My first instinct would be to say screw AOL’s spinner.com. But they are distributing Darla Farmer’s live Mercury Lounge album for free, so suppose I can’t disrespect them too much. The show is a product of a collaboration between the band, Magic Hat Brewing Company, and vancar.tv. Below is some video of the show and a link to download the music.

Here is a excerpt from an album review for Rewiring the Electric Forest, released in 2008 by Paper Garden Records:

“The burlesque attitude of Darla Farmer is delicious. The bright eccentricities sound as if they were lifted out of a carnival sideshow. Rather than overcompensating for the inherent problems that come with recording horn sections, the loose and live feel of the horns was captured and exploited very tastefully. Too often these types of recordings come off sounding like metronomed midi files, but the dirt is left on and the atmosphere is kept thick.”

-FF

Download the live Mercury Lounge Show here
http://www.myspace.com/darlafarmer
http://www.papergardenrecords.com

Upcoming Tour Dates
9/11 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom (Rabbit Release Party)
10/1 – Montreal, QB @ Syndrome (Paper Garden Records music & art party)
11/14 – New York, NY @ 3rd Ward (Paper Garden Records presents: Multiverse Playground)

Midwest Dilemma (Unsigned)
Peasant Paper Garden
The Living Room 8:00PM
Wednesday, May 20th 2009
FREE

Darla Farmer Paper Garden
Emanuel & the Fear Paper Garden
Mercury Lounge 7:30PM 21+
Saturday, May 23rd 2009
$10

Midwest Dilemma- Omaha

New York City’s Paper Garden Records is treating us during the month of May by putting together a couple shows that showcase three of the labels more promising acts. On Monday, May 20th Peasant, one of our favorite song writers attached to Paper Garden will play along side Omaha, Nebraska’s Midwest Dilemma. This will be a doubly sweet night— not only am I eager to see Midwest Dilemma live, but Peasant is definitely always satisfying to watch. He cannot be overstated. It is my understanding that Justin Lamoureux of Midwest Dilemma will be playing solo, which will likely be a nice compliment to Peasant’s set. Did I mention it is FREE? The show will take place at The Living Room on Ludlow.

The vaudevillian circus sideshow that is Darla Farmer team up with electro-pop orchestrators Emanuel & the Fear for an early gig at Mercury Lounge on May 23rd. The doors open at 7:30PM, with Darla Farmer offering their velveteen texture at 8PM, followed by Emanuel & the Fear at 9PM. For those of you who have not attended an early show at Mercury Lounge, it is a great way to begin a Saturday night. Your ass is out of their by 10:30PM, perfect if you have a party to get to in Bushwick, Greenpoint or Williamsburg. Both bands are attached to Paper Garden and are certainly worth a listen.

Peasant- On the Ground
Midwest Dilemma- Timelines & Tragedies
Darla Farmer- Rewiring the electric Forest
Emanuel & the Fear- Emanuel & the Fear EP

Paper Garden Records

Here’s the break down:
5 Bazookas: Classic (KABOOM!!)

4 Bazookas: Great (BOOM!!)

3 Bazookas: Good (POW!)

2 Bazookas: Not Too Good (bang?)


1 Bazooka: Total Crap (…thud.)

Easy enough, right? Let’s go:

---

Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
I’ve been a loud critic of this band in the past (they’re my new Phish), but I’m one to give credit where credit is due, so I admit that the first half of the album is pretty solid. It gets to be a bit monotonous after that, but at least they no longer sound like raving hippie kids on a Beach Boys kick who like to get high, fart into reverb-laden microphones over repetitive electronic arpeggios, and call it avant-garde music. Or maybe they’re just finally writing better songs on top of the same farting noises and repetitive electronic arpeggios. Whatever the case, it’s an improvement. Their lyrics, however, are still really stupid; permeated with rampant use of vague, new age-y, spiritual obscuration throughout. No wonder a bunch of Christian kids love them like they’re the new Jars Of Clay or something. Pitchfork be damned, it’s no revelation but has its merits.

---

Beirut – March Of The Zapotec

1. Please welcome the newest additions to our Band Directory:

Evan P. Donohue

The Maticals

Darla Farmer

2. And speaking of Darla Farmer, the acclaimed band (winner of last year’s Best Student Album Curbie for Rewiring the Electric Forest) will be performing a concert in the Neely Dining Hall at 7 PM this Sunday. Go to that!

Here are this week’s new music releases:

Abe Vigoda – Reviver
… And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – The Century of Self
Asobi Seksu – Hush
Audrye Sessions – Audrye Sessions [EP]
Centipede Eest – Confluence
Dark Was the Night compilation album
Darla Farmer – Rewiring Electric Forest
Alela Diane – To Be Still
D. Rider – Mother of Curses
Ernie and the Automatics – Low Expectations
Sutton Foster – Wish
HalfDown Thomas – Beautifully Strange
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 – Goodnight Oslo
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Tommy Keene – In the Late Bright
Living Things – Habeas Corpus
Eleni Mandell – Artificial Fire
Mishka – Above the Bones
Morrissey – Years of Refusal
Obscura – Cosmogenesis
Plushgun – Pins & Panzers
Psapp – The Camel’s Back
Sam Roberts – Love at the End of the World
The Soul of John Black – Black John
Thursday – Common Existence
Christopher Titus – Love is Evol
Vetiver – Tight Knit
M. Ward – Hold Time
Weird Owl – Ever the Silver Cord be Loosed
William Elliott Whitmore – Animals in the Dark
Charlie Wilson – Uncle Charlie

Darla Farmer and Wintersleep are starting 2009 with bright proclamations.This week Wintersleep are #26 on the College Music Journal’s Top 200 chart. They released Welcome to the Night Sky last November and have toured with a number of great acts including Wolf Parade. Their mix of calculated, guitar driven rock gives Canada a good name. They left us wondering, what is in their water… just how many bands can Canada export? They are now touring their homeland and will zip over to Europe February 10th. They will be back in the US soon enough though, and we’ll be happy to welcome them.

Darla Farmer, after releasing their 2008 debut Rewiring the Electric Forest on Paper Garden Records, and touring with a slew of notable artists, has landed a spot on NPR’s All Things Considered. The spot is sure to expose their circus sideshow to millions. They are also rereleasing last year’s debut on February 17th. Check out both of these fine bands and your ears will be kindly rewarded.

Wintersleep- Welcome to the Night Sky Review
Darla Farmer- Rewiring the Electric Forest Review

-FF

With one month left in Darla Farmer’s remix competition the people over at Paper Garden Records are reaching out to the people, encouraging them to “bring the heat!”

The project will allow fans and professionals alike to appear on the upcoming Remixing the Electric Forest to be released at the end of summer 2008. In addition, the record will be on iTune’s front page for featured releases.

This gives people like me and you the opportunity to share a platform with the likes of Tom Campesinos of Los Campesinos, Optronix, among others. If you are interested in the contest, email Paper Garden at darlafarmer@papergardenrecords.com. They will hook you up with the song stems you need to construct your redux.

As Jeff Martin has proved, remix albums can make excellent venues for discovering new artists. This could definitely be your opportunity for exposure to an entirely new fan base. Get to it…

. . .of Darla Farmer. They’re a pretty decent band if you’re into the likes of Cursive’s Ugly Organ. Their label, Paper Garden Records (btw, great label, check ‘em out), describes them as “Carnival Rock.” I suppose it’s a label that is pretty fitting, considering their eclectic range of influences and sound, even within the same song. They released their debut album, Rewiring the Electric Forest, last February, I think. Since then, I’ve gotten pretty into it. It’s a lot of comotion, their music.

Now, I saw this press release from the label the other day that I thought might be of interest:

Darla Farmer, Nashville’s own carnival-rock band, already features 7 diverse members to account for their the fresh new sound…but what if there was just one more? Now Darla Farmer is calling upon you to be the 8th! The band is now officially launching its full-album remix competition around their debut album, “Rewiring The Electric Forest”!

The band recorded their album in Omaha, NE last summer around Saddle-Creekers such as Cursive, The Faint, Maria Taylor and more, so for those of you that want to have your remix abilities heard, now is the time! The remix album, which will be titled, “Remixing The Electric Forest” will be digitally released at the end of the summer and will be featured on the front page of iTunes! 2 Winners will be chosen from Indaba Music as well, so sign up now to increase your odds of winning!

Paper Garden is now opening the floor for submissions and would love to hear what you can do with the album. Already having secured submissions from Optronix, Andrew Maury, Plus Move and more, you’ll have the chance to appear side by side with some of the biggest names in remixing!

You can check out the band at http://www.myspace.com/darlafarmer. All submissions and individual track requests should be sent to darlafarmer@papergardenrecords.com.

I don’t do any sort of mixing, I’ve never even tried. But listening to their stuff, I think there is some really interesting things that could happen. If you’re into mixing, why not give it a shot?

Even if you don’t enter the contest, check DF out anyway.

P.S. Here’s a description out of a review of their album

Listening to Rewiring the Electric Forests is like listening to a Klezmer band who found a bunch of Mighty Mighty Bosstones records, went to a Tom Waits show with Wayne Coyne, got drunk, took a cab to a recording studio and laid down a few tracks just to see how they’d come out. – First Coast News

Seriously? I thought “it’s like” statements this far out there only came from people trying to be ironic.

The full version of this review appears in the pages of TRACER Magazine.

It’s often said that if a critic can’t pigeonhole a band into a genre from nuances that remind them of their musical mainstays, said band and/or album must be doing something unique and right. The creativity quotient must be through the roof, and the band is forging ahead into uncharted musical waters. I find this to be one of the most positive aspects of the new release from Nashville-based musical troubadours Darla Farmer. Unpredictable, experimental, angst-ridden, and scattershot are all ways to describe Rewiring the Electric Forest. Fasten your seatbelts for plenty of musical twists and turns on this album.

I headed outside for a walk, even though it was raining enough to need an umbrella, to experience a more intimate listen to Rewiring the Electric Forest on my earphones. It’s great to hear something completely different from the norm when it comes to an indie band. In Darla Farmer’s case, an eclectic mix of instruments and a desire to push the envelope of rock music result in the creation of an album that is at times freakish and fantastical, at others mercurial and unstable. A walk in the rain under an umbrella is a fittingly surreal situation for listening to this album, the band’s first full length release from Paper Garden Records. There is something for many different personalities of music fans: Ska, folk, Americana, pretty Rockabilly ballads, and bombastic, horn driven Carnival-esque musical nostalgia tracks intermingling with 1950’s American Doo-Wop. Not to mention a vocal style that gets your attention, for better or worse, and lyrics that hold their own in the midst of such imaginative music.

Indeed, one of the most noteworthy elements of Darla Farmer’s sound isn’t the music so much as the sound of Clint Wilson’s vocals, which sound impish and youthful. He even sounds a bit monotone and nasal, and at first I was really thrown off by it. Eventually, I did come to think of it as slightly more endearing, though, and the lyrics give Wilson decidedly more weight and merit. On “Big Accident,” for example, when he sings, “We’ll plan something big, yeah we’ll plan something grand, and we’ll just pretend that it’s an accident,” he sounds childlike and his voice sounds a little less confident when he trails off with a “whoo.” Admittedly, this “plan” is almost telling of Darla Farmer’s M.O. When Wilson sings, “Everything is falling faithfully, I see the past is chasing me,” on “The Cow That Drank Too Much,” he sounds too young to have such concerns. The lyrics seem wise at times, however, which provides an intriguing contrast to this childlike voice. I’m not sure why, but this reminds me of some sort of weird, quirky State Fair talent show, with a very young, waggish singer fronting a mature band with a full sound, made up of powerful trumpets, guitars, and a deliciously daring piano that keeps kicking things into high gear with its rollicking high notes. Even the guest vocalist on “Tommy Bones” sounds too quaint, perhaps transported from the Dust Bowl era. This Americana folk style is such a remote cultural relic that it’s not always easy on the ears.

The arrangements have a fickle way of switching gears abruptly, and some of them offer little in the manner of experimental payoff for the listener. “Sweet Fires” demonstrates these unnerving arrangement choices. “Dirty Keys” proves the daredevil nature of Darla Farmer, with Wilson introducing a strange screech over a dramatic, dusty, Americana Big Band rocking out eerie bits of Ska. There are at least a couple of tracks that offer some ingenious style and originality. “Mechanical Thoughts” is a damned good time with staccato horns, Franz Ferdinand-style guitar, and a great dirty bass line, but the reintroduction of Wilson’s shriek and the band’s shifting gears punctures the potency too quickly.

There are a couple of restrained, quiet moments of repose by the end of Rewiring the Electric Forest. “Tree On A Hill” is proof that there is another sort of steam Darla Farmer can tap into. The gentle strumming of the guitar meshes beautifully with the passionate, yet unobtrusive horns and subdued bass. The lyrics are striking and inspired – “I wrote you this quote in a letter hoping what someone else said would make you feel better.” And then, sung sagaciously, “Now my vision starts to blur and I can see/ only one color. What a beautiful feeling,/ can’t believe that this is what I’m seein’.” The music crescendos in a very weepy way, and is consistent with the tone of the song’s arrangement throughout. There are no sharp, uncomfortable turns in “Tree On A Hill,” nor in the album’s closer “The Vigilant Mr. Lynch,” which is sort of a dramatic story-song, certainly a last track comedown, that has a Decemberists’ tack for songwriting. The story is short, however, and the album closes on a quick, mischievous note.

Amanda Carnes

Hmm, well not sure how far to go with this review, as seems to be the case a lot around here at the moment.  There’s a lot I could criticise if I were so inclined, but there are some truly excellent songs on this album as well, so I feel compelled to write about it even if I can’t recommend it unequivocally.

The good bits first: some of this is the sort of punchy, euphoric, horn-driven celebratory indie music that has me dancing around the house in my pants at four in the morning.

The bad bits: well it seems to draw together so many slightly chaotic elements that it is not unusual for them to not quite meet in the middle.  Some of the tracks on this album take the sleazy bass, screeching vocal, clattering piano and oddly sensible horns and make something slightly muddy.  It can, if I’m honest, be crap.

Partly I think this is due to not quite having control over their most volatile elements just yet.  The vocal can ruin things on occasion, but then it can be utterly glorious as well, depending on the song.  Mechanical Thoughts is a stodgy track, where the momentum of the song never quite breaks free of the instrumental morass into which it sinks.  Not in an awful way though, just in a not-quite-excellent sort of way.  History is the other end of the spectrum – a joyously boisterous pleasure.

When they really get it right though, this is just superb.  Loud, ballsy, brash and brilliant.  There’s plenty of The Builders & the Butchers and the Ice Cream Socialists in their slightly swampy mix of stomp, clatter and growl.  It’s a sleazy album, full of dirt and grime and with just a slightly unsavoury glint in its eye.  Then at times it slips down a gear into something a little more sprightly and playful

There are some great things going on on here, and it is never less than a pleasure to listen to, but I get the impression that if they can tighten things up a bit then their next one could really be something special.  It remains, for now, a crucial ‘if’.

Darla Farmer – History

myspace | hype | buy from papergarden records

Fuck me, I’m glad that’s over with. Did you find that as dull as I did? Four consecutive posts about major bands on major labels that you could all just as easily have read about in Q Magazine. I even liked the Elbow and REM albums, but I still felt slightly dirty writing about them, although I don’t know why.

This blog is supposed to be a record of my thoughts on music, and I was genuinely interested to hear the new Supergrass and REM, and really excited to hear The Raconteurs and Elbow so why do I feel so flat after writing about them? Why has it suddenly become so unsatisfying to write about bands of that stature?

I don’t think the answer lies in snobbery, per se. I have no shame in enjoying the really big and famous bands that I like, nor do I think anyone else should apologise for liking famous music – or fluffy, superficial pop for that matter. Music is there to be enjoyed, and really doesn’t need to be dissected much more than that*.

Maybe it’s the club-ism; the exclusivity. We share something that They don’t have their hands on yet so it feels more special, like a secret or something. There’s also the issue of making a contribution, I suppose. Me bigging up the new REM album is utterly irrelevant to the band whereas when I write about really small groups I might just double their sales if a few of you go and buy something. And they are much more delighted to see a positive review of their music of course, and that always makes this a more satisfying thing to do.

Ultimately, I think it’s about ownership, really. Pop culture is not something most of us get to participate in in any meaningful way whatsoever, so by writing about smaller bands it almost forces REM and Supergrass to become Pop Culture, whereas the little unsigned acts become Our Pop Culture – more personal, more involved and, crucially I think, a smaller community to be a part of. One which may be global in reach but is not global in numbers. It’s a more comprehensible size, something you can actually feel a part of, something you feel you can come to terms with and something which gives a little back when you go and say Hi at the end of a gig. The global audience for REM is just too big for that. The global audience for Bambi Get Over It is not.

So I guess it’s no real surprise that it just feels so much better to have a tiny unsigned band to write about, or to get some friends in and post their live performances on YouTube. They are people we know, people we can be a bit more emotionally invested in, people whose fans could conceivably all get together for a big piss up in the same place. I think a lot of what is perceived as indie snobbery is not quite as much to do with snobbery and perhaps more to do with feeling part of a community whose edges are still close enough to touch, and where you actually feel like an important member rather than a single album sale amongst millions.

So I’m not going to stop writing about big famous bands, because I am genuinely interested in them, but I am finding myself more and more drawn to the grassroots of the music world – small projects where people are having a go and I feel like I really can help bring their work to a wider audience. It just feels nicer.

Bambi Get Over It – That Girl

* I could pretty much delete this whole blog on the basis of that one comment alone!

Darla Farmer
Emily Long
Rehab (Formerly Club Midway)
March 25th 2008

What better way to begin the week than drinking beer and seeing a show. On Tuesday, Darla Farmer had their debut performance in New York City at Rehab just north of Houston on Avenue B. After listening to Rewiring the Electric Forest, released March 4th of this year, one can only hope to catch them in the flesh. What makes a Darla Farmer live show so appealing is not simply their horns, their guitar, their rhythm, or Clint Wilson’s spectacle of a voice. It is the layers. It is their stop-and-go song structure. It is the opportunity to see exactly what these people look like, and to witness them assemble the disjointed musical movements that range from staccato ballads to all out assaults.

Rehab was pretty typical of subterranean and first levels venues like the lower floor of Union Hall, a dim, dingy, low ceilinged hole of a bar. Upon arrival, I happily grabbed a three dollar PBR and walked toward the stage. Brooklyn’s Emily Long was setting up her gear, dressed in a flashy sparkly shirt and that oh-so fashion savvy mid-section belt. Her hair was punkily feathered and chic. When she finally constructed her Roland center stage, it was as if her synthesizer was the helm of a spaceship. She honestly had the look of one of those groovy alien chicks opposite Captain Kirk from the original Star Trek series. Not that I’ve ever seen an episode, just the late night infomercials for the special DVD compilations containing every sci-rific episode. Either way her band generally seemed inconsequential as her billing implied. Emily Long. It was all her. Not through any fault of their own though, the guitars were not leveled and the drums were completely saturated by the keys and her voice in full vibrato. This girl puts Cindy Lauper and Stevie Nicks to task. Not that I am particularly fond of either of these ladies, but throw-back or not, she sang like a banshee and you could tell she meant every word.

Darla Farmer took stage all dressed in blue. Clint Wilson sported the most math-class tie I had ever seen. Ben Weber wore suspenders, a buzzed head, a beard, and coke bottle glasses. Ben Weber…no more…Uncle Sticky…your new name is Uncle Sticky. In fact the whole band looked as if they haled from the deep sinister South. Deliverance has truly inspired generations. With a wall of carnival mayhem, Darla Farmer proceeded to erupt into cycles of genre bending fury. The band was tight in their execution and exuded so much character that they were as much of a pleasure to watch as they were to listen to. Uncle Sticky marched with a tambourine in the crowd, hopping and jolting to the guitar and horns. Clint Wilson’s high pitched voice morphed seamlessly into a rageful scream. The brilliance was not in the particular skill of each instrument, but rather how the threads of this mayhem were woven together. These Nashvillains put on a great show. I might just catch them again tonight at Piano’s or tomorrow at Galapagos in Williamsburg. They really want to make the most out of this New York showing and I encourage everyone to take them up on their offer.

7/9

http://www.myspace.com/emilylongrocks
http://www.myspace.com/darlafarmer

Review of Rewiring the Electric Forest

Other Darla Farmer Shows
March 27th @ Piano’s- NYC
March 28th @ Galapagos- Brooklyn

Other Emily Long Shows
April 15th @ The Annex- NYC
May 2nd @ Luna Lounge- Brooklyn

Отличная тётка из Нэшвилла! Заводные песенки в джазово-эстрадных аранжировках времён Аль Капоне и Великой Депрессии

myspace.com/darlafarmer

Darla Farmer
Rewiring the Electric Forest
March 24th 2008
Paper Garden Records

There is no need to dissect Darla Farmer into parts; the constitution of their style is quite clear. Their full-length debut Rewiring the Electric Forest is an amalgamation of Louisiana brass jazz, swing, gypsy rock, Americana, hardcore, and the slightest undertone of that frightful three letter word, ska. This audial cocktail is not, as one would suppose, an all out assault on the senses. Darla Farmer textures their music in unconventional ways without demeaning their well worked melodies. Clint Wilson’s vocals have the immediacy and anxiety of Tim Casher and the quirky pitch of Amedeo Pace. That’s right, I said Amedeo Pace. I know I find a way to compare everything to Blonde Redhead but really people…listen to Falling Man followed by Darla Farmer’s The Vigilant Mr. Lynch…yeah that’s right.

The burlesque attitude of Darla Farmer is delicious. The bright eccentricities sound as if they were lifted out of a carnival sideshow. Rather than overcompensating for the inherent problems that come with recording horn sections, the loose and live feel of the horns was captured and exploited very tastefully. Too often these types of recordings come off sounding like metronomed midi files, but the dirt is left on and the atmosphere is kept thick.

Recorded at Mike Mogus’ studio in Omaha, Nebraska (Bright Eyes, Saddle Creek), Darla Farmer has produced a good record that is as aggressive as it is intricate. The Cow That Drank Too Much, Mechanical Thoughts, and Tree on a Hill underscore the range that this band commands. Much of Rewiring the Electric Forest is a throwback to familiar melodic templates, however when the elements are infused some real meaty stuff is made. They should look into touring with Chicago’s Skybox. Their energy and eccentricities are totally compatible. While the horns may be overly emphasized, Darla Farmer are sure to improve the balance in time. In any event these 7 Nashvillans sound as if they would put on one hell of a show.

6/9

http://www.myspace.com/darlafarmer
http://darlafarmer.com

Tour Dates
3/4 – Nashville, TN @ Grimey’s

CD RELEASE SHOW
3/4 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In

After The Jump/Paper Garden Records/Indie Outlaw SXSW Day Party
3/15 – Austin, TX @ Lucky Lounge

Team Grizzly / Stranded In Stereo SXSW Day Party
3/15 – Austin, TX @ The Pangae Patio

3/21 – Cincinnati, OH @ Blue rock Tavern
3/22 – Columbus, OH @ Scarlet & Grey Cafe
3/24 – Pittsburgh, PA @ TBA
3/25 – New York, NY @ Club Midway
3/27 – New York, NY @ Piano’s (w/ The Heavenly States)
3/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ TBA
3/29 – Reading, PA @ The Silo
TBA – Washington, DC @ TBA

Any music blogger knows how tough it is to pick new music from your inbox. It fills up so quick, it makes your head spin. Even if you try to squeeze in some unknown acts into the game, you always feel guilty that you couldn’t put everyone in. So, here’s to hoping that these Open-Mic Mondays will help spread word on the massive amount of undiscovered talent out there. If you want your music to be displayed here, just email me.

First up is the UK’s The Aliens with the psychedelic, folk-funk of “I am the Unknown”, off of their critically acclaimed debut Astronomy For Dogs LP. I totally feel dumb for not noticing this band before Jessie from Cornerstone pointed them out to me. I guess online promotion does still work. Watch the video brewed up by the Aliens and Zune Arts, then catch some MP3s after that visual sexcstacy:

MP3s
The Aliens – I Am The Unknown
The Aliens – Robot Man (Hot Chip remix)

The Shondes (taking their name from the Yiddish word for “shame” or “disgrace”) are a rock quartet making dramatic music that has been compared to Sleater-Kinney, Patti Smith, and Rasputina. The Shondes are known for their complex, melodic rock sound combined with rich vocals, and a live show that explodes with energy. Their songwriting fuses the various musical traditions of feminist punk, classical, Jewish, and queercore, while their vocal melodies move effortlessly from anthemic to haunting, textured by the distinct qualities of each of their voices.

MP3s
The Shondes – Don’t Look Down
The Shondes – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

Married duo Jane Dowe and Hank Hofler are both rooted firmly in experimental music, but with the Oh Astro project they continue their move towards odd interpretations of popular forms. Club music, children’s songs, and fragmented samples of pop/rock all intersect on their first full-length album, Champions of Wonder. Highly Addicting.

MP3s
Oh Astro – Snow Queen
Oh Astro – Hello Fuji Boy
Oh Astro – Candy Sun Smiles

Following a month spent bundled up in the deep freeze of the Arctic Circle making music & art, Hello, Blue Roses’ Dan Bejar and Sydney Vermont return to their hometown of Vancouver just as the greater part of North America feels a shivery winter continue to cover the country with mounds of white fluffy stuff. What better time, then, for Stereogum to unveil “Sunny Skies”.

MP3s
Hello, Blue Roses – Shadow Falls
Hello, Blue Roses – Sunny Skies

“If the name didn’t tip you off, Die! Die! Die! have little patience for pop concessions. Abrasive and bare-bones, the band makes a lot out of a little… …the result is mind-numbingly satisfying.” – Spin

MP3s
Die! Die! Die! – Sideways, Here We Come

It is always refreshing to have your pleasure spots tickled when you hear Nancy’s generously sweet alt. indie country sound. The quintet from Brazil completely clean my musical pallet out. Almost a complete aural foil to CSS (a fellow Brazilian group) in so many perfect grooves, it’s hard to stop listening to this band.

MYSPACE / RCRDLBL

The seven-piece Darla Farmer are prepping for their 2008 debut Rewiring the Electric Forest with a handful of hometown shows and a SXSW date. I can honestly say, Darla Farmer are a powerhouse. Fusing ska, folk, and rock together with violin, mandolin, trumpet, and trombone; and all I wish is that I was going to SXSW to see them.

MP3s
Darla Farmer – Big Accident

Any music blogger knows how tough it is to pick new music from your inbox. It fills up so quick, it makes your head spin. Even if you try to squeeze in some unknown acts into the game, you always feel guilty that you couldn’t put everyone in. So, here’s to hoping that these Open-Mic Mondays will help spread word on the massive amount of undiscovered talent out there. If you want your music to be displayed here, just email me.

First up is the UK’s The Aliens with the psychedelic, folk-funk of “I am the Unknown”, off of their critically acclaimed debut Astronomy For Dogs LP. I totally feel dumb for not noticing this band before Jessie from Cornerstone pointed them out to me. I guess online promotion does still work. Watch the video brewed up by the Aliens and Zune Arts, then catch some MP3s after that visual sexcstacy:

MP3s
The Aliens – I Am The Unknown
The Aliens – Robot Man (Hot Chip remix)

The Shondes (taking their name from the Yiddish word for “shame” or “disgrace”) are a rock quartet making dramatic music that has been compared to Sleater-Kinney, Patti Smith, and Rasputina. The Shondes are known for their complex, melodic rock sound combined with rich vocals, and a live show that explodes with energy. Their songwriting fuses the various musical traditions of feminist punk, classical, Jewish, and queercore, while their vocal melodies move effortlessly from anthemic to haunting, textured by the distinct qualities of each of their voices.

MP3s
The Shondes – Don’t Look Down
The Shondes – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

Married duo Jane Dowe and Hank Hofler are both rooted firmly in experimental music, but with the Oh Astro project they continue their move towards odd interpretations of popular forms. Club music, children’s songs, and fragmented samples of pop/rock all intersect on their first full-length album, Champions of Wonder. Highly Addicting.

MP3s
Oh Astro – Snow Queen
Oh Astro – Hello Fuji Boy
Oh Astro – Candy Sun Smiles

Following a month spent bundled up in the deep freeze of the Arctic Circle making music & art, Hello, Blue Roses’ Dan Bejar and Sydney Vermont return to their hometown of Vancouver just as the greater part of North America feels a shivery winter continue to cover the country with mounds of white fluffy stuff. What better time, then, for Stereogum to unveil “Sunny Skies”.

MP3s
Hello, Blue Roses – Shadow Falls
Hello, Blue Roses – Sunny Skies

“If the name didn’t tip you off, Die! Die! Die! have little patience for pop concessions. Abrasive and bare-bones, the band makes a lot out of a little… …the result is mind-numbingly satisfying.” – Spin

MP3s
Die! Die! Die! – Sideways, Here We Come

It is always refreshing to have your pleasure spots tickled when you hear Nancy’s generously sweet alt. indie country sound. The quintet from Brazil completely clean my musical pallet out. Almost a complete aural foil to CSS (a fellow Brazilian group) in so many perfect grooves, it’s hard to stop listening to this band.

MYSPACE / RCRDLBL

The seven-piece Darla Farmer are prepping for their 2008 debut Rewiring the Electric Forest with a handful of hometown shows and a SXSW date. I can honestly say, Darla Farmer are a powerhouse. Fusing ska, folk, and rock together with violin, mandolin, trumpet, and trombone; and all I wish is that I was going to SXSW to see them.

MP3s
Darla Farmer – Big Accident