Let Me Tell You: Kate Nash, Dolores O'Riordan, Terra Naomi

Kate Nash has started recording her second album. Three days in resulted in roughly laying down 5 tracks. Read more about it on her MySpace blog.

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Dolores O'Riordan is now offering a free download of the track, "Stupid", from her upcoming second soloalbum No Baggage. It is available at http://www.no-baggage.net It's available for a limited time only, so head on over and download today!

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Terra Naomi is planning on releasing an EP with a selection of 6 songs from her upcoming album, and she will also release an acoustic album which will be available ONLY at live shows. The EP from the album will be available on her website, and will be a limited edition, signed CD.

Free Music: Tirzah Lemmens

Growing up performing with her father, Tirzah Lemmens has been an aspiring musician from an early age. In the spring of 2008, Tirzah was awarded a residency at the Contemporary Music Center, an invitation only artists' colony on the island of Martha's Vineyard, MA. Here, she spent four months of intense writing, performing, and recording alongside twenty other selected artists and music executives. During her time at the CMC, in addition to performing with artists every week, she was able to work on developing her musical style and refine her songwriting. Tirzah grew up in a small town in Minnesota and attended Northwestern College in St. Paul. After graduating this spring, Tirzah finished her debut EP, “Songbird” which can be downloaded now for FREE, with NoiseTrade, and has started working on a full album. Combining a variety of influences including Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, Colbie Caillat, Fiona Apple, Etta James, Aimee Mann, Over The Rhine, Leigh Nash, and others. The EP features five beautiful songs all with Tirzah's pure, ethereal vocals in the piano-driven folk pop songs. All lyrics are wrapped gracefully around genuine stories and meditations on life.

@ Minneapolis, USA
♫ Acoustic, Folk, Pop
♥ Wish (mp3)
▸ Myspace
+ Free EP

Let Me Tell You: New Imogen Heap Single: First Train Home

"First Train Home" first single from Imogen Heap's upcoming third album "Ellipse" premiered yesterday at KCRW radio. The ones that have missed out yesterday, now can have their first listen over at Stereogum, where "First Train Home" is streaming.

UPDATE: You can also listen to the stream, right here at LMLI, enjoy!

Let Me Tell You: The Social Services, Sia, Amy Kuney, Immaculate Machine

The Social Services announced on their MySpace that they are working on their second album. "The most exciting thing at the moment is the new songs new songs new songs that we are churning out like a 24-hour pop factory. They're not quite ripe for your ears yet but soon they will be" The record might be called "'I work down a mine and you've got no front teeth'. Or it might not" they joke in their announcement. They're also playing at a couple of small festivals over the summer.

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Immaculate Machine released a new musicvideo for "Sound of the Alarms" one of the tracks from their most recent album 'High On Jackson Hill'. Watch it on YouTube.

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A recent tweet from Amy Kuney suggest that she's working on a new song called "Fireworks", probably one of the first songs for a new album? I really hope so.

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Twitter is really a useful source for news in the musicindustry, Sia tweeted yesterday that she's working on a new album which means that there will be no shows of her till later in the year. More details will follow.

The Iveys

The Iveys are Arlen, Jessica & Jillian. The brother/sister band grew up in West Texas, about fifty miles outside of El Paso surrounded by family and a love for music. Growing up they listened to all of our dad’s old records, from The Beatles to the Rolling Stones, Queen to The Eagles. It really influenced their songwriting in a positive way. The musical influences are hard to miss when you hear their soaring melodies, rich harmonies and heartfelt lyrics. During the time they spent at Sonic Ranch Recording Studios working on the songs for their album they were introduced to noted Italian producer Ettore Grenci who began recording with them in late 2008. With the additional guidance of Stephen Short and Tony Rancich their self-titled debut album was completed and released in 2009. "On this album they put a lot of focus into our harmonies", says Jessica, “It’s a big part of who we are as a group.” They recently released the music video for their single “Back When it was Our World” and are now looking forward to touring the country this summer. “Our music is something we can share,” Jillian says, “Something that’s alive and that can spread, touching everyone.”

@ Tornillo, USA
♫ Pop, Rock, Country
♥ Running Out (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Let Me Tell You: The Swell Season Announce New Album : Strict Joy

The Swell Season, the Oscar-winning duo of Frames frontman Glen Hansard and Czech ingénue Marketa Irglova, are putting the finishing touches on ‘Strict Joy,’ (Sept 29/Anti- Records), the follow-up to their beloved, surprise hit 2007 film and gold-certified soundtrack ‘Once.’ The twelve new, original songs on ‘Strict Joy’ were recorded last year and document a time of great change.

‘Strict Joy,’ which borrows its name from a work by Irish poet James Stephens, was co-produced by Hansard and Peter Katis (The National, Interpol), and recorded mostly at Katis’ Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, CT. In addition to Hansard and Irglova, the album features Frames members Colm Mac Iomaire (violin), Joe Doyle (bass), Rob Bochnik (guitar), Graham Hopkins (percussion) plus guitarist Javier Mas (Leonard Cohen), pianist Thomas Bartlett (Doveman), percussionist Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground Duo), horn players Steven Bernstein and Clark Gayton from Levon Helm’s band, and others.

1. Low Rising
2. Feeling the Pull
3. In These Arms
4. The Rain
5. Fantasy Man
6. Paper Cup
7. High Horses
8. The Verb
9. I Have Loved You Wrong
10. Love That Conquers
11. Two Tongues
12. Back Broke

Let Me Tell You: Bomb In A Birdcage Albumart?

This afternoon the albumart for A Fine Frenzy's new album 'Bomb in a Birdcage' was updated. All news surrounding Alison's new album is exciting althought to me, this albumcover (clickable) seems more like a temporary thing to show of the logo and the new promotional shoot they are going to use for the new album. What do you think?

UPDATE: A Fine Frenzy also used this albumart in the announcement she made today on MySpace about "Bomb in a Birdcage" that is coming September 8, so it might be the final albumart afterall. She also states that the album "features 11 infectious, bubbly, fun tracks infused with gorgeous lyrics and danceable beats" sounds definitely different than One Cell in the Sea to me!