American Songwriter’s latest free Muse sampler is a gem featuring twelve tracks that includes such MM faves as Phosphorescent, Caitlin Rose, Water Liars, Cheyenne Marie Mize and Futurebirds alongside some Americana heavyweights like Son Volt and Will Johnson and the new-wave inspired indie rock of the Features.
Just head over to their Bandcamp page here and download it all for nothing.
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Next week sees the release of Rabbit Runs A Destiny, the fourth studio album from Birmingham, Alabama native Duquette Johnston.
In advance of the big occasion, he has now released a third track from the record to tickle the earbuds and this time it is the excellent Cherry Blossom. It has a slightly more anxious feel than the previous songs we’ve heard, a fretful, plaintive vocal and some wonderfully ominous fuzzy guitar lines are counterbalanced by lovely harmonies and robust percussion.
With every new track we hear, we anticipate the whole album a little bit more. This is the best we’ve heard from Duquette Johnston yet and we’d highly recommend you head over to Pledge Music here to pre-order.
[Click through for a free download]
Meet The Lawsuits from Philadelphia PA. They have been described as a schizophrenic mix of modern Americana, and that seems to suit them very well based on a few spins of their first single, Onion, which is a real treat. It comes is from the upcoming album COOL COOL COOL.
Download it below.
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Videos today from the wonderful Parson Red Heads and their studio film for new track Times, and also a brand new video from the Lumineers for Stubborn Love. Lastly we have Barry Brusseau’s new video for Til The Wind Blows Everything from his wonderful album The Royal Violent Birds.
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Portland, Oregon’s Typhoon are certainly rapidly becoming one of the most talked about new bands on the web and elsewhere. They have released a new song, Dreams of Cannibalism, from their upcoming album White Lighter, for free download.
We wondered what all the fuss was about – now we know. Orchestral, vibrant, energetic, emotional, flamboyant, melodic – describe it how you like, but the hype is more than justified for once!
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London based five piece alt-folk band Spry have released a four track EP that is well worth spending some time with. It is a delicately judged mix of sweet harmonies and soaring, uplifting choruses on the one hand (Sand Devils) and bruised, bitter melancholia on the other (Glass Between Your Toes).
While comparisons to the so called nu-folk uprising led by the Mumfords and Johnny Flynn would be easy to make, they would also be lazy too. Spry have much more going for them than that and once you get to know this EP, we’re pretty sure you’ll feel the same way too. Front-man Joe Howard has a way with a turn of phrase, and his able Cornish bandmates a way with their instruments and arrangements, that suggests they could be more than capable of staying the distance.
I stole my ambitions from you.
Unable to follow them through.
I’m lost in this dust left by you,
And now I am blind, and I wish you were too
We couldn’t decide which of the tracks we liked best which is another good sign, so have chosen to put them all up for you to make your own minds up. You can also go visit their Facebook page for more information.
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San Francisco natives, and MM faves, The Dodos have announced the release of their new LP, Carrier, out worldwide on August 27 via Polyvinyl Records.
Listen to the first single, the excellent Confidence below. Pre-order the album here.
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Ah, how we love Matthew Sawyer and his unique/oddball/visitor from Mars perspective on the world. His 2010 album How Snakes Eat, with backing band The Ghosts remains one of our all time favourites.
Good news then to discover that he is returning with a new album later this year on our favourite label Fire Records. We have a track from it below, the typically original Feeeeling. Given the plethora of wonderful releases Fire have already put out in 2013, they should be having their best year ever.
See previous posts here. You can catch him live with Ned Collette & Wirewalker and Pete Astor on the 23rd May at the 12 Bar Club in London. To book tickets call 020 7240 2622.
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Emily Anne George is a singer-songwriter from Sydney. Influenced by the early sounds of Carole King, Etta James and Leonard Cohen and literature from Allen Ginsberg, Truman Capote and Emily Bronte, she writes about personal experience or about the absurdities and observances of life.
If her feature single Murderers On The Inside is a typical example of what she is capable of, then we are in for a treat. A haunting melody underpins lyrics that are as insightful as they are honest – and the subject matter is not for the fainthearted, as it explores the effects of abuse and the ignorance of those that observe it.
Have a listen/download it here.
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We recently posted a couple of tracks from the new Baptist Generals album, Jackleg Devotional To The Heart (out next week via Sub Pop), and they have continued to grow on us exponentially, so it seemed only reasonable to offer up a stream of the whole album now.
A brilliant blend of left-field Americana, twisted, drunken folk and a whole lot more. You can order it here.
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