Canary Girls - Everything is changing

Band / Artist: Canary Girls
Year: 2012
Genre: Indie Pop, Synth Pop, Electro, New Wave, Chillwave

My Review:

IT'S SO 80's/90's POP. this one is great, because it does have that old sound but still manages to feel pretty fresh. They are a band from Buffalo, who are possibly named after the women's shellmaking fleet in the UK during WWI. I love the name, especially after finding the history behind it. Their website looks smooth, but doesn't seem to work very well. It made it kind of hard to figure out more info about the band. Nonetheless, here it is.

 http://www.canarygirls.net/

I'd say that they took from all of the old New Wave/Pop sounds of radio hits back in the day, and found their own way to streamline all of those influences and inspirations into this really nicely packaged sound, that still manages to have this unique indie pop flavor. Tracks come together really nicely as an album.

Canary Girls - Everything is changing

Freebies from latino artists

As well as being a hardcore music fiend, and an artist, I'm also very politically active. I support VotoLatino as one of the many civil rights organizations and non-profits that are out there pushing for social change. They specialize in trying to help fight against Latino-American abuse and help with a lot of other things that I'm sure you can find out if you're interested.

Some time yesterday they emailed out a promo code for a free 2 CD albums worth of tracks downloadable from iTunes. The bands in the list are all kinds of genres, mostly Latino, and for the most part in Spanish, but not in all cases.

I don't much like iTunes, or their DRM policies in music, but these are free, and I can legally keep the ones that I want, and convert them to a DRM free format.

Here's the tracklist.

24 Horas - Los Inolvidables - 03 - Te Sorprenderás
Akwid - Payaso de Ojos Tristes - Single - 01 - Payaso de Ojos Tristes
Ana Tijoux - Shock - Single - 01 - Shock
Beatriz Luengo - Bela y Sus Moskitas Muertas - 05 - Lengua
Bostich & Fussible - Nortec Collective Presents Bulevar 2000 - 02 - I Count the Ways
Brownout - Aguilas and Cobras - 07 - Olvidalo
Carla Morrison - Mientras Tú Dormías... - 03 - Suciedad
Ceci Bastida - Veo la Marea - 08 - No Me Conocerás
Céu - Vagarosa - 04 - Bubuia
David Garza - Dream Delay - 06 - Minority Boys Got $
Diego Garcia - Laura - 09 - All Eyes On You
Domino Saints - No Me Digas Que No - Single - 01 - No Me Digas Que No
Eric Bobo & Latin Bitman - Welcome to the Ritmo Machine - 02 - Maestro
Girl In a Coma - Exits & All the Rest (Bonus Track Version) - 08 - Hope
Jiggy Drama - Nerdside - 12 - El Culpable
Kat DeLuna - Bailando (Radio Edit) - Single - 01 - Bailando (Radio Edit)
Los Cuates de Sinaloa - El Shaka - 11 - Enamorado al Millón
Los Lobos - Tin Can Trust - 02 - On Main Street
Los Rakas - Chancletas y Camisetas Bordada - 01 - Vengo De Panama
Los Tigres del Norte - Uniendo Fronteras - 07 - Somos Mas Americanos
Luisa Maita - Lero-Lero - 04 - Desencabulada
Maleco Collective - Respira (feat. Malverde) - Single - 01 - Respira (feat. Malverde)
Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea - Orale' - 13 - Orale'
Mariachi El Bronx - Mariachi El Bronx (II) - 01 - 48 Roses
Miguel - All I Want Is You - 06 - Girls Like You
Ocote Soul Sounds - Taurus - 03 - En el Temblor
Ozomatli - A Better Life (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - 19 - El Jardinero
Paulina Aguirre - Abrazame - Single - 01 - Abrazame
Pilar Díaz - Pilar Díaz - 07 - Ilegal en Estyle
Pitbull - Planet Pit (Deluxe Version) - 12 - Something for the DJs
Rodrigo y Gabriela - 1111 - 01 - Hanuman
Shaila Dúrcal - Así - 04 - El Día Que Me Fui
Vicente Garcia - Melodrama - 04 - Yo Robo
Ximena Sariñana - Ximena Sariñana - 11 - Wrong Miracle
Zoé - MTV Unplugged Música de Fondo - 05 - Labios Rotos

So 35 tracks that you can pick and choose from in case you like any of them. If you're interested, then go to the link before Dec 15th, when the promo code expires.

http://www.votolatino.org/holidaygiveaway

Free Singles - How To Destroy Angels - Keep It together

So I just wanted to share this listening chance, as well as a link to a free download of the first track off the new EP from How To Destroy Angels. The album sounds really good, and if you haven't got a clue what that is all about, it's the band that Trent Reznor paused Nine Inch Nails for. The other members are, his wife Mariqueen Maandig, his common partner in crime, Atticus Ross, and ever faithful art director, Rob Sheridan.


An omen EP_ (2012) by howtodestroyangels
 
Well hopefully that played properly for you. I'm really enjoying the direction that they are going, although I am a fairly die-hard fan of NIN, and most of the creative ventures connected to them.

Heres a link to the opening track, which you can get for free.

How To Destroy Angels - Keep It Together

As well as 2 remix versions.

How To Destroy Angels - Keep It Together (Dave Sitek Remix)
How To Destroy Angels - Keep It Together (Factory Floor Remix)

If you never got a chance to hear their debut EP, then go ahead and download it for free at the bottom of their store page here. It's worth hearing.

http://store.destroyangels.com/

Chance McCoy And The Appalachian String Band - Self Titled

Band / Artist: Chance McCoy
Year: 2008
Genre: Folk, Bluegrass, Americana

My Review:
I volunteered for more than 2 years with a historic fort in Savannah, GA. I got paid nicely for my time, had my own confederate uniform (it was slightly more comfortable than the Yankee blues), and got to teach/yell at middle school kids. If you ever want to know about civil war river defense and communication, as well as history about Sherman's march to the sea, I'll talk to you for an hour.

But that's not really here or there. The point is, that historic American music is not very often heard these days. My general distaste for modern country stems from their disregard of the instruments and skills in their own history. But this release does none of that. Mr. McCoy knows that history, and he holds true to it. This is no small album. He plays out 19 tracks with his companions, and he does it with skill and with heart. That fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, and bass all meld into a sensation that's incredibly hard to describe. Here's his website.

http://wildhogintheredbrush.com/

This brings be back to bold sunsets, hot humid days, the stink of black gunpowder and burnt flour, biting sand gnats, the taste of Brunswick stew and drinking a beer with my coworkers after hours, and the muddy water of the river flowing past the reeds on the bank. If I ever find anything that gets closer to that, I'll post it without haste. I hope you enjoy.

Chance McCoy And The Appalachian String Band - Self Titled

Neutral Bling Hotel - In my G4 over da sea

Band/Artist: Psychosis
Year: 2012
Genre: Bastard Pop, Mashup

My Review:
There was a band back in the 90s called Neutral Milk Hotel (NMH) that made the album “In An Aeroplane Over the Sea ” in 1998. It was a sleeper hit with a fair cult following, and if ever you mention this band not being great in the presence of one of the followers, they'll call you a fool and a plebeian with no taste for music, or maybe threaten to kill you. (I'm moderately a fan, but I like other stuff far more.)

This album pays homage to it in the way that Dangermouse's Gray Album pays homage to Jay-Z and the Beatles. That, or it just bastardizes it over some hiphop. Personally I like it a lot more than the Gray Album, because the mix incorporates the vocals from the original songs throughout the mash, which always irked me about Dangermouse's work. Parts of it were pretty interesting, whereas a couple other parts fell a bit flat, which mostly depended on the rap track being used in each song.

So since there is a really intense love-or-hate thing going on around NMH and their music, it seems that this album is equally loved or hated so here are two reviews, one way, and the other.

Psychosis is another of the bastard pop musicians out there, but he hasn't done a whole lot yet. His first album is listed from here as well, but I didn't much care for it. Gotta start somewhere though, right?

 Neutral Bling Hotel– In my G4 over da sea

(Free Single) Kyson - Ocean Tides (Henrik José Remix)

Band / Artist: Kyson
Year: 2012
Genre: Ambient-pop?

My Review:
This is a remix of the song off his new album, Blackstone.It sounds kind of like rain hitting the sidewalk outside your house, made into a beautiful melody.

http://www.beatport.com/release/blackstone/984407

It was remixed by a guy who I'll be sharing with you very shortly, Henrik Jose.Since i'm going to showcase him soon, i figure that it'd be alright to skip him today. I have to get on the road really soon anyhow. Its time for the thanksgiving trip.

Here's his Soundcloud as well.
http://soundcloud.com/kyson/sets
There is a lot to listen to and download on there. Alright, everyone be safe for the turkey day.


Kyson - Ocean Tides (Henrik José Remix)

Guizado - Calavera

Band/Artist: Guizado
Year: 2010
Genre: Jazz, Jazz Rock, Psych-Rock, Brazilian, Electropop

My Review:

This album is so good. The way all the instrumentation comes together seems so fluid and effortless. Listening to this, I hear Kula Shaker, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Audioslave, Beck, Franz Ferdinand, and a bunch of other psych and indie rock blended with brass instruments and a heavy groove. SO MANY STYLES, and they really pull it off.

I've searched and tried hard to figure out any info that I can, but I know little about this band aside from the fact that they made this album and its awesome.

*UPDATE* I found out more. Yay! Okay so link first, talky after.

Link!

Guizado is the name of the trumpet player and beat programmer. So the band is kind of like Santana, in that Senor Guizado is the star, working with collaborators throughout the album. He is the premier trumpet player of Sao Paolo right now. His website is dead, but hopefully he's still making kickass music in Brazil.

Guizado - Calavera

Para Halu – Beats & Pieces

Band / Artist: Para Halu
Year: 2012
Genre: Breaks, Dub, Psytrance, Techno, Trance

My Review:
Apparently, if you want psytrance, the only place to go for it would be the middle east and surrounding parts of eastern Europe. Thats it. Nobody else seems to be able to do it.

So this is Para Halu. He's from Hungary. Here's a website for him.
http://www.parahalu.net/

10 years ago, he started up making music, and 5 albums later, he's still at it. He decided to honor that anniversary by releasing a free album of 7 long-lasting psytrance tracks. Its a great thing.

So the review of this would probably be something along these lines. If you enjoy early Infected Mushroom, music from Juno Reactor, 1200 Micrograms, or Alien Project, then you'll enjoy this. It has a pretty clear psytrance feel, with some minor experimentation in it's presentation, bringing in breaks and ambient elements as well as some new agey synthpop sound and field recording in the final track. Its a good one for exercising to.





Para Halu – Beats & Pieces

A moment to reflect.

WHEW. So much stress and tension in the states this last week, today feels like a release of all of it. I stayed up all night trying to write, and today I feel tired, but overall, so stress free for a day.

I won't mention political leanings or anything, but isn't it nice to have that all finished? So today i'm gonna post a few great chill things to help everyone relax for a couple days, and relish the moment where we all get back to seeing the bigger issues that we should care about (Like helping hurricane victims in the New England area, please donate something if you can).

Anyways here's a short recording for everyone. Consider it sleepytime music, or a moment of reflection.

The winds of Ocean Breeze lament Staten Island's dead from finitor on Vimeo.

The Womb - The Fourth Wall

Band / Artist: The Womb
Year: 2010
Genre: Alternative Pop, Indie Electronic, Indie Rock

My Review:
So it was labeled as pop, but the category would better be described as mid 90's alternative pop. WOO PIGEONHOLING GENRES! Alan Driscoll is the name of the head of the band, and apparently their style changes a lot from album to album.

I found this about him/them on a failed IndieGoGo Project.

Since 1998, I have been releasing records as The Womb, all of which have been free for anybody to download. I work with lots of different musicians in lots of different musical styles, and while I began in England, I'm now based in Melbourne, Australia.

I want to find out if it is possible for me to make a living from music while continuing to give my records away for free. With that in mind, I would like to create an album of personalised songs, in which contributors can ask me to write a song about any topic, or serving any purpose they choose.

Honorable ideals, and hopefully he/they get there soon enough. Anyhow, back to the music.

Here is an album working to recast early to mid 90's alt pop through the contemporary indie rock of the early 2010s. The first time I listened to this was on the end of a long road trip without air conditioning or conversation and my car just would not play in the right order. I was not in the mood..

..but coming back to it when i had fresh ears was nice. It has some snarky qualities, and social commentary that seems straight out of a good 90s alternative. The sounds vary a bit from track to track, playing off of all kinds of different influences, but the whole thing still shows its unity. The tracklisting is also very nicely laid out, with the most electronic song at the end, and a bright beginner and ballad-like ender. I didn't really feel like every song on the album needed to be kept, but the one thing is for sure, they have good sound quality and they do a good job presenting themselves.

The Womb - The Fourth Wall