Well, I’m still getting adjusted to the new routine and I am tardy in posting the new music reviews. I shall endeavor to more punctual. Now that my apology is out of the way, let’s talk about New Music!

I started the show with Cathy Davey. This Dubliner rarely embraces the conventional. The best way to describe her style is alternative pop. The major labels sought her after even before she ever played live. And she confesses she never listens to music; she prefers drawing, writing or watching television. I find it compelling. See what you think, it on her myspace page. From her album TALES OF SILVERSLEEVE, I played “Rueben.”

One of my favorites of this week is the latest by the Watson Twins. Who apparently made enough of an impression backing Jenny Lewis on her RABBIT FUR COAT release, that they scored a record deal. The sisters, Chandra and Leigh combine elements of folk and country to come up with their accessible sound on their latest album FIRE SONGS. I played “How Am I To Be.” However, the song from the disc that is getting the most attention is their very clever cover of the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.” I must confess, I am such a fan of the original…there’s no topping it, but it’s a smart rendition.

On the fun, and lighter side of things, is the new one from Kelly Alvarez. She is the power pop queen of San Diego, CA. She also plays in band called Wild Weekend and runs a record label called Sweet Tooth Records. The material is not deep but it gets your toe a tapping and there is a sense of humor in the lyrics. Take a close listen to Kelly’s latest single called “Hesher Boyfriend.”

Another feminine voice to be reckoned with is from Imelda Ray. I played “Johnny Got A Boom Boom,” the lead off track from Imelda May’s new disc entitled LOVE TATOO. She refers to herself as “Dublin’s Finest Rockin’ Diva.” I have to tell you, I’m digging her style and she’s going to be making it into the Uptown Blues Party playlist. That show now airs on WMFO, Friday’s from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. Check it out in the air on 91.5 FM or on line at www.wmfo.org.

Also worth mentioning, keeping in the same musical vein, is this duo out of London, England known as Congregation. I found this pair while searching on line and was immediately taken by their modern take on an older style. Victoria Yeulet, who handles the vocals, seems to be channeling an old-timey blues maven and, because of my affinity for the Blues, i.e. the Uptown Blues Party; these guys speak to me. The latest effort is a self-titled release and there are several gems on the disc like, “I Was A Fool,” “Feel Like Crying” and this one I played; “Hard To Bear.”

Another act that deserves some attention is the latest from a band called One For The Team. The new album is BUILD IT UP. They were founded by Minneapolis singer/songwriter Ian Anderson (not to be confused with the frontman of Jethro Tull). The disc is only available digitally and won’t be out in stores until August 19th. I played the lead off track “Apples.” But also worth mentioning is “Best Supporting Actor” and “You Know Culture.” This disc just seems to me, to be just perfect for the summertime.

An older favorite of mine is back with new material is Tilly And The Wall. They are out of Omaha, NE and have had a little influence from Conor Oberst, aka Bright Eyes. More like former band mates really. Their original claim to fame is the unorthodox approach to percussion: forsaking the traditional drum kit for the amplified tap shoes of dancer Jamie Williams, and hand percussion supplied by vocalists Neely Jenkins and Kianna Alarid. This is their fourth full-length release and simply called O. I pulled the track “Falling Without Knowing”

A couple quick mentions:

M83’s SATURDAYS = YOUTH and the track “Graveyard Girl.”

The Feelings Mutual snappy alt. Pop track “Ring Me Out” from the self-titled EP.

And lastly is “All Parts Of Me” from Love As Laughter. It’s off the album HOLY. (It reminds me of old Police.)

It was a good week. I wish they could all be like this.

Well, it’s been a while but I’m back into the swing of things. I have relocated to Boston and I am working at WMFO, 91.5 FM in Medford, which is just outside of Boston proper. I leave behind a lot of great relationships with the wonderful folks at WTMD. From Steve Yasko, to Mike Matthews, Erik, Melissa, John Matthews and all the support staff, it was a great ride.

Now on to the new music…the new show is called The Music You Might Otherwise Miss, not that you weren’t familiar with the name, but this is a two-hour show and it had to be more than just a “New Release Show.” So for the first hour it’s new releases and the following hour is an eclectic mix of indie, alternative and roots music. Just listen…you’ll get it.

I started the show with The Donots. (Pronounced Do-Nots) They consider themselves a punk/rock band. The name punk band seems out of time to me now but these guys originally formed back in 1993 in Germany, so when they entered their music style on their myspace page, it probably seems the right reference. Anyway, The name of the band came into being by chance: The bassist of the band, Jan-Dirk Poggemann wanted to name the band like the pastries donuts, but he wrote the name the wrong way by mistake. The other band members liked the name, because they found their philosophy in the name (donots = do nothing, like slackers), so they retained the name. They just released an EP, STOP THE CLOCKS, and I played the title track.

I also played the latest from the Five O’clock Heroes. This band came together when British citizen Anthony Ellis met Elliot Thompson in a bar in New York back in 2003. They picked up the bass player Nader, another Yank, and went through several drummers until they decided that they needed another Brit to balance and vary the band. So they went to England and picked up Sam Embery. To me, the music sounds like reggae infused rock but the boys in the band prefer a post-punk sound description with flares of early 80’s New-Wave, like the type you would get from Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello. The tune I played was just released as a single and if you never heard this band before, you wouldn’t know that the female lead was guest vocalist Agyness Deyn. I also recommend you check out their album BEND TO THE BREAKS. It made my top-ten CD’s of 2007. Oh, I almost forgot the name of the song. It’s “Who.”

Moving the music in a different direction with the new material from KaiserCartel, which are Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel. Now I’ve been a fan of Courtney Kaiser since the release of her debut solo effort, IN THE GARDEN, back in 2004. Her earlier work had a simpler feel to it but in her partnership with Cartel and the production of Matt Hales, makes this a much richer product. The disc is MARCH FORTH and I had a couple of choices of what to play. Tracks of note are “Favorite Song,” “Okay” and the one I did choose, “Oh No.”

Check out the new music from Martha Wainwright. I played “You Cheated Me” and it’s from her new album I KNOW YOU’RE MARRIED BUT I’VE GOT FEELINGS TOO. Boy, that’s a mouthful. This is her second full-length album and it seems Martha has gotten in touch with her inner ‘Cheesecake.” The promotional shots and album cover shows off her lovely and curvaceous figure.

And speaking of attractive, talented women; Priscilla Ahn, she released her full-length debut, A GOOD DAY. I really fancied “Red Cape.” I actually found her at the tail end of 2006 when she released and independent, self-titled EP. It had “Are We Different?” and “I Don’t Think So,” which the latter gets another chance to be heard on the new one.

If you get the chance, check out the new one from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. It’s called PERSHING. I played “Heers.” Also worth mentioning is “Modern Mystery.” It’s just good, intelligent pop music and a good listen all the way through.

Lastly is the band Carolina Liar, which is essentially Chad Wolf. His strange and serendipitous tale led him from Charleston, South Carolina to Los Angeles where he was an extra in a Celine Dion video, a songwriting intern to Diane Warren, and landing a house-sitting gig with famed Swedish record producer Max Martin. That last stop, at Martin’s house, led to a trip to Sweden, hooking up with back-up players and the recording of this new album; COMING TO TERMS. I’m summarizing, due to time limitations, but it’s a great story. I played the leadoff track and “should be” single, “I’m Not Over.”

I’m off next week but I will be doing a show on Friday, July 4th. I mean, come on…it’s our country’s birthday. It needs good music. The show is available on line. Some folks were having trouble getting the show via i-Tunes or the Media Player. It was working when we checked on it later. Please try again. I’ll start broadcasting a little earlier to get the signal going. I find the i-Tunes route a bit easier. So, I will see you in two weeks.

Please check out my new CD Compilation, The Uptown Blues Party, Vol. 1. It’s available for sampling and purchase on my website and at CD Baby.com.

It was another great week for new material plus you get a heads up on music that has not been released yet. Get the scoop here and now.

Let start the blog out in an electronic direction with Alternative Pop trio out of South London called The Shortwave Set. Their debut album, THE DEBT COLLECTION was released in 2005 to very positive reviews. Unfortunately, the love of the critics did not transfer into record sales. However, they did win the admiration of Danger Mouse and he pulled out the producer’s chair on The Shortwave Set’s sophomore effort, REPLICA SUN MACHINE. Technically, the disc is not out until May 5th but I wanted to give you the jump on it. The tune I played is called “No Social.”

And I followed it up with “Nylon Smile,” a new song from the Bristol, England based band Portishead. They are named after a town just outside of Bristol. That would be great. “Hey, where are you from.” “I’m from Portishead.” Anyway, the trio that makes up Portishead is better known for their “trip hop” style but they moved toward a softer, more mysterious place after an eleven year hiatus with the new album THIRD.

I had a chance to sample some music from Newton Faulkner. He’s known as an adult contemporary singer songwriter, which is a fine – but sometimes dry description. On the tune I played last night, “Gone In The Morning” he expresses a wonderful sense of humor. Newton will be out promoting his new album HAND BUILT BY ROBOTS check out his myspace page for dates.

I started the show off off with a violinist, singer/songwriter and bandleader, Jenny Scheinman. Her history is with the Brooklyn Jazz scene. She’s worked with Nora Jones and Sean Lennon. She has a passion: the passion for exploring all styles of music. On her latest, self-titled release Ms. Scheinman delves into the folk and Americana genres and she does a fine job. I fancied the Blues Folk inspired cover of Jimmy Reed’s,“Shame Shame Shame” and the one I played…an alt. Country tune called “Come On Down.”

Next is the soul of Jamie Lidell, soul music that is. You know, he must have been listening to a lot of Motown before he wrote the music for this album – simply known as JIM. Any of his music would pair well with Amy Winehouse, Gabriella Cilmi or Duffy. The tune I picked was “Where D’You Go?” You know, I almost made him the show’s lineage because I really liked the title song to his album, MULTIPY, which gained some notoriety due to being included in a Grey’s Anatomy Soundtrack CD. If you haven’t heard it – check it out and groove on some neo-soul.

Another grooving sample is the fantastic new release from Maryland’s own Eric Hutchinson. I chose “You Don’t Have To Believe Me” and it’s from SOUNDS LIKE THIS. Eric’s music career sounds like a VH-1’s BEHIND THE MUSIC episode. He was originally signed by Madonna’s label, Maverick Records, and just when he was ready to launch, Maverick records became involved with a lawsuit that effectively shut it down, leaving Eric in a lurch. He was able to extricate himself from the legal mess and start over as an indie. This record, which is a good one, is a product of his determination. I like stories like that.

Flipping back once again to the folk side of things a new artist, Steve Pilgrim. He’s an acoustic artist from Liverpool, England. I found him online while doing some casual research so I hate to say it, but the music is not yet available in the US and technically it’s only available on line in the UK. His new collection is called LOVER, LOVE HER and it’s absolutely lovely. I played the title track.

Keeping the folk theme going here with a indie folk singer songwriter from Grums, Sweden. His name is Thomas Denver Jonsson and his style favors M. Ward or Bright Eyes but sometimes I hear a little Neil Young. This is his debut album and it’s titled THE LAKE ACTS LIKE THE OCEAN. Right now it’s only available in Europe and it’s an independent release, so if a label doesn’t pick it up…I don’t know when it’ll get here. The track that got my attention: “You Were The Holiday.”

“Worthy Of Your Esteem” is the latest single from Hayden. He’s a talented folk, singer/songwriter out of Ontario, Canada. The new disc is called IN FIELD & TOWN. He is just finishing up a US tour where he’s been opening for Feist. That’s a good booking. He is scheduled to return to the US in June to start his own tour.

Last, and certainly not least is Neilson Hubbard. Neilson collaborated with Matthew Ryan to form the band Strays Don’t Sleep. Ryan also has a new album out and TMD has been spinning “American Dirt,” which is a good song but my PD scooped me so I took a pass for my show. Back to Mr. Hubbard…I played “All The Rain” and it’s from his new album I LOVE YOUR MUSCLES, which I think is a fantastic name for an album. The title track is also worth mentioning.

Send me an email if you’d like the actual song order. When all the show’s songs are played in context, it sounds wonderful. I designed it sonically for flow and consistency.

Speaking of flow and consistency, check out my new compilation CD – The Uptown Blues Party, Vol.1. It’s available on CD Baby. Buy it. Help out a struggling artist. ;^)

Greetings. What an engaging week in new music. The styles were quite varied too. So without further adieu…let’s take a gander.

I’d like to start out with a band out of the Seattle, WA area called Fleet Foxes. Mike Mathews, our Program Director, played this for me last Thursday and I really wanted to let you know about them right away. The album, RAGGED WOOD is not due out until June. The song is “White Winter Hymnal” and the harmonies and the texture of the song are bewitching. I am looking forward to listening to the rest of the album.

Last night I played “The Fix,” a new song from the Manchester, England based band Elbow. They described their music as “Prog Rock without the solos.” The new album is titled THE SELDOM SEEN KID and it’s a well-crafted, thoughtful piece that, unfortunately, won’t get any mainstream airplay, which is why Public Radio is so important. Another track worth mentioning is the cheeky “Grounds For Divorce.”

Let’s keep things moving here with a tune from Jukebox The Ghost, who will be visiting us next week for our inaugural First Thursday, May 1st. I am really looking forward to it. The new album is LET LIVE & LET GHOST and it is filled with cleverly penned, piano based tunes. Invariably they will be compared to Keane, which is fair enough, but Jukebox has more of a whimsical feel to their music. I played track number two, “Hold It In.” Check the tune out on their myspace page, it should get your feet moving, or at least your head. Another track worth mentioning is “Good Day.”

I must mention the latest from the six-piece band out of Melbourne, Australia; Cat Empire. I just like these guys. They do a great job of blending jazz, ska, funk and rock with heavy Latin rhythms. Have you ever noticed the Cat Empire Logo? It’s a cat’s eye with a crown on top. They just call it “Pablo.” There are so many good tracks on this CD but I can only play one on the show and I chose the title track, “So Many Nights.”

Billy Bragg is back. He has had a long and successful career. He’s tracked well in the UK charts but never really got above a cult following here in the US. His latest effort is MR. LOVE & JUSTICE and it’s probably his best work since DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME. The selected single here in the States is “I Keep Faith,” but in the UK it’s “O Freedom,” which takes on the serious subject matter of individual rights versus keeping a society safe. That’s probably a wise decision by the record company but I found “O Freedom” quite poignant. So I played that.

New music from a different direction is the new release by Rachael Davis. I played track number nine, “Music Sunday” and it’s from her new album ANTEBELLUM QUEENS. If you go to her myspace page you can download several songs, including that one. Rachael is just getting started on her music career. She is from Park Lake, MI and just signed with Fox On A Hill Records. She leans toward the Folk and Americana genres and plies her beautiful voice well within them. Another track of note is “While The World Is Sleeping,” a great Sunday morning, drinking a cup of coffee, while reading the newspaper, song. Did you get all that?

And finally we will finish with Big Head Todd & The Monsters. The album is ALL THE LOVE YOU NEED and I played “Under A Silvery Moon.” But there are many fine choices on this disc such as: “Her Own Kind Of Woman,” “Blue Sky” and “Ever Since Ya Pulled Me Under.” This trio built its reputation and career on touring. They actually released this music for free to their fans back in January. It’s all part of their marketing strategy and it works for them.

There were other selections as well and I will list them:

Flamingo Crash “It’s Mystery Music” TRIANGLE ISLAND

Bon Iver “Skinny Love” FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO

Jordan Zevon “The Joke’s On Me” INSIDES OUT

Ladytron “Seasons Of Illusions” VELOCIFERO

Adele “Chasing Pavements” 19

When all the shows songs are played in context, it sounds wonderful. Send me an email if you’d like the actual song order. I designed it sonically for flow and consistency.

Speaking of flow and consistency, check out my new compilation CD – The Uptown Blues Party, Vol.1. It’s available on CD Baby. Buy it. Help out a struggling artist. ;^)

It was a fantastic week for new music. The content was diverse and of excellent quality. I usually listen to the whole show before it airs and I listened to this grouping three times. Well, let’s climb inside and give it a road test.

I opened the show with Boston area folk singer/songwriter Kris Delmhorst. In making this album Kris locked herself away in a rural cabin. She had minimal recording gear and a house full of instruments. What she came up with is a fine effort indeed. The album is titled SHOTGUN SINGER and it holds some fine folk tunes, like “To The Wire” and “Birds Of Belfast.” But she also reaches in to the Triple A realm with the really catchy “1000 Reasons.” Check it out for yourself on her myspace page.

Coming in now with an alternative folk style is the new disc from AA Bondy. The double A stands for Auguste Arthur. He was the former frontman of an Alabama grunge band, Verbena. Verbena went through several band changes until its demise in 2003. Bondy then retreated to his Catskills home in Upstate New York and began writing songs again but with an indie-folk sound. It’s been a good change for him. Check out this track, “Lover’s Waltz” from the album AMERICAN HEARTS.

Keeping in the folk-ish vein is with an evolving band from Irvine, CA, they are called Thrice. They started in the Post-Hardcore and experimental rock style but with the release of part two of the ALCHEMY INDEX: VOL 3 & 4, they are delving into the alternative folk genre. That may tick off fans of their early work but I found this track quite inventive and refreshing, it’s called “The Earth Isn’t Humming.” You can sample this track on their myspace page.

Last night, as my lineage, I played the Weepies, who are Deb Talan and Steve Tannen. They both started their pop folk careers as solo artists but they met at Tannen’s concert in Boston while he was supporting his debut, Big Señorita. They ended up being admirers of each other’s work and started writing songs together immediately, and soon the Weepies were born. In 2003 they issued the eight-song EP, Happiness, and two years later were signed to Nettwerk. The new album, HIDEAWAY, is technically their sophomore release and it has flavors of their previous work and touches of new territory. Let’s get you started with “Takes So Long.” As the second song of the lineage I played “A Painting By Chagall,” which is one of my personal favorites.

Moving to the diverse side of the show is the new release from Rupa And The April Fishes. Now, I have to admit this is a funny name. Rupa Marya fronts the band, writes and sings. She’s a triple threat. The Fishes apparently change with some frequency. Rupa refers to her style as “musica sin fronteras.” Which literally means music without boundaries. With this, I do agree. It is genre defying. The new album EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION pulls from all her backgrounds. She is of Indian decent, lived in the US, France and India. The song I picked for you tonight is called “Maintenant” and it has the feel to it that it would fit well in a movie soundtrack. See what you think, it’s the first track on their myspace site.

I also had the chance to play a track from the new Dianne Reeves CD. The new disc is WHEN YOU KNOW and I chose “Today Will Be A Good Day.” Ms. Reeves is probably best known as a vocalist. And nine of the ten songs are covers, some of which are quite familiar. Like “Lovin’ You,” made famous by Minnie Ripperton, and “Just My Imagination” by the Temptations. However, Ms. Reeves penned “Today Will Be A Good Day” and she credits her Mother as coining the sentiments of the refrain. She should write more.

Not to be slighted by any means by this order of artists, check out the new album from the Kooks. . They named themselves after the song on David Bowie’s Hunky Dory. The boys met while attending Brighton Music College in the mid-2000s. Each shared a liking for the Police, the Strokes and the Everly Brothers. That sounds just about right. The new disc is called KONK and I featured trace number one, “See The Sun.”

Last one, that I’m writing about is the oh-so familiar voice of James McMurtry. On the new disc, JUST US KIDS, he gets quite political, which is easily picked up on the track “Cheney’s Toy.” But politics asides, McMurtry is a talented lyricist and he paints a vivid picture with his songs. I fancied “Hurricane Party” and I could see it getting some serious airplay.

There were other selections as well and I will list them:

Griffin House “Live To Be Free” FLYING UPSIDE DOWN

Hilary McRae “Let’s Stop” THROUGH THESE WALLS

Anna Ternheim “To Be Gone” HALFWAY TO FIVEPOINTS

When all the shows songs are played in context, it sounds wonderful. Send me an email if you’d like the actual song order. I designed it sonically for flow and consistency.

Speaking of flow and consistency, check out my new compilation CD – The Uptown Blues Party, Vol.1. It’s available on CD Baby. Buy it. Help out a struggling artist. ;^)

Well, after being off for two weeks it was great to get back into the studio and produce another installment of the New Release Show.  Let’s check out the best music of this week.

First is the new album from Duke Spirit.  Last night I played “The Step And The Walk” and it’s from their new album NEPTUNE.  This album is easily my favorite of the week.  On this disc they blend rock, blues and grunge to make an edgy but accessible record.  There isn’t a standout, radio ready song but the project as a whole is excellent.  One track moves into another and you think, “Wow, this is even better than the last song.”  Well, that’s what I think, but that really doesn’t matter.  It’s in the ear of the beholder.

Included in my opening set was the latest from a sharp new album from Tapes ‘n Tapes.  It’s titled WALK IT OFF and I selected “Conquest.”  These classic Indie rockers hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is a great music town, by the way.  They will be featured on Conan O’Brien tonight.  You know you’re getting somewhere when you’re on Conan.  This is a really fine effort.

I opened the show with a Brit-Pop quartet out of Oxford, England.  Supergrass is their name.  Formed in 1993 they were clearly influenced by the popular music of the day; groups like Blur and Elastica.  They also had an affinity towards Elton John and the Beatles.  The interesting confluence of inspirations affected these young gentlemen; two band members were still in their teens when they recorded their first single.  Well, they’ve matured over the years with dipping into the darker realms with their 2005 release ROAD TO ROUEN.  But with this album, DIAMOND HOO HA, the boys have returned to brighter days, melody-wise, that is.  A good sample is a “Ghost Of A Friend.”  It has an up-beat Squeeze feel to it.  You can check out other songs of theirs from the new disc on their myspace page.

Moving the music in a different direction with the quieter style is a tune from the British Band who goes by the name Junkboy.  The three main characters are brothers Rich and Mik Hanscomb, along with Ryan Oliver.  I found these boys on line through a UK website.  I read that they had an album coming out and I checked out the samples on their myspace page.  It turns out the disc is not yet scheduled for release in the US.  So I contacted them directly and I received it just last week…so you truly are getting the scoop on an artist that has not been played in the US, at least until last night.  From their album THREE I played “There Is A Light.”

And lastly is the latest from Was (Not Was).  These boys from Detroit had their hay day back during the Reagan era.  Lead by Dave Was, actually Dave Weis, he writes those crazy lyrics.  His “brother,” Don Was, really Don Fagenson, writes the music. The two singers that bring it all to life are Harry Bowens and Sweet Pea Atkinson.  You’ve heard Sweet Pea on vocals on “Chance At Love” by Pat Boyack on the Uptown Blues Party.  That is IF you listen to the Uptown Blues Party.  I hope you do.  Anyway, after a long time away from the music business Was Not Was returns with BOO!  And I played “Semi-Interesting Week.”

Also, speaking of the Uptown Blues Party, my new compilation Vol.1 is available to purchase on CD Baby and samples can be had at my website www.tksmusic.com.  Check it out.  I’ll see you all again next week.

I made a playlist for my massage therapist friend. She’s always going on about how important breathing is so I made her a music compilation of songs having to do with Breath, Breathing or Breathe. I pulled music from my own library and researched it on line.

The list is as follows:

"Breath" by Anna Nalick from WRECK OF THE DAY;

"Breathe In" by Frou Frou from DETAILS;

"Breathe" by Melissa Etheridge from BREATHE - THE SINGLE:

"Breathe" by Michelle Branch from BREATHE - THE SINGLE:

"Breathe" by Keller Williams from BREATHE:

"Breathe" by Tristan Prettyman from TWENTY THREE:

"Breathe" by Andy LeMaster & Maria Taylor from LAGNIAPPE: A SADDLE CREEK BENEFIT FOR HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF:

"Breathe Again" by Toni Braxton from TONI BRAXTON:

"A Breath Taking Guy" by The Supremes from DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES ANTHOLOGY:

"Last Breath" by The Mad Caddies from JUST ONE MORE:

"Last Breath" by Ballyhoo! from DO IT FOR THE MONEY!:

"Breathe" by No Justice from NO JUSTICE:

"Breathe" by Rose Falcon from ROSE FALCON - EP:

"Just One Breath" by Devics from PUSH THE HEART:

"Breathe" by W.A.S.P. from STILL NOT BLACK ENOUGH:

The CD has gone over so well I have had requests for more. Any suggestions?

It’s another big week in new music. Step inside to check out some new and worthwhile material. It was an interesting show last night. I had music from around the world (France & Malta) and from across the USA. (Plymouth, Maine; Denver, Colorado, Brooklyn, New York) That diversity shows in the varied style and pace of the show. Let’s jump in.

Easily my favorite this week is Devotchka. These guys are fantastic. Their sound moves from gypsy folk to alternative to intellectual rock; resembling the Blue Nile. I was a big fan of their 1984 release A WALK ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS. That album had "Stay," "Tinsel Town In The Rain" and "Heatwave" I played "The Clockwise Witness" but I had several choices such as: "Basso Profundo" and "Transliterator." Good Stuff. I really enjoyed the strings and horns along with the cleverly layered arrangements.

A close second is the new one by The Rustic Overtones. They are a rock/jazz/funk septet from Portland, Maine active from 1993-2002, that recently reunited. The positive outcome of that reunion is the album LIGHT AT THE END. Sometimes they sound like Dave Mathews; sometimes Brett Dennen, but it is a nice collection of tunes. They have an East Coast tour planned so maybe you can check them out live. I played "Troublesome." It’s a great song and download worthy. And check out "Valentine’s Day Massacre," they changed the album’s pace on this one and added the thoughtful touch of female back up voices. Well done.

Next are the Beangrowers. They are a three-piece rock band from the Mediterranean Island of Malta, which is a beautiful place by the way. The new disc, NOT IN A MILLION LOVERS, is delightful. And because all three members are songwriters, it is also quite diverse in its sound. They have achieved minor notoriety in Germany from their first EP released in 1999 and had a number 7 record in New Zealand in 2001. That #7 song is "Jose Clemente" and it is off their full-length, self-titled disc. I hope with the release of this album on the Minty Fresh label, The Beangrowers will become more popularly known. But see what you think while you check out "Quaint Affair," "Available" and the track I played last night, "Machine." It’s a solid disc.

Moving the blog in a different direction with the quieter style of She & Him, which is an American indie folk band consisting of actress Zooey Deschanel on vocals, piano, banjo and musician M. Ward handling the guitar and production. Zooey has acted in the films THE GOOD GIRL, ALMOST FAMOUS and the Sci Fi production called TIN MAN , which was a take off of the Wizard Of Oz. M. Ward needs no introduction, if you listen to WTMD. Anyway, She & Him is a pleasant listen with the track "Why Don’t You Let Me Stay Here" and the one from last night, "This Is Not A Test."

I received two phone calls during the show on this artist, which is unusual. The singer/songwriter responsible for my flurry of phone activity was Erica Wheeler. She is originally from Maryland but now lives in Western Massachusetts. As a child she was exposed to traditional folk and bluegrass. Then as a young adult attending college in Amherst, MA she came to find an affinity to the natural beauty of her surroundings and it’s now expressed lyrically in her latest effort GOOD SUMMER RAIN. Check out the buzz on track number seven "Lucky In Love." See what you think.

A couple of EP’s I want to mention and I’m grouping them together because of their brief auditory duration. First is The Morning Benders. They are a rock/pop quartet out of Berkley, CA and fresh off a trip to the SXSW music festival in Austin. They also have a gig up in Philadelphia in May. They are opening for the Kooks. I’m sure that will help boost their exposure. Their new CD is actually an EP made up of three songs. I played the lead off track and it’s called "Waiting For The War," which also happens to be the name of the disc. Second is "Wait For The Summer," the latest single (and EP title) from Yeasayer. This four-member band is out of Brooklyn, New York and received national attention from their appearance at last year’s SXSW. The boys describe their music as "Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel." It doesn’t sound like that would make sense but when you give it a listen, it’s kind of like…yeah okay…I see it now.

Last, but certainly not least, is the latest from edgy, alternative rock band Be Your Own Pet. From the album GET AWKWARD, I played "You’re A Waste."  You know, I almost made them the show’s lineage* because I really liked their self-titled, debut release and the song "October, First Account," in particular. Other songs of note off the new disc are "The Kelly Affair," which is the official single, and "Black Hole." Be warned, these guys have no qualms about using explicit language.

*The lineage feature is: I like to focus on one artist for New Music Tuesday and play a new song from them and then one from their past. It’s always a little fun and adds some perspective to an artist’s career.

I’m off next week but I snagged the B-52’s and the Waybacks new discs so I’ll be making some notes for you. Until next time. The show’s full playlist is available on line at wtmd.org.

Happy New Year and welcome to the first BLOG of 2008. I missed a couple Tuesdays due to the Holidays but I am raring to go and tell you about the new music for January.

Let’s start with one of my favorites of the week. Liam Finn . If the last name sounds familiar, it should. Liam is the son of Neil Finn of Crowded House and Split Enz fame. I’m sure that has to be a giant shadow in which to perform but he does a fine job with his debut effort, I’LL BE LIGHTNING. I had a difficult choice picking just one track. I ended up playing "This Place Is Killing Me," but I also fancied "Better To Be" and "Energy Spent." Good stuff.

Another goodie is an indie rock quartet out of Conshohocken, PA, right outside of Philly. They have since relocated to Brooklyn, NY. It’s amazing to me how many artists settle in Brooklyn. It’s quite the music Mecca these days. Anyway, back to Marah . These guys have been at it since 1993 and now have seven studio albums under their belts, which is why they are perfect candidates for a lineage. The new disc is ANGELS OF DESTRUCTION, it also made my favorites list of this week with dynamite tunes like the poppy "Santos De Madera" and the reflective "Songbirds." I chose the title track to play.

One interesting group that caught my attention, and that I started the show with, was a band out of Melbourne, Australia. They are called the Smallgoods . Their new album, DOWN ON THE FARM, tells the story of an escape from the hectic city life to seek supposed solace in the country through jaunty folk songs, dark ballads and gentle psychedelia. The track I played is called "Driving Song" and it must be about the escape part. It begins with a frenetic instrumental and changes to a slower pace about a minute in, and then the vocals start. It"s quite clever.

Let’s keep things moving here with another band out of Philadelphia, The Clamor . They are an unsigned band, so far, but are getting noticed by the on line press. This is a quote from "The Magazine," an internet based music rag out of California. They say, "Bands often resemble the city from which they come. Philadelphia’s The Clamor is the perfect example of a band that is a product of their environment." It’s a straight-ahead, beat oriented rock with a little bit of history to it and a leaning to the modern. The album is called BEGINNING and I played "Little Girl."

If you like your music on the "pop" side, check out U.S.E., which stands for United States Of Electronica. The song I played is from their self-titled debut, which was originally released in 2004 in hand-painted packaging, stirring a strong underground buzz, resulting in the record being picked up and earning them support slots for acts like Ted Leo , The Hold Steady and Death Cab for Cutie . It’s their first single off the disc; it’s called "It Is On."

On the rougher side is a band out of The UK, London to be more precise. They are The Electric Riot . They describe their music as, "hypnotic, downbeat, disco, trouble rock with no money and no rules." I like that characterization. I couldn’t say it any better. All I can say is that this song, "Direct Debit" really caught my attention. It’s from the album KINGDOM.

In the more mainstream zone is the new one from the Drive-By Truckers , now sans Jason Isbell . The album is BRIGHTER THAN CREATIONS DARK and the songwriting talent continues with Hood and Cooly. Technically, the album will not be available until January 22nd, but why not give everyone a taste. That taste, by the way, was called "Self Destructive Zones." (You see, I did a zone thing there.)

Join me live every Tuesday at 8 PM on 87.9 FM in the Baltimore Area, everywhere else it"s available on line at wtmd.org .

Also, please join me this Friday night at 7 PM for the Uptown Blues Party. It is three hours of up-tempo; blues based music to get your weekend off to a great start.

The Uptown Blues Party Vol. 1 CD is out and available for sale at CDBaby.com . Check it out.

Normally during this time of year the flow of new music dwindles. So once a year, during the holiday season, I put together a show of newly released holiday music. I’ve been collecting it since September and I found some great material. It is also a labor of love because I make a holiday CD every year for family and friends and I use this year’s material to make next year’s compilation. Well, enough of that and let’s jump into the new material with a jolly ho, ho, ho.

My favorite tune is a single released by a fun band out of the UK called Bo Pepper and they put out the best holiday themed single this year; it’s "I Haven’t Got You Anything (This Christmas)." They put out a pretty good EP back in April of this year with the catchy title track, "Blink And You’ll Miss It." They seem to have a thing for sock puppets. Videos for both of these songs contain the amusing hand entertainers and are available for viewing on their myspace page.

The second runner up is also a single from the hard rockin’ and cynical Christmas song "Money In A Card" from the Camp Jam Allstars . You know, I heard that cash in a card is becoming fashionable again. Gift cards were the rage but people misplace them or don’t shop at the store where the gift card came from. If any one wants to give me cash, I’m cool with that.

I started the show with an artist called Mud II . Like most of these seasonal songs this one is a re-release but it has such a catchy beat, I thought this would be a great way to kick off my themed show. The song is "Holly Rocks" and it’s off the EP – WHEN HOLLY ROCKS.

One thing to note is that Christmas songs are notoriously short. I fit in a total of 16 songs in a one-hour show. That’s crazy.

My favorite full album release is from Mindy Smith . I played her original holiday tune, "It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)." The album is MY HOLIDAY and she really put together a fine product. I also fancied her renditions of "I’ll Be Home For Christmas" and "What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve."

Another well-known artist, KT Tunstall , stepped into the holiday recording arena. She recorded a six-song EP of Christmas covers called HAVE YOURSELF A KT CHRISTMAS. I played "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." She also performs "Mele Kalikimaka" and Chrissie Hynde’s "2000 Miles." She sounds just like Chrissie on that track too. I think I would have liked KT try her hand at an original tune.

A couple quirky little songs caught my attention. The first is from a Canadian singer/songwriter who is also a songwriter for hire. In fact she prefers the latter. Her name is Daphna Kalfon . However, I landed a two-song EP from her: simply titled Daphna. I am assuming she is using this disc to show off her diverse songwriting talents because this selection is the most unusual one of tonight’s show. My only concern about the song is one piece of the chorus let doesn’t really come through and it’s too bad because it is clever. It is as follows: "The Yule Tide Log; and The Rum And Eggnog; and The Tie-On Reindeer Antler On The Family Dog." I find that funny because I’ve done that antler thing with my pug, Moose. He’s never forgiven me. The second artist is known as Mozella , whose real name is Maureen McDonald. She penned an original holiday tune and released it as a single. It’s called "The Best Gift" and it has an old timey quality to it, which I liked, but see what you think because it’s available for free on her myspace page.

Just a couple of mentions:

"My Baby Fell For Ol’ St. Nick" by Dada (Ante Portas)

"She Whispers The Winter Snow" by The Autumns

"Let It Snow" by A Fine Frenzy

Lastly, is a pleasant seasonal song from Robbers On High Street simply entitled "Season’s Greetings." It is available for download on their myspace page. That truly is in keeping with this season of giving. Well, done boys.

If special seasonal sounds are your thing tune in Friday night for a special Uptown Blues Party – Holiday Edition. It’s three hours of toe-tapping holiday based music to get your Christmas weekend off to a fantastic start. Check out wtmd.org and listen live from 7:00 to 10:00 PM.

I’m off for the next two Tuesday’s, so I’ll meet up with you in the New Year.