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Valentine's Day Indie, Alternative and Rock Songs of Love with Artwork from Milk

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

This amazing illustration (above) is the work of a stunning Tucson artist simply named Milk. Her gallery of semi-avante garde artwork intricately blends elements of classic art styles with symbols of modernism that often reflect the darker and more disturbing side of love, loneliness and apparently substance abuse. Milk's art is simply memorizing, and it is no surprise that she is a favorite among indie bloggers, 'underground' artists and digital art enthusiasts. Milk rises above the sea of wanna-be artists and stakes her claim - even if it's with a pitchfork or a needle - as an accomplished, brilliant artist at a caliber worthy of being presented at trendy art galleries in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Paris, Tokyo and London.

Now on to the playlist of Valentine's tracks. For a number of years, I have been building numerous playlists categorized from alt country to world music, and every other possible category/theme in between - punk/hardrock; feel good; interstate; bad girls; acoustic; live; dark; pop, etc.

Most of the playlists published on IRC feature indie and alternative rock artists and bands. In December, IRC ran an extremely popular series of alternative Christmas song playlists, so it makes sense to do the same for Valentine's Day weekend 2008.

The following tracks recall 'first times', relationships, break-ups, broken hearts, jealousy, longing and everything else that falls under the umbrella of love - or, if you will, "lovabyes".

Lovabyes is a play on words of course - well more like a made-up word - meant to represent the highs and lows of love without being too cynical. You may have not heard many of the songs on this playlist, and if you have, you really know your indie, alternative, rock and pop music.

Watch out for many more upcoming playlists, including the upcoming "They Stood Up" - a collection of indie and alt songs to pay tribute to Black History Month, Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama and countless others who have fought for what is right, just and moral.

Now, for the love of music and the music of love, IRC presents:

Indie Love Songs 2008, Playlist I

Bright Eyes - I Will Be Grateful For This Day

Lucky Souls (website) - Add Your Light To Mine, Baby

Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken

Broken Social Scene - Lover's Spit

Bill Richinni - Angela

Architecture in Helsinki - Heart It Races

The Clientele - I Hope I Know You

Jens Lekman - And I Remember Every Kiss
(photo, bottom left)

Josh Rouse - It Looks Like Love

Beirut - Postcards From Italy


Add the Feed Me Indie feed to get Indie Love Songs II and many more playlists throughout 2008.

Other recent posts:
- Cat Power's new release Jukebox, MP3s and concert tour
- Bonnaroo music festival, line-up and tickets
- The low-down on Coachella: Tickets, line-up, maps, camping

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Cat Power's Newest Release "Jukebox", MP3s, Concert Dates and Videos

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Have Cat Power fans been let down by the band’s newest release, Jukebox? Some have been, but the honest music critic has to appreciate the bold step, especially since, in my opinion, the final result is that it's another step-up in the career of the mysterious Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power).

For starters, Jukebox, officially released on Jan. 28, 2008, is a bland title for such an inspiration work, but it makes sense in the end because the tracks represent a cross-section and blend of music genres from blues to jazz and soul to country.

The feel of the album is much more like a tour de musique of Americana than the hauntingly anguished sound that made Chan (pronounced "Shawn") so beloved in the alternative and indie music community. Moreso, Jukebox demonstrates Chan's maturation musically, lyrically and spiritually.

With a set of songs ready to go, Chan marshaled together some of the finest musicians in soul, blues, jazz and country music, coralling folks like Jim White, drummer for The Dirty Dozen, Matt Sweeney of Chavez, Judah Bauer of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, members of the Dirty Delta Blues Band, and others.

The biggest question of all may have been answered when Gregg Foreman, who played piano and organ on Jukebox with Chan, and is currently on tour with Cat Power, was asked by the Philadelphia City Paper to shed some light on the “grittiness” of the sound on Jukebox compared to their previous works.

Foreman acknowledged a shift in sound from the brilliant release MoonPix - an album filled with hearting-wrenching, melancholic songs of failed love - and put it this way:

Yeah, well, we've had a few complaints from fans that want to hear [more of the sound found on Moon Pix]…It'll take time.”
As for Chan’s feelings about the “new” sound, Foreman said:

“She's happy. There hasn't been one show where she's left the stage. She's smiling. The "old sad Chan" is nowhere to be found. And this album's the biggest-selling CD in Matador history. She's blessed.”

Download, listen and upload to any MP3 player the following free and legal MP3s off of Jukebox, curiousity of the great Matador Records:


MP3: Cat Power – "Song to Bobby"
MP3: Cat Power – "Metal Heart"

- Cat Power's official website (I think this is the official site)
- Matador Record's Cat Power profile
- All Music Guide's profile of Cat Power

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