BOTG Mailbox Music Bonanza: April (Part II)

Last weekend at Target, I bought a really cool Spin Magazine special 2-CD song sampler for the irresistible price of $4.99. Thirty-two songs by an impressive diversity of artists for dirt cheap.

You know what? Having listened to those CDs a couple of times... the BOTG Music Mailbox is a damn good bargain. It's free, and the music you'll find here is every bit as good as the stuff you'll find on those CDs. The SPIN collection is a little harder on the edges. More screamo and more intensity, but not more musical awesomeness.

That's my take, anyway. Onto the music...

Kill the Killjoy - The DiSCiPLiNES
This is the lead single off their album, Virgins of Menace, a 12-song, 33-minute collection of potent pop. If I'd had the choice of any of their tracks to post, it would have taken me a long time to pick between five really impressive songs, and the rest of the album is plenty impressive as well. Then I went and found out from the promotional materials that the lead singer, Ken Stringfellow, has a past that includes The Posies, REM, and Big Star. Well, duh. Makes perfect sense. Impressive stuff, this. Band "mini-site"

Pharmacist - COYOL
This song sticks out like a sore thumb. Like, a thumb you hit with a hammer. Like, a thumb Mags Bennett hammered into ground beef on “Justified.” The dude’s voice... it’s impossible to ignore and tough to like. I’m not sure how much I could tolerate an entire album of it. But for one song, and when colliding at high speed with these lyrics and Celeigh Chapman's ballsy badass lady voice, it’s worth listening to a few hundred times. This song is art. It’s a collection of less-than-perfect weapons all combined into one big show-stopper. I don't know where these guys are going, but the potential is dizzying. Bandcamp site (with lyrics!)

Puzzle Pieces - Saint Motel
A much lighter piece than some. A little bit of group shouting. A little bit of well-timed falsetto. I dig the piano riff recurring through the song, and all the elements come together to form an impressive and bombastic little pop song that kinda begs your head to loll and bob left and right. Good stuff. Official web site.

One By One - The Trews
Of the many musical genres coming through our mailbox, "good ol' roots rock" seems the least popular, but that's what The Trews deliver. Some aggressive acoustic riffs and a band that appreciates strong harmonizing as much as the occasional single voice rising above it all with a passionate chorus. Hell, it even has a nice little guitar solo moment in there. I didn't even know those were allowed anymore. I was kind of surprised that these guys have four albums, but it makes sense, because this has the sound of experience. Official web site.

Would You Be So Kind - Lotte Mullan
What a great change of pace for this collection! A folksy chanteuse!! Coming off the album Plain Jane. "I just want to take you out and get you drunk so I can have my wicked way with you." These are the lines from another song from this lady. How can you not be intrigued by a woman whose introductory biographical fun fact is that she almost ruined her voice trying to sound like Tom Waits?? Listen to her voice! WTF would she want to sound like Tom Waits?! Clearly she ain't right in the head. Which usually makes for stunning musicianship. She's worth some attention. Soundcloud album sampler

Take Me Home - Germany Germany
Another great song for a commercial. I actually looked this one up, trying to find what commercial it's already been in. It's nothing earth-shaking, just a healthy 3-minute dose of synthesized dreamy bliss. You can get a whole album from him for $5 at Bandcamp sometime in mid-May.

Let's Get Loaded - The Fervor
This Louisville-based band is coming out with a second album, Arise, Great Warrior. Of course I was going to include any song with this title, but it's nice when a catchy title has the benefit of supporting a decent song. Female lead vocals with punch and some nice piano carrying through the song. They'll probably hate me for saying it, but I totally get this feeling I'm listening to a modern sequel to The Waitresses' "I Know What Boys Like" when I hear this. Official web site

Oceans of the Heart - Architects of Grace
Love + Rockets. Psychadelic Furs. This is the general idea. If you like that kind of darker-edged syntho-based semi-goth thing, then this song's worth a listen. Off their newly-debuted album Moments In Time. This isn't generally the music I swim in, but once in a while it's fun to dip a big toe into these waters, and this ain't a bad song to do it. Official web site

So High - Ringo Deathstarr
Sometimes a band comes along that picked such a perfect name it's destined to get a certain level of attention no matter what they do. This particular song and the others I've heard bring one word to mind: "drenched." The reverb and distortion are strong, the vocals all bleed into one another. These are the bastard children of bands like My Bloody Valentine, and they are doing their relatives proud. Their album is called Colour Trip. CNN story on them

This is the New Year - Ian Axel
Sometimes a new kid shows up on the block so polished and squeaky clean that critics are all suspicious and bitter. Like it's his fault he's a nerd whose mom won't let him leave the house without a pocket protector. It seems a little like Ian Axel has met this fate. His music is all Ben Foldy, and this particular song is just about the sunniest and most hopeful thing that will invade your ears this month. And if this song makes you smile and hug yourself, wait 'til you watch the video, a video that's clearly improved the mood of hundreds of thousands of people, because it's been watched over 800,000 times. His album is This is the New Year, and although few songs quite match the level of this tune, I noted at least four that were close to its equal.

My Sea - CALLmeKAT
It's not her fault she's attractive. She emerged from the Denmark music scene, three words that when combined I know absolutely nothing about. All I know is this is a cute catchy little pop song, and she apparently has a very large collection of keyboards and synthesizers. She's also clearly much younger than I, because when referring to her collection of '80s-esque keyboards, she described their sound as "organic." Interview with Spinner

Cold Hands Warm Heart - Pose Victorious
Scottish band. Pop rock. Or rock pop. Catchy. Can't wait to hear more from them. Worth a listen. Their EP Beneath the Lighthouse comes out in June.

Light from a Dying Star - Skypilot
Another damn band from Australia. Something about the climate down there pisses me off, because those folks Down Under still love them some rock music, and I'm jealous. This is another band that deserves being compared to U2, among others. They're still polishing off their soon-to-emerge EP, so I'll be interested to see how their sound develops.

Don't Let Go - The Windupdeads
It's always good to end on a strong note. I really really like this song. It's from their second album, Army of Invisible Men, and it's catchy and heartfelt and cheesy and just about everything I like about music. Official web site

BOTG Mailbox Music Bonanza: April (Part I)

It's been three months since our last BOTG Mailbox Music Bonanza, an infrequent free sampling of the best music sent our way by bands and reps -- or, at least, the best of the stuff we actually hear. We receive several hundred music submissions every month. It's truly impossible to keep up.

So without further adieu, and in the order I received and was impressed by them, here is the best of the last two months' of BOTG Mailbox Music! Sample for free and consider helping out some artists by buying some at iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, or another site of your choice! This is Part One. Part Two will arrive later this week.

Would You Say Stop? - Acid House Kings
Simple question: Are you the kind of person who loves the songs you hear on iPod commercials or Kindle commercials, or do you hate them? You answer that question, and you'll have decided what you think of this Acid House Kings song. If it hasn't showed up in a commercial yet, trust me, it will. It's catchy as hell. I saw the band's name, and I thought it would be some trippy psychadelic nonsense, so I was delighted with what I heard. I want to see women in '60s boof hairdos doing the swim dance when I hear the song. I want people lined up with their arms around one another kicking like the Rockettes. This song makes me very, very happy. Official web site

Throne - Dujeous
This April collection is unusually high on the hip-hop quotient, which is to say three songs. It's not a genre over which I have much knowledge or mastery, so all I can say is I like what I like. The guitar riff on heavy repeat hooks my ear, and the mix between the falsetto singing and the Public Enemy-esque rap coming through a megaphone on the chorus is muy catchy. Official web site

Pop Song - Broken Bricks
A tightly-produced collection of punky pop songs, this particular one gives me an Elvis Costello vibe for some reason. From their EP Little Fugitives. Also worth checking out: "Boy Dressed in Blue" and "Boom." Official web site

Rio - Hey Marseilles
There's at least three songs in this list that introduce themselves with some kind of handclappy percussive number. In this, I am predictable: you begin a song like that, I'm gonna like it. It means you don't take yourself too seriously, and you don't ignore the power of the simplest instruments. A good song, and it's a shame they didn't use it in the movie I just watched with my three kids in the theater. Official web site

Outta Sight - Eclectic Method & Chuck D
You get Chuck D rapping with you, Ima like you. Another kickass funky synth/bass line, and a chorus you can memorize and chant along by the second time. Most especially, it's over before it wears out its welcome!

Jazzonia (Silver Tree) - Adam Taylor
The younger brother to a member of the band LIVE, this guy puts together a good and just-diverse-enough collection of alt-pop on his 7-song EP "No Poet." Only one song goes past the 3:30 mark, and half are under three minutes. He's got some growing and improving to do, but there's scads of potential in them thar hills. Official web site

Running With Insanity - Alcoholic Faith Mission
This band is one of the few who have so completely floored me that they move from my "BOTG Mailbox" collection into my "I truly love this band" collection. While I don't think they sound like Okkervil or Arcade Fire, they bring that same awkward off-kilter mentality to their music. You just don't quite know what they hell they're doing or thinking, instrumentally or vocally, and it's really tough to predict where they're going. But I keep listening, because whatever they're doing fascinates me. Maybe this is the kind of feeling people who watch NASCAR get, except I get it with music. Official web site

You Were Only a Song - Plain Jane Automobile
Muse. U2. If you can't stand either of these bands, then you might as well skip on down to the next song, because this band gives off plenty of both. You remember that scene in The Little Mermaid where octopus lady steals Ariel's voice? Well this dude totally stole Bono. Seriously, I promise I could tell people that Bono had started a new band called Plane Jane Automobile, and 90% of people would believe it. (Then again, 50% think Obama was born in Satan's ass somewhere in Saudi Arabia, so I guess fooling people isn't too difficult.) Point is, I like those bands, and this one shows a boatload of talent and promise on their debut album, Your Tomorrow. Official web site

Holy Saturday, Gloomy Sunday - Tigers That Talked
You thought I was kidding about that handclappy thing, dintcha?? Seriously, how can that introduction NOT rope you in?! As a rabid Frightened Rabbit fan, I was destined to be impressed by these guys. They sound a little bit more commercially ambitious -- which cuts both ways -- but this song is a mighty good start. Can't wait to hear more. Official web site

Atlantic City - Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Back in the '70s, someone would have placed this and Greg Laswell's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" on a 45 and felt like they'd done something great. Both are haunting and stripped-down coffee-house covers. Springsteen lovers probably won't care for this much, but I like that he's taken enough risk to make it his own song rather than trying to sound too much like The Boss, which would be a foolish failure. Official web site

Sing - Sounds Under Radio
First, this is an arena-friendly pop song, and it's no wonder American Idol picked it up for their commercials. Second, any album titled Where My Communist Heart Meets My Capitalist Mind is an album I'm gonna sample. Third, I was somewhat disappointed in the latest My Chemical Romance album, and even though their song "Sing" is pretty catchy, I actually like this song "Sing" better. Good, good stuff this. Official web site

Remains - White Belt Yellow Tag
This song harkens back to some of the bombastic acts of the Brit '80s, and as a child of the '80s, I naturally mean that as a compliment. I daresay it's got an Echo & the Bunnymen vibe. The vocals are unapologetic, and I get the impression of a man who was singing so loudly the glass in the recording booth cracked a little. This music isn't afraid to reach skyward. Official web site

If You're Listening - Eject Pilot Eject
I hear this song, and I think teen movie soundtracks of the John Hughes and Cameron Crowe variety. The under-appreciated Katrina & the Waves come to mind when hearing this song, or maybe a more stripped-down and older school version of The Sounds. Their 3-song Face to Face EP is a great starting point, and I daresay someone will pick these pilots up and try to fly them to the next level. Official web site

Nrob Bmud - Regurgitator
Always - The Optimen
Tennis Party - Mr. Maps
Excuse Me Mister - Jackie Marshall
In early March we were sent a sampler called "Sounds Like Brisbane," a collection of up-and-comers from Australia (unless there's a Brisbane, Iowa, I'm unaware of). The last four songs in Part One are from this intriguing collection. You know how people always make fun of France for being, well, French and stuff? Nobody in the South makes fun of Australia. Most of us have, in our imaginations, deemed Australia this heaven-on-earth kind of destination. Granted, we have to forget all those depressing Midnight Oil songs, but any island that has given us Elle MacPherson, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Isla Fisher, Yvonne Strahovski ("Chuck") and even Hugh Jackman... well, it's understandable if you hate them because they're pretty.

BOTG Mailbox Music Bonanza 1/11

Hey kids! It’s about time for another installment of something no one ever much comments on (but plenty of folks download): The Best January Submissions to our BOTG Mailbox!

Every month, we get more than 100 music submissions, artists and promoters of artists who ask us to give their songs or albums a spin. Many are up-and-coming. A few are starting to break through. Because we live in the South, we rarely know one from the other. Because we’re not really connected to the music scene, we have no dog in the hunt. But we respect music, and we respect musicians who are risking years of their lives and their souls in taking a risk and reaching for a way to make music a career.

This is our teeny tiny way of hoping we can help. You, dear readers, can sample their wares here for free. If you like anything you hear, seek them out and purchase a song or an album, or notice their names when they’re touring near you and pay to see ‘em live. Music ain’t born from some miraculous Big Bang. Music needs to eat and needs a roof over its head.

Besides, you can be cool before the cool people even know the temperature has changed! Get ahead of them by getting to know a few of these bands. Almost every mailbox feature we've run included at least one or two bands that manage to climb up the independent ladder!

Best Album of the Bunch: Tin Cup Gypsy’s CALICO
Words - Tin Cup Gypsy
This Nashville-based trio can’t help but get me wistful for Nickel Creek. These folks are a little more interested in exploring a broader range of sounds and instruments, and they pull it off darn well, but it’s when they’re at their most hushed and intense that I find myself liking them the most. Songs like “To the Sea” and “The Other Side” had me headed to their web site and wondering when they’d be performing in my town. Especially worth buying: “Bury Me”

Here’s the rest of the BOTG Mailbox Music Bonanza:

Til We Arrive - Early to Bed
I love stories like this. Girl writes and records in her bedroom in the U.S. Guy gets her stuff in Denmark and polishes it and builds it into a more-realized production. The kind of fuzzy breezy stomach-tingling jangle-pop that simply wouldn’t exist 20 years ago. The kind of 5-minute song that makes you grateful for all that wonderful beautiful technology.

Not Evident - The Narcoleptic Dancers
Maybe it sounds like it was supposed to be on a commercial. It prolly will be if it hasn’t already. But this is a seriously infectious earworm, and I can’t listen to it with out bobbing my head ever so subtly back and forth and cracking just a tiny little smile of joy.

Easy - The Soft Collapse
I hear that cello, and I think of Andrew Bird. But Andrew, while plenty loved by folks, never quite hit me right. The Soft Collapse plays a few steps closer to the mainstream (which, c’mon, isn’t that hard to do when compared to Bird). It’s mellow and stripped down and intense. The album is called Little Songs.

My Eyes to See - Alcoholic Faith Mission
Trippy and intense little song. Watch the video, and you’ll be even more impressed. Their entire EP Let This Be the Last Night We Care is breathtaking and feels familiar, yet I can’t find a single band in my tiny mental encyclopedia with which to compare them. If these Danes aren’t moving up the recognition ladder soon and quickly, I’ll be very surprised.

I Won’t Wait - Albany Down
You’ll know within 20 seconds whether you like this band. For me, Albany Down takes me back to ‘80s rock bands that were somewhere left of the proverbial dial, bands like Dreams So Real and Fetchin’ Bones that had some pop hooks in them but never quite caught the right eyes at the right times. This one makes me think Bad Company. But that probably just makes it obvious how little I’ve listened to Bad Company. My point is, I like their stuff.

The Fear - Lovett
Another damn catchy album from a guy who hasn’t been in any hurry to get his name in spotlights. He scores films. He produces stuff for people. He disappears for a while and lives a semi-hermetic life. Then he produces an album of songs called Highway Connection that, if you like what you hear in “The Fear,” you are certain to enjoy.

Nowhere Near My Heart - Kori Pop
Another song made all the more fun by watching the video. Another worthy earworm. Another song destined to be in a commercial. From her album From the Outskirts.

Alone - The Morning After Girls
This song takes me back to the mid-90s, a band willing to let a guitar sit out there and take the song on a journey. Their new album by the same name, and they bring up the Dandy Warhols a lot. Since I’m not well-versed on the Warhols, I’ll take their word for it.

I Know I Fucked Up - Darren Hayman
Call me old-fashioned, but that title was gonna get a listen, and it was definitely worth doing. Darren has recorded a song from scratch every day in January, and he’s posted them all on Tumblr. Check ‘em out. His reasoning -- that he wasn’t exactly making much cash going through a company, so why not just give the shit away and hopefully draw in some more folks to his live shows -- is at the very least worth giving him your ear for a few minutes.

Last Boat - Montpelier
I’ll admit the first time I listened to this one, I wasn’t too taken. But the third, the fourth time... it burrowed into my heart. The guitars carry this one, too. That the song is about the singer’s teenage struggles with OCD also grants it some heft. The song works itself from something bordering on despair to something hopeful and yearning, and every listen makes me like it more.

Dust - Chamberlain
From their album Bitter Blood, these darlings of Grace Potter & the Nocturnals remind me a little of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes with maybe a little Kings of Leon thrown in. They’re that catchy, but not bad.

Reunion Day - APL
From their album Ancient Tunes, this song (intentionally?) goes thin on the bass. Very midrange and treble-heavy. But dang if it doesn’t have a nice little hook to it.

Open Arms and Broken Hearts - The District
This one had me three seconds in. That guitar intro taps my spine. It’s got this nice country tinge, and it loves itsself some 6-man harmonies, and it’s just this chill acoustic joyride. Their album Wellfleet drops in February.

El Matador - The Lines
Killer-esque syntho-rock with a Brit soul. If you like Britpop, these dudes have toured with Babyshambles and The Charlatans, among others, and you should give ‘em a spin.
If I Had a Boat - James Vincent McMorrow
Song is from his album Early In the Morning, which comes out next week. He’s Irish. He’s got soul. He’s got some seriously good songs. If you like this one, check out “We Don’t Eat,” which was my favorite.

Pink Redemption - Moving Units
The falsetto ambitions of Scissor Sisters or The Darkness. A few disco bloops and beeps. Some handclaps. A catchy bass line. Kitschy, but not shabby! From the album Tension War.

Calling - Donots
Another band finding much inspiration from the syntho-80s. It’s Killers territory, but these guys do a pretty good job establishing their residence there as well. From their album The Long Way Home.

The Scientist’s Lament - Daddy Lion
Daddy Lion has sent stuff before. It’s just as worthy of attention as the last time. Catchy verse licks, and I like the closing chorus line, “Everything’s just matter, and I don’t have the proof.”

Almost Almost Famous

Variety Playhouse. Little Five Points. Atlanta, Georgia.
November 15, 2010.
Brooke Fraser Concert.

Who Are We Fooling - Brooke Fraser (feat. Aqualung) (mp3)

You want to be a true friend to them? Be honest. And unmerciful. -- Lester Bangs, Almost Famous

My first experience with Variety Playhouse was chaperoning seven students to a moe. concert in 1997. Jam bands don’t work for me. Worse yet, being responsible for seven adolescents in an environment where drug use is almost an entry requirement, made me like this particular situation less. I was new to the world of chaperoning and school, and I was uptight.

Everytime I return, that goddamn moe. concert comes to mind, which is a damn shame for the Variety Playhouse, ‘cuz it’s a decent venue.

I returned earlier this week for a very unique opportunity: to attend a concert for a performer about whom I knew almost nothing, about whose music I was fond but not a “fan,” and without anyone I knew accompanying me. The Brooke Fraser concert was a chance to experience the musical version of a stranger in a strange land.

Here’s my observations.

(1) The music business is meaner than Everest.
Brooke’s opening act was a Brit singer-songwriter named Sam Bradley. It was just him and another dude on a two-acoustic set. His pal was plenty talented with an acoustic. The set was a nice warm-up and had some strong moments. But here’s what I was really thinking about the back-up guitarist: The back-up guitarist for the opening act for a Kiwi pop artist most Americans have never ever heard of is a more-than-competent, talented guitarist. And he’s still just the back-up guitarist for the opening act for a headliner who’s virtually unknown in America.

Shark cages are more loving than the music business. If you’re in music to get laid, or to ride on Concordes, or to say words like “double platinum,” then there’s a 99.3% chance you’re in for the most depressing rude awakening of your life.

(2) “I write a music blog.”
These words are not meaningless in most situations, they’re downright toxically amusing. If I ever say this to people, the response their facial expressions can’t help but reply is, Why are you telling me this, and why should I give a shit? And this is precisely the reaction such a comment deserves in most situations.

But attend a sold-out concert, wear a cool wristband that embodies you with special privileges, and carry a sweet digital SLR with two lenses. Then, when you say these words, people look at you differently. Suddenly you have this weird level of clout in the only place where music blogs matter.

“You’re gonna write about Brooke on your blog?” they asked.
“Yup. That’s the plan.”
“That’s so cool. She’s so awesome. Are you a fan?”
“Not in the traditional sense. Just here to cover the experience.”
“Cool man. Cool.” (They had no idea what “cover the experience” meant, nor did they really care.)

Some variant of that conversation occurred at least four times. I won’t lie. It felt kinda cool. Perhaps because my bar of feeling cool is very, very low.

(3) Brooke is the cool big sister without the fights.
It seems like almost all fans follow a musician for one of a handful of reasons: their musical talent is worthy of awe (think: Rush), you lust after them or envy the lust they engender (think: Bon Jovi or Britney), you sense of a kindred spirit (think: Patty Griffin), or you dig the character and theatricality of it all (think: Lady GaGa).

For the fans with whom I spoke or overheard, Brooke is of the kindred spirit variety. This kicked up a notch knowing that Brooke is a Christian singer. While her latest album wouldn’t fall under “Contemporary Christian,” enough of her lyrics dance around that burning bush that it didn’t surprise me to see so many clean-cut doe-eyed Christian kids in the crowd.

Two large groups of college-age girls crammed in on either side of me during her show, and I overheard conversations in both groups suggesting that Brooke is that friend who never does you wrong. She always has the right advice and is completely trustworthy, and you never get in a fight with her.

A rough guesstimate had the crowd at 60-70% female. At least five or six dudes yelled out “I love you Brooke!” She’s married.

(4) Brooke Fraser puts on a good, chill show.
At one point early in, Brooke announced that she didn’t show up in Atlanta to put on some boring, listless show. In a sense, she was being honest. But in another sense, Brooke isn’t exactly gonna rock out. I mean, she’s not gonna rip down the glass with shrieking and guitar shredding. Her music might have moments of energy and exuberance, but it’s mostly a chill set of ethereal pop songs. And she and her band did a damn fine job of performing her set, keeping the crowd engaged, and most decidedly not just dialing it in.

She talked a lot, too. Some people don’t like that. They think it takes away from the number of songs you get to hear. But I tend to think talk is the one thing most musicians can’t help but mix around from one concert to the next. Monologuing is the truly unique snowflake of each concert. So I like it when they talk. It showed she was having fun and approached her job and her success with the right mindset. It was adorable.

And it sure beats the ever-loving hell out of a jam band stretching three songs and calling it a concert.

Visit her web site.
Get her music at eMusic.
Here's her cool video for "Shadowfeet" from a previous album:

Free Music Trick or Treat!

Whenever I can carve out enough time to go through our email, it proves to be a worth exercise.

Yeah yeah Roctober is over, and we’re moving back to free reign on random subject matter, and I’m totally cool with that. But first I thought I’d offer a mix of the latest greatest submissions to our BOTG mailbox.

This may be no big deal to those of you who don’t like music, or who only buy shit when a song makes it to your radio station. But to an addict like me, who is always open and searching for bands I can love, the idea that all these people send us their music at absolutely no cost and with only the slight hope we might promote them on our site, it’s like Halloween every time I listen. Sure, some of the candy kinda sucks, but it was still given freely, and I can throw away or give away the confections I don’t like.

The list of impressive up-and-comers (and in some cases people who have alreaday made it) is fun, and all they’re asking is for you to take a listen and consider buying their album.

Fall BOTG Mailbox Mix

1. Crows & Locusts - Brooke Fraser
   Her promotional material compares her to Feist, and who am I to say, but I find a lot more similarity with A Fine Frenzy. The regular references to nature, this strange undercurrent of longing over simple piano arrangements. I’m not surprised this album made its way onto the iTunes charts. Ms. Fraser can craft some tasty vittles... I mean, if you like those Feisty, Frenzy kinds of sounds.
   Official Website
   
2. Tracey - The Lines
   They sent a single, so I can’t judge more than what you can listen to yourselves. Catchy and repetitive.
   Official Website
   
3. Fool’s Union - City And The Sea
   The promos claim it’s a mix of “Detroit soul and... Brit rock.” I get the Brit rock part, but the Detroit soul is a little less obvious to my tinny ears. That said, they have a catchy sound and some decent chops. Their EP’s eponymous song, “Leave a Light On” is tasty candy.
   Official Website
   

4. Velcro Shoes - Pete Yorn
   OK this one stunned me. This is Pete Yorn’s sixth album (if you include his joint effort with Scarlett Johanssen) and the fourth I now own. His newest was produced by none other than former Pixies frontrunner Frank Black -- not a combination that screamed of obviousness to me -- and the sound is a nice change-up for Yorn. It’s dirtier. You can hear his voice breaking or slightly off on a note. Removing the polish gives Yorn a little more grit, and it works for him. At moments, one song can bleed into another in a not-so-good way, as in sometimes individual songs don’t have quite enough individuality. But it’s a damn fine album regardless. (Besides, he says "Billy" a lot. Which is cool.)iTunes page
   

5. The Father - HoneyChild
   Can’t say exactly what it is, but I dig this song. Good slow build. Something about the guitar work and the chorus that reminds me of Toad the Wet Sprocket. I would have loved an entire album from these folks. And guess what? Go to their web site, and you can actually get the whole thing for free...
   Official Website
   
6. Cliche - Paper Aeroplanes
   Yup, this song geeks me out quite a bit. As in, it’s right down my alleyway. The world could use a few more Welsh pop chanteuses if you ask me. If they were available on eMusic, I would already own the whole album. As it is, I’m chewing on getting to them through iTunes.MySpace page
   
7. Dawning - Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck
   This might well piss Bow off, but the first two seconds of this song had me thinking immediately of Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians. Personally, I don’t think of that or intend that as an insult, but insults are often in the eye of the receiver. This was another 1-song gift, so I don’t know how this compares to the rest of their work. But if they string together an album of this level, it would be a decent purchase.Official Website
   
8. Quick Escapes - Versant
   Not crazy about it, but it’s offbeat electro-pop with a female lead singer who has some talent. The kind of songs that, if they came on my shuffle, I wouldn’t scurry up from what I was doing to skip to the next song, but I wouldn’t go searching it out too voraciously, either.
   Official Website
   
9. Heaven - The Brute Chorus
   Overall their album failed to stick with me, but a couple of the songs had some life in them, and “Heaven” was one of ‘em.
   
10. What We Kick, Push - The White Panda
    We don’t get many rap or hip hop submissions, and the ones we get frequently sound like they were mixed in some pasty white dude’s basement outside of Winnipeg. This one won’t be topping the charts anytime soon, but at least it’s fun and seems to understand its own limits.
    
11. I Believe In You - Black Dub
    Name dropping can get me. This band is the brainchild of one Daniel Lanois, a big name in specific music circles (U2, Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan), so I was instantly intrigued. If I were more into the bluesy jazzy thing, maybe?
    
12. Morning - Daddy Lion
    These guys seem to be getting some positive vibes from NPR among others, and I can see why. They don’t get me all goosebumpy or anything, and it’s a bit of a stretch to see why they’d compare themselves to Husker Du or Dinosaur Jr., but totally worth inclusion in the mix.
    Official Website
    
13. Does It Still Hurt - John Hill
    The stripped-down singer-songwriter must be pitied. He must be dedicated. She must like being ignored or unappreciated. It’s a miserable thing to make decent music that, in all likelihood, only your own pets will ever hear more than once or twice. Take a listen to Mr. Hill. It ain’t bad.

Best Bands In the BOTG Mailbox

To wrap up the very popular BOTG Mailbox series (/sarcasm), I'm going to highlight four bands whose submissions impressed beyond the usual, the kind of submissions that will have me actually following these folks to see if they can manage to get somewhere bigger and better. This isn't necessarily the same as me saying I love the bands. Rather, they just seem somehow more accessible, or maybe they've kicked it up a notch, musically, or maybe they just hit a different groove, enough to raise a curious eyebrow.

So, without further adieu, here's your four Best Bands in the BOTG Mailbox.

1. School of Seven Bells 

Windstorm (mp3)
I L U (mp3)

Three days after I took advantage of this band's kind offer to test drive their album, I saw promos for it plastered all over eMusic, and I thought, Damn, I'm gonna be late to the promotion party. Trust me, if you like the songs above, you'll love their album. A mix of electronica and inspired by a variety of '80s and early '90s sounds -- My Bloody Valentine comes immediately to mind -- this band will find plenty of sullen teens and misty adults eager to embrace them. Their leadoff song, "Windstorm," is just damn good by any standard.

2. The Belles

Time Flies When You're Losing Your Mind (mp3)
The Burning Questions (mp3)

"Lo-fi." For such a simple concept, I can't ever quite seem to get it. Regardless, if The Belles are "Lo-Fi," then they're damn good at being "Lo-Fi." They're a little bit mopey, a little bit shoe-gazey. They play a simple and tight set, know how to craft a decent earworm, and wear their hearts on their sleeves. That guitar riff that carries through in "The Burning Questions" is the kind of thing that makes for great John Hughes movie moments.

Bands like this one don't do it to play in arenas, but rather because there's this poison in their souls that has to bleed onto a page. All the great artists have it -- even if not all of them make it -- and I'd love to see these cats play a live set, because I bet it would be intense and splendid.

Their second album, released in June, is titled Time Flies When You're Losing Your Mind. Consider losing your mind with them and buy a few of their songs. Their older stuff is available on eMusic, but the new album is on Amazon.com.

3. Detox Retox

Caroline (mp3)

This band comes across as a little bit Weezer, a little bit Phoenix. Poppy jangly guitar music with just enough of a nerdy alternative edge to keep things interesting. While "Caroline" is my favorite from the EP they sent, their other songs are certainly worth a spin if this one catches your ear.

Their album is entitled Movement and is available now at eMusic and other online retailers.

4. Neil Nathan

Disappear (mp3)
Do Ya (mp3)

Rosario Dawson. Electric Light Orchestra. Matthew Sweet. If you can get the first into your video, and you have the audacity to craft a stripped-down acoustic version of the second, and if your sound is guaranteed to earn comparisons to the third, then you're guaranteed to get my attention and interests.

Neil Nathan isn't Matthew Sweet, but that's hardly a crime. Nathan has a little more old-time Lenny Kravitz in him as well. Some of his songs are a little out of my interest range, but there's no questioning his talents and production qualities.

His album is The Distance Calls and is available now at eMusic and other online retailers.

BOTG Mailbox Music Week!

Once or twice a year, I've tried compiling some of the best of the hundreds of music submissions Bottom Of The Glass receives every few months. Every time, it seems, one of the songs gets busted by lawyers who apparently don't agree with the promoters who told me I could promote the songs in the first place.

But dammit, these bands need us. They need attention. So, for them, I'll risk it.

Besides, I'm on vacation at the beach this week anyway, so the feds'll never find me! Mwahaha!

Today, I present to you the BOTG Free Music Mailbox Mix, Summer 2010 version. On Thursday I'll highlight my favorite bands that offered EPs or entire albums. The best of the lot, if you will.

To get to the entire collection, click this link. Here's the playlist... in the order Box.net seems to just want it...

1. Bomb Shelter - Nakatomi Plaza
   decent proto-punk. great name.
2. Big Top - Proper Villains
   wicked good electro-dance-trip stuff. not my thing, usually, but this is fun.
3. This Motion - Roman Numerals
   i get a little psychedelic fursy, bauhausy vibe. it makes me want to wear black eyeliner. but, like, in a good way, sorta.
4. Hooked - Maylee Todd & Circle Research
   also not my standard fare, but this song's catchy and classic.
5. Close My Eyes - Rudely Interrupted
   if you can hear this and not drift back into the '80s, you're either too young or there's too much pain involved.
6. Let's Kiss - Living Days
   why leave the '80s? these dudes couldn't have stolen more directly from The Cure if they chopped off Robert Smith's head. but if you're gonna totally riff someone, riff the right bands!
7. The Stalker - Hunter Valentine
   one hell of a catchy guitar riff. great first four measures. catchy femme voice with 'tude. definitely one of the best mailbox gifts of the season.
8. Never Been Worse - Gasoline Heart
   a little j.mascis and a little drive-by truckers goes a long way.
9. Darling Dear - Little Fish
   strong and fun build-up on this one. gets more fun the longer you hang with it.
10. We'll Have a Real Good Time - Lights On
    this band almost made it to Thursday. decent album. decent nose for a hooky guitar lick.
11. Make Out - The Gypsy Nomads
    ok this is just fun. this is one of those where the forest is much more beautiful than the individual trees.
12. Dear Friend - Emmanuel and The Fear
    another of my faves from the summer freebies. got a little ben folds, but plenty of other fun influences in there.
13. 7 of Spades - The Coppertone
    somewhere, soundgarden should be proud that their crunch lives on in songs like these.
14. Go On - Basia Bulat
    um... i like it? is that enough?
15. Lovesick Teenagers - Bear in Heaven
    i kinda cheated on this one. this is from the Pitchfork Music Sampler that's free for eMusic members. this is my favorite song in the bunch.

Anyone who downloads this, I'd love to know what the favorite songs were. It's always nicer to compliment the starving artists than to knock 'em down. Kicking a starving artist is just mean.*

* -- To the artists who sent us music but who are not starving, I apologize for lumping you all in together. I hope it's OK if I don't really condone people kicking artists no matter how well-fed they may be.

From the BOTG Mailbox: Matt Kanelos + Peasant

One of the really cool side benefits of writing a music blog is that all these up-and-coming artists (and, let's be honest, some that aren't going much of anywhere), send us songs. They send us links to their MySpace pages, or to their YouTube videos. Best of all, sometimes they send us their actual music. And they beg us to post it and brag about it.

We've chewed on how to properly handle this for a while, and here's what we're doing.

If we like stuff, we'll probably get around to using it. If we get enough of a taste of an artist and are intrigued, we'll probably even add some extra commentary. If we don't particularly like it, or if it's beyond unlikeable and into the "not good for anyone's ears" category, then we're not gonna post it. We're not gonna poop on people who were hoping we'd do them a solid.

When You Walk It Makes No Sound - Matt Kanelos (mp3)

Garden State. I think of Garden State. You know, the Zach Braff/Natalie Portman movie that people love or hate, with an ending that either ruins the whole experience or merely confirms aforementioned hatred? Really, almost any movie by Focus Features or Fox Searchlight that centers around the stilted romantic adventures of teens or 20somethings would be a fine and dandy place for this song.

That's meant to be a compliment, by the way.

I want to see someone put this in a movie. Hell, I can think of at least two handfuls of scenes in my head, six of which would star Zach Braff, where this song would be like BASF or Clorox Color-Safe Bleach. This song would make a good scene better. It would make the yellows yellower and the blues bluer. Although I'm really awful at this, when listening to Kanelos' songs -- and I've only heard four -- I think of a sunnier Iron + Wine. Maybe younger and therefore less disillusioned. His song "Deerfield" definitely gives me a little Ben Folds feel, but only slightly. If you dig stripped-down, slightly off-kilter singer-songwriter material, keep an eye out for this guy.

The Wind - Peasant (mp3)

Remember a few paragraphs ago when I was envisioning Kanelos' music in a movie? Well, these dudes would be on the same soundtrack. But where the first song might be used during a particularly romantic moment, or when the heartsick protagonist is staring out the classroom window while the object of his affection goes to the parking lot to smoke a joint with his best friend, this Peasant song seems to require a driving scene. One person in the car. Flashing back through prior scenes in the film, or maybe just staring straight ahead, trying not to cry.

Peasant reminds me a little of Band of Horses, another band I'm only just discovering. Maybe these guys are a little bit simpler, but there's something alluring about that high-pitched tendrill voice. None of the four songs of theirs I've discovered go longer than about 3 1/2 minutes. They like to float on a cool acoustic pop breeze, one that dies down before it gets too cold.

BONUS CHRISTMAS SONG! (Because Bob said so)
Make It Home - Juliana Hatfield (mp3)
Sure, it's kind of a downer (which, incidentally, never hurt the Greatest Depressing Holiday Song Ever, Joni Mitchell's "River"), but it's about remembering that just having a home is a blessing in and of itself. Besides, it was used in My So-Called Life, which automatically requires me to love it.