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Brisbane, Australia's Grand Atlantic hits NYC and Brooklyn in just a few short weeks. If you're a fan of stick-in-your-head power pop embedded in layered British influenced ambience, give these guys a listen.

Sat Mar 13, 2010:
Spike Hill - 184-186 Bedford Ave Brooklyn, NY
Grand Atlantic goes on at 8:00pm
Free concert
Other band: The Bright Room

Sun Mar 14, 2010:
The Living Room - 154 Ludlow St Manhattan, NY
Show starts at 8:00pm
Free concert

Labels: Britpop, Grand Atlantic, New York

Last week we gave you a free mp3 of Golden Bloom covering The Motion Sick's"30 Lives".

Since this is a 50/50 split we thought it only fair to offer The Motion Sick's cover of Golden Bloom's "Doomsday Devices". It will be available for one week only so get it while you can!

Miss the one-week cut off? Download Golden Bloom's original version here.

Labels: "30 Lives", Doomsday Devices, Golden Bloom, The Motoin Sick

Washington DC's No Second Troy teeters on the edge of Britpop-influenced indie rock, rich in explosive vocal melodies, driven by railing guitars, and balanced by subtle layers of piano and Hammond organ, when they release Colors on April 27th.

While many of the band’s songs touch on relationships, past and present, related and romantic, No Second Troy originated as the title of a William Butler Yeats poem. The song "The Black and White Movie" references parts of the poem and reveals a thematic overlap in its lyrics. Like the poem, the band's lyrics at times seek a release from past relationships, even to the extent of apologizing on behalf of the person who caused the emotional injury. Mike Beach explains, "'The Black and White Movie' is an acknowledgment that we overanalyze our relationships and foolishly seek the perfection we see in Hollywood movies, thereby having our relationships fall into one of two categories - bliss or something inadequate – in other words, viewing the world as a black and white movie and failing to see all the colors and nuances."
No Second Troy garnered praise from SPIN while charting on the CMJ Top 200 on their last record, Narcotic. On the upcoming release, Colors, the band was led to Inner Ear Studios where they worked with Chad Clark of Silver Sonya Studios (Fugazi, Q & Not U, Georgie James), TJ Lipple and Nick Anderson to produce and engineer the record. Lead singer Jeff Wharen notes, "We really liked Chad and TJ"s vision of capturing the band’s sound at its most authentic – moving away from digital editing and auto-tuning, while recording drums and bass on tape, and encouraging the band to just sound like itself, rather than trying to sound like something we think might be a critical success. We also liked Chad's commitment to mixing the songs based on what they were about – pairing the aesthetics of the musical and the lyrical."

Colors Track Listing
1) Colors
2) Grounded
3) The Black and White Movie
4) Leap of Faith
5) Casting Agent
6) Wake Up
7) This is the End of Me
8) Let it Go
9) Surfacing
10) The Argonaut
11) Golden Age
12) The Fountain

Download or post the free mp3 of "This is the End of Me"

Labels: Fugazi, Georgie James, No Second Troy, Q Not U

Vinca Minor’s ethereal ambience will be featured with the unreleased song "Here" exclusive to the Ball of Wax Volume 19 Compilation. Vinca Minor will also appear at the release show on Wednesday March 17th at The Sunset Tavern. Show time 9:50 pm.

Labels: Ball of Wax, Vinca Minor

Featured on CNN and in the UK's The Guardian, Alan Cohen Experience plans to release the upcoming full-length album, Space & Time, this summer. The concept album based on Stephen Hawking's book, "A Brief History of Time", gives a chapter-by-chapter account through each song.
Focusing on topics such as gravity, black holes, and all the poetic aspects that tie these to our understanding of the world and universe, the album, co-produced by Cohen and Tony Goddess of Papas Fritas, constitutes a mixture of upbeat 70's influenced sing-a-long power-pop wrapped around quirky wit. Space & Time blends a number of genres including rock, funk and pop while solidly rooting itself in the anti-folk movement. Guitar, keys and bass flow together seamlessly mixing a splash of blues inside the rock element, all while keeping with the theme. Cohen's different approach to music, through the juxtaposition of smart subject matter and light-hearted catchy melodies appealing to the intellectual who dares to be different.

Labels: A Brief History of Time, Alan Cohen Experience, anti-folk, science, Stephen Hawking

Austin Town Hall adds Australia's Grand Atlantic to their SXSW Watchlist. saying "Tripwires" "reminds me a lot of Dandy Warhols." Download the song here.

Labels: Dandy Warhols, Grand Atlantic, SXSW

Time's running out to win tickets to see Golden Bloom with Rocky Votolato, Peasant and Thieving Irons at Mercury Lounge tomorrow night. Head on over to Living Free NYC and leave a comment for your chance to win!

Labels: Golden Bloom, Mercury Lounge, Peasant, Rocky Votolato, Thieving Irons

Head on over to Largehearted Boy's Daily Downloads to grab Golden Bloom's cover of The Motion Sick's insanely infectious tune "30 Lives". Can't get enough? Check out The Motion Sick's original version while you are there as well.

Labels: Golden Bloom, Largehearted Boy, The Motion Sick

We often hear from bands who tell us, "I've tried emailing music bloggers, but I can't get them to respond." It's not uncommon to have that problem, even when you have the relationship with the writer or blogger. These guys are getting hundreds, even thousands of emails every day and it's difficult for them to read every one of them, let alone reply. There are a few ways you can cut through the clutter however.

First off, make sure the media contact you are approaching will indeed like your music. Have they covered other bands that you've been compared to by fans and other media?

Second, although it goes against all logic,take the focus off of selling your band and focus on what the blogger and writer is doing. Think about it like a conversation when you meet someone new. Wouldn't you much rather have them comment about what you are doing and ask you questions about yourself vs hearing them go on and on about themselves?

Use the title of the article they wrote or the band they covered in your email subject. This will greatly increase your chances of having the email opened in the first place. Then talk to them about what you really liked about their review or the artist they covered. These are music people so of course they'd love to talk about music.

Include a link to your music with a mp3 they can offer for download and make sure you let them know it's approved for posting. DO NOT SEND AN ATTACHMENT! I repeat, DO NOT SEND AS AN ATTACHMENT! Nothing is more aggravating then having to wait 15 minutes for all your other emails to go through because you have a 5MB file coming through your server.

I also recommend writing a brief blurb about your band that they can copy and paste to post with the music. Often times bloggers don't have time to write one of their own, so whatever you can do to help take the load off of them will help your cause. And at all costs, avoid hyping your band by saying you are unique, the best, stellar are any of the like. Use descriptive words that can really give the reader an idea of what you sound like. Some examples can be found here. Nine times out of ten a writer will post directly from those blurbs.

Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Building long term relations with the writers you'd like to cover you will only add longevity to your career.

Labels: music biz 101, music blogger, Music Publicity

When one band covers the other band's music, who is it really giving away the song? It's a bit confusing, especially when they do a mutual song swap. In this case we're giving it a 50/50 split with a free mp3 download of the Golden Bloom covering The Motion Sick's "30 Lives". It will be available for one week only so get it while you can!

Compare and contrast by checking out The Motion Sick's original version here.

Labels: "30 Lives", cover song, Golden Bloom, The Motion Sick

Alan Cohen Experience joins the likes of Tom Waits, Devendra Banhart, and Neil Young on the Estacion Terrapin podcast. The best part is it's a first glimpse at "Einstein" off the upcoming Space & Time album due out later this year.

Labels: Alan Cohen Experience, Devendra Banhart, Neil Young, podcast, Tom Waits

In the vein of bands like My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver and Teenage Fanclub, Australia's Grand Atlantic offers a fresh mp3 off their upcoming album, How We Survive which is due out in the US on Tuesday, March 9th. Download "She's a Dreamer" here.

Labels: free music, Grand Atlantic, My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver, SXSW, Teenage Fanclub

Alan Cohen Experience head to Philly on Saturday, February 27th to play Philly's Magic Gardens.

Download the free "Ranger Stranger" MP3 and sing along at the show!

Labels: Alan Cohen Experience

In preparation for the release of their upcoming album later this year, Leopold and His Fiction will head to Las Vegas for the second year in a row to play the Neon Reverb music festival next month where they will join Ruby Suns and Autumn Owls.

Want a sneak peak of what to expect? Head yourself on over to Las Vegas Weekly for a sneak peak of lead singer, Daniel James in a Native American headdress from last year's festival.

Labels: Autumn Owls, Leopold and his Fiction, Neon Reverb, Ruby Suns

Vinca Minor's Matt Menovcik wakes up every morning in his Seattle apartment to Brian Eno's Music For Films CD. Ryan's Smashing Life proclaims, "One listen to Vinca Minor's sparse but powerful new release Isolation, and we are completely won over. Menovcik is a master it seems at pulling on emotional strings. In the space of seven epic songs, we go from being prideful, soaring to empty, alone and confused. We at times feel whimsical and light, other times paralyzed by beauty our eyes can't see. Menovcik has lifted us out of our lives and into his. It would be the understatement of the year to see Vinca Minor has been influenced by epic movie scores. These are epic explorations of other worlds - reminding me a bit of the sonic landscapes rolled out by Gustav Holst."

Menovcik explains, "That's the thing I really like about film music – that building of a world. That is something I was definitely trying to achieve with this record. I really wanted to make a place where the listener could escape to and get lost in. Film is such a powerful medium with both the imagery and the sound, which is why I like scoring films."

While comparing Vinca Minor to other noteworthy minimalist instrumentalists like Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, Ghost of the Russian Empire, and The Photographic, Ryan says "To expound further on the material would likely lessen from its power - and it is powerful. Unpredictably, Vinca Minor has released one of the best new albums of 2010. Highly Recommended."

Hear for yourself by downloading the free "From Here to Eternity" mp3 at Ryan's Smashing Life.

Labels: Best Album 2010, Explosions in the Sky, free mp3, Ghost of the Russian Empire, Sigur Ros, The Photographic, Vinca Minor

"Over 300 bands and artists from Australia and New Zealand applied for SxSW along with more then 10,000 others from 49 countries. Out of close to 75 OZ & NZ bands or solo artists were invited to showcase with a total of 44 confirmed." -SXSW

Heading to SXSW? Check out Grand Atlantic at the FREE Sounds Australia Day Party at Maggie Mae's on Saturday, March 20th.

Labels: Australia bands, Grand Atlantic, SXSW

Ryan's Smashing Life has it in for The Motion Sick and Golden Bloom proclaiming them "two amazing bands you should already know." Now we know Ryan is in the know, which is why we gave him a sneak peak, or listen if you will, of The Motion Sick vs Golden Bloom split release. Don't miss out, check out Golden Bloom covering The Motion Sick's "30 Lives" and The Motion Sick returning the favor on Golden Bloom's "Doomsday Devices."

In Boston? Get your tickets to the release show tonight at the Middle East before it sells out!

Labels: 30 Lives, Boston, Doomsday Devices, Golden Bloom, Ryan's Smashing Life, The Motion Sick

New York's own, Shawn Fogel of Golden Bloom will open for Rocky Votolato on at the Mercury Lounge on Wednesday, February 24th. With Thieving Irons (Nate Martinez formerly of Pela)and Peasant on the bill, this one's sure to sell out so be sure to get your tickets before it's too late!

Labels: Golden Bloom, Mercury Lounge, Peasant, Pela, Rocky Votolato, Thieving Irons

The Dumbing of America knows Grand Atlantic ain't no dummies. Comparing them to Sub Pop's Love Battery and Creation's Swervedriver they claim, "Australia's Grand Atlantic make pure unabashed rock," while suggesting "you buckle up now and jump on this train before it becomes bandwagonesque."

So if these lads could have any superpower, what would it be? In no particular order, we've got:
- Time travelling
- Bulletproof Hair
- The ability to wear womens’ jeans which are 2 sizes to tight.
- Sick round house kicks

Y'know all the standards for a good rock band. To read the full interview and catch some snappy videos head on over to The Dumbing of America

Labels: Grand Atlantic, Swervedriver

Golden Bloom Vs. The Motion Sick split single is now available on iTunes! Check out Golden Bloom's version of The Motion Sick's "30 Lives" and their take on Golden Bloom's "Doomsday Devices". Download it while it's HOT!

Labels: 30 Lives, Doomsday Devices, Golden Bloom, itunes, mp3, The Motion Sick

After Fan the Flames was rated one of the top ten albums of 2009 by The Red Alert, Golden Bloom's Shawn Fogel took the time to answer some questions from their writer, Kevan Peterson, allowing him to "pick his brain on music, politics and what makes a one-man band tick...[pulling] the curtain back on this mad wizard of the indie music world."

Peterson asked Fogel "What's one question you've never been asked in an interview, that you wish you had?" and he replied, "Who do I make out the check to? I’d like to hear that question more often."

Click here to read more of Fogel's witty banter and see what inspires his music.

Labels: Fan the Flames, Golden Bloom, Shawn Fogel, The Red Alert, Top 2009 Music

SF Weekly made it out to see Leopold and his Fiction play Bottom of the Hill and Jasmine Blocker had this to say about the experience: The talented Leopold and His Fiction stole the Blank Tapes' thunder. The local three-piece has more energy and soul on stage than I've seen in a long time. Working double-time, the members played at least two instruments each to create a fast-paced, full sound. Lead singer Daniel James has a soulful, powerful voice that keeps your attention. His songs tell stories about growing up, women, booze, and living in a small town. He forced the crowd to come closer to the stage at the beginning of the set, and by the end he had half the room dancing.

But please take note of the "Editor's Notebook" at the end of the review: "Between Leopold and His Fiction and The Lonely H, there was a lot of fabulous hair going on. I was a bit jealous."

Labels: Blank Tapes, Leopold and his Fiction, SF Weekly, The Lonely H

In music, ambiance is often associated with minimalism and drone; elongated monotonous notes, thundering across the vast atmosphere, or hiding in the dark murky oceanic depths. Vinca Minor encompasses this space. And contrary to many artists that fit the description, this band mixes in quiet echoing vocals. Isolation begins with the picturesque "From Here, Eternity" and, after a solid 16 minutes, fades into drone-heavy "Ignition", masked in a melodramatic darkness, yet with the occasional ray of major-chord hope.

Learning more about the Seattle artist behind Vinca Minor, Matt Menovcik, and you'll begin to paint a picture of an artist inspired by the avant greats - musicians like Brian Eno and Angelo Badalamenti, film-makers like David Lynch. "Waves", "Holding Pattern", and "Your Arms" would fit perfectly in a Lynch-generated world, while the heavy piano in "Descent" bleeds emotion. As the album enters the latter half, the songs lose some of their minimalist, but the ambient effect remains prominent. There's a world in Isolation, a personal one by nature, that Menovicik wants to share. And that makes an album like this intensely powerful.

Click here to listen to "Waves" and "Your Arms"

Labels: Ambient, Angelo Badalamenti, Brian Eno, David Lynch, Fensepost, Instrumental, Isolation, Matt Menovcik

We think The Motion Sick were on to something when they wrote the song, "30 Lives". Released over two years ago on the album,The truth will catch you, just wait... , the song featured the oh-so-secret (ok, not that secret) Konami Code. In the two years, there's been a video, an inclusion on Dance Dance Revolution, and of course the Konami Code interactive "dance" during the live show. It seemed inevitable a cover would follow.

So prepare yourself this week for the release of the split 7 inch featuring Golden Bloom covering The Motion Sick's "30 Lives" and The Motion Sick covering Golden Bloom's "Doomsday Devices".

Dying to hear it? Check out the streamed audio.

Labels: 30 Lives, Dance Dance Revolution, Golden Bloom, Konami Code, The Motion Sick, Video Game

They may be Aussies, but Grand Atlantic appeal to the Anglophile set in pure Brit-pop pleasure. If you're a fan of bands like Redd Kross and My Bloody Valentine, head on over to Largehearted Boy to download the free "Coast is Clear" mp3!

Labels: Anglophile, Britpop, free mp3, Grand Atlantic, Largehearted Boy, My Bloody Valentine, Redd Kross

"…most of the songs recall the time when bands like Teenage Fanclub, the Posies, Redd Kross and Velvet Crush made power pop with enough sonic muscle to rival the grunge band…How We Survive is highly recommended…"(Underneathica, USA)

BRISBANE, Australia (February 9th, 2010) - Described by Ripple as molding the "psychedelic post-punk ethereal moods of their countrymen, The Church, with the shoegazing swirling madbeat of The Stone Roses", Brisbane Australia's Grand Atlantic will release How We Survive on March 9th, 2010 through Laughing Outlaw Records with SXSW showcases on March 18th and 20th.
A swaggering rhythm section in tow, Grand Atlantic combines crunchy riffs and chiming, Byrds-esque guitars, welded seamlessly to robust pop songs with instantly-memorable choruses. Lyrically, the new album attempts to reconcile lead singer Phil Usher's feelings on mortality and loss, self-belief vs. self-doubt, and the challenges of living in this modern world. If that all sounds too serious, don't be put off - these songs are a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and Usher delivers an uplifting set of pop gems that can stand proudly beside the best in the genre. Usher says "The title of the album deals with how people particularly in our Western society get by from Sunday to Sunday and the differences and contrasts that people from diverse cultures experience. What someone in our city considers a tough time is completely different to what someone in a war zone would be experiencing daily. I think the title is particularly aimed at Westerners, as most of us have been handed so much opportunity, yet we often complain and think that we are hardly done by."

How We SurviveTrack Listing

US Tour Dates

Labels: Grand Atlantic, Redd Kross, SXSW, Teenage Fanclub, The Church, The Posies, Velvet Crush

Ok, so maybe Aquaman isn't the hippest superhero out there. It didn't stop The Motion Sick from writing a song about him anyway.
Magnet says of the video, "A bouncy, lighthearted take on everyone’s least favorite superhero, 'Aquaman’s Lament' is just the kind of quirky observation you’d expect from the Motion Sick: “Superman can fly and can stop a speeding bullet/I can talk to some fish.” Well, you don’t become a superhero just to get the glory. Featuring video clips from classic cartoons such as Super Friends, 'Aquaman’s Lament' is bound to make you nostalgic for the days before Christian Bale." Check out the video at http://ping.fm/qgW8T

Magnet recently asked hyperstory's C Scott Blevins to make a mix tape and he didn't disappoint.
Magnet says:

Hyperstory’s self-titled debut album, featuring musicians who have played with the likes of Miles Davis, Beck and Jane’s Addiction, will be released November 10 on the Pureland label. The album is a mixture of live instrumentation and programming, and it seamlessly blends genres as diverse as funk, post-rock and jazz. Blevins made MAGNET a mix tape, and you can definitely hear the influence these artists have had on Hyperstory’s music.

Check out his personal mixtape here.Check out his personal mixtape at http://ping.fm/tWEPI

"J. Breeden and Sara Dyberg of Susurrus Station have found a way of harmoniously combining the experimental vibe of the Mars Volta with the retro-rock sound of the Raconteurs. But wait, up pops urban Greek folk music and moody vocals you’d expect from Nick Cave. Breeden and Dyberg bring to the table a phenomenal display of culture and expansive instrumental talent that makes Susurrus Station and its songs almost mind-boggling."--Magnet Magazine
http://ping.fm/23HUF

The Old Believers premiere track off their upcoming 7 inch on Undertheradar.com http://ping.fm/k4MNa
West Coast Tour Dates

08-26 High Dive, Seattle, WA
08-31 Hemlock Tavern - San Francisco, CA
09-03 Silverlake Lounge - Los Angeles, CA
09-06 Trunk Space - Phoenix, AR
09-10 Meadowlark - Denver, CO

09-12 Neurolux - Boise, ID

"If you were to place a bet as to what local band will be the next to follow the likes of Bad Veins, Pomegranates and Daniel Martin Moore into the ranks of 'nationally acclaimed'." Love it.
http://ping.fm/wrLeF

The time has come for Ryan's Smashing Life to offer their exclusive track, “Dead Petals”, from Golden Bloom’s forthcoming album, Fan the Flames and with it they’ve included an interview with the man behind the music, Shawn Fogel.

Ryan’s Smashing Life says of the new record, “We are already convinced that this album will prove to be one of the year's best new releases. (It's late July and I saw this with confidence.) Yes, Fan the Flames is that good.”

During the interview Fogel touches on the recording process and how certain instruments and even an accident played a key role in the overall sound of the album. Fogel recalls, “I fell in love with the glockenspiel while making this record, and you can hear it on more than half of the songs. "More glock in the rock!" became my mantra in the studio.”

He then touches on the exclusive track "Dead Petals" and admits, "If you listen carefully you can hear Roger's cat Chatterbox walking across the piano at the very end of the second verse. You'd think that when a cat mashes some dissident notes while you're rolling tape you'd scratch the track and go for another take, but Roger and I looked at each other and said 'that's a keeper'."

http://ping.fm/5Edum

Pop Culture Will Eat Itself asks the question, "How can one guy do all this, and do it so well? I don’t have an answer to that question, but I can tell you this: whatever he decides to do in the future, I’m in."
http://ping.fm/S5RYk

Magnet says in their Film At 11 feature: "In January, producers Roger Greenawalt and David Barratt set out to record every Beatles song: on ukulele. The video for the Alan Cohen Experience’s "Your Mother Should Know" mixes Oedipus with Sarah Silverman, which to us seems like a match made in heaven.(But Silverman should know: She slept with God.)
http://ping.fm/kjwsO

The New Up announce national tour dates in support of the national release of Better Off on August 18th. Wrapped in effusive female fronted melodies, darkened by whirling guitars while juxtaposing hard-hitting 00s alternative with psychedelic overtones, The New Up awaken lusty social revelations that call upon hope with their new EP Better Off, the second EP of a three-part series.
8/21/2009-Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco
8/22/2009-Cellar Door, Visalia, CA
8/23/2009-Viper Room, Los Angeles
8/24/2009-Soda Bar, San Diego, CA
8/28/2009-Vinos, Little Rock
8/31/2009-Caledonia Lounge, Athens, GA
9/2/2009-Alley Katz , Richmond, VA
9/3/2009-Outback Lodge, Charlottesville, VA
9/4/2009-The Red and the Black, Washington DC
9/6/2009-Cedar's Lounge, Youngstown, OH
9/9/2009-The Robin Hood, Kent, OH
9/11/2009-The Dark Room, Chicago
9/12/2009-Cactus Club, Milwaukee
9/17/2009-Zebra Lounge, Bozeman, MT

The world exclusive review of Golden Bloom's 'Fan The Flames' is now available at http://bit.ly/mtdNJ

Today, we've got an exclusive download remix of runaway single "Doomsday Devices." This retooling, by the Athens, Georgia electro-rock threesome Ruby Isle is an auto-Tuned freak show. The remix could easily slot in well with the rest of Kindercore's stable of dance-pop bands.
http://www.undertheradarmag.com/media/wolrd_premiere_doomsday_devices_ruby_isle_remix_mp3/

Labels: Golden Bloom, Under the Radar

This subtle ascension seems to come from an injection of soul. As Some Sweet Relief progresses, song structures lean toward the realm of spirituals and blues, and Balabanian's supine purr begins to feel more classic. You won't mistake Speck Mountain for a gospel group, but it's fair to say that, at least during the album's second half, they sound more like Spiritualized than Mazzy Star. Take the phasey organ of the aching "Backslider", which seems ghostwritten by Sonic Boom, or the slow croon of its partner track "Backsliding", whose staircase-climb has a distinct Jason Pierce tint circa "Shine a Light". It all leads to another sharp peak, "Twinlines", whose simple chorus-- "Oh, how long," delivered in a pretty Balabanian moan-- belongs distinctly to this band...there's no law that says mellowness can't reach as high as energy-- especially when, as with Speck Mountain, it's permanently aimed towards the sky.--Marc Masters, Pitchfork

Labels: Pitchfork, Speck Mountain

Magnet Magazine launches the first week of one week exclusive mp3s given to nine music sites leading up to the release of Golden Bloom’s album, Fan the Flames, due out August 18th.
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2009/06/19/world-premiere-mp3-golden-bloom/

"MAGNET is proud to kick off the Summer of Golden Bloom, mainly because this album is redolent of mid-period Wilco; lead track "E.H.M." sounds like an imaginary b-side to "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" featuring Scott McCaughey and appearing circa Summerteeth instead of Being There."

Labels: Fan the Flames, Golden Bloom, Magnet Magazine

Recently named one of Spin Magazine’s "8 Undiscovered Bands Worth a Listen,: Golden Bloom offers free exclusive mp3s to nine music web sites in support of his upcoming release, Fan the Flames, due out August 18th. Leading the charge, Magnet Magazine (www.magnetmagazine.com) will offer the first track off the record, "E.H.M" as an exclusive on their site beginning Friday, June 19th. Under the Radar Magazine (www.undertheradarmag.com) will follow with "Doomsday Devices (Ruby Isle Remix)" on Friday, June 26th.

Golden Bloom Album Promotion - ‘Fan The Flames’ Song By Song
19th June "E.H.M" @ magnetmagazine.com
26th June "Doomsday Devices (Ruby Isle Remix)" @ undertheradarmag.com
3rd July "Fan the Flames" @ tuneraker.com
10th July "She Leaves Me Poetry" @ bagofsongs.com
17th July "The Fight at the End of the Tunnel" @ consequenceofsound.com
24th July "Dead Petals" @ ryanssmashinglife.blogspot.com
31st July "If You Believe" @ spin.com
7th August "The Mountainside Says" @ popwreckoning.com
14th August "Theme For an Adventure at Sea" @ fensepost.com

Labels: Golden Bloom

They met over a tambourine and a bottle of tequila ... now Brett and Rennie Sparks have made an album celebrating 20 years of marriage. They talk music and married life to Amy Fleming of The Guardian.

Who would you rather work with than someone you love?" asks Rennie Sparks, plainly. When she puts it like that, placing all your eggs - creative, professional and personal - in one basket sounds like a no-brainer. "Maybe," adds her husband Brett, smirking, "before everyone gets married, they should be forced to write a song together, to make a record and go on tour together." If you can do all that without falling out, you can safely assume that you are a highly compatible couple.

To read more about The Handsome Family and their life together as a couple and as bandmates, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/23/handsome-family-interivew-folk-music

Labels: The Guardian, The Handsome Family

Speck Mounatin--Chicagoan's second helping of superior dream-pop.
If, as some reckon, a full-blown shoegazing revival is imminent, Speck Mountain have plenty going for them. In fact, Marie-Claire Balabanian's lonesome vocals, the languid pacing and fuzzy, opiated atmosphere their songs generate make them the closest thing there’s been to Mazzy Star for a long time. Though Balabanian and partner Karl Briedrick prefer to call what they do "ambient soul", what really matters is that they do it beautifully. Curtain-raiser "Shame On The Soul's" lightly-fingered tambourine, churchy organ swells and shards of acid-etched guitar instantly set the dreamy mood. Never straying far thereafter, it all makes for a heavily addictive, comfortably numbing kind of experience.—Peter Kane

Labels: Q, Speck Mountain

Speck Mountain core members Karl Briedrick (guitar) and Marie-Claire Balabanian (vocals) call their sound "ambient soul." The "soul" bit is no empty boast; their echoey shimmer has the ghostly quality of mist on the bayou...Balabanian intones fetchingly, like Patti Smith in slowmo.--Phil Sutcliffe

Labels: MOJO, Speck Mountain

Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is “Some Sweet Relief” by Speck Mountain from the 2009 album Some Sweet Relief on Carrot Top Records. Speck Mountain consciously avoids the extremes of shoegaze and folk, instead cherry-picking each school’s finest qualities and bolting them together with the sincerity and richness of Motor City soul, creating oscillating texture grounded in human truths and softening reality’s sharp corners with warmth and sonic space...they will send you searching for your headphones, closing your eyes and sinking into the floor. Some sweet relief indeed.

Labels: KEXP, Speck Mountain