Portugal. The Man

Portugal. The Man is an experimental indie rock four-piece centered on frontman John Baldwin Gourley’s abstract musical approach and corresponding upbringing. He was raised in a sort of technological isolation: his log cabin home in the winter wasteland of the fringes of Wasilla, AK was powered by a generator and had no telephone. Both of his parents helped completely immerse him in the unique lifestyle that comes with a land of seasonal darkness and perpetual cold with their jobs as dog sled mushers. Gourley’s innate curiosity and individual spirit combined with a fascination with science fiction and experiences of homelessness create a distinctly transcendent sound that is always open to interpretation and change. The current lineup consists of John Gourley (lead vocals/guitars), Jason Sechrist (drums), Ryan Neighbors (keys/synths/backing vocals), and Zachary Carothers (bass/backing vocals). The members of Portugal. The Man (with the exception of Jason and Ryan, who both grew up in Oregon) were all born and raised in Alaska. This is "Guns and Dogs" off of their fourth release entitled The Satanic Satanist.

www.portugaltheman.net

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Tom Petty

Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr. and Muddy Wilbury. He has recorded a number of hit singles with the Heartbreakers and as a solo artist. His music, notably his hits, has become popular among younger generations as he continues to host sold-out shows. Throughout his career, Petty and his collaborators have sold 60 million albums. Tom Petty was born and raised in Gainesville, FL, and attended Gainesville High School. His interest in rock and roll music began at age 10 when he met Elvis Presley. Petty overcame a difficult relationship with his father, who found it hard to accept that his son was "a mild-mannered kid who was interested in the arts" and subjected him to verbal and physical abuse on a regular basis. On May 17, 1987, an arsonist set fire to Petty's house in Encino, CA. The fire caused $1 million in damage but firefighters were able to salvage the basement recording studio and the original tapes stored there, as well as his Gibson Dove acoustic guitar. His signature gray top hat, however, was destroyed. Petty later rebuilt the house with fireproof materials. This is "Southern Accents" off of the album of the same name released in 1985.

One of my brother Steve's favorite artists..Happy 21st lil bro!

www.tompetty.com

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Santah

Santah is an indie rock band from Chicago, IL. The group formed in Urbana, IL while attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The band consists of Stan McConnell (guitar/vocals), Vivian McConnell (guitar/vocals), Steve Plock (drums/vocals), Otto Stuparitz (bass/vocals), and Tommy Trafton (keys). The band is fairly new to the scene and little information is out there. One note that I did come across was that they just recently added the h to the end of their name. This is "When I Couldn't Move" off their debut release White Noise Bed.

www.santahmusic.com

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Painted Palms

Painted Palms is an experimental electronic duo originally from Louisiana that now call the Bay Area home. The duo consists of cousins Chris Prudhomme and Reese Donohue. The two started creating music in their bedrooms and have now evolved into a five piece band when performing live. There is very limited information on this band out there so I am no help in giving you any bio information. I do however really enjoy their sound and wanted to give you all a little taste of their sound. This is "Water Hymn" off of their debut EP entitled Canopy.

http://paintedpalms.bandcamp.com

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El Ten Eleven

El Ten Eleven is a post-rock duo from Los Angeles, CA. The duo consists of Kristian Dunn (composer/guitar/bass) and Tim Fogarty (drums). The duo formed El Ten Eleven in 2003 after playing experimental music together in an electronic four piece group. They are known for combining guitar/bass doubleneck or fretless bass, with heavy looping, or vamping, and the utility of an effects pedal, over acoustic or electric drumming. The name El Ten Eleven is derived from the name of an airplane, the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. Dunn and Fogarty are also members of the San Diego-based band Softlightes, the first American band signed to the Australian label Modular Records. This is "Hot Cakes" off of their 2007 release Every Direction Is North.

www.elteneleven.com

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Gardens and Villa

Gardens & Villa is the project of five college friends from Santa Barbara, CA. They formed following the collapse of a noisier post-punk band and a hitch-hiking journey up the west coast. Members include Chris Lynch (guitar/vocals), Adam Rasmussen (keys/vocals), Levi Hayden (drums), Dusty Ineman (synths) and Shane McKillop (bass/vocals). The name is pulled from the location of their house on Villa Street, and the property's lovely garden to which they tend. The music they make is very much connected to the coastal city they call home, the stoney bike rides, dance parties, and a scene free of judgement. The band refers to this Santa Barbara feeling as "coco vibes." They have just finished recording their first full length album on the coast of Oregon. The band says it's full of dreamy synth-pop gems laced with funk and hints of retro Brit rock that sounds like it travelled through time to reach your stereo. The album is set to be released around July 5th of this year. This is "Orange Blossom" off of their upcoming self titled release.


http://www.gardensandvilla.com

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Elephant Revival

Elephant Revival is a folk music group from Nederland, CO formed in 2006. The band consists of Bonnie Paine (vocals/washboard/djembe/musical saw), Sage Cook (electric banjo/guitar/acoustic guitar/mandolin/viola/vocals), Dango Rose (double-bass/mandolin/banjo/vocals), Daniel Rodriguez (acoustic guitar/electric banjo/guitar/vocals) and Bridget Law (fiddle/vocals). The band members originate from many parts of the country but have roots in both Colorado and Oklahoma. Several members of the band began playing together in the summer of 2006 in various group combinations in Oklahoma and Colorado. The first show where all five members played together was in Colorado in October 2006 at the Gold Hill Inn, performing as Elephant Revival Concept. After solidifying the group, "Concept" was soon dropped from the name. They label their music "transcendental folk," which incorporates elements of Scottish/Celtic fiddle tunes, original folk pieces, traditional ballads, bluegrass, psychedelic country, indie rock, reggae, 40s/50s jazz standards and an occasional hip-hop beat. All members of the band are multi-instrumentalists and contribute vocals and to songwriting. Individually and collectively the band members have performed with or opened for Bela Fleck, John Paul Jones, Michael Franti, Little Feat, Yonder Mountain String Band, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, State Radio, String Cheese Incident, and others. This is "I'm Free" which has yet to be released on an album of theirs.

http://elephantrevival.com

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Cloud Nothings

Cloud Nothings is the brainchild of 18 year old Cleveland resident Dylan Baldi. Late in 2009, he started recording a bunch of catchy indie rock songs on his computer in the basement of his parent’s house. Dylan wasn’t so concerned with them being lo-fi. But since he only had his simple computer and a crappy microphone that’s the way they turned out. Almost immediately praise was bestowed upon young Dylan, and as new songs were unleashed, the online excitement only grew. Dylan needed to take his songs on the road, so he formed a band with TJ Duke (bass), Jayson Gerycz (drums), and Joe Boyer (guitar). Their first show was in New York opening for Real Estate and Woods. Their live shows have become super tight, displaying an intensity and precision rarely seen in bands of any age. This is "Nothing's Wrong" off of their full length debut self titled album.

www.myspace.com/cloudnothings

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Grateful Dead - Pigpen's Last Show

Ronald C. "Pigpen" McKernan (September 8, 1945 – March 8, 1973) was a founding member of the Grateful Dead. His contributions to the band included vocals, Hammond organ, harmonica, percussion, and occasionally guitar. In 1994, Pigpen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with the other members of the Grateful Dead. Today in 1972 was his last show with the band. On March 8, 1973, he was found dead of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage at his home in Corte Madera, CA. Just thought I would give a shout out to him and all he gave to the Grateful Dead. This is "Next Time I See You" a blues song recorded in 1956 by Junior Parker.

www.dead.net

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Tennis

Tennis is a husband and wife duo comprised of Alaina Moore (vocals/keys) and Patrick Riley (guitar). This brand new outfit is based out of Denver, CO. According to Moore, the pair has only been playing music together since December. Spurred by a seven-month sailing trip the two took together on the Eastern seaboard, the couple, started writing songs as "sort of a soundtrack for our experiences," she explains. After meeting in college, the twosome pooled together money and bought an old sailboat in Florida. They hit the high seas until the money ran out which landed them back in Denver. Although the stories of the journey have now materialized as songs, music did not play a significant role during the couple's time spent sailing. Yet, when inspiration struck, music seemed like an obvious outlet for the two. Moore who was classically trained on piano and Riley had experience playing guitar in several bands. They do say however, that neither of them had anticipated returning to music. This is the "Cape Dory" off their debut album of the same title.

http://www.myspace.com/tennisinc

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The Decemberists

The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, OR. The band is fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk (guitar/multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (hammond organ/accordion/melodica/piano/keys/harmonica), Nate Query (bass guitar/string bass), and John Moen (drums/vocals/melodica/guitar). In addition to their lyrics, which often focus on historical incidents and/or folklore, The Decemberists are also well known for their eclectic live shows. Audience participation is often a part of each performance, typically during encores. The band stages whimsical reenactments of sea battles and other centuries-old events, typically of regional interest, or acts out songs with members of the crowd. On their website, the band claims that their official drink is Orangina,  and that they love the video game Bioshock. Sara Watkins (former Nickel Creek fiddler) joined the band in early 2011. It was also announced in May 2011 that Jenny Conlee had been diagnosed with breast cancer. This track is "This Is Why We Fight" off their latest release The King Is Dead.

www.decemberists.com

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MNDR

MNDR is an electronic music duo, formed in 2009 in New York City, consisting of Amanda Warner and Peter Wade. Amanda Warner originally hails from Fargo, ND and met Wade while in New York. Her plan was to be a musician for hire, but after meeting Wade she considered fronting a musical act herself. She frequently collaborates with visual artist Jamie Carreiro, who provides visual effects for live shows. She has quickly risen in the ranks of the North American electronic/dance scene with her distinctive vocals and keen ear for electronic production. The band was set to release their first full length album in 2011, but I can't seem to find out if it has been released. This is her latest single "Cut Me Out."

http://mndr.com/

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Joy Division

Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. They were originally named Warsaw. The band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis (vocals/guitar), Bernard Sumner (guitar/keys), Peter Hook (bass/vocals) and Stephen Morris (drums/percussion). Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences to develop a sound and style that pioneered the post-punk movement of the late 1970's. Despite the band's growing success, vocalist Ian Curtis was beset with depression and personal difficulties, including a dissolving marriage and his diagnosis with epilepsy. Curtis found it increasingly difficult to perform at live concerts, and often had seizures during performances. On the eve of the band's first American tour in May 1980, Curtis, overwhelmed with depression, committed suicide. Joy Division's posthumously released second album, Closer, and the single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" became the band's highest charting releases. After the death of Curtis, the remaining members reformed as New Order, achieving critical and commercial success. This is "Atmosphere" and was originally released in 1980 as a France-only single under the title Licht und Blindheit (Light and Blindness) with "Dead Souls" as the B-side.

www.joydiv.org

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The Knife

The Knife are an electronic music duo from Sweden, formed in 1999. The group consists of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They have won a number of Swedish Grammis, but refuse to attend awards ceremonies. They have appeared in public wearing Venetian masks. The band gained international notoriety with a cover of their song "Heartbeats" being used in a Sony ad. The group commented on this in a Dagens Nyheter article, claiming that Sony paid a large sum of money to use the song. Despite the group's anti-commercial views, they justified the transaction by citing their need for money to establish a record company. Having never before performed live, The Knife went on tour in 2006, and after selling out shows worldwide, a DVD of the tour was announced. The Knife rarely cooperate with the media or the mainstream music scene. The group rarely makes public appearances; most of their promotional photos feature the members wearing masks with birds' beaks. The Knife won a Grammis award as best pop group of the year 2003, but they boycotted the ceremony by sending two representatives of the Guerrilla Girls, with the number 50 written on their costumes, as a protest against male dominance in the music industry. All of their protests have seemed to put them in the spotlight even more. Pretty good marketing scheme if you ask me. This is "Heartbeats" off of their second album Deep Cuts.

www.theknife.net

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Ray LaMontagne

Raymond Charles "Ray" LaMontagne is an American singer-songwriter. Ray was born in Nashua, NH in 1973 to a constantly traveling mother and a violent musician father who abandoned the family during Ray's childhood. Because of his father's background in music, LaMontagne refrained from most musical activity, instead spending much of his time reading fantasy novels in the forest. After graduation, LaMontagne moved away from his family, ending up in Lewiston, ME where he found a job working in a shoe factory. Reportedly, after hearing a Stephen Stills song, LaMontagne decided to quit his job and pursue a career in music. LaMontagne began touring in 1999, although he maintained a side job as a tutor. Ray is particularly known for his raspy voice, which he says he learned by singing through his gut and not his nose. He has stated that he is highly influenced by Stephen Stills, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko. Critics have compared LaMontagne's music to that of The Band, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley. LaMontagne refers to himself as a "very private person", and rarely gives interviews. He also usually does not interact much with the audience between songs during his live shows and has been known to perform in the dark to avoid distracting bright lights and to separate himself from the audience because of his shy nature. Much of this has changed as his music career has progressed and he has become more accustomed to doing interviews. LaMontagne has won a number of awards for his music and has performed at several charity events. This is Beg Steal or Borrow" off of his latest release God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise.

www.raylamontagne.com

Smelly Dog

*Les Paul's Birthday is today, He was born this day in 1915*

Michael Hedges

Michael Alden Hedges was an American composer, acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter. Hedges attended Phillips University in Enid, OK studying classical guitar. Subsequently, from 1979 til 1982, Hedges was a composition major at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD. He applied his classically-trained musical background in combination with various unusual techniques to the steel-string acoustic guitar. He covered a wide range of musical styles and was considered an extremely dynamic performer in concert. He was discovered in 1981 and signed a recording contract on the Windham Hill label. Hedges' first two recordings for Windham Hill were milestones for the acoustic guitar. He wrote nearly exclusively in alternate tunings. Some of the techniques he used included slap harmonics, right hand hammer-ons, left hand melodic or rhythmic hammer-ons and pull offs, percussive slapping on the guitar, as well as unusual strummings. He also made extensive use of string damping, and was known to insist strongly on the precise duration of sounds and silences in his pieces. He was a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, percussion, tin whistle, harmonica, and flute, among others on his albums. He was often categorized as a New Age musician, and in reaction to this, he would describe his music as "Heavy Mental" - "New Edge" - "Acoustic Thrash" - "Deep Tissue Gladiator Guitar" or "Savage Myth Guitar." A unique thing about Hedges' guitar playing was that he was left-handed but played right-handed guitars.

In 1997, Hedges died at the age of 43 in a car accident in Mendocino County, near Boonville (about 100 miles northwest of San Francisco). He was driving home from San Francisco International Airport after a Thanksgiving visit to his girlfriend in Long Island, NY. His car apparently skidded off a rain-slicked S-curve and down a cliff. Hedges was thrown from his car and appeared to have died nearly instantly. After his death, his record Oracle won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. This is "The Funky Avocado" off of his debut album Breakfast in the Field.

http://www.nomadland.com

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The Minders

The Minders is a band closely associated with The Elephant Six Collective. Started by Martyn Leaper in Denver, CO in 1996. The band's original members included Leaper (guitars/vocals), Rebecca Cole (drums), Jeff Almond (guitar), and Marc Willhite (bass). I don't know much about this band, but I am a big fan of most of the bands associated with The Elephant Six Collective. I am not sure if this band is still together, but they are probably pursuing other musical interests. I thought this song would be appropriate for this fine Tuesday. This is "Hooray for Tuesday" off their same titled debut album. Enjoy your Tuesday everyone!

www.elephant6.com

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Jose Gonzalez

José González is a Swedish-Argentine indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist living in Gothenburg, Sweden. González is also a member of the Swedish band Junip. His parents moved from Argentina to Sweden in 1976, and Gonzalez was born in 1978. This was two years after his psychology academic father, mother and older sister, then an infant, fled Argentina after a military junta seized power in March 1976 at the beginning of the "Dirty War". González was born in a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden. He commented, "It's a very small town. It has about a half-million people living there. It's a pretty good music city by the ocean. It rains a lot there, but it's beautiful in the summertime." González grew up listening to Latin folk and pop music, and has named Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez as a favorite artist. The first concert he went to was The Wailers. He has stated that The Wailers and Michael Jackson were two of his favorite bands. A lesser known fact is that he only plays the guitar with his fingernails, using no guitar pick. This is "Killing For Love" off of his second album In Our Nature.

Massive Attack

Massive Attack is a collaborative music production duo from Bristol, UK. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be progenitors of the trip hop genre.  DJs Grantley "Grant" Evan Marshall (a.k.a. Daddy G or "G"), Andrew "Andy" Lee Isaac Vowles (a.k.a. Mushroom or "Mush") and graffiti artist-turned-MC (later turned-singer) Robert Del Naja (a.k.a. 3D or "D") met as members of DJ/MC partying collective, The Wild Bunch. One of the first homegrown soundsystems in the UK, The Wild Bunch became dominant on the Bristol club scene in the mid-1980s. Andy Vowles left the band in early 2000 to pursue other interests.

Massive Attack's style is often thought of as being experimental. The duo have talked of how they have a different creative approach to each album and "avoid the obvious." Some of their most noted songs have been without choruses and have featured dramatically atmospheric dynamics, conveyed through either epic distorted guitar crescendos, lavish orchestral arrangements (such as swelling, sustained strings or flourishes of grand piano) or prominent, looped/shifting basslines, underpinned by high and exacting production values, involving sometimes copious digital editing and mixing. The pace of their music has often been slower than prevalent British dance music of the time. These and other psychedelic, soundtrack-like and DJist sonic techniques, formed a much-emulated style journalists began to dub "trip hop" from the mid-nineties onwards. In an interview in 2006, G said, "We used to hate that terminology [trip-hop] so bad. You know, as far as we were concerned, Massive Attack music was unique, so to put it in a box was to pigeonhole it and to say, Right, we know where you guys are coming from." This is " Teardrop" off of their 1998 release Mezzanine.

www.massiveattack.com

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Devendra Banhart

Devendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter born in Houston, TX. His given name is a synonym for Indra, the Hindu god of rain and thunder, which was suggested by Prem Rawat, an Indian religious leader whom Banhart's parents followed. Banhart's middle name Obi was modeled after the Star Wars character. Banhart's parents divorced two years after his birth and he moved with his mother to Caracas, Venezuela. His mother later remarried and Banhart's stepfather moved the family to Los Angeles, CA when he was 14 years old. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Not only a musician, Banhart is a collector of musical artifacts as well as a visual artist.
Banhart's music is often associated with the New Weird America genre. The New York Times has called his songs "free associative work" and SPIN magazine has written that "Banhart's albums offer ashram-appropriate guitar strums with trippy-hippie tone poetry." Various publications have described his style as psych folk, avant-folk, and even freak folk. Many notable reviewers, including AllMusic, The Times, and Mojo, have pointed out similarities between Banhart's songs and production with that of the early 1970s band Tyrannosaurus Rex (an early version of Mark Bolan's T. Rex). In a May 2004 interview, Banhart claimed that he was unaware of the music of Tyrannosaurus Rex until after he began writing and recording songs. Devendra Banhart has downplayed Bolan's influence on his music, and instead prefers to credit Vashti Bunyan, Karen Dalton and Caetano Veloso as among his main influences. This is "Little Yellow Spider" off of his 2005 release Cripple Crow.

www.devendrabanhart.com

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The Tallest Man On Earth

Kristian Matsson aka The Tallest Man on Earth is a singer-songwriter from Dalarna, Sweden. He plays the guitar, piano, and banjo. The Tallest Man On Earth is known for his very charismatic raw voice. He is often compared to Bob Dylan, who shared his raw vocal style and folk-based musical style. He was formerly the front man in Montezumas. It is impossible to discuss The Tallest Man on Earth's music without acknowledging Bob Dylan. The seemingly effortlessness, the melodic sensibility and the deft lyricism all recall Dylan's early years. But when you witness the Tallest Man on Earth perform live, you are watching a man possessed. The energy pours out with every word. Full of intensity and raw emotion, he paces the stage, bringing the audience into the palm of his hand, completely lost in his songs. This is "Thousand Ways" off of his 2010 release Wild Hunt.

http://www.myspcae.com/thetallestmanonearth

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