Bon Iver - Blood Bank [Ep]

Bon Iver - "Blood Bank" - [Ep] - 2009 - [Jagjaguwar Records]

Mr. Justine Vermon aka "Bon Iver" the musical phenomenon of 2008 [who firstly appeared in 2007] and all the bloggers fall in love with his "skinny love" and the fragile emotions he delivered...
Returns with his new Ep "Blood Bank" in 2009 to hold his ground and prepare his far and wide fans for his forthcoming album.
I can't remember if this is the first time I say it, but his voice reminds me of Chris Martin
[Coldplay's frontman].

"Blood Bank" is a great Ep, consisted of four songs that you will listen in repeat for a long time.

Listen to:

Blood Bank

SONG LIST:
1.Blood Bank
2.Beach Baby
3.Babys
4.Woods

One last goodbye:

Charles Wesley Cooper, III
April 12, 1977 - January 22, 2009.

Yesterday night, while I was browsing myspace... I was informed for the sudden death of Charles Wesley Cooper III. The 32-your-old musician and founding member of Telefon Tel Aviv.
What can I say...
Thank you very much for the musical adventures you offered us.
Your memory will live in our hearts through your songs.

Last Harbour - Embers [EP] // Download It Now!

Last Harbour
'Embers' e.p
(Little Red Rabbit Records, 2008; LRR009)

"A free download e.p. to wish you all a happy new year and to say thank you to all the wonderful people who have supported the band this year. You can download a zip file including three songs and accompanying artwork here."

The 'Embers' EP is made up of demos and versions from 'Dead Fires & the Lonely Spark'.
It includes three songs:

1. Broken Nail
2. Out Back
3. The Revenger's Waltz
   

Link: Last Harbour

Telefone Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself

As I see 2009 will be a year full of good music!

Many famous bands have returned with their latest albums.
Telefon Tel Aviv is one of them.

Telefon Tel Aviv is an electronic band headed by Josh Eustis and Charlie Cooper coming from New Orlean. On their third album they changed their record label and now they can be found on Bpitch Control. A famous Berlin based, German techno record label with well-known artists such as Ellen Allien, Modeselector, Sasha Funke and more.

After two albums [Fahrenheit Fair Enough -2001- and Map Of What Is Effortless -2004-] and many remixes, Telefon Tel Aviv are back with their third album "Immolate Yourself". This time the band seems to have left behind all the idm concept and focuses on more electro-pop sounds that will make you dance until you drop.

“Immolate yourself“ unites ten tracks with the aim to give the term electro pop a new definition for 2009. Although each track has its own story to tell, together they paint a bigger picture that encapsulates the Telefon Tel Aviv sound. Arguably the albums standout track “Helen And Troy“ was in fact the last track to be finished and in a way marked the studio climax. As Telefon Tel Aviv state, “we knew, after completing this song, that we were in fact finished with the record.“ Read more ->


In other words their 2009 comeback album is well-crafted and full of explosive tunes, ready to give you a good motive to be on the dancefloors this year!

They successfully sewn up their statement to "achieve the complete hybridization of music".

Links: Telefon Tel Aviv
Must Listen Track: The Birds
Here is an album trailer:

Interview with: "The Goldfinger Recordings"

Discovering Musical Landscapes
presents: An Interview with "The Goldfinger Recordings".

So, here I am with Stelios Vakaloudis, the founding member and lead singer of the greek band "The Goldfinger Recordings".

• Stelio tell us about your band. What is The Goldfinger Recordings?

"The Goldfinger Recordings" is a project created by me in 2005 in Thessaloniki [Greece]. The band was created six months ago and now it is consisted from seven members:

Giorgos Panagopoulos (Drums)
Maria Koltsiada (Piano/Synth/Vocals)
Thanashs Karipidhs (Electric Violin)
Tasos Tataroglou (Trumpet)
Thanashs Lykartzhs (Bass)
Aris Karakashs (Guitar)
& Stelios Vacaloudis (Vocals)

• Why did you choose this name?

"That's a strange story. I have a jewelry shop, which is actually our music studio!
Everyday the shop is open and late at Saturdays when it's closed all the jewelries are being removed to give ground to the organs that appear one by one... to create the Goldfinger Recordings studio."

• So your music is "precious"! In which music genre would you include your work and which is your opinion about these labels?

I don't think that someone could easily tag us in a music genre. The Goldfinger Recordings is a blend of acoustic and electronic sounds. We are self-titled as a "Melodramatic popular songs" band that we think it describes us better. Now, as for the music labels I think that they could be very helpful for someone who is searching for something specific or for something that will help him understand which music genre he is listening to.

• Music is mainly influences. Which are your musical influences and which artists do you admire?

Our music influences come from various types of music, such as Mazzy Star, Tindersticks, Prodigy and more... As for the artists we enjoy listening are Radiohead, Hatzidakis, Portishead and many more that I can not recall.

• Which is your opinion about the record labels? Do you think that releasing an album nowadays is easy or difficult for a Greek band?

The hardest part of releasing an album is not on finding a record label but on finding a good producer and a good manager/promoter who will book your live performances and promote your band. Nowadays the problem is not the sale on the market but the quality production. Some well known Greek artists with quality production is Monika with her debut album "Avatar" and also the albums "Forwards and Backwards" and "Flood" of both produced by Raining PleasureMr.Coti.K and Chistos Lainas.

• I heard some rumors that you will support "Red Snapper" in Greece. Is that right and how do you feel about that? Is it the first time you perform live?

Yes it is true as you see... How do we feel? Ecstatic, because "Red Snapper" is a a band we admire. This is the second time we will perform live... The first time was at the Soundwave 2008 in Thessaloniki which was a great experience.

• Which is your opinion about the English speaking Greek music scene?

In my opinion, this scene is almost amateurish and it will remain the same. That might sound a bit cruel but if you consider that a band doesn't do live concerts, because of the limited listeners and the "non given" opportunities inevitably their work including their performance doesn't get improved and as a result they remain inexperienced (=amateurish).
And we have to admit also that it is unable for someone to work professionally in a country that everyone is listening to Greek-Bouzoukia, Hatzigianni and "pop/rock" bands like Onirama. We deserve the lack of culture we are experiencing every day. Thank god the world will collapse in 2012!

• And one final question. Tell me your favorite album that was released in 2008!

Portishead's - Third! Because once again they produced and write music from their own dimension...

• For the new listeners now that want to learn more about you... Where can someone find you?

On Myspace: www.myspace.com/vaudevill
& Last.fm www.last.fm/music/the+goldfinger+recordings

Must Listen song: "Coma"

More Info about the Live Concert: click here

Discover: Last Harbour

Last Harbour is the band I have fallen in love with recently!

"Last Harbour are a Manchester collective playing rustic, cinematically atmospheric songs that rattle and loom, at once epic and intimate, harsh and beautiful. Using instrumentation that might traditionally be associated with folk music, the band instead hammer and sculpt their music into unusual and beguiling forms. This is music with a strong emotional content, both bitter and beautiful.
The band effectively operate as a collective of like-minded musicians, all of whom are involved in other artistic work including music, photography, film-making and recording. There have been several Last Harbour records to date, all of them highly acclaimed." taken from their official website.What I've written about their latest album:
Best Albums of 2008
#41.
"Dead Fires & The Lonely Spark" is a melodramatic folk album from a Manchester-based band, Last Harbour. This record sounds like a continuance to the album of "Boduf Songs". Melodic tear-jerking songs, excellent vocals and truly atmospheric from start to finish.
Feel this music experience!

Listen: "The Accident"

published: 16/12/08

Now, I would like to add:
This is a must have record and I feel ashamed for not having included it
in the top 20 Albums of 2008.
With this Post I would like to "set the record straight" & atone about what I've written
because I feel it wasn't enough.

Links:
www.lastharbour.co.uk

www.myspace.com/lastharbour

Inspired Video Clips

Here I recommend you an alternative way to listen to good music.
Many people have created their own videos by adding well known music ,
as a better way to express their concept.

Here is an Example:
from Carlos Lascano

Discover the world of Vimeo.com

Song: Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros

A Second Chance // The Best Song Covers of 2008!

TOP 10:
Sort by: Song - Cover Artist [Original Artist]

10: Pretty In Pink - Dresden Dolls [Psychedelic Furs]

Because they look Pretty in Pink even if they 're dark.

09: A Forest - Bat For Lashes [Cure]

This cover totally changed they way a classic Cure song sounds like.

08: Jimmy - Of Montreal [M.I.A.]

Jimmy is a crazy urban song, but they proved that they can go once again "over the top".

07: Down The Line - Gutter Twins [Jose Gonzalez]

Jose Gonzalez must be proud!

06: Reckoner - Gnarls Barkley [Radiohead]

This "Odd Couple" can be as dramatic as Radiohead on this song...

05: Just Like Honey - Headless Heroes [Jesus And The Mary Chain]

An excellent cover from a forthcoming band. 

04: New York, New York - Cat Power [Frank Sinatra]
I will agree that "Cat Power doesn't cover songs. She un-covers them!"

03: Slow - Tricky [Kylie Minogue]

Now I understand the reason why this song became a hit!

02: Where Is My Mind? - Yoav [The Pixies]

If you thought Placebo had made the top cover on "Where Is My Mind", here is the reason to reconsider your decision!

01: Born Slippy (Nuxx) - Get Well Soon [Underworld]

One of the best bands of 2008 with one of the best song covers of all time.

Now it's time to shout:

"Mega mega white thing mega mega white thing

Mega mega white thing mega mega shouting

Lager lager lager lager mega mega white thing"

Discover: Emily Wells

Emily Wells is a talented singer-songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist [playing: violin, banjo, synth, drum machine, xylophone, metallophone, ukulele, guitar and more...] born in Texas.

From an early age she started playing various and numerous musical instruments. At the age of 17 she had the guts to reject not only one, but two famous record labels in order to have the creative control of her work and the independence to express, as a true indie artist, in her own way the beautiful music she creates out of record label bounds.

Her latest album is The Symphonies: Dreams, Memories & Parties
In my own words: "Elegant Vivid Melodies"

This album was released in 2008. Yet another excellent album that was kept in the dark and I really needed to bring it into light. Discover this beautiful crafted album with its ten symphonies to remind you the bright side of life.

Here is a sample of her album:

Symphony 6: Fair Thee Well and Requiem Mix - Emily Wells

Sounds like:
Vivaldi [stoned] with a lighter version of Emily Autumn's eccentric rhythms,
add some avant-garde insanity of Cocorosie,
mix them and let Cat Gosgovitch [Nut] for the vocals.

Music Genre:
[If you really want to tag this...]
Indie Folktronic

Links:

www.myspace.com/emilywells
www.emilywellsmusic.com

Discover: Jóhann Jóhannsson

Jóhann Jóhannsson is an Icelandic musician, composer and producer. He is also the founder of the record label "Kitchen Motors" which specializes in concerts, exhibitions, film productions, books and more...

He has released five solo albums: two on Touch, 2002's Englabörn and 2004's Virðulegu Forsetar, Dís on Worker's Institute (2005) and two on 4ad: 2006's IBM 1401, a User's Manual and 2008's Fordlândia.

One week ago I bought his latest album "Fordlândia" and to my great surprise, I fall in love with this magnificent blend of contemporary classical melodies with electronic ambient sounds that create an atmospheric experimental soundtrack for great escapes! Discover its beauty and let your mind free to trip to its beautiful dark sound-scapes. If only I had known about this briliantly crafted gem earlier it would definetelly be included in the Top 100 albums of the year and perhaps at the top 3 records of the year.

Fordlandia will hook you.

Other projects of Jóhann Jóhannsson:

• Apparat Organ Quartet: A five piece band consisted of four organists and one drummer. They sometimes describe their music as "Machine Rock and Roll" but the standard definition of their sound is "Organ Quartet Music", a completely new genre. Apparat Organ Quartet´s members include:
  
  1. Musikvatur, who has collaborated with Múm and has released several solo singles.
  2. Hordur Bragason, a former associate of Austrian artist Hermann Nitsch and by day, an organist in Reykjavik´s largest church congregation.
  3. Ulfur Eldjarn, also a member of the group Trabant and former member of Kanada.
  4. Arnar Geir Omarsson, who has worked with Magga Stina, Ham, Lhooq and others.
  5. Jóhann Jóhannsson
• Production on Mark Almond's "Stranger Things", Barry Adamson and Pan Sonic and many others...

Similar Artists: Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds, Goldmund, Hauschka

Links:
www.johannjohannsson.com
www.myspace.com/johannjohannsson

Here is a clip from his latest album Fordlândia. The song is called "The Rocket Builder".

Must See Music Events This Month [January 09]

Thessaloniki:

Jan 8. Thursday
Karuan @ Art-House Gallery Bar
A famous musician especially in Greece!

Jan 9. Friday
Sleepin Pillow @ Eightball Club
One of the most promising Greek bands.

Jan 17. Saturday
The Herbaliser @ Principal Club Theatre
Everyone will be there...

Jan 22. Thursday
Cyanna @ New York Live Club
Just another Greek Band you should know.

Jan 23. Friday
Red Snapper, The Goldfinger Recordings @ New York Live Club
Don't miss this!If you don't know Red Snapper, check them out on the main playlist. You will read more about "The Goldfinger Recordings" soon... I Promise!

Athens:

Jan 13 Tuesday
The Tiger Lillies Freak Show @ Badminton Theatre
Once again... in Greece for one more magnificent show!

Jan 16 Friday
The Herbaliser @ Gagarin 205

Jan 18 Sunday
Shora, Yndi Halda, Double Bill @ Gagarin 205
Two brilliant and famous Post bands in one Live?! That't very interesting...

Jan 22 Thursday
Misuse, Afformance, One Hour Before The Trip @ Kyttaro Monika @ Gagarin 205
Yet another Greek Band that needs your attention

Jan 23 Friday
µ-Ziq @ Bios
The day Athens will be sleepless. Dance!

Jan 24 Saturday
Red Snapper @ Gagarin 205 Jan 31 Saturday Calexico @ Fuzz Club

We Carry On!!!

It's Been a While...
Since I posted something new, but I was on vacation.
So, here is the first post of 2009.
A video clip I found on Vimeo.com to show you that we are back, alive and kicking!

Let this song be this year's anthem.

"Portishead - We Carry On"


Science Machine from Chad Pugh on Vimeo.