Just a selection...

Today I bring you a random selection of songs to end the summer vacation...


- Goons & Goblins (A Milli) - Shakeyface vs. Weezy (mp3) : summer vibes remixed by Shakeyface


- a remix of 80s songs for almost an hour by Buffetlibre DJ's



Tracklist:
1. Buffetlibre Theme
2. Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters
3. CFCF - Big Love (Fleetwood Mac cover) (Rewind new song)
4. Animotion - Obsession
5. Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is a Place On Earth (Hidden Cat remix) (Rewind)
6. Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
7. Mr. Mister - Broken Wings (Hostage remix) (Rewind new song)
8. Communards - Don't Leave Me This Way
9. Anoraak - Talking In Your Sleep (The Romantics cover) (Rewind)
10. Camouflage - Love Is A Shield
11. Madonna - Into The Groove (Sidechains remix) (Rewind)
12. No Name - Fashion
13. A-Ha - Hunting High And Low (Louis La Roche remix) (Rewind)
14. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
15. Moulinex - Come On Closer (Pineapples cover) (Rewind)
16. Mr. Flagio - Take A Chance
17. Marietta - Destination Unknown (CSK OK remix) (Rewind)
18. Klapto - Queen Of The Night
19. Roger Troutman - Do It Roger (Xinobi remix) (Rewind)
20. Secret Services - Flash In The Night


Enjoy !

Boxer The Horse

The majority of Boxer The Horse are still under 20 years old. The band recorded a short five song demo in 2007, only to sell out of the limited pressing of only 50 copies at one show to an enthusiastic group of French exchange students. The band soon went to work on their formal debut EP, The Late Show. I like how they named their band after a character in Animal farm, the novel by George Orwell.

Their songs remind me of The Kinks, the young Bob Dylan (but with an English accent) and a Weezer-meets-Ben Folds type of indie band... But hey, you'd better judge for yourself :

• Boneyard (mp3)
• Jackson Leftfield (mp3)
• Rock 'n roll band (mp3)

You can buy the EP here

Zombie Zombie

Was it shear coincidence that led me to this song and (later on) to its magnificent, animated video ? That I don't know, but what I do know is that got drown into the dense, blood-drawing atmosphere of this instrumental song immediately.
The video seems to have captured that spirit very well, as it is a stunning exhibition of how you can create a thrilling story with as little as a couple of play figures, home-made models and a lot of creativity. It's a remake of John Carpenter's film The thing in stopmotion with G.I. Joe dolls...

Enjoy this song : Driving this road until death sets you free - Zombie Zombie (mp3)

Zombie Zombie is a French duo consisting of Etienne Jaumet and CosmicNeman who have their own record label (Boomboomtchak! Records), based in Paris, France.

You can buy their album here

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

Alan Wilkis

Alan Wilkis used to be in a duo. Now this Brooklyn based artist has just finished his first solo album, featuring guest appearances by Jason Treuting of So Percussion and Eric Biondo of Antibalas. The music is a combination of a lot of styles, mainly 70s and 80s soul, electronica and soft rock music.

Here are some songs :

• Milk and cookies (mp3)
• I'm famous (mp3)
• It's been great (mp3)

You can buy the album Babies dream big here

Windy & Destiny

A voice that is full of craving and a lingering melody : if you combine those, you might end up with a song from Israeli band Windy & Destiny. This duo has just released its debut album, Words for such a riot. The band claims to bring a mix of pop, indie and psychedelic music.

Check out these songs :

• Unseen side (mp3)
• A house for you (mp3)
• High school days (mp3)
• In another day (mp3)

They will be playing some concerts in Israel :

• March 8th : Levontin 7, Tel Aviv (6 PM) (at the Folkale 4 Festival)
• March 19th : Casco Urban Lab Cafe, Tel Aviv (10 PM) : free !
• March 26th : Uganda, Jerusalem (10 PM)

You can buy their album here

Album of the month (Feb 08) : Polynya - Polynya

This album was released in July of last year. North Carolinan band Polynya reminds me very much of Lush and Curve, two bands from the beginning of the nineties that had the same guitar-keyboards-drums sound which is so richly spread all over this debut album.

Opener Old West (mp3) is the ideal opener for this record, as it gets us fully acquainted with the sound we'll be hearing throughout the rest of it. Without a trace is as dreamy as the title suggests and Tarantula offers us more prominent drums to start a song that settles quite nicely in one's head. Paper planes (mp3), with angelic voices of Amelia, Andrea and Luke crawling over the sharp edges of bells and guitars, offers a new taste of what this band is capable of. And we are treated with even more surprising (and yet recognisable) songs : Black cherry and two songs that are like resting places on a walk, Cubicle and Essy Persson.
If you liked bands like Belly, Lush, Curve and The Breeders, you're definitely gonna like this band. Check it out !

You can buy their album by mailing them or at Amazon

Album of the month March : Eldorado - Stephan Eicher

The Politik remix + artwork competition

This competition is open to anyone and everyone who'd like to have a go at remixing one (or more) songs from The Politik's debut album. The winning remixes will be compiled into the official remix album The Politik Remixed to be released on both physical and digital formats. The second part of the competition is an artwork remix competition for the cover art of the official release. Download the original artwork by Joshua Mays and have a go at reworking it in the spirit of the Remix.
All entries must be received by April 14, 2008.

For more information, download links for all the files and the submission info, click: http://studio.mashibeats.com/ThePolitikRemixComp.html

Hear the original album at http://thepolitik.imeem.com

http://myspace.com/thepolitik
http://thepolitik.imeem.com
http://coopr8.net

Fever Marlene

The Chelsea Hotel in New York City (made famous by Leonard Cohen) hosted Fever Marlene for 4 nights and 5 days, which resulted in the band's second album, due for release in March. They sound like a new Britpop sensation, although they're from Milwaukee. Earlier reviews (of their debut album Civil war) compared them to Oasis, Death Cab For Cutie and Arcade Fire.

The release party for the album is on the 5th of March, at the Yield Bar in Milwaukee, WI (10 PM).

Further gig dates :

March 6th : High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI

March 7th : Turner Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI

March 15th : Café Montmartre - Madison, WI

April 5th : Shank Hall - Milwaukee, WI

May 8th : Majestic Theater - Madison, WI

Enjoy these songs :

• Don't know why I worry so (mp3)
• Oh Berlin (mp3)
• All the kites in the world (mp3)

You can buy their music here

Destroy Cowboy

Supporting the likes of Tapes 'n Tapes, Cold War Kids, Stars, The Stills, The 1990s and Tokyo Police Club, Birmingham based Destroy Cowboy have tasted some live success. Now they are trying to make their hometown the new capital of contemporary music, with 4 new songs on their MySpace and their website.



You can buy the tracks here

Another free album : The saltire wave - Downliners Sekt

If you like your guitars to dominate, your drums to be kicked half-dead and don't mind the absence of vocals, you might very well like Downliners Sekt. Their electro/post-rock oriented second album is available for free download on their website (as are earlier releases).
This band have chosen to release their albums for free on their website, because they believe they can have a greater impact thus. They claim this way they have some of their songs, released more than 7 years ago, still played at dubstep sessions.


Personally, I quite enjoy this music. They have clearly put a lot of effort into making music that generates a mood you're most likely to catch between 3 and 5 in the morning, somewhere drunk in the gutter, left alone by your girlfriend that is now doing it with your best friend, by your best friend (you know what he's doing right now...) and even by the smelly cat that came down the alley. Well, anyway, you catch my drift... If I knew where they're playing, I'd tell you to go and see them !

Before checking out their website, and maybe donate to keep them going, enjoy this selection of songs :

• Scope creep (mp3)
• Panic! Sonik monk (mp3)
• Point omega (mp3)

If you want to help these fine artists, mail them to ask what you can do !

Video : Wanna be myself - GTA

GTA, an Oxford (England) based hip hop group, has released their new track Wanna be myself for which you have just watched the video (or are about to...). They released one EP before (Love is here) and have played in support of KRS-1, Amp Fiddler and Flavor Flav.

This track is featured on their forthcoming debut album The way. It's a track with potential, I would say, as it has a good vibe, sounds quite well and sticks to your memory like a Post-It to a mirror...

The track will be available on iTunes, Napster, etc... from the 14th of April)

The Tabasco Collective

Antwerp based The Tabasco Collective has entered one of the country's finest rock concours, Humo's Rock Rally. They've reached the semi-finals, and I think they could do very well...

Enjoy these songs :

• Once around the block (mp3)
• Coca coma (mp3)
• 900 corners (mp3)

If you want to buy their music, contact them at info@thetabascocollective.be

100th post comes with free album

...but you shouldn't really thank me, but Canadian singer-songwriter Share (not to be confused with Cher !).

His debut album, Ukelele Tragic, has been made available for free download (here) to celebrate the release of his new album (his third already...) Pedestrian.
Andrew Sisk, the man behind Share, claims to be influenced by early Leonard Cohen and the songs from the Harry Smith Anthology of American folk music. The ukelele plays a big part on his debut album, but on his second album, Can Can Missile, electronic instruments have joined it, and it's no real surprise that he chose for an organic sound base, building upon it with samples, synths and programmed beats.


Upcoming tour dates (Eastern Canadian tour) :


Feb. 21 Montreal, PQ Casa Del Popolo
Feb. 22 Wakefield, PQ Blacksheep Inn
Feb. 23 Ottawa, ON Cafe Dekcuf
Mar. 6 Picton, ON The Acoustic Bar and Grill
Mar. 7 Toronto, ON Tranzac (CMW)
Mar. 11 Hamilton, ON Casbah w/ Wax Mannequin
Mar. 14 London, ON Call the Office
Mar. 15 Guelph, ON Jimmy Jazz
Mar. 17 Peterborough, ON The Spill
Mar. 18 Kingston, ON Queen St United Church (Apple Crisp Series)
Mar. 19 Ottawa, ON Mavericks
Mar. 20 Montreal, PQ Barfly
Mar. 21 Fredericton, NB The Capital
Mar. 22 Halifax, NS The Seahorse


Already, you can enjoy these songs :


From his debut album :

• Soil (mp3)

From the new album :

• The yard (mp3)
• Too shy to blush (mp3)

You can buy the album Pedestrian here

Discover these artists !

Norwegian artist Grande is about to release his debut album Uppers, downers, screamers & howlers. Heavy guitars with a softening voice in Rhythms of sin and a touch of eighties in We did it all make it worthwile to give him a listen. You can listen to more songs on his website or check his MySpace.

Enjoy :

• Rhythms of sin (mp3)
• We did it all (mp3)

Montreal-based Plajia have just released their debut Beautiful explosion and will be playing a show tomorrow at Bar St Laurent 2 in Montreal. It might be a good idea to go and see them ! They too have a MySpace you can visit...

Enjoy :

• Dummy (mp3)
• Beautiful explosion (mp3)
• Beating the charms (mp3)

You can buy the debut album from Grande here

You can buy the debut album from Plajia here

Album of the week : Post pop parade - Chris Price

If you like your records to sound like the ones you remember from the eighties, this album is a sure bet ! Chris Price has made a poppy record, however without losing sight of today's music scene.

Admittedly, the first associations when hearing the complete record, were Kraftwerk and Erasure, but listen to the raps in Heat Up and mistake it for Fat Lip in Chemical Brothers' recent single The Salmon Dance. If the songs don't sound very eighties (e.g. Taken) they definitely sound quite nineties (And She Was) with their bleeps which could well have been The Orb-inspired...

Overall, this album may not have the quality (nor the ambition) of a today's Achtung Baby or Kid A, but if you like something to go well with the dishes you're doing or ironing your shirt, this is definitely the right album (to all you sarcasts : this IS meant as a compliment...). It's also very suitable for Friday or Saturday evenings, before going out : it'll get you in the mood for sure ! It combines the best of early hiphop (Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata,...) with a Pet Shop Boys nose for pop.

Funny how Chris Price calls it post-pop...

Enjoy these tracks :

• Heat Up (mp3)
• Radioactive (mp3)

You can buy the album here.

Or even better : Chris Price has informed me that blog readers can buy at for about a dollar less : send 12 USD and your address to sales@chris-price.com or mail them at info@chris-price.com for full information. This offer includes free worldwide shipping.

Next week's album of the week : Die anarchistische abendunterhaltung - Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung

The Saltshakers

Sometimes you can tell a lot about a band just by its name (and, I have to admit, sometimes you can be really, really mistaken by a band's name...) The Saltshakers make exactly the kind of music I'd expect them to : powerpop with lots of rock 'n roll, reminescent views of swamp rock, with a voice which seems to have been created to shout one-two-three before kicking off another great song...

Enjoy these tracks (mp3's) :

• Believe
• NOLA
• Whiskeytown
• Amplified
• Don't make a sound

Buy their album and EP here

Kosovo

This is not about the disputed region in the former Yougoslavia, but about a band from Austin, Texas. Three musicians formed this band in the early days of 2006. Their debut, Pascal EP, will be released this year, while they continue working on their first full-length album. They claim their music makes you wonder where man ends and machine begins, but I just think they are very good at what they do : making music for those with ears...

Enjoy these two songs :

Milk of magnesia (mp3) : reminds me of Herbert, with a grain of David Byrne

A terraformed existence (mp3) : sounds like The Orb meets Daft Punk

Their EP will be self-released, so keep checking their MySpace if you'd like to buy it...

Eugene Francis Jr

Welsh is a language that seems to consist mainly of consonants. Luckily for us, Eugene Francis Jnr and The Juniors sing in English. "Poor Me" is their first single, released at the end of July. It has a nice, Gulliver-like video :


This band reminds me of those sunny Sunday mornings, when the curtains haven't yet been drawn away, but the sun shines right through them anyway. You can smell the coffee being made, the croissants in the oven and you feel like getting up not to lose one second of what is going to become a great day, full of possibilities. If you turn on the radio on such days, this is just the kind of music you'd expect them to be airing...
You can listen to the song on their MySpace. In addition, I have for you the B-side to the single :

Kites - Eugene Francis Jnr and the Juniors (mp3)

You can buy the single on iTunes US or UK