Music Under Fire

From the spacey pop of The Bird and The Bee to the always in-motion serenading of Duncan Sheik, the releases of January 27th sent a feel good shiver down our spines; one which we hope we can transfer to our iPods soon enough.

Focused on softly drifting lyrics and ballads, Peasant, Strand of Oaks and several other artists continue this easy listening trend that fit effortlessly into a winter night's evening.

Shaking with a more 'dance around the flames' persona, is Of Montreal's John Brion Remix EP. If Of Montreal's electric blue retakes doesn't heat things up enough, then the amorous pop of France's Yelle or the Swedish pizazz of Loney, Dear will fill that gap. Enjoy.

MP3: Loney, Dear - Airport Surroundings (buy)
MP3: Yelle - A Cause Des Garcons (buy)
MP3: The Bird and the Bee - Love Letter to Japan (buy)
MP3: Peasant - Raise Today (Daytrotter Session) (buy)
MP3: Cotton Jones - Cotton & Velvet (buy)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (Official) (MySpace)
Cotton Jones - Paranoid Cocoon (Official) (MySpace)
Dalek - Gutter Tactics (Official) (MySpace)
Duncan Sheik - Whisper House (Official) (MySpace)
Hoobastank - For(n)ever (Official) (MySpace)
Kylie Minogue - Boombox (Official) (MySpace)
Lithops - Ye Viols! (Official) (MySpace)
Loney Dear - Dear John (Official) (MySpace)
Loren Connors & Jim O'Rourke - Two Nice Catholic Boys (MySpace)
LSD March - Under Milk Wood (Official) (MySpace)
Man or Astroman? - EEVIAC (Official) (MySpace)
Maninkari - Art Des Pussieres (Official) (MySpace)
Merzbow - 13 Japanese Birds Vol. I (Official) (MySpace)
Mi Ami - Echonoecho 12" (Official) (MySpace)
My Cat Is An Alien/ Mats Gustafsson - Cosmic Debris Vol. IV (Official) (MySpace)
Nickel Eye - The Time of Assassins (Official) (MySpace)
Of Montreal - John Brion Remix EP (Official) (MySpace)
Omar Rodriquez-Lopez - Old Money (Official) (MySpace)
Owen - (the ep) (Official) (MySpace)
Peasant - On The Ground (Official) (MySpace)
Plastic Crimewave Sound - Painted Shadows (Official) (MySpace)
Polvo - Cor-Crane Secret (reissue) (Official) (MySpace)
Rachel Shearer - Fakerie (Official) (MySpace)
RZA - Afro Samurai: The Resurrection (Official) (MySpace)
Secret Machines - Secret Machines (vinyl) (Official) (MySpace)
Sole and the Skyrider Band - Remix Album (Official) (MySpace)
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin / Puzzle split 7" (Official) (MySpace)
Strand of Oaks - Leave Ruin (MySpace)
String of Consciousness & Angel - String of Conciousness & Angel (Official) (MySpace)
The Bird and The Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future (Official) (MySpace)
The One Up Downstairs - The One Up Downstairs 7 " (Official) (MySpace)
Volcano Suns - All Night Lotus Party(MySpace)
Volcano Suns - The Bright Orange Years (MySpace)
Woolfy - (In Flagranti Mixes) Oh Missy (MySpace)
Yelle - Ce Jeu EP (Official) (MySpace)

This week features a few of bands we've spoken about in week's past, particularly, Hospital Ships, Bloc Party (see our remixes) and Frightened Rabbit.

Keep your eye out for Plus Minus, whose album Xs on Your Eyes caught our ears this past week with their single "Snowblind", which is also our Song of the Week.

As far as EPs go, this week has plenty: Beach House has their Used To Be EP, Bloc Party has their Talons EP releasing in the UK, Death in the Park with their self-titled EP, Deep Vibration with Vera Cruz EP and the reggae/hiphop blend of Matisyahu featuring his Shattered EP.

All EPs aside, keep your eyes out for Final Fantasy's latest, as well as some of our more prominent bands, Hospital Ships (see our feature), of Montreal, The Dears (see our feature) and the intrumental rock of ...And You Will Know us by the Trail of the Dead. Looking forward to another solid week!

MP3: Frightened Rabbit - Fast Blood (buy)
MP3: Beach House - Master of None (buy)
MP3: Death in the Park - Laws of Nature (buy)
MP3: of Montreal - Nonpareil of Favor (buy)

+ / - (Plus/Minus) - Xs on Your Eyes (Official) (MySpace)
And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead - Festival Thyme (Official) (MySpace)
An Albatross - The An Albatross Family Album (Official) (MySpace)
Anni Rossi - Afton (MySpace)
Beach House - Used To Be 7" (Official) (MySpace)
Blithe Sons - The Great Orthochromatic Wheel (Official)
Bloc Party - Talons EP (Official) (MySpace)
Bohren & der Club of Gore - Dolores (Official) (MySpace)
Brett Dennen - Hope for the Hopeless (Official) (MySpace)
Brother JT3 - Jelly Roll Gospel (Official)
Danielson - Our Givest (Remix) 7" (Official) (MySpace)
Danny Rocco - Unplugged In Mitchell Park (MySpace)
Death in the Park - Death in the Park EP (Official) (MySpace)
Deep Vibration - Vera Cruz EP (Official) (MySpace)
El Guincho - Alegranza! (U.S. version) (Official) (MySpace)
Electric Six - Flashy (Official) (MySpace)
Eric Copeland - Alien In A Garbage Dump 12" (Official) (MySpace)
Escape the Fate - This War Is Ours (Official) (MySpace)
Final Fantasy - Play (Official) (MySpace)
Fireworks - We Are Everywhere (MySpace)
Frightened Rabbit - Liver! Lung! FR! (Official) (MySpace)
Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna (Official) (MySpace)
Heavy Hands - Smoke Signals (MySpace)
Hospital Ships - Oh, Ramona (MySpace)
Hush Arbors - Hush Arbors (Official) (MySpace)
Kemialliset Ystavat/ Sunroof - Split EP (Official)
Lake - Oh, the Places We'll Go (Official) (MySpace)
Larkin Grimm - Parplar (Official) (MySpace)
Lemonade - Lemonade (MySpace)
Loren Connors - The Moon Last Night (Official) (MySpace)
Lou Reed - Berlin: Live At St. Ann’s Warehouse (Official)
Matisyahu - Shattered EP (Official) (MySpace)
Matt Sims - Happily Ever After (Official) (MySpace)
Mythical Beast - Scales (MySpace)
Night Horse - The Dark Won't Hide You (Official) (MySpace)
of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping (Official) (MySpace)
Parts & Labor - Receivers (Official) (MySpace)
pH10 - Well Connected (Official) (MySpace)
Pit Er Pat - High Time (Official) (MySpace)
Pompeii - Nothing Happens for a Reason (Official) (MySpace)
Rank Deluxe - You Decide (Official) (MySpace)
Rosemary's Garden - La musique du Jardin (MySpace)
Sea and Cake - Car Alarm (Official) (MySpace)
Sebastian Grainger - Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains (Official) (MySpace)
Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins - Clutch of the Tiger (Official) (MySpace)
Simon Bookish - Everything Everything (Official) (MySpace)
So So Glos - Tourism/ Terrorism (Official) (MySpace)
Social Code - He Said, She Said EP (Official) (MySpace)
Storsveit Nix Noltes/ Roayl Family - Divorce (MySpace)
The Dears - Missles (Official) (MySpace)
The Mystic Underground - It Really Shouldn't Be This Hard (Official) (MySpace)
The Stiletto Formal - ¡Fiesta, Fiesta, Fiesta, Fiesta! (MySpace)
White Hinterland - Luniculaire EP (Official) (MySpace)

This week's folk artists have dominated the listings below, and really, they have captured many a heart with their works as well. Despite having a smaller amount of content for this week, Mogwai and of Montreal also have a few treats in store.

Emiliana Torrini's Me and Armini album should add some flair as her seemingly funk-inspired breakouts lie quietly behind the harmony she has created. Also, Portland's Horse Feathers bring a catchy touch due to the unique vocal span of songer Justin Ringle. Along with these two artists, the unfailing work of Catie Curtis and Joan Baez could add a more down-tempo appeal.

More on the indie rock side, The New Year and a couple of smaller works by of Montreal and Mogwai lifted our eyebrows. The New Year was started back in 1999 by brothers Matt and Bubba Kadane, who previously masterminded Bedhead. Since then, they added on a slew of talented friends and have continued to improve their sound. Their newest album is the self titled, The New Year. The track below is from their 2004 release of The End Is Near.

So the list this week had a ton of artists and we only did a few writeups and posted just a couple of mp3s, so if there is someone you didn't hear us mention, please leave a comment. Enjoy.

MP3: The New Year - The End's Not Near (buy)
MP3: Calexico - Two Silver Trees (buy)
MP3: Emiliana Torrini - Birds (buy)
MP3: Mogwai - The Sun Smells Too Loud
MP3: of Montreal - Id Engager (buy)

Aids Wolf - Cities of Glass (Official) (MySpace)
Angela Desveaux - The Mighty Ship (Official) (MySpace)
Bound Stems - The Family Afloat (Official) (MySpace)
Broken West - Now or Heaven (Official) (MySpace)
Calexico - Carried to Dust (Official) (MySpace)
Callers - Fortune (MySpace)
Catie Curtis - Sweet Life (Official) (MySpace)
Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane (MySpace)
D+ - What is Doubt For? (Official) (MySpace)
Damien Jurado - Caught in the Trees (Official) (MySpace)
Dar Williams - Promised Land (Official) (MySpace)
Don Chambers - Zebulon (Official) (MySpace)
Donkeys - Living on the Other Side (MySpace)
Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini (Official) (MySpace)
Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs (MySpace)
Gennero - There's Something About Thursdays (MySpace)
Growing - All The Way (Official) (MySpace)
Gym Class Heroes - The Quilt (Official) (MySpace)
Hollywood Undead - Swan Songs (Official) (MySpace)
Horse Feathers - House With No Home (Official) (MySpace)
I'm Not Jim - You Are All My People (Official)
Joan Baez - Day After Tomorrow (Official) (MySpace)
Joan Osborne - Little Wild One (Official) (MySpace)
Karrigan - My Conscience Got The Best of Me (MySpace)
Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez - Why Is Bear Billowing (Official) (MySpace)
Little Teeth - Child Bearing Man (Official) (MySpace)
Liz Durrett - Outside Our Gates (Official) (MySpace)
Locksley - Don't Make Me Wait (Official) (MySpace)
Magic Slim & the Teardrops - Midnight Blues (Official) (MySpace)
Maserati - Inventions Remixes (Official) (MySpace)
Meiko - Meiko (Official) (MySpace)
Michael Franti & Spearhead - All Rebel Rockers (Official) (MySpace)
Mogwai - Batcat 12" (Official) (MySpace)
The New Year - The New Year (MySpace)
Of Great & Mortal Men - 43 Songs For 43 U.S. (Official) (MySpace)
Of Montreal - Id Engager Alter Eagle 7" (Official) (MySpace)
Okkervil River - The Stand Ins (Official) (MySpace)
oRSo - Ask Your Neighbor (Official) (MySpace)
Parenthetical Girls - Entanglements (Official)
Patty Loveless - Sleepless Nights (Official) (MySpace)
Pontiak - Sun on Sun (Official) (MySpace)
Rafter - Sweaty Magic EP (Official) (MySpace)
Rahim - Laughter (Official) (MySpace)
Shaky Hands - Lunglight (Official) (MySpace)
The Dark Romantics - Heartbreaker (Official) (MySpace)
The Sound of Animals Fighting - The Ocean and the Sun (Official) (MySpace)
The Years Gone By - Forever Comes To Soon (MySpace)
TK Webb & The Visions - Ancestor (Official) (MySpace)
Underoath - Lost In The Sound of Separation (Official) (MySpace)
Unspoken - Jim Brickman (MySpace)
Viarosa - Send for the Sea (Official) (MySpace)
Wholehearted - Reclaim (Official) (MySpace)
Willoughby - I Know What You're Up To (Official) (MySpace)
Wovenhand - Ten Stones (Official) (MySpace)
Young Widows - Old Wounds (Official) (MySpace)