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
So what does a band that’s been together since 2002 do (really, Wiki? are you sure?) on their self-titled debut LP? They kick it out like a pro, that’s what! Seriously, this is a band to watch. The tracks on their MySpace page range from beautiful, sweet-voiced melodies to gut-wrenching more serious affairs. Ryan Karazija is a joy to listen to, his voice never grows tiresome because this quartet knows how to showcase his range of emotion and vocal capacity. I’m hugely impressed, can’t wait to see them when they come to Chicago on May 8, and if you like a little indie/pop you really must get over to their MySpace and become convinced as I have to buy their debut release!
Here’s what Sneak Attack has to say about them, as if you needed additional endorsement! Pfft!
Audrye Sessions arrived when bassist Alicia Marie Campbell met Karazija, who was gigging solo in coffee houses after his previous band split up. His early musical loves included the Beatles, Metallica, Michael Jackson, Radiohead and Oasis. But Karazija’s true love has always been slow-churning melodies (“My heart beats slow,” he says), and when he hooked up with the Björk-adoring former model Campbell, it was time for a change. Looking for more players, Karazija hit Craigslist and stumbled upon Michael Knox, who answered a seeking-guitarist ad by announcing he didn’t have a guitar. The band’s current drummer, James Leste, has been part of the lineup since 2007 and Knox says they’re an eclectic little family now. The outfit picked up the moniker Audrye Sessions from a commercial for a CD burner that happened to be on the television when a venue called demanding a name.
Audrye Sessions shows off Karazija’s unbelievable command of melody and the band’s ability to channel his vision into masterful rock songs. First single “Turn Me Off” is actually darker than listeners would expect: “I was watching a show where James Gandolfini interviews people that have come back from war,” Karazija says. “There was one guy who lost his eyes and his life has completely changed. He has these awful dreams and doesn’t want to be alive. The song talks about being so messed up that you want to be shut off.” Karazija, who’s been known to text friends with complete songs he’s composed in the car so he can remember them, writes music before words, but knows his spontaneous writing process works just fine: “I’ll wait for lyrics to happen, and one day I’ll find something perfect.”
4/21 Nashville, TN – Exit In
4/22 Athens, GA – 40 Watt
4/23 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
4/24 Richmond, VA – The National
4/25 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
4/26 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
4/29 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
4/30 Cambridge, MA – Middle East
5/01 Rochester, NY – Water Street
5/02 Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Small’ s
5/03 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
5/05 Pontiac, MI – Eagle Theatre
5/06 Columbus, OH – Skully’s
5/07 Covington, KY – Mad Hatter
5/08 Chicago, IL – Subterranean
5/09 Minneapolis, MN – Station 4
5/12 Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre
5/13 Salt Lake City, UT – Avalon
5/15 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
5/16 Vancouver, BC – Biltmore
5/17 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
5/21 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
5/22 San Diego, CA – Voodoo Stage @ HOB
5/23 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
5/24 Tempe, AZ – Clubhouse
5/26 Austin, TX – Emo’s
5/27 Dallas, TX – The Loft
5/28 Houston, TX – Walter’s
5/29 New Orleans, LA – Spanish Moon
5/30 Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s
5/31 Atlanta, GA – Bottletree
6/02 St. Petersburg, FL – State Theatre
6/03 Orlando, FL – The Social
6/04 Orlando, FL – The Social
… dire consequences will result. Crying fits? Can’t walk from the kitchen to the couch without spilling your coffee anymore? Not sleepy and even when you do sleep, you wake up every hour just to make sure the clock’s recording the hours still? Yep, those are sure signs you’ve been taking TWO tablets of what you thought were only 150 mg. but in fact were now 300 mg. The kind pharmacist had made it easier for you last week and you only needed ONE tablet.
oh.
I’m sure I’ll be evening out any day now. If you got a whacked out email from me recently, uh… ooops. (and yeah, I know calling people who take anti-depressants “crazy” is wrong, but come on, the song titles were too good to pass up, get a sense of humor folks!) xoxo
The crazy girl mix
Pillbox mp3 The Cure Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities, 1978-2001 … now why don’t I listen to The Cure more often? Someone out there, please remind me once in a while, ok? Yeah, it’s dated, but I still love that crap….. buy it
Crying Jag mp3Tilt Been Where? Did What? Tilt is one of those punk bands that is simply a joy to listen to. Their song writing range might not have been wide but they boasted good lyrics, and a female vocalist with a cool name (Cinder Block, wow, just wow) and a gorgeous voice. Yeah I’m a sucker for that…. buy it!
Crazy on You mp3Heart Dreamboat Annie Ok, I know, you kids are thinking “What is up with this MILF and her stupid 70s tunes?” …. I added the MILF part to make myself feel better, it’s all the pills, ya know. But honestly, listen to Anne Wilson’s voice on this song! A classic rock anthem and still fresh, I swear….. buy it.
Crazy In Love mp3Novi SplitPink In The Sink Yeah, this is just to quench my insane love for cover songs. It’s an outrageous cover of Beyoncé and you should really hear it. It kinda made my day. ….. buy it.
Psycho Killer mp3Talking Heads from the Heatwave Festival, 08/23/80. I found this over on the wonderful Chicago music blog, The Leather Canary.
What the heck are you doing here this weekend? Update: Uh yeah, I was so excited, I got a little ahead of myself… as Uncle Drunky said in the comments, the debut is on Feb. 28 Get over to WOXY.com immediately and give a listen to good friends Drunk Country and The Woman of the House as they dig into their new home at Cincinnati’s own internet radio station. Honest to god, I’m so proud to bring this news to you — if two folk deserve anything good like this more, I certainly don’t know of em.
I met Drunk Country over on Matthew’s blog, Song by Toad. He’s a regular commenter there, and a knowledgeable person on what’s hot in music and what interesting music is happening in both the UK and the US music scene. He and Matthew, with their podcasts, have turned me onto some wonderful artists and broadened my perspective on folk, indie, pop, and just really good music of various sorts that honestly I wouldn’t have bothered with.
The Waiting Room isn’t just about indie, it’s not just about music from the UK or Wales (even though they are based in Cardiff) so don’t let that turn you off, if you’re not feeling up to date on current trends in that area of music, darlings. You’ll find just great music here and interesting chatter to back it up as well. I’m tuning in, I have no idea why you’re reading this instead of going over there!
This song is from The Waiting Room’s podcast, two weeks ago. I knew you all would love it as much as I did. I think you’ll find The Waiting Room a bit nasty/tasty, so enjoy!
[edit: that's the winning poster, folks! pretty cool, eh?]
How cool is a poster contest? Just about the only thing cooler is a truly stellar band playing their album all the way through live! Well, Decemberists fans, you’re gonna get both. Wow. That’s not all… the show also features The Avvet Brothers and The Heartless Bastards. Wow, wow. Here’s the info that popped in my box today from my friends at Sneak Attack Media.
On March 18th, The Decemberists will give the debut live performance of their epic new song cycle The Hazards of Love when they headline NPR Music’s SXSW showcase at Stubb’s in Austin. To mark the occasion, Capitol Records (who will release the album on March 24) and Imeem are inviting fans to design the official poster for the showcase with a contest — the winning design will be hand-picked by the band and contestants can enter (and hear “The Rakes’s Song”):
As previously announced, The Decembersistswill play The Hazards of Love, in sequence, in its entirety. Joining all five members of the band on stage will be Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden, who lend leading vocals to the album. Opening bands are North Carolina trio The Avett Brothers, set to debut songs from its forthcoming album produced by Rick Rubin, and bluesy rockers Heartless Bastards, riding the success of its third record, TheMountain. The concert will begin at 10pm CST and will be streamed live, archived and podcast on NPR and will be available for broadcast on NPR Member stations across the country.
THE DECEMBERISTS ON TOUR
May 19 – Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA
May 20 – Fox Theatre – Oakland, CA
May 21 – McDonald Theater – Eugene, OR
May 24 – Wilma Theatre – Missoula, MT
May 26 – Fillmore Auditorium – Denver, CO
May 27 – Uptown Theater – Kansas City, MO
May 29 – Riverside Theater – Milwaukee, WI
May 31 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
June 1 – Lifestyle Communities Pavilion – Columbus, OH
June 3 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
June 4 – Memorial Auditorium – Raleigh, NC
June 5 – The National – Richmond, VA
June 6 – Tower Theatre – Upper Darby, PA
June 9 – Bank of America Pavillion – Boston, MA
June 10 – Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY
June 11-14 – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival – Manchester, TN
“In Motion sprang to life around 1988. Three school friends, Liam Ryan, Alan Kelly and John Duff, were drawn together by a love of similar music and attempted to master their instruments (well kind of) in a Crumlin shed.”
And so began the tale of a once-forgotten Irish band which made a really wonderful album in 1994. I’ve been listening to it for days now, and as Kevin over at Indiecater Records says, it is “a magical piece of work.” His label has re-issued it in an entirely remastered format AND with two additional songs. Honestly, if you like indie-pop-shoegaze-jangly type music, you will really dig this album by In Motion.
The band describes themselves as coming from the DIY atmosphere of the early 1990s in Ireland, lots of bands producing lots of EPs and 7″s. Here in the States I remember getting cassette after cassette at gigs a few years before that, it was getting easier and easier to put out your own music, venues were inexpensive, genres were blurring in amazing ways. And yet the indie movement in music production was increasingly becoming more narrowly defined as guitar/jangly/folk-based rock instead of purely by DIY kids doing whatever they pleased and thumbing “The Man.” In either case the energy was there!
The Language of Everyday Life is smooth and happy and self-reflective in much the same way that popular indie music is today. Maybe it’s just me, being a child of the seventies, but I don’t find this sounding old or dated. “Honey Sweet Soul” has jangly pop bits, flowery harmonies and energetic bass beats that a band like Arizona could perform with happiness. The opening track, “Until My Dreams Come True” is pure flighty joy. I have to say, “When Will You Come Back” is my favorite. Layered with sound, this song is sad and bittersweet. Horns, guitars, a piano and a synthesizer, countless other sounds don’t drown out the melancholy vocals. It just all works.
More upbeat songs, “Hollow Blow,” “Filter,” “It Takes A Long While,” and “Five and Twenty Thousand Dollars” are wonderfully danceable. And very Irish, I have to add. The short guitar solos are well crafted, the vocals are gorgeous. Yes, at times there’s a hint of Cranberries, and not in a bad, sick-to-death-of-them way at all. There’s something about the discordant harmonies of that time and place in this music. This is an album that really does deserve a reissue, a remastering, a new generation of fans. Let that generation be you. xoxox
Hollow Blow by In Motion The Language of Everyday Life
buy this over at Indiecater for only 4 euros, that’s about $5! ….. P.S. you can also stream the album over there first! That’s pretty cool, eh?
Enjoy this awesome song, the band has been described as having a “cocky swagger” sound by the Onion AV club. And you all know what a sucker I am for a description like that!!!
I quite agree, the album is pure Americana, solid bar band, rock-n-roll. On this great debut I hear a little Dylan, a little Tom Petty or Rolling Stones and a whole lot of great bass beat mixed with twangy guitar just the way I like it. I’ve also heard they put on an awesome live show so catch them as they’re touring now. I’m hoping they get up here to Chicago cause I can’t wait to see them perform “Cold Floors!” That fucking rocks, dayyyumm! If you’re going to SXSW do not miss this band.
So this DJ I met gave me a CD of some House music he plays. He doesn’t mix himself, but he’s made a great compilation of about an hour of music he plays at the club where he has a regular gig every week. I’m flattered that he’d think I’d be interested after a few conversations about music, as you all know what a dilletantte I am. I guess I bluffed bullshitted delved into my limited knowledge of House music enough to make him think I’d appreciate it. And I do, it’s cool stuff! I was honest with him about how my real love is in industrial music, and told him about Ayria, whose latest album was in my top 10 for 2008. Clearly a reciprocal mix tap is necessary.
Well making a mix tape is addictive. (ok, it’s a CD but “mix CD” just doesn’t trip off the tongue does it?) You really want to share it. With everyone. Thank god I’ve got a blog or I’d be foisting it on all my friends and the cute girl who works down at the corner coffee shop and that adorable butcher at Costco who keeps flirting with me. What is it about butchers? They all love me, honest. Something about raw meat and me….
Anyway, here’s my “Ayria and Stuff” mix, enjoy! …. oh and these won’t be up here long, go buy these great albums and support the artists.
(and my DJ friend, if you find this post and put two and two together I trust you to keep my identity secret as I will yours, xx)
Love ThrillsXymox Headclouds CuttingAyria Flicker The Gun SongAyria Hearts For Bullets – (go stream it on allmusic.com) Suck It UpAyria Hearts For Bullets – (go stream it on allmusic.com) Queen B (Narcovice Mix)Puscifer V is for Viagra – The Remixes Post Apocalyptic Girl Ayria Flicker (CD2) ShiftAyria Debris FLooRi.D.A. (Three A. M.’s A Dub For Strangeways) Rabbit In The MoonFLooRi.D.A. Just Another Long Shot (Glis Mix – Epsilon Minus)Ayria Hearts For Bullets It’s Your LifeXymox Headclouds
I got this cool email today from Sneak Attack Media, promoting School of Seven Bells. It described what’s going on so well that I just pasted it here for ya. So I can’t take any credit for it, thanks Jessi!
“In School of Seven Bells’ music, a human element lurks behind a veil of technology and noise; Toby Holbrooks’ video for the Brooklyn trio’s “Half Asleep” follows suit, depicting real-life twin vocalists Alejandra and Claudia Deheza as earthbound beauties, while complicating their image through sped-up film, gauzy overlays, and brightly colored, weather-like disturbances. The clip conjures a sad, surreal feeling that sticks with you long after the images fade.
“The first thing that popped into our heads was the word ‘lush’,” says director Halbrooks of brainstorming for the video for “Half Asleep.” Indeed, “Half Asleep” – the first single from School of Seven Bells’ full-length debut Alpinisms, out now on Ghostly International – is a perfectly woozy take on dream-pop, a haze of melting guitars and electronic vapor trails pinned to the Dehezas’ interlocking harmonies.
Come this Tuesday, 2/17, Ghostly International will release School of Seven Bells’ “Iamundernodisguise” as 7″ vinyl and digital download. A sinister electronic calypso marked by ping-ponging percussion and one of the Deheza sisters’ slinkier melodies, “Iamundernodisguise” teases out School of Seven Bells’ darker side within the parameters of a concise, catchy pop song.”
ConnjurSchool of Seven BellsAlpinisms Half AsleepSchool of Seven BellsAlpinisms
No sense in beating around the bush here. I’ve been feuding with the world lately. The cable company who’s screwed up my channel lineup and can’t seem to figure out the problem is making me hate every person in every call center in every part of the world. The phone company who’s unable to explain why my iphone goes completely black 1 outta 4 times when I remove it from my ear to push in additional numbers (impossible when the electronic keypad won’t appear!) has pushed me over the edge. Even the beautiful weather here in Chicago is pissing me off with its sunny warm days, all I get is a major migraine from the barometric pressure drop. There’s only one place to turn to when you feel as cranky as I do (aside from under the covers): violence.
HomicidePunk You!, Vol 1: Music for the Discerning Slacker by 999 Can you believe 999 is still around? One of the founding bands of Punk, banging it out since 1976, 999 is still touring and had an album out in 2007, “Death in Soho”, visit their site here.
You’re Gonna DieToo Hot To Be This Coolby The W.I.N.K.S. No, this isn’t the Winks who are from Montreal, it’s another band entirely, which you will instantly see when you hear what these wild women are up to. Unfortunately I fear they have broken up. The only info I could find is here. No MySpace. No website. I’m bummed.
Death 2 EveryoneWe Are Yatsura by Urusei Yatsuri were an awesome band out of Glasglow named after a Japanese manga (comic), no they’re not Asian, Urusei Yatsuri all Scottish lads and they made a really right on racket. Here’s their site.
Shut UpStill Not Getting Any… by Simple Plan is your typical pop-punk band (read POP-punk) and hails from Montreal. Yeah, I dig the pop-punk scene in all it’s teenybopper angst. It’s catchy as hell and somehow it fits that kind of mood when you just want to sing along at the top of your lungs. I sing this one to myself when I get in my own way by letting those voices in my head get me down. Simple Plan’s MySpace.
O Bondage, Up Yours! Germ Free Adolescents by X-Ray Spex I know I’ve featured this single before but hey, it just doesn’t get better than X-Ray Spex. And no one has a better female voice in punk rock than Poly Styrene. No. One. Ever. Feminist/anti-capitalist anthem of a generation, this song almost gets me out of my want-to-kill mood, … almost.
Broken Bottles Everywhere by Kill Kill Kill And one final selection to bring you down (in a good way). Kill Kill Kill is a band I found just yesterday on Twitter. It’s funny that way. You end up with followers sometimes based on what tweets you send, and after a particularly hectic morning I tweeted about having a song in my head that I couldn’t shake and expressed myself by saying “kill kill kill.” It must have triggered their radar somehow and the rest is history. So chill out to some math noise/rock/pop. And let me know what you think of Kill Kill Kill from LA who gives their music away and takes donations for charity.
Buy links are on the album names, go buy these albums even if the bands don’t exist anymore for the simple fact that they’re good.
Fridays sometimes simply call for Journey. They just scream out for Steve Perry’s over-the-top vocals, his leonine toss of hair, and his oh-my-god tight pants (!) Yes, in the car on the drive home today, with bright winter sun glaring off the snow, I sang at the top of my lungs the following lyrics with wild abandon.
Ooh, ooh anytime that you want me
Ooh, ooh anytime that you want me
Ooh, ooh anytime that you want me to
Ooh, ooh anytime that you need me
I’m standing here with my arms a mile wide
Hoping and praying for you
Listen to me and enlighten me
I hope that you need me too, cause,
Ooh, ooh anytime that you want me
Ooh, ooh anytime that you want me
Ooh, ooh anytime that you want me to
Ooh, ooh anytime that you need me
Give me all of your sunshine
A spark is all I need
To take away, all of the shadows
Well what more can I say.
Anytime at all
Anytime at all
Anytime at all
deep isn’t it? Well, you may scoff, but just listen to how Steve Perry belts that out and how amazing the harmonies are, and the guitars grind. No other band that I know of, save Led Zepellin, sounded better live than they did recorded than Journey. This band was the band to see and I’m kicking myself for not seeing them when I had a chance in my youth. As this album shows, Journey came alive on stage, they showed off just what great musicians they were. Not schmaltzy love songs, not vocal showmanship, but good old fashioned rock and roll with great bass lines and awesome guitar solos was what made Journey what it was. The shame is that they are remembered for the over-produced “hits” that saturated the MTV era airwaves.
Get out your air guitars, clear your throats, get in your cars and sing along to these two gems, back to back. And happy Friday, go find someone to love tonight darlings xoxox!
So this DJ I met gave me a CD of some House music he plays. He doesn’t mix himself, but he’s made a great compilation of about an hour of music he plays at the club where he has a regular gig every week. I’m flattered that he’d think I’d be interested after a few conversations about music, as you all know what a dilletantte I am. I guess I 
Fridays sometimes simply call for 
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