Ear It Now

Omega One - The Lo-Fi Chronicles

2008-06-03T12:31:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Just A Sample (Intro)
02. Body Double
03. Memento
04. T.A.B.
05. Paper Bag Boxer
06. Mom's Revolver
07. Off The Horizon
08. Interlude One
09. I Want It All (Feat. I Self Divine)
10. The Hashishin
11. Joint Operation
12. Interlude Two
13. 20 Million Miles
14. Cliff Banger
15. Coup D'Etat (Feat. Lodeck)

Genre: Lo-Fi/Breakbeat
Website: www.myspace.com/omegaonemusic
Release Date: 2005-10-18
Label: Nature Sounds

Been a little busy lately and haven't gotten around to sortin music for the ears of the masses til now.

Omega One is outta New York (like Blockhead) and gets some tight beats goin (like Blockhead). As the album title suggests, this is a journey through Lo-Fi music and is one you wouldn't wanna miss. How can you not completely feel that piano in Memento??

Coltrane Motion - No Well OK Maybe Just A Little EP

2008-05-31T12:26:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Pi Is Exactly Three
02. The End Of Every Movie
03. Supersexy '67
04. I Guess The Kids Are OK

Genre: Alternative Indie
Website: www.myspace.com/motion
Release Date: 2005-05-10
Label: Datawaslost

Hittin' ya from Chicago is Coltrane Motion. I've known about this band for a really long time, but if you're anything like me you tend to listen to things that you have some experience with and I didn't get my experience with this band until the Halfway to Forecastle Festival about 5 months back. This band played there and I was super into it and heartily impressed. Supersexy '67 is a fantastic song, but also check out the others.

The Secret Life Of Sofia - Seven Summits

2008-05-30T13:10:00.000-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Fifty Fourteeners
02. Government Lakes
03. Outside
04. Nepal, 1905
05. Sheet Stealer!
06. Weathering
07. Moose Collision
08. Dead Trees
09. Evidence
10. Nanda Devil
11. Seven Summits

Genre: Indie Pop Folk
Website: www.myspace.com/thesecretlifeofsofia

Release Date: 2008-05-13
Label: Independent

So first off this band's CD art is awesome. At a limited run of 500 (produced sweatshop style by the band) including 3 different sleeves for the CD, I'm a big fan of the album art. Once I got through all the frill and lace I gave the CD a few listens and I'm a big fan. Outside is a fairly available song if you spend a few minutes looking around and it's one of my fav's. Youtube.

Calvin Harris - I Created Disco

2008-05-30T12:29:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Merrymaking At My Place
02. Colours
03. This Is The Industry
04. The Girls
05. Acceptable In The 80's
06. Neon Rocks
07. Traffic Cops
08. Vegas
09. I Created Disco
10. Disco Heat
11. Vault Character
12. Certified
13. Love Souvenir
14. Electro Man

Genre: 80's Electro
Website: www.myspace.com/calvinharristv

Release Date: 2007-06-04
Label: Almost Gold

Funky synth beats a la LCD Soundsystem is a fairly decent way of describing what Calvin Harris brings to the table. I'd even say that Pop Levi and Calvin would get along really well given their 80's-esque feel. Some hit harder than others but The Girls (and Acceptable In The 80's) is a certified single comin' atcha from the UK.

Supersci - Pinetrees On The Pavement

2008-05-28T17:02:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Pinetrees On The Pavement
02. All Year Next Year
03. On The Grind
04. A Deuce Or An Ace
05. On Production
06. A Lotta Love
07. Get (Feat. Remedeeh)
08. Ain't No End
09. Lullaby (Feat. Blackfist & Rosie Staf)
10. One Last Glass (Feat. Simone)
11. July To July
12. Time Prisoners
13. Move On (Feat. Tobias Samuelsson)
15. Pinetrees Outro

Genre: Hip Hop
Website: www.myspace.com/supersci
Release Date: 2006-04-04
Label: Flyphonic Phonogram

I been listenin' to these fools since the album came out and all along never really knew they were from Sweden. The beats (for the most part) are ill and the flows are far from lacking. As far as lyrical content goes I'm not left unimpressed. All in all a pretty darn good 4/5 for the album and a 4.5 almost 5/5 for the few tracks that stand out (like 3, the first one I ever heard). Ear it now.

Lethal Audio - Lethal Audio

2008-05-28T02:45:00.004-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Force
02. Backpacks Adrenaline
03. 4 Elements
04. Takin' It Back
05. Paper And Pens
06. Game On
07. White Noise
08. Past Present Future
09. Karma
10. Questions (Feat. Yamio 263)
11. Glitter Bitches
12. Hypnotized
13. Premonitions
14. Understream
15. Dog Suse Freestyle
16. Penny For Your Thoughts
17. Abstract Anatomy
18. Respect

Genre: Rap/Hip Hop
Website: www.cdbaby.com/cd/lethalaudio
Release Date: 2007
Label: MESH Productions

Although I'm not usually one for the rap, Lethal Audio takes a trip towards the hip hop on track 2 and it's my favorite track on the album. It's what I'm listening to right now and it's treatin' me just right on this bright and sunny day of staying inside and working (booooo). The lyrics flow like an endless stream of water and leave no room for interjections. So don't even try.

Boys Noize - Feel Good (TV=Off) EP

2008-05-25T12:11:00.002-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Feel Good (TV=Off)
02. Feel Good (TV=Off) (Shinichi Osawa Edit)

Genre: Electro/Club
Website: www.myspace.com/boysnoize
Release Date: 2007-02
Label: Kitsune Music

I woke up this morning and was listening to this song with some friends and decided that in spite of the Boys Noize full album release two posts below, this song is worth a gander. So gander away on this 2nd day of the 3 day weekend.

TEPR - En Direct De La Côte EP

2008-05-23T11:52:00.002-04:00

Tracklist:

01. En Direct De La Côte
02. En Direct De La Côte (Alavi Rerox)
03. Minuit Jacuzzi
04. Minuit Jacuzzi (DatA Remix)

Genre: Club Electro
Website: www.myspace.com/tepr
Release Date: 2007-09-03
Label: Wall Of Sound

Mmmm french electro at it's finest. TEPR is of course a frenchie and is bumpin some clubbin beats a la daft punk. You'll have to excuse the electronic trend of the day but I ran into some really good little EP's in the last week and finally have a hot second to share the love.

Boys Noize - Oi Oi Oi

2008-05-23T11:43:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. And Down
02. Lava Lava
03. The Battery
04. Oh
05. Let's Buy Happiness
06. Arcade Robot
07. Deny Selected
08. Shine Shine
09. Vergiftet
10. Superfresh
11. Wu-Tang (Battery Pt. 2)
12. Don't Believe The Hype
13. Frau (Feat. I-Robots)
14. Feist - My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix)
15. 3 Bass

Genre: ElectroBump
Website: www.myspace.com/boysnoize
Release Date: 2007-09-25
Label: Last Gang

Tracks 4 and 6 had previously been put on a mix I made at the end of last year and I subsequently lost the tracklist and never remembered who the frickin' super electro band was at the end of the mix. So thanks to Eric for fillin' me in on who I had been listening to and a booyah to my boy JT cuz I know this sh*t is gonna be bumpin' that ride. 'Cept to get the full experience u know u gonna need more than two tracks so hit up that album... the feist remix is the sickness.

Raashan Ahmad - The Push

2008-05-22T12:02:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Hello
02. If I
03. The Crush
04. Close
05. Give Thanks
06. Get Funky
07. Heavenbound
08. Shining
09. The Pressure
10. Fight
11. Here We Go
12. Ready
13. Yusef
14. Cancer
15. Cool Down
16. Peace

Genre: Hip Hop
Website: www.myspace.com/raashanahmad
Release Date: 2008-05-20
Label: Om

Reversion to hip hop. Raashan, of Crown City Rockers, is representin the US out of the bay area and is doin a damn fine job. I'm personally diggin track 9 the best with its People Under The Stairs feelin beat. Tasty.

Low Vs. Diamond - Low Vs. Diamond

2008-05-21T13:37:00.004-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Don't Forget Sister
02. Killer B
03. This Is Your life
04. Cinema Tonight
05. Actions Are Actions
06. Heart Attack
07. Song We Sang Away
08. Wasted
09. Save Yourself
10. Annie
11. I'll Be

Genre: Indie Rock
Website: www.myspace.com/lowvsdiamond

Release Date: 2008-04
Label: Epic

"The beginnings of Los Angeles' Low vs Diamond can be traced to early 2002 at the University of Colorado, where lead singer/guitarist Lucas Field, drummer Howie Diamond, and keyboardist Tad Moore (birth name: James Thaddeus Moore IV) were undergrads. The three played together in a jam band in between studying and classes, and when graduation day came and went, the guys relocated themselves to the City of Angels. During school, the group had begun absorbing a diversity artists outside of Dave Matthews and Phish -- such as David Bowie, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Serge Gainsbourg, and Air -- which led them to consequently abandon their pseudo-hippie ways for more dark and airy indie rock terrain once they settled into their new L.A. digs. Various bandmember and name changes unsurprisingly occurred during the process (including 1984 and Colored Shadows, the latter moniker under which the band issued two EPs) before finally agreeing on the name Low vs Diamond, supposedly as a joke relating to Diamond's incessant fighting with an ex-member's difficult girlfriend, nicknamed Low. With players Anthony Polcino (guitar/vocals) and Jon Pancoast (bass) eventually in tow, Low vs Diamond played gigs all around Los Angeles and readied material to lay down in the studio. They recorded a demo in mid-2006, which quickly caught the ear of Dominic Hardisty, the man responsible for signing an unknown Las Vegas band named the Killers a few years prior. The quintet wasted no time in impressing him further and was subsequently signed to Hardisty's U.K.-based Marrakesh label after only seeing them play one live show. The band's debut EP, Life After Love, was released in February 2007 to positive response, and Low vs Diamond's highly praised performances continued to generate area buzz and hype in the blogosphere. They graduated to the majors when Sony signed them and released a digital version of their self-titled debut album in April of 2008."

Athlete - The Outsiders EP

2008-05-21T12:31:00.002-04:00

Tracklist:

01. The Outsiders (Radio Edit)
02. Best Not To Think About It
03. Shades On
04. Plain English
05. Flying Over Bus Stops (Acoustic)

Genre: Indie Pop
Website: www.myspace.com/athlete
Release Date: 2008-06-23
Label: Parlophone

A nice little promo EP from a band that has often been ill-received by the critics, The Outsiders is a gem. I love acoustic versions of songs (sometimes even from heavy alt/metal bands).

"The lead track on the EP is a new version of 'The Outsiders' (the critics standout track from ' Beyond The Neighbourhood'), along with a re-recorded ' Best Not To Think About It', an acoustic version of 'Flying Over Bus Stops' and two brand new songs in 'Shades On' & 'Plain English'. After just finishing a highly successful 6 week tour of the US, Athlete play a few selected smaller festivals in the UK this summer (Bowood House and ZOO8) before returning to the studio to start recording album 4."

Pop Levi - Never Never Love

2008-05-20T21:16:00.007-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Wannamama
02. Never Never Love
03. Dita Dimone
04. Semi-babe
05. Fire On Your Feet
06. Mais Space
07. You Don't Gotta Run
08. Oh God (What Can I Do)
09. Everything And Finally
10. Love Your Straight
11. Call The Operator
12. Calling Me Down
13. Fountain Of Lies

Genre: J-Pop?
Website: www.poplevi.com
Release Date: 2008-07-14
Label: Counter

The track yall are gonna listen to is one I actually came across on what I believe was a Ninjatunes compilation. It's got classically 80's synth feels to it and it's right up that alley. Fun fact: This album was recorded in the very same studio where Thriller was recorded. A review I read somewhere was talking about how Pop does what he does with "production flare" and I think that just about sums it up. Here's a myspace vid of his single Never Never Love.
.

Monotonix - Body Language EP

2008-05-20T21:09:00.002-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Lowest Dive
02. Summers And Autumns
03. Body Language
04. Deadly Weapon
05. No Metal
06. On The Road

Genre: Rock Indie
Website: www.myspace.com/monotonix
Release Date: 2008-04-22
Label: Drag City

No way... seriously? Monotonix is based out of Tel Aviv? Wow, talk about staying international. But hey, one can rock out just about anywhere so I guess I can't be too surprised at finding some music I'd wanna headbang to on that side of the world. Good stuff methinks you'll like the feel of a live recording.

Booka Shade - The Sun And The Neon Light

2008-05-20T21:00:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Outskirts
02. Duke
03. Dusty Boots
04. Control Me
05. Solo City
06. Redemption
07. Charlotte
08. The Sun And The Neon Light
09. Sweet Lies
10. Karma Car
11. Psychameleon
12. Planetary
13. Comacabana
14. You Don't Know What You Mean To Me

Genre: Chill House
Website: www.myspace.com/getbookashade
Release Date: 2008-05-27
Label: Get Physical Music

Didn't take the time to figure out where this dude gets his name from (I don't think someone's real name is actually Booka Shade) but I wish I had. Regardless, we're heading back out of the US for a trip to Berlin to hear the not quite explosive electronic tracks of Booka Shade. The beats are a chilled out version of some decent house. Throw in some big bass and drums into Dusty Boots and I'm feelin Tiesto baby.

Space Cadet - Closest Thing To Closure

2008-05-20T20:48:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Sellout
02. The Letdown
03. You're A Wall
04. Long Goodbye
05. If Hangin' Out
06. Epilogue
07. She Just Wants Money
08. Add Up To Zero
09. Summertime Girl
10. Done With It
11. Nothing To Rock About
12. Brace Yourself

Genre: Alternative Rock/Alternative Pop
Website: www.myspace.com/spacecadetband

Release Date: 2007-12-11
Label: Kirtland

Ok. Space Cadet. The openers are happily placed on my alternative/indie playlists and the slots are well deserved. The rest of the album starts to branch out to quasi-pop-punk trends that almost all open with the same bass/drum/distorted guitar cumulative smack to the face. If you're into the more poppy punky feels then you will LOVE the rest of this album. If not you should at least get onto itunes and buy the first few tracks! (Dallas, USA makin a comeback)

Prolyphic And Reanimator - The Ugly Truth

2008-05-20T20:38:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. 99 Bottles
02. Born Alone
03. Artist Goes Pop
04. Dick And Jane (Feat. Macromantics)
05. Flashlight
06. Survive Another Winter (Feat. B. Dolan Alias Sage Francis)
07. Way That I See It
08. Ugly Truth
09. Box Within A Box
10. On The Side
11. Slow To Get Up
12. Two Track Mind
13. Easier Said
14. Sleeping Dogs Lie
15. Playing With Old Flames

Genre: Hip Hop
Website: www.myspace.com/prolyphicandreanimator

Release Date: 2008-05-06
Label: Strange Famous

A real well made hip hop album is what Prolyphic And Reanimator are bringin us here. I've been really into the hip hop vibe lately so you'll be seein' a fair amount of it comin' up here. Think of these guys as extremely worthy openers. Rhode Island is where Prolyphic operates out of and all I gotta say is... Oklahoma and Rhode Island in the same session... wow... the US is redeeming themselves a little bit with the help of cats like this.

The Myriad - With Arrows With Poise

2008-05-20T20:31:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. You Waste Time Like A Grandfather Clock
02. Get On The Plane
03. Forget What You Came For

04. A Clean Shot
05. The Accident
06. Holiest Of Thieves
07. A Thousand Winters Melting
08. Polar Bears And Shark Fins
09. Throwing Punches
10. Don't Let Them See You
11. Braver Than The Rest
12. Stuck In A Glass Elevator

Genre: Alternative Indie
Website: www.myspace.com/themyriad
Release Date: 2008-05-13
Label: Koch

The Myriad are a pretty durn good indie band from none other than Seattle. Maybe when I go visit my brother I can check out a local show cuz I wouldn't doubt that these guys put a good one on. This one actually goes out to the infamous Zelk, mythically infamous here in the Ohio, KY, West Virginia area, because I hear they have a weak spot for them indie tunes.

Callupsie - Callupsie

2008-05-20T20:23:00.002-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Sugar And Liquor
02. Bad Psychiatrist
03. The Murderous Type
04. Achille's Heel
05. Poltergeist Lights
06. Tibetan Fox
07. Obituary
08. Lemons
09. For Ben
10. The End

Genre: Garage Indie
Website: www.myspace.com/callupsie

Release Date: 2008-05-05
Label: Little Mafia

This band would sound borderline too radio-ish if they smoothed the rough edges that I'm feeling with their music. Which means what they're doing right now is being done right and for the most part I'm digging the unrefined, garagesque feel to the recording. It's almost like they're playing in an empty auditorium just for themselves. Can you believe this is probably the first and only band from Oklahoma to make it on the blog? Yaaaaaay.

Matthew Dear - Beginning Of The End: The Spectral Sound Singles

2008-05-20T20:12:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Irreparably Dented
02. Irreparably Dented (David Alvarado Reconstruction)
03. Stealing Moves
04. Stealing Moves (CSM Version)
05. Laguna Madre
06. Reae
07. Hammers
08. Versus You
09. Claudio
10. Lakonic
11. Krist (Ceiling)
12. Making Out
13. Pinch & Pillage
14. Brang D
15. Dog Days
16. Dog Days (Pantytec Interpretation)
17. Dog Days (Acapella Mix)
18. Anger Management
19. Future Never Again
20. Pulpse
21. Killjoy

Genre: Experimental Electro
Website: www.myspace.com/matthewdear
Release Date: 2008-04-29
Label: Spectral Sound

Matthew's music is extremely hard to characterize across the spectrum of his albums. The year 2003 was the one that saw him starting to gain recognition in and even influence the electronic music scene. This is a collection of singles released during his early years and includes some sick remixes of classic Matthew Dear beats.

Kiko - Slave Of My Mind

2008-05-20T20:02:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Intro
02. Slave Of My Mind
03. Plaisir D'Ete
04. Preludia
05. Shanel 78
06. So Time
07. Sunburn
08. 7 Minutes
09. Science Natural
10. Ph 1
11. World End Rock Up
12. Alone In The Dark
13. Hacke, Hacke
14. Maximale

Genre: Electro/Techno
Website: www.myspace.com/hotbananakiko

Release Date: 2008-04-21
Label: Different

I guess Kiko (French, sweet!) used to be a name in the dance scene of the late 90's and hasn't really been heard from until now. It took him long enough but now he's back with this album and perhaps the title says it all. The title track is absolutely sick though. It pushes all the right electro buttons at all the right times. Feel it.

Deepspace5 - Bake Sale

2008-05-17T11:14:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Makin' Cake
02. Bee Hive Swarm
03. Faces
04. Elephant Trample
05. Blabbermouth
06. Sock Full Of Batteries
07. Ready Or Not
08. Tonto
09. Music For The Soul
10. Chain Fight
11. Gloria

Genre: Hip Hop/Funk
Website: www.myspace.com/deepspace5

Release Date: 2008
Label: Independent

Mason Jennings - In The Ever

2008-05-17T11:01:00.004-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Never Knew Your Name
02. Something About Your Love
03. I Love You And Buddha Too
04. Fighter Girl
05. Your New Man
06. Memphis Tennessee
07. Going Back To New Orleans
08. How Deep Is That River
09. Soldier Boy
10. My Perfect Lover
11. In Your City

Genre: Folk/Singer-Songwriter
Website: www.myspace.com/masonjennings

Release Date: 2008-05-20
Label: Brushfire

Mason and Jack go back about six years when they did some gig in Minnesota. Jack has since offered Mason a go on his record label and finally Mason took up the offer. This one goes out to my homies up in the 'sota.

El Perro Del Mar - White Session At France Inter FM

2008-05-15T13:05:00.004-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Coming Down The Hill
02. Party
03. I'm Not Saying
04. Dog
05. Happiness Won Me Over
06. Do No Despair
07. How Did We Forget
08. Someday I'll Understand
09. Hello Goodbye
10. Shake It Off

Genre: Folk
Website: www.myspace.com/elperrodelmar
Release Date: 2008-05-05
Label: n/a

Live sesh. soft. delicate. mmm.

Foy Vance - Hope

2008-05-14T13:31:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01. Be With Me
02. Shed A Little Light
03. Doesn't Take A Whole Day
04. Fifteen
05. I Was Made
06. Treading Water
07. Gabriel And The Vagabond
08. First Of July
09. Elshaneed
10. Indiscriminate Act Of Kindness
11. Hope Peace Love
12. If You Could See Yourself Like I See You
13. Dry Wells
14. Pull Me Through
15. Two Shades Of Hope

Genre: Alternative Acoustic
Website: www.myspace.com/foyvance

Release Date: 2007-07-02
Label: Wurdamouth