Suffolk 'n' Cool

A mix of music from around the world again with something to delight even the most jaded ear. The combination of Apache attack helicopters circling the barn and the wind trying to blow clean through it made recording "interesting" tonight. Ah well, I suppose the Army Air Corps have to practice somewhere and the wind is nowhere near as bad as they seem to be having it in the north tonight.Movember 'tash is coming on, slowly!Sushi bar - Izzie Voodoo (Sheffield, UK)It's not often that I get to play tracks by fellow podcasters. One such is Izzie Voodoo.Izzie created controversy when her track Sound won a runner up award at the 2007 Song Of The Year Award.  As a result of a protest by the owners that it had only originally been a runner up, Control Freak from her new EP went on to win an award at Song of the Year this year before it was even out of the studio.   Since then, Izzie has had features in local newspapers as well as airplay on BBC Radio Sheffield plus a number of other radio stations across the UK.  Dates have recently been confirmed in the South Yorkshire region details of which can be found on her website. Izzie is a member of AMP. Her VQS New Music show is at www.vqsnewmusic.tv/ and the podcast  page on iTunes is here  izzievoodoo.comOpen Hand - David Wilcox (Asheville, NC, USA)Title track from his album.I played another track, Modern World a couple of weeks ago which prompted Kimo into action.David Wilcox's Open Hand was recorded in 7 days from start to finish in December 2008 on 2 inch 16 track analog tape. No computer tricks were used, all of the songs on this release were recorded live, just 4 human beings playing music together. Very minimal overdubs were used, so most all of what you hear is exactly as it was played together by David and the other musicians live. Dan Phelps produced and played guitar and keyboard, Jon Evans: bass guitar and upright bass, James McAlister: drums and percussion.www.davidwilcox.com/www.myspace.com/davidwil coxsiteEuropean Podcast Awards 2009The awards are under way again and SnC has again been nominated in the UK section. You'll find the show at this direct link        Yellow shade of blue - Lexi Street (Atlanta, GA, USA)Champagne Promises is the tongue in cheek title for Lexi Street's long awaited second album. It was in 2002 they released the girl I used to beâ. Since then, the band released a few singles, Summer and The Room which enjoyed a stay on satellite's XM radio. Their second album release, Champagne Promises, makes good on their promise to deliver. If you like Tom Waits, Shiveree, or moody broody music, with some playful attitude thrown in - then we think you'll like this album!www.lexistreet.comwww.myspace.com/lexistreetTomor row Never Knows - Leftside Wobble EditLeftside Wobble sent a link through to his edit of the Beatles track, Tomorrow never knows. It is on Soundcloud so you can take a listen and download it for yourself at this linkWere were - Gaspipe (LA, CA, USA)From the album Look out â He's gonna Blow! The music on this c.d. pretty music reflects my musical experiences. I've made my living as an RnB sax player having worked with Ike Turner, Taj Mahal and others. Currently working with Bobby Womack for the last 12 years. I've also spent some time in the African Drumming community in Los Angeles thus the African influence. Were Were is a good example of the sort of thing I intend to do more of, combining funk and African drumming. - Jim Thompsonwww.mythmara.comwww.cdbaby.com/cd/gaspipe         Podcrawlwww.podcrawl.blogspot.com/http://bit.ly/3 ExVxy (podcrawl map) starting at 12.Movemberhttp://uk.movember.com/mospace/395470/Twenty Two Hundred - Syntaks (Denmark)From their album Ylajali which was released in the past couple of weeks.Ylajali is the debut full-length from Syntaks, the Danish duo of Jakob Skott and Anna Cecilia.In Ylajali's beautifully scorched sonic landscape, acres of drones run beneath Cecilia's wordless sighs; Skott's beats crunch like autumn leaves while synthesizers swell, flourish, and disappear. Songs either tramp through hazy forests until they fade into the dark (the Boards of Canada-esque "Love Camp 23"), or stack tone upon tone like translucent building blocks, building to forceful, near-operatic crescendos (the epic "She Moves in Colors"). Syntaks' luminous Ylajali crackles with emotion and imagination, giving form to its creators" vibrant inner lives.ghostly.com/artists/syntakswww.myspace.com/syntak sFarm Machine Music / extraordinaire instrument de musiqueIf you google "extraordinaire instrument de musique" you will find links to video of an amazing music machine. Which some sources claim is made from tractor and irrigation parts.  In fact it is another superb animation from Animusic which seems to have been doing the rounds and picking up all sorts of nonsense about its origins.The myth is busted by Snopes.com and you'll find the original at www.animusic.com/previews/animusic1.phpIf you are into animation, there is another superb piece of work by Lucas Martell at http://bit.ly/1LNNa3Don't go to Klasvik - Leif Vollebekk (Montreal)Nevado Records will re-release Vollebekk's stunning debut album across Canada on January 19th, 2010 on CD and 12 inch vinyl. The young artist has made a name for himself in Canada thanks to his organic and honest live performances.Inland was recorded in Montreal's Breakglass Studios (Wolf Parade, Patrick Watson, Stars, Unicorns). A true multi-instrumentalist, Vollebekk plays guitar, harmonica, piano and violin on the album.Now signed to rising independent Toronto label, Nevado Records, alongside the countries best (Bahamas, Yukon Blonde, Fox Jaws, and The Paint Movement), the time has come for this modest musician to take a few steps away from humble small-town beginnings, and into the arms of national, and international respect and adoration. Just wait and watch as the subtle beauty of Vollebekk's music embraces new listeners far and wide.www.myspace.com/leifvollebekkwww.nevadorecords.com Love not monnaie - Volfonic feat Tribuman (Montpellier, France)Codger played a track by Volfoniq a week or two ago which reminded me how good the music is. There are some really interesting collaborations too.These tracks and more can be found free at LCL. Do have a poke around and see what else you can find.www.lclweb.org/audio_ep_lcl16.htm

Some frankly remarkable music this week from Oxford and Leamington Spa in the UK, New York and Detroit in the USA, Montpellier and Rodez in France, Stockholm in SwedenI had to go over to the former Bentwaters USAF airbase near Woodbridge this afternoon. It has been a grey cold day after the 2 minute silence this morning on Armistice Day (Veteran's Day in USA). The base was active during a whole series of "real" wars until it closed 15 years ago after the mercifully non-violent Cold War. It is easy to loose sight of the fact that the soldiers and airmen at that base may all have looked alike but they were each individuals with their own families, hopes and fears, doing a job that they had no say in after joining up. Bentwaters is a pretty bleak spot at the best of times but I caught sight of this wall near the former aircraft refueling facility. The writing on the wall reads " POW [Prisoners of War] MIA [Missing in Action] "You are not forgotten". Indeed not.Darling Dear - Little Fish (Oxford, UK)I played Little Fish ages ago on SnC 117 back in May of last year (2008). Now everyone seems to be playing them, which is thoroughly good news, and they seem to be breaking into the USA.Once in a very long while a band comes along with a sound that is more than just music; it is raw seductive impulse revealed through mesmerising vocals, raucous guitars and driving drums; this band is Little Fish.  Hailing from Oxford, England, Little Fish is comprised of vocalist/guitarist/principal songwriter JuJu, a rail-thin force of nature (think Patti Smith meets PJ Harvey meets Chrissie Hynde), and drummer Nez, the propulsive undercurrent of the band, backed by a Hammond player in their live performance.  Little Fish's sound is at once sensual and urgent, yet intimate and haunting.Recently signed to Linda Perry's Custard label via Universal Motown Records, Little Fish's debut album BAFFLED AND BEAT is set for an early 2010 release.  The album was produced by Perry herself, in her Los Angeles studio.www.myspace.com/littlefishmusicHarry - Marc Farre (Piermont, NY, USA)Indie artist Marc Farre delivers cinematic pop/rock songs shot through with a raw, poetic energy. His voice is deep, intimate, intense. (Critics have called it "mesmerizing.") Equal parts open-hearted and hallucinatory, his music pulls you in like an art-house film.Though he is based in New York, Marc Farreâs French background imbues his music with a European, art-house feel â a seductive ambiance perfectly paired with his driving rhythms, otherworldly lyrics and magnetic melodies. While his past association with 20th-century giants Merce Cunningham (whose dance company he managed during the 1980s) and John Cage continues to drive Farre's creative vision toward the new, it is his visceral, open-hearted singing that really carries you out onto a tightrope â and leaves you there. After  a label contract, he went on to release his recordings on his own All Weather label, starting with Unsafe songs in 1998 and Man on the Sun in 2000. His third full-length CD, Secret Symphony, was released in June 2008. His Facebook Fan Page is at http://tinyurl.com/yfb9s9b http://marcfarre.comwww.myspace.com/marcfarre"Gree ns, Greys, and Nordics (I Am Robot And Proud Remix)"  - Deastro (Detroit, Michigan, USA)Detroit wunderkind Randolph Chabot has been touring relentlessly since the release of Moondagger, Deastro 's full-length debut on Ghostly International. Having just completed a sizeable UK tour with Hockey, the madness continues as Deastro unveiled a new single ("Tone Adventure #3") on September 29th, and is now embarking upon a fall co-headlining tour with Domino Records' Max Tundra.First, a bit about the single:"Tone Adventure #3" is an archetypal Deastro song, as Randolph Chabot sprints through catchy, melodic passages with maniacal conviction, howling about feet being âstrapped to cannon ballsâ from behind a wall of electronically conjured atmosphere. Glockenspiels, spy-movie guitars, orchestral stabs, and alien ray guns all make appearancesâas they should in any good adventure.Next, the tour:After a few dates at New York City's CMJ festival follow, Deastro hits the road in November, co-headlining a monthlong tour with oddball electronic genius Max Tundra.www.myspace.com/deastroMovember and podcrawlI'm growing a moustache this year for Movember.  I have decided to put down my razor for one month (November) and help raise awareness and funds for menâs health â specifically prostate cancer.  What many people donât appreciate is that one man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK, more than 35,000 men will be diagnosed this year and that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.  Facts like these have convinced me I should get involved and I am hoping that you will support me.  To donate to my Mo, you can click this link http://uk.movember.com/mospace/395470/ and donate online using your credit card, debit card or PayPal account.Details of the podcrawl: www.podcrawl.blogspot.com/ Until the day I die - Bottle up and Go (Brooklyn, NY, USA)A new genre to me: blues/punkCurrently based out of a basement in Bushwick, Brooklyn, wedged between 99-cent wholesale vendors, BU&G consists of Keenan Mitchell (guitar, vocals), Fareed Sajan (drums) and saxophone accompaniment by either Lucas or his twin Andrew Carrico (alto and tenor respectively). The two-and-a-half piece neo primitive garage rock band is known across NYC for their frantic freak outs, described by various press sources as 'neanderthalic' and 'barbaric'.There is no doubt that BU&G has a slight obsession with death and bones, taxidermy and bootleg whiskey.  Keenan writes lyrics that mix the language of the bible with the spirit of ancient blues hollers, western iconography, murder ballads, drunken dreams, morning tremors, hospital visits, jail time--rhythms that are indisputably alive as they call for their own death. They are narratives that mix their own lives with the myths of their blues forefathers, and that emerge as neither, a new blues form that is as much a Leadbelly song as a noise collage.www.myspace.com/bottleupandgoband Let's run - John Garrison (Leamington Spa, UK or New York or London)The playwright Tennessee Williams once said, âThere is a time for departure even when thereâs no certain place to go.â This oddly serene notion is something quite familiar to musician John Garrison, his life having served as the muse to his brilliant new work, aptly titled DEPARTURES. The most notable of these life changes was the transition from an established life in London to starting anew in New York. The City, replete with its clichÃd dreams of life and love and open-endings, agreed beautifully with Garrison, even if his leaving London was at first uncertain. DEPARTURES is as multi-dimensional as New York, a tapestry of song and emotion, its true artistry apparent when experienced as a whole. Garrisonâs haunting voice and raw lyrics backed by the equally lingering instrumentals affects each and every listener in some way, everyone being able to relate to loving and losing. We first heard Garrison's signature vocal quality on his band BUDAPEST's 2002 debut release, TOO BLIND TO HEAR (out through Universal Records in the USA and Sinnamon Records in Spain), and later on their album HEAD TOWARDS THE DAWN (out through Sinnamon Records in Spain). The single âCensored Memoriesâ off of TOO BLIND TO HEAR was the second most played song in all of Spain in 2004, the year the album released. Despite critical acclaim for his work with BUDAPEST, a new music scene was calling out to Garrison. Heeding that call required great sacrifice â it was during this period Garrison made the decision to uproot himself in favor of New York. âWhen I first moved to New York, I really left it all behind...my friends, my home country,â he explains. âIt was like being a little boy all over again in this big city.â Departures was released yesterday 10 Novwww.myspace.com/johngarrisonmusicwww.Garrisonmusic.c omDream Walking - "Big" Walker (Stockholm, Sweden)Derrick "Big" Walker was born in Lawton, Oklahoma. He grew up in an artistic family, his mother and aunt both working in theatre, and his Uncle owning a blues club in Cleveland. Walker began to learn harmonica at the age of 7, and over the years has taken lessons in harmonica from Paul Butterfield, and lessons in saxophone from Bobby Forte, known for his work with BB King. ââWalker writes and sings his own music and plays harmonica and saxophone in accompaniment. He is extremely versatile, mixing American folk music, blues, country, soul, rock, and funk. Walker played in Albert Collins band as well as Luther Tucker and Michael Bloomfield's bands. Touring with Luther Tucker's band for 10 years he opened for artists that included Lowell Fulson, Percy Mayfield and Big Mama Thornton. He's also recorded on six of Eric Bibb's CDs. Now based in Stokholm Sweden, he tours with his band throughout Europe. Big Walker "Dream Walking" (mp3) from "Still Dream Walking" (Blue Skunk Music) Stream from Rhapsody Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Albumwww.blueswalker.com/ Granier Mix - Nex2012 & DJ "H" (Rodez, France)From the album Ultime Outrage MuzikhÃl.Nex2012 & DJ "H" ce sont deux iconoclastes co(s)miques à poil long et moins qui s'imaginent que l'informatique peut servir à faire de la "musique". Quelle drÃle d'idÃe !!!Nous mÃlangeons quelques notes et des Ãchantillons afin d'obtenir des morceaux plus ou moins audibles. Appelons Ãa du bricolage sonore !Nous faisons cela à temps perdu et surtout pour le plaisir ! Si Si ! A entendre nos album on dirait pas mais on s'amuse en faisant Ãa et en plus on le fait exprÃs !Voilà ! Voilà ! Bonne Ãcoute !www.jamendo.com/en/artist/nex2012Vote early and vote often!Podcast Alley:Codger at 7, SnC at 9 but AMPed is at 4. Vote if you'd like to it's just a bit of fun. I'm not going to ask you to distort the polls. There is enough of that in Afghanistan and Iran.www.podcastalley.comSauda dub-pao - Volfoniq (Montpellier, France)Founded in 2004, Volfoniq is a "one-man-dub" from the south of France (Montpellier). In a retro-futuristic mood, he uses his classical formation (clarinet) and a rich musical history to produce a dub that goes farther than tags, respecting the jamaican roots, but adventuring into new lands of experimentation. Sometimes digital, sometimes roots, clearly electro or acoustic, reggae, ragga, ska, with slices of tango or triphop riddim, the generosity of Volfoniq's music equals its humility.Just like SnC you are allowed to share Volfoniq releases under a Creative Commons by-nc-nd 3.0 licence.www.volfoniq.com/One more thing...Playing for change live in LA Nov 13 w/Toots Hibbert and Ziggy Marleywww.playingforchange.com/

An eclectic selection which verges on the quixotic this week with tracks from France, North Carolina, Brooklyn, Denmark, Florida, and Newfoundland.I can't imagine how long the old rail carriage has been on sat by the farm track but it has somethow survived and even has the ivy trimmed each year!A l'ombre des palmiers - Tahigo (Rouen, France)We are four. We are friends for 20 years. We are french... And WE WANT TO JUMP ON STAGE WITH THE ENTIRE WORLD !!!AprÃs la sÃparation de Muffin Kriska en mars 2007, trois de ses membres dÃcidÃrent de former un nouveau groupe.A l'Ãpoque, pas de nom, pas de chanteur ni de bassiste, mais une rÃelle envie chez Charly (Guitariste soliste), Boulle (Guitariste Rythmique) et Tom (Batterie) de se lancer dans quelque chose de beaucoup plus punk, tout en restant festif.www.myspace.com/tahigoModern World - David Wilcox (Asheville, NC, USA)David Wilcox's Open Hand was recorded in 7 days from start to finish in December 2008 on 2 inch 16 track analog tape. No computer tricks were used, all of the songs on this release were recorded live, just 4 human beings playing music together. Very minimal overdubs were used, so most all of what you hear is exactly as it was played together by David and the other musicians live. Dan Phelps produced and played guitar and keyboard, Jon Evans: bass guitar and upright bass, James McAlister: drums and percussion.www.davidwilcox.com/www.myspace.com/davidwil coxsiteBeatbox gospel lesson interlude - Stouffi the Stouves (Lille, France)From the album Madness on Jamendo.Follows on from last week's final track from Eclectekwww.myspace.com/eclectekofficielwww.jamendo.com /en/album/37759Cheerio! - Hollands (Brooklyn, NY, USA)Hollands is multi-instrumentalist John-Paul Norpoth and violinist Jannina Barefield. Together, they formed in February 2008 in Washington Heights, New York. Norpoth, formerly the co-lead of NYC-based Butane Variations, is the son of a classical flautist while Barefield is the daughter of Detroit based avant-garde jazz guitarist Spencer Barefield. Together, they combine fuzzy Flaming Lips guitars with Martin-esque orchestral arrangements and traditional folk nods to the Paul Simon's and the Grateful Dead's of years pastAt times, Hollands sounds like a simple folk duo, plaintive and gentle, soft and free. At others, the band performs as a loud, brash, orchestral rock ensemble; employing cello, organs, synthesizers, electric and acoustic violins. In other words, they'll explore any means necessary to realize the most honest atmosphere and capture the diversity of each song.www.hollandsss.comwww.myspace.com/hollandsssMistra l Moon - Syntaks (Denmark)Syntaks' Mistral Moon EP is a free taste of the Danish duo's upcoming full-length Ylajali (November 3rd on Ghostly), comprising two tracks of Syntaks' densely layered ambient pop.Syntaks' songs are textural epics in miniature, meticulously detailed shoegaze symphonies built from Anna Cecilia's wordless vocalizations and Jakob Skott's breathtaking production. "Sudden Dream" grows from a puddle of Cecilia's molten coos to a towering climax worthy of M83's overdriven majesty; "Mistral Moon (Illuminated Version)" presents a slightly sweetened rendition of the Ylajali standout, matching a triumphant melody and heavy-footed beat with distant stutters of distortion and oceans of atmospheric rumblings. To call Syntaks' music "cinematic" would be an understatementâwith the Mistral Moon EP, the experience is as visceral and surreal as a sunrise.ghostly.com/artists/syntakswww.myspace.com/synt aksTake out the trash - Neal Fox (Florida, USA)Composer/performer/multimedia artist. Recording artist on Polydor, RCA and Columbia. Co-scored 2 of the Killer Tomatoes movies. Neal has some fine videos via his beautifully crafted site.www.wireduck.com/www.myspace.com/nealfoxBees and Flowers / Joe Smallwood & Raindrops - Duane Andrews (St John's, NL, Canada)Heavily influenced by the brilliance of early twentieth century French Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, Duane Andrews' unique blend of jazz and traditional Newfoundland folk music is consistently recognised by both industry and fans with awards and accolades.Duane's music is undergoing something of a transformation from being rooted firmly in the Django Reinhardt school of gypsy jazz and Newfoundland folk with its influences from Scotland to another layering involving chamber orchestra . Duane is one seriously dedicated musician. Now a 10 minute mini documentary about Duane is on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/yz615dkEscape for 10  minutes to the wild coast of Newfoundland, hear some great music and get an insight into a fine musician.www.duaneandrews.cawww.myspace.com/duaneandrew sUngrateful men - Grace Valhalla (Nancy, France)It is ages since I played a Grace Valhalla track. Here it is. From her masterly album Peak on Jamendo.Description by MadCat: "Grace Valhalla has been producing music on her computer for two years. Recently she put them on Jamendo sharing them as creative commons. She says about herself, that she is far from being professional and just wanted to produce something she likes to listen to. And expresses the hope of progression through passion. âShe faces the same fate as many women producing music: no one believes she produced it. Of the two albums she produced the first Grace Valhalla - psychopathethic is more a rock album while the latter Grace Valhalla - PEAK~ is clearly electronic. Both containing calmed down nearly melancholic music. Wire is a mix between the two first albums"http://gracevalhalla.hautetfort.comwww.mysp ace.com/gracevalhallawww.jamendo.com/en/album/2162Podca st AlleyIf you'd like to vote for SnC and AMPed and even PC Podcast (if you really must) on Podcast Alley, you can do so dead easy at www.podcastalley.com Just pop Suffolk in the search box or you can get direct to the show at this link. Just click on "Vote" and follow the simple instructions, not forgetting to check the confirming email. Thanks. Fourth place indeed! Bah ...

Fine tunes from New York, Maidstone (UK), Berlin, Ajaccio and Lille (France), Irpinia (Italy) and Toronto. It's unseasonably warm on Suffolk this week, despite what Jessie says (having arrived in the UK from Ibiza late last night). Today is, at least, sunny and the colours are getting into gear.Double or nothing - Kirsten Dehaan (NYC, NY, USA) Kirsten DeHaan is a true jack of all musical trades. Not only is she a talented singer/songwriter and guitarist, she promotes her music via her label SirLady Records, does various philanthropic work for American soldiers in the Middle East, and is a big proponent of the New York indie music scene. Her latest offering, a five song EP dubbed Thorns On A Crown is by far her most mature work to date and is set to hit the streets later this summer.A native German/Indianan (her mother emigrated from Germany to Indiana), Kirsten graduated from college in Texas and moved to New York just six weeks before the 9/11 attacks. Having composed music most of her life, DeHaan says she writes based on two tenets: to deliver goose bumps and to question the status quo. Luckily for us, her music succeeds in doing both.www.kirstendehaan.comwww.myspace.com/kirstendehaan Ibiza sunset camhttp://tinyurl.com/ko5qxbShiny Blue - Scott Brunger (Maidstone, Kent, UK)"I'm trying to be a folk songwriter, my lyrics are blunt and to the point and I try to display as much emotion in my songs as possible. I write about my life."Scott Brunger - Acoustic Guitar/VocalsJay Brunger - Bass and Backing VocalsPaul Jobson - DrumsTony Brunger - Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals.www.myspace.com/scottbrungerWake up Ringtone - Shardik's Walkman (Berlin, Germany)More Music from Shardik's Walkman at Indiestore and Last.fmwww.jamendo.com/en/artist/Momo_(4)Bad Tuning - BertycoX (Ajaccio, France)Bertycox est nà le 15 fevrier 1978, il vient donc de dÃplorer ses 31 ans .. âaimant les activitÃs dangeureuses , il le paya de son apparance , maintenant presque totalement robotisà seul son coeur demeure une piÃce d'origine . âla musique est Ãvidemment son mode d'expression et sa passion.Painfully little information on Jamendo but some very enthusiastic reviews of his numerous Jamendo releaseswww.akamusic.com/BertycoXwww.jamendo.com/en/art ist/bertycoxBe Bop, I gotta get away from you - Ray Guntrip and Tina May (UK)From their excellent Out of the Blue album on Jamendo.Out of the blue is the debut CD of a prolific but, until now, little-known British jazz composer. Well-established on the local jazz scene in his native Kent, Ray Guntrip has more than two hundred compositions to his name. Out of the Blue features the cream of his tunes played by some of the UKâs leading musicians. The enthusiastic involvement of two influential figures on the music scene in bringing Rayâs work to a wider audience is itself a testimony to the quality of the music it celebrates.âThe catalyst for the project was Gary Barnacle, sometime tenor-sax player with Tina Turner and Level 42, as well as a host of big-name bands from Jamiroquai to David Bowie, the Clash and Phil Collins. He was prompted to suggest a recording project after playing a number of gigs with Rayâs band, Green Machine. Gary also spotted an additional, and for Ray, unexplored potential: the addition of lyrics.âAn inspired recommendation brought Ray together with Tina May, a vocalist with an international reputation, whose recent projects with the legendary pianist Ray Bryant and Bobby Watson, showcased her skills as both world-class lyricist and singer. Impressed with the strength of Rayâs compositions, Tina added words that give an added dimension to the widely contrasting moods of eighteen of his tunes, nine of which are on this CD, from the tongue-twisting Be-Bop - I Gotta Get Away From You! to the rocking Heâs Mr Twister and anarchic intensity of Demons Dancing.http://rayguntripmusic.comwww.jamendo.com/en/al bum/34700Them never loves the flowers - Jambassa (Irpinia, Italy)From the album The roots and the flowers on A Quiet Bump"Two platinums vinyls, a mixer, a microphone, the EPS and Atari, the whole coupled with effects a such digital delay generated the bases of the exploration of Dub-Roots made in Irpinia. The first Dub tests under the name of Jambassa take life in the year 2000.Since then research of the ideal âflowâ never stopped, as well through the scenic experiments into live, year studio with a work of production where still while passing by collaborations with musical groups, crew and artists of various musical horizons .Jambassa proposes a dj-set dub roots between the analogical one and digital, while dubbant into live the selections of their clean production accompanied by a skilful dj to the microphone, which makes it possible their live to be a true performance shared with a conquered public."So now you know!www.aquietbump.com/jambassa.htmlwww.myspace.com/ja mbassaAll over the world - Lola Dutronic (Germany / Toronto)The last knockings of Mediterranean summer are encapsulated in Lola Dutronic's latest double A-side single."We divide our time between Berlin and Toronto. We've put out three albums so far: The World Of Lola Dutronic, the Grammy Award nominated The Love Parade and our newest album, Lola Dutronic In Berlin. We've also appeared on several compilation albums and repackages in Asia and Europe."Available on iTunes and on CDBaby at:http://cdbaby.com/cd/ldutronicwww.myspace.com/loladu tronicWe are going to electrofunk your ass - Eclectec (Lille, France) JamendoI just lovce the sheer exuberant energy in this track. It is from their album Komiks Musik released just this August.klemaouche: chant â latino prez: guitare â maximax: platines â rhum arisk: batterie â stouffi the stouves: chant â fudd:So many great influences in here with some gorgeous sounds and huge energy - check their video here or at http://tinyurl.com/yhq4bkl we are going to eclecfunk your ass by maxdreadwww.myspace.com/eclectekofficielwww.jamendo.com /fr/artist/eclectek

Rain today - all day and for the first time since early August. I just wish I hadn't been driving in it most of the day, with the headlights on.We're back from a great weekend Chez Codger in leafy Sussex characterised by some fine ales, fine dining and great company. Thanks to all. We had a look at Wakehurst Place (right) on Sunday - rather a spectacular building.25 years - Rude City Riot (Vancouver, BC, Canada) RCR is a "POWER-SKA" BAND from Vancouver BC working overtime to bring you great original songs with powerful vocals & big juicy melodic hooks. If you see us live, you will remember the guitar solos & horn riffs the next day. We are 100% Power-Ska.www.rudecityriot.comwww.myspace.com/rudecityr iotEternal Youth - Audra Connolly (Boise, ID, USA)"I'm an independent artist from Boise, ID. I have dropped three tracks for your consideration: Eternal Youth, Blue Eyes and Dear Friend. These tracks are from my debut album which I released on my independent label, Hole Heart Records, in August of this year. Thank you for your time!"www.audraconnolly.comwww.myspace.com/audraco nnollysongs Birthday Wishes and Goodbye Kisses - Jesse Alejandro and the Big Fatt (Brooklyn, NY, USA)Like zombie Batman coming back from the grave to exact revenge on the joker who stole his woman, this band is intelligent, vicious and unstoppable. The Big Fatt hold permanent resident statuses in funk, blues, and classical music, but spend most of their time in Brooklyn.From "Belly Full of Brains" LP - Release Date: 9/9/09 The music of this ensemble mirrors the monster of amalgam that is the Brooklyn music scene, stealing from heros as far flung as Duke Ellington, Tom Waits, Claude Debussy and Stevie Wonder. The group's morbidly obese base of influences and guillotine sharp execution ensure an entertaining evening for anyone who isn't a Nazi child molester.Jesse Alejandro - Vocals, GuitarMatthew Ferry - DrumsWestbrook Johnson  - TromboneMatt Scott - BassHeather Sommerlad - ViolinPeter Ferrari - SaxophoneMarie Valigorsky - Violawww.thebigfatt.comwww.myspace.com/thebigfattBig Easy - Uphill (N Carolina, USA)Uphill plays blues straight out of the swampland. With a mix of original blues and revitalized versions of lost classics, Uphill has brought their own Carolina tang to the table since 2005. Injected with humor, passion and mojo, Uphill has a unique sound: steeped intradition yet ferociously alive.www.uphilltheband.comMore sublime blues at The G Spot with Jeremy Gugenheimwww.smallsystems.co.uk/thegspot/Na Na Na (Spark Remix) - 46 Bliss (Brooklyn, NY, USA)Another track from the great 46Bliss remix project.The voluptuous alto voice of Clare Veniot gives way to a satiny upper register that feels timeless in its simplicity, providing a perfect balance to the technological mastery of vocalist, programmer and keyboardist David Cooper and electronic drummer Jack Freudenheim, creator of ambient music software Sounder.46bliss, perhaps best known for their song The Way You Are featured on the show Veronica Mars and CSI-NY, and In A Long Time, one of the most played songs in podcasting, are releasing a 2-CD set of 46bliss tracks reworked by remixers from 6 countries. The 46bliss campaign in support of the CDs is called 20 remixes in 20 weeks, during which they will release a remix a week to the public via PodsSafe Music Network, Myspace, Facebook etc.www.46bliss.com/www.myspace.com/46blissThis - Tryad (various locations)I nominated Struttin' by Tryad as my track on the AMPed 200 special. I've been listen to lots of Tryad just lately. They are on www.jamendo.comhttp://tryad.org/Happy - Jimmie Bratcher (Missouri, USA)Yes, it's the theme to SnC. Prompted as a last minute addition by listener Martin Byrom who saw Jimmie play live last weekend doing an acoustic set.Enjoy it, this time without Clithers talking all over it.www.jimmiebratcher.comWarap - Andrew Delpiono (Trinidad) IODAFrom Wikipedia:The details of the birth of parang are disputed. One theory is that parang has its origins in the music of Spanish or French Catholic monks, present in Trinidad during the Spanish colonial period. Another theory is that Venezuelans brought the first elements of parang with them when they migrated to Trinidad to work on cocoa farms in the early part of the nineteenth century. Parang flourished under the British rule from 1814. It absorbed elements of African and French creole and was influenced by the constant interaction between the people of Trinidad and those of Venezuela, where similar musical forms developed in parallel.Parang remains an important element both of Trinidadian Christmas rituals and of the rituals of other islands and countries, including Grenada, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. Today, parang is especially vibrant in Trinidad & Tobago communities such as Paramin, Lopinot and Arima.Free download from IODA: Andrew Delpino "Warap" (mp3) from "Strictly Parang - The Best of Trinidad Parang, Vol III" (Caribbean Music Group) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album

Fine and interesting new tunes for you on Suffolk'n'Cool 189. This week from Indianna, Missouri, Japan, New York City, Salt Lake City, Holland and the most easterly place in the UK, Lowestoft, here in Suffolk. Pic: I think that's the last we'll see of the sun today.What I wouldn't do - She swings, she sways (Ottumwa, IA, USA)She Swings, She Sways coalesced in the only apartment building in downtown Ottumwa, Southeast Iowaâs post-industrial wasteland, when an acoustic duo (John Gordon & Cory Canny) met long-time drums and bullfiddle rhythm section (Jason Bolinger & Troy Morgan). Drawing on over 30 years of combined experience, the band began writing, recording, and performing in 2005. The band added two new players later â Jimmie Dalton (electric guitar) and Diana Garles (keys, vocals, trumpet).www.sheswingsshesways.comwww.myspace.com/shesw ingsshesways  Abandon Ship - Beth Bombara (St Loius, MO, USA)While Beth Bombara so far has largely focused on Beth Orton/Bon Iver-esque, downtempo, melodious folk-pop, her recent project, Beth Bombara and the Robotic Foundation, pulls her into the orbit of the Breeders and, at times, Bettie Serveert. Her clear and warm alto makes her confessions believable, while the rhythmic instincts of her band are always sharp. Bombara's recent songs come tailor-made for a long, late-night drive through a dense forest, where shadows emerge, shiver and linger in the memory.October 17, 2009 - 9pmOff BroadwaySt. Louis, MO 63118Info: 314-773-3363$10www.bethbombara.comwww.myspace.com/bethb ombaraSunset Disco - Kyota Sugai (Japan)"Sunset Disco" is funny, original blues.âThis music cannot be compared to existing music, but, if I must compare it, it emits a bewitching brightness, like old striptease music.âIt sounds like a voice that is possessed by the singing devil. The lyrics make fun of the listener, but the people cannot laugh. Very unique and slow arrangement, a melody that appeals to the soul directly.âBut, what wants to be expressed by this Japanese blueser?You come to this joint, I thoughtâBecause you said, you wanna goâYou come to this joint, yes, I thoughtâBecause you said, you wanna goâDid you know, he fell into the sea againâSo come to the "Sunset Disco"You love the music, it's called "Moonrise"âBecause you said, you love it muchâYou love the music, it's called "Moonrise"âBecause you said, you love it muchâDid you know, she rose from the sea againâSo come to the "Sunset Disco"And then, the lady swingin' thereâJust like shakin'âThe lady swingin' thereâShe's like shakin'âBabe, feel like you shake on this floor nowâat the "Sunset Disco"www.myspace.com/kyotasugai1984 - Kirsten DeHaan (NYC, NY, USA)Kirsten DeHaan is a true jack of all musical trades. Not only is she a talented singer/songwriter and guitarist, she promotes her music via her label SirLady Records, does various philanthropic work for American soldiers in the Middle East, and is a big proponent of the New York indie music scene. Her latest offering, a five song EP dubbed "Thorns On A Crown" is by far her most mature work to date and is set to hit the streets later this summer.A native German/Indianan (her mother emigrated from Germany to Indiana), Kirsten graduated from college in Texas and moved to New York just six weeks before the 9/11 attacks. Having composed music most of her life, DeHaan says she writes based on two tenets: to deliver goose bumps and to question the status quo. Luckily for us, her music succeeds in doing both.www.kirstendehaan.comwww.myspace.com/kirstendehaan The spirit of the times - John Ward (Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK)On November the 15th John and Mario will be playing at The Cut in Haslesworth, Suffolk. All profits will go to the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and The James Paget Palliative Care centre. This is the 3rd annual charity concert they've put together at The Cut. It's a great venue which serves some food as well as being a gallery and a general arts centre. It will start at 7.30 and tickets are Â8.00 and Â6.00. 0845 6732123 www.newcut.org  I hope you can make it and support these two very worthwhile charities."With its face full set to the blustering North Sea in the East and its back warmed in the wheat and sugarbeet fields of Suffolk in the West, Lowestoft, like its neighbour, Great Yarmouth, holds an odd mixture of life and is a sore thumb contradiction to the prosperous rest of East Anglia.It's an end of the line town and not one that is travelled through on the way to anywhere else (being the most Easterly town in the British Isles, it couldn't be otherwise). People have a tendency to arrive here, either by birth or the A12, and stick, rather like flies to poison paper, for one reason or another. Many travelling characters in town, having seen the world in all its Himalayan Heights and Grand Canyon depths, seem to have chosen to finally root down here, happy to drink beer, perpetually walk into the wind, moan and talk about getting out,or wait for something to happen."www.johnward.org.ukBiya Bare Safar Bandim (Let's Be on Our Way) - Monika Jalili (Salt Lake City, UT, USA)30 years ago, in 1979, the Iranian revolution put an effective stop to the artistic lives of a great number of poets, composers, and singers in Iran. We will never know what could have been.Iran is again poised for change.Since a serendipitous introduction in 2003, American/Dutch vocalist, Monika Jalili has worked tirelessly to revive the touching works of these Iranian artists, some of whom are no longer with us, and most of whom have lived the past 30 years into their old age unable to express themselves as they once could. It is their songs that Monika sings with passion, appreciation, care and love.Monika is playing in London on Saturday at The Union Chapel 020 7226 3750 www.unionchapel.org.ukwww.monikajalili.comwww.myspace.c om/monikajaliliApril - Mo Rooneh (Netherlands/Holland)Yes, I played Mo Rooneh a few weeks ago on 186, and I make no apologies for playing another track this week from the Cinematographic album from Monochrome. Lots of percussive notes in here including bait of glockenspiel for Codger.Mo Rooneh is a minimalist and avantgarde composer, working with repetition and noise as basic elements.The philosophy behind the use of those elements in a composition, which in itself is mostly fictional, is to reinstate a sense of reality.Repetition as a referral to time and noise as the reflection of incoherence and disturbance that characterises our daily life.Starting out, some twenty-five years ago, as a singer in several bands, Rooneh explored the popular music spectrum.After a small decade he concluded the pop scene didn't bring that much fulfllment, music wise, as he had hoped for.Taking a break from performing for almost fifteen years, he explored numerous art disciplines. Several musical and non-musical styles inspired Rooneh and led to a reinvention of the self.Encountering 'new music' from artists like John Cage, La Monte Young and Steve Reich made him realise that the way of the experiment was the right basis for his compositions.In 2009 he recorded three albums, 'Songs that might be', 'Micro' and 'Cinematographic'. Mo Rooneh "April" (mp3) from "Cinematographic" (Monochrome) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album www.mrooneh.comwww.myspace.com/moroonehFur Turban - Michael Bellar and the AS-IS Ensemble (New York, NY, USA)The AS-IS Ensemble is the musical home of musician/producer Michael Bellar. They are a highly excitable, improvisationally eclectic, alt-jazz group that has opened for John Scofield, Tea Leaf Green, Medeski Martin Wood, JFJO and just released itâs third full length CD âTurned On Turned Up,â on Left3/MRI/RED.They have performed at such venues as Avery Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the JVC and Bell Atlantic Jazz Festivals and were formerly the house band at the world-famous Blue Note jazz club in New York City.You can find out more about Michael Bellar/the AS-IS Ensemble at www.michaelbellar.com/

49 of the finest musical minutes. Personally selected from artists based all around the world. Again, the Canadians make a good showing, along with  Chicago, Rome, Boston, Istanbul, Montpellier and New York.Podcrawl looms ever closer and Rowley has been checking the pubs of central London, sampling the beer and generally being a diligent egg. The result is that plans are being updated and final arrangements will appear on the Podcrawl site at http://podcrawl.blogspot.com/ in the coming few days. There is even a Facebook event The emphasis this year is on opening up Podrawl and encourage more podcasters, musicians and listeners to meet up and make the "virtual" connections "real". If you can make it to London on 21 November you will be very welcome.This week's pic was intended to be something truly gripping from London today but it was very, very wet and dull all day. I show you no mercy, here (right) is the delight of Goodge Street underground station on Tottenham Court Road. Here's the location on a dry dull day!A song about California - Hey Ocean (Vancouver, BC, Canada)What began as a very casual musical partnership on the beaches of Costa Rica, has now morphed into one of Canada's most successful independent bands. Their rapid success can be attributed to their do-it-yourself attitude, which has recently helped build their self-owned label, Pop Machine.Together, Ashleigh Ball, David Beckingham and David Vertesi have created a musical repertoire that cannot be ignored - be it on radio, television or your neighbor"s iPod, Hey Ocean will soon be everywhere.Continuously leaving fans in awe, Hey Ocean combines sheer talent, charismatic songs, and an undeniably energetic live show, making them a must see band for 2009! It's Easier To Be Somebody Else is now available on iTunes.Hey Ocean! North America tour:Oct 1st - Montreal @ Club Soda (w/ Joel Plaskett) POP MONTREALâOct 2nd - Wakefield, QC @ Blacksheep Inn (Ottawa)âOct 3rd - Peterborough @ Montreal HouseâOct 7th - Philadelphia, PA @ M RoomâOct 8th - New York, NY @ Piano'sâOct 14th - Philadelphia, PA @ M RoomâOct 15th - New York, NY @ Piano'sâOct 17th - Toronto, ON @ The RivoliâOct 21st - Philadelphia, PA @ M RoomâOct 26th - Minneapolis, MN @ Uptown BarâOct 28th - Lethbridge, AB @ The SliceâOct 29th - Edmonton, AB @ The Pawnshopwww.myspace.com/heyoceanEndless Water - The Darcys (Toronto and Halifax, Canada)These young fellows met in early 2006 at the University of King's College in Halifax, They progressed quickly from shows in campus bars to releasing their first EP You, Me and the Light at a packed Horseshoe Tavern. They took off across Eastern Canada, Ontario and Quebec on a series of shorter tours to get their feet wet and figure out just what it means to tour this country. In June of 2007 the Darcys found themselves translating their newly discovered live sound on to their first LP in the Waterloo Children's Museum of Technology. A month later their homemade creation: Endless Water was mixed, mastered and on its way out into the world. The Darcys live shows are moving quickly from a sloppy, boozy, love fest to a tight and muscular, well arranged boozy love fest. Their live exploits didn't end after their triumphant show case at NXNE last year. In the fall of 2008, the band drove to both Canadian coasts, converting new fans along the way, and road testing songs that will make up the bulk of their second LP (due in Fall of 2009). We'll be looking forward to that then!www.thedarcys.ca www.myspace.com/itsthedarcysYou're alright - Tenry Johns (Chicago, IL, USA) Tenry Johns has come a long way from his humble beginnings in a small town in the Delta called Shelby, Mississippi. He started his own band at the age of 15 while he while still in high school.After graduating in the mid '60s, his family moved to Chicago. Shortly after hitting town, Tenry looked up his cousin, notable local singer/ songwriter and performer, Johnny Drummer, and the two started playing together regularly.Eventually, Tenry and his brothers formed "The Johns Bros. Band" with the fabulous Denise LaSalle and Bill Coday fronting the band.After years of performing around Chicago and surrounding areas, Tenry met Harry Glen from Marvel Records. They worked together on releasing his first 4 song EPSome of his other experiences include teaming up with the Gemico label recording group called "The Notations", and as the bandleader for the touring band, "Nitro".After the group broke up, Tenry's focus turned to writing and producing his own songs. Tenry's latest release: Moving On is his fourth self-produced CD on the Tenry Music label. Like his previous releases:So WhatNeed Your LoveIn Here Tonightwww.tenryjohns.com/Strada - Pasqualino Ubaldini (Roma, Italy)From the album Il ViandanteThe Wayfarer it is the first job of Pasqualino Ubaldini. It picks up eight passages, of my composition, of ethnic extraction, all realized in really, both to house and in study. In the greatest part sound a Greek bouzouki, acoustic guitar, mandola and saz baglama. The love for the music of the Mediterranean one has pushed me and inspired to the realization of this.www.myspace.com/pasqualinoubaldiniwww.jamendo.com/ en/album/40411November - Rubblebucket (Boston, MA, USA)The second Suffolk'n'Cool outing for Rubblebucket in recent weeks. Their new single Bikes was featured on 186.Defined as a polyrhythmic dance/rock band, Rubblebucket is a nine-piece group that combines the sounds of various brass instruments with catchy rhythms and soulful lead vocals. The resulting sound has hints of dance, rock, and funk, and is anything but ordinary. The unique music that this youthful, energetic group has managed to produce is universally appealing, as it defies genre boundaries and combines true musical talent with a spirited, positive attitude. www.myspace.com/rubblebucketHoly Marbles - Tymphony (Istanbul, Turkey)http://tymphony.anafikir.com/en/Jazz Kiff - Organic Despair (Montpellier, France)Organic Despair puts me on to lots of interesting music on Jamendo so it is a pleasure to return the favour by playing one of his tracks.Passionate about music "Organic Despair" formerly "First Jesus Christ" fell in love with the guitar .... first a psychedelic rock group was formed but broke up pretty quickly ... He discovered the multi-track cassette that allowed him to record his first single tracks ... then computer came along and every possibility opened upâ. http://organicdespair.jimdo.com/www.jamendo.com/en/arti st/organic.despairRunaround - Del Marquis (New York, NY, USA)Runaround is the final piece of a truly independent release from Scissor Sisters guitarist Del Marquis - and it closes out the cycle in high style.On a break from the Scissor Sisters in 2008, Del set out to break new ground with an unconventional music project. One that would break away from the traditional album-tour-album game plan with a series of short releases, each with video accompaniment.While Runaround steers away from the previous inclusion of a video, it focuses solely on the tunes, and is no less compelling. With its fantastically vintage production values - Ã la production legends Trevor Horn and Mike Thorne - Del's songs may throw the listener, but that's the beauty of it - no one else is making music like this today.Runaround, released in late September, is designed for the heart and soul, but also for the feet. The release, which features three new pop gems along with five killer remixes is a straight up MAXI-single.First a taste of the pop gem: Runaround, then one of the fine remixes, Runaround (Louis La Roche 'In 1995' Remix) Certainly unusual for Suffoilk'n'Cool but give it a listen, preferably through a sound system in a club in Ibiza!www.delmarquis.com/www.myspace.com/delmarquis

Studio rebuild this past week. Apart from the new MacPro and Snow Leopard installations, lots of other software upgrades and rearranging data on drives. A long but uneventful haul and all seems to be working well now.I seem to have won a contest run by the excellent Neat Little Mac Apps podcast making use of the Photomatrix Pro software for creating HDR pictures like this (right).Although a Mac user, I'm thinking of holding a Windows 7 launch party. Have you seen the video on YouTube. So cringe-making it surely HAS to be irony ... doesn't it?Give it up - Jimmy Mancus (Springbrook, Pennsylvania, USA) Amped-up, acoustic-rock featuring driving electric guitars, scratch-turntables, keyboards and unique rhythms. Blending elements of acoustic, indie, funk, rock and surf, Mancus's music can be likened to that of Sublime, Dispatch, and Jack Johnson.Mancus's new album Move Down, is a testament to his mantra of doing things his own way.  The album's 14 tracks consist of a diverse blend of styles, including acoustic, indie, funk, hip-hop, rock, and surf.  In addition to Jimmy's own unique acoustic style and guitar riffs, the album features RasMG/"Field" Marshall Goodman, DJ for the multi-platinum selling band SUBLIME and the Long Beach Dub All-Stars, on the turntables...Clyde Rosencrance, the album's producer, on electric guitar...Lenny Mecca on bass...Eli Hludzik on drums...and Matthew Nakoa on keyboards.www.jimmymancus.comwww.myspace.com/jimmymancu s Black Diamond Day - Alexa Wilding (Brooklyn, NY)Alexa Wilding is a Brooklyn-based brunette, prone to writing ethereal pieces that sound and feel like a dream with her sweet as honey voice and gorgeously ghostly lyrics. The talented chanteuse earned her street credit by playing with former Sonic Youth drummer, Bob Bert, in Int'l Shades from 2006 to 2008.Since then, Alexa has been working on her own EP, written solely by her, which features Tim Foljahn, who has collaborated with talents such as Cat Power, Thurston Moore, and the late Townes Van Zandt. Foljahn has also fronted Two Dollar Guitar with Sonic Youth"s Steve Shelley. Furthermore intriguing, the debut EP was mixed by Fred Smith of Television.www.myspace.com/alexawildingI'm way too happy (Reprise) and You have been loved - Tymphony (Istanbul, Turkey)Tymphony was formed in a dorm room at BoÄaziÃi University in 2004 as an experimental project. The name 'Tymphony' came from the combination between Tempo & Symphony. âSound of Tymphony is a rhythmic mixture of oriental ambient, symphonic forms and some Icelandic elements. âAll albums are free to air : ) So you can download & listen them as long as you want. Download free at the official site:http://tymphony.anafikir.com/en/or from Jamendo.Sentimentally Africa - Jean-Pierre Simons (Oakland, CA)JEAN-PIERRE SIMONS is an international Artist from Cameroon by way of Paris, France. His music experiences began early in his life, performing at annual school and community feasts. Jean-Pierre formed a band at age fifteen and used all of his free time endevouring in music composition and song writing. Jean-Pierre's music combines African melodies and rhythms from Cameroon (such as Makossa, Lali and others), with European & American styles of music arrangement. The harmonies in the songs are constructed in the African tradition. "Music cannot be confined to the narrow space of one's own country or people."www.jeanpierresimons.comhttp://cdbaby.com/ cd/jeanpierre2  Front Page News - JJ Soul Band (Reykajavik, Iceland) (INGVI THOR KORMÃKSSON and JJ SOUL)The songwriters, KormÃksson and Soul, met in Iceland 1993 and soon began writing music together. In 1994 they made their first CD, HUNGRY FOR NEWS, with JJ Soul Band and CITY LIFE in 1997. On both CDs the music is many-sided; blues, R&B, fusion, rock, pop and latin, sometimes all in one (blues-confusion?). Singer/songwriter JJ Soul is from Oxford, England but Ingvi is from Iceland as the rest of the band. Mr. Soul has been living and breathing music since he was eight years old. He used to play drums with small jazz units and worked both as a drummer and a singer with various rock and cabaret acts in England for many years. Since he moved to Iceland, he has focused on his writing skills and writes both songs and (mainly) lyrics. J.J. Soul currently resides in Oxford, U.K. He works as a painter, musician and art teacher.www.jjsoulband.com/www.myspace.com/jjsoulbandht tp://twitter.com/JJSoulBandBad advice from a bad singer - F&M (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)A welcome second track from the excellent F&M.F&M is a gently sardonic, dark and hopelessly clever art-folk band that began as a 48 hour experiment in recording during a fireworks festival. Delicate, glacial, heady, F&M approaches folk music with refreshing maturity and restraint. Music that breathes.www.fandmtheband.com/www.myspace.com/fandmtheb andUsha's Wedding - Tessa Souter (NY, NY, USA)Born in London of Trinidadian and English parents, New York-based vocalist, composer and lyricist Tessa Souter (soo-ter) infuses jazz with the soul and passion of flamenco, Indian and Middle Eastern music. "One of the most imaginatively programmed vocal sets of recent memory," said the Los Angeles Times, in a rave review of her California debut at the Catalina Bar and Grill in 2002. The Philadelphia Inquirer praised her "amazing" debut CD Listen Love and her "crystal-clear voice with diamond-cut phrasing.â Soul jazz singer Jon Lucien said of Listen Love. "Magnificent! I couldn't stop playing it over and over. She blew me away!" Her mentor Mark Murphy says of her, "She is a complete musician â extraordinary and moving." Sheila Jordan says, "There aren"t many, but Tessa Souter is a natural born singer. She really moves me.â Jazz tuba legend Howard Johnson says she is "an important musician... whose brilliant lyrics and songs make her stand out from the pack so very much, not to mention how well she sings other people's material." Tessa Souter "Usha's Wedding" (mp3) from "Obsession" (Motema Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Jeans - Naturaliss (Kingston, Jamaica)Naturaliss is a Reggae/Dancehall Artist From Jamaica. Naturaliss writes music that have a positive impact on life.From his 12 track album Shanty Town available on iTunes and all the leading on-line stores.www.myspace.com/naturaliss25

Back in the UK again after a quick visit to Ibiza to visit Jessie, take a short break and catch the closing night of Roger Sanchez at Amnesia. It was all rather surreal with the first rain since May starting the day after we arrived and delivering violent thunderstorms every evening. The orange lightening miles out to sea was spectacualr and quite beautiful.Piggy in the Middle - Sean Kershaw and the New Jack Ramblers (Brooklyn. NY, USA)Started on a whim in 2001 playing country covers in a small bar in Brooklyn, Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers have evolved into the biggest and best country band in the NY area with their unique sound and Mr Kershaw's formidable songwriting. Their debut album was engineered and co-produced by none other than Rick Miller (Southern Culture on the Skids) who also contributes a guitar solo on one song.www.seankershaw.comwww.myspace.com/seankershawandr amblersShort Song - Mo Rooneh (Netherlands)From the album "Micro".Mo Rooneh is a minimalist and avantgarde composer, working with repetition and noise as basic elements.The phylosophy behind the use of those elements in a composition, which in itself is mostly fictional, is to reinstate a sence of reality.Repetition as a refural to time and noise as the reflection of incoherence and disturbance that characterizes our daily life.Starting out, some twenty-five years ago, as a singer in several bands, Rooneh explored the popular music spectrum.After a small decade he concluded the pop scene didn't bring that much fulfillment, music wise, as he had hoped for.Taking a break from performing for almost fifteen years, he explored numerous art disciplines. Several musical and non-musical styles inspired Rooneh and led to a reinvention of the self.Encoutering 'new music' from artists like John Cage, La Monte Young and Steve Reich made him realize that the way of the experiment was the right basis for his compositions.In 2009 he recorded three albums, 'Songs that might be', 'Micro' and 'Cinematographic'.Using the world wide web as means of distribution for his work, he tries to expand his audience. Mo Rooneh "Short Song" (mp3) from "Micro" (Monochrome) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album www.mrooneh.comwww.myspace.com/moroonehThe Rain Became the Clouds - Emanuel and The Fear (Brooklyn, NY, USA)An extraordinary 11-piece orchestra-rock band that focuses on intertwining the modern day pop song with extravagant and complex composition. âDrawing from romantic and modern composers like Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Glass; and then fusing in a modern rock sound like Arcade Fire, Bright Eyes, Daft Punk and Sufjan Stevens; Emanuel & the Fear displays a true understanding of sound all-the-while capturing audiences with their climactic electro/orchestral arrangements and quivering, poetic lyrics. www.myspace.com/emanuelandthefearwww.papergardenrecords .com/shop/item/46Going all the way - Glideascope (London, UK)Glideascope tangles computers, intriguing samples, and orchestral composition to make music for this digital age. With sounds as lush as classical composer Pachelbel on one track and up tempo Jamaican Patois vocals driving the next, this is a true kaleidoscope of sound.It would be easy to create a laundry list of styles to define Glideascope--Dub Reggae, Trip Hop, Classical, Electronic, World Musicâbut that just won't do. The best person to define the work is Glideascope himself. He calls his music, "The soundtrack for a movie never created." Hearing it brings to mind some visually stunning films like Blade Runner, The Last Samurai, and Cry Freedom.Glideascope's work is heavily influenced by the works of Bob Marley, Craig Armstrong, Afrika Bambatta and Massive Attack (particularly their first album) to name a few.www.glideascope.comwww.myspace.com/glideascopeRains cape extended - Shardik's Walkman (Berlin, Germany)Littl;e I can tell you aboiut Shardik's Walkman but you can download the music from Jamendowww.jamendo.com/en/album/51301http://momo4.jamen do.net/Bikes - Rubblebucket (Boston, MA, USA)Rubblebucket is a Boston-and-Brooklyn-based nine-piece polyrhythmic dance/rock band led by trumpeter Alex Toth and fronted by the alluring vocals of Kalmia Traver. Comparisons have been drawn to Talking Heads, Fela Kuti, Bjork and James Brown, but Rubblebucket's afro-beat inspired, trip-rock soul experience is beyond classification. Alex Toth- trumpet, vocals bandleader. He loves Kalmia.âKalmia Traver- lead vocals, tenor sax. She loves reverie, berry-picking and skinny-dipping, pennywhistles and making artwork.âAdam Dotson- trombone, vocals. He won an international euphonium competition at age fourteen and never wears shoes when he plays.âCraig Myers- percussion. He began playing percussion at age thirteen, and he has studied West African percussion extensively for ten years and traveled to Senegal, Mali, Cote Ivoire and Guinea. He's also taught and directed percussion groups in Hawaii and throughout Europe.âDave Cole- drums. Has also plays guitar and keyboards and has an amazing beard and smile. He also has a cyclops mask.âDarby Wolf- keyboards. Darbstar has a plan. And he uses Goff organs and leslie speakers and is a vintage keyboard enthusiast.âIan Hersey- guitar. He lives in Brooklyn and recently bought a box of at least 15 Casio keyboards, and he takes them apart and fucks with them.http://rubblebucket.com/www.myspace.com/rubblebuck etStreets Crimes and Strife - Rau (Los Angeles, CA, USA) Producer-Composer Stuart Rau creates multi-textured rhythms and grooves whose branding falls somewhere between trip-hop and blues. With his strong debut "Streets Crimes and Strife" album he blends atmospheric international timbres with bruising bass lines and a myriad of sublime beats.A rather good video on his MySpace front page too. Take a look.www.myspace.com/sturoweLove letters from a fool - Kristen Cothron (Nashville, TN. USA)From her album Love letters from a Fool.Kristen's voice is reminiscent of classic jazz singers, but the songs are edgy and smart and cut right across the lines in an interesting way.Since the release of Love Letters from a Fool in May of 2006 Cothron has been touring regionally and is currently celebrating the release of her music video, Dangerous. Whether she's singing a jazz standard, a classic soul tune, or one of her eclectic original songs- Kristen's sound is undeniably her own.www.kristencothron.comwww.myspace.com/kristencothro n

A predominantly, but not exclusively, acoustic SnC this week. This probably reflects my past few weeks of frantic but productive activity. I'm ready for a break!The autumn skies are making themselves felt here in Suffolk. It is fairly warm down here but looks cold up there. You'll be pleased to know that the hops at the top of the steps are doing well.I am the Mountain - Fairmont (New Jersey, USA)on Mint RecordsThe release party was last night in Clifton, New JerseyIndie rockers Fairmont present a different side of their influences with "The Meadow At Dusk." With the addition of vocalist Samantha Carradori as a counterpoint to frontman Neil Sabatino, the band is able to tread new musical ground, stylistacally ranging from folk ballads to indie dance and 90's alternative. Produced by Bryan Russell (Straylight Run, Coldplay, etc.) at Red Wire Audio, Fairmont is releasing this EP as a digital download with a limited edition vinyl run. Contest winners will find their artwork featured alongside the band's drawings in the limited edition poster included with the vinyl release.www.fairmontmusic.comwww.myspace.com/fairmont Fairmont "I Am the Mountain" (mp3) from "The Meadow At Dusk" (Mint 400 Records) Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Rhapsody Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Tallahassee Turnpike Blues - American Fiction (Wisconsin/Florida, USA)Ethan Cook: vocals. guitars. mandolin. harmonica.It is from the clutches of sub-zero winters and the well tilled farm fields of Wisconsin that American Fiction comes to the stage burdened by a thorn in his side and a story on his tongue. Every song he sings is sung with an urgency and passion to realize our own cinematic existence. Every song written is not merely a thought or chapter expressed, but rather an undying hope to stir one tired organ within the cage of every chest.American Fiction has struck his six strings atop roofs, on frozen lakes, in packed auditoriums, corner cafÃs, and most recently on Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor on National Public Radio. Every performance played is treated not as an endowed right, but a hunger to share an artistic love. Over the past 2 and half years American Fiction has released both a 5 song EP titled "Devil's Casino" and a 16 song full length album titled "Lakes" released in the summer of 2008. Over the past few months "Lakes" last has been remastered and further promoted as American Fiction has signed with Branch Records, an independent label based in Panama City, FL. Although currently pursuing a degree in Religious Studies from the University of Wisconsin Madison, American Fiction still hopes to tour and see the nation by the roads and highways that haunt his dreams.Through a bleeding vocal and a poignant word, American Fiction walks a road of his own continuing to sing truths amid an unrelenting sea of compromise and icy complications.www.myspace.com/americanfictionbandwww.am ericanfictionfrontier.blogspot.comEarly Midnight - Peppertown (Lawrenceburg, Indiana)Remember the rippinâ guitar and tribal drums sounds of the early 70âs, bands like Santana, Little Feat, Allman Brothers and ZZ Top? Peppertown does. This 5 piece band out of southeastern Indiana is putting a new twist on what they consider a lost sound in modern music. Creating their own fine blend of blistering bluesy guitar, earthy drum jams, and solid songwriting, Peppertown is stirring a buzz, nationwide, and abroad. The bands D.I.Y. savvy has taken them from the hills of Indiana into the ears of America. err and beyond!www.peppertownmusic.comwww.myspace.com/peppertow nmusic Peppertown "Early Midnight" (mp3) from "Change My Ways" (Sol Records) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album My Heart - Sahab Tolouie (Prague, Czech Republic)Belongs to the group of musicians who derive inspiration from the traditional music of their native lands. For Shahab, this means combining traditional Persian elements with traditional Spanish flamenco.following his graduation from high school, he departed for Seville, Spain. There he studied his flamenco master course, attaining the highest level of achievement, "Nivel Alto."As a multi-instrumentalist, Shahab incorporates different traditional Persian instruments such as the Setar, Laud, Mandola, Daf and Dammam, along with the Flamenco Guitar, in his compositions. His most important instrument, however, is his voice. Powerful and dynamic, it is flavored with a special richness typical of eastern vocalists. When combined with his unique manner of singing, that voice is an essential and very expressive part of his musical presentation.www.shahab-tolouie.comwww.myspace.com/shah abtolouiewww.cdbaby.com/cd/shahabtolouieNicolas Cage - Corduroy (Toronto, Canada)It's been a long time coming for Toronto four piece, Corduroy. Developing their brand of haunting folklore tales laced with sweeping post rock guitars and group hum-a-longs, hasn't been all that easy. Originally starting out as Whatever Happened to Corduroy? in 2007, the band released a well received debut self titled EP of their mixed and messy ideas that was blazing with promise.TOUR DATESept. 25 @ Sneaky Dees, TORONTO (w. The Paint Movement, Make Your Exit)www.myspace.com/thebandcorduroyFor You - Peter Bradley Adams (Brooklyn, NY/Nashville, TN)Peter Bradley Adams was one half of the duo "eastmountainsouth" signed by Robbie Robertson (of The Band) to Dreamworks Records in 2002. He has released two solo records ("Gather Up" and "Leavetaking") and is set to release his third, "Traces" this September on Sarathan Records.www.myspace.com/peterbradleyadams Put the World on Stop - Sean Fournier (Milford, Connecticut, USA )Oh My, a six-track EP Sean Fournier published on Jamendo a few weeks ago, is, evidently, available for free download and not just on Jamendo. But thatâs only a small part of Sean's production so far. The rest, namely two full-length albums, are for sale. "That was the plan: to offer a free album to get my music to as many people as possible, he explains. Currently, there are over 35,000 downloads. Oh My has really helped get my music out there."In addition to his music, artfully crafted acoustic ballads tinged with electronic elements (somewhere between Cake, G. Love & Special Sauce and Ben Folds) that he writes and records alone, Sean does everything else himself too: artwork, web design, promotion, etc. "It has morphed from a serious hobby to a second job! Itâs about 30% making music and 70% promoting it. I enjoy doing my own artwork and website design. I want my music to have a homemade feel to it and doing my own visuals helps that cause."At the moment, Sean tours mostly around universities in the Northwest of the US, but he definitely hopes "to stretch out further", thanks in no small part to online campaigning and its "global reach". In the meantime, he's working on his third album. If you liked what you heard, go check out his homemade website for more.www.sean-fournier.com/www.myspace.com/sfournier Shake Shake - Terio (Miami, FL, USA) ArielWith a background as colorful as his music, Terio captures your spirit with his rhythmic and sophisticated sounds. Born in Costa Rica to Cuban parents and raised in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area, Terio was absorbed from an early age by a yearning to have lived the golden era of Havana as foretold by his family's tales of a lush tropical world capital where cabarets, casinos, late night diners and Hollywoodesque bars riddled a sea-salt bathed boardwalk famously known as "El Malecon." This is the era that flourished and nurtured many of his influences such as Desi Arnaz, Celia Cruz, Benny More, Perez Prado, amongst many others.He met and became good friends with songwriter and producer Chris Rodriguez, who shares, not only his cultural background, but his passion towards creating music that captures such an era. Together, began a collaboration and writing endeavor that has resulted in an amazing and attractive concept. The classic elements to their composition style gives you a flash-back to Hemingway's Cuba during the 50's era, while the modern edgy beats and electronic sounds that carry the tracks keep you quite aware that youâre still very much indeed in the modern era.www.teriomusic.comwww.myspace.com/teriomusic

Some cracking tunes again - a selection of extremes of acoustic and very electric from the likes of New York, British Columbia, Edmonton, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Budapest, Nashville and Brooklyn. Sorry. No picture; I've been confined to studio and office all week. Heavy deadline met this morning - whoo hoo! Plan to take it easy until next year now (yeah right!)Radio Days - The Octagon (New York) In case you're new to The Octagon, the band's been around since '04. Front-man Zachary Mexico is a best selling author, drummer Will Glass is a former member of the Dirty Projectors and the bass guy is a shadowy Dead-loving loner known only as Bunny. The band has performed with Idlewild, Jay Reatard, the Homosexuals, Tokyo Police Club, Sam Champion, the Spinto Band, Ra Ra Riot, Dragons of Zynth and many more. Radio Days is from their Arm, Brain, Heart and Liver album.www.theoctagonrock.comwww.myspace.com/theoctagonM idnight - Allison Crowe (Nanaimo, BC, Canada)"I love singing for people," says Allison Crowe. "It's a way to connect and share with others. Communication is crucial. Just being able to do what I do, to write and sing and perform, makes me feel not only alive, but incredibly lucky. Knowing at any moment everything could change, I don't take one second for granted."ââBorn 26 years ago, on an island, in the harbour city of Nanaimo, B.C., today Crowe's reach is global. The audience for her music videos and song downloads numbers in the millions and she has had the sense to plough her own furrow.www.allisoncrowe.comHenry Porter in The Observerhttp://tinyurl.com/lhngepWhen a Newfoundland-based singer Allison Crowe and two of her band members, Billie Woods and Laurent Boucher, arrived at Gatwick to tour Britain they were arrested, held in cells, photographed and fingerprinted and had their passports stamped "Barred from Entry" before being returned to Canada. ... new laws that mean that artists have to submit to a set of expensive and time-consuming procedures to get their visa and further restrictions on their movements while they are here.This shocking and disgraceful treatment - designed to exclude illegal immigrants and terrorists - seems fundamentally unBritish. So let's just agree that new rules barring artists from visiting this country and so enriching our culture are some of the most contemptible ever devised, even by this narrow-minded apology for a government.The English National Opera and [the London] Southbank have both had problems bringing in foreign performers because of the stringent requirement for non-EU citizens to provide biometrics and photographs and submit to controls over their day-to-day activity while here.Is this Britain? If so, the rational half of our brain has been overwhelmed by "suspicion and parochialism", in the words of the staunchly sensible Manifesto Club, which has started a petition against the laws .The Manifesto Club needs your support and, if you're in the UK, your signature on a petition: www.manifestoclub.com/visitingartists Shrug it off - F&M (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)A very new discovery for me which I would guess some of you may have already checked out after my Twitter post this afternoon about F&M. The hit me like a very gentle and sincere steam-train, but hit me they did.F&M is a gently sardonic, dark and hopelessly clever art-folk band that began as a 48 hour experiment in recording during a fireworks festival. Delicate, glacial, heady, F&M approaches folk music with refreshing maturity and restraint. Music that breathes.www.fandmtheband.com/www.myspace.com/fandmtheb andYou can keep your finger on the generally unfaltering pulse of @suffolkandcool along with Pete Cogle, Rowley and his beer, Alan at Darkhorse,  Colin Gazeley, Stuart from Insomnia Radio, Graham Holland, Erk in Aus and a few other of the usual suspects. I'll see if I can get a Twitter list together.Ever Be Here Again - Kelly Joe Phelps (Oregon, USA)In the UK from 18 to 30th Sept then over to Belfast, Dublin and Cork. Dates are on his site at:www.kellyjoephelps.net/tour/index.htm Kelly Joe Phelps "Ever Be Here Again" (mp3) from "Lead Me On (15 Year Anniversary Edition)" (Burnside Records) Buy at Allegro Music Direct Stream from Rhapsody Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The End - Peasant (Bucks County, PA)Peasant is Damien DeRose, 23-year-old poet turned artiste, from fabled and beautiful Bucks County, PA.  The sleepy hometown and its surroundings, melded with trials and tribulations, to inspire Peasant's confessional and straightforward style of music. In and out of the bedroom studio throughout high school, DeRose helped form a small scene in Bucks County by doling out frisky live performances and DIY records. After high school, he traveled solo on several tours of the US and Europe before signing with Paper Garden Records in 2008 and releasing "On The Ground."This track was recorded at the Daytrotter Sessions (http://daytrotter.com/article/1507/peasant.) He has a whole load of dates in Europe over the next few weeks in Germany, Austria, France, Belgium Holland and one date in London.www.myspace.com/peasantwww.papergardenrecords.co m/shop/item/47A Piece of All Other Things - Zanza (Budapest, Pest, Hungary)"Zanza is a new Hungarian Rock Band founded by Lehel KovÃcs. Debut album (Plug In) is coming out in August. Songs mainly influenced by Kravitz, Hendrix, Zep, Robben Ford, Hungarian folk music... singing both in English and in Hungarian. The Plug In album was recorded on the one hand by my previous musicians: MiklÃs SzalÃczy (drums) and Csaba PÃzmÃndi (guitars) and by sterling session musicians like Antal GÃbor SzÅcs (guitars), Albert FÃldi (piano) and ZoltÃn Balogh (bass). ZANZA - "Plug In" album released August 14, 2009. www.zanzaband.hu  (page under construction at time of posting)www.myspace.com/zanzabandSmackin' Pepper - Johnny Neel and the Criminal Element (Nashville, TN, USA)Although not a household name, Johnny Neel is a Grammy award nominee recognized in the music world for his work with the Allman Brothers, Lonnie Mack and Gov't Mule, among others. In addition to his soulful vocals, harp, piano and B-3 proficiency, Johnny is an accomplished songwriter whose tunes have been recorded by the likes of the Allman Brothers, Joe Louis Walker, John Mayall, Irma Thomas, Ann Peebles, Marie Osmond, the Oak Ridge Boys and Travis Tritt.Born and Raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Johnny Neel cut his first single at the age of twelve, as Johnny Neel and The Shapes Of Soul. As an adult, the Johnny Neel Band had a strong following up and down the East Coast and released two well-received independent albums. Neel moved to Nashville, the premiere song writing city, in 1984, where he immediately became recognized as an "A" session studio player. Others began to notice Neelâs songwriting talent and decided to take advantage by recording his songs on their albums.www.cdbaby.com/thecriminalelementwww.johnnyneel. comSubway Man - Jesse Alejamndro and the Big Fatt (Brooklyn, NY) Like zombie Batman coming back from the grave to exact revenge on the joker who stole his woman, this band is intelligent, vicious and unstoppable. The Big Fatt hold permanent resident statuses in funk, blues, and classical music, but spend most of their time in Brooklyn.From "Belly Full of Brains" LP - Release Date: 9/9/09 - today!The music of this ensemble mirrors the monster of amalgam that is the Brooklyn music scene, stealing from heros as far flung as Duke Ellington, Tom Waits, Claude Debussy and Stevie Wonder. The group's morbidly obese base of influences and guillotine sharp execution ensure an entertaining evening for anyone who isn't a Nazi child molester.Jesse Alejandro- Vocals, GuitarMatthew Ferry- DrumsWestbrook Johnson- TromboneMatt Scott - BassHeather Sommerlad - ViolinPeter Ferrari - SaxophoneMarie Valigorsky - Violawww.thebigfatt.comwww.myspace.com/thebigfatt

Great music again on the show this week from Lachi, The Balconies, Mayday, Adam Arcuragi, Eclectek, Choir of Young Believers and Make Your Exit. Weeks of dry weather (not a lot of sunny warm but very dry) has given way tonight to rain and wind. It feels rather cruel to send SnC 183 out in it. The hops are fine if a little wet. (pic)Apolkalypse Now - Polkastra (NYC,NY,USA) Title track from their album.An eclectic and international cast of characters including a Canadian folk fiddler, the Met's contrabassoonist, an Israeli accordionist and percussionist, a jack-of-all-trades bassist, a French Horn playing record store clerk and an internationally renowned violin soloist met in a New Jersey studio to record a polka album just for fun. An idea that began as a lark quickly grew into an eccentric, virtuosic and energetic exploration of the roots of polka: folk, country, classical and jazz. Polkastra is a unique world music project that celebrates both the joy of music and the power of dance to unite cultures. From the American Midwest and the North of Canada to the mountains of Bohemia and the deserts of Israel - Apolkalypse Now poses the important question "Would you like sauerkraut, poutine, goulash or hummus with that?"www.myspace.com/polkastra Polkastra "Apolkalypse Now" (mp3) from "Apolkalypse Now" (Ancalagon LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Rhapsody More On This Album Les PaulIf you're in the UK, BBC iPlayer has a programme about Les Paul, guitar customiser (Gibson Les Paul) and above all a hugely talented musician and influence on the sound of electric guitars, who died last week at the age of 94.http://bit.ly/oDPWqSlow Down - Lachi (New York, USA)Sultry, smooth, intelligent and bold, singer/songwriter and pianist Lachi commands cleverly crafted, insightful yet quirky lyrics in her new EP "Ugly Beautiful" best categorized as piano-driven, jazz-influenced alternative rock. Partly inspired by the trials and tribulations she faces as a legally blind Nigerian-American female from her shy childhood to her world-traveling adulthood, her lyrics steer away from mediocrity and carry with them a message of natural beauty and internal conflict. WWW.ULACHI.COMwww.myspace.com/lachimusic Serious Bedtime - The Balconies (Ottawa, Canada)The Balconies formed in December of 2007, by Jacquie Neville (of Jetplanes of Abraham fame), Liam Jaeger (ex-For the Mathematics member), and Steve Neville. With each member an experienced song writer and performer The Balconies quickly built up a buzz as one of Canada's most promising new indie bands - and have been in high demand for shows ever since, thanks to the relentless high energy and quality musicianship witnessed in their live sets.Ottawa's pride and joy, The Balconies will self release their much anticipated self-titled debut album September 15th, 2009. The three piece, made up of a brother/sister/boyfriend combination, has been turning heads with their dynamic live performances.  Over the past year, The Balconies have appeared at festivals such as North by Northeast and the Ottawa Bluesfest, sharing stages with notable acts like Land of Talk, Mother Mother, the Bicycles, and more. The CD release party will be held September 12th at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, QC, just outside of Ottawa. The band will begin touring and playing around Ontario and Quebec in September. Tour dates, bio, and download link are below. Stay tuned to the band's Myspace page for more show announcements. www.myspace.com/thebalconiesWelsh Pizza problemCrossroads & Avenues - Mayday (Miami, FL, USA) Miami is hot. But Mayday is sweltering. Riding one of those threatening tsunamis of critical acclaim into the summer of 2009, this Florida future-hop collective blows minds wide open on Technology, a 6-song tour de force of android-soul, interstellar club banging and time machine madness that maniacally melds genre to delightful effect. But weâd come to expect this sort of thing from Mayday, whoâve been turning heads for three years on the strength of their NYT-approved smash, âGroundhog Day,â its record-setting YouTube video, and the cavalcade of âdamn, this is goodâ that came out of the music world after MTV took a shine to the group and Entourage came calling. But with Technology, Mayday have outdone themselves.www.myspace.com/firstdayofmaywww.maydayonlin e.comâwww.twitter.com/firstdayofmayA slightly shiver up the spine coincidence this afternoon but aren't they all. She comes to me - Adam Arcuragi (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) Like a rejection of destruction; like an answer to anxiety; like a reversal of death â I Am Become Joy is a prescient cut across thegrain of this new era. Adam Arcuragi's new 11-song album confirms his importance as one of the most gifted songwriters today. In someways harkening back to the origins of recorded American folk music and in other ways continuing lineage of American independent rock,Arcuragi has positioned himself as a unique and visionary voice.On his second full-length album, Arcuragi expands on the dark, sparse style of his preceding 2006 self-titled album and 2008 EP, Soldiersfor Feet. Charged with layers of backing vocals and a rotating cast of instrumentation, I Am Become Joy shows the full width of Arcuragi'sbrilliant songwriting style. Layered with harmony vocals and embellished with pedal steel, dulcimer, accordion, trumpet, and even asinging saw, each song has a unique arrangement to compliment Arcuragi on vocals and guitar.The new album I Am Become Joy is out on September 8th, 2009 To Stream EP and 2006 self-titled album, visit: www.adamarcuragi.com www.myspace.com/adamarcuragiPanurge Akoustik2.0 - Eclectek (Lille, France)hiphop funk electro punkrock fusionrockelectro ! Although this track is not really particularly characteristic of the album.BertyCox and Stouffi the stouvesrecommended the album Komiks Musik from Eclectek on Jamendo (where else).www.myspace.com/eclectekofficielTweets from Kenton Hall whose music with ist has been featured on the show.33 minutes ago: "Okay, I'm crying to Men At Work's Down Under now. Seriously, Kenton, get a grip. You're only thirty-bloody-three." 25 minutes ago: "Oh, Jesus. Cyndi Lauper now. Every girl who ever failed to think a bipolar Canadian geek was an attractive sexual proposition has returned."10 minutes ago: "You don't want to know what 80's era Springsteen is doing to me."... and that's why I like being around musicians. :) Check him out on Twitter @KentonHallwww.istianity.co.ukAction/Reaction - Choir of Young Believers (Copenhagen, Denmark)Even though This Is for the White in Your Eyes, the full-length debut released last week (August 18th) by Danish collective Choir of Young Believers , is teeming with instrumentsâvoices, pianos, synthesizers, banjos, an orchestraâs ransom in strings and French hornsâitâs not the arrangements that dominate so much as the images they conjure. Snow-flecked mountaintops, deserted city streets, ghost-filled churches, a final kiss between estranged loversâthis is the emotional terrain trod by Jannis Noya Makrigiannis and his Choir of Young Believers. This Is for the White in Your Eyes is an album of orchestral indie-pop, but its artistic scope extends beyond melody and harmony: Choir of Young Believers paint cinematic tableaux, with Jannis cast as the silvery-voiced narrator. In the second "Ghostly International Presents" video introduction to Choir of Young Believers, filmmaker James P. Morse focuses on bandleader Jannis Noya Makriggianis and his cellist Ceciele Trier in an intimate live performance in New York City. Jannis and Ceciele perform "Action/Reaction" as a duo, stripping the original's bombast down to its stunning, harmony-filled essence. If you missed it, part one of the series is soundtracked by "Wintertime Love" a particularly time-stopping track from This Is for the White in Your Eyes. Tour dates are coming up.www.myspace.com/choirofyoungbelievers Ghostly Presents: Choir of Young Believers (Part 2) from Ghostly International on Vimeo. Through the Winter - Make your Exit (Toronto, Canada)Jeff Buckley - lead vocals, guitar Mike Dellios - bass Mike Thomson - drums Skidboot - guitar Oliver Pauk - saxophoneYou could try to describe the sound of the five eclectic musical backgrounds melding together to become what is Make Your Exit with fancy words and hyperbole... but the overbearing fact of their music is that it's simply honest. And honest music isn't always easy to come by. It's stripped down, yet amped up, it's noisy and abrasive, yet quiet and modest. It's the sounds of five extremely talented twenty somethings just letting it all out. Lucky for us, their post-rock release lands somewhere between familiar and completely unfamiliar. Four part vocal harmonies akin to Fleet Foxes, with the addition of jazzy saxophone parts, and just the right tasteful amount of Canadiana twang - Make Your Exit is unlike anything you've heard before, yet it won't be hard to wrap your head around. Remind Me the Reason I Came, is the band's second EP and showcases their unique unbridled songwriting energy in the best light. The album is mastered by Noah Mintz and was recorded by Brent Bodrug in an abandoned church somewhere outside of Trenton, Ontario. www.myspace.com/makeyourexit

Fine and quirky music from Las Vegas, Queens, France, Portland Oregon, Newfoundland, Nashville and NYC.Perhaps a slightly different show this week with mercifully less of me. The hops (pic) are ripening nicely on the landing just outside the studio door here at the barn (having climbed up 15 feet or so from the ground). We just need some barley, yeast and Burtonised water to set up our own brewery. Although if you've heard PC Podcast this week you'll appreciate that it isn't quite that easy.Bad Habits - Brian O'Shea (Las Vegas) From the album Still Alive and Kickin' Butt.Previously featured on SnC178.www.oshea-keith.com/A slightly different format.Million Years Ago - Kathy Fleischmann (Queens, NY)The Kathy Fleischmann Band is comprised of four seasoned singer/songwriter/musicians from NY. Their music is a mix of blues, rock, jazz and folk. The Kathy Fleischmann Band is currently performing in Long Island/Queens the NY area at venues including The National Underground, The Underscore and The Alphabet Lounge. They have just released, The Second Took Even Longer, their first full length CD with 10 original songswww.kathyfleischmann.com/www.myspace.com/thekathyf leischmannbandwww.cdbaby.com/cd/fleisch4Pete Cogle again exceeded all reasonable expectations this week by discovering an astoundingly fine track  Washboard Lemon  by Geoffrey Lemon  which you'll hear at the very start of PCP 275. I must admit that I didn't hear it as trad jazz. It seemed more like a reworking of something like 1930s dance music. Whatever it is I found it worryingly compelling. Take a listen for yourself at petecogle.comWorldconkest - Jeffrey Lemon (Vannes, France)Jeffrey Lemon does not fall anywhere: from hip hop, dub, drum and bass, the electronica and jazz, he experimented with various sound worlds and machines are a ticket of invitation to the doors of perception.Often accompanied on stage by MC Nasty, posing texts with a flow of fluid disconcerting, and his drummer Crazy Drummer from the jazz, the electronic and the acoustic blend perfectly to give birth to a new genre: music "Electro-lemon"http://julien.lebayon.free.fr/ jeffreylemon.htmlOctavio - Viva Voce (Portland, Oregon)From their album RoseCity on the Amore!Phonics label which was released on CD just a couple of weeks ago. Kevin also lets us know that " To much questioning and asking I give this answer - yes, vinyl is on the way! September will find the 180 gram vinyl release of Rose City on the Jealous Butcher record label.âWe worked with Jealous Butcher on the release of the Blue Giant EP last year and we were thrilled we got to work with them again on this release.âAs par for course, the vinyl release will include 2 additional cuts not on the CD or digi. Wax only my friends!âI won't spoil the surprise, but the tunes turned out quite amazing and we"re happy they'll have a home on Jealous Butcher."www.vivavoce.comwww.myspace.com/vivavoce Viva Voce "Octavio" (mp3) from "Rose City" (Amore!Phonics) More On This Album Come Clean - Chris Kirby (Newfoundland)Vampire Hotel is Kirby's highly-anticipated sophomore recording, and is produced by Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Gov't Mule, Taj Mahal). Production of the record was split between Fat Tracks Studios in St. John's, NL, and Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studios in Austin TX. Heavily influenced by New Orleans Rhythm & Blues and Motown Soul, but rooted in the rich Newfoundland tradition of storytelling, Vampire Hotel offers a unique and refreshing brand of music from a truly original artist.www.chriskirbyonline.com/www.myspace.com/chriski rbyandthemarqueeYour Truth - Sharon Lang (Nashville, TN, USA) Accompanied by friends and fellow musicians Lyndsay Pruett, John Depriest, and Josh Minyard, Lovers and Thieves is a simple, no-frills portrayal of Lang's experiences both before and during her time in Nashville. Inspired by the unique community of artists, lovers, gypsies, dreamers, saints, and sinners that occupy this fair city, it truly expresses a love of first-class effort and sincere dedication to all things that are good.www.myspace.com/sharonlangmusicGood things die - Nordgarden (Hammer / Oslo, Norway)An old track from the first album which brings a great combination of guitar and trumpet. Terje is on the west coasts of  Canada and USA for a couple of weeks. Watch out for him popping up with surprise gigs at various club nights.www.nordgarden.infowww.myspace.com/nordgardenPri de - Paula Toledo (Vancouver, BC, Canada)There seems to be a really strong seam of Canadian women producing beautiful songs at the moment. I think Paula Toledo is among the best. Melancholy shadowing optimism. Jangly guitars to atmospheric sounds. Paula co-produced this album with Jonathan Anderson, additional prod. & mixing by David Odlum (Josh Ritter, The Frames) at Black Box Studios in France.I first played Paula on SnC 003 back in Feb 2006. She's been a bit quiet since 2007. Too rare and precious a talent to be allowed to fade away. www.paulatoledo.com/www.myspace.com/paulatoledo

Some wonderfully quirky tunes this week from Iceland, the UK, Virginia, Germany, Toronto, Holland and two from Los Angeles.It was Pimms o'clock when we arrived at Pete Cogle's hut at Southwold. I have no idea what time we left. Just as it should be.Need Strange - Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats (LA, CA, USA) From Meet the Meatbats, their debut album on Warrior Records.Bombastic, funky, sexy and loud, Chad Smith (drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers & Chickenfoot) is breaking out on his own with guitar star Jeff Kollman, multi-faceted keyboardist Ed Roth, and Motor City bass ace Kevin Chown. Together, they comprise what is easily one of the most interesting and unpredictable instrumental bands to come along in years; Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats. Their sound creates a cutting edge sonic experience with a plethora of influences, fusing together styles as diverse as classic rock, old school funk, punk, and 70's R&B.The album, Meet The Meatbats, speaks for itself. Consisting of 10 songs written in the span of a few days at Chad's pool house in Malibu (known as "The Tiki Room"), songs including "Need Strange," "Oops! I Spilled My Beer," "Battle For Ventura Blvd.," and the hauntingly beautiful "Night Sweats," exude a live wire feel, sarcasm, and excitement rarely found in the current world of digitally induced "perfection." It is instrumental music with a soul and a sense of humor.Take a look at the Bombastic Meatbats interview on YouTube. www.myspace.com/bombasticmeatbatsAll the same to me - Anya Marina (LA, CA, USA )For those who may know of Marina from her early debut releases - the five-song EP Exercises in Racketeering and 2005"s acoustic-driven full-length Miss Halfway (whose title track also appears on the Grammy Award-nominated second volume of the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack) - Slow & Steady Seduction is an artistic and creative leap forward in this evolving artist's career. "Miss Halfway was sort of a demo of songs I came up with," Marina explains. "I wanted the new album to feel like a more accurate expression of who I am as an artist. I wanted it to sound like something that I'd want to buy, and that meant making it something you could tap your toes to. The album's got some sexy, dirty rock and roll moments on it. I just wanted to have a little more soul.""All The Same To Me," which sets the freewheeling musical tone with its vaudevillian, cabaret feel. "I'm always thinking there's going to be some old person who's going to sue me, saying 'We wrote that in 1925'."Just finishing a tour with Emiliana Torrini. Last gig tonight in LA.19 Aug El Rey  Los Angeles, Californiawww.anyamarina.comwww.myspace.com/anyamarinaS peak Easy - Brains Repaired (Toronto, Canada)To give you some info about me, my name is Andrew Belanger, I live in Toronto, Canada, I play all the instruments, record, and mix all my own songs, I'm also in the process of forming a heavily synth-influenced band with like-minded people.   Also, I think the Internet is the greatest medium for musicians in particular to use. Reaching a mass audience without corporate interference leads to musical freedom in its finest form!www.myspace.com/brainsrepairedJoanna at the door - Emmet Swimming (Fairfax, VA, USA)Emmet Swimming formed in 1991 while students at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA ... The band named themselves after a young black boy, Emmet Till, who was shot in a small Mississippi town for whistling at a white woman and became one of the many martyrs of the American civil rights movement. "The idea of the name was basically that a 14-year-old boy should be swimming in the river, not dying in it."Todd Watts - Vocals, GuitarErik Wenberg - Lead Guitar, VocalsScott Brotemarkle - Bass Guitar, VocalsTamer Eid - DrumsAfter releasing three CDs on Epic Records and touring nationwide for the better part of 7 years, Fairfax, VA's legendary emmet swimming took a long look at each other and at the van that they had largely called home for so many years and decided to take a break in the early 2000's to focus on non-musical interests. The toils of the road and the all consuming nature of the music industry had left long unfulfilled promises and prospects back at home, and the band largely dispersed to pursue families and careers. In 2007, with original drummer Tamer Eid rejoining the band and longtime friend and collaborator Scott Brotemarkle settled in on bass, the band began playing shows including a sold out performance at the 930 Club in Washington DC. The chemistry was undeniable. This track is from Bathing in the New Economy (EP)Do check out their myspace there are some great tunes on there too.www.emmetswimming.com/www.myspace.com/emmetswimming Take a look and listen to Springsteen's acoustic version of Thunder Road recorded at Hammersmith Odeon in London in 1975 amid all the hype about his being "the new Dylan". 3055 - Ãlafur Arnalds (Mosfellsbaer, Iceland)At only 21 years of age, Ãlafur Arnalds is Iceland's latest export. Having already sold out The Barbican Hall in London, toured major European festivals and having opened for Sigur RÃs on their most recent European tour, the future seems bright for this young, extraordinary talent.www.olafurarnalds.comwww.myspace.com/olafurarnal dsBenzinadiko - Mediterra Musica (Hamburg, Germany)They describe themselves as electronic traditional, which is probably OK, although they do resist the idea of classification, playfully resorting to approaches such as "Romantics compare the indefinable style of MediTerra with Chili-Chocolate. Xenophobes believe to find a taste of goat cheese. Somewhere in between and beyond that lies the vision of MediTerra."www.jamendo.com/en/album/47287www.myspa ce.com/mediterramusicawww.mediterra-musica.comTerry Reid gigs coming up in the UK in the next couple of weeks. Tomorrow (Thursday 20th) he is at Komedia in Brighton along with The Daylight Faded. Next week (Wednesday 26th) he is premiering his new collaboration with Shine the Parisian trip-hop outfit who recently appeared on the soundtrack to Ugly Betty. Now this sounds a really, really interesting coming together. Again, The Daylight Faded are playing an acoustic set. Pigale Club, London, next Wednesday 8 'til 11.Get all the info and see a couple of videos at www.shine-music.net/www.myspace.com/shinespaceFist of Time - The Daylight Faded (UK)The Daylight Faded, a London based 3-piece band spawned by singer/songwriter Lee Gordon who are still yet to celebrate their first birthday and have recorded their debut EP with new London label JUSTICE BROTHERS due out in late Autumn 2009.Gordon says: "We are a live band, we pour every ounce of energy and emotion our bodies can muster into the music, being the best, most exciting and honest live band we can be is our goal.'www.myspace.com/thedaylightfadedChemise De Beauregard - Cochon Bleu (Groningen, Netherlands)From the album It's all coming good. Fifteen years of playing together, hundreds of gigs and five well-received CDs have made Cochon Bleu into what it is today: one of Holland's most sparkling bands. Accordion, guitars and mandolin are cast in the leading roles, backed by a sturdily knocking rhythm section. They started out playing pure cajun music, but in the course of time lots of other influences crept in.Two things remained, though: French lyrics and an overdose of energy.www.cochonbleu.nl

Music from France, London, Nashville, Liverpool and Cuba and Cornwall in the UK this week.Today was spent visiting the Codger Cogle family at their holiday home in Southwold. The rain this morning cleared as we sat drinking Pimms and eating lunch at their hut right down by the sea (see pic). A tour of the Adnams Brewery was fascinating and the tasting session after the tour was, well, shall we say extensive! Just as well that I recorded the show before we went. My Artificial Sun - Fresh Body Shop (Nantes, France) From the 2009 album The Ugly Army. All the tracks are written and recorded by Pedro Rousseau although he is joined by Oli on bass and Fyjen on drums for live shows. The earlier albums Orgamilk, Make this end and Tasteless are also available on Jamendo. There is now an opportunity for artists to suggest a donation for downloads but I don't think it is compulsory. However, if music is important to you, please leave as much as you can afford for downloads and if you can leave a review that would be really good too. My thanks to listener Andy Fidler for reminding me about Fresh Body Shop.www.myspace.com/133439871www.last.fm/music/Fresh+B ody+Shopwww.jamendo.com/fr/artist/freshbodyshopOne short life - Nick Cook (Penzance, Cornwall, UK)Nick sent me this track using the Suffolkandcool.com submission service for musicians. Find out about it at www.suffolkandcool.com by clicking on the "submit you music" menu button.If you'd like that track, Nick has made it available as a free download at www.nick-cook.com and click "Free music". www.nick-cook.comwww.myspace.com/nickmcookConte de fÃe - Spleen (Argenteuil, France)Another track from the excellent album Les Algorythmes de Venus on Jamendo. Go over to their page at Jamendo and have a listen to the rest of their music - awfully good.www.jamendo.com/en/artist/spleenLove is your fear - Vinny Piana (London, UK)Vinny Piana: Musician, Producer and WriterVinny is best known as the former writer, producer and guitarist for cult London indie band "The Space Between".His music has attracted the attention of various DJs and producers along the way including dance remixes by renown artists such as Chris McCormack (Ministry of Sound, Gary Newman, samples on Fatboy Slim's million selling Halfway between the Gutter and the Stars album).Among his credits are composing music for TV documentaries such as BBC, C4, ITV and independent movies including "Love Sexyâ (Sundance festival selection).Love is your fear is a unique blend of electro / Indie rock that may remind you of classic bands such as Joy Division, New order, Eurythmics and contemporary cutting edge artists such as Clavin Harris.It is an engaging song about love, the struggle of being in a relationship and how hard one can be with another when things aren't going great. The song has a deep groove, engaging synth that are reminiscent of Sweet dreams by Eurythmics, a modern feel, great hook and dramatic ending.Vinny Piana Live performances support include Wendy James (Racine), The Soho Dolls, Client, Lene Lovich and The Rakes.Vinny is currently working on his debut solo album Beg me to forgive due out in October 09.www.vinnypiana.co.uk/www.myspace.com/vinnypianamusic Dangerous - Kristen Cothron (Nashville, TN. USA)From her album Love letters from a Fool.Kristen's voice is reminiscent of classic jazz singers, but the songs are edgy and smart and cut right across the lines in an interesting way.Since the release of Love Letters from a Fool in May of 2006 Cothron has been touring regionally and is currently celebrating the release of her music video, Dangerous. Whether she's singing a jazz standard, a classic soul tune, or one of her eclectic original songs- Kristen's sound is undeniably her own.www.kristencothron.comwww.myspace.com/kristencothro nPressure - Christope Marc (Liverpool, UK and Nantes, France)This is part of the solo project by Christophe Marc, lead singer and guitarist with Galago. You'll find him at www.jamendo.com/en/artist/christophe_marcwww.myspace.co m/christophemarcChristophe Marc was Recommended by Organic Despair. If you'd like to recommend tracks on Jamendo, all you have to do is join, it is free and you're away.Doorway - Jennings (Nashville/NYC)Although her writing began in high school, Jennings' surge in musical expression started after the sudden death of her mother. "This tragedy rocked me to the core, but there is so much beauty in what it allowed me to do," she says. "All of my emotions came pouring out in the form of melody." At the time, her father, a former musician, gave her the option to go through therapy or record an album. He knew both would be equally helpful to her, but by recording her music, she would be able to have something to hold on to and share with others for a lifetime. With Femtastic and now Storybook EP complete, Jennings has built on the lessons of her life and musical journey and courageously perfected the delicate balance between vulnerability, honesty and grit.www.myspace.com/jenningsmusicwww.jennings-music.co mwww.cdbaby.com/cd/jenningsmusic4Meet up with Codger at Southwold for Pimms at his beach hut, a brewery tour at Adnams and possibly another small beverage later. May have to get the bus home! He has already been Twittering about the relaxation.El Son No Puede Fallar - Sierra Maestra (Cuba)This is from The Rough Guide to the Music of Cuba released just a week or so ago. Sierra Maestra "El Son No Puede Fallar" (mp3) from "The Rough Guide to the Music of Cuba" (Rough Guides/World Music Network) More On This Album