Separate Sound

Though you may think of WeHeartCats.com as The Cat Empire, it is also the name of a lively Australian band!

Where hip-hop meets reggae, where jazz is played with dirty hands, where a Cuban line meets an Aussie rule, where nothing seems in place, but sounds like many places played in one earthy chorse…

This is the island where The Cat Empire was born.

Their most recent album was Two Shoes. You can hear tracks from it on the band’s MySpace page. Try “The Car Song.” I was listening to that while sitting in traffic earlier today and it definitely brightened my morning.

“Genre-bending” is a term often used to describe The Cat Empire and that makes them great material for Separate Sound. What they’re doing is creative, high-energy, and fun. Big in Australia, they’re becoming more and more popular around the world. In fact, they’re on a world tour now and it might not be too late to catch them in your area. Also, a new album is in the works…

Give them a try today and I bet you’ll be adding Two Shoes to the top of your wishlist!

music, australia, the cat empire, we heart cats, two shoes, the car song, myspace

DaveP shares 5 songs from the current British music scene. Check it out!

Another video contest! Modest Mouse is calling for your design for a video of “Missed the Boat.” Get all the details here.

Andrew Lander has a box of cassette tapes from a thrift store - and they seem to be Taiwanese children’s music of mysterious origins. Go give them a listen.

And Keith lets those of us who missed it catch Björk performing “Earth Intruders” on Saturday Night Live - here.

music, mp3, pop buzz uk, british, modest mouse, contests, taiwan, earth intruders, bjork, volta, saturday night live, popculturebuzz, video, music videos

For this week’s Friday Playlist, we have Oliver Cobol of Super Madrigal Brothers!

Some parts of this list are clickable so you can try some samples. But other parts remain mysterious and unclickable. Perhaps it is your destiny to seek out these arcane tunes…

Walking Eagle - Bruce Haack & Miss Nelson
Things - Bobby Conn
To Where I Belong - Chico Magnetic Band
Etude No 10 - Chopin
Just A Closer Walk With Thee (Dirge)
- Magnificent Seventh’s Brass Band
Babes in Toyland - Music From the Silent Films “Babes in Toyland”
Keep Yourself Alive - Queen

Our thanks to Brother Oliver Cobol!

If you haven’t already (or even if you have), stop by Super Madrigal Brothers’ site and see what they’ve concocted thus far. I hear there may be new projects in the works, too!

On Fridays, Separate Sound will feature playlists from readers, bloggers, and musicians. Want to submit a playlist? Click the “Contact Me� button right over there (—>) and send me five or more songs that you’re listening to. If you have a blog or website, be sure to include it so I can post the link along with your playlist.

friday playlist, playlists, music, oliver cobol, super madrigal brothers, bruce haack, bruce haack & miss nelson, bobby conn, chico magnetic band, chopin, magnificant seventh’s brass band, babes in toyland, queen

Craig over at swedesplease recently featured “Love and Nostalgia“ - a single from Friday Bridge’s upcoming release.

The album is Intricasy and will be released on May 23 by But Is It Art? records. They say they deal in “timeless and elegant pop” and this is a lovely example of that.

From the Friday Bridge site:

I . Friday Bridge is the musical vehicle for Ms Friday Bridge et al.

II. Friday Bridge is the ideal musical companion to dinner parties and parlour games.

III. Four Friday Bridge concerns are delicacy, melody, sophistication and lush orchestration.

IV. In its mildness and refusal to trade intellect for friendship, Friday Bridge is most subversive.

Pop over to the Swedesplease post or directly to Friday Bridge’s site to hear “Love and Nostalgia.” It’s both simple and sophisticated, and I liked it immediately. I think you will, too.

music, swedesplease, friday bridge, love and nostalgia, new releases, albums, mps

This week brings the U.S. release of a cookbook with a title I love: I Like Food, Food Tastes Good. How is this relevant to our darling Separate Sound blog? I will tell you!

I Like Food, Food Tastes Good: In the Kitchen with Your Favorite Bands, authored by food writer Kara Zuaro, divulges the favorite recipes of and by over 100 artists. The list includes The Decemberists, The Violent Femmes, Belle & Sebastian, They Might Be Giants, Franz Ferdinand, and (obviously) many others. It’s got snacks, main dishes, and special drinks - from the super-simple to the advanced.

Here’s my idea: Pick a recipe from one of your favorite bands and cook it up. Serve and enjoy while listening to said band’s music. Will you experience a mystical convergence with the true spirit of your beloved musicians? I can definitely say: MAYBE.

It sounds like a fun read!

i like food food tastes good, kara zuaro, music, food, recipes, the decemberists, the violent femmes, they might be giants, belle and sebastian, bands, books

Two exciting pieces of Björk news, today:

First, the video for “Earth Intruders,” the first single off Volta, has been released! It’s availabable for purchase on iTunes right now - or you can just watch the preview for free.

And more news! The video for “Innocence” (also on Volta) will be created by…maybe you! Björk is accepting submissions for the video through August. Then, she’ll pick a winner and collaborate with her/him to create the actual thing. That’s a fabulous opportunity for some creative person!

All the info on the competition is here - including the song! So, that’s two singles we’ve been able to hear now. The excitement builds!

bjork, music videos, music, earth intruders, innocence, volta, itunes, music downloads

Joining us for this week’s Upstart Monday is California-based band The Sally Growlers! Jim and Frank spoke with Separate Sound…

Separate Sound: Describe your sound to us.

The Sally Growlers: Jim - Pounding Metal Riffs and Mega Overdrive Drumming combined with penetrating bass grooves with powerful world-class vocals.
Frank- We sound like helicopters landing in a hot LZ. We have a Seattle sound.

SS: Who are the members of your band and what brought you together?

TSG: The perfect storm-like combination of the shredding guitar mastery of Jim Leach paired with the rock solid rhythm section made up of Frankie Dee (Drums) and Pete Zeiner (Bass/ Vocals) creates a true “wall of sound” that seems both larger than a simple power trio and often more complex.

SS: What keeps you playing music, day after day? What makes you love playing music?

TSG: Jim - It is in our Blood unless you have it you won’t understand
Frank - The art of it and the freedom to express my-self the way I want right or wrong. I love to play live. This is the only thing in life I feel comes to me naturally.

SS: What’s the story behind your name?

TSG: Frank - It is a pissed fish from the East Coast. Pete is from New Jersey and knows this badass fish.
[Jim also directs us to this site, which describes the delightful Sally Growler, or Sea Raven, in more detail.]

SS: How can fans get ahold of your music?

TSG: Our Snazzy Website or Myspace.

If you’re in the Santa Cruz, California area, you can catch The Sally Growlers in concert. Everybody else can check out their new release Bite online or on disc.

***
Next Monday…more new music!

If you have a new or just lesser-known band you’d like to see on Upstart Monday, send me a quick email with a link to your website and I’ll get back to you soon

upstart mondays, the sally growlers, music, interviews

In honor of Earth Day…

Earthology Records. “Earthology Records, a not-for-profit environmental record label. Inserts are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with nontoxic soy-based ink, packaged in 100% reused salvaged jewel cases, shrink-wrapped with environmentally benign LDPE plastic, and shipped with recycled packaging. The CD scraps from manufacturing are recycled into milk cartons. Earthology is located on a geothermal wind-powered organic farm.”

Cloud Cult is one of the groups on the Earthology label. Their latest release, The Meaning of 8, came out on April 10th. You can find out more, hear a sample, and watch the video for “Chemicals Collide” at their site.

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Clocks made from recycled CDs by Acorn Studios. “Compact discs have been rescued from a life in the landfill and turned into functional art!”

earth day, earthology recods, cloud cult, music, acorn studios, recycling

This week’s list comes to us from a very prolific blogger. Elisa writes The Book Stacks, Watching Doctor Who, and Silliness.org! She also is a music lover and submitted a great playlist for us.

You can click through to a sample of most of these songs. Enjoy!

Mood Swings

1. Van Den Budenmayer Concerto - La Double Vie de
Veronique Soundtrack

2. The Lone Dalek - Murray Gold (Doctor Who Original
Soundtrack)

3. Ne Me Quitte Pas - Nina Simone

4. Somewhere a Clock is Ticking - Snow Patrol

5. Death’s Sweet Religion - This Picture

6. Let’s Never Stop Falling In Love - Pink Martini

7. Epicentre - VNV Nation

8. You Don’t Know - Berlin

9. Anything, Anything - Dramarama

10. Field of innocence - Evanescence

11. I Will Find You - Clannad

12. This Night - Black Lab

13. Madame De Pompadour - Murray Gold (Doctor Who
Original Soundtrack)

Thanks, Elisa!

On Fridays, Separate Sound will feature playlists from readers, bloggers, and musicians. Want to submit a playlist? Click the “Contact Me� button right over there (—>) and send me five or more songs that you’re listening to. If you have a blog or website, be sure to include it so I can post the link along with your playlist.

playlists, friday playlist, music, elisa, the book stacks, watching doctor who, silliness.org, doctor who, nina simone, snow patrol, this picture, pink martini, vnv nation, berlin, dramarama, evanescence, clannad, black lab, murray gold

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund
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