Sarah Slean

Sarah Slean is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and occasional actress from Pickering, Ontario. She has released eleven albums to date. I think she crossed my radar back in 2006 when she contributed two beautiful tracks ("Us and Them" and "Comfortably Numb") to the Pink Floyd Redux album, a modern 12-track tribute to Pink Floyd. . So now Sarah has a new album recently released, and a fine album it is. Check it out of you get the chance.

Set it Free


You're Not alone Set it Free   Sarah Slean performing You're Not Alone from the album Land & Sea (available September 27, 2011) live at Toronto's Harbourfront on August 6, 2011. Accompanied by a 21 piece orchestra. Also from that concert, another track from the new album.


The Cosmic Ballet

Aqua

Who remembers Aqua?

Aqua is a Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group, best known for their 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1989 and achieved huge success across the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles. The group released two albums: Aquarium in 1997 and Aquarius in 2000, before splitting up in July 2001. The group sold an estimated 33 million albums and singles, making them the most successful Danish band ever.

Seems like they are making a comeback, new album and everything.
Keep a lookout for them, they are sounding good.

Playmate To JesusOfficial video of the second single, Playmate To Jesus, from the upcoming album Megalomania. Release October 3, 2011.

How R U Doin?

Here's a live performance on Denmark's X Facgtor about six months back.

Sak Noel - Loca People

Here's the new Euro dance sensational summer song, just in time for Autumn. Very catchy it is. As many times as I listen to it, I just have to listen one more time. Here it is, the Sak Noel mega hit - Loca People.

Loca People (Uncensored) OFFICIAL VIDEO
Embedding disabled by request
Both of the official versions are Embedding impaired. So we have to go to some of the re-mixes, this iggzmix is a popular version with more than 5 million hits.


iggzmix

Loca People (OUT NOW) [Official HD Video]This official one seems to have slipped through.

Loca People (Richard Kay Remix - Radio Edit) PROMO






Loca People (Dj DaGo Produtchive Remix)
Sak Noel - Loca People (Dj DaGo Produtchive Remix) **Censored Version Link On Description** by Dj DaGo

Thanks Popbitch.

You Can't Pray Away The Gay Bachmann!

I guess we are a little bit political today, but still with a musical bent. And of course we've had flash mobs on here before. This was the You Can't Pray Away The Gay Bachmann! Flash Mob - The Courage Campaign.

  Special Thanks to JoJo Diggs For Her Choreography! Special thanks to Ana Beatriz Cholo, of the Courage Campaign, Chris Lilly and the countless volunteers who stepped up to help at the last minute to make this a success.

And here's a behind the scenes video that goes a bit deeper into The Courage Campaign and there stand on the controversy. Courage Campaign gleefully protests Michele Bachmann outside of the California Republican Convention. This is a behind the scenes look at what went into it, and how the media descended on the group after.

And just to ensure impartiality, no favoritism here we are totally equal opportunity offenders. So here's a flash mob for Mr Bachmann. Producer: Sarah Webster Norton Choreographer: John Agurkis Edited by Dan Feidt & Gus Ganley Earlier in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, an army of gay barbarians marched on Michele and Marcus Bachmann's "clinic", condemning the couple's attempt to "pray away" their discredited gay conversion therapy. The flashmob protest — inspired by Marcus's assertion that gays are "barbarians who need to be disciplined" — comes in the wake of the unlicensed therapist's peculiar reversal, now denying he or his "therapists" ever practiced the harmful therapy.

Hot Dog photos, the gift that just keeps giving.  I know not all of them are Bachmanns but couldn't resist adding another clown to the line up. 

Lizard Kisses

Lizard Kisses are an indie-pop duo from Brooklyn, New York, consisting of Cory Siegler - Vocals, Marc Merza - Acoustic Guitar with Jordan Lee - Electric Guitar, Vocals.   They could almost qualify as shoegaze.   But whatever their genre, the music is great.  Check them out, they be cool.


Pinch
Lizard Kisses - Pinch from Jessica Amaya on Vimeo.
Pinch is from their most recent album, which you can listen to or download from here:

Released 06 September 2011 Download of 8-track EP, Tiny Island Teeth. High quality formats available. Our music is "pay what you wish", feel free to give us money for our songs or not. Tiny Island Teeth was written and recorded in our Brooklyn apartment during the summer of 2011. Cakes and Tapes is responsible for the physical release- a limited edition of 50 cassette tapes. The album artwork was a collaboration between photographer Lily Roden (age 3) and Cory Siegler. Lily was given a handful of disposable cameras, and we ended up creating five different covers using her photos. Tiny Island Teeth was recorded with a handful of our favorite artists and friends. Among them are: Charlotte Oleena - vocals on "Swell" Ellen Johansing - vocals on "Pinch" and "Into The Sea" Marie Clerel - vocals on "Tiny Island Teeth" Jordan Lee - vocals on "Runoff" Matt Dallow - glockenspiel and saw on "Swell" and accordion on "I Want To Go Home"

And here's a track from an earlier release. Slow Bones

Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles

Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles are a Folk, Gypsy, Flamenco, Pop, Polka band. They are made up of: Lucy Michell, Ashley Boman, Jesse Schuster, Eamonn Mclain, Geoff Freeman and Chris Graham They hail from the twin cities - Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota They are quoted as saying: "We've been a band for over three years, have toured east, west, in between and a little south. We have three full lengths albums and hope to put out many more and travel all over the world!" I'm thinking they are well on their way. Great sounds from a great band, give 'em a listen.

PostcardRecorded at the Cedar Cultural Center

Bula BulaLucy Michelle & The Velvet Lapelles, "Bula Bula", 1-1-11, Ed's(no name)Bar, Winona, MN


LovefoolA terrific performance at Radio K, which is the award-winning student-run radio station of the University of Minnesota, playing an eclectic variety of independent music both old and new. Listen to Radio K at 770 AM, 100.7 FM and 104.5 FM, as well as online at radiok.org. Video shot by Chase Mathey, Caleigh Souhan, and Philip James Hart

Special Party Time for EverybodyLucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles performing Special Party Time for Everybody at NDMOA's Concerts in the Garden on June 21, 2011.

Katie Herzig

In 2006, after several years of fronting the critically acclaimed Colorado-based band, Newcomers Home, Katie Herzig moved to Nashville to strike it solo. Before leaving Colorado, she single-handedly recorded and produced Weightless, a tour-de-force of innovative sonics and songwriting. Since then, Katie's song "Heaven's My Home" received a 2007 Grammy nomination and she has steadily become a fixture in Nashville's up-and-coming indie music scene. Her songs have been featured on NPR, KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, Frito Lay and Honda commercials and many television shows including several episodes of television's highest rated drama, Grey's Anatomy. Katie has toured with the Ten Out Of Tenn tour, Hotel Café Tour, PASTE Magazine songwriter tour and has supported national acts such as The Fray, Brandi Carlile, Shawn Colvin, Aqualung and others. In 2008, Katie was featured in Billboard Magazine's "Now Hear This" as well as one of PASTE Magazine's 25 "Best of What's Next" artists. She continues to out-do herself with each new musical endeavor.

And so she has to make an appearance here. I'm really digging this new single "Free My Mind", very cool. Free My MindMusic video by Katie Herzig performing Free My Mind. (C) 2011 Marion-Lorraine Records

Hey Na Na

And finally today here's a making of video about Katies new album. Enjoy. Katie Herzig and her co-producer, Cason Cooley, talk about how they made Katie's record, The Waking Sleep. Filmed and edited by Dawson Wells. Featuring Claire Indie, Jordan Hamlin and Will Sayles.

Hindi Zahra

Hindi Zahra is yet another great voice who I have been neglecting for a while. I was reminded about her when I saw a piece about France Rocks CMJ Nights, a two-night party that they are holding FOR FREE during the CMJ Music Marathon on October 19th and 20th.  Pity I won't be in New York around that time. So I guess I will just have to make do with these videos.

Hold on a second, Hindi Zahra will be in San Francisco very soon.
When? October 1 at 9pm
Where? The Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St, San Francisco, CA
Check out her other nights on tour, she may be closer than you think.

So check out some of her more recent stuff. First up a take on a real classic.
The Man I Love (Unplugged)

Moroccan-born, Paris-based Hindi Zahra can speak to mountains or whisper in your ear. She can turn rustling plastic bags into Berber beats and Parisian kitchens into soul incubators. Playfully savoring East and West, she writes infectious, unique and ever fresh songs, plays any instrument she can get her hands on, and records her own voice in the middle of the night to capture that perfect spark of intimacy.

Imik Simik

Mawazine 2011

Some more of her gorgeous voice, also from Mawazine 2011.
At The Same Time


In case you are going to be in New York either of those two days, the artists involved for the FRANCE ROCKS CMJ NIGHTS are:


DAY 1: Wednesday October 19th
  8pm - The Lanskies
  9pm - Hindi Zahra 
10pm - The Two 
11pm – Revolver
12pm - Chateau Marmont 

DAY 2: Thursday October 20th
  9pm - Stranded Horse 
10pm – The Inspector Cluzo 
11pm – Zenzile 
12pm - Make The Girl Dance   (very cool video)

Zola Jesus

Can you believe it's been almost a year since the last post about Zola Jesus. Well there's another new album from her, and boy they just keep getting better.

Zola Jesus is not a band,it is a solo project. Zola Jesus is not a singer, she is a musician. It has always been so.

Vessel

"Vessel" is the first exciting peek into the universe of CONATUS, the highly anticipated follow-up to debut album Stridulum by Zola Jesus. Produced by Nika Roza Danilova and Brian Foote and mixed & engineered by Brian Foote in Los Angeles, CA, the track seems at first listen the perfect progression from the dark balladry of Stridulum, with Nika's unique voice and powerful vocal style set against a more avant-garde industrial backdrop. tzortzinious

Avalanche

A Live version at The Billiken Club, St. Louis - April 14, 2011

And since I love the track so much here is a live version of Vessel.

Big Top Stage - 3rd Sept 2011

one of those "making of" videos



And finally one more track, audio only again.
Skin

Maria Mena

Maria Mena is an amazing Norwegian singer. Maria Mena was born into an artistic family, her mother, a playwright and her father, a drummer. Both Maria and her brother, Tony, are named after characters from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story. Her mother is Norwegian and her father is Nicaraguan.

Maria has one of the more beautiful voices in the music biz nowadays.

Viktoria

Live August 5, 2011 @dasfestival Switzerland

Mitt lille land

Maria Mena har sammen med musikkprodusent Martin Sjølie laget en versjon av Ole Paus' sang "Mitt lille land" for TV2.

This Too Shall Pass

Track six from the new album
Copyright (P) 2011 Sony Music Entertainment Norway AS, 2011

Habits (feat. Mads Langer)

The most beautiful song on the album "Viktoria" released on 23th Sept. in Holland and Norway. In Germany, album's out on 7th October, in Poland on 29th September.

And finally today a great track from last year.
Just Hold Me (UK Radio Edit)

Maria Mena - Just Hold Me (UK Radio Edit) remixed by Ash Howes
(c) Sony Music Entertainment (Norway)

Aircraft Hotel

If you're thinking to yourself, "that's sort of a small window for a luxury hotel suite," well, you're right. But it's only because this room occupies the entirety of a repurposed Cold War-era East German aircraft. More images after the break...

OK, the view isn't anything special: the plane stays grounded outside the Teuge airport in the Netherlands. But the room itself, dubbed the Vliegtuigsuite, is spectacular, including three flat screen TVs, a Blu-ray player, a sauna, and a jacuzzi. Guests have access to the entire plane, from your king-size bed in the back all the way up to the cockpit. On Dec. 7th 2007 I post Plane Restaurent and this time a plane hotel, the world is really amazing.

Aircraft Hotel

Lovers Electric

An intro to Lovers Electric would be that they are a band from down under but formed in the old country (UK).  David Turley and Eden Boucher are the members of the band, and just to add to the confusion they currently reside in Berlin, Germany.

Apart from all that Lovers Electric do make good music. And they have a new album coming out any day now. Impossible Dreams.

Beating Like a Drum

Album 'Impossible Dreams' available Australia wide October 7, 2011

Here's a "behind the scenes" on the making of the album.

Making of the new album 'Impossible Dreams' at Ridge Farm Studio, U.K. Featuring 'Beating Like a Drum'.

Love Can Save Us


You can check out a few more tracks right here.
Impossible Dreams - new album preview by loverselectric

Timoteij

Timoteij is a Swedish pop group established in 2008. The group consists of four women, Cecilia Kallin, Bodil Bergström, Elina Thorsell and Johanna Pettersson, all born in 1991. What are the odds? Based on another famous Swedish pop group, ABBA, they could be AAAA (no B's those were the guys) but then I guess they would be CBEJ which does not roll of the tongue like Timoteij.
Enough of the BS, just kick back and enjoy Timoteij.

Run

Timoteij's english version of "Kom", their entry at Melodifestivalen 2010

A commercial for their new album.

Högt över ängarna

Allsång på Skansen 2010

Feber

This live performance last year, from one of my favorite small towns in Sweden, Örebro.

White Willow

White Willow is a Norwegian art rock band, (not to be confused with Salix alba) mixing elements of orchestral pop, 70's progressive rock, jazz-rock and even electronic elements. They have released 5 albums so far, their new album Terminal Twilight is set to be released on October 17th 2011. And based on what I'm hearing here I will be on the lookout for it. Been a while since I've got into any art rock (do I miss the days of following Curved Air around and attending their concerts? you betcha) but I think I've found an art rock band I can get into again.



Excerpts from White Willow's forthcoming album "Terminal Twilight", available from The Laser's Edge in North America and from Termo Records in the rest of the world. To be released on October 11.

Floor 67

Audio only this is track five of the new album.

Lights

Lights Valerie Poxleitner (born Valerie Anne Poxleitner 11 April 1987), known professionally as Lights is a Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter. She is known for composing and performing synthpop music such as the songs "Ice", "Second Go" and "Toes" and featuring in the songs "Crucify Me" & "Don't Go" by the UK band Bring Me The Horizon.

Right now she has this real cool new album out called Siberia.
Here she is in a live performance to promote same.

aug 23 at Meaford Hall in Ontario, Canada!

Everybody Breaks A Glass

The Official Lyric video for "Everybody Breaks A Glass" feat. Holy Fuck and Shad. Video created by LIGHTS.
"Everybody Breaks A Glass" as heard on Lights forthcoming album Siberia

Also from the album is the new single
Toes