Owner: mp3hugger URL:http://mp3hugger.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006 10:20:37 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: mp3hugger is an indie music blog that features at least one new band per day. Besides describing the music that has shook our world you also get a piece of music to listen to or download. The intention is to spread the world about the underground sounds t Site statistics:Click here
The Silent Years - Someone To Keep Us Warm 2008-03-11 06:41:00 Around Christmas time Detroit band the SilentYears
announced that they were giving their eponymous debut album away for free. The gesture came with a nice touch as there was no guilt promoting tip jars to be seen in the general area as you snapped up the freebie. So what would push a generously gifted young band into giving their goods away for free? Well they probably listened closely to that wise new proverb that said ‘it’s better that lots of people get to hear your music gratis rather than a few who pay for it’. If such a policy was adopted by newbies everywhere they would be giving themselves the best opportunity to be heard. Ok, they won’t become flush overnight from record sales but what price can you put on a hoard of eager new fans? ‘Someone To Keep Us Warm’ displays
The Soldier Thread - The Silver 2008-03-11 04:37:00 The Soldier Thread
are the freshest of new bands (only coming together in 2007) and given that they are based in Austin they should be able to measure themselves against the best over the next few weeks. Originally the solo project of (the Irish sounding) Justin McHugh the Soldier Thread have since fleshed out to a quartet. Their first EP ‘Fevers and Fireworks’ came out late last year and contains this sparkling little number ‘The Silver
’. If you are partial to a bit of boy/girl vocal interplay then this should shiver your timbers (I keep hearing the Canadian collective Stars, some Joy Zipper too). The tune gently works up a charming head of steam without ever fully blowing its top. The jangling chords are sweetly delivered but pride of place must go to the vocals, which are as aff
Headlights - Cherry Tulips 2008-03-10 15:35:00 Headlights have been here before, most recently with their contribution to Christmas 2007. The latest appearance brings with it the first fruits from their new album ‘Some Racing, Some Stopping’ which was recorded entirely in a farmhouse in rural Illinois. And the change of location seems to have worked wonders, as you’ll see for yourself on first single ‘CherryTulips
’. This is something that you’d expect from a bespeckled group of Swedish sorts such is its grasp on freewheeling pop arrangements. Lead singer Erin Fein is in particularly inspiring form as she gracefully glides over the dainty music with the skilled acumen of a Phil Spector starlet. Headlights play several dates at the SXSW music fest over the next week, so you can expect their stock to rise miraculously in its
The Oaks - Masood 2008-03-15 12:25:00 Some context first and then perhaps the realisation that for once we have a song that goes way beyond the usual soporific themes. Add in the fact that half of the profits from the Oaks ‘Our Fathers’ CD goes to the Afghan Widows fund and you begin to realise that this is a Florida band that has ventured beyond what is put in front of them. The music for its part is just as thoughtful; in fact the alluring ramble of ‘Masood’ provides a soothing backdrop for whatever occasion you find yourself in. Ryan Costello’s soft vocals are grounded in a similar style to that of Midlake’s Tim Smith, 70’s MOR, but it still offers a fascinating foil to the cascading music. The Oaks proves that music with lots of heart doesn’t necessarily have to sacrifice its soul. KDThe Oaks - MasoodMore I
Rant & Deck (something) #2 - Streaming 2008-03-15 10:50:00 Streaming, much like renting, serves a purpose up to a point (I have 3 on this site alone!) but ultimately gets you nowhere. Before the advent of the internet music fans would have killed for a device that allowed them to pick and choose what they could listen to. I can recall the NME website offering up various streams of hot new tracks from their website in the mid-nineties and it all seemed so magical. But this is 2008 and the landscape has changed dramatically. Free downloads are ubiquitous and given the choice between owning a song to listen to at your leisure or playing it via a wonky web player most would chose the former. Kids today are impatient and spoilt for choice when it comes to music and when this is twinned with rapid fire broadband streaming is viewed as yesterday's innova Read more:something
, Streaming
Apparat - Arcadia 2008-03-15 07:05:00 Funny, in the wake of that somewhat lightweight rant against Radiohead, that I am this morning lost in a world as created by Berliner Apparat
. For without the Oxford lads I am convinced there would not have been an Apparat that sounded like this. Sascha Ring may still be able to orchestrate a sense of rave at his live shows but on record his music is introspective and challenging. His vocals are undeniably Thom Yorke in nature as are the electronic landscapes that accompany them yet despite the comparisons songs like ‘Arcadia’ engage as if they are the only tune in the room. ‘Arcadia’ can be found on Apparat’s 4th album ‘Walls’ came out last year. KDApparat - ArcadiaWatch The Video To WoodenMore Info: Official & MyspaceBuy Songs: ApparatYear: 2007
The April Skies - Rise & Rise Again 2008-03-14 15:24:00 This is the European wing of the small group of bands that call themselves the AprilSkies
. The Jesus & Mary Chain may have been the inspiration but this quartet from Bergen never threaten to emulate the white noise for which the Reid brothers have become synonymous. Instead they strain elements of their near neighbours Cats on Fire and slowly bake them with the jangliest of C86 moments. The union is particularly tasty as you’ll see from the April Skies bag of precious indie pop belters. ‘Rise & Rise Again
’ should become the hallowed template for eager new bands hoping to push the twee pop envelope. Just bask in the energetic chord chime and Alexander Unhjem's dextrous word streams. The April Skies aren’t holding back in getting their music out there and if you look carefully you c
Rant & Deck (someone) #1 - Radiohead 2008-03-14 08:04:00 I don’t know about you but I have finally become completely bored with Radiohead
. Bored with the endless drivel being spoken about their innovative distribution methods, bored with Thom’s increased airbagging about Earth’s demise (the latest being their withdrawal from this year’s Glastonbury due to the lack of public transport to the venue, goddamn tube is being shown up for its shortcomings again) and most disturbingly bored with their musical output (is it just me or is ‘In Rainbows’ an absolute snoozefest?). Radiohead were for so long untouchable, but at the current rate of progress they could soon become the new R.E.M. KD
The Joy Formidable - While The Flies 2008-03-13 14:17:00 Batten down the hatches cause you’ll soon be listening to the contemporary sound of an air raid siren. In its wake will be the ferocious noise of dropping bombs but instead of dispensing lethal carnage these bombs contain the ingredients that could yet herald the UK’s most promising new band. Ritzy, Rhydian and Justin are hot off the press (forming less than a year ago) and much like that other hotly tipped act the Ting Tings they have yet to release a record (slight dramatic licence). The Joy Formidable are particularly well named because their music is infected with such an irresistable joie-de-vivre. Steve Lamacq has been going ga-ga for ‘Austere’ and it is easy to see why when you clasp ears on guitars going at it at full throttle. I prefer ‘When The Flies
’ which supports m
Slushco - Weatherproof 2008-03-17 16:18:00 There is a band (now slimmed down to a one man show) from Atlanta called Slushco, I think they’ve passed me on everything they’ve ever recorded and no matter which way I approach the recordings I can’t isolate a song of theirs that I dislike (in most cases it’s love). Perhaps it’s just one of those quirks of fate where an artists vision syncs perfectly with the listener’s idea of the perfect song. Reference points include Grandaddy and every other band that can precisely twin sucrose melodies with a curious sense of melancholy. In truth it is Brian Slusher’s vocals that seal the deal, they often appear faint and emotive but always leave a lasting impression due to the spot on melodies. ‘Weatherproof’ will sweep you off your feet despite being such a simple ditty. It is ta
Good As Drink Is, It Always Ends In Thirst 2008-03-17 03:45:00 Given its status and its undoubted potential to lift a band’s profile far beyond their own fans it seems a bit odd that so few of the Irish acts appearing at SXSW have promo tracks floating around. So despite an exhaustive search I failed to locate anything by Fight Like Apes, Channel One or Iain Archer (or even short arse Paddy Casey for that matter). Very little green on the torrent (SXSW and band endorsed I hasten to add) doing the rounds containing over 700 tracks gathered from the deep recesses of the SXSW website. It is always an intriguing listen as the fare on offer contains a sweep of genres. One minute you’re basking in the cutesy vocals and lithe melodies of Cathy Davey’s ‘Reuben’, the next you are being subjected to a badly maintained field of Bluegrass. Sometimes you Read more:Drink
AM Syndicate - All The People Under The Sun 2008-03-16 15:28:00 Some songs just hit you square between the ears immediately and ‘All The People Under The Sun’ is one of them (it reminded me of how I felt when I heard ‘The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth’ for the first time). Boasting an Arcade Fire-esque sense of adventure and all the emotions that those journeys entail it should be your gateway to discovering this fine act. The song is taken from AM Syndicate
’s second album ‘Liberation’ which came out at the tail end of last year. From what I’ve heard so far the Austin 3-piece completely pour their heart into what they do and in the process throw up a fanciful spread of winning sonic tapestry's. The result is an album stuffed with future indie anthems and in vocalist Omar Chavez they have a star in the making. Take a peek at the video
Weakling & King - Fuel The Flame 2008-03-16 03:36:00 Throw the bodhran into the lake, fling the tin whistle down the deepest ravine, puncture the nearest uilleann pipes for today is the day to announce a new act from Ireland with the bleeps rather than the sheeps on his mind. Phil Porter is the man behind the mask and Weakling & King is the end product from his moonlighting activities away from the day job with Dry County. I have been playing his ‘Is Dead’ album all weekend and I have fallen badly for its indie-electro charms. Porter may not be truly blessed in the vocal department but he is a master at the looped synth line. So much so in fact that ‘Fuel The Flame’ has to be best dance-indie crossover I’ve heard since Paris Angel’s utterly dreamy ‘Perfume (All On You)’ from a long time ago. Weakling & King also has a neat ea
Wild Light - New Year's Eve 2008-03-19 15:31:00 Ok, I may have missed out on posting this at a more appropriate time of the year but songs like this are too good to pass up no matter what the season. Forget for one moment that Wild Light are not the Flaming Lips (or the Arcade Fire for that matter) and you’ll be lapping up ‘New Year
’s Eve’ with even more gusto. They are in fact a newish quartet from New Hampshire with only a self-titled EP to their name. Right about now they are touring with those jangly New York sorts Ambulance LTD but they have already performed all over the place with the aforementioned Montreal musical monolith. A good start you could say, unless you were Icelandic, in which case you would say agaetis byrjun. KDWild Light - New Year's EveMore Info: Official & MyspaceBuy Songs: Wild LightYear: 2007
The Frames - Falling Slowly 2008-03-19 14:50:00 What the? I hear you scream, don’t tell us Hansard has let the glory go to his red head and ditched Marketa already. Nope, in fact the version you are listening to pre-dates the one that appeared on ‘Once’ by a year (it also appeared on the Swell Season’s album, also from 2006). Makes you wonder how the Academy overlooked the ubiquitous nature of the tune, but I guess that is history now and even Glen’s most ardent detractors must have been choking back the tears as he and his partner accepted the golden one. This version of ‘Falling Slowly
’ certainly suffers by Marketa Irglova's absence and its generally noisier existence makes you hanker for the delicate reworking. Also included here is the live version of ‘Lay Me Down’ (originally recorded for the majestic ‘For The B Read more:Frames
The Young Republic - Blue Skies 2008-03-18 15:13:00 If the Thrills had actually been born in America then this is probably what they would have sounded like. As you can imagine this means that the music the Young Republic
make is uniformly pretty. All 8 of them recently moved to Nashville from Boston after several years studying music so as a nicely timed mark of respect you’ll find some country dimensions to tunes like ‘Blue Skies
’. In this instance you may also notice a sneaky resemblance to the Shins ‘New Slang’, which adds rather than detracts from what is an all-round knockout piece of music. ‘Blue Skies
’ is lavishly crafted, the lush instrumentation so adept it never detracts from the clean shaven vocals. The song is taken from the Young Republic’s debut album ‘12 Tales From Winter City’ which is out now on End of
Windsor For The Derby - Maladies 2008-03-22 04:42:00 To score one brilliant mp3 promo is a coup, two is the stuff of legend. As legend would have it ‘Hold On’ and ‘Maladies’ arrived in my inbox yesterday morning from the Secretly Canadian label. Both are taken from Windsor
For The Derby’s upcoming release ‘How We Lost’ and if they end being a fair representation of the standard of tuneage on offer it is going to be some record. Windsor For The Derby have been knocking around for well over a decade, barely scratching interest except for a plumb spot on the Maria Antoinette soundtrack a couple of years ago. These primer’s point to a more focused direction with their drawn out instrumental passages being replaced by tighter melodies. While I was happy with their previous incarnation these newbies signal Windsor For The Derby's i
Jeremy Jay - Alpha Rhythm 2008-03-21 13:06:00 You may have witnessed all of its party tricks within the first 30 seconds but there is no denying the groovy hypnotic vibe to Jeremy Jay’s ‘AlphaRhythm
’. Jay appears unfeasibly young and calls Angel Town his home, which means there is more than the smell of a gimmick about the whole thing. Even his record label K Records (remember K-Tel?) has that feeling of made up fantasy about it (witness those bright dayglo 70’s colours) but I guess until we hear otherwise we can take it that everything is kosher and above board. There is a new LP in the offing ‘A Place Where We Can Go’ so expect Jeremy Jay to go interstellar later this year. Walking on air has proven a breeze so far so no doubt he’ll take to the water with much the same aplomb. KDJeremy Jay - Alpha RhythmWatch The Vide
Minor Detail - Canvas of Life 2008-03-21 08:23:00 I’d forgotten how good this song is and given the dearth of good Irish pop songs (I said good) it is odd that it is so rarely recalled on 80’s laden playlists. MinorDetail
were 2 brothers John and Willie Hughes from Blackrock and despite a fleeting recording career they have the distinction of being the first Irish band to be picked up by a US record label (Polydor). This was a big achievement in the grim 80's but listening to ‘Canvas
of Life’ you can't help but notice the potential. Flush with melodies, ripe with invention and most interestingly it still sounds contemporary after the recent obsession with all things electro pop. I’ve tried unsuccessfully to track down the video to the tune which from memory was a heartfelt homemade effort involving a mime artist of Irish descen
The Honeyheads - Out of Marseille 2008-03-21 04:40:00 The Honeyheads got to fulfil their teenage dreams by forming a band, they promptly split up. The Honeyheads got to fulfil their twenty-something dreams by reforming, Cloudberry Records (are you watching music industry, they are the future) shared their dreams and released a CDR of their music in March 2008. The truth of course is that any band with a name like the Honeyheads deserves to be loved. The fact that they produce the sort of music you hoped a name like that would inspire makes it all the more enjoyable. Huggable you could say and ‘Out of Marseille’ is certainly that. As well as being factually accurate (the band are from Hamburg) ‘Out of Marseille’ displays all the magical characteristics of a perfect indie pop tune. By the finish they even see fit to add some Sonic Youth
Jason Falkner - They Put Her In The Movies 2008-03-20 15:57:00 He has a list of collaborations as long as your arm with such luminaries as Paul McCarthy, Brendan Benson, Air, Beck and Aimee Mann but Jason
Falkner is probably best remembered for his work with that Beatles obsessed outfit Jellyfish (he left after their fluff laden ‘Bellybutton’ was released). Besides all that Falkner has managed to squeeze out 3 solo albums, the last of which ‘I’m ok, You’re ok’ appeared last year. Jason has a story or two to tell I’d wager, I mean he once dated Heather Graham while at High School. Perhaps it is herself that provides the motivation for this 2004 number. Don’t be put off by curiously dated feel to the piece, give it some space and watch it grow into the stunner it is. The king is finally finding some clothes that truly fit him. KDJason Fa
Lisa Hannigan and Gary Lightbody - Some Surprise 2008-03-20 14:11:00 Her out of Damien Rice's background harmonies (now ended), him out of one the most unexpected hits of the last few years (please end it), together for the first time on an Irish charity record (Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign benefited) that went by the name of the Cake Sale. Whatever your views on where they have come from (mixed in my case) you've got to applaud the charm that is thrown into this simple ditty (the song was written by Paul Noonan from Bell XI who along with hisband mate Brian Crosby was responsible for putting the Cake Sale together). The fact that 'Some Surprise
' works is made all the remarkable when you consider that the vocal parts were recorded separately and in different countries by Hannigan
and Lightbody. This is the type of gentle stroll that deserves a wide audi
Northern Portrait - Crazy 2008-03-24 05:55:00 There is so much currency in a happy song, enough to even tilt exchange rates in your favour if it successfully recalls bands like the incomparable Sunday’s (listen to the light charge of them acoustic guitars). NorthernPortrait
are a brand new band from Copenhagen and are signed to that treasure chest of jangle pop Matinée Recordings. ‘Crazy
’ is the lead song from their debut ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ EP and if it could be bottled you’d have a fortune-making de facto happy pill on your hands. Because we are living in the real world though it may be better to swing open the doors and give the birds in the trees a 3 minute break from their sweet tweeting. And you know the best thing, behind the sweet sounds lies a disarming description of some not-so-well controlled psychotic b
Starfish100 - Untrue 2008-03-23 16:45:00 Believe it or not this is the sound of a Brazilian band, I know this because their myspace says so and they’ve got song titles like ‘Nao Volta Mais’ and ‘Minha Gerao’. Seems that good old indie pop has spread its tentacles far and wide enough to take in the sprawling metropolis that is Sao Paulo. Starfish
100 have a list of classic indie influences as long as your arm and it permeates through on this fabulous tune. ‘Untrue’ is so unashamedly inoffensive it could well have become a Stereophonics dirge had it not been for the boys from Brazil’s eye for a killer melody. Who’d have thought that that tired old do-do-do cliché could still be used to devastating effect in a modern day pop song, maybe we've found the Southern Hemisphere's Apples in Stereo. They shoot, they score.
Jeremy Yocum and the Last Rounders - Song I'll Sing 2008-03-23 06:06:00 I was a bit disappointed to hear that Denton 5-piece Oceanographer had broken up. They always struck me as a viable prospect with their airborne melodies and soft instrumentation being the perfect come down after a tough day at the coalface. They were not unlike fellow Texans Explosions In The Sky yet they peppered their instrumental creations with the softest of words. The words in question were uttered by one Jeremy Yocum and he and another ex-Oceanographer Eric Elterman have just gone and formed a new alt-country collective based out of Brooklyn. The good news is that Yocum’s Rounders are pretty good, not a million miles away from his previous endeavour in that they are perfectly hushed. Hard to keep a good man down I suppose. KDOceanographer - CartographerJeremy Yocum and the Last Ro
Stars Like Fleas - I Was Only Dancing 2008-03-25 16:04:00 When I first heard ‘I Was Only Dancing
’ it moved me to tears. Now I know I am prone to OTT effusiveness on an almost daily basis but this really is a special piece of music. Stars Like Fleas
are a Brooklyn based collective that have been around for about a decade but on this form they look set to quietly go about taking on the world with their 3rd album ‘The Ken Burns Effect’. Originally released last year it is set to be given a whole new lease of life by the Hometapes label in early June. Led by Shannon Fields and singer Montgomery Knot Stars Like Fleas could well come from Grizzly Bear country were it to have Pattern Is Movement as it’s capital. So expect lush instrumentation, gliding vocals and sonic gestures to slay any semblance of hate that exists within your being. Song o
The Eclectic - Lucky Landing 2008-03-25 14:12:00 There is such an epic feel to ‘Lucky Landing’ it’s hard to believe that the Eclectic haven’t been subjected to great tracts of media hyperbole. The Dublin 5 piece may not be exactly prolific (2 EP’s in 3 years) but they should surely have been snapped up by a label looking to bolster its catalogue with ready-made anthems by now. ‘Lucky Landing’ is ravishing, chock full of spiralling chords, tinkling glockenspiel and Kevin O’Brien’s colossal vocals. It might get a little overwrought towards the end but by then you may well be wondering whether you have just wandered into an ‘Ok Computer’ parallel universe. The Eclectic’s ‘Breathe’ EP is out now. KDThe Eclectic - Lucky LandingWatch The Video To Blank CanvassMore Info: Official & MyspaceBuy Songs: The EclecticYear
The Sound of the Sixties 2008-03-28 15:29:00 Scientists today announced that they have unearthed a prewiki sound recording that goes by the name of ‘Au Clair de la Lune’. With a bitrate of just over that of an almost completely free Radiohead mp3 it has sent audiophiles into spasms of delight as the entrancing ditty dates back to 1860. Early rumours suggesting that the vocals sounded eerily familiar to a precocious teenage Mick Jagger were quashed after a savvy music journalist phoned up Jack White asking for Jagger’s real DOB. Initially it was feared that Michael Jackson (of the Jackson 5) was about to launch a multi-million bid to buy the rights to ‘Clair’ but it seems a last minute intervention by Louis Walsh has saved the day and we are likely to hear Westlife’s imaginative reworking of the priceless audio (with 356 p Read more:Sound
, Sixties
The Twin Atlas - Current Below 2008-03-27 14:30:00 Fret not if you are suffering from Teenage Fanclub withdrawal symptoms, Twin Atlas
are here to make you feel all better. Why not head over to their website and pretty soon you’ll be basking in their gloriously sun drenched harmonies (there are a stack of mp3 freebies too). The Twin Atlas is composed of Sean Byrne and Luke Zaleski, a fairly prolific duo with a penchant for softly delivered instruments and vocal melodies as ripe as freshly harvested strawberries. Their tunes go through several stages of evolution but the process always starts and ends in their home studio. Listening to songs like ‘CurrentBelow
’ you can’t help but wish that the long summer evenings were already warming our doorsteps. No matter the season though this is guaranteed to heat up the cockles of your heart.
Elliott Smith - Figure 8 2008-03-26 17:42:00 { review culled from the indiecater archives, album rated 7/10 } While the instances of stunted creativity abound when an artist decides to go solo, ElliottSmith
proved to be a glorious exception to the rule. Coming from the Dandy Warhols neck of the woods (Portland, Oregan) where infectious hooks seem to habitually blossom on the trees it is no surprise that a cursory listen to Figure 8 reveals a smattering of sweet melodies that would have the makers of marmalade clambering to sign him up for their next ad campaign. Elliot Smith started out as twin singer/songwriting (with Neil Gust) in Heatmiser who went on to release 2 reasonable albums in 'Dead Air', 'Cop and Speeder' before Smith decided that going it alone was the way forward. 'Figure 8' was his fifth solo album. At this stage his Read more:Elliott Smith
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