The First Pinkheart Sessions

1.  Starting To Hurt
2. Mega-Superior Gold
3. Gimme A Sign (a/k/a Waiting For A Sign)
4. Win
5. Red Red Red Red Wine
6. Candy Doll
7. I Don’t Wanna Work
8. Charmed
9. Enemy Fire (different than Gold version)
10. Testy, Testy
11. Around The World / Under The Bridge (parody)
12. Young Winds

Q Division Demos

1.  Abigail
2. Gimme Sunshine
3. The Rescue Blues
4. Just Like A Whore
5. Idiots Rule The World

Download

Listening to saxophonist Myron Walden is like watching Daedalus fly too close to the sun—it’s exhilarating to see him glide past chord changes and conventional jazz structures, but there’s the constant fear that if he goes any higher, his wings will melt. Somehow, that never happens.

Walden, 37, brought this feverish energy to the Jazz Gallery Sept. 30, the last night of a five-week pro bono residency at the venerable no-frills, all-music SoHo institution, where he played each Wednesday with a different band. Reuniting his Apex Trio for the first time in 10 years, the multi-reedist, known primarily for his longtime association with the Brian Blade Fellowship, played as though not a day had passed since the last time he took the stage with bassist Dwayne Burno and drummer Eric McPherson.

“If I can get the first note to be right, the night’ll be cool. But if I miss the first note, I’ll hear about it for the next 10 years,” Walden said, with an air of self-deprecating humor, before opening the set. Needless to say, he hit it.

Walden’s Jazz Gallery residency came on the heels of a five-year sabbatical from recording as a leader. In the interim, Walden made strong contributions to albums by Blade, Freddie Hubbard, Kendrick Scott and others, and studied intensely on tenor. He returns now with a series of powerhouse records on his own Demi label that showcase the breadth of his talents: Momentum (and its companion disc, Momentum Live, both released Nov. 17), the two-album In This World project (due to be released Jan. 15), and Countryfied (slated to drop in February). Each illustrates a different facet of Walden’s persona: In This World captures his spiritual side, Momentum the intellectual, and Countryfied the rootsy—a triangulated vision that conjures Charles Mingus’ famous pronouncement, “I am three.”

Walden plays with a Phoenix-like virtuosity and an attention to rhythmic detail rarely heard among saxophone players, laid bare in the trio setting as he parried Burno’s heavy, pulsating bass chords and McPherson’s inventive rhythms with a deft lightness of touch.

The set ended on a high note, quite literally, with Walden welcoming unexpected guest Jaleel Shaw onto the stage for an alto saxophone battle royale on the driving “Freight Train,” a modal tune which Shaw was sight-reading. “I usually don’t even like it when they play other alto players’ records before the gig,” Walden joked, “but this is what it’s all about.”

Walden was among the first to pass through the Jazz Gallery’s emerging artists program, having played with Roy Hargrove’s big band when the venue first opened in 1995, in addition to stints at West Village jazz breeding ground Smalls. Moving to the Bronx from Miami at the age of 12, Walden was self-taught, bringing himself up by his bootstraps armed with nothing more than a used Bundy alto harvested from his public school’s dying music program, an instruction book given to him by a saxophonist who lived in his building, and a tattered Charlie Parker record.

“My neighbors didn’t like it much, beginner’s saxophone in tight quarters. It was kind of rough, but my love for it softened their hearts,” he said. “I’m headstrong—I have my way of doing things. I never really learned the right way. Maybe I developed in the dark, but I was able to learn by osmosis or trial and error.”

A few years later he enrolled in the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, where he began formal instruction surrounded by a confluence of talent, including McPherson and fellow saxophone prodigy Abraham Burton. But Walden really learned to play at Augie’s, the Upper West Side club that later became Smoke, when classmate and guitarist William Ash brought him to hear bebop saxophonist Jesse Davis, who held court every Friday and Saturday.

“I was blown away. I couldn’t believe that anyone walking could play this way,” Walden said of Davis. “Rain, snow, sleet, ice on the ground, below-zero temperature—I wouldn’t miss it.”

In early October, Walden appeared with his Countryfied power trio at Fat Cat, a beer-soaked basement jazz haunt in the West Village that marries foosball, cheap cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a couple slender rows of couches reserved for the few aficionados there solely for the music. Strange bedfellows, but Walden, Hammond B3 organist Jared Gold and drummer Kenneth Salters managed to bridge the gap. In a rare crossover moment, several people abandoned their drunken backgammon games and fierce ping-pong matches to bum-rush the stage and groove to his lithe, Southern soul-drenched melodies.

“Sometimes in jazz, and this is not a knock at it, one can be so set in playing hipper than anyone else, whether you’re a drummer playing more superimposed rhythms or a horn player playing changes, you almost alienate your audience, the congregation, the people you’re playing or preaching to,” Walden said. (The analogy is apropos: Walden plays once or twice a month at the Redeemer Church, a Manhattan-based Presbyterian congregation where fellow Fellowship bandmate pianist Jon Cowherd serves as music director.) “If you think about someone taking a solo over ‘Giant Steps’ or ‘Countdown,’ you’re not going to be able to sing it back. I want to be able to play a solo where it’s so relatable you want to sing it back to me.”—–Aidan Levy, Jazz Times

• When All Is Said And Done
• Gentle Embrace

Myron Walden.com <> Buy

Disc 1

1. Microphone- Coconut Records
2. Maybe I Should Lie- Anthony Da Costa
3. Ventura Highway- Bobby Bare, Jr.
4. Laughing With- Regina Spektor
5. Not Fair- Lily Allen
6. Wear And Tear- Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
7. Happy Eyez- CocoRosie
8. Growing Up Beside You- Paolo Nutini
9. For You- Matisyahu
10. Undressed- Howie Day
11. The Good Stuff- Schuyler Fisk
12. Fugitive- David Gray
13. Late For School- Steve Martin
14. Even Though- Norah Jones

Disc 2

1. Don’t U Holla- Tanya Morgan
2. Sometimes- Noisettes
3. Old Hat- Ben Kweller
4. My Wife’s Hometown- Bob Dylan
5. Begin Again- Colbie Caillat
6. Lover Be Strong- Gavin DeGraw
7. Sisters Of Mercy- Beck
8. Babygirl- Brother Ali
9. Don’t Stop The Music- Jamie Cullum
10. Social Development Dance- Pete Yorn
11. Edge Of Desire- John Mayer

Disc 1

Disc 2

Well, 2009 is coming to a close and it’s about that time to review the top albums of the year. This was a really good year for music in my opinion, so it forced me to expand the list from the normal 10 I do to 15 albums.

____________________________________________________________

15. Gavin DeGraw- Free

14. Regina Spektor- Far

13. Coconut Records- Davy

12.  Anthony da Costa – Not Afraid of Nothing

11. Colbie Caillat – Breakthrough

10. Brother Ali – The Truth Is Here

9. Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson – Break Up

8. Bobby Bare Jr. – The American Bread EP

7. Pete Yorn – Back & Fourth

6. Brother Ali – Us

5. CocoRosie – Coconuts, Plenty of Junk Food

4. John Mayer – Battle Studies

3. Bob Dylan – Together Through Life

2. Ben Kweller – Changing Horses

1. Paolo Nutini – Sunny Side Up

“Are your pieces beautiful?” asks Steve Jones (aka Stylusboy) in his song Jigsaw. “Everyone has so many pieces to their life but how do they all fit together? I often try in my songs is describe parts of my life and what the moment means to me. Some songs are snapshots of one moment in time, some are about a collection of different moments”. Stylusboy’s songs are heartfelt, delicate and full of hope…

Stylusboy spent various times in his past playing guitar and bass in different bands and playing gigs all over the place. Songs were played on radio one, reviews written in Rocksound, a loud noise was made, but he discovered that sometimes less is more. Bands finished, the noise became less and Stylusboy was born.

Stylusboy’s debut release and he has recorded and produced the EP himself with the help a few friends. ‘Fingerprint EP‘ contains songs about love, hope, joy and the beautiful things in every day life. Recording the drums in a local community centre and the rest of the EP in his lounge, this is very much a home grown release. Tracks been very warmly received both in the press and radio. Stylusboy recently completed a BBC radio interview and live session.

Stylusboy gigs regularly and live outings are an intimate affair where he takes the listeners on a journey with his guitar and voice. He has played a packed mainstage at the Godiva Festival, a performance that helped his reputation grow further. Stylusboy has played alongside Newton Faulkner, The King Blues and up and coming artists Olivia Broadfield and Jess Morgan.

Stream Audio Here

Stylusboy.com <> MySpace <> Buy

[Digg]

Heather Edwards is a musician and actress. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Heather currently lives in New York City. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee and dabbled in many facets of the music industry. Having reached a plateau in her career and needing to try her acting wings, she decided to move to New York City. Since moving north, Heather has been actively pursuing her music and acting career; performing with many types of bands – from funk and rock to jazz and country and playing a wide range of characters as an actor. Heather trained her whole life as a classical pianist and continues to perform in that genre as much as possible.

She started writing music at age eleven and continues to write and perform her own music as well as conduct, direct, and perform in musical theatre. Heather has released 3 CDs: “To Be Continued“, “Eclectic Energy“, and “Go With The Flow” She also has a classical CD project and a musical in the works.

Heather is a member of AFM Local 802 and Actors Equity Association. She has had many roles in television, film, and theatre.

• Go With The Flow
• Lavender Blues
• Song About Nothing

Heather Edwards.com <> MySpace <> Buy

Yesterday the blog was suspended temporarily and thankfully we are back up today. The reason it was suspended was because of a blog posting I did on Bob Dylan’s new Christmas album and the posting of a few songs by me. Web Sheriff didn’t like this and contacted WordPress who in turn suspended the blog until the post was deleted. The reason this album stood out apparently was because all profits from the album go to charity, which I applaud wholeheartedly. I was contacted by Web Sheriff previously asking me to remove links to download a few MP3’s, which I complied with and instead posted a couple official music videos from the album which were available on YouTube. Apparently this still was too much to be posting, and thus they contacted WordPress and was why the blog was suspended yesterday. I have taken down the post completely and apologize to people who missed out on it. I still encourage people to buy the album because it is a great album and you can feel good knowing the money you spent is going to people in need. I still find it a shame that I am threatened by big brother for trying to share music, and honestly, posting 2 or 3 mp3’s will probably not discourage anyone from buying the album, and it may in fact encourage people to buy it who might not have even considered it before. But, this is the money hungry age we live in, and I have no choice but to go with the flow and avoid trouble when possible.

The Noisettes defied expectations of what an indie band should sound like on their debut, What’s the Time Mr. Wolf?, feeling equally at home with funk and folk, garage rock and gospel, and punk and pop, depending on their quick-shifting moods. They also defy expectations on Wild Young Hearts, a collection of songs that’s a lot more polished and cohesive, and a little less distinctive, than what came before. Their newfound focus is immediately apparent on “Sometimes,” a pretty acoustic jazz-pop number that plays like a more straightforward take on What’s the Time Mr. Wolf?’s “Count of Monte Christo,” and “Don’t Upset the Rhythm” unabashed disco-pop, which is all sleek guitars, strings, and sizzling hi-hats. While both of these songs are a lot more conventional than anything on the Noisettes’ debut, they’re also so well done that it’s hard to complain too much that they lack the boldness of the band’s earlier work, especially when Shingai Shoniwa’s voice sounds great on almost any style of music. Elsewhere, it’s clear they’ve been taking notes on their pop competition, and they borrow from the best: the title track’s giddy, witty bounce recalls Lily Allen as much as it does a classic ’60s pop tune updated with a few power chords; “24 Hours” nods to Santigold’s shiny new wave revival; and “Never Forget You” soulful strut echoes Amy Winehouse. These flattering imitations aren’t as much of a problem as the album’s pleasant but surprisingly tame songs. While “Saturday Night” rocks out a bit, it’s much cleaner and sleeker than the spitfire energy the band brandished on What’s the Time Mr. Wolf?; likewise, the torchy folk-jazz of “Atticus” is nice, but less striking than when it stood in contrast to the band’s rougher edges. As well crafted as Wild Young Hearts is, a little more of the band’s earlier boldness would have been welcome.—–Heather Phares–AllMusic.com

• Never Forget You
• Sometimes
• Wild Young Hearts

Noisettes.com ## MySpace ## CD’s ## MP3’s ## Hype Machine ## YouTube

Colbie Caillat’s breakthrough arrived before Breakthrough, when her debut Coco turned into a breezy surprise hit. Breakthrough isn’t meant to catapult Caillat into a mainstream that already knows her, but to consolidate her success, so it’s not entirely a surprise that the album bears evidence of her showbiz kid roots, a record that relies just a bit more on the studio than the song. It’s a creation that’s slicker and sleeker than the debut, but fortunately, it’s not quite at the expense of Caillat’s simple charms. The high-buff sheen on Breakthrough can mean that the songs glide down a little too smoothly, sliding down like a velvety Piña Colada which is perhaps a bit too sophisticated after the everyday charms of Coco, and perhaps a little bit too polished for Colbie in general. Underneath all that gloss, Caillat remains a simple girl singing songs of love as light and crisp as a sugar cookie. Too many of these in a row can cause a toothache, but having a handful at a time is a sweet ordinary treat.—–Stephen Thomas Erlewine- AllMusic.com

• Begin Again
• I Won’t
• You Got Me

Colbie Caillat.com ## MySpace ## CD’s ## MP3’s ## Hype Machine ## YouTube

Howie Day began his career as an experimental songwriter, using loop pedals and digital effects to turn his guitar into a lush, layered instrument. Even when the material wasn’t top-notch, his solo shows frequently were, and Day sharpened his act by canvassing the college circuit for years. Following his signing to Epic Records, he streamlined his approach, taking the spotlight away from his acoustic guitar and focusing instead on smooth, massively orchestrated pop/rock. In 2003 Stop All the World Now went gold as a result, although the album—particularly its third single, “She Says,” an unnecessarily symphonic version of a song that appeared in superior format on Australia—proved that bigger isn’t always better. Released six years later, the similar-sounding Sound the Alarm finds Day recovering from a quarter-life crisis, having battled his way through several court cases and one drunken airplane incident in the wake of Stop’s success. Songs were composed with a handful of collaborators in L.A., New York, London, Minneapolis, and Bloomington, and the results are some of Day’s most flatly commercial songs to date. This may be prime radio fodder, but the uncalculated appeal of Australia is as far away as that distant continent, having been replaced by keening string sections and all the spit-shine tricks of a contemporary recording studio. Re-creating such songs in concert would require droves of backing musicians, an odd constraint for someone who made his name as a solo performer, and Sound the Alarm sounds a bit fabricated as a result, especially given the presence of outside writers on every track. “Everybody Loves to Love a Lie” is a welcome diamond in the rough—polished but not predictable, convincing but not conventional—and “Counting on Me” nods to Richard Ashcroft with its swirling neo-psychedelia. But when Day croons “I must confess, I like us best undressed” with all the pillow-talking flair of John Mayer’s “Your Body Is a Wonderland,” you can’t help but wish the teenager had never grown up.—–Andrew Leahey-AllMusic.com

• Everybody Loves To Love A Lie
• Weightless
• Undressed

Download

Howie Day.com ## MySpace ## CD’s ## MP3’s ## Hype Machine ## YouTube

I last wrote about Boca Chica a little over a year ago. They are back with a new Christmas song called Snow Angels for the Indiecater Records Christmas compilation called An Indiecater Christmas. Check it out and also be sure to check out the album here, and order if you like what you hear.

• Snow Angels

MySpace ## CD’s ## MP3’s ## Hype Machine

[Digg]

Jeff Krantz was wearing a drab, gray suit, sitting behind a desk when he had an epiphany. This is not the life I should be living, he thought in January 2007. That night, Krantz decided it was time to pursue his living-room hobby. Little did Krantz know that within a year, the International Music Awards would name him a Male Artist of the Year finalist, and Billboard, Newsweek and The London Metro would feature him as a groundbreaking singer-songwriter. Instead of hitting the road, Krantz broke industry standards by finding tens of thousands of fans through Second Life, an online virtual world with over 12 million users. Under the pseudonym Hep Shepherd, Krantz streamed 200 live performances from his NYC loft. His acoustic performances broke attendance records. Billboard Magazine reported that his virtual shows were “sold out,” and Krantz quickly caught the attention of the music industry.

Shortly after recording his first demos, Krantz received an unexpected letter from singer-songwriter legend Cat Stevens, who was deeply moved by his songs, calling them “meaningful and clear.” Lyrical and heart- felt, Krantz is a modern troubadour blending the early songwriting of early Dave Matthews with the vibe of Jakob Dylan. His memorable melodies and lyrics send listeners on a journey through the emotional spectrum. The London Metro calls Krantz “a superstar,” while Holland’s Robkast Radio hails his music as “ambitious, atmospheric [and] awesome.” Shortly after being honored as a Male Artist of the Year finalist, Krantz received a prestigious Billboard World Song Award.

“I took a look at what was happening in my career and thought, Whoa! I think I need to record an album,” said Krantz, who assembled a band and dove into his debut studio effort, “The Last One to Know,” an 11-track LP. “The Last One to Know” showcases Krantz’s lyrical imagery as well as his soft, clear and distinctive voice. His guitar work ranges from heartbreaking finger-picking to roots-rock rhythms. The album explores contra-dictions behind the emotions we all feel: loneliness lurks in love, hope can live in heartbreak, and joy can rise from pain.

“The Last One to Know” was  released independently on November 3, 2009.

• Last Goodbye
• Roses On The Wall
• The Last One To Know

Download

Jeff Krantz.com ## MySpace ## CD’s ## MP3’s

[Digg]

Having spent the last two years hunting for beautiful boy faeries high in the Tuscan Appenines, and taking their musical inspiration from these delicate creatures, Sierra and Bianca Casady are back with a self-released five-track tour EP of twisted fairground cabaret. We had been told to expect more songs along the lines of the whacked-out “spiritual dance music” of last year’s one-off single ‘God Has A Voice, She Speaks Through Me’, and lead track ‘Happy Eyez’ comes closest to that with a classic CocoRosie sampled beat overlaid with a trippy, swirling carnival motif. “They call me Wee Willie Winkie / I’m tired and blinky,” croaks Bianca, but there’s an underlying sadness to this nursery rhyme that balances out the surface nonsense.

The black cloud hanging over the sisters doesn’t go away either. Beneath the brass and cutely piping sampled woodwind of ‘Coconuts’ lies another sorry tale, while piano ballad ‘Milkman’ finds Sierra practically weeping into her Rice Krispies. Things don’t get much sunnier in ‘Joseph City’, an eerie waltz through crepuscular side streets where a cracked, ghostly voice eerily chants the names of colours. Finally, ‘Spirit Lake’ takes us back to the river with some spiritual gospel, drunken keyboard samples, a scratchy beat and some pretty glockenspiel. As a taster for the Casady’s next album, Coconuts, Plenty Of Junk Food shows them stepping back from the hip-hop stylings of The Adventures Of Ghosthorse & Stillborn and skipping through much dreamier terrain. There’s so much going on here, though, and it’ll take a while to unravel if it’s all effective.——Alan Pedder-Wearsthetrousers.com

• Happy Eyez
• Coconuts

Download

CocoRosie.com ## MySpace ## CD’s ## MP3’s ## Hype Machine

[Digg]

There are few artists in the music industry that can hold the title “independent” with as much depth as Brad Skistimas of Five Times August. The 26 year old singer/songwriter has passed up opportunities with major labels to go at his career alone. Based out of the small town of Waxahachie, TX, the indie Southerner has garnered enough success in his own stride to ignore the pipe dreams of glitz and glamour so many bands tend to get caught up in. He is a true patriot to the DIY work ethic. His only aid is manager and wife, Kelly, making the two a legit “mom and pop store” in the midst of a large corporate industry. With the release of Five Times August’s latest album “Life As A Song,” the dynamic duo plan to push boundaries and set the standard for what being a truly “indie” is all about.

In November 2004 Five Times August’s song “Better With You” was featured in MTV’s hit show Laguna Beach. The series’ music supervisor had found the song at random via online web portal CDBaby.com. By the end of the year that exposure had snowballed into an underground following for the one-man band, catapulting Myspace listens and iTunes sales. By Spring ’06 Five Times August was a national touring artist, performing solo acoustic shows across the country. More song placements soon followed, with features on networks ranging from The CW and MTV to ABC, FOX and Lifetime, among many others. In 2007 Five Times August became the first unsigned act in history to accomplish national distribution through Wal-Mart stores.

It doesn’t stop there. Most recently you may have heard Five Times August in a national GMC commercial promoting their big summer savings event. Also, if you own any of HBO’s 2009 DVD releases, you’ll most likely be hearing the song “Do It Again” in a quick ad before the menu pops up.

“Life As A Song” is a twelve-track collection of Five Times August’s most popular songs in recent years. Based on fan favorites and the most licensed songs, Skistimas went back into the studio with Grammy Award winner Andy Zulla to polish and shine each song for more commercial success, re-recording many of the tune’s instrumentation and vocals from the ground up. “It’s an album of growth and change,” Skistimas says about the quazi “best of” album. “At the start of the album you’ll find me where I was as a songwriter, more innocent and raw. By the end you’ll see I’m not the same songwriter anymore, there’s a deeper outlook on life in the newer songs.”

The album includes new mainstream versions of underground college cult-hits like “Up To Me” and “Better With You”. Alongside those fan favorites, the album also includes a few new songs, one being the stand out piano ballad “Break,” which shadows influence from Nilsson’s classic hit “Without You.” Brad explains “the beauty of this album is that even though a lot of my fans may know the songs already, it’s going to be a brand new listening experience for them. They are going to hear these songs as if for the first time.” Skistimas’ mind rests knowing songs like “Wherever” and “The Lighting” finally sound like he had always envisioned.

Brad is furthering the expansion of Five Times August with a new concrete touring band. After spending the last three years touring solo, Skistimas is changing gears on the road, transitioning his intimate set list into a full on concert experience.

Better With You Music Video—Stream MP3 Here

Five Times August.com ## MySpace ## CD’s ## MP3’s ## Hype Machine ## YouTube

Lunar Youth’s songs are glorious celebrations of place. Over echoing guitars and cascading synths, Simon Berlin’s laid back, romantic croon tells of youth cults, forgotten nightclubs, and futuristic dystopias. Influenced by the glamorous aesthetic and sound of Roxy Music and the imagist poetry of Arthur Symons, Lunar Youth play slick, sheen pop rooted in young emotion. Singer and guitarist Berlin is joined by his bearded brother Adam on drums and the famed man about town Peter Davies on bass.

• Misfits