Charlotte & Magon met each other a little over a year ago at an airport in Tel-Aviv. In just two weeks, the pair composed nine songs based on their love for each other and turned it into an album called Love Happening. Other than the obvious meaning, Love Happening is a reflection of music of the 60's and 70's, when artists spread their work in the streets. The music of Charlotte & Magon features catchy melodies, energetic rhythms and groovy guitars, all based on their love for each other.mp3:
Charlotte & Magon: Website • MySpace • Digital downloads available via Amazon
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The more you(& I) listen to this, the more you(& I) like it. King Khan And The Shrines are bringing the sweat-soaked soul explosion known as What Is?! to American shores on April 21 via their friends at Vice Records. Fresh off a mini-US tour and a predictably wild SXSW, Khan and his Shrines are set to return to the states in support of the record at the end of this month. It's musicial chaos at its finest!mp3:
King Khan And The Shrines: MySpace • Buy via Vice
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This is The Mary Onettes first single in in two years. Written in isolation and partly recorded in a church, Dare ends up as their most uplifting song to date. Imagine a Swedish equivalent of The National on a diet of speed, Planet Earth DVDs and Go-Betweens singles. Their EP is due for release on April 29th.mp3:
The Mary Onettes: Website • MySpace
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The timelessness and sheer beauty of Melissa McClelland’s voice fills her highly anticipated third album, Victoria Day. Beyond the vintage guitar tones and retro feel of the album, it is Melissa’s classic, ageless, brazenly genre-flouting voice that enraptures. Her impressive on-stage backing vocal history attests to this pure talent; Melissa has been invited to sing with Jesse Cook, Sarah McLachlan, and husband Luke Doucet, and was the single guest vocal appearance on Blue Rodeo’s lauded Live at Massey Hall in 2008. Victoria Day will be available on April 14th.mp3:
Melissa McClelland: Website • MySpace • Watch Six Shooter Records for the release
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Rocker Ariel Aparicio recently released a cover of the Psychedelic Furs’ classic “Pretty in Pink.” The cover takes a new twist on the ‘80s rock classic by adding a string section and infusing Ariel’s Bowie-esque sound. Ariel covered the song not only because of his love for the Furs, but also because he thought it to be the perfect vehicle for spreading optimism and hope amongst women battling breast cancer. Ariel’s close friend of twenty plus years was diagnosed in May 2005 with stage III breast cancer, and today can call herself a survivor. This inspired him to partner with the Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and donate proceeds of $.54 cents from each iTunes sale of the single during the entire month of April. You can contribute here, and feel good about it, too!• • • •
To celebrate the new releases of Michael Zapruder 'Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope' and 1090 Club 'Natural Selection', SideCho is giving away an exclusive package to one lucky person. You will receive a copy of Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope, Natural Selection, Michael Zapruder t-shirt, posters from Michael and 1090 Club, and more. All you have to do is sign up for the SideCho Records newsletter by emailing contests@sidecho.com. Michael Zapruder 'Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope' and 1090 Club 'Natural Selection' is now available through iTunes, your local record store, and through the SideCho Store. Every order through the SideCho Store comes with a special SideCho Records sampler download. Registration deadline is April 17th.• • • •
We've got one of those streaming widget things for you to sample the new album by Metric, Fantasies. The killer vocals belong to Emily Haines, and the "album that began its life as an acoustic jam session in the bucolic woods outside Seattle ends in a cartoon orgy of bloodshed in some mythical arena that exists in the darkest recesses of Emily Haines’ mind." That's one hell of a unique description, but that's only fitting as it's one hell of a unique album. Listen to it as often as you like, I promise you won't get tired of it. Release date is April 14th, as is available for purchase here.
that Zapruder and 1090 club contest sounds like a sweet deal. they both got a good feel of making their own distinct sound.