on the radar 2008: golden silvers - magic touch

golden silvers - magic touch

on the radar 2008: little jackie - the world should revolve around me

little jackie - the world should revolve around me [link 2]
[remember imaani coppola? about 10 years ago, the kooky neo soul singer had a minor hit with legend of a cowgirl only to be lost in the shuffle of being at a major label soon afterwards. well, it looks like imaani is back and this time she's collaborating with the talents of programmer/producer adam pallin in the form of little jackie. the duo have crafted a fun album filled with motown references filtered through catchy catchy pop. check out their latest single that's just begging to be soundtracked for the summer!]

those dancing days - run run (new video)

those dancing days - run run [link 2]
[any band that has high regard to the girl groups of the of the 60's deserves props. add to the fact that this five piece all girl band hail from sweden and you pretty much have the perfect mix of reasons to 'heart' them. we've radared this band back in january and i'm happy to hear that they're still making good catchy retro-fitted pop songs perfect for the summer.]

on the radar 2008: annuals - sore (new video)

annuals - sore [link 2]
[what a lovely discovery! this six member group of eclectic performers hail from raleigh, NC and have combined their talents to release their latest EP wet zoo. filled with melodious wistful songs that kick into surprising crescendos, the annuals are not only working on their upcoming full length album, but also their various solo side projects (in which all the members help each other out on). it's a musical lovefest and that's the way i like it!

currently touring the east coast, try to check out the band at one of their upcoming gigs below:

June 18 - Brooklyn, NY at Sound Fix Records (in-store performance)
June 18 - Brooklyn, NY at Union Pool
June 19 - Arlington, VA at Iota
June 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Millcreek Tavern
June 21 - Carrboro, NC at Arts Center

AND if you'd like to win tickets to one of their upcoming shows OR passes to your local zoo/aquarium OR get an animal sponsorship under your name, click on the link below to enter:
http://www.canvasbackmusic.com/contests/annuals/wetzoocontest]

on the radar 2008: bryn christopher - the quest (new video)

bryn christopher - the quest [link 2]
[for a 1st single, this is an impressive release. bryn's winehouse-esque vocals not only has a timeless quality, but he also has a tone that sounds like a diva in sequins. reports that his debut album will feature samples from the never before used stax catalog only makes for something even more raw and timeless. i can't wait!]

on the rader 2008: kerli - walking on air (new video)

kerli - walking on air [link 2]
[i first saw this video on perez tv and was drawn into the estonian popstars sound (part esthero part bjork). signed to island def jam, looks like kerli is on the verge of something big, can't wait to hear more!]

on the radar 2008: white lies - unfinished business / death (live on jools holland)

white lies - unfinished business [link 2]
[this four piece has the UK blogs buzzing with their confident sound that kind of blends the editors, joy division and the killers filtered through a more popular song structure. i'm a nerd for built up rousing anthems so these guys pretty much had me at their opening chords. doing the festival rounds this summer, keep an eye out as there's a rumored mini-US tour in august.]


white lies - death (demo) [link 2]
[i actually saw this performance on my favorite music show later with jools holland first and was won over by their performance. i definitely like this song better than the 1st single and can't wait to hear what else they have to offer on their upcoming debut.]

discovery 2008: wild beasts - the devil's crayon

wild beasts - the devil's crayon [link 2]
[i'm in awe! upon hearing this song for the 1st time, the soaring theatrical vocals of hayden thorpe swirl into a falsetto chorus only to switch into a ripped up gutteral howl which somehow makes for a perfect blend of random. will this work for their upcoming full album limbo, panto? i'm not quite sure, but at least i've just discovered a unique band that i'll be keeping an eye out over the next couple of months.]

on the radar 2008: royworld - dust

royworld - dust [link 2]
[that's right, if you're missing out on a big-boombastic lush heart-on-your-sleeve kind of pop music, then hopefully this uk band will fill your void for the time being. heck, they even have keane producer andy green working with them, what more of a substitute do you want?]

on the radar 2008: foxboro hot tubs (aka green day) - mother mary

foxboro hot tubs - mother mary [link 2]

[i've kind of gotten in pretty late on the 'discovery' of foxburo hot tubs, but this green day offshoot makes the kind of retro rock n roll music that just makes a blogger like me a tad giddy. gosh, i'm sentimental. if you like what you hear, download the album online now.]

song of the week: ingrid olava - only just begun

ingrid olava - only just begin [link 2]
[from the confines of her apartment in oslo, norway, comes singer/songwriter ingrid olava. creating quite a buzz back home with her lush melodies and intimate vocals, the debut album juliet's wishes is surprisingly a confident collection by such a new young talent. thanks to vegard for the heads up!]

want more? check out a recent live cover that ingrid did of adele's chasing pavements below:

on the radar 2008: santogold - l.e.s. artistes

santogold - l.e.s. artistes [link 2]

i much prefer this remixed version below:
santogold - l.e.s. artistes (xxxchange remix) [link 2]

[like a mix between MIA and yeah yeah yeahs (fact checkers - it's true, ALL of these acts consider brooklyn home these days), santogold (aka santi white) has everyone talking about her fresh approach to music. part rapper, part vocalist and all sass, santogold's fuses everything from synth beats to reggae to rock in order to fit her unique catchy sound. with an album due next month, you'll definitely be hearing more from this act this year.]

they won an OSCAR! glen hansard and marketa irglova "once"

glen hansard & marketa irglova - once [link 2]
[after a year of blogging about once, the duo found themselves in front of a billion viewers last weekend culminating in an oscar win! i feel like a proud parent!]


their sweet acceptance speeches...


jon stewart on the daily show talking about marketa irglova's additional speech

on the radar 2008: the ting tings - great dj

the ting tings - great dj [link 2] [link 3]
[when the list of 2008 buzz acts came out a few weeks back, it was like a who's who of weird names thrown at you (jing jang jong meets the foals meets alphabeat meet ebony something or the other). of course, i took a listen to the acts on these tastemakers lips and of the post pop genre, the ting tings stood out the most to me. made up of manchester based katie white and jules de martino, the duo have quickly won fans over with their uber catchy and happily danceable 80's-esque songs. my fave song of the week, turn it up and jump around kids!!]

Want to know more? Check out this nice bbc2 profile of the band when they performed at glastonbury last year.

(cute!) on the radar: those dancing days - hitten

those dancing days - hitten [link 2]
[i admit that i have a soft spot for cute swedish pop acts, so when i discovered the stockholm based quintet those dancing days, with their cute baby doll outfits and happy personified, it was really love at first site. though the girls have already found success back home, it looks like they're readying an assault onto our shores as i type. in my book, it's just an all out cotton candy, daisies and butterfly attack, really.]

on the radar 2008: angus and julia stone

angus and julia stone - the beast [link 2]
[not to be outdone (gosh, my HK friends are competitive AND totally knowledgeble in music), my mediawhore bud E-lo dropped me a note about one of his latest obsessions by the name of angus and julie stone. an aussie brother/sister act who released a self-produced EP in 2006 by the name of chocolate and cigarettes, the siblings found an unlikely fan in fran healy (travis) who went on to produce their follow up EP heart full of wine. with the success of these two releases, angus and julia quickly signed on to EMI Australia where their debut album A Book Like This made it to number 20. looks like they're ready to make some waves in the UK. currently going on a sold out mini tour, check out the wonderfully sweet intimate vocals of angus on this chilled out track.]

on the radar 2008: basia bulat

basia bulat - in the night [link 2]
[my gal fiorini bassi tipped me this morning about one of her current favorite acts by the name of basia bulat. hailing from london, ontario (that would be canada folks!), basia released her album oh my darling independently back in april of last year and made a bit of a ripple on canada as a singer/songwriter to watch. after signing a worldwide distribution deal with rough trade records, it looks like basia is ready to bring her beautiful vocals to everyone. produced by howard bilerman (arcade fire, the dears), check out this new track to coincide with basia's repackaged release for feb 2008!]


basia bulat - little waltz [link 2]
[here's something totally random, dilson1 of youtube re-edited the daft punk film electroma to fit this basia bulat song. melancholic futuristic desert beings? it totally works!]