This is an online music fan zine. Please support music and musicians by going to shows, purchasing CDs, buying a damn T-shirt!
All mp3s are posted here with permission from the artists/labels/PR folks, and for a very brief time. If you have any issues with content on this zine please email me; atartytart@gmail.com I'm addicted to my Iphone, darlins'... I'll get back to you.
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And you can find PuppetShow at enjoy.the.puppet.show@gmail.com
Whooo do I have two fun tracks for you today! One of my regular readers, Paul, has been emailing with me for a bit and today he made a request for this song on the blog. It’s such a nice feeling to be asked, thanks! And I accepted right away thinking I must have this song. I’m a huge fan of My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult (TKK). Alas, no. However, Puppet Show came through for us, I knew he’d have it and sure enough… he not only produced it from his vaults, but also another special dance track as well. He’s a huge Tori Amos fan and this, my dears, is a promo-only track, a mix by Andy Gray that he’s been sitting on for quite a while. So enjoy it! Read about it here. It’s got a super long intro and then some voice overs by Tori, not exactly singing, and it’s chock full of outtakes from her songs. If you’re a fan, you’ll dig it. If not, enjoy the goofy goodness of TKK’s “Devil Bunnies.” And remember, “I’ll give you a tune up you’ll never forget!”
Devil Bunnies mp3 My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Kooler Than Jesus….. buy it
Let’s Do It Again mp3 Tori Amos vs. Andy Gray, Lets Do It Again (12″, Promo)
pssst, that first picture is a flyer from my local hangout when I was in my twenties, a great dance club called Berlin. I’ve no idea when it’s from, but we all danced there, gay, straight, bi, whatever, and as far as I know everyone still does even after all these years.
So do I! It’s so frustrating to not have an official list, eh? Well one group I have absolute confirmation on, from their manager, is Heartless Bastards. And I’ve got a brand new video of them playing “The Mountain”. The album is not released until Feb. 3, but you can see them performing the sure-to-be-a-hit here as they played it for Austin City Limits, just cause I love you all that much, xoxoxo
P.S., I also have confirmation that another favorite band of mine is also playing fo’sure, The Boxing Lesson, wheee!
There’s a story making all the news here, a story about how a woman just gave birth to octuplets, yes EIGHT babies. I can’t even imagine the kookiness that is one child let alone eight. It took 46 doctors to achieve such a feat. The eighth one was a surprise, they had planned for seven. Wow, just wow.
It got me to thinking about all the songs and singers that use the word “baby.” It’s one of those words that until you have a lover for a while you can’t imagine using. I resisted it for quite a while myself, being a modern, feminist, forward-thinking woman. I mean, why infantalize your loved one by having a pet name for them like “baby?” Nobody wants to be reminded of the Jennifer Grey character in Dirty Dancing. No modern, feminist, forward-thinking woman wants to be called “baby” now do they?
Oh hell yeah they do! When you say it that way, in that tone, while you do that thing you do, — you know that thing that makes them smile that way at you? Fuck yeah. I came around to being called “baby.” I even came around to calling my lovers “baby” and I mean both my female and male lovers. And I learned to appreciate it in song.
Perhaps one of the best singers to use the word “baby,” in my opinion, is Joan Osborne. You might have written her off after that unfortunate release of “One of Us,” you know, that god-song, ugh. It was played to death on FM radio and made us all hate her here in the U.S., and I don’t think the UK even got a whiff of her, sad to say. But here’s some of her better “baby” songs. Tell me if you agree!
Baby Love mp3Joan OsborneRighteous Love – this is probably my favorite album of her’s although I hated it at first listen. But she really knows how to belt out the “baby’s” on it!….. buy it.
Crazy Baby mp3Joan OsborneRelish - not to insinuate that anyone is crazy, but Ms. Osborne really can do that “I’m-so-drunk-I-shouldn’t-be-allowed-on-stage” kind of act really well. I don’t know why I find that endearing in a woman, but I bet a few of you out there do too, just admit it…. buy it.
Little Wild One mp3Joan OsborneLittle Wild One – this is from her newest album, and while she’s gone into the land of country music a bit lately, this New York city focused work is solidly folk-pop and well suited to her voice. I added this track for that little eighth baby, nobody saw him coming!….. buy it.
Now somebody please get her out of her contract and onto an indie label, ok?
These tracks will not stay up for very long, do go buy her albums on allmusic.com or somewhere. Get them used and avoid supporting the crappy labels she’s currently on.
Here’s her official website with tour details, go see her and support her music.
I honestly don’t know how this album passed me by last year, it would have surely made my top 15. I stumbled upon it today and I’m quite smitten by it. I can’t stop playing it. All day long, I’ve had it on, bee bopping around my apartment to the frantic wonderfulness. I’ve even unabashedly emailed the Foals‘ manager and begged to interview them. Dang, I hope they come to Chicago this year.
Sometimes when you love folk/rock/indie music as much as I do it gets rather depressing. You need some dance/pop/punk to rev you up, get the blood flowing, you see? And when that happens I have recently discovered that I have less and less new music to go to these days! I need to branch out.
Puppet Show and I still chat every day, even though you never see him on the blog any more (I know some of you are breathing a sigh of relief, ha!) and he’s not a huge fan of what he calls “bri’sh” music – any music that’s not American. I started out today determined to find some new music to send his way but darn it all, I got stuck on this Foals album and well, as I said, I just could not turn it off! It’s my antidote to today’s gloomy January-ness!
So here ya go. I’m sure you have heard it already, but maybe it’s been a few months, eh?
I walked into the Empty Bottle last night to the delightfully mournful voice of Jessica Lea Mayfield and was immediately caught up in her stories of heartbreak and loneliness. Playing with drummer Anne Lillis, and electric guitarist Richie Kirkpatrick, Ms. Mayfield (who is only 19!) wowed the house.
She sounded as true and solid live as on her recordings, standing without shame in front of hundreds of fans and baring her heart with tender lyrics. This young musician delivers her message with intention and accuracy whilst her sometimes droning voice slips and slides around the notes in such a emotive and aching manner. I have to add that her drummer, Ms. Lillis, was a wonderful addition to her act. She played theatrically, yet in tune with the restrained manner of new-folk as it’s interpreted by Ms. Mayfield. What a juxtaposition it was to watch this female drummer sway and writhe, with so much emotion on her beautiful face as the singer sang almost without emotion of gut-wrenching events. I was able to chat with her after the show and was shocked to learn that she’s only been drumming with Jessica Lea Mayfield for about a month now. It all seemed so natural and easy. Many of us sang along, all of us clapped wildly at the end of each number as Ms. Mayfield nervously looked at cameras flashing and fans yelping for more. And at the end, she simply unplugged and walked away. More than most of the crowed begged for just one more, for four minutes more even. Their cries fell on deaf ears. It was time to be off and the stage hands and the Annuals hurried on to set up for their show. The Empty Bottle doesn’t fool around here, you get on, you get off, there’s no dressing room, no pretense of stardom, it’s straight up music in this Chicago club!
Although the club wasn’t packed with people, we who were there benefited from an incredibly intimate night with very talented young musicians. The Annuals opened with an amazing drum session – five of them on drums and Anna Spence on keyboards.
As the energy rose (with flashing, multi-colored lights as well!) the crowd went wild in anticipation of a night of indie-rock/experimental/pop music. Adam Baker’s front man persona melds this crew of friends into a tight music-making gang and focuses what could be a cacophony of sound into moments of pure harmonic joy.
At least this is what I heard when I walked down the hall a bit. Unfortunately, the sound in the Empty Bottle is difficult to perfect and as I listened to this group mic-checking I feared that they hadn’t communicated very well with the sound man. My fears were confirmed as often through the show feedback squealed through the sound system, delicate harmonies were lost to those of us upfront, and frustrating looks crossed the faces of band members. Yeah, it didn’t sound too bad back by the sound box, and it sounded even better in the next room. But what a shame for a young band to go through a night of a half-full venue on a Thursday night coupled with sound problems. Chicago! We can do better!
Enough harping on the venue. What was the highlight of the Annuals‘ performance, you say? Well, I’ll be honest. Mr. Baker’s style is not the type of indie that moves me to heights of ecstasy per say. He’s a good song writer, delivers it all quite well too, but it just didn’t grab me, it’s a personal thing, I know. But don’t fear! The Annuals are more than just a band about one guy! This is a rhythm heavy group, and a collaborative effort. Many of the songs were get-down-and-shake-it songs! And we did! In particular, the bass player, Mike Robinson, a gorgeous ginger-haired boy really grooved the house. His mastery of the instrument shone last night as he hit ALL the strings in ALL the right places It was a beautiful thing to watch.
Zak Oden, as he switched from drums to guitar was also a delight to watch, and added so much energy to the band. Kenny Florence on lead guitar was truly astonishing at times, beautiful solos and great grooves in support of others in the band. But most of all, the interaction of these six friends, all so young and formative was what gave this gig it’s energy and verve (I know I sound like an old granny, but my god, there’s not one over 24 in the crew!). Yes, there were many songs that sort of doodled along at a very pleasant indie pace, some songs less energetic than the rest. But I found this show to be very evenly paced, swelling and lulling throughout the evening. For a more thorough review of what they actually played and some very fantastic pictures of their show in Minneapolis I direct you to Culture Bully’s great blog post. I had a great time, go see these artists if they come to your town! xoxo
Confessor mp3
*unfortunately I missed the opening act, What Laura Says, from what I’ve read I’m really bummed I did! Readers, anyone know this band out of Phoenix? Someone remind me next time that the Empty Bottle always starts on time, geeze!
photo credits: joeyjojo for the Annuals; and chinesegary for Jessica Lea Mayfield; and well, … me for the two crappy ones I took last night with my iphone
[audio:JLMKissMeAgain.mp3] Kiss Me Again mp3
permission to stream “Kiss Me Again”: Josh Hailey, JD White Management
Special Thanks to Marni Wandner @ Sneak Attack Media too!
I feel that I’ve lost my way a bit. I wanted to become a “real” blogger — you know, get music sent my way by artists and the people that represent them. The first one thrilled me! It was like a huge vote of confidence. And then, along came the Hype machine and well, hell… we were off to the races. Little by little music folk have been sending me stuff and finding me on facebook and Twitter. And it’s wonderful, honest. I’ve discovered some awesome music and introduced you to some great tunes. And I plan on continuing to do so!
But…. (you knew there was a but here, right?), I feel like I’ve gotten boring. Do I dare be my tarty self and risk that the good folks in the biz will still respect me? Well the answer better be, Hell Yes!
Five Great Band Names (I swear I’m going to hear these bands play this year, based just on their name)
Sexfist– Can you believe there’s a bluegrass band named after what’s gotta be my all-time favorite activity? (That’s how I keep myself toned and tight, ladies and gentlemen – rumors to the contrary are spread by the ignorant!) Anyway, the band – only in Chicago, I swear! MySpace
Rocktapussy– DJs Chess Hubbard (DJ Mother Hubbard) Jessica Gonyea (DJ A-Cup) and this sounds really good. MySpace
Goblin Cock — Now maybe I’m taking this name in the wrong direction — but I’m not entirely sure this band is actually aware of “direction.” It’s the new band of Rob Crow, you might remember him from Heavy Vegetable. Oh I’m so going to see this one! I was just complaining that I had lost my metal roots. And anyway, who doesn’t love to spend an evening Goblin Cock? Oh, I mean, WITH Goblin Cock? hehehe. MySpace
All of them play in the next few weeks — we’ll see how it stacks up! God I love a shocking good name and music that lives up to it. Last awesomely named band I saw was Holy Fuck and they seriously rocked – read my review here - M.Chutney got me a framed Holy Fuck poster for our anniversary, bless that little wifey’s golden heart.
This blog started out as a fan blog, a place to talk about music I found and loved. It will always be that kind of blog, regardless of how much music is sent my way. But the best music is always gonna be the kind of music you want to FUCK TO. Remember that, darlings. If you can’t get into it, if you don’t want to move to it, cry to it, hold someone while you listen to it, then don’t listen to it. Don’t listen to music that you think will make you look cool. Don’t listen to music that your girlfriend likes and you hate. Don’t listen to music that bores you! Listen to fucking good music. Fuck to fucking good music. Dance to fucking good fucking music. End of rant. Thanks for tuning in.
Now what do I have for you tonight? I’ve been corresponding with my good friend DJ Dollyrocker in London lately. And today in my in-box I coincidently found these two mash-ups that sound very danceable (and that I think Dollyrocker might like)!
You know, nothing is better than a good night in a club, all dressed up, unbuttoned down to THERE! Too much hairspray, not enough sleep, and eyes peeled for that sexy man or woman who you might steal a sweet kiss from, or maybe a lil something more (of course wifey M. Chutney and i agree on the rules at the onset of the evening, hehehe).
Well, fire up the stereo and imagine the disco ball whirling over the twinkly lights to the sound of these: (Dollyrocker, these are for you babes! xoxo)
The Best Ghetto Kids Are Yet To Come mp3Don Diablo
No, Don Diablo is not trying to predict the outcome of the current credit crunch that’s making headlines daily. He did, however, do a 30-minutes mini-mix most recently for a popular UK radio show, including this special mash up: ‘Don Diablo vs MGMT vs Mýa – The best ghetto kids are yet to come’. The next day, his inbox was filled with messages regarding this particular song. Don Diablo: “I got up to 100 emails / MySpace messages from people who wanted to get their hands on this mash-up, which is made up of three different tracks. It includes parts of the opening track of my forthcoming album ‘Life is a festival’ (which should get a worldwide release in the next few months, so stay tuned), parts of MGMT’s ‘Kids’ and Mýa’s vocal performance from Pras Michel’s hit ‘Ghetto Supastar’.” ‘Don Diablo vs MGMT vs Mýa – The best ghetto kids are yet to come’ available for fans only!
That’s Not My Rave mp3Don Diablo
Don Diablo mashes up his label mates The Ting Tings with “That’s not my Rave”, which includes the vocal performance of Katie White & Jules De Martino from their smash hit “That’s not my name” (UK #1) that was featured on their debut album “We Started Nothing”, and includes a forthcoming club banger by Don Diablo, which currently goes under the work title of “Rave Rave Rave” and will be released through all online download portals in the next few weeks. This mash-up, however, won’t get an official release, so grab it now before it’s not your rave either.
Special thanks to Stephan Oorbeek @Muzikology B.V. who granted permission for these tracks.
I opened the mailbox today to find a nifty widget for the Annuals. Well, I’ve not heard them before, I must admit. So these widgets do come in handy. I quite like widgets, you get to hear the song, embed them into your blog, and allow your readers to share them in oh so many ways. But the added bonus of today’s mail was not just the pleasure of discovering the Annuals - whose sound is very twee and indie-good. But to find that they are coming to Chicago next week. And… wait for it…. they’re headlining for someone who I’ve been pining to see and have written in INK already on my calendar. So, what was going to be a good night is now going to be a fabulous night! Listen to this song. I’m on my fourth or fifth round of it, and it’s very catchy, I’m hearing new things in it each time. It’s a big group – a sextet, so there’s naturally layers of sound, gorgeous. Their album, Such Fun came out in October.
And the lovely, achingly beautifully, sad and tender voiced, Jessica Lea Mayfield. I’ve been waiting for her to come tour up north! Do you ever go to a gig not caring who’s headlining? I seem to do that quite often. God, her songs really get under your skin. Acoustic/folk/indie tunes crafted in a way that is memorable and that stand out among the herd of artists of that ilk. Ms. Mayfield has real talent, real vision for her music and well you know what a woman’s voice can do to you… Ms. Mayfield’s does it so well. Her debut album is titled, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt. There’s nothing else I can say, just listen.
Go hear and download more of Ms. Mayfield’s tracks here on WOXY’s great blog, where I first found this great singer.
Hey! Do me a favor, will ya? Just listen to this track. It’s probably not what you expect from the name of this band unless you’re a traditional folk music aficionado. O’death is not a metal band. O’death is not a punk band. O’death is not really classifiable within music genres as we know them. But O’death is a band I need to know a whole lot more about to sate my curiosity for all their weirdness and wonderfulness.
Taking their name from a beautiful old folk song*, O’death is a kind of Rorschach test, you can see in them whatever you will. Do you like gospel music? It’s in there. How about punk? Yep, got that too. Gypsy music, you fancy it? Ok, they have that sound as well! I think this song, given to me by their publicist for your downloading pleasure, might well sum up what O’death is up to lately. But I’m up for some more investigation, …you?
Low Tide mp3O’death from Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin… buy it
The Heartless Bastards’ 2006 release, All This Time was a deliciously dark, clanging, and howling affair. Indie/shoegaze(?)/alternative and just good old fashioned garage-rock tunes with a little reverb thrown in for good measure – I’m in heaven. You know that kind of music just makes me happy. All that heavy bass and punctuated breaks and pauses lead to very emotionally pointed songs.
The Mountain promises to surpass their past accomplishments, and it’s due out February 3. I’ve been given this to share with you, by their publicist. If the title track is any indication, and I trust that it is, we are in for some very interesting music folks!
As you can see, the surprising element of this trio from Ohio is the lead singer, Erika Wennerstrom and her interaction with bass and drumset. Part Patti Smith, part Lelia Moss (The Duke Spirit), Ms Wennerstrom woos you with her aching, twisting vocals. It’s simply gorgeous. And to be fair, not all songs are dark. The title track from their last album shows how rollicking they can be. It’s one of my favorite songs and I feel it gives you a great taste of what they are capable of.
All This Time mp3 Heartless Bastards from All This Time
I’m very much looking forward to this new album, The Mountain (gee, can I get a whole album preview next time, please?) and to seeing them live for the first time at the end of the month here in Chicago. I’ll report back to you, dear readers, xoxoox
1. The Mountain
2. Be So Happy
3. Early in the Morning
4. Hold Your Head High
5. Out At Sea
6. Nothing Seems the Same
7. Wide Awake
8. So Quiet
9. Had To Go
10. Witchy Poo
11. Sway
In support of The Mountain, Heartless Bastards kick off their North American tour January 30. The 30+ shows scheduled include dates where Heartless Bastards will headline as well as shows with The Black Keys, Andrew Bird, and Gaslight Anthem. Don’t miss your chance to see Heartless Bastards perform music from their highly anticipated third album.
01.30.09 - Young Ave Deli – Memphis, TN *
01.31.09 - Martyr’s – Chicago, IL *
02.03.09 - Great Scott – Boston, MA *
02.04.09 - Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ *
02.05.09 - Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA +
02.06.09 - Terminal 5 – New York, NY +
02.07.09 - Terminal 5 – New York, NY +
02.10.09 - Gravity Lounge – Charlottesville, VA *
02.12.09 – Bottle Tree – Birmingham, AL *
02.13.09 - Government Street Grocery – Ocean Springs, MS *
02.14.09 - Last Concert Café – Houston, TX *
02.28.09 - Hailey’s – Denton, TX *
03.15.09 - The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
03.16.09 - Liberty Hall – Lawrence, KS
03.17.09 - Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
03.18.09 - SXSW – Austin, TX
03.19.09 - SXSW – Austin, TX
03.20.09 - SXSW – Austin, TX
03.21.09 - House of Blues – Houston, TX
03.23.09 - Lyric Oxford – Oxford, MS
03.29.09 - Mr. Smalls – Pittsburgh, PA #
04.02.09 - Turner Hall – Milwaukee, WI #
04.03.09 - The Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL #
04.04.09 - Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN #
04.07.09 - The Warehouse – Calgary, AB #
04.08.09 - The Starlight Room – Edmonton, AB #
04.10.09 - The Plaza Nightclub – Vancouver, BC #
04.15.09 - The Boardwalk – Sacramento, CA #
04.16.09 - Slim’s – San Francisco, CA #
04.21.09 - The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ #
04.24.09 - Gothic Theater – Denver, CO #
* Heartless Bastards headlining
+ Show with The Black Keys
Show with Andrew Bird
# Show with Gaslight Anthem
Special Thanks to Myles Grosovsky @ Sneak Attack Media!
Whooo do I have two fun tracks for you today! One of my regular readers, Paul, has been emailing with me for a bit and today he made a request for this song on the blog. It’s such a nice feeling to be asked, thanks! And I accepted right away thinking I must have this song. I’m a huge fan of My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult (TKK). Alas, no. However, Puppet Show came through for us, I knew he’d have it and sure enough… he not only produced it from his vaults, but also another special dance track as well. He’s a huge Tori Amos fan and this, my dears, is a promo-only track, a mix by Andy Gray that he’s been sitting on for quite a while. So enjoy it! Read about it here. It’s got a super long intro and then some voice overs by Tori, not exactly singing, and it’s chock full of outtakes from her songs. If you’re a fan, you’ll dig it. If not, enjoy the goofy goodness of TKK’s “Devil Bunnies.” And remember, “I’ll give you a tune up you’ll never forget!” 
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