James Yuill

London, England
I'm not sure why more people aren't blogging the hell outta James Yuill. I'm most impressed with him because he isn't always strumming his guitar down a river of tears like most singer/songwriters. Highly loveable if you enjoy the electronic twist.

"No Surprise"
James Yuill on MySpace
James Yuill on The Hype Machine

Crystal Castles

Toronto, ON
My main obsession nearly every waking minute.

"Vanished"
Crystal Castles on MySpace
Crystal Castles on The Hype Machine

Temposhark

London, England
Temposhark is making their way to the States soon to play a few dates to support their new disc that just came out.

04/16 - Crash Mansion - New York, NY
04/17 - Webster Underground - Hartford, CT
04/18 - North Cafe - Philadelphia, PA
04/19 - Michalina’s Bistro - Buffalo, NY

"Not That Big"
Temposhark on MySpace
Temposhark on The Hype Machine

The Photographic

Louisville, KY
The Photographic was supposed to be playing in DC tonight, but unfortunately it didn't work out. I'm not a huge instrumental rock freak, but Pictures Of A Changing World is my favorite release of this type so far this year! Hopefully I'll get to see these guys live soon. Until then, I'll keep myself contect with their WOXY.com Lounge Act on April 8.

"Secure"
The Photographic on MySpace
The Photographic on The Hype Machine

The Tambourine Club

Kansas City, MO
The Tambourine Club is fronted by Bryan Lammano and self-described as "The Jesus & Mary Chain on helium." The band currently just has a few demo tracks, but I'm looking forward to hearing more from these guys in the future.

"Kansas City"
The Tambourine Club on MySpace
The Tambourine Club on The Hype Machine

cherry blossom festival

Neneh Cherry - Buddy X

Moonbabies - Cherry Blossoms

Air - Cherry Blossom Girl

Dungen - Festival

Athlete - Tourist

Stream It Now: 5Acts.com on The Blogger Hour

I was the guest host for WOXY.com's edition of The Blogger Hour that aired on Tuesday night. If you didn't get to hear it then, please stream it below.


Sean Wilde - Hold It Down
Kill Krinkle Club - White Trees
The LK - Stop Being Perfect
Belaire - Waiting Patiently
Seabear - Arms
urbantramper & 10,000 times Glorious - How Do You Have Your Tea?
Cats On Fire - Higher Grounds
Gazelle - The First Rays
Tears Run Rings - Blur The Lines
The Western Civilization - Bruise The Paper
Windmill - Asthmatic
Jade McNelis - Comedian

Lykke Li - Little Bit

Jose Gonzalez - Killing For Love

Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen

Lightspeed Champion - Tell Me What It's Worth

The Whip - Trash

WOXY.com Lounge Act: Pash & Martin Royle

Check out my lovelies Pash on WOXY.com tomorrow for their second Lounge Act session at 1:00 pm ET. This time they'll be joined in the studio by Martin Royle (of Washington Social Club), who they're playing with for a few dates, opening up for Stars! Dates below.

03/26 - Bomhard Theater - Louisville, KY
03/27 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN
03/28 - Barrymore Theatre - Madison, WI
03/29 - Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI
03/30 - Mr. Small’s Theater - Millvale, PA
03/31 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
04/01 - The Tralf (Music Hall) - Buffalo, NY
04/02 - The Trash Bar - Brooklyn, NY

Also, I've been talking to Mer about a wonderful vision she has for a music video for "The Best Gun." Be on the lookout for that later this Spring... hopefully!

Pash Lounge Act 09/11/2007
Pash on MySpace
Pash on The Hype Machine

new single: Martina Topley-Bird - Poison

(official press release from Indepentiente)

After her stunning recent appearance on Later...with Jools Holland, Martina Topley Bird returns to reveal her darker side with new single "Poison." "Poison" is a track whose infectious, upbeat tone masks a tale of betrayal and regret.

Precise, stop / start riffs rhythms lay beneath swirling percussion, dreamy surf guitar riffs and Danger Mouse’s distinctive production, with Martina’s stunning voice high in the mix. Martina’s laidback vocal talent does justice to her otherworldly lyrics and smooth coupling verses “Make a wish and blow it out / love will begin again."

"Poison" comes complete with remixes from Van She (Modular) and The Officers. Van She take Martina’s original vocal and mixes it with a hypnotic, psyche-house track that builds and builds, whilst The Officers give an epic electro re-working of the track – both look set to be big club favourites.

Martina Topley-Bird is one of British pop’s great mavericks, and holds a lengthy back catalogue of musical collaborations such as Tricky, Diplo, Gorillaz, Mark Lanegan, Luciano, Primus, to name but a few. With her extensive musical history (a milestone being a Mercury Music award nominee in 2004, for debut album Quixotic), Martina’s year looks set to be hugely exciting with The Blue God album which shows off her creative zenith as a true chameleon of pop.

The Blue God is out 12th May.

"Poison (Van She Mix)"

Dave Fischoff at The Red & The Black

I've been a big fan of Dave Fischoff since hearing The Crawl last year. I like him even more knowing that he resides in Illinois and he's part of the Secretly Canadian family. Dave will be gracing the stage at The Red & The Black on Friday night. What a nice way to jump into the weekend!

Dave Fischoff on MySpace
Dave Fischoff on The Hype Machine

Zune Arts Launches New Podcast Series

Three Legged Leg's Exclusive "Behind-the-Scenes: Piece of Me, Piece of You" Released Today

The magic and creativity of Zune Arts is now officially available through a new podcast series on the Zune Marketplace. The Zune Arts podcast is a weekly showcase of today's most cutting edge cultural artists expressing themselves through film, music, design, illustration, and everything in between. The podcasts are available for free download, and fans can subscribe to automated feeds so the series is synced with their Zune devices. The weekly podcasts are a new way to enjoy archived Zune Arts material, and will also include exclusive content, including behind-the-scenes short films, artist interviews, and other fun content aimed at extending and enhancing the Zune Arts experience.

The latest addition to the Zune Arts podcast is called "Behind-the-Scenes: Piece of Me, Piece of You," which features the production madness and creative genius that goes into the making of a Zune Arts film. In this latest piece, Greg, Reza and Casey of Three Legged Legs show us how it takes collaboration, innovation and copious amounts of felt to turn near life-sized puppets, created by artist Adam Parker Smith, into mad, pop-locking zombies. This marks the Three Legged Legs trio's first foray into the world of puppetry, but the crew has previously cut their directorial teeth with animation for Sony Vaio, Amp Energy Drink and various independent endeavors.

The behind-the-scenes podcast is available in advance of the upcoming "Piece of Me, Piece of You" Zune Arts film, which features musical duo Chromeo's "Fancy Footwork" as the backing track to this surreal and frighteningly imaginative piece that demonstrates how sharing can lead to infectious forms of self-expression and discovery. As Reza explains "we're shooting a bunch of zombie puppets attacking each other and infecting each other with dance, all over a Chromeo track, which is hot!" The "Piece of Me, Piece of You" film will premiere on the Zune Arts website April 1, and the behind-the-scenes podcast released today will give fans a fun taste of what to look forward to.

Zune Arts brings the best creative minds together to collaborate on inspiring works of art under the Zune brand themes of sharing, connectivity, discovery, and friendship. Zune Arts is continuously growing, ever-evolving, and always open to new voices, influences and ideas.

To watch the behind-the-scenes footage for "Piece of Me, Piece of You," visit http://zune-arts.net/news_3llpodcast

To subscribe to the Zune Arts podcasts, visit http://www.zune.net/en-US/videos/default.htm

For more on Three Legged Legs, visit http://threeleggedlegs.com/

For more info on puppet maker, Adam Parker Smith, visit http://adamparkersmith.com/

Friends Of The Futurist

WOXY.com has just announced that their new show The Blogger Hour has changed its name. It will now be called Friends Of The Futurist. The show will still primarily focus on music bloggers as guest DJs, but the new name will allow some flexibility.

Many of you have asked me about streaming my appearance on The Blogger Hour, which aired last night. I will get a link up as soon as the show is archived on WOXY.com. Thanks for all the nice feedback!

Also, check out a new Ladytron track at WOXY.com's very own music blog, The Futurist.

5Acts.com on The Blogger Hour

Recently I was asked to be part of WOXY.com's new show The Blogger Hour. WOXY has been my favorite internet station for many years now and a main source for finding new music for me, so I couldn't have been more thrilled to have this opportunity. In hopes of getting exposure to new artists, I selected only songs the station isn't currently playing. Appropriately enough, my show is the fifth installment and will air tonight, March 25 at 8:00 pm ET. Please tune in to check out some of my favorite bands right now.

That's Him! That's The Guy!

Michigan
An Army Life, the new album from That's Him! That's The Guy!, is what you wish your college roommates sounded like when they got drunk and started playing guitar. Clear, unpolished vocals harmonize over little more than plucked guitar and banjo, calling to mind an earthier Oh No! Oh My! or Kings of Convenience. "Half" is like the best spontaneous bonfire jam you've ever heard, while "Red Folder" reaches higher, with lyrics detailing the mundane elements of some Midwest funeral while a lonely violin underscores the song's ironic detachment. Rustic strummers that manage to be earnest without being self-important don't fall in your lap every day.

- Billy Gil, guest contributor

"Gold Truck One"
That's Him! That's The Guy! on MySpace
That's Him! That's The Guy! on The Hype Machine

Bearsuit

Norwich, England
Are there any bad bear(s) artists? Maybe I just have a bear fetish, but I've really been loving all bear(s) music lately. Bearsuit is no exception.

"Keep It Together, Somehow"
Bearsuit on MySpace
Bearsuit on The Hype Machine

Santa

Champaign-Urbana, IL
I was so happy to find out these guys are based in Champaign-Urbana, my old stomping ground. Even Seth Fein of smilepolitely.com likes them, writing that Santa has "shed much of their neo-hippie sounds for a much crisper and tighter display of rock music." Their EP My Bones is available now.

"Over"
Santa on MySpace
Santa on The Hype Machine

Fleet Foxes

Seattle, WA

Many bloggers sniffed out the goods on Fleet Foxes a long time ago, but I just recently truly started to adore them. Their EP Sun Giant is out May 6 and the self-titled full-length will be in stores June 3, both on Sub Pop. They're playing here in DC tomorrow night at Black Cat with labelmates Blitzen Trapper.

"Mykonos"
Fleet Foxes on MySpace
Fleet Foxes on The Hype Machine

Flowers Forever

Omaha, NE
Just by looking at this picture, you can tell Flowers Forever enjoys putting on a good show. So much sweat too. They must really work it!

"Black Rosary"
Flowers Forever on MySpace
Flowers Forever on The Hype Machine

happy bunny day!

Page France - Hat And Rabbit

Of Montreal - Bunny Ain't No Kind Of Rider

Bright Eyes - Down In A Rabbit Hole

Xiu Xiu - Bunny Gamer

UNKLE - Rabbit In Your Headlights

The Ruby Suns - Tane Mahuta

Portishead - Machine Gun

Kleerup - Longing For Lullabies

Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance

Fredo Viola - The Sad Song

These United States

Washington, DC
We welcome These United States back to DC on April 13. If you're not local, check out their tour dates below to see if they're playing near you. The list is pretty extensive and even includes a Lounge Act at WOXY.com.

03/21 - Echo Curio, - Los Angeles, CA
03/22 - The Partisan - Merced, CA
03/23 - Hotel Utah - San Francisco, CA
03/25 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
03/26 - Sunset Tavern - Seattle, WA
03/27 - Area Code - Boise, ID
03/28 - Slowtrain - Salt Lake City, UT
03/28 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
03/29 - Hi-Dive - Denver, CO
03/31 - 400 Bar - Minneapolis, MN
04/01 - Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA
04/02 - KRUI 89.7 FM
04/02 - Mission Creek Fest - Iowa City, IA
04/03 - Daytrotter - Rock Island, IL
04/03 - The Hideout - Chicago, IL
04/04 - WOXY.com Lounge Act
04/04 - The 930 - Louisville, KY
04/05 - The Dame - Lexington, KY
04/06 - Tom’s Parents’ Place! - PA
04/07 - AS220 - Providence, RI
04/08 - P.A.’s Lounge - Somerville, MA
04/10 - Cake Shop - New York, NY
04/11 - Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY
04/12 - Talking Head - Baltimore, MD
04/13 - Black Cat - Washington, DC

"First Sight"
These United States on MySpace
These United States on The Hype Machine

Dawn Landes

New York, NY
She won me over last year with her cover of "Young Folks" and now Dawn Landes is back with Fireproof. Highly recommended f you like folky style Cat Power.

"Private Little Hell"
Dawn Landes on MySpace
Dawn Landes on The Hype Machine

White Hinterland

Jamaica Plain, MA
New offering fronted by Casey Dienel via Dead Oceans.

"Lindberghs + Metal Hearts"
White Hinterland on MySpace
White Hinterland on The Hype Machine

Destroyer

Vancouver, BC
This one's for anyone who loves hearing the line "you've been fuckin' around."

"Libby's First Sunrise"
Destroyer on MySpace
Destroyer on The Hype Machine

The Dodos

San Francisco, CA
This track is the perfect sampling for a nearly perfect album.

"Fools"
The Dodos on MySpace
The Dodos on The Hype Machine

WOXY.com Lounge Act: The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep stops by the WOXY.com studio tomorrow for their second Lounge Act. I can't wait to hear this one! Tune in at 4:00 pm ET.

The Big Sleep on MySpace
The Big Sleep on The Hype Machine

tomorrow night at Black Cat: Bellman Barker, The Ruby Suns, Le Loup

What could be a better line-up than this for a Friday night in DC? Check out all three great bands tomorrow night at Black Cat. It all starts after 9pm on the mainstage and tickets are only $10.

tonight: Great Northern

Great Northern just released a new EP, sweetly entitled Sleepy Eepee. They're on tour right now with The Gutter Twins, and 9:30 Club is hosting tonight. Doors open at 7:30 and Great Northern goes on at 8:45.

release party: Bridges And Powerlines

10:30pm, Friday March 21
Lit Lounge (2nd Avenue and 5th Street)
New York, NY
6$ cover, 4$ for new CD

I'm very excited to announce the CD release party for the new Bridges And Powerlines. It's happening this Friday, March 21 at Lit in the East Village. The guys are playing at 10:30pm, and there will be 2$ beer and 2$ vodka drinks to help the celebratory mood (starting 10pm.) Tickets will be given at the door so you can get a copy of Ghost Types for a mere 4$. Fuck, what a deal!

If you can't make the show, the new record will be in select stores and available online April 22, as well as at the band's site, www.bridgesandpowerlines.com.

I helped choose the first single, "The Golden Age," and it's available for free at: www.bridgesandpowerlines.com/goldenage.mp3

Bridges And Powerlines on MySpace
Bridges And Powerlines on The Hype Machine

tonight: Ra Ra Riot

Experience Ra Ra Riot tonight on the mainstage at Black Cat. They're opening up for The Cribs along with Jeffrey Lewis & The Jitters. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are $15.

Ra Ra Riot on MySpace
Ra Ra Riot on The Hype Machine

tonight: Sons & Daughters

A great lineup at Rock & Roll Hotel this evening - A Place To Bury Strangers, Holy Fuck, and Sons & Daughters. Tickets are $13 and it all starts around 8:30.

Sons & Daughters on MySpace
Sons & Daughters on THe Hype Machine

tonight: Citay

Wooooooo. Citay is just one of the many hot bands signed to Dead Oceans. They'll be impressing everyone tonight with a live set in DC at The Red & The Black. $8 cover.

Citay on MySpace
Citay on The Hype Machine

tonight: The Most Serene Republic

I really need to get a cloning machine for myself because there are too many good shows tonight around the district! Headlining at DC9 is The Most Serene Republic. The openers aren't too shabby either - Liam Finn and Miracle Fortress. Show starts at 9pm and tickets are just $10.

The Most Serene Republic on MySpace
The Most Serene Republic on The Hype Machine

How To Make A Button with Miranda July

tonight: Pash

When Merideth Munoz isn't busy perfecting her love of water sports, she's the lead singer for local band Pash. Tonight she'll put her musical talents on display at Rock & Roll Hotel starting at around 8:30. Also playing will be Capgun Coup and Tilly And The Wall, who have a really fun new video. Check out "Beat Control" below.

Tilly And The Wall - Beat Control

Boston, Mass.

The Walkmen - Lost In Boston

Vampire Weekend - Boston

Hallelujah The Hills - Wave Backwards To Massachusetts

The Get Up Kids - Mass Pike

Umbrellas - Boston White

Kaki King - Pull Me Out Alive

Neon Neon - I Lust U

Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes

Panda Riot - She Dares All Things

Modest Mouse - Fly Trapped In A Jar

The Ruby Suns

Auckland, New Zealand
I first posted about The Ruby Suns over a year ago. Now they're back with a new album, signed to Sub Pop, and getting great reviews here in the States. Congrats!

"Tane Mahuta"
The Ruby Suns on MySpace
The Ruby Suns on The Hype Machine

Why?

Oakland, CA

"These Few Presidents"

Why? on MySpace

Why? on The Hype Machine

The Notwist

Weilheim, Germany

"Good Lies"

The Notwist on MySpace

The Notwist on The Hype Machine

Man Man

Philadelphia, PA

"Top Drawer"

Man Man on MySpace

Man Man on The Hype Machine

Mahjongg

Chicago, IL

"Mercury"

Mahjongg on MySpace

Mahjongg on The Hype Machine

...Music Video?

Tucson, AZ

"Tonight"

...Music Video? on MySpace

...Music Video? on The Hype Machine

Solid Gold

Minneapolis, MN

"Bible Thumper"

Solid Gold on MySpace

Solid Gold on The Hype Machine

Pretty Good Dance Moves

Brooklyn, NY / Chicago, IL

"Demons Dancing"

Pretty Good Dance Moves on MySpace

Pretty Good Dance Moves on The Hype Machine

Ghostland Observatory

Austin, TX

"Heavy Heart"

Ghostland Observatory on MySpace

Ghostland Observatory on The Hype Machine

Team Robespierre

Brooklyn, NY

"Black Rainbow"

Team Robespierre on MySpace

Team Robespierre on The Hype Machine

Cut Copy - Lights & Music

The Epochs - Love Complete

The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead

Frightened Rabbit - Heads Roll Off

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

Jonathan Visger

Michigan
I've been waiting for new material from Mason Proper for about two years now. Bad news - I'm going to have to wait a bit longer. Good news - uber talented frontman Jonathan Visger just released some solo material digitally to tide me over. It's called North South Pt 1 and you can buy it at his site ---> http://secrettunnelgroup.com. Jonathan tells me that Mason Proper will be releasing a DVD EP on March 25 that will feature 4 videos, and the band will also begin recording their second album this month. Yay!

"Fish Eyes"
Jonathan Visger on MySpace
Jonathan Visger on The Hype Machine

Gangi

Los Angeles, CA
Last night I saw Gangi at The Red & The Black, and it was one of the most enjoyable live sets I've attended in a while. Matt Gangi even personally gave me CD-R with a handmade sleeve made from an old random cut-up album cover (Perry Como maybe). The real thing is getting pressed as we speak and the band plans on having them for sale in Austin. Make sure to catch them playing at SXSW and pick up the disc while you're at it.

03/09 - SXSW - ATX EMERGE Party at Speak Easy
03/11 - SXSW - Beauty Bar Outdoor Stage ART DISASTER NO. 5
03/14 - SXSW - US Art Authority
03/16 - SXSW - TBA

"Animals"
Gangi on MySpace
Gangi on The Hype Machine

The Dimes

Portland, OR
Recommended for all the DCFC junkies out there...

"Letters In The Sea"
The Dimes on MySpace
The Dimes on The Hype Machine

Dead Confederate

Athens, GA
Sluts. I love it! Dead Confederate is trolling around every festival they can wrap their guitars around.

03/06 - Langerado Festival - Big Cypress, Florida
03/07 - New World Brewery - Tampa, Florida
03/08 - Taste - Orlando, Florida
03/09 - The Handlebar - Pensacola, Florida
03/10 - Chelsea’s - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
03/12 - SXSW - Bourbon Rocks - Austin, Texas
03/12 - SXSW -Stubb’s BBQ - Austin, Texas
03/13 - SXSW - WOXY.com Live Session - Austin, Texas
03/13 - SXSW - Above the Radar Party at Trophy’s - Austin, Texas
03/14 - US Art Authority/Spiderhouse - Austin, Texas
03/14 - SXSW - Home Slice Pizza - Austin, Texas
03/15 - SXSW - The Side Bar - Austin, Texas
03/15 - SXSW - Austin, Texas
05/24 - Sasquatch! Festival - George, Washington
07/05 - Rothbury Festival - Rothbury, Michigan

"The Rat"
Dead Confederate on MySpace
Dead Confederate on The Hype Machine

The Coathangers

Atlanta, GA
Such cool chicks! The Coathangers are rockin' the stage at The Red & The Black tonight. Here's to hoping they play classic gems such as "Shut The Fuck Up," "Don't Touch My Shit," "Nestle In My Boobies," and one of my personal faves "Where The Hell Were You Last Night."

"Parking Lot"
The Coathangers on MySpace
The Coathangers on The Hype Machine

The Envy Corps

Ames, IA

"Keys To Good Living"

The Envy Corps on MySpace

The Envy Corps on The Hype Machine

The Whitsundays

Edmonton, AB

"It Must Be Me"

The Whitsundays on MySpace

The Whitsundays on The Hype Machine

Seventeen Evergreen

San Francisco, CA

"Burn The Fruit"

Seventeen Evergreen on MySpace

Seventeen Evergreen on The Hype Machine

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Portland, OR

"Gardenia"

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks on MySpace

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks on The Hype Machine

Lumerians

San Francisco, CA

"Orgon Grinder"

Lumerians on MySpace

Lumerians on The Hype Machine

A Brief Smile - Never Have The Time

Goes Cube at The Red & The Black

Tomorrow night is going to be lively at The Red & The Black. Goes Cube pounds their way in from NYC and Voodoo Pharmacology is headlining the show. Opening up will be The Giraffes and Gangi, the act I'm most curious to see. It all starts at 9pm so get their early!

Goes Cube - Song 20