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Adam Levy - Naubinway

Ben Folds - So There

Ben Folds teams uo with yMusic and will release his new album "So There" in September 2015. 
Interesting fact: there are only 8 tracks - and a 21 minute long orchestral piece ("Concerto For Piano and Orchestra").

Darwin Deez - Double Down

Darwin Deez is back. Yay! His third record "Double Down" is out September 18, 2015.
Listen to the first single "Kill your Attitude" here:


 
Fred Abbott - Serious Poke

The newest release of the London based label Lojinx looks - and you can count this as an understatement - very promising!
Serious Poke is the debut album from Fred Abbott (lead guitarist and keyboard player from Noah and the Whale). The record will be out July 24, 2015. Listen here:





Brandon Schott's lateat record is out soon - a crowd funding campaign has started already:

Here's your chance to hear the Lite Rock classics of the late '70s and early '80s, reimagined and reinterpreted by some of the best indie pop artists of today.
Drink A Toast To Innocence: A Tribute To Lite Rock is out April 29, 2013.

To quote Mr. Curry:"As a kid in the late '70s, I used to call these songs and others like them "Putt-Putt music," because I vividly remember hearing them blaring from the sound system at the miniature golf course where I spent my summers. Years later, while chatting with buddies in my college dorm room, I realized that I wasn't alone in my (secret) fondness for these songs. It was those college friends and I who ran with the idea of "Monsters of Lite Rock" and endlessly debated which songs and bands could really lay claim to the Lite Rock brand. (Manilow? No way, dude.) 
And now, more than twenty years later, I'm still talking about this stuff, and I've taken things one step further. I've enlisted dozens of my favorite current musicians to reimagine and reinterpret the Lite Rock songs that defined my childhood. Mike Viola, Bleu, Linus of Hollywood, Kyle Vincent, and almost two dozen more amazing artists from the world of indie pop and power pop have submitted some absolutely brilliant reinterpretations of these old favorites."



Track list (2CD Edition):
1. Michael Carpenter - We Don't Talk Anymore
2. The Davenports - Just When I Needed You Most
3. Kyle Vincent - How Much I Feel
4. Lisa Mychols - Don't Give Up On Us
5. Throwback Suburbia - I Love You
6. David Myhr - The Things We Do For Love
7. Mike Ruekberg - Believe It Or Not
8. Kelly Jones - I'd Really Love To See You Tonight
9. Paul Bertolino - Just Remember I Love You
10. Eytan Mirsky - Escape (The Piña Colada Song)
11. Plasticsoul - Sentimental Lady
12. Popdudes - Magnet And Steel
13. Joe Giddings - Undercover Angel
14. Mike Viola - Steal Away
15. An American Underdog - Thunder Island
16. Bleu - Baby Come Back
17. Brandon Schott - Thank You For Being A Friend
18. The Sonic Executive Sessions - On And On
19. Linus Of Hollywood - More Than I Can Say
20. Greg Pope - Crazy Love
21. Lannie Flowers - Dance With Me
22. Wyatt Funderburk - Bluer Than Blue
23. Vegas With Randolph - Cool Change
24. Seth Swirsky - Shannon
25. Cliff Hillis - Shake It
26. Paul Myers - Wildfire
27. Sunshine On Mars - Fooled Around And Fell In Love
28. Willie Wisely - So Into You

Brandon Schott just released a new video - This Is Home is the 3rd single from his latest record 13 Satellites.

Do you like it? I do!

Maybe it's a bit early this year, but here they are - My Top Ten Records of 2011:

1. Mike Viola - Electro de Perfecto 
The long awaited follow up to Lurch: 10 songs. No filler. Fab.
More info here.


2. Bleu - Besides
It's still not released, hopefully it will in 2011. Most of the songs are known to the fans - it's great compilation. More info here.


3. David Mead - Dudes
The kickstarter - crowd funded record from Mr. Mead. More info here and here.


4. Brandon Schott - 13 Satellites 
Brandon Schott's new, indiegogo - crowd funded record, filled with beautiful songs! More info here.


5. Teitur - Let The Dog Drive Home
A strong album, breathtaking melodies and lyrics. More info here.


6. Jeremy Messersmith - The Reluctant Graveyard
Though the record was out in 2010, I discovered it not until this year. More info here.



7. Jay Clifford - Silver Tomb For The Kingfisher
More info here.


8. Feist - Metals 
Darker tunes than on The Reminder. More info here.


9. Hotel Lights - Girl Graffiti 
More info here.


10. Ivy - All Hours
Released 6 years after their last record - finally. More info here.


Special award: Ben Folds - Best Imitation Of Myself 
It's a Best Of, so it doesn't really count. But the compilation has three new Ben Folds Five songs - and there's probably a whole new record coming in 2012! More info here.

I was lucky to get a digital advance copy of Brandon Schott's new record 13 Satellites.



It's surely a very different album than his last one Dandelion. And here's a short review:

01 Annie - A beautiful intro.
02 Early Morning Light - Do I hear The Beatles here (in 1967 - 1970)? Great tune.
03 Full Circle Night - Could be a great radio single.
04 This Is Home - Beautiful balled and lyrics!
05 Flowers Fading - My favorite so far.
06 A Daydream (or A 2AM Serenade) - Nice chorus!
07 Building A Boat
08 Satellite - The song is out for some time already at soundcloud. And it's catchy. Good choice for a first single.
09 Exploding Angel - Again very beatlesque.
10 Louise St. - A short, mostly instrumental song. A little gem.
11 All The Way Down - What a chorus! Already after the first listen it's stuck right in my head!
12 My Love Won't Let Me Down - The last "proper" song on the album.Gorgeous.
13 Fading (Outro) -Well, is the 13th satellite. It's kind of an outro-medley. And a good way to finish the album.


The crowd funding campaign at indigogo.com was again a great way to promote the album release (see also David Mead - Dudes and Bleu - Four).

You can order it here. It's a nice bundle: you get the album 13 Satellites along with his record Golden State and (Is this all Brandon? No, you get also) ... a kazoo!

Only 36 hours left for the crowd funding campaign from Brandon Schott for his new record 13 Satellites. Go for it. Not much time left! Oh wait, it's only 35 hours. Hurry up!

The next few weeks will have a bunch of exciting record releases:

The Nines - Polarities (unreleased songs and demos - out now!) - Homepage

Gomez - Whatever's On Your Mind (out now!) - Homepage

Ivy - Distant Lights (Single, out now!) - Listen To Distant Lights Here
Ivy - All Hours (September 20) - Homepage

Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full Of Holes (August 2) - Listen To The New Single Here

Hotel Lights - Girl Graffiti (August 16) - Homepage - Download The New Single Here

Ben Folds Five - Box Set
(probably 3 CDs: Best Of, Live and Rare - Ben even talked about a fourth Ben Folds Five record that was never finished! - November)

Bleu - Besides (B-Sides, on vinyl and digital - tba) - Homepage

Mike Viola - Electro De Perfecto (summer) - Homepage

The Shins - New Album (tba) - Homepage

Brandon Schott - ‎13 Songs (a collaboration with Billy Hawn) (summer) - Homepage

David Mead - Dudes (tba) - David's Blog

So, lots of new stuff! Being exited :-)

Most of my favorite musicians have already been mentioned on my blog - except one: Brandon Schott.
In 2009 Brandon did his homegrown recording series at www.toopoppy.com, and this is when I stumbled upon one of his songs first. Brandon is not just an exceptionally gifted singer/songwriter but also one of the kindest artists I know.


Discography (studio records):
2003 Release
2007 Golden State
2009 Dandelion

I strongly recommend to listen to them (reviews of his records will follow).

Dandelion:
Finally three videos of his songs:


Visit his all new website at www.brandonschott.com!
(lots of videos, music & reviews - and you can buy the music directly from Mr. Schott)

Brandon Schott - Holiday Sale
All of Brandon Schott's released output in one big package - autographed by the man himself:
1. "RELEASE" album (CD - 2003)
2. "GOLDEN STATE album (CD - 2007)
3. "DANDELION album (Digital Only Release - available this season in full-fidelity audio on a home-made CD-R w/ special limited edition packaging. Featuring new artwork by local LA artist, John Seymore)
4. Home-Made Bonus "MIX" CD-R - filled w/ Brandon's iTunes singles in full-fidelity audio as well as a couple of bonus tracks exclusive to this collection!
5. Special Bonus Surprise CD
6. AND a Special Bonus (Awesome) Gift!
PRICE: $33 including shipping and handling
NOTE: Please be sure to specify who you'd like your CDs signed to (if at all).
Buy it here.

Mike Viola - Hang On Mike & Melon
"Melon" is available on amazon and itunes now.
"Hang On Mike" on vinyl with 27 bonus tracks (mp3s) Will ship in time for Christmas (domestic). They are super deluxe editions... just gorgeous... the artist who did the CD artwork did the vinyl GATEFOLD edition... and it's remastered for vinyl. Sounds incredible. AND... there are 27 crazy bonus tracks. Songs in progress. Songs that didn't make the cut. Songs half finished. Weirdo studio Candy Butchers jamming.
You can buy it at Mike's site here.

Ned Brower (from Rooney) - Great To Say Hello
Ned's first solo CD is available directly on his website here as CD or at itunes. You can preview it there too. By the way: it's produced by Mike Viola.