By the sound of their name, Oscar Anthony and the Westfolk Band would be your typical, Nashville country infused folk band, but one listen to their music would tell you quite differently. Folk mixed with a bit of electric experimentalism makes for a fantastically interesting sound...that I for one just love.
It's a rainy day here in Chicago, and while part of we me will undoubtedly start to miss the unwavering sunshine of Arizona, today it's just nice to listen to the raindrops. What goes better with rain than a cup of joe and a nice tune? If you hear of anything let me know, but for now this is just about all I need:
I just read this article over at TechCrunch, and I have to say that I'm a little disheartened at the very least.
Major labels are creating their own file format. The single file will include everything a listener might want, which would have been great six years ago.
I'm interested to see how this one plays out. Devin Coldewey has already called it "the laughing stock of the internet," and I'm inclined to agree with him.
I usually dread Mondays, but this week it's little difference as it's my first full week in Chicago (one of my favorite cities in the states). I made the move from Phoenix last week and am excited for dozens of reasons, but mostly Chicago has a fantastic indie music scene. So in celebration I thought I'd bring you something from one of my favorite indie guys out of Chicago, Lee Dewyze. It's a perfect jam for a summer in Chicago. Check out "All Right:"
All little jam is just what I needed this Monday afternoon, and that's what you'll get with The Beautiful Girls. Check out "Dela" from their Controlled Substance release Ziggurats.
It's been awhile since I've brought you guys anything from the Roger Clyne's Turbo Ocho series, and this Arizona heat is just screaming for some Peacemakers.
Alice Cooper has had an incredible career working within the confines of the traditional music industry, but even he appreciates the fact that the game is changing. Independent musicians have it tough. We had a chance to sit down with Alice a few weeks ago and pick his brain about what it takes for musicians to succeed in today's climate.
Check out this clip:
See more of Alice and his thoughts on the music industry over here.
Here we meet again on this lovely Monday afternoon.
I'm a big fan of acoustic folk bands from the UK....there's something about an unplugged guitar, a cello, and a British accent that really gets me. It won't surprise you then to find that The Sleeping Years, a folk group of out the UK, is one of my favorites.
Check out this rendition of "Setting Fires to Sleepy Towns," shot in a quaint little coffee shop. It will most certainly get you through your Monday, or at least give you five minutes of calm.
I've really been loving the Melbourne band Winterpark lately. This video for "Never Alone" is really stunning (directed by Genevieve Bailey). Check it out: