Music Of The Day Blog

Saturday Free Music Downloads: Compilation from Classic Rock Magazine

2010-11-13T20:11:00.000-05:00

The latest issue of latest US edition of Classic Rock Magazine features an 18 song compilation album of up and coming rock and roll bands.

Check it out over at Classic Rock Magazine.com ... http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/download-classic-rocks-us-only-cd-for-free/

Under The Radar: Die Pretty

2010-11-11T12:20:00.000-05:00

Die Pretty is a promising female-fronted pop-punk band from New York City. I say pop-punk, but Die Pretty has got a harder edge than most so-called pop-punk bands, so let's call them accessible punk ... the gateway drug, if you will ...

Die Pretty just released their second EP, a self-titled collection of 7 songs, many of which appeared on their earlier release "Bittersweet". But you can't blame them for repeats, as not enough people noticed the earlier album, so they're continuing to refine the songs.

Led by the brother and sister team of Skip and Sarah, "Grin and Bear It" is one of the standout tracks ... here's a video for the version off the earlier "Bittersweet" release ...

Listen to more at their MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/dieprettynyc

Future Hype: Valora

2010-11-09T14:45:00.000-05:00

It's very possible that by this time next year, I'll groan at the thought of having mentioned Valora a year prior.

I mean no disrespect ... the few songs available now from Valora sound pretty good, especially the new song "Live". Comparisons to Paramore are inevitable, because lead singer Syd Duran does sound quite a bit like Hayley Williams ... but the music is heavier. Not hard rock like Halestorm ... it's still leans more toward the pop side of things, but with more of an epic feel ... some would call it a sense of self-importance, or theatrical, but whatever it is, it's working for Syd and Valora at the moment.

Here's the video for "Live", which is the band's current single ... and part 1 of the graphic novel series that follows our heroine Valora as she carries her secret through the ages (did I say sense of self-importance?) ...

Follow the story at http://www.valoraofficial.com.

Valora has had a couple of other songs featured on movie soundtracks. "Extreme" was on "Almost Alice", the soundtrack inspired by the Tim Burton interpretation of "Alice in Wonderland", and "No Matter What" played during the credits of "The Last Song".

Interestingly enough ... Valora's recording deal is credited to the success of a self-made video that the band made 3 years ago for "I Waited For You".

Seems that their record company is in the process of deleting all known copies of this video, but this one's been up on YouTube for 3 years and has survived thus far:

Random Monday: Electric Boys and the Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride

2010-11-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

Random is a wonderful thing. It's been too long since I listened to the Electric Boys ... but random brought them back for me.

Mix 2 parts late 1980's metal, 1 part funk, 1 part 1960's psychedelic, and then add 1/2 part The Beatles, and you've got the Electric Boys ... a short lived musical explosion that produced one of the best albums of 1990 in "Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride".

The follow-up 1992 album "Groovus Maximus" was good, but not as strong as the debut ...

Dropped from their label, an independent release "Freewheelin'" followed in 1994 ... admittedly I don't really listen to that album except for the single "Ready To Believe", which had some of the spark of the debut ...

I always loved Conny Bloom's vocals, and I've been waiting for a follow-up ...

He did release a solo album in Europe in 1999 ... and "Neon Delta Blues" is a pretty good song off that album.

But aside from that, he's been playing guitar for other bands. He played guitar on "Black Leather Mojo" with Ginger from The Wildhearts in Silver Ginger 5 ... another classic album of the funk-o-metal genre that was released in 2000.

In the mid-2000's, Conny, and bassist Andy Christell of the Electric Boys, joined Hanoi Rocks until the final break-up of that legendary band.

Last year, the Electric Boys got back together and did some touring in Northern Europe in support of a greatest hits album titled "Now Dig This". And rumor is that come 2010 they've recorded some tracks for a new album ... in fact, here is a medley of demos ... so the story may not be over yet.

For more info, visit http://www.connybloom.com and http://www.electricboys.com.

Fresh Tracks: Cromwell

2010-11-07T08:00:00.025-05:00

Cromwell has been around for a few years, so this might not be the first time that you've heard of them ... and it's not going to be the last. They released their first EP back in 2005, and they were on the 2006 Warped Tour.

A full length album "Illusion & Obsession" followed in 2007. Good, but in retrospect, not very memorable.

Fast foward to 2010 ... and things appear to be looking up with the addition of a second guitarist, and collaboration with producer Ulrich Wild who has produced and/or mixed albums for Breaking Benjamin, Stabbing Westward and Incubus, among others.

The recently released 3 song EP "Daniela" makes me look forward to see if they can deliver a full album as good with as much quality as this EP. "Faces" and the title track "Daniela" are solid modern rock ...

Saturday Free Music Downloads - Nelson, Taproot, Morning Parade

2010-11-06T08:00:00.002-04:00

Will "Lightning Strike Twice" for the Nelson brothers? Probably not ...

1990's "After The Rain" spawned a #1 single "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection" and 3 other Top 40 singles.

Twenty years later, they're back with a new album "Lightning Strikes Twice". The lead single "You're All I Need Tonight" is available as a free download at http://www.frontiers.it/download/Nelson%20-You're%20All%20I%20Need%20Tonight.mp3.

Taproot

Melodic hard rockers Taproot released their fifth album "Plead the Fifth" earlier this year. The current single "Release Me" is one of the best track on that album, and it's available as a free download at http://www.aolradioblog.com/2010/11/02/free-music-tuesday-eartha-jesse-ruben-taproot-and-mor/.

Morning Parade

Morning Parade is a modern rock band recently signed to EMI UK. Their debut EMI album isn't scheduled for release until later this month, but you can download a copy of "Youth" at http://morningparade.com/.

And here's their current single "Under The Stars" ...

Under The Radar: Sam Vicari

2010-11-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

One more powerpop artist this week, and the album is a free download to boot. Reminding me of Sloan, old Weezer and old Jimmy Eat World, Sam Vicari's album "Keep Careful" is stripped down honest rock and roll with a powerpop beat and guitar jangle.

Admittedly, his voice still needs to grow on me a little bit ... it works best for me on "The Things I Say" and "Like An Island". But overall, this album is a good showcase for an artist with a lot of potential.

Head over to Bandcamp to listen to or download the album: http://samvicari.bandcamp.com/

Fresh Tracks: Bleu

2010-11-04T08:00:00.046-04:00

I should have know that week's flurry of powerpop related posts was just setting the stage for Bleu's new album "Four" which was finally released this week.

This album definitely contains some instant classics ... "Singin' in Tongues", "B.O.S.T.O.N." and "Dead in the Mornin'" in particular stand out. A few others aren't quite instant classics, but have hooked me in after a couple of listens, including "I'll Know It When I See It", "In Love With My Lover", and "My Own Personal Jesus".

Most of the album is streaming at http://bleutopia.com/.

If you like Bleu, I'd also recommend "Air Traffic Controller", whose album was produced by Bleu. Check it out here: http://www.musicoftheday.com/2010/10/fresh-tracks-air-traffic-controller.html

And with that said, here are a few of the highlights from "Four" ... in great low-budget BleuTeub format ...

And as a bonus, here's a classic from Bleu's 2003 debut ...

Fresh Tracks: Empyr

2010-11-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

I've got to admit, I was a little skeptical about European electro-rock for a long time. But bands like Carpark North (who just released a new Greatest Hits album in Europe, but is still M.I.A. with anything recent on this side of the Atlantic) have convinced me otherwise.

In a similar electro-rock type of style as Carpark North, I'm enjoying the new single from French band Empyr, "It's Gonna Be".

Download "It's Gonna Be" at http://soundcloud.com/sidewaysmedia/empyr-its-gonna-be. And be on the lookout for their new album "Unicorn" in January. Fore more info visit the Empyr web site: http://www.empyrmusic.com.

Fresh Tracks: The Boy And His Machine

2010-11-02T13:51:00.000-04:00

The Boy And His Machine are ready to provide you with a fresh pop-punk fix on their new EP "Count On It!"

No, it's not groundbreaking music, but it's energetic and fun ... just what you're looking for in some pop-punk. My favorite of the new tracks is "Here's To The Good Life", which I think is a good follow-up to "Hook, Line & Sinker" off last year's EP "Show Them What You're Made Of".

They haven't posted any videos from the "Count On It!" EP, but now is a good time to go back and enjoy "Hook, Line & Sinker" ...

And "The Walls of Regret" ...

Random Monday: Dr. Demento, Part 2

2010-11-01T09:29:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I did a Random Monday post with some memories of growing up listening to the Dr. Demento radio show.

It's hard to top classics like "Shaving Cream" or "Funny Farm" (they're coming to take me away, ha ha, ho ho, hee hee). Or silly songs that get stuck in your head like "Fish Heads". So if you missed that post, I'd suggest going back to it here: http://www.musicoftheday.com/2010/10/random-monday-who-could-forget-dr.html

But I was remiss in not including any Spike Jones songs, as his novelty/comedic songs from the 40's and 50's were also mainstays of the Dr. Demento show. I remember him regularly playing "Der Feurhrer's Face" ...

But it was the 1970's and the associated Disney/Donald Duck cartoon was buried deep in the archives of the politically incorrect, so I never did see it until I was doing a recent search ...

Ok ... that is a little heavy on the propaganda, but having heard that song almost weekly back when I used to listen to Dr. Demento, it does make me laugh.

Another Spike Jones favorite of Dr. Demento was "Clink! Clink! Another Drink!" ... I was too young to appreciate it at the time ...

Yeah, I was too young to appreciate that one, but to a 10-year old in 1976, "Gumball Wizard" was a laugh riot ...

Maybe It's New To You: Black Hat Villain

2010-10-31T08:00:00.001-04:00

Last week, I mentioned the Thorny Bleeder compilations that were released earlier this year at http://www.thornybleeder.com/downloads.html. One of the highlights from that compilation was definitely "My Generation" from Black Hat Villain ... a great modern hard rock song with a bit of a southern hard rock feel ... and a lead singer that's got a Halloween type of look to him (nothing personal dude). It's worth downloading "Get Thorny 2" for that track.

Black Hat Villain released the "My Generation" EP this last spring, and it's worth checking out. The title track "My Generation" is the highlight of the EP, but I also enjoy "Country" and "One Way Street". Check it out here: http://blackhatvillain.bandcamp.com/album/my-generation-ep.

Saturday Free Downloads: Madina Lake and John Oszajca

2010-10-30T09:59:00.000-04:00

Chicago based modern rockers Madina Lake have a new EP scheduled for release on November 16. Their making one of the tracks "Hey Superstar" available as a free download at http://madinalake.bandcamp.com.

L.A. based singer songwriter John Oszajca has released a free download of a cover he's recorded of Ween's "It's Gonna Be (Alright)" (not to be confused with John's original "It's Gonna Be OK" off his excellent "First Sign of Anything" album). Download the track at http://www.johnomusic.net/itsgonnabealright.zip.

I've mentioned it before, but John has an additional free download of "I Hate You My Friend" at http://www.johnomusic.net.

Secrets of the Great White North: David Gogo

2010-10-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

I had never heard of blues rock guitarist David Gogo until earlier this year. Several of his albums kept appearing as recommendations for me on eMusic.

Lo and behold, this talented guy has released 10 albums in Canada.

His latest album "Different Views" is a good place to start ... it's a solid blues rock album. I also really enjoy "Change of Pace" (try the title track, plus "Sad & Lonely", "Sad & Beautiful" and "Face in the Mirror") ... and his early live album "Dining Under The Stars" ... the version of "Sad & Beautiful" on that album is a classic.

The following video has the studio version of "Sad & Beautiful" ...

I also like this video where he's doing a little slide guitar action with a Molson beer bottle ...

Here are a couple more live videos to give you a feel for more of his music ...

David Gogo's first album, from 1994, is sadly out of print ... but I managed to pick up a copy on eBay earlier this year. It's a little harder rocking blues, and definitely worth searching out ...

For more info, visit his web site at http://www.davidgogo.org.

Fresh Tracks: Air Traffic Controller

2010-10-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

I seem to have quickly moved from the blues to powerpop this week. Boston's Air Traffic Controller is one of the best mellower powerpop acts I have heard in a long time. Think early Michael Penn, a little Traveling Wilburys, mix in some modern pop like Death Cab for Cutie ... and then let powerpop maestro Bleu produce the album.

Dave Munro was serving overseas in the US Navy as a real-life Air Traffic Controller when this project started coming together. Making music and writing songs was a way to help him cope with being away. The album that resulted, "The One" is an incredible debut.

Check out "Can't Let Go" ...

Note: You can download a free copy of "Can't Let Go" from a review of the album posted at http://billsmusicforum.blogspot.com/2010/09/review-air-traffic-controller-one.html.

This album is loaded with great songs. My personal favorite is "God Has A Plan", a powerpop masterpiece that will probably make my top 10 list for this year. I can't find a video link for this song, but you can stream (and buy) the whole album at http://airtrafficcontroller.bandcamp.com/.

"This Road" is another great song ..

Here are a few more live performance videos worth checking out ...

For more, head over to http://airtrafficcontroller.bandcamp.com/.

Fresh Tracks: Taylor Locke & The Roughs

2010-10-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

Taylor Locke is better known as the guitarist of Rooney. It's obviously been a very busy year for him, as Rooney released a new album over the summer ... and he has released two albums from his side project Taylor Locke & The Roughs.

I'm not really a Rooney fan, so I wasn't expecting to like Taylor Locke & The Roughs. In fact, I ignored the spring release "Grain & Grape". But I read a review of the new album "Marathon", and was intrigued. Comparisons to Jellyfish are natural ... in fact the sound reminds me of Jason Falkner's post-Jellyfish band, The Grays, but with more of a rock edge ... at times they also remind me of Butch Walker (especially in "My Only Drug"). Let's call it powerpop with substance ... and strong classic rock influences.

Both "Marathon" and "Grain & Grape" are great albums. No videos have been posted for "Marathon" yet, but enjoy these tracks from "Grain & Grape" ...

It looks like a few live performance videos have been posted for songs from "Marathon", so let me post those as well ...

Visit the band's website at http://www.tlatr.com/.

Fresh Tracks: Brian Ray

2010-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Well, this is a great surprise. Brian Ray has been playing and touring with Paul McCartney as guitar and bass player since 2002. And granted, I was actually surprised that I liked Paul McCartney's live CD/DVD that was released late last year ... so maybe I shouldn't be surprised that McCartney has such a talented band backing him up.

Brian Ray steps into the spotlight on his new solo album "This Way Up". The album is smart power-pop with a rocking edge. Well crafted songs, expertly played ... it reminds me of a cross between the best moments of Matthew Sweet and Cheap Trick.

Check out the video for the title track "This Way Up" ...

Another album highlight is "I Found You" ... here's a fan made video for that song ...

Additional highlights include "Happy Ending", "Saturday in the Sun", and "Very Happy Song". Well, I should probably also include "Let's Fall Apart" and "Hello Miranda" in that list.

If you're not quite sold on Brian Ray yet, I should let you know about a few free downloads that are available.

There is a free download link for "Saturday In The Sun" available on Brian's home page at http://www.brianray.com.

And there's a free download link for "I Found You" available on the "Music" tab of Brian's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/brianrayguitar?v=app_4949752878.

And if you like the video for "This Way Up", it's also available as a free download at http://www.brianray.com/index.php/blog/blog-entry/my-new-video-for-this-way-up-and-an-exclusive-download.

Enjoy!

Random Monday: Seasick Steve

2010-10-25T08:00:00.043-04:00

Seasick Steve doesn't get any respect in the US. I remember a few years ago when one of my friends in the UK told me about Seasick Steve's album "I Started Out With Nothin' And I Still Got Most Of It Left".

At the time, the only Seasick Steve album available in the US was one of his previous albums ... and I remember reading a review of that album that said that it sounded like it was recorded at the bottom of a very deep well, and the reviewer wondered why anyone would want to listen to the album more than once, if even once. I listened to a few 30 second samples, and went on to listen to something else.

A few months passed, and my friend persisted ... what did I think of Seasick Steve? Well, to be honest, I hadn't really thought of him at all. The album that my friend had was not available in the United States ... and still isn't (but there is another new album available). So he suggested that I go to YouTube and look for Seasick Steve's appearance on the Jools Holland show.

Now we're talking ... if you don't dig Seasick Steve on his 3 string guitar playing the "Dog House Blues", you don't have the blues ...

I was sold. I had to get a copy of "I Started Out With Nothin' And I Still Got Most Of It Left" ... my favorite song on that album has to be "One True" ... a timeless story of a man's best friend ... (oh, and you've got to check out his "drum machine" on this track ...

Definitely a classic album ... here's a TV performance of the title track ...

Late last year, Seasick released a follow-up album "Man Out Of Time" ... an album which was finally released in the US late this summer!

Not content to have his career defined by 3-string guitar performances, this time he opted for a 1-string guitar on the opening track "Diddley Bo" ...

Admittedly, it's hard to listen to more than an album worth of Seasick Steve at a time ... but this is one of musician I would love to see perform live.

New Blues: Chris Duarte Group, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band

2010-10-24T08:00:00.002-04:00

With Buddy Guy's new album "Living Proof" being released on Tuesday (currently streaming at http://www.spinner.com/new-releases#/6), it's got me in the mood for some fresh blues music.

Thankfully there have been some good new blues albums released in the past couple of weeks. Chris Duarte Group just last week unleashed "Infinite Energy". Early favorites of mine from this album include "Waiting On You" and "Cross My Heart". But, of course the best thing about a new Chris Duarte album being out is that you know he'll be cranking up the tour dates soon.

For more Chris Duarte, see this earlier post: http://www.skippythelizard.com/2010/08/just-another-random-monday-chris-duarte.html

Joanne Shaw Taylor is back with her second album "Diamonds In The Dirt". Last year's "White Sugar" was a strong debut, but I prefer the more laid back feel of the new album, which I think better highlights how her soulful vocal style compliments her guitar work. Early favorites of mine include "Same As It Never Was" and "World On Fire".

I haven't seen any videos yet of material from the new album, but these two performances of songs from "White Sugar" will give you a feel for her music:

Kenny Wayne Shepherd has released a number of live EP's over the past few years .... particularly "The Legends" series and "King's Highway", which were inspired by his "Ten Days Out, Blues From the Backroads" project. While I enjoyed those EP's, it's great to hear Kenny back with a full band, and great musicians including Hubert Sumlin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Buddy Flett, Bryan Lee, Chris Layton & Tommy Shannon (better known as SRV's Double Trouble), Riley Osburn, Scott Nelson, and of course, Noah Hunt ... the fantastic vocalist for Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. "Live in Chicago" was recorded at the House of Blues in Chicago, and it includes KWS classics "Deja Voodoo" and "Blue on Black" ... plus great cover versions of "Sell My Monkey" and "I'm a King Bee". It's worth picking up the Special Edition, which also includes a cover of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)".

Saturday Free Music Downloads - Ginger Wildheart, more Union Sound Set, Starlight Cities

2010-10-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

I don't know why Ginger, the lead singer of The Wildhearts, isn't more well known. The Wildhearts appear to have a decent following in the UK ... I know that I used to have to buy their albums on visits to the UK, but for the past 5 or 6 years, their albums have been released digitally in the US ... which is good, because it's harder and harder to find a record store in the UK these days (or anywhere else for that matter).

Ginger just released a "Greatest Hits" album covering his solo recording outside of The Wildhearts ... it is called "10". It's great to see this album, because it contains several songs off of the "Silver Ginger 5" album, which was not released in the US. That's probably my favorite Ginger album ... and it's great to see "Anyway But Maybe", "Sonic Shake" and "Girls Are Better Than Boys" included on this album. Other of my favorites on this album include "Yeah Yeah Yeah", "Mother City" and "When She Comes".

There's a companion album "10 (Two)" which includes some additional tracks that didn't make the cut for "10". These are available for free download at http://gingerwildheart.bandcamp.com/. Three more cuts off from "Silver Ginger 5" are featured, including "(Whatever Happened To) Rock 'n' Roll Girls". "Can't Drink You Pretty" and "GTT" are a couple of other fun songs that are included on the album ... definitely worth the download.

Union Sound Set

I mentioned some free Union Sound Set (British-post-rock) downloads in an earlier post at http://www.skippythelizard.com/2010/10/fresh-tracks-union-sound-set.html. Another free download off the upcoming album "Start/Stop" are now available. Download "My Current State (is your latest objective)" at http://soundcloud.com/abadgeoffriendship/sets/union-sound-set-start-stop. ("Hiding Places" is also available at that link, as well as the link in the earlier post.)

You can also stream the entire album at http://soundcloud.com/abadgeoffriendship/sets/union-sound-set-start-stop.

Starlight Cities

Starlight Cities is a new modern rock band from Rochester, NY. They've released their first single "Beautiful" as a free download on PureVolume at http://www.purevolume.com/starlightcities.

Fresh Tracks: Mike Herrera's Tumbledown

2010-10-22T08:00:00.004-04:00

Mix (pop) punk rock, Americana, rockabilly, and some country music songs about drinking, and what do you get? No, not another Fearless Records "Punk Goes" album (sorry, you'll have to wait a little longer for "Punk Goes Country").

On October 26, Mike Herrera's Tumbledown (you may remember Mike as frontman for MxPx) releases their second full length album, "Empty Bottle". So far, I've only heard three out of the first four songs off of the album ... but I like what I'm hearing.

Track 3, "Meet The Devil" is a particularly great song ... reminds me a bit of some of the more melodic songs from Social Distortion ... listen to it at http://www.absolutepunk.net/artists/showlink.php?do=showdetails&l=17672.

The opening track "Places In This Town" is another winner, less Social D, and more rockabilly ... great bass and guitar. It's available as a free download over at Fuse: http://fuse.tv/music/free-music.html?artist_id=451

"Arrested In El Paso" is the first single, not quite as strong as these other two songs, but a catchy sing-a-long number that will get your toes tappin' ...

If you're intrigued, it's worth going back to look at the first full length album simply titled "Tumbledown" as well ...

Check out "Came Here To Fight" ...

And "Let's Drink" ...

And "Break Out Of History" ...

And "Butcher of San Antone" ...

Under The Radar: The Operation (UK)

2010-10-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

The Operation is a promising young rock band from the UK who have released 2 albums and 1 EP in the past two years.

One part Brit-pop-rock, and one part hard rock power trio ... it's classic rock with a modern twist.

The latest album "Human Zoo" is their best effort yet ... an extremely good album that could be great with just a little more polish. I wouldn't be surprised to see a bigger record label pick these guys up ... take the strongest cuts from their two albums ... change the band name to something more unique ... and take them to a larger audience.

Key cuts off "Human Zoo" include the single "Come Clean" and the harder rocking "Inside Out", the latter of which is available as a free download at http://www.strummerville.com/diy/the_operation/.

I also like "Silver to Grey", "A Matter of Time", and "Direction Home".

The previous album "Beautiful Days" is also worth a listen, even if it's a little less consistent. Check out this live performance of "Get Up" from that album ...

Visit the band's web site at http://www.the-operation.com.

Southern Rock Fix: Parmalee

2010-10-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

It's a shame that it took a tragic incident to bring this great southern hard rock band back to my attention. From their base in North Carolina, Parmalee has spent close to ten years as one of that region's most popular local acts, and I expected that the next time I heard about them it would be because of a hot new full-length album release.

But that wasn't the case...at least not yet.

On September 21, 2010, Parmalee drummer Scott Thomas was shot multiple times during a robbery attempt in Rock Hill, SC, when two armed suspects attempted to rob the band's RV after a show.

Scott is recovering after two life saving surgeries, and is still in the hospital at this time (one day short of a month later) with no current estimate on when he will be well enough to leave. Friends of the band have started a foundation to help offset medical expenses, and you can donate on-line at http://www.helpparmalee.com/.

I'd also encourage you to check out the band's most recent EP (from 2008), "Complicated". Their sound has mellowed a bit since their debut EP in 2002 and debut full length album in 2004 ... but it's hard to deny that "Carolina" is one of the best melodic southern rock songs in years ... I don't understand why this song, and the band, has largely gone unnoticed outside of their home region.

Of course the band can still rock, such as in the opener "Gasoline" ...

Maybe It's New To You: TV Heart Attack

2010-10-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

I was just going back and listening to some music that I downloaded earlier this year, and decided to listen to the two free compilation albums put out by Thorny Bleeder Records late last year and early this year. Thorny Bleeder is a great indie music label out of Vancouver, and if you're not familiar with their "Get Thorny" and "Get Thorny 2" compilation albums, I'd strongly recommend downloading them at http://www.thornybleeder.com/downloads.html.

There are a few artists that I discovered through those compilations, and I'll probably highlight a few other bands in the coming weeks.

Today, I want to turn the spotlight on TV Heart Attack, a modern pop-rock band that knows how to write a song that will stick in your head for days. All six songs on last year's EP, "Lost In The Sway", but the standout is definitely "AO" ...

Maybe I just like any song that can prominently work in the word "Reciprocity" into the lyrics ... remember that song "Reciprocity" by The Architects from a few years ago? Probably not...

"AO" is included on "Get Thorny 2" that I mentioned above, and is also available for download individually at http://soundcloud.com/tvheartattack/ao-lost-in-the-sway-ep.

"Nowhere Fast" is another standout, including on the first "Get Thorny", and also available for download individually at http://soundcloud.com/tvheartattack/nowhere-fast.

Check out "Nowhere Fast" below ...

TV Heart Attack also had someone Canadian rock radio airplay with "Hypnotic Eyes" off their independent self-titled release in 2008. Download "Hypnotic Eyes" at http://soundcloud.com/tvheartattack/hypnotic-eyes ... and check out the video below ...

For more TV Heart Attack, see their web site at http://tvheartattack.com/.

Random Monday: Who could forget Dr. Demento?

2010-10-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

One of the great things about the old days of radio was that if you wanted to listen to music, you didn't have much of a choice ... you listened to whatever the radio was playing.

And if you were listening late at night, especially on Sunday nights, you'd end up listening to syndicated radio programs that were ... well, something different. But nothing was as different as the Dr. Demento radio show.

Dr. Demento's passion was quirky novelty songs. (Think "Weird Al" Yankovic ... and then think weirder.)

I can't think of a better Random Monday experience than looking back at some favorites that were played frequently by Dr. Demento.

One of the show's favorites was a 1946 novelty song "Shaving Cream" by Benny Bell ... (note that if you're craving a copy of this song, the recording is out of copyright and can be downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/BennyBell).

And who could forget "Fish Heads" by Barnes & Barnes? I dare you to listen to this in its entirety, as you will be whistling this song for weeks, if not years, to come. (Feel free to fast forward to the 2 minute mark to get started.)

Or, speaking of "Weird Al" Yankovic ... who could forget his Bob Dylan parody song with every verse written in palindrome. It's even better with the video ...

Or do you remember "Dead Puppies Aren't Much Fun"?

Or how about we go back to one of the catchy ones that will stick in your head forever .... "Funny Farm" ... "They're coming to take me away ... ha ha ... ho ho ... hee hee..." ...