Separate Sound

Somehow mixing a lot of distortion and somewhat unstructured noise with melodies that stick in your head, Black Moth Super Rainbow manages to be both abstract and poppy. Their music is a meeting of organic and electronic.

And BMSR has a new album coming out on May 15. They say:

Dandelion Gum is a loosely based concept record about witches who make candy in the forest. Each of its 16 songs represent a different candy-induced freakout in the gooiest and sweetest ways possible. Songs that are built to stick in your head for hours meet textures that are impossible to scrape off your teeth. You might not even realize that the sunny melody you’re humming to yourself all day has so many hidden layers behind it - all hummable as well. It’s as accessible of a record as it is abstract, and as bright on the surface as it is moody underneath. “Dandelion Gum” feels as colorful and sticky as its name suggests. Recorded over the course of 3 years, “Dandelion Gum” is a product of the woods. It is deeply inspired by stories passed down from relatives and ones the band created themselves after long nights in the cabin. The best of those stories, and one that we hope could be true, is of the sisters who refused to leave their shack deep within the forest. The sisters (or witches as they are lovingly referred to in local folklore) were truly scary and it is said they would concoct all kinds of sugary treats for anyone foolish or adventurous enough to wander that deep….

Visit their site to try out some of their songs, like “lost, picking flowers in the woods.”

black moth super rainbow, dandelion gum, lost picking flowers in the woods, mp3, album releases, music, electronic music

To my UK readers (or anybody else ready to hop on a plane): You could win tickets to a secret Amy Winehouse show in Bristol tomorrow night. Here’s what you have to do:

“Amy will be performing a secret gig somewhere in Bristol tomorrow (Thur 19th) with Vodafone TBA and we have 10 pairs of tickets to give away.

The first 10 people to email alastair.smith@umusic.com with their name, address, age and mobile number will win.
Go, go go…!”

You’d better act fast! And if you win - be sure to tell me!

contests, amy winehouse, concerts, music

Fans of fun folk-rockers The Nields have something to celebrate today - a new album! All Together Singing in the Kitchen was released in the U.S. today and it should be great. If you’re a fan of Dar Williams and Joni Mitchell, try The Nields. I just made that up, but I think it’s an equation that might work. Oh, and if you’re the cautious type, you can try any of the songs on the new album here. They’re just 99 cents a piece.

And while we’re on a folky-note, let’s hop over to the UK for June Tabor’s new release, Apples. June Tabor is well-loved for her beautiful, melancholy traditional British folk. She’s collaborated with the likes of Maddy Prior and Fairport Convention. Though her work is often described as “haunting, Apples is a bit lighter. But this is still an album for a quiet evening by the fire.

Honorable Mention: Australian Laura Jean’s new release - Swan Song. Dreamy.

new releases, music, folk, laura jean, swan song, june tabor, apples, the nields, all together singing in the kitchen, music downloads

I have to agree with kezins that the “Go Mario (Super Mario Brothers)” sample from the upcoming The Best of the Best: A Tribute to Game Music doesn’t thrill me all that much.

But here is something (video game and music related) that does (thrill me, that is):

Super Madrigal Brothers. Oliver Cobol and Sir Fashion Flesh take the beloved sounds from games of yesteryear and mix them with musical styles of yore.* They’ve got sample songs, videos, and the interactive Super Minstrel Star - all on that crazy site of theirs.

If the phrase “Psychedelic Nintendo Classicism” makes your little ears perk up, check them out.

There’s a lot of other great video game-inspired music that we’ll get to later…

*…where “yesteryear” refers to the 1980s and “yore” refers to the 1500s.

super madrigal brothers, video games, video game music, music, 1pstart

I’m very excited to announce a new feature here at Separate Sound! Upstart Mondays will feature a different up-and-coming music group every week. We’ll have bite-sized interviews that just might introduce you to your new favorite band!

Joining us for the very first Upstart Monday is Astral Travel, hailing from Santa Cruz, California…

Separate Sound: Describe your sound to us.

Astral Travel: Synthesizing rock, ambient, classical and psychadelic influences, our goal is to evoke the vague, sweeping beauty of the dreamworld. We use ethereal, bittersweet washes of color-sound and steady basslines to lull you into an astral meditation to explore and raise consciousness.

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

AT: Led by composer and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bauer, singer Danielle Hiscock and drummer Jesse Clark, Astral Travel came together in 2006 while attending college in Santa Cruz.

SS: What inspires you?

Inspired by the music of Sigur Ros, John Frusciante, Explosions in the Sky and The Verve, we intend to bolster the bourgening scene of quasi-instrumental music. Our music is a platform for our spiritual and metaphysical interests in Buddhism, Yoga, philosophy, astrology, meditation and space exploration.

SS: Where would you like to go, as a band?

AT: Our goal is to create a new paradigm of music composition, performance and production that focuses on creating a deep spiritual experience for the listener. Quoting Kabir, “Music without words means leaving behind the mind. And leaving behind the mind is meditation. Meditation returns you to the source. And the source of all is sound.” We intend to use music to bring people together and to help each other on the spiritual path.

SS: How can fans get ahold of your music?

AT: Our music is available exclusively through myspace. You can purchase our albums through a link provided via paypal.

****
Check out some of Astral Travel’s music on their MySpace page. I think you’ll like it.

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, music, new music, astral travel, myspace

Watch Hannes Coetzee play a very unusual form of slide guitar. Great!

hannes coetzee, slide guitar, guitar, music

This might be a little different than what you’ll usually see on this feature, but I wanted to share it today. Thom Yorke, of both Radiohead and solo work fame, shared a playlist of his own with iTunes back in January. Here it goes, starting with Thom’s intro.

dear iTunes listener… this is just some stuff that really floats my boats at the moment. the list is meant to be played from start to finish in the order you see it with a slight crossfade set in the preferences of 4 seconds like an old mix tape. err…maybe. XX love thom

Horse and I - Bat for Lashes
Silikon (Featuring Sasha Perera) - Modeselektor & Sasha Perera
Raid - Madvillain & Medaphoar
I’ve Hardly Been - Stephen Malkmus
Scorn - Surgeon
No Hope Before Destruction - The Dears
Skuff’d - Boxcutter
Closer - Quasimoto & Madvillain
Drum Gets a Glimpse - Liars
What It Look Like - Spank Rock

To dig deeper, click through to see Thom’s notes on all the songs. Very interesting.

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, thom yorke, radiohead, drum gets a glimps, liars, horse and i, bat for lashes

Separate Sound is doing none-too-shabbily in the Blogger’s Choice Awards!

If you read and enjoy this blog, why not pop over there and lend your vote? Then, check out all the other great nominees!

P.S. Don’t forget to send me your playlists for the Friday Playlist feature.
It’s as simple as clicking the “contact me” link right over there —>.

separate sound, blogger’s choice awards, awards, music, friday playlist, playlists

Parfums ottomans (or Ottoman Fragrances) is the latest creation of The Al-Kindî Ensemble - a collaboration of musicians from Turkey, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Syria, and the United States led by zither virtuoso Julien Jâlâl Eddine Weiss.

This double-album set is a collection of Arab-Turkish Court Music dating back to the 17th century. There is something fascinating about listening to music that has been played and heard by so many people over so many years. And excellent instrumental skill and the passion of the artists brings this music fresh life.

Happily, The Al-Kindî Ensemble (or Ensemble Al-Kindî - you pick!) is offering us two audio samples and a performance video to whet our appetites.

al-kindi ensemble, ensemble al-kindi, ottoman frangrances, parfums ottomans, Julien Jâlâl Eddine Weiss, music, world music

For your Wednesday morning browsing pleasure, here are some bits of music news:

“Music indeed integrates minds, brings peace to the agitated minds and leads to positive thinking,” declares Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

The iPod is the “fastest selling music player in history,” according to The Telegraph.

British rockers The Klaxons are “at the forefront of the indie revolution,” says PopBuzzUK.

And Casey Criswell tells you how you can join Five for Fighting in raising money for autism research and other charities by watching videos online.

music news, music, news, five for fighting, autism, popbuzzuk, the klaxons, ipod, apj abdul kalam