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OurStage Music Picks
December 19, 2007
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Boulder-based duo The Beebs are led by the Rilo Kiley meets Björk meets Emmylou Harris vocals of Colleen Lee. Patrick Lee harmonizes instrumentally with her broad range by switching between a harmonica, a vintage children's keyboard, and a wind organ purchased by Goodwill, to create a truly authentic sound.
indie/alternative channel
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The Static Jacks are like The Strokes with a whole lot more twang and soul.This quintet of 17-year olds possess the same charming mix of tender innocence and raw sexual energy that had Mrs. Robinson hooked in The Graduate. "The Waltz" gives you a taste of how much fun it is to look into the adult world with a youthful heart.
indie/alternative channel
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In a "Couple Dozen People," Aim Low Kid proves why they are often referred to as the thinking working man¹s band. The song nails the routine of a Pink Floyd fanatic stuck on Wall Street. Monotonous vocals, backed by trippy instrumentals begs ³Sunday, Sunday will you never come.² When Sunday finally comes, in the form of heavy jamming, the vocals are rejuvenated. This pattern repeats throughout the song, like the weekdays versus weekends of 9 to 5-ers.
noise pop channel
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Jaylyn Coffin flows between spitting sassy rhymes and cooing couplets with sweet, soothing vocals. Backed by heavy electronic beats, "Timesplit" showcases the same M.I.A. like ability to break all the rules and still come up with a comprehensible and pleasing sound.
plug miami channel
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OurStage Video Pick
December 19, 2007
The Frail
 Count on This
The Frail¹s ³Count on This² feels like going to the Met on acid. The shots are a jumble of a Red Hat lady and a Charlie Chaplin look alike jumping into images inspired by Monet¹s "Water Lilies," Ansel Adam photos and George Seurat¹s pointillist pieces.
music video channel
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Previous OurStage Music Picks
December 5, 2007
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“Something So Right” is the perfect rock love song. The band’s well
executed mix of catchy hooks, sultry vocals and classic rock
instrumentals magically lures you to sing along. The song is pleasing
enough to listen to on repeat, but the chorus is destined to become
engrained in your brain.
rock channel
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This acoustic mix of funk and folk will have you swaying “sha la la la
to the moods of the oceans.” The powerful and confident vocals are an
ideal match to the child like lyrics. The song’s good vibes make it
applicable as music to work or dance to, either way you’ll do it with a
smile.
acoustic channel
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“Someday Soon” has the comforting sound of being in the middle of a
road trip, 200 Miles From Everywhere. The sound of Wallflower’s alum
Rami Jaffee’s accordion, the consistent down home guitar strumming, and
the vocals of a bluegrass sage capture the nostalgia of the past, while
the funky bass and power guitar ballads embody the optimism of
undiscovered possibilities.
acoustic channel
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Running Wild Renegades laid-back pop channels Jack Johnson. Like a
soothing, adult lullaby it can take the listener out of reality and
into a peaceful, breezy dream
pop channel
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November 13, 2007
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Sydney Wayser is only in her early 20s, but her elegant voice and string enhanced songs make the budding songstress sound twice her age. Her worldly voice blends the best of her French/American heritage.
acoustic channel
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Kaspar Hauser named his song "King Pop," but his sound is actually a mash of modern indie synthesizers and old time twang. The subtle sounds and claps which dot his recordings have an instant headphone quality.
indie/alternative channel
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The Alice Rose takes the melodies of modern rock's shoe gazing movement and resets them in a more infectious up-tempo structure. At times the group's sound recalls the sincerity of the classic 1970s rock, rather than the emo-angst of modern pop.
indie/alternative channel
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The GoStation describes its sound as "It's indie. It's rock. It's shoegaze. It's pop. It's fueled by liquor and nothing to lose. It's our heartbeat. It's something we do well. It sounds like we listen to a lot of Oasis, Stone Roses, and Ride. It sounds a bit less British than you might be thinking right now. It is not a "New York" sound. It is not alternative. It is not 80s-driven. It is not anything but what it is." But the one thing it is is good!
indie/alternative channel
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October 30, 2007
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Company of Thieves
Oscar Wilde
In a time when genre descriptions feel like rigid European castes, Company of Thieves manage to draw simultaneously from both classic and indie-rock. The group's most lyrics, and loaded literary references, mash Feist-like vocals with organ lines straight out of the 1970s.
indie/alternative channel
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Will Harrison possesses the deep, powerful voice of a country star, but, on the delicate "Borderline," he filters his big stage sound through a set of intricate, reflective lyrics and lush, bluegrass soundscapes.
acoustic channel
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Indie-rockers Man/Miracle are driven by pounding drums and some quirky minor guitar notes, but truly led by a set of emotional lyrics. The group sound as if Warren Zevon recorded in the age of Interpol.
indie/alternative channel
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Emily Elbert's main instrument is an acoustic guitar, yet the young singer's rich vocals make the almost old timey "I Feel Fine" feel as layered as a full band recording. Her sound could be described as an "acoustic army," if her lyrics weren't so free and peaceful.
acoustic channel
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October 2, 2007
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The Sleeping Horses
Grecian Urns
One-man band Grecian Urns is a folkie for the indie-rock generation, combining clever guitar hooks with poignant lyrics and earnest melodies. A radio-hit for the podcast generation.
acoustic channel
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Amanda Kaletsky has the voice of a pop star, but the soul of Norah Jones-approved singer/songwriter. Her infectious number “Never Enough” finds a middle ground between New York’s homey downtown clubs and the polish of Top 40 radio.
country/americana channel
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Boston’s Oneside has brought the banjo back to the city with its mix of country-sounds and urban energy. “Got to Go” packs a punk punch with a Bill Monroe beat.
country/americana channel
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Rising indie-sensation Benny Strange knows that brevity and experimentation aren’t necessarily strange-bedfellows. “Blip” is short, catchy and even a bit experimental, but packed with unique small sounds.
indie/alternative channel
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Previous OurStage Video Picks
November 13, 2007
Mike Mangione
Me Not You
Mike Mangione is a soulful, acoustic singer/songwriter, but his personal manifestos are a touch more forceful than the average coffee shop performer. Yet, this lyrics require the careful attention of that of the latte faithful.
music video channel
October 30, 2007
Don DiLego
 Falling Into Space
In certain ways, it makes sense that "Falling Into Space" is an all-running video. The group's fast, pulsating sound manages to roll the pop of modern California rock and the fuzz of post-Strokes New York garage rock into something totally new and original.
music video channel
October 2, 2007
Can't Exist - Joseph Arthur
 Video by Noaz Deshe
Peter Gabriel handpicked singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur for his Real World label and its easy to see why. Arthur fleshes out his infectious folk-rock number “Can’t Exit” with all the electronic wizardry his modern recording studio has to offer.
music video channel
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April/May 2 0 0 8
(on newsstands now)
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FALL 2 0 0 7 DIGITAL ONLY
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