New Track

Walk Along is the newest CD by the Mickeys, two sisters who write and sing songs of hope that things will get better. They write of the importance of small things even when the world seems to come crashing down. Julie Peebles and Amy Sherman not only co-wrote most of the songs, but performed all vocals. Their stage name is their maiden name and the album is released on their own label.

"Caroline" opens the collection.

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First off this week I want to apologize to you, my loyal readers. Things are patchy right now due to the fact that my father is at his end and things are a bit unpredictable round the place. (Not that unpredictable is abnormal for me, but at times it's minute to minute.)

However that does not mean I haven’t had the chance to listen to the latest batch of releases of all types.

(More about Music Reviews: Ted Nugent, Beehover, and Trinicria…)

The Girls are actually five guys from Seattle, and their second release on Dirtnap Records, Yes No Yes No Yes No expands on the group's rousing new wave revival  formula. They incorporate a bit of the Cars and Devo into their sound, a little too faithfully at times. At least that’s the first thing you think of after listening to the opening notes of “Where Wolves Drink,” which would give even a couch potato energy to get up and pogo.

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Valentine’s Day — you either love it or hate it. It makes sweethearts swoon and others want to stab fat cherubs with a bow and arrow. Between the chocolate hearts, the red roses and the teddy bears shoved in our faces, the holiday stirs up a cocktail of emotions: happiness, despair, jealousy, grief, sadness, desire …

MTV News has all your mood swings covered.

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LOS ANGELES — Amid all the parties surrounding the Grammy Awards last weekend, it’s hard to imagine someone who seemingly attended all of them — Ne-Yo — having enough energy to host a concert after the big show. (He’d even hosted a “midnight brunch” on Saturday night and performed two nights in a row.) But that’s exactly what the man did on late Sunday night at Club Nokia, finishing the seemingly endless weekend off in style with a stellar performance.

(More about Ne-Yo Rocks L.A., The Ladies And Omarion At Post-Grammy Concert…)

Chiefs at Spotify, the music streaming service that allows users to listen to music free, generating money from advertising, have announced that they will add “over one million” new songs to their library after signing a deal with independent music distributer CD Baby. The deal will mean that songs by artists who have had material distributed by the company, including Regina Spektor, Gary Jules and Jack Johnson, will be available to listen to on the service.
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Things had been silent from the Dirty Vegas camp for 4 years now, the trio seemingly collapsing into a black hole after two albums and several classic singles including the Grammy Award winning Days Go By (you remember the clip, the one with the breakdancing dude!) After their self imposed exile the band are now set to return, announcing a new record deal with Mark Knight’s rapidly expanding Toolroom Records empire. Mad
(More about International News: Dirty Vegas reform for new album…)

Two-time Grammy nominated composer and arranger Frank Macchia has put together quite a little crew for himself, collecting five of Los Angeles’ best saxophonists and adding former Weather Report drummer Peter Erskine for an extravaganza of epic proportions that can only rightly be called Saxolollapalooza.

Macchia, who’s a hell of a saxophonist in his own right, joins Eric Marienthal, Gene Ciptriano, Sal Lozano, Jay Mason, Erskine, and Bob Sheppard for this woodwind-plus-drums force of nature.

The resulting album, the aforementioned Saxolollapalooza, is a blast of white hot energy sparkling with pithy reverberation and exquisite arrangements.

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Epic Records has announced that Amanda Ghost – singer-songwriter who co-wrote James Blunt’s ‘Your Beautiful’ – is its new President. The US label, which is owned by Sony, is home to the likes of Pearl Jam, Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse and Good Charlotte. Ghost is perhaps most famous for penning Blunt’s 2005 global hit ‘You’re Beautiful’, and helping the singer to get signed by showcasing his material to record labels.
(More about James Blunt songwriter becomes boss of Pearl Jam, Franz Ferdinand label…)

"Every Scratch, Every Click, Every Heartbeat": The reference is to Elvis Costello's song "45" which, to oversimplify matters, conflates music and life. All the same, "Bass and treble heal every hurt" and though this series doesn't feature the dreaded soundtrack to my life, it might be said that each entry spotlights "a song to sing to do the measuring."

Here, I explore the sheer exuberance of Van Morrison's "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)."

…I'm so wired-up
Don't need no coffee in my cup…

Ridiculous and sublime.

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