Post Update

So, I've been kind of sporadic with my posting and I wanted to come up with more of a methodic way of doing things. I've decided I'm going to make and post a new mix each weekend, and review a new artist each Wednesday. I'm also going to try to make a post about good and free mp3 downloads from various sites... that'll just be blended in somewhere whenever I find the time, no specific day. So to start things out, here are some great mp3 downloads that can be found on amazon.com. Enjoy!

My Top 10 Amazon Download Picks
Daughter Darling - Broken Bridge
Alison Krauss - New Favorite
Cat Power - He War
Bloc Party - Banquet
Belle & Sebastian - Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It
Zero 7 - Destiny
Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining
Vienna Teng - The Tower
Ivy - Edge of the Ocean
Fisher - I Will Love You

Tags: posts, mp3, free download, amazon.com, aritst, review, fisher, ivy, vienna teng, badly drawn boy, zero 7, belle & sebastian, bloc party, cat power, alison krauss, daughter darling

Katie Melua

Artist: Katie Melua
Genre: Pop/Blues/Jazz
Sounds Like: Norah Jones, Lamb
Albums: Call off the Search, Piece By Piece

Katie started to gain recognition after her first hit single "Closest Thing To Crazy" made it in the top 10 on the UK charts. Her new album, Piece By Piece was released in the UK in September of 2005 and she was named the highest selling female artist in the UK for 2004 & 2005. Her first album, Call Off the Search, went 6 times platinum and Piece By Piece is already certified double platinum. It became her second consecutive #1 album and included the top 5 pop single "Nine Million Bicycles." Piece by Piece was released in the US in June of this year. My favorite song on the album is her cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven", which you can listen to on my lullabies podcast. Check out the links below for samples and more about Katie.

Song Samples

Shy Boy

Nine Million Bicycles

Piece By Piece

Links:

• Katie's Official Website
• Katie's MySpace Page
• Click Here to stream the new It's Only Pain Video
• Katie at mp3.com

Tags: Katie Melua, Call Off the Search, Piece By Piece, Pop, Blues, Jazz, It's Only Pain

Catchy Beats - A *Happy* Mix

This playlist has got a bit of everything - jazz, punk, indie-pop, trip-hop.... Click on the links to learn more about the artist, and as always, support them by buying their music if you really like them!

Playlist
1. Dirty Laundry - Bitter:Sweet
2. Chocolate - Snow Patrol
3. A Dark Congregation - The Hush Sound
4. So Here We Are - Bloc Party
5. While We're In Love - Ivy
6. Sink or Float - Aberdeen
7. Catch My Disease - Ben Lee
8. They-Say Vision - Res

Click on the icon to download the mp3 mix!

Tags: bitter:sweet, snow patrol, the hush sound, bloc party, ivy, aberdeen, ben lee, res, jazz, punk, indie-pop, trip-hop, pop

The Hush Sound

Artist: The Hush Sound
Genre: Indie/Punk
Albums: Like Vines
Record Label: DecayDance

The Hush Sound is a young quartet from Chicago that makes catchy pop-rock music. The male/female vocal combination and incorporation of the piano are what give the band a unique edge when compared to other aspiring indie punk bands. Since I'm not a huge punk fan, I'm partial to the slower tunes like You Are The Moon and Lighthouse that are sung by the very talented Greta Salpeter. The band has toured and opened for bands like Fall Out Boy and the All American Rejects. Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy actually signed The Hush Sound to their record label after hearing their self-released 2005 EP. This album's got a song on here that's sure to suit a variety of musical tastes.

• The Hush Sound Official Website
• Buy their music!
• Download/Stream some of their music
• Check out their MySpace page
  

Tags: The Hush Sound, Like Vines, DecayDance, Indie, Punk, Greta Salpeter, Pete Wentz, You Are The Moon, Lighthouse

Lullabys

Perfect tunes to listen to as you're falling into a peaceful sleep.



~Playlist~

• Through the Dark - KT Tunstall
• Waking Dream - Natalie Walker
• Just Like Heaven - Katie Melua
• Slumber My Darling - Alison Krauss
• Numb - Sia
• Lullaby for a Stormy Night - Vienna Teng
• Tears Are In Your Eyes - Yo La Tengo
• You Are The Moon - The Hush Sound (I know this is a repeat from the last playlist, but I love it so much, I couldn't help it!)
  
• Wild Horses - Charlotte Martin
• Sideways Forest - Love Spirals Downwards
  

*Click on the artist links listed above to be re-directed to a site where you can download or stream at least one or more of their mp3s!

Click on the music note to download the mp3 of this playlist, or just use the podcast player that's embedded in the site!

Tags: lullabies, KT Tunstall, Natalie Walker, Katie Melua, Alison Krauss, Sia, Vienna Teng, Yo La Tengo, The Hush Sound, Charlotte Martin, Love Spirals Downwards

Bitter:Sweet

Genre: Trip-Hop
Albums: The Mating Game
Sounds Like/Compared To: Portishead, Zero 7, Serge Gainsbourg, Everything But the Girl, Bjork

Shana Halligan and Kiran Shahani combine their talents to create the Los Angeles music duo, Bitter:Sweet. The two crossed paths when Shana answered Kiran's craigslist ad for a singer. When the two met, they instantly clicked and starting creating music together. Kiran is also known for his work on the Supreme Beings of Leisure self-titled debut album.

Bitter:Sweet's debut album, The Mating Game, was released by Quango Music in April of 2006. My favorite thing about the album is the variation in sound from song to song. Some have a dance or "lounge-like" beat to them, while others are completely downtempo. Some of the songs have jazzy tones blended in, which makes them sound even more unique. The upbeat songs, such as The Mating Game, are definitely catchy and will stick in your head long after you've stopped listening to them. The slower songs, like Don't Forget to Breathe (on my Chilled Beats Podcast), prefectly set the tone for relaxation. Click on any of the links below to learn more about Bitter:Sweet.

Other Links:

• Click here to be redirected to a site that allows you to preview a sample of their album The Mating Game.
• Check out their MySpace page.
• Click here to go to their official website.
  
• More about Bitter:Sweet and a free download of the mp3, The Mating Game, at Download.com.

Click on the logo to purchase their album!!!

Chilled Beats

Some mellow songs for your listening pleasure....

Playlist

• Don't Forget to Breathe - Bitter:Sweet
• Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez
• In My Sleep - Aberdeen
• You Are The Moon - The Hush Sound
• Any Other Day - Blondfire
• How To Be Dead - Snow Patrol
  

About the Music

1. Bitter:Sweet - Shana Halligan and Kiran Shahani have combined their individual talents to create Bitter:Sweet. The duo keeps their music unique by combining sounds of jazz, dance, dreampop, and more.
   
2. Jose Gonzalez - Jose has been making music that carries a very "pure" (vocals & classic guitar) form since the late 90's, but didn't start recording until around 2003. He is originally from Sweeden, and his music is gaining more and more attention around the world. He's an established star in Scandinavia, his new album is of the top 10 in the UK, and he's performed on late night shows in the U.S.
   
3. Aberdeen - The group is native to Hollywood, CA and produces a unique range of IndiePop tracks.
   
4. The Hush Sound - Band members Bob Morris, Greta Salpeter, Chris Faller, and Darren Wilson come together to create The Hush Sound. The group is from Chicago and just recorded their first album in the spring of 2005. Then in March of 2006, they recorded their newest album Like Vines, with help from producer Sean O’Keefe and co-producer Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. The album nicely blends together sounds of swing, groove, rock, pop, and classical music.
   
5. Blondfire - This duo (formerly known as Astaire is) is usually recognized for their europop beats, but you wouldn't know that by listening to this song. Erica Driscoll's voice is especially beautiful in this song.
   
6. Snow Patrol - The band gained recognition in 2004, after releasing the album Final Straw, which sold over 2 million copies. They continue to create beautiful music together, and strive to create powerful songs underscored by the most poignant and telling lyrics.
   

Click on an album below to buy the music!


Click on the musical note to the left to download the mp3 of this playlist, or just use the podcast player embedded on this site!