Lately I've really been trying to give a listen to more of the music that gets emailed to me. It's a rather astonishing amount, so to make the process feasible, I tend to skip (delete) anything with the words ambient pop, electro, new wave, or hip-hop. Still, that leaves a lot to sort through. Good thing for me, I've always been good at making quick, impulsive, and very rarely wrong musical approval decisions.Here are some recent press-released songs to come through my inbox that made the grade.
The Duke and The King - The Morning I Get To Hell
First off, one that didn't take me long to download. I've mentioned Simone Felice and Robert Chicken Burke's new project The Duke and The King before. I was emailed this track along with some news on the band's album, Nothing Gold Can Stay. Ramseur Records will release the album August 4th.[Website][MySpace][Purchase]
The Medders - Gunslinger
Nashville bands that toe the line between country and rock are a dime-a-dozen, but The Medders stand out, if only from this one track I've gotten my hands on. No doubt more will follow. This band - 3 of them brothers - is made up of the musically-infused offspring of songwriter Jule Medders. Look for their self-titled debut September 1st.[Website][MySpace][Purchase]
The Do - Tammie
This French-Finnish band The Do (pronounced 'dough' as in do-re-mi) is nearly undeniably pop, but something about them is very alluring. Lately, I've seen their name show up all over the place, and I bet that trend will continue.[Website][MySpace][Purchase]
These next few tracks come courtesy of AmieStreet.com. They sent me a link to a free folk-based playlist of new artists to check out, and these are the best surprises from it.
Dr. Dog - The Old Days
I caught wind of this band when this memorable album cover could be found on numerous 'best of the year' lists. Dr. Dog has been kicking around since '01, but are just recently gaining the notoriety they deserve. With it's catchy, constant piano riff, I'm surprised this song hasn't been snatched up for an Apple commercial.[Website][MySpace][Purchase]
Motel Motel - Coffee
I now have a couple tracks from Brooklyn indie-rockers Motel Motel. They sound a bit like a rootsy-er Kings of Leon, but for the simple fact that they're not, I like 'em more. After looking around the blogosphere for some more info on them, I realized I missed the bus on this band sometime last year. But, hey, it's never too late for music like this.[Website][MySpace][Purchase]
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Shampoo
Folk music generally employs simple, traditional stringed instruments, but Elvis Perkins in Dearland doesn't follow any rules. They overlay these elements with huge horn sections and ramshackle flow. Elvis Perkins and his band have a slew of tour dates in the near future, including an appearance at the Newport Folk Festival.[Website][MySpace][Purchase]
You can still download the entire free playlist from AmieStreet here. While you're there, go 'head and load up some funds in your account - if you don't know, AmieStreet has a demand-based pricing system. That is, albums and songs are super-cheap when they're first added and the amount of downloads they receive drives the price up gradually. Songs cap out at 98 cents.
Most of these tunes, I checked out only while writing this post. As you probably are, I'm pleasantly surprised at what I just heard, so I'm off to use up my eMusic downloads (which by a glorious coincidence re-upped today) on more music from these folks. As always, I suggest you do the same.
-------------------------
More Mailbox Music on This Mornin' I Am Born Again...
Bomb, Bomb, Bomb - Bombadil II 6.2.09
Christmas Edition 12.14.08
Bomb, Bomb, Bomb - Bombadil I 4.15,08
Mailbox Music I 4.9.08
