Katie Herzig :: Wish You Well

Ben Sollee :: A Few Honest Words :: Extraordinary Machine

Wild Sweet Orange :: Ten Dead Dogs

Right Away, Great Captain! :: Cause I’m So Scared of Dying

Brooke Waggoner :: Red

Alela Diane ::Pieces of String

Natalia Zuckerman opened for my favorite artist, Ani DiFranco, earlier this year.  I’m usually not too impressed by opening acts, but she’s great and much in the same vein as Ani.  Her cd, Brand New Frame, is available now from Weasel Records.

Here are the upcoming August releases to get excited about:

August 5

  • Conor Oberst :: Conor Oberst
  • The Airborne Toxic Event :: The Airborne Toxic Event
  • Brazilian Girls :: New York City
  • Hawthorne Heights :: Fragile Future
  • Peter Bradley Adams :: Leavetaking
  • Blue October :: The Answers

August 12

  • Ministry :: With Sympathy
  • Willoughby :: I Know What You’re Up To

August 19

  • Stereolab :: Chemical Chords
  • Juliana Hatfield :: How to Walk Away
  • The Walkmen :: You and Me
  • Lykke Li :: Youth Novels
  • The Gaslight Anthem :: The ‘59 Sound
  • Uh Huh Her :: Common Reaction
  • Jennifer O’Connor :: Here With Me
  • Human Highway :: Moody Motorcycle
  • The Stills :: Oceans Will Rise

August 26

  • Eva Cassidy :: Somewhere
  • The Verve :: Forth
  • Revue Noir :: Anthology Archive
  • Slipknot :: All Hope Is Gone
  • Matthew Sweet :: Sunshine Lies
  • Woodhands :: Heart Attack

Check out a new one by The Airborne Toxic Event. Their new self-titled disc came out August 5th.

Brandi Shearer is an incredible talent and I expect huge things from her down the line.  One listen to her amazing voice and you’ll understand why.  Enjoy her take on a Gram Parson’s classic “Hickory Wind” and “Heaven”.

Do yourself a big favor and click this link to watch her Live performance at the Roxy singing “I’ve Had Enough”

And one more…

Teddy Thompson :: “In My Arms”

Teddy Thompson’s “In My Arms,” the first single off of his new album ‘A Piece Of What You Need,’ out now.  The new disc features 11 original songs produced by Marius DeVries, long time Bjork, David Gray and Rufus Wainwright collaborator.  Teddy is the son of British folk icons Richard and Linda Thompson.   Watch for a cameo from Teddy’s pal Rufus Wainwright, dressed like Elvis and jamming on the organ.   Thanks to M:M:B reader Chris Taillie for the heads up on this one.

The Pack A.D. ::  “Making Gestures”

Blues-infused garage rock from Vancouver, on the road in America making their way from WA to NYC and back this month.  Thanks to M:M:B reader Meredith for this one.

Beau Jennings :: “In My Veins Again”

Taken from his MySpace page….

Occasionally channeling the energy of young Bruce Springsteen, other times the delicate vocals of Jeff Tweedy, Jennings has quietly crafted an Americana masterpiece with Holy Tulsa Thunder. It’s Nebraska through a Being There kaleidoscope. It’s a late night requiem for the lost stomping grounds of youth that forever stand tall in our memories. It’s a drinking record. Pour yourself a whiskey and give it a spin!



Beau Jennings in the Press:

“The main constant in the band’s MO is singer/stalwart Beau Jennings, whose woozy yet knowing delivery occasionally recalls Ray Davies” – Performing Songwriter

“he is a sonic everyman. You almost know him; he’s that friend of yours who is kind of quiet at first, but has the tendency to bust out an incisively insightful statement or a perfectly timed quip. Most of all, he never tries to win your affection-he just does. ” Soundcheck Magazine

Laura Marling :: “New Romantic”

Here’s an update from M:M:B reader Justin Dorset in regards to one of our favorite debuts of the year, Laura Marling…

…Congratulations to  LAURA MARLING who has been included in today’s MERCURY MUSIC PRIZE nominations! The highly coveted UK music award is given to just one artist for making the “Best British Album Of The Year“.

18 year old Laura Marling’s debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim has enjoyed huge critical acclaim since its European release earlier this year. The album gets a US release on Astralwerks on August 19th and is available now from digital retailers in the US.

Laura Marling is one of just 12 artists nominated in 2008, on a list which includes: The Last Shadow Puppets, Elbow, Radiohead, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Adele and Neon Neon.

Founded in 1992, previous Mercury Music Prize winners include Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, Badly Drawn Boy, Primal Scream, PJ Harvey and Pulp.

The Dodos :: “Fools”

Lucy Schwartz :: “I Don’t Know A Thing”

The Ting Tings :: “That’s Not My Name”

Bell X1 :: “Pinball Machine”

Dengue Fever :: “Seeing Hands”

Duffy :: “Mercy” and “Warwick Avenue”

M : M : B thinks everyone should get to know Jaymay

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jaymay
Birth name Jamie Kristine Seerman
Born New York, USA
Genre(s) Singer/Songwriter
Indie rock
Folk rock
Instrument(s) Vocals, Guitar
Label(s) Heavenly Records
Blue Note Records

Jamie Seerman is an American folk singer-songwriter from New York. She performs under the name Jaymay. She was raised in Long Island and in 2003 after having graduated from New College of Florida, she was unable to find a job in book publishing and moved back to New York to play open mics.[1] Her major musical influence is Bob Dylan. She has been described by the BBC as “darling of the New York ‘Anti-Folk’ scene”,[2] and by the New York Times as a “big name…for the indie universe”.[3] Jaymay appeared on the TV-show Late Night With Conan O’Brien on Monday, March 10, 2008 and on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. She also appeared on ‘The Colour Rooms’, on Channel 4, on May 17, 2008.

In 2007 Jaymay moved to London, after signing with Heavenly Records, which is distributed by the major EMI label.[4] Jaymay’s debut album Autumn Fallin’ was released in the United States on March 11, 2008 on Blue Note Records.

Jaymay talks about her influences…

Jaymay tours London and sings… :: “Autumn Fallin”

Jaymay shops for a guitar…

Jaymay comments on songwriting…

Jaymay :: “The Only One I Love”

Jaymay :: “Gray or Blue”

Jaymay :: “Ill Willed Person”

Jaymay :: “You’d Rather Run” ( a 10-minute masterpiece)

Jaymay ::”One May Die So Lonely”

Now go buy her music.

I was nostalgic for some classic Johnny Cash.  The two newer videos are two of the best videos produced in the past ten years, and the third is just vintage Cash.

Johnny Cash :: “Hurt”

Johnny Cash :: “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”

Johnny Cash :: “San Quentin”

Charlotte Sometimes‘ is MMB’s latest crust.  Her debut full-length, Waves and the Both of Us, is super-catchy, packed with powerhouse songs filled with both aggression and libido.  It’s strange when a pop record sneaks up on you and connects on an emotional level and ushers you to an unexpected place at an unexpected time.

Charlotte Sometimes, named for a Penelope Farmer 1969 children’s book (not the Cure song), is a 20-year-old with attitude from New Jersey.  It would be easy to pass off C.S. as just another flash-in-the-pan female Meredith Brooksish one-hit-wonder, but just one listen to Waves and the Both of Us makes you realize there’s deep talent there; and I don’t know about you but I prefer my bubble-gum-pop to come wrapped in a cd case plastered with a Parental Advisory label on the cover.

Here are a few highlights from Waves and the Both of Us, but the disc deserves to be purchased and listened to from beginning to end.

Charlotte Sometimes :: “Sweet Valium”

Charlotte Sometimes :: “Ex-Girlfriend Syndrome”

Charlotte Sometimes :: “How I Could Just Kill a Man”

The Kills :: Goodnight Bad Morning

The Kills is an American indie band consisted of Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince. The album, “Midnight Boom,” contains the song “Goodnight Bad Morning”.  This is one of the most consistently good cds of the year so far.  Pick it up. It’s very catchy indeed.

Ryan Bingham :: “Southside of Heaven”

Emmylou Harris :: “Not Enough”

MGMT :: “Time To Pretend”

Sarah Slean :: “Get Home”

The Coasters :: “Down In Mexico”

Gotye :: “Hearts A Mess”

Josiah Leming :: One Last Song

Here are the upcoming July releases to be excited about:

July 8

  • Beck :: Modern Guilt
  • Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis :: Two Men With the Blues
  • Baseball Project :: Volume 1 Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
  • Ron Sexsmith :: Exit Strategy of the Soul

July 15

  • The Hold Steady :: Stay Positive
  • John Mellencamp :: Life, Death, Love and Freedom
  • Elisa :: Dancing
  • David Banner :: Greatest Story Ever Told

July 22

  • Nine Inch Nails :: The Slip
  • Paul Weller :: 22 Dreams
  • CSS :: Donkey
  • Black Kids :: Partie Traumatic
  • Julie Doiron :: Loneliest in the Morning

July 29

  • Sugarland :: Love on the Inside

This new Ani DiFranco single, “Present / Infant” is off her upcoming cd Red Letter Year which is due out this fall.

Welcome back, James.  Their new album of the same name, Hey Ma is in stores now.

Enjoy new music videos from David Ford, Volbeat, Mates of State and Laura Marling.

David Ford :: “Go To Hell”

Volbeat :: “Sad Man’s Tongue”

Mates of State :: “My Only Offer”

Laura Marling :: “My Manic And I”

Santogold is my current obsession and “Les Artistes” is one of my favorites.  She’s opening up for Coldplay all summer.

Santogold :: “Les Artistes”