Enter the Underground (feat. Pete Miser and Jamalski)By pH10Album: Well ConnectedLabel: Helmutplex RecordsGenre: noisy drum and bassTags: bumpin, drum and bass, noisyDownload : MP3 AudioI haven't seen one of pH10's shows but I can image it would be a wild time. Not that this track is unmovin' but when listening to it it sounds like it would sound increasingly better in a live room with a busted PA pumping out the noise bouncing off a sweaty room full of drunks. From the band: "Brooklyn-based pH10 has been making records and playing shows for ten years. Concerts are hyped up parties with intense visual projections, a massive wall of sound and strange occurrences including strobe light helmets and dancers wrapped in vacuum hoses. Having played all over the US, Canada and Europe, pH10 has developed strong performance skills to back up their studio recordings. This is a finely tuned stage show that leaves audience members danced-out and smiling."

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Pot Kettle BlackBy Tilly and the WallAlbum: OLabel: Team LoveGenre: perky popTags: perky, popDownload : MP3 AudioAfter touring with folks like CSS and Lightspeed Champion, Tilly and the Wall got back to Omaha to record this album... From the band: "The album, produced by the acclaimed Mike Mogis, has no title. It could be called 'o,' because its cover is an oval-shaped frame for the artwork that will go inside of it. As a band who surround themselves not only with artistic friends, but also artistic fans, Tilly and the Wall have invited everyone in their community to contribute to the cover art for their record. o will have limited edition runs of handmade prints available by different artists that will act as the record's cover, giving the band's fans a unique piece of art for both their album and their walls. Each month, the record will have a different cover."

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Langston BukowskiBy The RitzAlbum: The Night of DayLabel: Lab-Oratory RecordsGenre: Indie Hip HopTags: Hip Hop, IndieDownload : MP3 AudioChicago's Apoc and Rel are The Ritz. Get drunk on this.

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Octopus ArmedBy Tha PumpstaAlbum: Bass Black Treble WhiteLabel: Milk The BeefGenre: goof hopTags: goofy, hip hopDownload : MP3 AudioThe Pumpsta pumps out the goof hop with a greasy mouth full of chicken-fried irony and ridiculousness. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. But you do see he has love for this -- and a certain talent... Pumpsta: "I love life, people, and music... Besides the recorder, my first 'real' instrument was the trumpet in middle school. I was your typical overweight nerd who knew every word to “Whoop There It Is” by Tag Team (there is a cover of it on Bass Black Treble White.)'

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Night of the CricketsBy mr. GnomeAlbum: Deliver This CreatureLabel: El MarkoGenre: indie pyschTags: indie psychDownload : MP3 AudioAnother delicious concoction from mr. Gnome.

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On The WayBy System and StationAlbum: A Nation of ActorsLabel: Latest FlameGenre: pop rockTags: pop, rockDownload : MP3 AudioEnjoy this pop rockin' noise from Boise, Idaho's System and Station.

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How LongBy QuitzowAlbum: Art CollegeLabel: Young Love RecordsGenre: acousticTags: acousticDownload : MP3 AudioA great tune. Enjoy.

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StrangerBy Sunny Day Sets FireAlbum: Summer PalaceLabel: IAmSound RecordsGenre: pop psych mixed-bagTags: mixed-bag, pop, psychDownload : MP3 AudioSunny Day Sets Fire is fairly happy, poppy stuff but with big dums smacking out something a bit more raw and frenetic. A nice mix. Then you get a bit further in and there are shades of psych, almost proggy, bits. But it feels naturally connected. Nice to see these Londoners shaking the influence-bag a bit. Check it out. Really good stuff.

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RabbitBy mr. GnomeAlbum: Deliver This CreatureLabel: El MarkoGenre: indie pyschTags: indie psychDownload : MP3 AudioMr. Gnome mixes it up in a soupy mix of Cat Power-esque moody/spooky vocals over indie pysch with occasional bursts of kinda-loudness and just a whiff of prog. A good mix I'd say.

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Up Your SleeveBy We Were The StatesAlbum: Believe The ThievesLabel: Chicken Ranch RecordsGenre: slop-rockTags: rock, sloppyDownload : MP3 AudioBuy ItMurfreesboro, Tennessee act We Were States cheer along with you for the straight-ahead slop-rock. You know you got it.

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44'sBy Willie JLabel: Thrilla TimeGenre: smooth hop soulTags: hip hop, smooth, soulDownload : MP3 AudioThis is a smooth, soulful track. Check Atlanta's Willie J, aka Country Boi, out. He comes from the "I'm singing more than I'm rapping" school of Hip Hop - giving this track that leaned-back, smooth vibe. 44's is an ode to 'Lac cruising: "It ain't my self esteem that got me leaning, sitting low. It's the fresh leather seats and the engine when I G.O."

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Hour 9By DecomposureAlbum: Vertical Lines ALabel: Blank SquirrelGenre: electric squeeks and popTags: electronic, loop, popDownload : MP3 AudioBuy ItAs promised, here's another Decomposure track: Hour 9. As you can hear this track can't easily be described as "Howard Jones sings Nine Inch Nails" as I did for the Hour 5 track. Listen and judge for yourself...

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London BridgesBy This Is Ivy LeagueAlbum: This Is Ivy LeagueLabel: Twenty-Seven RecordsGenre: jolly retro-popTags: jolly, pop, retroDownload : MP3 AudioBuy ItThis Is Ivy League sounds a bit like a less morose, American Belle & Sebastian - with a jolly-but-no-too-jolly, retro-pop sound that seems to want more than anything to be on Wes Anderson's next soundtrack. While there's no shortage of bands celebrating their own feyness, This Is Ivy League pulls off their songs of burdenless delight with verve and panache. Carefree yes. Careless no.

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Hour 5By DecomposureAlbum: Vertical Lines ALabel: Blank SquirrelGenre: electric squeeks and popTags: electronic, loop, popDownload : MP3 AudioBuy ItThis short Decomposure track, Hour 5, conjures 90's Nine Inch Nails - but with a creator, Caleb Muelle, less dissatisfied with his life. Ha. I'd go so far as to say it manages to have a heallthy dollop of 80's pop optimism. Howard Jones sings Nine Inch Nails, anyone? Other tracks on this album aren't as NIN-influenced - though all retain some form of a 90's-ish electronic background and Muelle's noncombative, indie vocals as the constant. Will have to post some more in the near future. Good stuff.

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Chipping IceBy These Are PowersAlbum: Taro TarotLabel: HOSS RecordsGenre: art noiseTags: art, noiseDownload : MP3 AudioBuy ItWhat could be more appropriate this Valentine's Day than to present to you one of Hellthy's more abrassive, chainsaw-smoke-spewing tracks? These Are Powers was founded by ex-Liars' Pat Noecker along with Anna Barie and joined by Brenmar's Bill Salas. This track Chipping Ice is from their Taro Tarot EP (HOSS Records) which is to be officially released April 8th (but you can get it from their label's site now: cd, vinyl or digital download.)

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Paper BoatBy HIJKAlbum: The Pen and the LetterGenre: power loop popTags: power loop popDownload : MP3 AudioPower loop pop.

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That TownBy Steve SmithAlbum: This TownLabel: G.A.S. RecordsGenre: pop collageTags: collage, cut and paste, popDownload : MP3 AudioHere's a solo project from Dirty Vegas front man Steve Smith (is that why the vocals are so high in the mix?) There are some cool noises in here and Steve gets down on percussion halfway in. If you’re in Miami you can see Smith DJ alongside turntable-isto Paul Oakenfold as part of the annual Winter Music Conference tomorrow (March 28th) at Club Mokai (235 23rd St, Miami Beach).

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Paris, Texas (Gentlemen Drivers Mix)By 33HzAlbum: Paris, TexasLabel: Dither DownGenre: electronic boogalooTags: boogaloo, electronicDownload : MP3 Audio33Hz is a synthy, sometimes trashy 80's-throw-back pop outfit. This "Paris, Texas" collection is a little different. 33Hz twisted some arms and ended up with w/ guest lyricists: Houston's Devin the Dude and Paris' Teki Latex on one of their tracks. 33Hz must have liked the result enough to make an album out of this one track. They invited their producer-friends to make a handful of remixes. This is Gentlemen Drivers' go at it - who, for whatever reason, decided to delete 99% of the two featured lyricists. Other remixers include Architecture in Helsinki, Max Pask, In Flagranti, Curtis Vodka, Victor Rice and DJ Raze.

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IndividualBy Hot SecondsGenre: fuzzed-out, uk-esque, bounceTags: bounce, fuzzed-out, uk-esqueDownload : MP3 AudioCheck out a friend's band: fuzzed-out, uk-esque, bounce. One Hot Second spent time with 80's, 90's grinding electro outfit Front 242. But there's no confusing the two bands. Hot Seconds is a project with a strong dedication to pop craft and a less confrontational stance than that earlier band. But perhaps, if one was searching to find connections: there's a bit of a shared mentality of production-invention love and disdain for a motionless audience. Dig that fuzzed-out bass. For New Yorkers come out with me and see them tomorrow eve (Friday, Feb 8, 2008). They are playing with ex-Morphine saxophonist Dana Colley's new band A.K.A.C.O.D. Club Midway @ Friday, February 8th @ 11pm25 Avenue B, NYC(bet. 2nd and 3rd streets)Map

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David Turns A MysticBy Boo and Boo TooAlbum: Boo and Boo Too EPLabel: Ironpaw RecordsGenre: Noise popTags: nosiey, popDownload : MP3 AudioAnd here's some noise pop for you from Boo and Boo Too.

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A.T.T.I.T.U.DBy Die! Die! Die!Album: Promises PromisesLabel: S.A.F. RecordsGenre: noisey bass-in-your-face rockTags: bassy, rockDownload : MP3 AudioBuy ItNew Zealanders Die! Die! Die! trim the guitar some and make noisey, bass-in-your-face, drums-in-your-basal-ganglia (yeah, I Googled it), rockin' music. (The guitar is rawkus too on this album. It's just usually tucked away in the mix... Not a bad thing.) Listen to that bass. Dope. Die! Die! Die!'s previous Albini-recorded album got them some attention and had them touring with Slint, Wolfmother and others. "Promises Promises" is their latest American-recorded album which they recorded in The Walkmen's Marcata studio in update NY. Nice and raw - which Marcata is known to help get on tape. In fact, I hear at Marcata the headphones musicians use when recording will disintigrate in your hands - from all the rockin' going on (or, more realistically, from all the drunken, neglectfull, careless abuse). More songs coming. Release date of this album is February 5, 2008. Go get it. I recommend it. Get it.

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UncalibratedBy Bridges and PowerlinesAlbum: Ghost TypesLabel: Citybird RecordsGenre: indie synth popTags: indie, pop, synthDownload : MP3 AudioBridges and Powerlines make some synthy / guitar indie pop. Their album Ghost Types drops April 22nd. Enjoy.

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Even If IBy Reed KDAlbum: The Ashes BloomLabel: Dirty Laundry RecordsGenre: songwriter popTags: elliot smith, songwriterDownload : MP3 AudioThe Reed KD I heard on MySpace sounds more of a traditionally collegiate bluegrass-tinged, singer/songwriter pop w/ occasional electronic blips - than the tracks I'm showing here. These tracks: does Reed KD borrow Elliot Smith's whispering vocals and melodic approach and strumming pop production and happy/morose attitude and...? Seems that way to me. But that's ok I guess. Especially if you are an Elliot Smith fan and suspect that the labels have finally stopped unearthing posthumus songs from the dearly departed. Is that unfair to Reed KD? I hope not. I like this music despite the fact that it doesn't seem exceptionally unique. But let's be real, singer/songwriters usually aren't the types who care to re-invent the wheel eh? That's usually not their trump card. Differentiating flair never seem to be as important to its practicioners or its fans as whether listeners do or do not connect with the singer - whether they can successfully be intimate without being weepy. Reed KD does well if you look at it this way. Thankfully there's the mp3 right here so you can listen and judge for yourself. There is another good one that I'd like to post soon as well...

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M4 (Part 1)By FauntsAlbum: M4 EPLabel: Friendly Fire RecordingsGenre: electronic moody environmental indie humTags: cinematic, electronic, environmental, indie, moody, shoegazeDownload : MP3 AudioCanadian Steven Batke's effected guitar is just as processed and swirlingly hypnotic as his bro Tim's and comrade Joel's keys. This is background music that isn't comfortable staying in the background. Sharp.

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Warm OutBy Hooray For EarthAlbum: Cellphone (EP)Label: Dopamine RecordsGenre: fuzzed pop rockTags: fuzzed, pop, rockDownload : MP3 AudioBuy ItA great tune that grows on you. Give it a few listens. And the video is great too. I hope to get that up here soon too.

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