has been co-produced with former Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Nicolas from the group says it is a change in direction from previous efforts. He said: “This album is different. We decided to go back to the soundtrack music style, with more instrumentals and less songs.” ...

Laika is halfway through its next record, but will take a break as its members explore other directions. The British post-rock act revealed it has about half of its next follow-up to 2003's Wherever I Am, I Am What Is Missing (Beggars) but isn't heading back into the studio immediately. Singer/saxophone player Margaret Fiedler's landed a six-month contract job with the BBC, while guitarist Guy Fixsen's traveling Southeast Asia ...

Good news for people who like news about Modest Mouse: The act's set a release date. The band revealed that its We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank will hit stores March 20 from Epic Records. The 12-track set follows up Good News for People Who Like Bad News (2004, Epic), and is the first album to feature former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr as a full member of the Modest Mouse lineup ...

Page France is set to release its first new album for Suicide Squeeze. The band's ... And the Family Telephone hits stores May 8. The 14-track effort follows the Suicide Squeeze re-release of the band's 2005 Fall Records effort, Hello Dear Wind ...

The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club rides again in May. The act's Baby 81 is on target for a May 1 release from RCA. The 13-track effort follows up 2005's Howl (RCA), and is reported to shift the band back toward its Jesus and Mary Chain influences ...

M. Ward's set to enter his post-Post-War era. The singer/songwriter's To Go Home EP is on track for a Feb. 19 release in the United Kingdom by 4AD. The four-track cut follows up Ward's Post-War, which hit stores last fall from 4AD ...

Six years after the release of the seminal ‘Since I Left You’, it seems The Avalanches are finally getting their collective arses into gear to record their new album. The hyper-eclectic Aussies said in a post on their official website that the new material is “so fucking party” and “more hip-hop than you’d expect.” ...

Bonus:
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
Damien Rice - 9
Guillemots - Through The Windowpane
Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire
+ The Chalets, Editors, Oh No, Tv On The Radio, Interpol, Album Leaf, Antony & The Johnsons, Ben Kweller,
Ani Di Franco, Brand New, Bright Eyes, Dresden Dolls, Jason Mraz, Jets To Brazil, Kill Hannah, Metric,
Mirah, Tegan & Sara, Placebo, Oasis, Devendra Banhart, Razorlight, Stars, Viva Voce, We Are Scientists,
Dirty Pretty Things, Wolfmother, Yo La Tengo, Blood Brothers, Dandy Warhols, Blonde Redhead, Pinback, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/32q2wf
Small Sins - Small Sins (2006) !!!
The Delgados - Hate !!!
Thom Yorke - The Spitting Feathers [EP] !!!
The Sounds - Living In America !!!
+ Prefuse 73, Hot Chip, Water Lilly, Metric, Hard-Fi, Zero 7, The Gentleman Losers, Q And Not U,
Erlend Öye, Boards Of Canada, Dntel, 13 & God, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2qgnol
The Subways - Young For Eternity
Soundgarden - A-Sides
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/39duj6
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/38hon5
Albums
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/337mdw

Jamie T

With his appealingly lazy hip-hop vocal phrasing and his eclectic bedroom D.I.Y. musical palette, Jamie T comes across at times like the mutant love child of the Streets' Mike Skinner and Badly Drawn Boy's Damon Gough. His clever pop sense is his own, however, and keeps the young South Londoner from sounding like a mash-up of his influences, which range from vintage Jamaican ska to the Beastie Boys, via Tina Turner and the Clash. Born Jamie Treays (roughly, "TREE-yay") in Wimbledon in 1986, Jamie T grew up in multicultural London, absorbing a variety of musical styles while attempting to create his own. Abandoning the guitar as too difficult to play while singing, Jamie T first picked up the electric bass before a friend gifted him with a hand-me-down standup acoustic model. While playing solo bass-and-vocals gigs, Jamie T also started recording his own one-man band home tracks, eventually debuting with the "Salvador" 7" single in 2004, followed by the Betty and the Selfish Sons EP, both on his own Pacemaker Records imprint. Along with gigs with increasingly hot London acts like the Mystery Jets, Jamie T got an instant leg up when Damon Albarn chose him to remix Gorillaz's single "Kids with Guns." Signing to Gorillaz's label, Virgin Records, Jamie T put together a full band lineup for live gigs and released two more singles in 2006, "Sheila" and "If You've Got the Money," as he prepared his debut album. The album is titled "Panic Prevention" and comes out at 1st of February, 2007. Check it out!

Jamie T - Sheila
Jamie T - Salvador
Jamie T @ MySpace

Bonus:
Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity (2007) !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2fxvt3
Apostle Of Hustle - Folkloric Feel !!!
The Most Serene Republic - Phages !!!
Cursive - The Ugly Organ !!!
Red House Painters - Old Ramon !!!
Viva Voce - Lovers, Lead The Way! !!!
+ Alexisonfire, Amos Lee, Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds, Bob Seger, Broken Social Scene,
Citizen Cope, Corinne Bailey Rae, Do Make Say Think, Elliot Smith, Elysian Fields,
Mates Of State, Matt Costa, Our Lady Peace, The Flaming Lips, Stars, The Format, K-OS,
Sloan, The Avalanches, Foo Fighters, The Beatles, The Trews, The Smashing Pumpkins, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yocesy
Albums: Sigur Ros, Notwist, Einsturzende Neubauten, Laurie Anderson, Aesop Rock, Boom Bip,
La Cabra Mecanica, Sugar Ray, Leonard Cohen, Kaki King, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2ywjdd
Indie Hip-Hop
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/nm2cp
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2htq7v

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

Singer/guitarist Sam Duckworth is the primary member behind indie folk affair Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly., a moniker culled from a headline in a computer magazine about a Batman game. Raised equally on electronic, political folksingers, and post-hardcore, he began GCWCF in Essex, U.K., in 2004 after fronting a hardcore punk band. At performances, Duckworth is often accompanied by an acoustic guitar and laptop, while his touring highlights include dates with José González and OK Go. He eventually moved from indie label Big Scary Monsters to major Atlantic, which released the debut full-length Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager in September 2006. Recommended!

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. - Whitewash Is Brainwash
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. - The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teeneger: Part One
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. @ MySpace

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. - War Of The Worlds



Bonus:
The Arcade Fire - Live In Montreal 2007-01-20
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/39ecqg
Keren Ann - 4 Albums !!!
Norah Jones - Feels Like Home
Keane - Hopes And Fears
Bon Jovi - The Best Of
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3djgr2
Zero 7 - Simple Things
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3arar3
Albums: Air, Badly Drawn Boy, Coldplay, Radiohead, The Killers, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/39yw2y
Albums: Kasabian, Muse, Nirvana, Sentenced, P.O.D., etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2ocdfe
Blink 182 - Videos
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2jvh29
Indie/Alternative Videos
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3y3c4p
Outkast - Idlewild
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3dfsf6
Borat - OST
Happy Feet - OST
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3xlpn8

Little Man Tate + The Reverend And The Makers

Little Man Tate are a four-piece indie band from Sheffield, England. The band consist of Jon Windle (vocals + guitar), Maz (guitar), Ben Surtees (bass), Dan Fields (drums). Their witty and sexual lyrics have gained them an increasingly growing fan base, mainly through Internet forums and message boards, particularly on forums of other Sheffield-based bands such as Arctic Monkeys. In March 2006 they signed to Virgin's V2 Records label. On The 28th August 2006 they released their second single "House Party At Boothy's" a tribute to the best house parties in Sheffield held by close friend Boothy. The track entered the top 40 at number 29.

About What You Know Is the title of a debut album by Sheffield band Little Man Tate. It will be released in both standard CD version, plus Limited Edition CD/DVD version, and a Limited Edition heavy yellow vinyl of which there will only be 1000 copies. The album is to be released on January 29, 2007, one week after their latest single Sexy In Latin.

Little Man Tate - This Girl Isn't My Girlfriend (demo)
Little Man Tate - Hello Miss Lovely (so you like my jeans)
Little Man Tate - Court Report
Little Man Tate - Down On Marie
Little Man Tate @ MySpace


Little Man Tate - House Party At Bootheys




Reverend And The Makers are yet another band from Sheffield. They are lead singer Jon McClure and a mix of friends and musical colleagues. Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys lead singer) features in ‘The Machine’ and Tim Hampton (Bromheads Jacket lead singer) features in ‘Bandits’. Jon McClure’s brother Chris was featured on the cover of the Arctic Monkeys album, and Jon was even in a band with Turner, called ‘Judan Suki’.

It is rumoured that Jon McClure wrote Fake Tales Of San Francisco and A Certain Romance, songs included on the record-breaking Arctic Monkeys album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, after Jon and Arctic Monkeys singer and songwriter Alex Turner were band mates in Judan Suki. This has been denied, but it is known that McClure has written pages on the Arctic Monkeys website for them, including the "Who" section, which is signed as "Rev Jon Rarsclart" - one of his many pseudonyms.

Reverend And The Makers - The State Of Things
Reverend And The Makers - What The Milkman Saw
Reverend And The Makers - Miss Brown
Reverend And The Makers - 18-30
Reverend And The Makers @ MySpace

Bonus:
Dinosaur Jr - Fossils + Whatever's Cool With Me + Green Mind + Where You Been + Without A Sound !!!
Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar [EP]
The White Stripes - De Stijl + Elephant
Weezer - Pinkerton + Weezer
+ Tool, RHCP, The Smashing Pumpkins, Run DMC, Public Enemy, N.W.A., Madvillain, Ice Cube, Ghostface Killah, Handsome Boy Modelling School, El-P, Beck, Beastie Boys, Blackalicious, Common, De La Soul, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2noglq
Alice In Chains - The Essential
Muse - Albums
System Of A Down - S/T + Mesmerize
Weird Al - Straight Outta Lynwood
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/34bcnr
Kasabian - Empire (2006)
Orson - Bright Idea
Maxwell - MTV Unplugged
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/32jxvp
Kasabian - Kasabian
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2kzxx8
Funeral For A Friend - Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2v54zk
Peeping Tom - Peeping Tom
Blue Foundation - Dead People's Choice
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2tcpqz
Lily Allen - Alright, Still
September - In Orbit
Veronica Maggio - Vatten Och Bröd
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2qxhr8

Loney, Dear

Loney, Dear is the X-man band. Loney, Dear is also the disguise of multi-instrumentalist and audio homecooking expert Emil Svanängen. In the tiny, sweltering hot Stockholm studio apartment, or in the cool basement of his parents house is where all the magic happens. The outside world has no idea of whats going on. Two records a year is his M.O., and by new years eve of 2009 all is said to come to a close. Everything is recorded in a very modest homestudio setup, using a minidisc mic and a set of headphones to avoid disturbing his neighbors. When Emil recently moved and had to get rid of his floor lamp, he finally budged and bought his first micstand. Emil has developed an almost manic approach to his songwriting. Hard work and more hard work being the only recipe, allowing for experimentation and reinvention. Textural newcomers include clarinets, floortoms and pumporgans to enhance the sonic landscape surrounding the beautiful melodies that sometimes echo age old church hymns. Discography Albums: The year of river fontana (2003), Citadel band (2004), Sologne (2005), Loney noir (August 2005). The album Loney, Noir is to be reissued for Sub Pop at 2007-02-06. Loney, Dear is indie rock at it's finest. Highly Recommended!

Loney, Dear - I Am John
Loney, Dear - Hard Days
Loney, Dear @ MySpace

Loney, Dear - The City, The Airport


Loney, Dear - I Love You (In With The Arms)



Bonus:
Emily Haines - Knives Don't Have Your Back (2006) !!!
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl
Ian Brown - The Greatest
The Dears - No Cities Left
The Subways - Young For Eternity
Kasabian - Empire
She Wants Revenge - She Wants Revenge
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3yvt2e
Dinosaur Jr - Bug + Green Mind + Without A Sound !!!
Primus - Pork Soda
Scientist - Scientist Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires
+ Air, Pixies, Rage Against The Machine, Burning Spear
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2jus3u
Electric Six - Switzerland !!!
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
Tenacious D - Pick Of Destiny
+ Metric, Muse, The New Pornographers, Falconer, Daft Punk, Ladytron. MSTRKRFT,
Cake, Buckethead, Dschingis Khan, The Haunted, Red Elvises, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2uhwm9
The Crocketts - We May Be Skinny & Wirey !!!
The Crimea - Live Sessions & Concerts
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2ln6sw
Pedro The Lion - Control !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2p7ud3
The Album Leaf - In A Safe Place
Air - Premiere Symptomes + Moon Safari
Zero 7 - Simple Things
Children Of The Bong - Sirius Sounds
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2jg8md
Thomas Dybdahl - Albums
+ Silverchair, Queen Of The Damned (VA), etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2u3d7p
Albums
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3yh9ku
Citizen Cope - S/T + The Clarence Greenwood Recordings
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2ww7jk

Live: Radiohead + The Arcade Fire

The Arcade Fire's Neon Bible will hit stores March 6 from Merge Records. The 11-song set follows up the band's self-released debut, Funeral, and was recorded primarily by the band in a church converted to a studio in Montreal. In the meantime we're listening to a great live show from the band recorded at Maison De La Radio, Paris, 09-03-2005. It's the Arcade Fire's White Sessions.

The Arcade Fire - White Sessions | Mirror


Though it's far from evident on any Radiohead album, lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood apparently loves his reggae. So much so, in fact, that he spent six months digging through Trojan Records' extensive archives in order to compile an album of his 17 favourite tracks. Jonny Greenwood Is The Controller is titled in homage to the first track, Linval Thompson's "Dread Are The Controller." The compilation — which features vintage tracks from the likes of Lee "Scratch" Perry, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, Gregory Isaacs, The Heptones, Marcia Griffiths and Delroy Wilson — will hit stores on March 6. The new Radiohead album is also scheduled for 2007. Some new songs have been already presented at the new web show called 'From The Basement'. We're listening to some Radiohead bootlegs including an excellent acoustic set, 'Gagging Order', one of the best Radiohead bootlegs around.

Radiohead - Gagging Order (Acoustic Recordings)
Radiohead - Live In Copenhagen 06-2006
Radiohead - Live In Toronto
Radiohead - Live In Paris/Berlin/London
Radiohead - Down Is The New Up (From The Basement Sessions)
Radiohead - Videotape (From The Basement Sessions)

Bonus:
Jesu - Jesu + Silver [EP] !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ys4vks
Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City (2007) !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2gc7oj
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell And Back
Thirteen Senses - The Invitation
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2ejswh
Nada Surf - The Weight Is A Gift
The Strokes - First Impressions Of Earth
Bruce Sprinsteen - Devils And Dust
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yo5lm7
Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yv82nf
Acid Mothers Temple - Does The Cosmic Shepherd Dream Of Electric Tapirs?
The Amphetameanies - Right Line In Nylons
+ The Ventures, Jun Miyake, Klimperei, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2ypq7j
The Mars Volta - Amputechture
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ypvxe9
DJ Shadow - The Outsider
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ykode8
Akon - Konvicted
The Game - Doctor's Advocate
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2hnx24
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Nas - Illmatic
Jay-Z - The Black Album
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ypyrz8

Lost In The Trees

After fronting The b-Sides and The Never for years, Ari Picker is finally ready to reveal his solo work to the masses, under the moniker Lost in the Trees. A compilation of songs written over the last 7 years, the Lost in the Trees repertoire represents some of Picker’s most haunting and personal songwriting to date, coupled with his most elaborate and engaging orchestral arrangements. Picker’s time at Berklee College of Music in Boston has allowed his flair for classical music to flourish into an integrated aspect of his songwriting. The network of enthusiastic musicians at Berklee also allowed Picker to form a 9-piece backing orchestra for his compositions, evolving Lost in the Trees from a solo project to a fully active mini-orchestra including violins, viola, cello, upright bass, trombone, melodica and banjo. Picker’s love of cinematic scores is apparent on Time Taunts Me, but many of the songs are still based in good old fashioned songwriting. The synthesis of movie music and guitar-based folk songs creates an atmosphere in which Picker can be dramatic but not histrionic and straightforward but not boring. Just listen and you’ll see.

Lost In The Trees - Tall Trees
Lost In The Trees @ MySpace


Bonus:
The Libertines - Up The Bracket + The Libertines !!!
The White Stripes - Elephant
The Living Things - Ahead Of The Lions
David Bowie - Reality
+ Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Scorpions
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ypc2jl
Eliott Smith - From A Basement On The Hill
Built To Spill - You In Reverse
Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock'n'Roll
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/25koq3
Ben Folds - Albums
Brian Wilson - Smile + Over my Head
+ Dan Gibson, Built To Spill, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/27d3z5
Manic Street Preachers - Greatest Hits
Radiohead - Kid A
Staind - 14 Shades Of Grey
+ The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, The Roots, The Darkness, RHCP, Nine Inch Nails, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/23sdyy
VA - Beatles Regrooved
http://tinyurl.com/yv3oab
Alternative Albums
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yrjxq7
The Distillers - S/T + Coral Fang + Sing Sing Death House
The Strokes - Is This It + Room On Fire
Jay-Z - Kingdom Come
Nas - Hip-Hop Is Dead
+ HIM, The Bronx, Thom Yorke, Bill Hicks
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/2fq9tv
KT Tunstall - Eye To The Telescope
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/23dqjh
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I'm, That's What I'm Not
+ Rollingstones, Billy Idol, Jefferson Airplane, System Of A Down, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ys7tvg

The Bon Savants

Without support from a record label, the Bon Savants managed to create a healthy buzz around themselves and secure opening slots with such indie rock favorites as Pretty Girls Make Graves, Rogue Wave, and Editors, while self-releasing a debut record in late 2006. Led by vocalist/guitarist Thom Moran (a part-time rocket scientist at MIT), the seedling of the band began in the mid-'90s, when guitarist Kevin Haley and Moran were temporarily residing in Frankfurt, Germany. In 1997, the two were back in the United States and began recording songs inspired by science and living in Germany after the end of the Cold War. Finally by 2003 they added bassist Dave Wessel, dubbed themselves the Bon Savants (French for "good scientists"), and with rotating drummers played the Boston area. Andy Dole joined as permanent drummer in 2005. The band's debut record, Post Rock Defends the Nation, was self-released in November 2006 and mixed by Bill Racine (Rogue Wave, Phantom Planet, the Flaming Lips). Highly Recommended!

Bon Savants - Why This Could Never Work Between Us
Bon Savants - I Am The Atom Bomb
Bon Savants - Between The Moon And The Ocean
Bon Savants @ MySpace

Bonus:
Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City (2007) !!!
Brand New - The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Of Me (2006) !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/tux7z
At The Drive In - Vaya [EP]
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm Remixed
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/wxa28
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
Frou Frou - Details
Nujabes - Metaphorical Music + Modal Soul
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/tbpe5
The Sounds - Dying To Say This To You !!!
Eels - Albums !!!
+ Dilated Peoples, In Flames, Metallica, Soulfly
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yylrnb
Ratatat - Ratatat
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/tqbsm
Grandaddy - Live: El Cid Earlimart Release Party (Acoustic)
Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
VA - The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/vznko
Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/w7jqx
White Noise - An Electric Storm
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/tj24u
Count Bass D - Act Your Waist Size (2006)
Outkast - Idlewild
The Roots - Game Theory
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yx3pmy
Boards Of Canada - Live Concerts
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y432km

Frank Turner + Bright Eyes New Album

Frank Turner is Bahrain born singer-songwriter. He used to play in a punk band called Million Dead from 2001-2005. In that time, the band released two albums. After the band had split, Frank began his solo career. In 2005, he released a split album with his friends Reuben, a CDEP titled "Campfire Punkrock" and even a split with legendary US singer Jonah Matranga. The same team is coming back together for the debut album, due for release on January 15th 2007. Entitled "Sleep Is For The Week", it features 13 tracks and will be available across the UK (and hopefully further afield as the year goes on). 'Sleep Is For The Week' perfectly captures Frank's past 12 months in brutally honest and heartfelt detail. From the split of previous band Million Dead, to triumphantly supporting The Automatic on their recent huge UK tour, 'Sleep...' documents the highs and lows with astounding lyrical and storytelling talent. Check it out!

Frank Turner - Vital Signs
Frank Turner @ MySpace


Bright Eyes Announce New Album

Conor Oberst and producer Mike Mogis have spent much of 2006 in the studio working on the follow up to 2005’s breakthrough Bright Eyes albums “I’m Wide Awake Its Morning” and “Digital Ash In A Digital Urn”. Recording in such exotic locales as New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, OR and Lincoln, NE, the Bright Eyes line-up for the new record includes full-timers Conor, Mike and Nate Walcott. The album sessions include guest performances from M.Ward, Gillian Welch and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney. Titled “Cassadaga”, the album is due for release in the UK on 9th April 2007. “We’re really wanting to be experimental with this one. Sort of folky and trippy and hopefully a little more cosmic,” says Conor. Conor Oberst recently penned a deal with Polydor in the UK to release Bright Eyes records worldwide excluding N. America where Conor and co. remain on their hometown label Saddle Creek records in Omaha, Nebraska. A single, “Four Winds” will be released prior to the album on 2nd April.

Bright Eyes - Endless Entertainment (from upcoming Cassadaga)
Bright Eyes @ MySpace

Bonus:
Emily Haines (Metric) - Cut In Half And Also Double !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yzj5pg
Beach House - Beach House (2006) !!!
Grizly Bear - Yellow House (2006) !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yhmwtf
Adam Green - Jacket Full Of Danger
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yjfblh
Katie Melua - Piece By Piece (2006)
Massive Attack - Collected (2006)
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/p2ctn
The Smashing Pumkins - Siamese Dreams
Morrissey - Suedhead: The Best Of Morrissey
Depeche Mode - Exciter
Duran Duran - Greatest Hits
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yh8dev
Richard Ashcroft - Keys To The World
Jane's Addiction - Strays + Nothin's Shocking + Ritual De Lo Habitual
Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
+ Blur, Helmet, Descendents, Yo La Tengo, Curve, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ybvb5p
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I'm, That's What I'm Not
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yb259o
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ycrhyq
Ry Cooder - Paris, Texas
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ygc7zu

Air Traffic

Originally from Bournemouth, this piano-led, indie-rock quartet got their name from the air traffic control signals that they would pick up while they were rehearsing in abandoned industrial units next to the airport where they first formed.

2006 has seen the band notch up some incredible achievements including; releasing their debut single “Just Abuse Me” through the cool indie “Label Fandango” on a strictly limited edition of 500 CD singles and 7” which sold out in a matter of days, signing a long-term album deal with EMI Records through their Tiny Consumer imprint, doing live and recorded sessions for Steve Lamacq and Zane Lowe at the famous BBC Maida Vale studios as well as having their debut EP “Never Even Told Me Her Name” playlisted at Radio 1 and unexpectedly being asked to perform two songs on “Later….with Jools Holland” whilst hanging out with The Killers. To cap this great year off the band have been personally invited by Snow Patrol to play some dates with them on their sell-out UK arena tour in December.

2007 will see; further UK tours, their first tour dates in Ireland, Europe and the US (keep an eye on the “Upcoming Shows” section), the first bona-fide single release and the much-anticipated debut album. Recommended!

Air Traffic - Never Even Told Me Her Name
Air Traffic - Shooting Star (demo)
Air Traffic @ MySpace



Bonus:
Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird On The Water (2007) !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yhf7ft
Babyshambles - The Blinding [EP] (2006) !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/d7uqj
Damien Rice - 9 + B-Sides !!!
The Strokes - Is This It + Room On Fire + First Impressions Of Earth
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ybnzp6
The Rapture - Pieces Of The People We Love (2006) !!!
Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things (2006) !!!
Brazilian Girls - Brazilian Girls !!!
Tv On The Radio - Young Liars + Return To Cookie Mountain
Girl Talk - Night Ripper
Liars - Drum's Not Dead
Asobi Seksu - Citrus
+ Mogwai, The Rakes, My Bloody Valentine, McLusky, Pink Floyd, Fripp & Eno,
30 Seconds To Mars, 65 Days Of Static, Nine Inch Nails, Silversun Pickups, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ymanaz
Indie Experimental/Post-Rock: The Paper Chase, Mono, Explosions In The Sky, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yg4f5b
The Fratellis - Costello Music (2006) !!!
Mike Watt - Hog Or Tugboat
Minuteman - The Punch Line And What Makes A Man Start Fires
+ New Model Army, Penetration, Ivy Green, Robots, Buzzcocks, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ybg9ye
VA - Six Feet Under Vol.2 (The Arcade Fire, Interpol, Caesars, etc.) !!!
Final Fantasy - Has A Good Home !!!
Gorillaz - Demon Days
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ycceuf
Built To Spill - Keep It Like A Secret + There Is Nothing Wrong With Love !!!
Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
Murder By Death - Like The Exorcist ... + Who Will Survive ...
Hot Chip - The Warning
+ Kings Of Convenience, Bob Dylan, Ella Fitzgerald
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ybusfv
Mogwai - Mr. Beast
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yjx9h6

The View

The View are a four piece indie rock/punk rock band from Dryburgh, a small district in Dundee, Scotland. They have been active in the music scene since early 2005, supporting more renowned acts including Babyshambles, Primal Scream and The Undertones. The band initially based themselves at The Bayview pub in the Menzieshill district of Dundee, not too far from their native Dryburgh. From this pub, the band took their name. Shortly after they moved to The Doghouse, a respected music venue in Dundee's city centre, where they came to the attention of local music promoters, management and ever-growing fan-base.

The band are currently signed to 1965 Records and their debut single, Wasted Little DJs, was released 7 August 2006. The single entered the UK MTV/NME video charts on 9 July 2006 and climbed to top this chart the same day it reached 15 in the UK singles chart on 13 August 2006. The band followed up with their second single Superstar Tradesman, released 23 October 2006, also reaching #15 in the UK. Same Jeans will be the third single to be released before the album. In the summer of 2006, they began to record their debut album, with Owen Morris, who has previously produced albums by Oasis and The Verve. Titled Hats Off to the Buskers, the album is released 22 January 2007.

The View, new kids of Scotland, or the 'Scottish Monkeys', as they're sometimes referred, are one of the most promising acts coming from Island in this year. Supported heavily from NME, these kids pretend to repeat the story once seen with the Arctic Monkeys. The time will show if they'll succeed. Recommended for all the fans of the Arctic Monkeys, the Fratellis, the Kooks, etc.

The View - Sampler
The View @ MySpace



Bonus:
The Shins - Vincing The Night Away (2007) !!!
The Court And Spark - Hearts !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y5f5o2
Alternative Albums
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y5xj9z
Matisyahu - Yooth
Slightly Stupid - Everything You Need
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/hqpdu
Alternative: Jesus Lizard, PJ Harvey, Pixies, David Bowie, At The Drive In, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y5tp5j
Asian Dub Foundation, Pixies, Coldplay, Eskobar, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y5tuqp

News

The Arcade Fire will attempt to live up to expectations with a new album this spring. The band's Neon Bible will hit stores March 6 from Merge Records. The 11-song set follows up the band's self-released debut, Funeral, and was recorded primarily by the band in a church converted to a studio in Montreal. The Arcade Fire already gave fans a sneak listen to a track, through a voice-mail based toll-free number system last month ...

Morrissey is reportedly in talks to represent the UK in this year's Eurovision Song Contest. The former Smiths' singer first expressed an interest in taking part after Daz Sampson's song, Teenage Life, came fifth in the contest last year. He said: "I was horrified but not surprised to see the UK fail. Why didn't they ask me?" The BBC confirmed they are in talks with the singer to write and possibly perform at the contest in May ...

Nine Black Alps are halfway through recording their next album. The British rock act's set expectations ridiculously high for its follow-up to last year's Everything Is (Tiny Evil/Interscope) (read Aversion's review), with a blustery, hyperbole-filled post about its progress on its MySpace page. "We are halfway through our ground breaking new album, which is going to be the best album ever made," the act deadpanned. "It should top the Radio Times and Smash Hits magazine 100 best albums of all time. Easy." In more believable news, the act's laid down 15 tracks with producer Dave Sardy (Walkmen) in his Los Angeles studio, and expect 12 or 13 of them to surface on the still-untitled effort. Until then, the band will work on tearing the hell out of Sardy's setup. "So far we have blown up three amps and two sets of studio monitors, which sounds cool, but isn't clever," the act reported ...

Oasis may soon have sprawling arrangements to back up the Gallagher brothers' sprawling egos. The band's Noel Gallagher told NME that he's mulling an album that breaks away from the traditional guitar-pop lineup that's been the band's calling card, especially in recent years. The act's new album, which it's on track to start recording sometime this year, may even include orchestral arrangements. If so, it's a marked change from the band's last, guitar-based effort, Don't Believe the Truth (Epic) ...

The Kaiser Chiefs give in to the mob mentality on their sophomore effort. The band revealed its follow-up to 2005's Employment (B-Unique/Universal) (read Aversion's review) will be titled Yours Truly, Angry Mob. The Stephen Street (Smiths, Promise Ring) produced effort hits stores internationally Feb. 26, but North American fans will have to wait until March 27 to get their hands on a non-import copy ...

Pete Doherty will soon be more than a maniacal, drug-addicted rock star: He'll be a maniacal, drug-addicted movie star. The role shouldn't be too much of a stretch for the Babyshambles front man: He'll play a struggling rock musician stranded playing to cruise-ship audiences in a remake of the 1962 flick Carry on Cruising, and appear opposite Kelly Brook, according to London's Daily Star ...

After screwing around with EPs and singles for a few years, Voxtrot broke ground on its debut long-player. No details were given about when the Austin band will wrap up its first full-length, which will come out from Beggars Banquet, though the act revealed it started recording in January on its official blog ...

Bonus:
The Plastic Constellations - Mazatlan + Crusades !!!
David Thomas Broughton - The Complete Guide To Insufficiency !!!
Entrance - Wandering Stranger + Prayer Of Death !!!
Subtle - For Hero, For Fool !!!
Nick Castro And The Young Elders - Come Into Our House !!!
The Occasion - Canery Hours !!!
Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures
Miossec - L'Etereinte
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y4csep
The Guillemots - Through The Windowpane !!!
Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time !!!
Hot Chip - The Warning !!!
Brightblack Morning Light - Brightblack Morning Light !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yxs4ul
Garden State - OST
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y7yd2s
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
Sigur Ros - Takk
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams
Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Monk
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/upxsy
Wicker Park - OST !!!
Low - Christmas [EP] + Things We Lost In The Fire !!!
+ Sigur Ros, Royksopp, Nick Drake, Frou Frou, Coldplay, Collective Soul, Jeff Buckley, Air,
Filter, Adema, Morcheeba, Our Lady Peace, The Cranberries, Velvet Revolver, Zero 7, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yc6p66

Nina Nastasia

Today I feature another great artist that I missed in my best 2006 list. It is Nina Nastasia.

New York City singer/songwriter Nina Nastasia creates intimate, spectral music that evokes some lost, skewed take on Americana and that is often laced with haunting strains of viola, cello, and bowed saw. She counts among her admirers the notoriously picky, celebrated producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies), who engineered her first two albums and who has vehemently sung her praises. Nastasia's debut, Dogs, was released in 1999 on the tiny indie Socialist Records, but was out of print by the end of 2000. For April 2002's The Blackened Air, she signed with Touch and Go, which released her follow-up recording, Run to Ruin, in 2003 (also recorded by Albini) and a reissue of Dogs in summer 2004. Though she kept the rest of her recording partners (which include Albini and drummer Jim White) the same, Nastasia moved to Fat Cat for 2006's On Leaving. Recommended!

Nina Nastasia - Treehouse Song
Nina Nastasia - Daytrotter Sessions
Nina Nastasia @ MySpace

Bonus:
The Shins - Vincing The Night Away (2007) !!!
Elvis Perkins In Dearland - Ash Wednesday (2007) !!!
The Long Winters - Putting The Days To Bed (2006) !!!
Malajube - Trompe-L'Oeil (2006) !!!
Voxtrot - Mothers, Sisters, Daughters And Wives (2006) !!!
Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas (2006)
Under The Influence Of Giants - Under The Influence Of Giants (2006)
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yfjsps
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
Nelly Furtado - Loose
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yenmtr
The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yk3geu
The Coup - Kill My Landlord
Nas - Illmatic
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yhevqr
Cartel - Chroma
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yfmkyp
Daft Punk - Live @ Coachella + Live @ Belfort
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/ymaelg

Midlake - Live @ Paradiso

Hi folks! I hope you've enjoyed your holidays. I wanna thank to all who wrote me via email and those who commented on the blog for the best of 2006. As I assumed, I missed to include in the list some very nice releases that you mentioned in the comments. One of them was from Midlake, the band I selected to open Indie Surfer in 2007.

The lo-fi rock quintet Midlake was formed in Denton, TX, in 2000 by a group of musicians who had attended the North Texas School of Music together: Paul Alexander (bass, keyboards), Eric Nichelson (keyboards, guitar), Eric Pulido (guitar, keyboards, background vocals), Tim Smith (vocals, keyboards, guitar), and Mckenzie Smith (drums). They issued their own EP, Milkmaid Grand Army, in 2001, and sold 1,000 copies at their Texas gigs. They attracted the attention of Simon Raymonde, who signed them to his Bella Union label in the U.K., leading to European concerts and the recording of their first full-length album, Bamnan and Slivercork, which was released in July 2004. For their next album, the band changes gears and moved away from the psychedelic leanings of their debut toward a more '70s-influenced sound. 2006's The Trials of Van Occupanther featured the same lineup and a sound reminiscent of harmony-rich soft rock bands like America and Laurel Canyon troubadours like Neil Young and Gene Clark.

Midlake - Live @ Paradiso 2006-08-06 | Mirror

Bonus:
Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther !!!
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/sbm7g
Keren Ann - Not Going Anywhere !!!
Lady & Bird - Lady & Bird (Keren Ann & Bardi Johannson) !!!
Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire De Melody Nelson
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/t7s3h
Rich & Royal - Hair Like Fire + Live
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/sq8mx
The Format - Dog Problems + The Format Live: Exporting Insecurity
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/yywgr7
Say Anything - Acoustic @ MTV.com
Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y9yusf
John Frusciante - Curtains
Cartel - Chroma
The Killers - Sam's Town
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y663gk
Indie Albums: Beirut, David Cross, Sonic Youth, Midlake, Tapes'N'Tapes, Ladytron,
Eagles Of Death Metal, KLF, Shiny Toy Guns, Spank Rock, Tim Hecker, M83, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y729cl
Linkin Park - Albums
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/txzcp
Björk - Live 2001-10-14
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/y8dyn6