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Preparing for his latest record " Dudes ", David Mead created a 25 song collection named " 25 Days To Dudes " in 2011 for free. It contains some of David’s best hits, album cuts and previously unreleased outtakes from the last 12 years, plus two new songs from Dudes .   To say it's a fine collection is underestimated by far. It is superb. Listen to it! Listen to the collection and get it here: noisetrade.com/davidmead/25-days-to-dudes

Jeremy Messersmith is back with his latest album having the excellent and reflecting the current state of the world title Late Stage Capitalism .  The lead single is called Purple Hearts (listen below). The album is out due March 9, 2018. Pre-order the upcoming album Late Stage Capitalism now: www.jeremymessersmith.com

In July 2012 Mike Viola released his latest full length record Acousto de Perfecto . You can order it directly at Lojinx (vinyl, CD, digital). Along with the record release Mike Viola was so kind to give me an interview: How Acousto De Perfecto did came about? After recording Electro De Perfecto and playing a few shows with my rock trio around Los Angeles I headed out on tour solo, alone with my guitar where I landed on this idea to make Acousto De Perfecto . Stripped down versions of Electro De Perfecto . I have this tendency to compartmentalize my material. "This is my rock record" - "this is my live acoustic record with all new songs" - "this is my guy trapped in his basement far reaching swinging for the fences POP record" - this whole idea of Acousto De Perfecto kind of flies in the face of compartmentalization. Confuses things.  Muddles the story.  But it's ultimately really satisfying to hear the Acousto De Perfec...

Seventeen years ago many things were different. It was a time when MTV still played music videos, record companies had no problems with this internet thing, Chris Martin wasn't married with Gwyneth Paltrow yet - and Coldplay were not one of the most successful bands on earth. The first thing I recall of Coldplay is seeing the video for " Yellow ". Chris Martin is walking on a beach at night. At first I thought: good song, but a bit boring video. Until I recognized that this walk is from the middle of the night to the middle of the next day - in 4:29 min. I bought Parachutes and listened to the first song - what a blast! Today " Don't Panic " is still one of my top songs of all time.   I don't think it's necessary to do a full review here. Most of the songs are very well known. Astonishingly I still like to listen to the record as a whole despite the constant radio airplay of them. And in my opinion it has one of the best cover arts of a rec...

The French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg (daughter of the famous French actor Serge Gainsbourg ) announced her second record in early 2006 (her first album was from 1986). I was a bit curious about it, especially because of the people who worked with her on the songs: Air, Jarvis Cocker, Neil Hannon (from Divine Comedy) - and Nigel Godrich (producer of Radiohead, REM, Beck, Air, Travis, Jason Falkner or Zero 7 ). So I waited (still remember, it was a very very long time between announcement and the release date). And I wasn't disappointed! The album is all about the time between sleep and awake. This very special time in the middle of the night you can't sleep: you look at the clock radio and discover it's too late to go to sleep again before sunrise. Songs for a lonely island: 5:55, The Songs That We Sing, Morning Song or better: the whole record from start to end. Listen here:

Mike Viola: Electro De Perfecto . Ten tacks. And a quite new direction. It's not like its forerunner Lurch at all. 1. Columbus Day Parade : A straight, fast and energetic opener. 2. Get You Back : I demand this to be a single, played by all radio stations. My daughter (18 months old) loves it, too. 3. El Mundo De Perfecto : For me it's the central song of the whole record. Wonderful. 4. Soundtrack Of My Summer : I listen to this song for a while now (it surfaced a while ago on soundcloud). It was the soundtrack of my summer!  5. Closet Cutter : For me it was a grower, just like ... 6. Field of Guns 'n' Roses :... this one ... 7. Me And My Drinking :... and this. I didn't like all three at first very much. Now I do.  8. Here's The Rub : Stuck in my head. Immediately. Be careful! 9. Inside Out : At the moment my least favorite song on the album (but this changes after every listen - in a positive way. How do you do this, M...

Bleu released a B-side & outtake record (songs from "A Watched Pot" and "Four") called Besides in 2011 - and it's only available on vinyl (Yay!) and CD box. There are two editions, a blue or a black 150g vinyl (both strictly limited with 100 / 300 copies!). You get a digital download with this package, too. For all "Four" kickstarter backers out there there's was special price! Besides is good, very good. Many artists would kill for having songs like these on their records... Tracklist: Vinyl SIDE - B 1. Take Cover 2. When The Other Shoe Falls 3. No Such Thing As Love [Original Version] 4. Can't Be That Bad (If It Feels This Good) 5. The Blame Game 6. How Blue [Acoustic Mix] 7. When The Dog Day Comes SIDE - Be (sides) 1. If... 2. Blow Up The Radio 3. A Watched Pot 4. Mailman's Son 5. In Love With My Lover [Demo] 6. Save It For A Rainy Day     Digital download (with the vinyl package) 1. Take Cover 2. ...

David Myhr , the Stockholm-based former member of The Merrymakers released his first solo record in 2012. And it has become a PowerPop gem from start to finish. David says: ”I love that tingling down the spine when I hear a great song – when superior craftsmanship meets the magic. I constantly strive for that that with my own songs” . Maybe that passion for great music reflects also in the title of the record - Soundshine . One of the best record titles for a long time! The songs are somewhere between Jellyfish , The Beatles , Mike Viola and The Feeling . Never Mine is a strong opener, leading to the catchy Looking For A Life and Got You Where He Wanted . I Love The Feeling has such a summer feeling, you have to play this in a convertible. Get it Right starts slowly and builds up to one of the best songs of the record (what a chorus!). Cut To The Case is a dangerous earworm. With Don't Say No and Loveblind follow two more upbeat songs. The One is a beauti...

Preorder LP, CD & digital at Lojinx (the record is out in May).