take a look / listen
Birds & Batteries unveil "Sneaky Times" 
Download "Invisibrother" from 'Syzygy' (MP3)
Three people.
One adventure.
Cosmic alignment?
Polka Dot Dot Dot, based in Olympia, WA, formed when three travelers (Jordan O'Jordan, Onyx of Olympia, and Colleen Johnson or Twig Palace) met on the treefern-speckled shores of New Zealand. Combining their solo sets for a last-minute spot at the Camp A Low Hum Music Festival, the Dots charmed crowds with their refreshing blend of folk, tin pan alley, and a cappella styles. Their first album, "Love Letter to New Zealand" reflected this impromptu musical spirit. On their 2nd full-length release, "Syzygy" (a term that refers to planetary alignment), the Dots deliver a record that is unique, beautiful, and more patient than their last. Written after two US tours and a return trip to New Zealand, these songs deal with the fleeting nature of movement, friendship, and infatuation. While still full of their characteristic 3 part harmonies and instrumentation (guitar, banjo, ukulele, musical saw, harp, and hand-clap percussion), "Syzygy" expands the Dots' sound with more orchestration and vocal arrangement. Yet, despite the fairly existential themes of this new record, Polka Dot Dot Dot have crafted an album that floats and bobs on a cosmic sea, and is neither too heavy nor too light. Here, gravity has a gentle touch and allows us along on this trip, leaving us star-speckled and beaming at the end.
http://www.bicyclerecords.com/
www.myspace.com/thepolkadotdotdot
COLOR RADIO
Be Safe, Beware EP out now
Built on the talents of two brothers from Mexico City (Jonathan & Tohm Ifergan) Color Radio has an unmistaking talent for atmospheric riffs with an underlying pop sensibility. The band is more than dreampop inspired guitars though, the scurrying bass (Joel Chasco) and rabid keys (Matt Thomas) provide the dramatic underbelly for the dreamlike world of Color Radio. With their world of sweeping harmonies and soaring guitars, this Chicago quartet has already played all Chicago's legendary venues (Metro, Schubas, Empty Bottle, etc.). with national acts such as The Appleseed Cast and Dear and the Headlights. With a new EP "Be Safe, Beware" hot off the presses... this is only the beginning of a great story.
http://www.colorradioband.com/
Download HERE a free MP3 the title track from the EP
Johnny Wants To Be A Matador
Despite being a relatively new solo artist, Rene has been writing and performing music in the New York scene since the late 80s when he was part of the underrated, but much loved by the "those-in-the-music-know" band The Authority
Check out Themselves
12/02 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
Toronto band Whale Tooth's EP is being played all over campuses in Canada, if you haven't heard this band yet, you probably do not live in the great white north!
DOWNLOAD The Whale Tooth EP here: http://drop.io/whaletooth
Everyone can write a catchy song, but it's a band like Whale Tooth that pack as much punch lyrically as they do musically, to really stand out in the often overcrowded Toronto scene. Traces of soul and jazz can be found sprinkled atop their summer-friendly pop rock, which has proven to be the defining factor in winning over listeners at every venue they play. Perhaps it's front woman Elise LeGrow's commanding vocals that has the power to convert even the unlikeliest of followers, or perhaps it is their cunning ability to craft delicious hooks that will be left playing in your head for days and days. LeGrow and her bandmates began making waves in Toronto and surrounding cities almost immediately after forming in 2007.
LeGrow, already with an impressive resume as a jazz vocalist under her belt, joined forces with guitarists and co-vocalists Norm Maschke and Alex Denike and began writing some of the most honest and potent tunes this city has heard. Accompanied by the vibrant rhythm section, bassist Michael McCreary and drummer Sep Noroozi, the band has hit the ground running, playing a slew of shows across Ontario and Eastern Canada, including appearances at CMW and NXNE. February '09 saw the band independently release their debut self titled EP to a sold out room of fans at Sneaky Dees. The EP has received high praise from ardent reviewers, while the lead single "Hibernation Song" has been giving campus radio a run for their money. The band is currently playing shows, and have begun writing new material for their forthcoming sophomore release, which they hope to begin recording in the spring of 2010.