Since their formation in 2004, and a widely applauded debut album and series of performances at the South by Southwest festival, Glasgow, Scotland's indie pop band Frightened Rabbit has emerged in greater frequency on music websites and blogs in the past few months, largely based on their new sophomore release The Midnight Organ Fight.

MP3: The Modern Leper - Frightened Rabbit

The digital version of the album was released this week and CD version of the album will be officially released on April 29th on Fat Cat Records.

- Frightened Rabbit interview with Stereogum
- MySpace: Frightened Rabbit
- Pitchfork review of The Midnight Organ Fight
- Elbo.ws review and tracks off Frightened Rabbit's new release

According to the band's record label:

Frightened Rabbit's performance and interview from this year's SXSW festival will feature on Rockfeedback TV on CH4 on 19 April...and 25th April.

Labels: 2008 Indie Releases, Frightened Rabbit

This week's indie music playlist features recent releases from musicians and groups that are creating buzz among the music bloggers.

The single "No One's Gonna Love You" by Band of Horses appeared on their latest album released almost six months ago. Yet, it wasn't until yesterday (March 19, 2008) that the single was 'officially' released.

The psychedelic and Middle Eastern influences of The Ruby Suns is apparent on their latest single and The Helio Sequence returns with a new single after a four year new material drought (but the wait was worth it for HS fans).

Each of this week's songs and the artists who created them were selected not just because they are recent notable releases, but their unique talent and important contributions to the silly thing we like to call 'indie' rock, aka independent music, helps keep the spirit, freedom and creativity of music alive in an age when overly polished and marketed music dominates the mainstream media.

Check out these free and legal MP3s from Band of Horses, The Ruby Suns, The Gutter Twins, The Helio Sequence, What Made Milwaukee Famous and Steve Malkmus and the Jicks.

MP3: The Ruby Suns - Tane Mahuta

MP3: The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead

MP3: Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You

MP3: The Gutter Twins - Idle Hands

MP3: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks -Baltimore

MP3: What Made Milwaukee Famous - Resistance St.


Stay tuned for a complete band profiles of each of this week's playlist winners or subscribe to the feed to get them as they are published.

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Note: Musicians, bands, promoters and labels, please submit CDs and music to review to POB 722, RE, CA 95044. To leave a comment, please click on the Post Comment link.

Labels: 2008 Indie Releases

Riding on the sails of their 'critically acclaimed' debut album Humanimals, San Diego's indie trio Grand Ole Party has announced a slew of concert dates with indie rockers Rogue Wave and punk old-timers New York Dolls (do they get MediCare?) for the month of April with a final show in San Francisco on May 3rd.

Question: Is this band really good enough to tour with the likes of Vampire Weekend, Rilo Kiley and Rogue Wave? (I don't think so, but you be the judge.) Plus, the name; that's the best they could come up with? GOP? Maybe they'll get a spot at a McCain rally.

Grand Ole Party: "Nasty Habits" [mp3] from Humanimals

Grand Ole Party's April/May Concert Schedule

April
2 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
3 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr
4 Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge
5 Nashville, TN - The Rutledge
6 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
7 Mt. Pleasant, SC - Village Tavern
11 Boston, MA - Paradise #
12 New York, NY - Fillmore at Irving Plaza #
15 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church #
16 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club #
18 Chicago, IL - Schubas #
19 Chicago, IL - Schubas #
20 St. Louis, MO - Gargoyle Club #
22 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre #
24 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room #
27 Indio, CA - Coachella

May
3 San Francisco, CO - The Fillmore #

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Labels: 2008 Indie Releases, Rogue Wave

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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Labels: 2008 Indie Releases, Cat Power, Chan Marshall