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Opeth announce new album name, tracklisting

Matthew Montgomery

Opeth / Courtesy of Roadrunner Records, photo by Michael JohannsonMikael Åkerfeldt, vocalist and guitarist for Swedish progressive metal darlings Opeth, announced today on his MySpace blog that the band, who have released eight full-length albums, are planning to release their ninth effort, titled Watershed in late-May or early-June in 2008 on Roadrunner Records. The track titles, also released by the Swedish giant, are posted below. Also posted below is a “special edit” of “The Grand Conjuration” released for some television show, Headbanger’s Ball, and a compilation they released. It’s a nice introduction to Opeth’s harder sound, but not the best introduction to their melodic side, which I often prefer. Unfortunately, the edit is also shorter, so take that as you will.

Opeth — “The Grand Conjuration” | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/the-grand-conjuration-edit.mp3]

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February 5, 2008 Tags: ,
Posted in Downloads, News No Comments »

Spotlight: The Feminists | Vancouver-based pop rock band to release third LP tomorrow

Matthew Montgomery

The Feminists / Courtesy of Killbeat MusicThe Feminists, a pop rock group reminiscent of mid-1990s power pop — but clearly holding a style they’d like to call their own — will release their third full-length tomorrow, Feb. 5. The album, Can’t Scream Loud Enough, is being self-released by the group.

“21st Century Ghost,” posted below, is a fairly simple, straightforward pop track, but don’t mistake that for a lack of quality: there’s something nice about the guitar pop this Vancouver-based band is producing.

The Feminists — “21st Century Ghost” | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/02-21st-century-ghost.mp3]

The Feminists online

February 4, 2008 Tags: ,
Posted in Artist Spotlight, Downloads No Comments »

Spotlight: Power Pill Fist | Experimental outfit set to release new album, Kongmanivong

Matthew Montgomery

Power Pill Fist / Courtesy of Graveface RecordsIt’s not often something comes along that is actually experimental: Power Pill Fist creates a unique combination of hearty synthesizers and, well, more synthesizers for a sound recalls noise rock, chiptune, industrial, ambient, and so much more. Power Pill Fist, though, isn’t for everyone — not all people equally enjoy being sonically assaulted when they listen to music. I, on the other hand, find it interesting and a nice break from the more gentle, relaxed music we typically spotlight here. A selection of tracks (five of them, to be precise) is posted below for your listening enjoyment or exploration. You pick.

Power Pill Fist will be releasing Kongmanivong on February 23 in the U.S. on Graveface Records. Kongmanivong is available for pre-order on Power Pill Fist’s Web site.

Power Pill Fist — “Chuckanut Drive” | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/chuckanutdrive.mp3]

Power Pill Fist — “Mashed Potato Legs” | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/mashedpotatolegs.mp3]

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February 3, 2008 Tags: ,
Posted in Artist Spotlight, Downloads No Comments »

Spotlight: Dawn Landes | Female folk artist to embark on month-long tour

Matthew Montgomery

Dawn Landes / Courtesy of Sneak Attack MediaDawn Landes, a Louisville, Kentucky native, performs a certain seductive bluegrass-inflected folk-indie style. Her second album, Fireproof, is set to be released on March 4 via Cooking Vinyl. Landes will be embarking on a month-long tour of the eastern United States starting Feb. 6. Dates are posted after the jump.

“Bodyguard,” posted below, is a nice introduction to the style being exercised by Landes; holding up against the influx of female indie artists doesn’t seem something this musician will find much trouble with.

Dawn Landes — “Bodyguard” | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/01_bodyguard.mp3]

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February 2, 2008 Tags: , , ,
Posted in Artist Spotlight, Downloads, News No Comments »

White Hinterland begins North American tour tomorrow

Matthew Montgomery

Winter Hinderland / Courtesy of Dead Oceans, photo by Tod Seelie Casey Dienel — the 22-year old performing a unique combination of jazz and indie as White Hinterland and the subject of a previous MusicGeek.org spotlight — is set to embark on her North American tour tomorrow, kicking off with a performance in Boston. The tour ends with a three-day stint at SXSW, but the final regular tour date, March 4, will see the release of Phylactery Factory on Dead Oceans. Dienel is touring with Taken By Trees, with whom Victoria Bergsman, previously of indie-popsters The Concretes, has been performing.

Winter Hinterland – “Dreaming of the Plum Trees” | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/dreamingoftheplumtrees.mp3]

Read after the jump for tour dates.

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February 1, 2008 Tags: , ,
Posted in Downloads, News No Comments »

Spotlight: American Music Club | Veteran group readies album, North American tour

Matthew Montgomery

American Music Club / Courtesy of Merge RecordsAmerican Music Club, who released their first album in 1985, are preparing to release their ninth full length album, The Golden Age, on Merge Records. The album is set to be released on Feb. 19 in the US and Feb. 4 in the UK, on Cooking Vinyl. Posted below is “All the Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco,” an exquisitely crafted indie pop track that holds a certain amount of energy beneath its mellow demeanor.

American Music Club — “All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco” | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/sanfrancisco.mp3]

Read after the jump for purchase links and North America tour dates beginning in April.

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Spotlight: Panther

Matthew Montgomery

Panther / Photo courtesy of Kill Rock Stars, photo by Ingrid RenanPanther’s thumping dance-funk-indie-rock (on a more funky side of the spectrum than, say, The Faint; rather more in the vein of !!!) is a thing to behold. With a sound that ranges in influence from Tower of Power to Pavement, these two guys (Charlie Salas-Humara, of The Planet The, and Joe Kelley, of 31 Knots) produce engaging, interesting music that’s liable to induce dancing, or something a little like it. “Puerto Rican Jukebox” and “Violence Diamonds,” both posted for listening and download below, are excellent examples of the band’s addicting style. Panthers will be releasing 14 KT GOD on Kill Rock Stars on Feb. 19.

Panther — “Violence, Diamonds” | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/violence-diamonds.mp3]

Panther — “Puerto Rican Jukebox” | download
[audio:http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/01puertoricanjukebox.mp3]

Purchase 14 KT GOD from Kill Rock Stars

January 31, 2008 Tags: ,
Posted in Artist Spotlight, Downloads No Comments »

Music Geek #6: Appearance of “Superfriend” serves as a nice Weezer refresher

Matthew Montgomery

Matthew Montgomery wears funny glasses in a Cedar City, Utah park.It was in 2001 — six-and-a-half years ago — that I first heard tale of Weezer’s mysterious opus, Songs From the Black Hole, a project that frontman Rivers Cuomo had spoken of very little and much hype had arisen behind as a result.

It’s 2008 now, and still, there are several songs from the never-finished concept album that have yet to see the light of day. One of those, until sometime in the range of one month ago, was “Superfriend,” a track that had gained some notoriety on Weezer fan message boards, particularly the Rebel Weezer Board and the Rivers Correspondence Board, which I read voraciously but kept my posting to a minimum, for better or worse.

At any rate, the track quickly became a thing of legend, with only a very select few having actually heard it — and the track certainly wasn’t floating around the mass of information that is the Internet (or bootleg trading circles, for that matter) for easy listening purposes.

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Posted in Music Geek by Matthew Montgomery No Comments »

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