New Year's Eve Mix Part(y) One

My annual New Year's Eve mix (part one) is uploaded here:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/84605762390e92be/
It's a look, from my ears, at what makes me dance from the past 10 years plus some older stuff from the 1980's that made me dance in the last 10 years.

Here is the track-list:
01 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero
02 - Kylie Minogue vs. Ladytron - Can't Get You Out of My Playgirl
03 - Royksopp - Poor Leno
04 - Le Tigre - Deceptacon (DFA Mix)
05 - The Postal Service - Such Great Heights (John Tejada Remix)
06 - Pulp - Do You Remember The First Time
07 - Blur - Song 2
08 - Cardigans - My Favorite Game
09 - Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
10 - The Bravery - An Honest Mistake (Remix)
11 - The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (Josh Patrick Mix)
12 - Depeche Mode - Dreaming of Me
13 - New Order - The Perfect Kiss
14 - The Faint - Glass Danse (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
15 - Echo & The Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar (Way Out West Remix)
16 - Audio Bullys - We Don't Care
17 - Tribeca - Happy New Year

I'm Skint

I tried to sell off some more CDs yesterday (for food and fuel, mind you) and not a single one was accepted. I was paid today for some past-due work, so, in a way, I'm glad I did not sell-off any treasured items. Some CDs were $18-$22 back in the day. Sucks to get $2 to $5 for them. Then again, many of the CDs have been re-released "digitally remastered", so the loss could be replaced. I don't even listen to CDs anymore. I rip them onto the computer and listen to VBR .mp3s (no, not FLACs, I am not that into it). If I DJ, I use copies to avoid scratching the originals. That's a lesson hard-learned, as most of my originals are super-scratched.

I DID NOT offer-up my Portishead "Cowboys" 180?(it's heavy, ok?)-gram vinyl:

YouTube: I added another song dear to my heart

This is for Naomi Rachael Trejo Talbot. I love you and I always will.

James Yuill does a Guinness bit.

My only gripe: it's much too short! Love me some James Yuill. Painfully unknown here in America.

Lemoncholic

Stripmall Architecture have an information-packed post and I need to share it.
A new ep EP is going to be called “Albino Peacock” and will be out on CD and digital in January 2011. Take the time to listen to them and go back to find some Halou and Anymore.

Like Sugar podcast 35 out now.

My latest podcast / mix-tape is out! #35 = One hour and five minutes of indie-pop, synthpop and fine electronic music. It's alt rock at the beginning and enters the dance world toward the end. Yes, I do speak a bit.
Hope you can take a listen via zshare (free streaming and/or a free 74 MB download) http://www.zshare.net/audio/83832269f28aee5a/

Like Sugar 35 - DJ Talbot

01 - The Cribs - Housewife
02 - Insect Guide - Bats
03 - Mr. Little Jeans - Faking Gold
04 - Murder Mystery - Problems (FREE mp3 on their site: http://murdermysterymusic.com/)
05 - Hooverphonic - Anger Never Dies
06 - British Sea Power - Living Is So Easy
07 - Northern Portrait - Life Returns To Normal
08 - Spotlight Kid - All Is Real
09 - OFF! - Panic Attack
10 - Alphaville - I Die For You Today
11 - Daybehavior - It's a Game (Marsheaux Remix)
12 - The Glass - Four Letter Four (Black Van Remix)
13 - Anything Box - Just One Day
14 - The Concretes - Good Evening
15 - Moto Boy - The Heart Is a Rebel (Radio Edit)
16 - Crystal Castles - Not In Love (feat. Robert Smith)

Alfa Matrix label offers 5 free downloads

5 FREE DOWNLOADS

Belgian label group Alfa Matrix are currently offering 5 free tracks for download. Taken from their most recent releases. You can get these by following this link:
http://soundcloud.com/alfa-matrix/sets/free-downloads/

Track-list:
1. KOMOR KOMMANDO - Rhythm machine
2. MALAKWA - Monster
3. ARMAGEDDON DILDOS - Untergrund
4. PSY'AVIAH feat. AYRIA . into the game (SIGNAL AOUT 42 mix)
5. STUDIO-X - You'll never get this

*previously unreleased

Return To Mono and Daybehavior

I updated all the links in the right-side column. All 15 podcasts should link properly again.
In a rare visit to myspace, I came upon this band: Return To Mono. I listened to the first track in the player and decided I should hear more. This act reminds me a bit of Halou, who are also based in the Bay Area.



Daybehavior have a new single out. It's available on iTunes and Amazon. "It's a Game" includes remixes by Marsheaux and Parralox.

The Drums - Me & the Moon (Clock Opera remix)

A big thank-you to fellow DJ @Bschulke! She sent me this Soundlcloud link to The Drums, nicely remixed:
The Drums- Me & the Moon (Clock Opera remix) by Anorak London

The Silence

Can't let this sit in my to-do list: Color Theory has wonderful new material out and a nice player that lets me share it with my readers / listeners! "The Silence" is a companion EP to "The Sound", featuring nine remixes, a collaboration, and two original tracks that weren’t included on the album. Be sure to check out the remix of the kick-ass "Two" track. I've got the bass up for this one!

The Go! Team and I Sold Them For Cash

I'm a fan of The Go! Team and I'm happy to see there's more to come from them. Below is a taste:
Buy Nothing Day by threeminutesthirtyseconds

I made a rash move last night and struck out for my local record store with my road case in hand. I sold $25 (that's 18.8520 EUR / 171.868 SEK / 15.8209 GBP!!) worth of CDs (and one DVD: Massive Attack. It was a collection of videos now made useless by youtube. One could argue the packaging had value, but one would be a moron: this DVD came in a clear case with no art whatsoever. Just a parental advisory sticker).


Like Sugar podcast #35 is ready, but the voice bits aren't recorded. I hate doing them. If I do a show with no voice, there's always someone that comment that they wish they were there. To me, it's about the music. Who needs some sleepy voice saying what band is next up? I guess some listeners appreciate the 2.5 facts I throw in per episode.

Christmas Music Post One

Swedesplease has a new Christmas compilation for 2010. Zip file available here.

The Pipettes offer "Santa's On His Way" in exchange for your e-mail address here.

I will be posting more links to legal and free Xmas music as I come across them.

Edit 1: Here's something nice from SIART: http://siart.blogspot.com/2010/12/holiday-cheer.html

Edit 2: Summer Camp’s lo-fi reworking of The Waitresses’ classic “Christmas Wrapping”. Mp3 here.

Edit 3: Battle of The Christmas Songs: http://uk.real.com/music/blog/?id=4101&post=Battle_Of_The_Christmas_Songs

Edit 4:
Saint Etienne - 'Through the Winter' by rebecca_schiller

Edit: 5
NME posts 10 Festive Tunes with videos. My fav is the Futureheads track!

Edit: 6 Pallers get into the spirit here.

Robots With Rayguns

Something about this sound captures me. In the 80's, I hated the main-stream R&B and Rap & Hip-hop sound. I was too into all black clothes, New Wave, Industrial and Synthpop. Age has mellowed me and I don't care what other people think anymore. Soooo, I can go back and appreciate what I turned my nose up to.
This music is new, but obviously an 80's meld of styles. I find it rather appealing!

Hooverphonic: "The Night Before"

I am about to sit down and listen to Hooverphonic's "The Night Before". The cover is very 80's. I hope that doesn't turn new listeners away from this wonderful band!

Tracklist:

1. Anger Never Dies (3:30)
2. The Night Before (2:48)
3. Heartbroken (2:47)
4. Norwegian Stars (3:09)
5. More (2:36)
6. One Two Three (3:00)
7. George's Cafe (3:49)
8. Identical Twin (2:38)
9. Encoded Love (3:28)
10. How Can You Sleep (3:50)
11. Sunday Afternoon (3:25)
12. Danger Zone (3:06)

Ladytron "Ace of Hz" released

The new Ladytron single, "Ace Of Hz," is available everywhere today. Download the track on iTunes.

Gang of Four: Free ep Available

Thanksgiving Drive Music: Twin Shadow

Thanksgiving has come and gone here in the US. Now it's Black Friday, a day that keeps me out of the shops. Thanksgiving usually involves a drive to a relative's home and that drive can be a long one due to traffic. The good part is that I can listen to whole albums. My attention does not hold at home... I just can't sit through a whole CD. I need variety. In the car, I have a smaller library to tap into. Yesterday, the winning CD was "Forget" by Twin Shadow. NME (or The NME) had a positive, if not geo-centric, review of this fine album. Read it here.

A New Album By 4AD artist Broken Records: "Let Me Come Home"

Let Me Come Home, expected in January, is the band's second album - the follow-up to 2009's Until The Earth Begins To Part. NME reviewed it this week and said "It is an elegant and, quite frankly, utterly beautiful record. 8/10"

4AD's press release says:

"Let Me Come Home started out as a series of sketches and song fragments in frontman Jamie Sutherland’s kitchen, later taking form in demo sessions at an old distillery grain store in the Scottish Highlands. Recorded and produced by Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Delgados, Belle & Sebastian) at his Studio in Glasgow with artwork conceived by Vaughan Oliver at V23, Let Me Come Home will be released on CD, LP and digital formats.

Speaking about the inspiration behind their second album, Jamie Sutherland says:
“An idea started to form about the direction of the new record based on several films and albums that I became gradually obsessed with at that time. Watching the widescreen emptiness of films Badlands, Rumble Fish and East Of Eden, as well as records such as Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads, Calexico’s Feast Of Wire, and REM’s early back catalogue all became a strong influence on the direction of the new songs. It was also during this time that the lyrical theme of the record started to take shape, thinking about what was going on around me in the form of fears and concerns over making relationships work, and a need for security.”

Broken Records formed in Edinburgh at the end of 2006 and were immediately tipped for greatness by the UK press – a series of three independently released singles released in 2008 led NME to call them “an incredible proposition – set to go stellar as soon as they decide on a lucky label to sign to”. They originally came together when Jamie had a plan to set up a small independent label and collective. They never quite got around to becoming a label, so Broken Records became the band name instead!"

“We’re trying to do something different. People forget that music doesn’t have to be just bass, guitar and drums. It can be just as loud and exciting with glockenspiel and trumpet” – Broken Records

TRACKLISTING:
1. A Leaving Song <<<<<< free .mp3
2. Modern Worksong
3. Dia dos Namarados!
4. The Motorcycle Boy Reigns
5. A Darkness Rises Up
6. Ailene
7. I Used To Dream
8. You Know You’re Not Dead
9. The Cracks In The Wall
10. Home

BROKEN RECORDS is Jamie Sutherland (vocals/guitar), Ian Turnbull (guitar), David Smith (piano/trumpet), Andrew Keeney (drums), Rory Sutherland (violin), Craig Ross (bass)

New Like Sugar PopCast 34 out now!

Here is the track-list:
01 - C hapel Club - Five Trees
02 - O h Custer! - Forget It
03 - O u Est Le Swimming Pool - The Key
04 - W ild Nothing - Golden Haze
05 - T ribeca - Combat
06 - M arina and The Diamonds - Shampain
07 - A noraak - Don't Be Afriad feat. Sally Shapiro
08 - R oyksopp - I Wanna Know
09 - B londe Redhead - My Plants Are Dead
10 - B randon Flowers - Only The Young (Remix)
11 - C lan of Xymox - At The End of The Day
12 - G orillaz - Glitter Freeze feat. Mark E. Smith
13 - O MD - History of Modern (Part 1)
14 - K isses - Kisses
15 - K isses - Kisses (Joe Goddard of Hot Chip Remix)
16 - K isses - Kisses
17 - K ieTheVez - Here Is The House (Depeche Mode Cover)
18 - T he Cure - Treasure

Listen (stream or download) via zshare here.

Please comment below if you discovered anything your ears liked! A simple hello keeps me going! -E

Listen to the new Cut Copy single "Take Me Over"

Today Cut Copy releases the first commercial single from their new LP Zonoscope, “Take Me Over.” It’s available at all fine download outlets immediately, and will be dropped on 12” vinyl in the very near future. You can listen to it on Soundcloud here.

Video: Hurts "Stay"

I wonder if the single-earring look is coming back with the New Romantic sound? I think the singer looks like Peter Heppner of Wolsheim. There is an ep out for this Hurts track with a Groove Armada remix and a Full Intention Club Mix. See iTunes.

Northern Portrait and some TV musings

Eardrums Music has a nice post about the new Northern Portrait release. There is even a free mp3 of the lead track "Life Returns to Normal". Read it here.

I watched four episodes of "Downton Abbey" today. I love period dramas. Some friends find them to be "soaps", but I can't deny that I enjoy this genre almost as much as murder mysteries. As I mentioned, Wallander was excellent and I watched Sky1's "Thorne" this past week. I love the actor David Morrissey. He caught my eye in the 90's version of Dicken's "Our Mutual Friend". That book and film are in my top 10. I also watched the whole "The Take" series as well. Tom Hardy was so good (again). He was awesome in Wuthering Heights and Bronson, so I had to watch "The Take".

OK, what else? I found a free copy of Robyn's "When Doves Cry", but I was not impressed. I love covers, but this one did nothing new at all. It was too by-the-numbers.

Girl Talk: All Day (free download mix)

Strangely, I really found this to be a fun album to listen to. I was put off at first. All the rap, or it called hip-hop? I don't know the difference. I don't recognize most of the lyrical parts, but I love the music sampled to keep a melody going. Some classic 80's and 90's and some surprises too! Madness...Inxs, Depeche Mode, Radiohead, New Order. It all works seamlessly. This mix reminds me of the 1999 "Dirtchamber Sessions" that Liam Howlett, of The Prodigy, released.
So, check out this free download by Girl Talk titled "All Day".

British Sea Power: Living Is So Easy

"British Sea Power would like to relay news on the first single from their forthcoming new album. "Living Is So Easy" is the first single from the album Valhalla Dancehall. The track will be available to purchase digitally from 29 November. A free MP3 of an edited version of Living Is So Easy is now available to download from the link below http://bit.lylivingissoeasy.
The artwork and tracklisting for the Valhalla Dancehall album are also up on the site: http://www.britishseapower.co.uk/music
Living Is So Easy is a pop parable for our times and BSP have this to say about it: "We just shot the video for our new single. The video idea is based on footage from Henri-Georges Clouzot's unfinished 1964 film L'Enfer, also known as Inferno. There's a superb 2009 documentary on the film called Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno. The song Living Is So Easy features electronic keyboards, plus some Louis Vuitton and clay pigeons. It's a mixture of Serge Gainsbourg and Ralf and Florian-era Kraftwerk with a sprinkle of Stock, Aitken and Waterman. It's our most electronic song to date. This is the high life."

Valhalla Dancehall
15 November 2010

1) Who’s In Control
2) We Are Sound
3) Georgie Ray
4) Stunde Null
5) Mongk II
6) Luna
7) Baby
8) Living Is So Easy
9) Observe The Skies
10) Cleaning Out The Rooms
11) Thin Black Sail
12) Once More Now
13) Heavy Water

Insect Guide: "Bats" Single = awesome free music

Wow! This is great music. Download The Insect Guide's "Bats" single from Eardrums here. I played a track from this UK act way back on Like Sugar PopCast #4!

"Tracks One and Two are written by Insect Guide. Track Three is originally by Big Star. All songs performed by Insect Guide. Track Two features Graeme Naysmith (Pale Saints) on guitar". I am so excited to see their close ties to Pale Saints, one of my favs from the 4AD 90's scene. Please read up Insect Guide!

1. Bats
2. Hearts don’t Break (acoustic)
3. Nightime

http://theinsectguide.com/
http://www.squirrelrecords.co.uk/the-insect-guide/dark-days-and-nights/
http://darkdaysandnights.tumblr.com/
http://insectguide.bandcamp.com/

Pains of Being Pure At Heart track "Heart In Your Heartbreak"

Stream the new Pains of Being Pure At Heart track "Heart In Your Heartbreak" at Pitchfork.

Kite: Ways To Dance video and new ep

I can't discover every single syth act no matter how much time I put into it. Still, how did I miss this band? They are Kite from Sweden. Thanks to A Different Drum for carrying their CDs! I was able to hear a sample and then move on to YouTube to find this gem:

Ian McCulloch sings with Manic Streeet Preachers

I was never a fan of Manic Street Preachers. This is the only song I like from their new album.

Cut Copy "Zonoscope" announced

Zonoscope will be released in 2011 on February 4th in Australia, February 7th in the UK and Europe, and February 8th in North America.

Below you can find links to view the second installment of the Krozm documentary on the process of making the record, entitled "Skies of The Ape."
More music is revealed in this piece, which sees the band moving into their Christmas St recording warehouse, and all band members involved in the creative process.

SPIN: http://www.spin.com/articles/exclusive-cut-copy-unveil-album-artwork-video

THE VINE: http://www.thevine.com.au/music/news/exclusive-_-cut-copy%27s-new-album-title-and-cover-art-revealed20101103.aspx

Some Synth, Some Indie, Some Mystery

Enjoying some new synthpop remixes of christopher ANTON over at his bandcamp page.
Oh, and what else am I up to? Did I already mention The Trembling Blue Star's latest is still streaming free here? I think I posted the link on Facebook. If you like TBS, be sure to check out Harper Lee, band very related to TBS and Sarah Records (Brighter).
Drowned in Sound had a nice piece on A Decade of Glasgow. As a fan of that city, the music, the people (real and fictional!), it was a nice read. I think the writer sounds a bit young, but I had strong opinions when I was younger.
I watched Wallander tonight (The Fifth Woman) and then Sherlock (The Blind Banker). The color and tone and angles of these short films just floors me. I want to share the experience with all my friends if only for the art of all.
Finally, my latest podcast is still alive at this location.

Oops, I forgot a title.

"Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?" I forgot about how perfect this movie quote is. Someone posted it on Reddit today. The subject was Tastebuds.fm. I had ZER0 hits in all of the US. That might be because the US is not a big last.fm user... or my tastes lean way too much toward the UK and Sweden (and Germany). So, I adjusted the slider (perv-meter) to 23 and my possible location to the UK and saw many more results. As I often whine about, people my age aren't as passionate about music as younger people. They usually have careers and wives and children to occupy themselves.


This week, I was listening to Howard Stern go off on Sweden (or, more correctly, that fact that Sirius has a Swedish language station and a princess and so on). I had a nice laugh because he's supposed to be King of All Media, and doesn't know that Sweden is the third largest producer of music in the world. It might be all a ruse, as Howard Stern, on-air, is a character. Don't read me wrong, I love his show.

UPDATE: 128 matches in UK for 21-40. Sweden:0. Ukraine:1 USA: 238

Testing YouTube Playlist Post

It's been gray and rainy here for a few days, so I thought I'd cobble a moody collection of videos. I'm trying to keep what's popular wedged between what may be less known. Also attempting to avoid the beyond-obvious and overplayed... how else can interest be held? Again, it's not my definitive list, as so many tracks are not represented in video form. I might have to break the law (?) and create my own static image videos in order to share some material that needs more exposure. Some songs are just that moving.

Here Is The House

I posted another synth classic on YouTube:

Electro Freaks Present Voume 2 10:10:10 The Terrible Twos

Brian Hazard, the man behind Color Theory, announced that his track "Two" is on the free electro compilation "Electro Freaks Present Volume 2 10:10:10 The Terrible Twos". This digital release is available for free at this address: http://electrofreaks.bandcamp.com/

This is an excellent way to discover new bands, which is the mission of Like Sugar!

No Comment (Video)

I posted this song on YouTube because I couldn't find a single track from them. I think this act was overlooked a few years back and thought listeners would enjoy what I consider a timeless sound.
There are two versions of this track. This one is not the version from Underwater Dreams.
I will edit this post when I can find more information about the band No Comment.

British Sea Power - listen to 3 new tracks

British Sea Power released
Zeus EP
23 September 2010

1) Zeus (listen)
2) Cleaning Out The Rooms
3) Can We Do It? (listen)
4) Bear (listen)
5) Pardon My Friends
6) Mongk
7) Kw-h
+ unlisted bonus track ‘Retreat’

Like Sugar 33 free podcast-mixtape now available

Like Sugar PopCast 33 is now up (73.14MB and 63 minutes at 160 kbps quality)! The track list is below, cleverly altered to avoid hassles and appear l33t. I don't think I can get this up on iTunes because Odeo has changed the original xml file-name. For now, you can download it or stream it via zshare or off my server. The first person to comment gets 1000 Internets Points!

01 - T he D epreciation Guild - M y Chariot
02 - T he C hameleons - U p The Down Escalator
03 - I nterpol - B arricade
04 - C lubfeet - T eenage Suicide (Don't Do It)
05 - H oly Ghost! - I K now I Hear
06 - D elays - U nsung (Aaron Gilbert Remix)
07 - O u Est Le Swimming Pool - C urtain Falls
08 - T he Bravery - I A m Your Skin
09 - I slands - D evout
10 - M etric - A ll Yours
11 - T he School - I W ant You Back
12 - T he Drums - F orever and Ever Amen (Raffertie Refix)
13 - C ause and Effect - H appy? (Dirty 8VA Remix)
14 - R osanna - W aterfall (Fear of Tigers Remix)
15 - T he Presets - K icking and Screaming
16 - M ew - B each (Trentmoeller Remix)
17 - S ufjan Stevens - I W alked
Get it here via Zshare.

Fresh Synthpop - Anything Box

(Thanks, Paul Rijnders for the original post!)

Stars Hit the Road

Stars are hitting the road! I saw them at the Casbah (intimate venue) here in San Diego a while back, and it was quite memorable. They are now playing a big place here in town, so I hope that means they are gaining popularity.

Stars Tour Dates:
Sept 22 - Water Street Music Hall - Rochester, NY
Sept 23 - House of Blues - Boston, MA
Sept 24 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY
Sept 28 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
Sept 29 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
Sept 30 - Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
Oct 1 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
Oct 2 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA
Oct 3 - Headliners Music Hall - Louisville, KY
Oct 5 - Cannery Ballroom - Nashville, TN
Oct 6 - Bluebird Nightclub - Bloomington, IN
Oct 7 - Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL
Oct 8 - Barrymore Theatre - Madison, WI
Oct 9 - Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI
Oct 19 - Bronson Centre - Ottawa, ON
Oct 20 - Sydenham Street United Church - Kingston, ON
Oct 22 - The Music Hall - London, ON
Oct 23 - Massey Hall - Toronto, ON
Oct 26 - Turner Hall - Milwaukee, WI
Oct 27 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Oct 28 - The Aquarium - Fargo, ND
Oct 29 - Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg, MB
Oct 31 - Winspear Centre - Edmonton, AB
Nov 1 - Jack Singer Hall - Calgary, AB
Nov 3 - Kelowna Community Theatre - Kelowna, BC
Nov 4 - Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC
Nov 6 - Showbox - Seattle, WA
Nov 7 - McDonald Theatre - Eugene, OR
Nov 9 - Rio Theatre - Santa Cruz, CA
Nov 10 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
Nov 12 - Wiltern Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
Nov 13 - House of Blues San Diego - San Diego, CA
Nov 18 - La Zona Rossa - Austin, TX
Nov 19 - Warehouse Live Main Room - Houston, TX
Nov 20 - Granada Theatre - Dallas, TX
Nov 21 - Republic - New Orleans, LA
Nov 23 - Southgate House - Newport, KY
Nov 24 - Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY

Busy Ears

I have made some time to go through some new releases this week. I want to form my opinion before I read any reviews. So, Winamp and the iPod are loaded with: Interpol "Interpol", Blonde Redhead "Penny Sparkle", Hurts "Happiness", Ou Est Le Swimming Pool "The Golden Years", Grinderman "Grinderman 2", Gorillaz "Plastic Beach", The Pipettes "Earth vs. The Pipettes".

Heard about this via a post by Stripmall Architecture: it's a nice slice of electronicness by a band called Com Truise and you can find a 7 track free ep on their site called "Cyanide Sisters".

Iris - Blacklight CD

The new synthpop CD from Iris, titled "Blacklight" is available! Below is the video for the track "Closer To Real".
I am reminded of listening to Iris in 2005, as it was one of the few CDs I brought along to a vacation in Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Perfect music for a long drive. I got engaged on that trip. Best time of my life and Iris was a fitting sound-track to it all. Now, ask me about what's happened since then and it'll end up on Encyclopedia Dramatica.
This CD is currently the #1 ranked over at A Different Drum, so you know this backed by a tradition of quality and a solid fan-base.

Royksopp's Album "Senior" Premieres on Hype Machine

Royksopp's Album "Senior" Premieres on Hype Machine. Stream it right here!
The album drops on September 13, 2010.

Surfer Blood (video)

Surfer Blood is touring with my summer favs The Drums. A new video is out today for "Floating Vibes":

The album "Astro Coast" was released by Kanine Records on January 19th of this year and received a “Best New Music” tag from Pitchfork, as well as rave reviews from Spin, PopMatters, Absolute Punk and more.

I Heard It On The Radio, but that's OK

This is the third track I have lined up for Like Sugar #33:

New Miami Horror Drops August 20 - hear it now!

I am streaming the new Miami Horror album live here. The new "Illumination" album is out on August 20th.
Live streaming video by Ustream

Synth Britannia

I hadn't heard of this (likely because I live in the U.S.) but thanks to @DotAllison I can now try to find a way to watch this documentary!
BBC says it's a "Documentary following a generation of post-punk musicians who took the synthesiser from the experimental fringes to the centre of the pop stage.
In the late 1970s, small pockets of electronic artists including the Human League, Daniel Miller and Cabaret Volatire were inspired by Kraftwerk and JG Ballard and dreamt of the sound of the future against the backdrop of bleak, high-rise Britain."
UK readers can watch it here for the next four days.

Summer

It's Summer in the Northern Hemisphere!

The Charlatans (UK) new release

New single "Love Is Ending" is released today, August 2. Get it on iTunes. I'm reserving judgment on this one. It is a little too Stone Roses for me, so far... See video below.

Belle and Sebastian and Eric

As I posted before, this blog has become a mini-aggregation site. With Twitter and Facebook's popularity, most bands and labels are releasing information in real-time. There was a time when just passing along a new release, a newly signed band or a free mp3 gave a blog some merit. Just by signing-up for "newsletters" provided a wealth of information. Perhaps readers of the blog don't have the time to sign-up or do not want their in-box clogged-up. It does take time to sort through all the newsletters,blog postings, myspace bulletins, etc. Posting the odd newsletter blurb from an act that may not release material often was really the goal of my blog. I am not sure this qualifies me as a blogger, as I don't offer much in wordy reviews or opinions. A reader can assume I "like" it by fact that I posted about it in the first place.
So, I will continue to "blog" by passing along info that electronic pop / synthpop / indie pop listeners may have read elsewhere. I hope I can continue to share the new music I find, because I believe that we are still a community of sorts.

Here's a new song from Belle and Sebastian. Video was shot live by a fan. A cheerful song, don't you agree?!

New VIP Subscription Program from A Different Drum

Synthpop and electronic music lovers can consider joining a VIP Subscription Program with the legendary label and on-line store A Different Drum.
ADD writes: "This new program is presented as a way to keep the avid CD collectors happy, with new synthpop / electronic pop music from established artists as well as new artists! The way this program works is very unique, so please read carefully to see if you would be interested in subscribing!"
"If there are enough serious CD collectors who want a steady stream of new music, then this program will be launched."

While at A Different Drum, consider pre-ordering two HUGE releases in the world of electronic pop: Color Theory's "The Sound" and Iris' "Blacklight". I've followed the output of both these acts over the past few years and I highly recommend them both!

A Mixtape and The Vaselines

I don't know the first thing about the creator of this mixtape. I just saw the play-list and downloaded it. I was rather impressed. I love to hear new music and this mixtape is right up my alley, so give it a listen if you like what I with Like Sugar. Download it here.

It's super-hot here in Southern California. My car is leaking radiator fluid as a result. No cash to fix it at the moment.
Saw my doctor today. He's a cool dude, someone I'd like to hang out with. He gives me all the meds I request and cautions me on this and that. I dig his honesty and his manner. I never feel like I have to embellish my complaints. He trusts me and that makes me feel I owe it to him to behave.


So anyway, I have preview opportunity. It's the new Vaselines cd "Sex With An X." I need to find out what the title is all about. I see lots of 3 to 4 minute tracks! So excited, 'cause I loved this band back in the day. OK, I am on song 2 and I love where this is going!

Topp Stemning Pa Lokal Bar

I see that The Birthday Massacre is coming to San Diego's Brick By Brick on August 1st. Not many bands making this kind of sound anymore. I think they have a great sense of color and design. I hope this translates to a live performance.

This has been blogged elsewhere, but I wanted to express my excitement over Casiokids getting a US release. Pretty cool. Listen:

Topp Stemning Pa Lokal Bar (2 CD): Get it at Amazon or somewhere.

More Sugar

It's Independence Day weekend for America. Where is the apostrophe on that flag?
A new (catching up, this was due out in June) Like Sugar podcast is now available. I don't talk on this one, so it's really just a mix-tape style effort with no real theme. I do lean toward electronic music and not necessarily dance-floor material. There is a nice flow on this one with a few old tracks (namely, "Knust Knekt" and "Poupée Mécanique" and "Voyage Voyage") that sound rather good, fitting in, given their age. Some tracks are from releases that are less than 3 months old, so it's a nice meld of 80's and whatever you call this decade.
It's worth noting that some of the artist names are... interesting. I'd like to know more about their origins or what they mean. I think Morcheeba is a made up word. Scissor Sisters is adult in nature. Sista Mannen Pa Jorden is "Last man on Earth" if I recall.

01 - M elody Club - The Only Ones
02 - S cissor Sisters - Running Out
03 - H ot Hot Heat - Goddess On The Prairie
04 - E ditors - Alone
05 - K ent - Gamla Ullevi
06 - D ie Form - Poupée Mécanique
07 - D esireless - Voyage Voyage
08 - S vart Klovn - Knust Knekt
09 - S ista Mannen På Jorden - Gestapo Bob Harris
10 - P ete Shelley - Telephone Operator
11 - H ot Chip - One Life Stand
12 - M arina and The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot (Clock Opera Remix)
13 - P aul Rijinders - January Came (Nebula to Estigma Mix)
14 - M onarchy - It Must Be Love
15 - D istain! - Pop Song
16 - L ola Dutronic - Beautiful World
17 - M orcheeba - Even Though


Download the mp3 here

Like Sugar PopCast returns to iTunes... not

The Odeo site came back up, so I was able to add my last mix-tape mp3. I think this one was from May 2010. I need to finish #32 to catch up.


Like Sugar #31:

01 - The Apples In Stereo - Dance Floor
02 - Javelin - Vibrationz
03 - Teddybears - Devil's Music (feat. ADL)
04 - Zounds - Demystification
05 - The Drums - I Felt Stupid
06 - De/Vision - Time To Be Alive
07 - Rotersand - Beneath The Stars
08 - Kisses - Bermuda
09 - Million Young - Cynthia
10 - Delorean - Real Love
11 - Groove Armada - Paper Romance
12 - Class Actress - Careful What You Say
13 - Frozen Plasma - Touching Ground
14 - The Smiths - There Is A Light...(Josh Patrick Mix)
15 - XP8 - Blind
16 - Pin Me Down - Time Crisis
17 - The Radio Dept. - Never Follow Suit

OK, it appears I cannot resubmit the rss feed to my podcast on iTunes, since it was hosted by Odeo when it was created. Odeo no longer hosts files, so the rss feed is dead and there is way to edit it on the iTunes end. More on that here.

Morcheeba and Skye together again

Glad to hear vocalist Skye back with the incredible Morcheeba. I played this band a lot when I was doing trip-hop gigs. Here's the first dreamy video:

Stars

I'm taking my first listen to the new Stars album, "The Five Ghosts." Here's a good little interview with Amy Milan of Stars. Be warned, she mentions boycotting Arizona...


The whole album can be streamed at NPR. It drops on June 22.

Saturday Update

Time to check all my zshare links to make sure they are still active. If you haven't noticed or subscribe via RSS: there are links to 10 or so hour-long podcasts in this blog's right column. Odeo.com, the service that forwards my shows to iTunes has been down all of May and June, so no Like Sugar for iTunes subscribers (my largest base?)!

Want some new synthpop? Paul Rijnders (of Anything Box fame) has nine wonderful tracks to hear at Soundcloud. A new remix of an older track was just uploaded a few hours ago.

Listening to BT's These Hopeful Machines at the moment...

Cheers,
E.

Local: San Diego, see Recordable Colors!

This Friday, June 11th at the Whistlestop in South Park. Free! My man, Dorian, from Jezebel (as played on Like Sugar) is fronting this wonderful band. Dorian, along with Erica and Abe: this is what I was looking for from a local act.
Recordable Colors can be heard on myspace here. I'm rather confident my listeners will dig this upbeat band.

Happy Birthday, NRT

And when winter comes around
You'll need your winter shoes.
But if winter's still about
To get too cold for you,
You´ll need someone to keep you warm...
Someone to help you through the storm...
Someone who's good...
Doing no harm...
...and he'll say...
...I care for you... I'm there
... I´m there for you... I care...
And when the time is right
You'll wear your wedding shoes.
And if this life still seems to be
Not quite enough for you,
You'll find someone to help you out...
Someone to miss and dream about
That being in love...
Is doing no harm...
...and he'll say...
...I care for you... I'm there
I'm there for you... I care...

June Gloom

June Gloom is what the June weather is called here in San Diego. Low clouds here on the coast stick around until mid-day when they burn-off to reveal the happy sun.

A dreamy new track "City Lights" is available for free from Daybehavior here. I have mp3s for this act in my Atmospheric and Trip Hop folder for some reason.

I downloaded two new Labrador Records tracks recently. One is from the May 12 full length release from Club 8 titled "The People's Record". The track is decidedly upbeat, as the title suggests. Get "Shape Up!" here. A new one from Pallers is out. It's called "The Kiss" and it builds very gently over five minutes. There is a remix for it here (thanks to The Line of Best Fit).



A friend and I went to see My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult on May 28. I danced the whole time. A big girl fell on me. Good times.

I watched every episode of "Book Group" over two days this past holiday weekend. I fell in love with the theme song. I was so certain it was sung by Sarah Cracknell! I need to find this track for my collection.

Lola Dutronic release new single and video

Lola Dutronic sent me their new single "Beautiful World" from the upcoming Musique ep. It's an uplifting, summery mid-tempo track. Watch the video:

Voice reminds me of Saint Etienne. What do you think? I played their previous gem "My Radio" way back on Like Sugar #21 (download the podcast here).
Get a copy of the song on iTunes.

Three Songs for Thursday

Filter Magazine is hosting a free download from the amazing Inu here. I have been pretty happy with all that I have from Inu so far. Be sure to google about for Stripmall Architecture while enjoying Inu. It's all related somehow.

A friend sent this video of The Drums recording. Gotta love YouTube!


Mentioned this on Facebook, but I gotta re-share this nice one from Freebass. The title is "You Don't Know This About Me" and it reminds me of Echo and The Bunnymen. Listen here.
Freebass is:
Peter Hook (bass) - New Order & Joy Division
Andy Rourke (guitar) - The Smiths
Gary Mounfield (bass) - The Stone Roses & Primal Scream
Nat Watson (guitar)
Phil Murphy (keyboards & programming) Man Ray
Paul Kehoe (drums)

Britpop and Indie Night in San Diego

San Diego, it does not get better than this! Rob Moran is my all time favorite local DJ!

May Gray and Happy Music!

It's a May Gray day here in San Diego. Next month, we get June Gloom. I am fine with it, after living in the eternal sunshine of the Coachella Valley from 1981 to 1991. I like weather and the Valley has teasing rain, and a few pool-filling sand storms to offer.
So, today, I am listening to the whole body of The Depreciation Guild. They will release "Spirit Youth" on May 18th. Fans of The Pains of Being Pure At Heart will recognize Kurt Feldman's voice in both acts. So, if you are into one or the other bands, you're sure to be satisfied with the sound. I'd venture to say that The Depreciation Guild is less poppy and more like the Jesus and Mary Chain and some Slowdive in the mix. Pains are more accessible and indiepop, which is no bad thing at all. I love both acts equally. The xx fans should explore both acts.

After all the above, the day moved into The Insect Guide, which you simply must go and listen to. If the above acts have any interest to you, The Insect Guide will certainly become a listening staple. I adore the new single "Wasted"... let's hope for a video soon! I love the artwork with the cross visible.

Like Sugar PopCast 31 has moved to this URL. So please give a listen...it's more dance than indiepop, with some darker elements too. Listen and give me some good numbers! If you enjoyed any Like Sugar, please let me know!

Trashcan Sinatras free mp3 on Amazon

Amazon is offering The Trashcan Sinatras' new song "People" (a really catchy song!) as a FREE download. The bands asks "If you could please download the song (even if you already have it), that would be a big help...more downloads give us better amazon.com site rankings and more exposure and could lead to more offers and better placement in the future."
You don't need to have an amazon.com account to download the track and it should only take a minute. You can go to amazon.com / mp3 downloads / special deals or just do a search for the Trashcan Sinatras "People".
As of the time of this posting this link works: People.

New Like Sugar (#31) out now! Dedicated.

My new mix is live here.
Size: 74.6 MB
Length: 01:05:09

This one's dedicated to Barbara S. and by extension, her friends and family. We pray for her speedy recovery and wish to see her back in the DJ booth.

Not sure I can get it onto iTunes, because Odeo (the host) is doing maintenance.
This one's bit heavy on the dark club side. I threw in some exceptions to break it up a bit. From the non-fuzzy Apples In Stereo to the sorta trip-hop of Javelin to the post-punk of Zounds (later covered by Lush, check into it), this mix is voice-free. I really like what the Drums are up to and then I go full-on goth/industrial club with hints of modern synthpop.

Comment! Comment! Comment! Please! Danke!

The track-list is:

01 - The Apples In Stereo - Dance Floor
02 - Javelin - Vibrationz
03 - Teddybears - Devil's Music (feat. ADL)
04 - Zounds - Demystification
05 - The Drums - I Felt Stupid
06 - De/Vision - Time To Be Alive
07 - Rotersand - Beneath The Stars
08 - Kisses - Bermuda
09 - Million Young - Cynthia
10 - Delorean - Real Love
11 - Groove Armada - Paper Romance
12 - Class Actress - Careful What You Say
13 - Frozen Plasma - Touching Ground
14 - The Smiths - There Is A Light...(Josh Patrick Mix)
15 - XP8 - Blind
16 - Pin Me Down - Time Crisis
17 - The Radio Dept. - Never Follow Suit

New, Free Color Theory

One of my very favorite active electronic pop artists is offering a free song. He writes: "I just finished what I consider to be my best song in a long time, and I’d like you to have it – no strings attached. Please feel free to share it with anybody and everybody".
So here's the link to download it for free!
I can seriously recommend a look into Color Theory's back-catalog. Follow Color Theory on Twitter for great posts like this one.

Well, I Don't It All

I had no idea this Lush track was a cover. It made my week when I found out! Here's the original version of Demystification!

The Radio Dept. "Clinging to a scheme" released

Labrador Records says "The long wait is finally over! The Radio Dept’s ”Clining to a scheme” is without doubt this year’s most eagerly anticipated Swedish indie pop album. It’s been four long years, but a simple press on Play and you’ll know it’s been worth every second.

“Clinging to a scheme” combines the best components from their previous albums “Lesser matters” and “Pet grief” with soul guitars, P-funk, cut/paste-beats and 70’s futuristic orchestra. Breathtaking!

15 Euros including freight anywhere in the world."

Track listing
1. Domestic Scene
2. Heaven's on fire (download free .mp3)
3. This Time Around
4. Never Follow Suit
5. A Token Of Gratitude
6. The Video Dept.
7. Memory Loss
8. David
9. Four Months In The Shade
10. You Stopped Making Sense

Desire Lines

Post-Coachella

Coachella's over. I had a great time watching via the web. I must say, the editing of the webcasts was excellent (I was married to an editor so I know! Or...)
I like the fact that some of the acts were totally new to me. I'll have to look into some of them now. I really wanted to "see" the Cribs and Bad Lieutenant (wow, I spelled lieutenant correctly on the first try! I actually copy and pasted it to see if the spell-check was just accepting my typing. Now, if I can find out if a period should be placed after the parenthesis when it's at the end of the sentence).

This artist has piqued my interest, after I downloaded a remix. Some great electronic work here. Catchy and synthy. Check out all the tracks from Million Young on Youtube; here's my favorite "Cynthia":


So, I am reading a synthpop blog that I have never read before and the entries are eerily similar to mine. Small world, I guess. Still. I want to be different! After all, I throw in some stuff that a synth purist would hate! So, now I am going to post more repeat material... I mean, it's repeat for me, but could be new to you, right?

Not my pick from the new Goldfrapp, but a nice introduction nonetheless:


You may have noticed the new art at the top of the blog (if you are not reading via RSS). I am really looking forward to seeing 16 Volt and Chemlab again. Two of my favorite acts from the 90's post-industrial scene. I did some film-work with both of these bands and I treasure the memories. Nice guys. Sometimes, you meet your heroes and are disappointed...but not with these acts. They were just down to Earth and wanted to give their fans the best. Here's a vid I worked on:

Schiller - Atemlos (new double CD) released

The new Schiller is out and available (in the U.S.) from A Different Drum. Looks like there are couple import versions available, so read carefully.
If you have not had exposure to Schiller, you might hit youtube and try one of the many versions of my favorite tracks "Dream" and "I Feel You." The vocals are by Peter Heppner of Wolfsheim. The new Schiller is titled "Atemlos." Someone was kind enough to translate a video interview into English:


I've picked up two new tracks by The National. I found one ("Afraid of Everyone") today via Pitchfork here. The other is "Bloodbuzz Ohio" and is here.

I'm still working my way through BT and Goldfrapp, listening for the stand-outs.
I think I will create a separate post for the upcoming Wave In Head release. I adore the music of Wave In Head and I want to properly fuss over it.

Still Ill and a mix for it.

I lined up 12 tracks for my friend in hospital (seems like I should say "in the hospital"). The little mix is for her to listen to while she recovers. I tried to use really new material, so it's fresh and she won't feel like she's missing out.
The 40 minute Get Well Mix is on z-share here. Over 250 views of the audio and that's with no description. I did twitter it and of course it's on Facebook.

As I write, I've got Sally Seltmann streaming from MySpace. I read about her in a newsletter from the Arts and Crafts label. Her music and voice is uplifting, so give it listen!

Speaking of Arts and Crafts, my favorite artist on that label, Stars, has a new single out. I downloaded "Fixed" from the upcoming album "The Five Ghosts" for free by offering my e-mail address. *can't find the link right now / will add it soon*



That's me at The Casbah in July 2009 waiting to watch Trashcan Sinatras...and the good news is they are coming back to The States! The band is going on tour in June, playing 11 shows. Most shows have recently gone on sale, the others should be on sale shortly:

June 1 - San francisco, ca - slim's (on sale 4/4)
June 3 - San juan capistrano, ca - the coach house (on sale 4/1)
June 4 - West hollywood, ca - key club (on sale 3/29)
June 6 - Chicago, il - schuba's (on sale tba)
June 7 - Milwaukee, wi - shank hall (on sale 4/9)
June 8 - Detroit, mi - magic stick (on sale tba)
June 10 - Boston, ma - tt the bear's (on sale 3/27)
June 11 - New york, ny - bowery ballroom (on sale 4/9)
June 12 - Hoboken, nj - maxwell's (on sale 3/31)
June 13 - Philadelphia, pa - world cafe live (on sale 4/9)
June 14 - Washington, d.c. - rock & roll hotel (on sale 4/9)

No San Diego show, I'm sad to say. San Juan Capistrano is 1 hour away. My parents live there, so I may have to make a trip of it.

I Am Still. I Am Here.

Long time, no post.

For no reason, I wanted to hear some 90's stuff and I thought about Frontline Assembly and the excellent work under the "Intermix" name... so here's a "video" for my favorite track "Targeted."


Earthquake today (Easter) was rather rolling rather than shaking.

My very favorite female DJ and the woman who's opinion on music I hold in the highest regard has been very ill. I saw her in ICU and I am not really ready to comment further until we know more. I will say that I am appealing to God for her recovery and asking that her family finds rest and peace while we wait for this extraordinary woman to recover. Music or no, this is someone I love and I cannot imagine life without her.

Can't Go Wrong with...

Trashcan Sinatras. I haven't posted this second video from "In The Music" (I bought the CD at the live show). I like all the smiles in this video, it's a nice change from so many serious things. Not sure I like Frank's hat... I mean, he's not bald or balding badly, so why the lame hat? Sunglasses are passable, as I am sure they are corrective lenses. I watched a bunch of serious things tonight, and, in the end, my eyes hurt. Morrissey, Travis, Xymox, The Cure, Anneli Drekker, Peter Murphy, Killing Joke, Human Drama... all evoke a certain something. Can't live like that. Hell, it's bad enough I am thoroughly enjoying music that is 25 years old!

More Le Sport (video)

In more Le Sport news, I found a link to a new video:

Le Sport - The House of Primates from le sport on Vimeo.

The track is "The House of Primates" and thanks to @itsatrapdotcom for the info.

OK, what else... SXSW is on (I guess, there are too many posts about it to tell when it starts or ends or if it really exists). I think I will make it in 2011, after clearing up some legal issues.

Listening to Shout Out Louds even more, and I am even more satisfied with the new album "Work." I hope some singles and b-sides come out. I really like the Passion Pit remix of Fall Hard. Also listening to the industrial-pop of Rotersand. Sometimes this kind of sound is best in small doses for me. It's also a type of music that just needs to be heard very loud. Can't do the loud thing these days, sadly. Still, this material is a fine modern progression of the genres that spawned it.

Side note: I use RSS and Google Reader to keep up on a myriad number of music sites. One site has had me smiling for a while, but it's not musicy: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/ just makes my day, sometimes twice a day. Thank-you, Allie, for your humor. Spaghatta Nadle makes me smile.

Live version of "Fall Hard" by Shout Out Louds (video)

My favorite song at the moment. A nice live version of "Fall Hard" by Shout Out Louds.
Thanks to @itsatrapdotcom for the information!

New Podcast Out Now: Like Sugar 30

Like Sugar PopCast 30 is up at odeo, zshare and iTunes.

The flash player below streams the whole set:


If you enjoy my series of electronic-mix-tapes (podcasts), please leave me a comment. I respond to all my listeners. Just knowing one person is listening, somewhere out there...well, it makes me want to do another episode. So, keep me going and thank-you to my loyal listeners!

Track-list*
A poptygma Berzerk - Right
S PC ECO - For All Time
T he Horrors - Primary Colours
S urfer Blood - Swim
T he Soft Pack - Cmon
L os Campesinos - Romance Is Boring
T he Epoxies - My New World
L o-fi-FNK - Marching In
K ent - Vals for Satan (Din Van Pessimensten)
D adahack - Hello Dust
A lphabeat - Hole In My Heart (The Sound of Arrows Remix)
D ragonette - Pick Up The Phone (Michael Van She Remix)
W e Have Band - Honeytrap (Them Jeans Remix)
T egan and Sara - Back In Your Head (Tiesto Remix)
I n Strict Confidence - My Despair (Single Version)
A BC - Book Of Love (Felix Jaxx Booty Remix)
T he Mystic Underground - April Fool's Day
M assive Attack - Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix)

*Why the space in the titles? Seems bloggers can get take down notices even when the files we use are promotional or "free." I sorta justify my use of all files in that I don't play the whole song stand-alone. The tracks are usually shortened by the cross-fading or beat-mixing, so I think the listener is getting a sample of the material.

Friday Post

It's Friday. I have not posted since Monday! How come for? Well... I look like this :(

Here's what I have been listening to this week:

Shout Out Louds - Work
The Horrors - Primary Colours
The Magnetic Fields - Reality
Bad Lieutenant - Never Cry Another Tear
Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth

Other than these full albums, there are plenty of single tracks (Depeche Mode - Fragile Tension (Kris Menace Universe Remix))... best to see me on Twitter for such singular things: http://twitter.com/djtalbot

Timely Release: The Soft Pack

As I finish Like Sugar PopCast 30, the Soft Pack have a new video of the very song I planned to include!

THE SOFT PACK "C'mon" MUSIC VIDEO from VIDEOTHING.COM on Vimeo.

New Shout Out Louds

I'm taking my first listen to the new Shout Out Louds "Work" album. This Is Fake DIY has a nice announcement and a Passion Pit remix of "Fall Hard" for download. Or , you can just get it at the band's site along with a free mp3 of the 4th track "Walls".

In the language of all my reviews on my blog: I really like Shout Out Louds. Recommended. My ears always hear a bit of The Cure's Robert Smith in the vocals. I am rather attracted to bands that use male and female vocals and this act keeps that attraction alive. Interesting percussion on this new one.

It's Raining Here

OK, Friday the 19th was my birthday. Enough of that...

My RSS feed had a post about the new Club 8 single, but the link was to Pitchfork. Not sure why it was not a link to their label, Labrador (does not a member of Club 8 run the label?). I don't want to over-do-it with links to Pitchfork! Club 8's "Western Hospitality" is available to hear here for now. It's quite different from what you might expect, if you have listened to Club 8 before.

I hope this link works for you. Interesting article in LA Times about chick bands and what the writer dubs "lo fi."

The first song from Broken Social Scene’s forthcoming new album, Forgiveness Rock Record (available May 4th), entitled “World Sick,” is now available for download via the band’s website.

Insect Guide are offering a free download of their Lady Gaga cover of "Paparazzi" on myspace. I like.

Well, this makes for a decent post. Only other thing to say is that I have taken an interest the art/photos that In Strict Confidence has been posting of late. It's been a series of subdued creepy circus/vaudeville stills. I like this direction and I also dig the way their music is going...

It does not rain much here and I like it when it does. Mood.

Stripmall Architecture: new single

Stripmall Architecture is a music project by Ryan and Rebecca Coseboom, the very same couple behind one of the best genre-crossing electronic acts: Halou. Further back, they made beautiful bliss-pop as "Anymore."
Stripmall members also include Patrick Harte, Tim Hingston, Roberto Burgos and Erica Mulkey.
The debut CD "We Were Flying Kites" is available here. It's offered as a download as well (only $5 !)

I am posting this because I adore all the Halou and Anymore material I own. They even have perfect cover of a Cocteau Twins song, so please look into their work! Here Rebecca explains the idea behind the song 'Feeling This Is Like To Fall Awake' - a Halou song dating back to 1997.

Stripmall Architecture has a new single titled "Radium Girls" from the forthcoming album, "Feathersongs For Factory Girls" out and you can grab it for a buck here.

Glasvegas. Finally.

I have been waiting a long time to find a legal way to "embed" this video on my various social sites. It's not so much about the video as much as the soaring beauty of the song. Glasvegas remains in heavy rotation here.