Def Real

Dutch hiphop pioneers Def Real have released various singles that made you feel good : silly lyrics and capturing melodies that did well on the radio, especially in summer !

On their website, they offer their older songs for free. Here's a selection :

• Me & the pizza (mp3)
• Daar gaan we... (mp3) (in spite of the Dutch title, most of the song is in English)

Find them all on their site and donwload the remix of their new single here

Jay-Z

Although a lot of hiphop music just gets wasted on me, it's absolutely not that I hate the genre. To the contrary, you can always make me very happy with some real good stuff !

Jay-Z seems to be able to do the trick for me most of the time. From Chapter One I like to listen to these 3 songs especially, although I have to admit it's really nostalgia that makes me smile whenever I hear the Annie sample in the first :

• Hard knock life (mp3)
• Wishing on a star (mp3)
• Can I get a... (mp3)

You can buy the album here

PS Because of the European soccer championship, which I watch almost every game, I haven't posted a lot lately. Well, it's only a week till we know the winner...

Thomas Bryan Eaton

New York-based musician Thomas Bryan Eaton is set to release his debut solo album entitled Dreams, Demons & Butterflies on July 15th, 2008.

Throughout the 'nighttime concept record,' the listener follows Thomas through a restless night, dozing in and out of consciousness, while contemplating life, death & all the relationships between the two. While based on simple acoustic folk and blues songs, the recordings burst open with careful colorations and subtle textures. The final product is something that is hard to classify. From pedal steel to accordion, whispered vocals to quadrupled drum sets, string sections to the sound of stray cats fighting, no sound was left unconsidered. Not to mention Thomas' tasteful electric guitar playing sprinkled throughout. Although much of this record's charm is due to Thomas' restless vision (or demons perhaps), he relied on a cast of 14 friends and musicians to help create the group sound he was looking for. The result is a complete album that tells a story of one person's take on beauty, sorrow and hope.

To celebrate the release, Thomas has assembled many of the musicians who appeared on the album for a record release party on July 12th, 2008, 8pm at Arlene's Grocery, 95 Stanton St. in New York City

While Dreams, Demons & Butterflies will be his first outing as a leader, Thomas has been an active part of numerous bands in the NYC area since moving there from Ithaca, NY three years ago. Other bands and artists he has played and/or recorded with : Vancans, Hobson's Choice, Willie Breeding, Butane Variations, Jim Miller, Kristin Diable, Tim Emmerick, Richie Stearns, Steve Waitt, Jefferson Hamer, Well Enough Folk Band, Steve Gollnick, Adam Groves, Juge Greenspun, Rachel Platten, Teedo, Your 33 Black Angels, Mohawk Hitchhiker, Hubcap, and many others.

Other musicians featured on the album: Pearson Constantino, James Craft, Nyles Fitzgerald, Helen Gassenheimer, Leslie Kubica, Chris Locksley, Earl Maneein, Len Monachello, Johnny O'Callaghan, Michael Penque, Mike Refici, Aaron Smulktis, Jeremiah Vancans & Michelle Yu.

Enjoy these tracks :

• Naked ear (mp3)
• Meant to last (mp3)

For information on how to buy the album, keep checking here

Big in Belgium : Hoover(phonic)

In 1996, when Hooverphonic released their debut album, they were actually called Hoover (but for legal reasons they had to change their name if they wanted to release music outside of Belgium, if I remember well...) Their music was sort of triphoppy and didn't go unnoticed, as one of their songs was used by Bertolucci for Stealing beauty.
Apart from the radio edit for 2Wicky (mp3), I have also added the DJ Pulse Dub (mp3) of that song as well as the song the original sample was taken from : Walk on by (mp3) by Isaac Hayes.


You can buy the Hoover(phonic) debut album A new stereophonic sound spectacular here

Caesar

The Dutch band Caesar has ceased to exist. On the 3rd of April they played their last concert, and were joined by other Dutch bands. These bands each covered Caesar songs, which can be downloaded from the 3voor12-website.
I offer them to you, in no particular order :

• Ocean sounds (covered by Moss) (mp3)
• Can't make it happen (covered by Paulusma) (mp3)
• No reply (covered by Scram C Baby) (mp3)
• Acid years (covered by Alamo Race Track) (mp3)
• Before my head explodes (covered by Sonja van Hamel from Bauer) (mp3)
• This ain't a lovesong (covered by Bettie Serveert) (mp3)

Here are some rare tracks by the band Caesar themselves :

• Gee oh my (mp3)
• Don't you feel like wow (mp3)

You can buy Caesar songs here

Free music : Intended Play Sampler Spring 2008

Matador Records give away for free a sampler of their new releases, including the artwork. It's the first time this sampler is available digitally, so enjoy it here

No government

For the last couple of months, Nicolette has been receiving a lot of airplay on the radio with a Tocadisco remix of her 1995 success No government. I must however say that I do not very much like the "new" version. It's not that I dislike it, it's not that it's bad, it's just... well you know, it just doesn't live up to the standard set by the original version.
Ever since I bought the CD-single in 1995, I have thought the cover matched very well with the song. The shattered glass look of it and the voice, the way Nicolette sings the words, both vulnerable and sharp, have always been strongly connected in my mind.

For you to enjoy, I have not only added the original version but also 2 remixes from that same 1995 release :

• No government (mp3)
• No government in the jungle (remix by the Bud Brothers) (mp3)
• No goverment as a way of life (remix by Plaid) (mp3)

You can buy a remaster of the 1995 original here, and I have at last found where you can buy the version I possess (I also found the original with other remixes here)

Man X

Country-based rock from Belgium, that sounds quite peculiar, doesn't it ? Well, back in 1991 Man X tried it, with moderate success. They got some airplay on the radio and appeared at some (smaller) summer festivals. They were best known for their covers (of John Denver and Hank Williams), which I like to date.

Enjoy these tracks from their album The key to your heart :

• Bitter tears (mp3)
• I saw the light (Hank Williams cover) (mp3)
• Country roads (John Denver cover) (mp3)

I have found no information on where you can buy the CD, unfortunately...

Eels

E : what a man ! Eels : what a band !

I've become even more excited about this band and about its singer after watching a documentary (Parallel worlds, parallel lives) about the search of Mark Everett ("E") to get to know his dead father better, and to understand the psychics theory he constructed. Although his father turned out to be a famous scientist, Mark never knew this as a child and never got to know his father. What's so excellent about the documentary, is that mixes images of this search and the explanation of the theory of Hugh Everett III with songs by Mark and his band. You get to appreciate the lyrics better put against this background, I feel.

I have collected some covers by Eels, for you to enjoy :

• I could never take the place of your man (Prince cover) (mp3)
• Get UR freak on (Missy Elliott Misdemeanor cover) (mp3)
• Sweet home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover) (mp3)

You can buy Eels albums here

Free download : new Sigur Ros single

Sigur Ros are giving away their new single for free (here). Enjoy it !