One of the reasons I started this blog was to share music. To be honest, I have been horrible at it lately. Today that changes (at least for today).

Besides, Soundcloud makes it so damn easy to share and embed music that there really isn’t an excuse.

Chief Ghoul

Today, check out Chief Ghoul from Chicago. Distorted acoustic guitar, distorted haunting vocals and I am really diggin on this.

To be honest I wasn’t crazy about the production at first but the songs quickly made me forget about it. Plus, after listening for awhile, it totally works and gives the tunes – and the Chief – their own identity (and thats what it is all about).

In My Time Of Dyin’ by Chief Ghoul

The Way by Chief Ghoul

What do you think of the Chief?

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Check these guys out! Dino Planet is a new groove-based power rock trio from the Bay Area. Focusing on updating classic funk and reggae stylings with a modern edge, their do-it-yourself attitude, catchy tunes and musical aptitude are winning over fans by the dozens.

Catch them all over California this summer! Read the rest of this entry

In this time of crisis and turmoil, happiness is something that people all over the world want to feel and music plays a big part.  With an upbeat tempo, and beats that make you want to move and get up and dance, P.A. Teezy has the sound that makes you forget about your problems.

After discovering his talent at the age of 12, P.A. Teezy has steadily continued to develop and mature his sound into what is is today.  Already an underground Miami legend with the club smash “Do My Dance,” P.A. Teezy is now poised to take over the world.

P.A. Teezy’s new single Read the rest of this entry

With a sound reminiscent of early Roxy Music, Eno and Talking Heads; London based music mogul Paul Roderick is poised to unleash his debut single Russian Reggae. Featuring on vocals The Special’s front man and founding member of Fun Boy 3, Neville Staple.

A tar thick Ska-influenced, bass driven amalgamation of edgy drums and slicing guitar riffs, it’s set to be release on flourishing indie label, iStores Records in early spring 2011.

Having spent the last year feverishly recording his forthcoming debut album, Fusion Paradox, alongside critically acclaimed producer Mike Bennett; former member of The Fall, and renowned for his work with Ian Brown and The Stranglers, to name but a few. Roderick offers up a tantalizing cocktail of genres, running the gamut from pop to electro, dance, nu-wave and rock, to create a post modern convergence that looks set to be a breakthrough release for 2011. Read the rest of this entry

This post was submitted by jon falgate.

Break it down for us
Tim Permanent, make us dance
You make great avant-pop

TimPermanent (Yes, it is one word on purpose)

Tim, we hear you are about the release your new EP Marker, what have been the best and worst parts about recording it?

I would say the best and worst parts, both, are that I wrote and recorded the whole thing myself, alone. Being that I had full creative control was very much a plus but I am limited by my own resources. The only exception is that I had the help of Niki Haris who co-wrote “Black & White” with me, which was such a huge gift.

What song means the most to you and why?

The song “Asymmetrical” means the most to me as it came out as a rebuttal almost. I am not sure if it sounds like that but there most certainly was very high emotion at the time I was writing it. I was having a very hard go at things at the time and was struggling. Life was throwing me loads and loads of challenges and I was really doing everything I could to just be ok.

What inspires you to write a song?

I don’t know where the songs come from, really—they just kind of come. Sometimes it feels like I am like a vessel, like the songs happen to me. Then sometimes when I want to write I can’t.

Sometimes there is like an urge, like an itch I need to scratch and I go and press record and an hour later an entire production is done.  The opening song “Extraordinary” happened like that. I guess sometime they come at times of high emotion too but that’s not always the rule either. Hmm….

If you could have had any one artist contribute to your album, who would that be?

I guess it would have to be my very first and only real idol Michael Stipe of REM.

Describe your live show to us. Is there anything you expect to be different with these new songs?

I find it important to really connect on stage with each song’s truth .That being said, my show is very theatrical, not in visual way but I am a performer.  I engage in my songs live. I have already been performing most of these new songs, that’s how I knew to release them. My shows are like the test market for the releases.

Have you ever had anything embarrassing happen to you while performing?

Since I write and produce most of my music electronically I have been known to perform to tracks, like on a CD. And there have been times when the CD has skipped and that can be embarrassing. First, because I’m performing to a friggin’ CD but also I’d be right in the middle of some intense vocal or something and then clip, clip, clip, clip ——- it’s like AH!!!!! WTF!!!  HEY SOUND GUY! would you mind skipping ahead to the next track or maybe I’ll take the opportunity to play an acoustic song. Maybe someday I will have a band.

What have been some of your main musical influences?

REM, New Order, Depeche Mode, Missing Persons, Missy Elliot, Tori Amos, Madonna, Digable Planets, Mary J Blige, MIA, Imogen Heap, Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, Joan Osborne, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, throw in a ton of dance music too- techno, house, jungle, triphop, drum n bass- this list could go on and on and on and on-

In the spirit of the Halloween season, what has been your favorite costume you’ve dressed up as?

Honestly, I make an incredibly convincing girl. The only time I ever dressed in drag was on Halloween and I used to do it every year on Halloween and I loved it! I love it because I would dress like a regular girl not like a crazy drag queen and nobody would even know it was me. I would go and see friends and people that I knew wouldn’t even think twice. They would just think I was some strange girl because I wouldn’t talk. There was something fantastic about it!  I haven’t done it in 5 or 6 years but this question has brought out the memory of how much I enjoyed it so maybe I will do it this year.

Check out TimPermanent here or on Facebook

Ever get a bad case of the Mondays? When you don’t want to brave traffic and endure your job one more day? Instead of going to work, Darius Lux decided that he was tired of waiting tables in Manhattan, so he left and traveled throughout the Pacific, Asia, Europe and South America. He now writes, produces and performs music to help us get though Mondays a little easier–music that is uplifting and inspiring. His latest release is appropriately named Arise and it is a reminder that we need to aspire to reach the excellence beyond ourselves either by recreating our lives or doing what we do better than we ever have. Not a bad way to start the week eh?

What songs on your album do you most like to play live?

There are 3 main songs that I enjoy playing for different reasons. With “XtraOrdinary”, I begin by beat-boxing and then loop that beatbox beat in my pedal while the band slowly build around it thru the song, it’s great to start something so small and end so big and the crowd always gets engaged in the process

I must have played “Human Race” over 150 times live and the guitar riff always gets people moving, that can only be a good thing. This song also works well acoustically, as well as with a full rockin band grooving behind me, and it’s also easy to do a live reggae version when the mood calls for it.

Finally, “Hey You” is a blast because by the final chorus most people are singing along and that’s when I really feel like “mission accomplished”.

What is your biggest inspiration behind your writing?

To offer something that is inspiring and insightful and may help fill a hole in the lives of people, who like me, feel something is missing sometimes. I wasn’t always turned on by everything around me growing up and loved the escape music provided and another way of seeing the world offered by the writers.

You are a producer, songwriter, multi instrumentalist, and a performer, which of these roles do you like the best?

The different roles move in waves. I do really like them all equally if in balance. Songwriting is a specific moment in time where I like to focus my existence on absorbing and reflecting. Then I hit a limit and want to bring them to life and playing the different instruments is a blast and allows me the chance to become a better player. Producing can be for myself or for another artist and often involves more of a ‘science’ in getting the best sound or arrangement. This is also when you can do the ‘editing’ that I wouldn’t do in the early writing stages. If I am producing for another artist it is also nice to take a break from my own thing and be more objective. Plus, you always learn so much working with other people. Performing is a whole other rush, whatever nerves there may be initially, are quickly transformed into bliss—channeling all the different emotions thru my voice onstage feels like the purest form of expression I have ever known.

If you were broke and had to dress up like a character and stand outside Mann’s Chinese Theatre, who would you dress up as and why?

Ha! That’s funny  I was walking by there yesterday. Off the top of my head—Ace Ventura .  I think any Jim Carrey character gives you a huge license to just be a total whack job in public and get away with it ;-P

What was your favorite album growing up?

Acchhh, do I have to pick only one!! Ok, I need to pick 3.

Blood Sugar Sex Magic by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Wow, blew my mind, total pinnacle of all their talents blending perfectly: creative, fun, deep. I can still listen to that and feel the same rip of energy as the day it came out. This was essential pubescent listening!

Euphoria Morning by Chris Cornell. Although this kinda flopped at the time, I was enraptured by the very musical and soulful musings of Soundgarden’s frontman. This album plays like a friend by your side, you can tell he had been waiting a while to show this other face of his talents. Every song is perfection, there isn’t a single wasted note here and of course, that VOICE!

Songs In The Key Of Life As a child I found an old unmarked cassette copy left in an abandoned cupboard and I started listening to it and never looked back. I didn’t know who it was for years, but Stevie Wonder taught me most of what I needed to know.

Have you ever thought of writing rap songs under the pseudonym D-Lux?

Ha, another great question, I think I’ll spare the world my rapping. Any attempts at ‘freestyling’ usually slide into potty mouth pretty quickly – although Eminiem made a whole career of that….

Find Darius on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter

-Sheena

Oh, the sonic joys of youth! When laughter was crisper and songs weren’t transient, but left deep lasting impressions on our souls. Doesn’t it feel as if some of the best memories in you life were enhanced by a subtle song playing in the background? Or perhaps, the music was the main attraction–driving around in the the car with your high schools friends and singing your favorite chorus to the cars beside you. Those were the days. For my latest interview, I got to speak with Frederico (see pic below) from the band Youth Sounds. By the end of the interview, I was reminiscing, hopefully you’ll recall fond memories as well. Enjoy!

What inspired the name Youth Sounds?

I was thinking about band names and what would go well with our sound and Youth Sounds just seemed to fit with what we were doing. Our music is really driven by a sense of nostalgia.  I feel that as we get older our memories are intermingled with a handful of pop songs and albums that really meant something significant to us during the time the memory was being created. I want Youth Sounds to have that affect on people. So, hopefully in a couple of years when people think back on what they were listening to, maybe one of our songs will be tied to one of their memories.

Is it harder or easier to be in a band with your sibling?

I would have to say that it’s a lot easier being in a band with my sibling. We’ve been working together for so long that we’ve reached an understanding with one another. We respect each other’s form of artistic expression and trust each other’s ideas and opinions completely. I trust that any decision she makes will be made for the betterment of the band and that the end result would be a positive one and not at all detrimental. I believe that she shares this point of view as well, and the confidence we have in one another really affects all our musical endeavors.

As brother and sister, what is the worst argument you’ve gotten into?

I can’t really recall any intense arguments we’ve had in recent years. We’re actually really close so we don’t get into it when we disagree about something, but believe me, as kids we had some genuinely ridiculous arguments to say the least. There’s one minor spat that comes to mind that ends with Erika’s foot in a wall, lol. I will spare the long details on how she got her foot in the wall but let’s just say that the result of that argument was the both of us getting into some major trouble, hahaha.

Who are your influences and do they differ between the two of you?

They definitely vary between the both of us. We’re a very musical family and we’ve been surrounded by music all our lives, so our appreciation for different genres started very early. Our grandparents and parents have been a huge influence, introducing us to so many artists with varying styles and sounds.  So we’re very open in our selection of music and I believe that has really helped us find our bands sound. Erika is really into soulful artist with unique voices and will freely admit that she’s a sucker for some good ol’ R&B. My music selection changes daily whether I’m listening to all of David Bowie’s albums or Broken Social Scene, Ryan Adams, or Billy Holliday. It all depends on what I’m in the mood for.

You’ve just finished recording your new EP The Bit Parts what song are you most excited to show other people?

Honestly, we’re very excited about all the songs on this EP. We’re ready to get them out there and into people’s hands so that they can hopefully enjoy the music we’re making. This EP has been a long time coming and we want to share it with whomever is willing to listen. And if not, we’re just gonna have to hit the streets with our instruments and harass passersby with our obnoxious singing, hahaha.

Was it always a party growing up in the capital of Mardi Gras?

Yeah it’s definitely always a party down here in the big easy. No joke, this is the city that will turn anything into a party no matter what it is. It could be something arbitrary, like ending your shift at work, or important, like your kid graduating from kindergarten. You’ll have all these kids together on a space walk and all the adults getting plastered, partying it up. For all the locals, Mardi Gras has become something you learn to survive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really beautiful and a unique experience but it is in no way convenient for the locals. Basically, the whole city shuts down, so you can imagine how difficult it can be getting from one point to the other. But growing up in a city with so much culture and life is absolutely a plus, no doubt about it.

One of the tracks on The Bit Parts is called “As Strangers Would,” which leads me to the question have you ever taken candy from a stranger?

No, I can’t say that I’ve ever taken candy from a stranger. I wonder if anyone does that any more?

From what I understand, the members of Youth Sounds have been in the music game for a long time. This is just their latest project. So go on, become a friend on MySpace why don’t ya.

It’s not everyday that a band gets invited to open for Coldplay. What a once in lifetime opportunity! The Luxury got that chance and has also hit the  CMJ top 200 with their first record, This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things. Last April, the band was also crowned winners of the 31st annual Rock and Roll Rumble. The band’s followup, In The Wake Of What Won’t Change has cemented their reputation for having the ability to create indie-English rock ‘n roll with a modern-mod vibe. I give you Justin, Daanen and Jason from The Luxury…

How did you guys all meet?

Jason: We’re from all over, so this is one of those complex stories, not one of your “childhood friend” deals. Foster and I played in a band called The Halogens, and when that wasn’t fun anymore I formed The Luxury with him and three other great musicians who decided they didn’t want to tour, forcing us to look for new players. We found Daanen through the band he was in at the time, Justin through an internet message board, and Borek… now that I think of it we found Borek through Craigslist, of all places.

Justin: I had kind of been keeping my ear to the ground for a year or so, and waiting for one of the bands I respected to be suddenly without a bass player. The second I saw an ad out for the Luxury, I pounced on it.

Daanen: I played guitar for the Ultra Sonic Rock Orchestra here in Boston four years ago. Our singer’s girlfriend was one of the performers in the show and told me that her boyfriend was auditioning guitarist for his newly forming band. She got me a demo, I learned the tunes and the rest is history baby!!

What is the best part of the Boston music scene?

Justin: Definitely the sense of community that’s all over the scene lately. Whenever I go out in town, I know I’m going to see a million of my friends. And so many of them are in bands that I was already a huge fan of, before I ever knew them personally. Dudes who were like huge celebrities to me, and now they want to buy me a beer.

You were recently invited to open for Coldplay, how did that occur?

Jason: Well, Coldplay decided to showcase a bunch of bands from markets they were playing in on their North American tour, so they contacted radio stations in each area looking for submissions. I think about 500 videos were submitted in Boston, and WFNX whittled it down to 15. That must have been fun. The public voted on the 15 entries, which included our friends in the amazing bands Township, Aloud and The Motion Sick, and the top three were sent to Coldplay to pick their favorite. They chose little old us, and the show was awesome.

Justin: I’ll just add the fact that everybody in the Coldplay camp were ridiculously cool to us. Chris Martin himself even popped in to make sure we had everything we needed.

In your video for “Malcontent” King Puppethead sings the vocals, was he a difficult person to work with?

Jason: You know, I try not to be rude or dismissive in interviews, but that guy’s an unbelievable pain in the ass. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a sock puppet demand a trailer and a personal assistant. Originally I was hoping for a Boglin, but when the auditions were all done he was the only one that could lip-sync in time while playing the piano. We didn’t talk for about a year after that video shoot, and he occasionally posted rude blog comments about me which I tried to ignore. Lately he’s mellowed out a bit, especially after starring in his own video, “Happy In My Misery”, which you can find on YouTube. I can’t begrudge him his talent, no matter how abusive he can be on-set.

Daanen: Very demanding with his wants and needs at some points. He got payed in the end whatever…. I’m not calling him to go out for a beer anytime soon though, that’s for sure.

Justin: I wouldn’t know. He stayed in his trailer the whole time, and wouldn’t associate with any of us. Between you & me, I think he’s maybe got a blow problem.

The Luxury is a great band name, how did you come up with it?

Jason: Oddly enough I offered it to my friend Moose when he was forming a new project. We were on the phone together trying to come up with something for him and I picked up a Marillion CD from ’94 that included the song “Alone Again in the Lap of Luxury”, and suggested The Luxury to him. He loved it, but so did I; eventually, I kind of asked for it back. He’s about the nicest guy ever, so he had no problem with that. I have no idea what else we’d call ourselves, though. Sonically it makes perfect sense, the music being as big and full as we can make it… and if you look at how we actually live it’s both ironic, on a societal level, and completely true on a global level. The concept of luxury changes a lot depending on your perspective.

Visit The Luxury on MySpace or Facebook.

-Sheena

Last night Cowbell launched a new artist, Mutto (www.mutto.com.au). No stranger to the stage, Mutto, was originally in a band called Soulframe until his stint on Australian Idol 2006 started an unraveling process that led to a 3 year hiatus. Now back with a new single and a renewed passion, Mutto has had to become re-educated into the digital age.

Focusing on digital downloads, the release of Mutto’s single ‘Wish’ is a momentous occasion as he is one of the first Australian artists ever to release an exclusively digital single available for download from the iTunes store, his own website, and through the use of a ‘Bandtag’ Card.

‘Bandtag’ has been supplying promotional download cards for artists to give away songs for a few years now, however Mutto is the first artist to use the card as a replacement for the standard CD single, in fact the first artist in Australia to publicly shun cds in favor of a digital download card that allows buyers to download high quality mp3′s to play on iTunes or Windows Media Player.

It also allows fans to download a copy of the video in a format that will work on ipods and iphones. Check it out here Mutto – “Wish” video

To top it off, apart from radio giveaways and promotion, last night’s launch was exclusively promoted through the use of social media platforms like Facebook. With over 200 attendees, the success of the night is a perfect example of the importance of social media marketing in a digital age. It is a new digital era and artists like Mutto demonstrate how results can be achieved online.

As more artists like Mutto and Nomy reach their full potential they present a very real opportunity for new artists trying establish a solid base. As advocates of the digital age, Cowbell and I will strive to uncover more examples of how new artists are using the internet and its many tools to advance their careers. Stay tuned!