New Music on MySpace
OK, I’ll admit it. I am perhaps a bit too old to be cruising MySpace, but this social networking web site also offers a way of searching for new music. How did I find the bands below? I started by going to some pages of bands I knew and liked and then sampled some of their friends music to see who I liked. I probably rejected ten bands for every one that I liked, and the bands I liked I submitted a friend request so as not to forget them. Below are some of the cool and unsigned musicians and bands that I have discovered and LOVE on MySpace. (Full disclosure: My good friend Doug Van Gundy of Born Old turned me onto Mamie Minch whom he met on MySpace. Thanks Doug for always sending good music my way!)Mamie Minch
Razorburn Blues is the debut album of 25-year old Mamie Minch, who really sounds like she stepped out of an old blues recording from the 1920s or ‘30s. I have heard other white girls try to sing the blues to no avail, but Mamie’s voice is richly down home without seeming to try too hard. Minch writes some of her own songs on this album including the title track, and she also covers some traditional blues songs from blues legends Skip James and Dick Justice. Minch is also an accomplished piedmont style guitar picker and performs on her vintage 1937 National resonator. How hot is Razorburn Blues? The first 1,000 sold like hot cakes and you will have to wait for the next pressing. Believe me, it is well worth the money, all of which goes to Mamie Minch who is based in Brooklyn, New York.
Oslo Swan
I can only tell you what I have been able to glean from their very limited MySpace page. Oslo Swan appears to be a musical duo allegedly from Antarctica but I’m not buying that. Oslo Swan is too hot to be from someplace that cold. Dreamin’ is the most listened to clip on the Oslo Swan MySpace page. This trip hop song couples a lead vocal with a whispered chorus saying the same words in the background. A harp playing an arpeggio with strings also populates this dreamy texture of a song. Don’t take my word for it. Check out Oslo Swan here.
The Dø
Band members Olivia B. Merilahti and Dan Levy are The Dø, a folk rock band based in Paris, France and Helsinki, Finland. From the looks of their busy touring schedule, these guys are getting some recognition throughout Europe. There are five songs on The Dø MySpace page and each song seems to represent a different attitude, influence and personality. This music is fresh and funky, and why not since they cite influences from the worlds of pop, jazz and hiphop. Don’t let the folk rock label fool you—The Dø rocks out! The Dø’s first album A Mouthful is available for download on their MySpace page.
The Bye Byes
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this unsigned band has five songs that you may listen to, but alas, not an album yet. Songwriter for the Bye Byes, Peter Shauger, lists his musical influences as Nick Lowe, Squeeze, Crowded House and The Kinks, and you can hear those influences in these fun, fresh pop songs. The Bye Byes are Erik Schmidt on drums, Steven Binnig on bass, Peter Shauger on guitar, Joel Rose on keyboard. Vocals are by Peter Shauger and Steven Binnig. Check back on their website as The Bye Byes seem to have a full gig schedule in Philly.
