I’m starting to run out of stuff to talk about for these FF lead in’s. *ponders* It finally rained here after 2 months. *thinks* Going to Europe for two weeks soon, so, any suggestions bars, bands, sites in the UK and Germany are appreciated. Unfortunately, that means the fix will be on vacation for two weeks (maybe) as well, depending on time and internet access!

Ladyfinger (ne) – Little Things (2009, Omaha, Nebraska) Any readers out there from Omaha? Perhaps you can answer why such great bands come from there? Does it have a good live music scene/arts school/something? Chris Machmuller, Pat Oakes, Matt Bayles and Ethan have been members of various bands before combining forces to create Ladyfinger (ne). Pat played formerly in Saddle Creek band “Mayday”, and was also part of a band called “Solid Jackson”. Ethan used to be in the Saddle Creek band “The Faint”. Jamie is the singer of yet another Omaha band, “Race For Titles”. Chris used to be in a rock band called “Bleeders For Treats”. Their past musical endeavors shine through in their debut cd, “Heavy Hands”, released on the Saddle Creek recording label.

Kid, You’ll Move Mountains – Volts (2009, Chicago, Illinois) Having just released their first album this year, I can tell you that it is REALLY solid. I don’t really know terribly much about the band, but I’m eagerly awaiting more stuff from them. This track can be found on “Loomings” and you won’t regret buying it!

Of Montreal – First Time High (Reconstructionist Remix of “An Eluardian Instance”) (2009, Athens, Georgia) Of Montreal has really gained much deserved notoriety in the past few years, thanks to some really solid releases. “The John Brion” EP is no exception, which features such great tracks as this, which honestly, doesn’t really sound terribly much different than the “Skeletal Lamping” version, but the subtle differences are pretty awesome :) *rambles* If you dig “Of Montreal”, be sure to familiarize yourself with their earlier releases, such as “Satanic Panic in the Attic”.

Plants and Animals – Feedback in the Field (2008, Montreal, Quebec) I love the art for this album. I can’t help but wonder if it’s the family of the band and the shirt worn by the lady up front features this album’s name, “Parc Avenue”. They’ve only released one other full length album, in 2003, but for some bands, good albums take time and I can appreciate that. Most of this band met in high school, playing together in various bands. After moving from Halifax, Nova Scotia, they recruited additional members and became “Plants and Animals”.

School of Seven Bells – My Cabal (2008, Brooklyn, New York) Is anybody else getting sick of me blogging about how much I love this band? I really regret not having discovered them before my “Best of 2008″ post, as they’d have been in it with their solid release “Alpinism”. I love the haunting backup vocals in this track, as well as the catchy electronics. The band consists of Alejandra Deheza (vocals, bass), Claudia Deheza (vocals, keyboards) and Benjamin Curtis (guitar). The Deheza sisters are former members of “On!Air!Library!” and Curtis is a former member of “Secret Machines” and “Tripping Daisy” (holy s**t!). The band is named after the School of the Seven Bells, a mythical South American pickpocket training academy. Curtis and the Deheza sisters met when both were opening on an Interpol tour. The three decided to end their commitments to their old bands, move in to a shared space, and create a home recording studio together.

One of the things I love about doing the Friday Fix is the feedback I get from folks. Especially if they live in the same town/state/country as the band, and take pride in that. Even better when they recommend artists to check out! I have no idea where I’m going with this…after all, it’s early Friday morning and I’m jonesin’ for the weekend. So, enough talk. On with the music!

Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – Down In Front (2008, Los Angeles, California) Roger Joseph Manning Jr.’s music can best be described as “power pop”, but honestly, it’s so much better than the label infers. At times, I hear Queen, others, Billy Joel, and his vocals kind of remind me of Weird Al Yankovic, if sedated on horse tranquilizers (ie, less spaz, more quality). Most of his stuff is upbeat, high tempo gold. This song can be found on his second solo album “Catnip Dynamite”. Roger is not a stranger to the music industry, by any means though! He’s also been a member of “The Moog Cookbook”, “Jellyfish” (I know Trey likes this band…), “Imperial Drag”, “TV Eyes”, “Beatnik Beach” and has worked with other musicians as well. If you dig this track, you won’t be disappointed by the entire album, it’s really solid! It’s one of those “had I discovered this last year, it’d have made my top 10 list” types of albums.

House of Heroes – If (2008, Columbus, Ohio) Ok, ok. I’ll admit. I’ve got a weakness for this kind of emo-punk-rock stuff, but only if it’s good. What’s make this style good? Well, fast tempo, awesome guitarists and non-whining vocalists. Sure this band kind of sounds like a lot of the others out there, but is that always such a bad thing? Well, yeah, if they lack the creativity to set themselves apart from the flock. For “House of Heroes” this is not the case. They combine the best of the modern alternative/punk scene but definitely add their own ideas and style to it. “In the Valley of the Dying Sun” is a prime example of what I mean, as it demonstrates just some of the range to this band’s sound. If you liked “If”, the rest on “The End Is Not The End” are pretty good as well.

Math and Physics Club – Darling, Please Come Home (2006, Seattle, Washington) If you like “Belle & Sebastian” or “The Lucksmiths”, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to enjoy this band. Can you hear it? Well, I can. With only one album released, and three EPs, one has to wonder what exactly happened to this band? Before starting “Math and Physics Club” Charles Bert (vocals, rhythm guitar) and James Werle (lead guitar) were in a band called “drive car girl” (named after a “Beat Happening” song). Drummer Kevin Emerson played in a number of bands in Connecticut and Massachusetts before moving to Seattle, including a stint with a soul band called “Soulwork”. Kevin is also the singer and co-leader of the band “Central Services”. *shrugs* I know these aren’t answers, but they do explain that the talents in this band are at least busy still making music.

Republic Tigers – Golden Sand (2008, Kansas City, Missouri) I’ve put this band on the fix before, but bands that deserve respect, get it! I love this track. It totally reminds me of good “Placebo”. The style of this song is completely different than the last song of theirs I posted on here (”Buildings & Mountains”), which reminds me of good “Air”. Having just released their first album last years, “Keep Color” is amazing and is definitely worth the investment. “Republic Tigers” started as Kenn Jankowski’s (”The Golden Republic”) side project. With that band now defunct, “Republic Tigers” have gone on to tour with “Nada Surf” and have their song Buildings & Mountains featured on ABC’s show “Grey’s Anatomy”.

Dear Reader – Dearheart (2009, Johannesburg, South Africa) Dear Reader is a South African band whose music could be described as alternative pop, covering a wide-range from acoustic ballads to electronic loop experiments. Their name used to be “Harris Tweed”, but they were forced to change it when the Harris Tweed Authority in Scotland sent them a lawyers’ letter demanding it. In fall 2008 they played their first European shows as the support act for “Lambchop” and “Andrew Bird”. They returned in February 2009 to play shows with “Sophia”. This track can be found on “Replace Why with Funny” and if you dig this album, you can get “The Younger” when they were titled “Harris Tweed”.

Memory Cassette – Ghost in the Boombox (2008, ???, New Jersey?) Memory Cassette is one guy from New Jersey, with two projects – “Memory Cassette” and “Weird Tapes”. Soon, both will merge to become “Memory Tapes”. Memory Cassette is a pretty secret about who/whom they are – their myspace page makes no mention of whether “Cassette Memory” is a ‘he’ or a ’she’ or a ‘they’. Other websites suggest that Memory Cassette is a collection of musicians from the Philadelphia and New Jersey. Apart from that all I know is that there are four EPs released by them, and that this track can be found on “The Hiss We Missed”. Mad props to anyone that can give me more info on the band/artist!

Two weeks in a row! See, I wasn’t just talkin’ when I said the fix was back! With so much music to catch up and so much more to share, it’s hard for me to choose a place to start. I did just pick up the new Wilco album, so, maybe you’ll see me review that in the future…who knows? At any rate, lets get this party started.

Iglu & Hartly – In This City (2008, Echo Park, California) Iglu & Hartly met at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado (USA) Before long, Jarvis Anderson, Sam Martin, and Simon Katz quit school and moved to Echo Park, California to pursue their passion for music. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Luis Rosiles flew from Jarvis’ hometown of Chicago to join the band as their drummer, and LA local Michael Bucher joined as bassist. Releasing their first album last year, it included this track and a few others, with music which seems folks either really like, or dislike. If you find yourself in the former category, you can enjoy this track on their “& then Boom” album.

Point Juncture, Wa – Sick on Sugar (2008, Point Juncture, Washington) I found Point Juncture, WA while browsing band camp one day. After checking out a few samples, I found I really dug their laid back indie pop sound and downloaded the full album. You can find this track the second full length, “Heart to Elk” (which features raccoons on the cover, yay). In 2005, they made their debut, releasing their “Juxtapony” EP, which was followed by their album “Mama Auto Boss” album in 2006.

Damien Jurado – Gillian was a Horse (2008, Seattle, Washington) Damien Jurado is a singer-songwriter in the indie-rock tradition of Seattle, Washington. His music is regarded as being heavily influenced by folk music. He often makes use of found sound and field recording techniques, and has experimented with different forms of tape recordings. In 2000 he released Postcards and Audio Letters, a collection of found audio letters and fragments that he had found from sources such as thrift store tape players and answering machines. If you dig this track, be sure to check out the full album “Caught in the Trees”.

Liekki – Pienokainen (2003, Tampere, Finland) Flint actually turned me on to this fine group from Finland. They remind me a lot of French-Canadian 70s trio “Harmonium”, only singing in Finnish. Featuring heavy use of classical guitar, piano and the flute, “Korppi” is an extremely solid and enjoyable sophomore album. They have several full length albums released, including their latest in 2008.

Fischerspooner – Never Win (2005, New York City, New York) Fischerspooner is an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in New York City. The name comes directly from the last names of the band members; Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner. Back in 2003, I had the privilege of seeing these guys perform live. Their albums can be seen as soundtracks to their stageshows, as opposed to recordings which are performed live. This might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but seriously, they put on one hell of any entertaining show including everything from zombies, smoke machines, awesome lighting and outrageous costumes.

Bell X1 – The Ribs of a Broken Umbrella (2009, Kildare, Ireland) Originally known as Juniper, they became a quartet with the departure of lead vocalist Damien Rice and renamed themselves Bell X1, with drummer Paul Noonan becoming the band’s new frontman. This album was one I was highly anticipating this year, as I really enjoyed their re-release of their 2005 album “Flock” in 2008. This album was even better in my opinion, though I still feel that the band can grow even more in it’s sound, as some of the tracks are just exceptionally better than others (I’m not saying that those other songs are bad though). Be sure to pick up “Blue Lights on the Runway” if you enjoy this song.

Jeez and Peez. It’s been like, forever. But, I’m happy to report that all the obstacles preventing me from my regular postings have been dealt with! New job, return of income, and all that sort of mess! :)

So, thanks to those of you still poking back here on Fridays, looking for what’s warping my brain musically. Your faithfulness is greatly appreciated! And as such, I shall not bore you with more idle ramblings!

Ear PWR – Future Eyes (2009, Winston-Salem, North Carolina) Should I feel guilty for liking such an upbeat electropop song? *ponders* No. My brain, my tunes. But I can definitely understand if it drives some folks up the wall. EAR PWR was formed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the summer of 2006.
Its members, Devin Booze & Sarah PWR combine electronics, dirty disco, hip-hop, pop, funky beats and silly lyrics with orange sodie pop and bubble gum and the result is nothing less than magical. You can find this track on their “Super Animal Brothers III” album.

Fleet Foxes – Textbook Love (2006, Seattle, Washington) Everyone is jumping on the Fleet Foxes bus these days (except Flint *grins*), and why shouldn’t they? The band is talented, and if you ever get the chance to see them perform live, you will be impressed by their multi-part harmonization. But to really appreciate any band, you’ve gotta look at their roots. This track can be found on their first release, a self titled EP released in 2006 (two years before their following release). This track shows you that the band has a sound that has continues to work and they’ve no intention of changing it unnecessarily.

Au Revoir Simone – All or Nothing (2009, New York City, New York) This trio of ladies from NYC brings us this track from their latest release “Still Night, Still Light”. Annie Hart (vox, keys) and Erika Foster (vox, keys) became friends while traveling by train from Vermont to New York. They are accompanied by Heather D’Angelo (vox, keys, drum machine). The band name comes from a minor character in Tim Burton’s Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.

Akron/Family – River (2009, Brooklyn, New York) Akron/Family is a folk-influenced experimental rock band that formed in 2002, and is currently based in New York. Though each member of the band — Miles Seaton, Seth Olinsky, Dana Janssen and formerly Ryan Vanderhoof can be relegated to loosely defined roles (drummer, guitarist, bassist, vocalist), all of them in fact play several instruments and sing, as evidenced by their shows and recorded material. If you dig this track, you can find it on their latest album “Set ‘em Wild, Set ‘em Free”.

White Rabbits – Percussion Gun (2009, Columbus, Missouri) Now based in New York City, this group originally formed in the Midwest US. Since their big move, they have managed to catch the attention of Say Hey Records and producer Chris Zane (Shy Child, Asobi Seksu, Les Savy Fav). Their sets have gained the band a large and growing audience and led them to share bills with Peter Bjorn & John, The Walkmen, Richard Swift and others. A full tour is planned for the late spring as well. You can find this track and more on their second full length album “It’s Frightening”.

Zee Avi – Bitter Heart (2009, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia) This has got to be my favorite song to ever come out of Malaysia…but then, I believe it’s the only artist I know from there (though, I’m always up for suggestions). She is also known as Koko Kaina and sings in English. She is currently signed to Brushfire records and was featured on the album, This Warm December. She is best known for her Christmas song No Christmas for me, which became a YouTube success in 2007, though you will find this song on her self titled debut album.

Passion Pit – Moth Wings (2009, Cambridge, Massachusetts) Passion Pit was a vocab word used in a class Mike Angelakos (vocals, keys) took in school. It’s a slang word for a drive-in movie theatre where kids used to go to make out. This track can be found on their first full length album titled “Manners”. The band’s debut Chunk Of Change EP originally had four songs and was recorded by Angelakos on his laptop. It was intended as a belated Valentine’s Day gift to his girlfriend. This set of songs was passed around Emerson College, where Angelakos was attending and caught the attention of many blogs, including ours.

Where’s Ip? I am such a baaaaad man. *baps himself with rolled up newspaper*

Seriously though, I’ve been in a bit of transition with life recently, looking for new job being the main catalyst to that. Fret not, I shall be re-employed soon enough! However, in between the job hunting, I’ve still been finding all sorts of yummy new tuneage! So, enjoy!

Nick dePartee – Working Hands (Sleeping Pills) (2009, Brentwood, Tennessee) I’ve been in kind of a “laid back/ambient” music mood at times lately. Nick dePartee’s latest project “Home” fills this hole quite nicely. Still a bit rough around the edges, this debut(?) album is quite impressive and enjoyable…and Free! Be sure to download it and give it a listen. Ambient Indie Folk? It’s the best way I can describe it.

The Howards – It’s Magic (2009, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) Did I just say Harrisburg? Wow! I’m always ecstatic when I find awesome bands from cities in the vicinity of my ‘original’ home. Another Free EP, noticing a trend yet? *grins* But seriously, there are so many awesome artists struggling to make it big out there that totally deliver awesome music. “The Howards” are no exception. This EP “It’s Magic” is quite spectacular. Formed by two brothers, Jon and Joey, this is their first official release, so give them so love and download their free EP!

The Sound of Arrows – M.A.G.I.C. (Gävle, Sweden) Another awesome band from Sweden, Oskar Gullstrand has teamed up with Stefan Storm (”Panache”) to form “The Sound of Arrows” back in 2006, and are now based out of Stockholm. They totally remind me of “Black Kids” combined with 80’s “Pet Shop Boys”. While not a free EP, it’s quite good, and they’ll also be releasing their first full length album this September. They’ve got 2 other EPs released besides “M.A.G.I.C.”, “Danger!” being worth the purchase as well, but not quite as strong as this one.

Gentlemen at Arms – when we Fall (2008, Adrian, Michigan) Ok…this totally reminds me of some other band. Any help out there? Dishwalla, maybe? At any rate, this track can be found on their self titled EP. Currently touring, you can catch them in upcoming shows in Nashville, Cocoa Beach (Florida), and Indiana. This is another awesome EP, and guess what? Yep, it’s Free too! Check out their EP, and if you dig it, go see them on tour!

The Faraway Places – The Sun Goes West (2009, Los Angeles, California) Having only released a few singles and one album back in 2003, “The Faraway Places” have just released a brand new album, titled “Out of the rain, the thunder & the Lightning”. With a sound that reminds me of “Apples in Stereo”, this Indie pop/rock group is fronted by Chris Colthart, who also has a side project with Tim Powers, called “The Background”. If you dig this song, be sure to check out the full album, available digitally on amazon, itunes, etc.

Casper & the Cookies – Little King (2009, Athens, Georgia) Formed back in 1999, “Casper & the Cookies” have released several albums and are no stranger to the music world. Or..are they? If you’ve not heard anything by them before, you definitely should check out “The Optimist’s Club”, their previous release which was quite good. This song is found on their recently released album “Modern Silence”, which is still pretty good, but at times can get a bit eccentric. But if that’s your thing, go buy the album and enjoy.

*taps this thing* Last weeks Friday Fix didn’t seem to get much traffic or love. Anybody out there? I’d love to hear some feedback from our regular readers sometime. Not that I’m begging, far from it. I just want to make sure that I can cater a little more to your tastes, because I find A LOT of new music each week, that spans all genres of music. So, if you want more electronic, let me know. If you like more folk, I’m game. If you like what you hear right now, tell me.

At any rate, I’m not gonna be stopping this anytime soon, so bear with me. Enjoy! :)

Moderat – A New Error (2009, Berlin, Germany) Moderat’s formation began back in 2002 when Sascha Ring (aka Apparat) and Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary (aka Modeselektor) recorded an EP for the record label BPitch Control (“Auf Kosten der Gesundheit” / “At The Cost Of Health”). When it came time to begin working on an album, Moderat suddenly broke up. 2008 saw the reunion of this project and the three members of Moderat went back to the studio to continue working together. Now in 2009, Moderat finally brings us their self titled debut album, on which, you can enjoy this and many other fine tracks.

Xu Xu Fang – Your Way (2009, Los Angeles, California) I was first tuned into these guys when I picked up “Perfect as Cats: A tribute to the Cure” (which is an awesome album, featuring many up-and-coming artists). Based out of Los Angeles, Xu Xu Fang kind of remind me of Arcade Fire and Radiohead, but bring their own unique flavor to the mix. You can find this track on their “Seven Days Now” EP, which was just released after a 10 year hiatus. If you dig the EP, maybe you’ll enjoy stepping back in time and checking out their 1999 debut album (their only album), “Los Angeles During the Winter of ‘99″.

Great Northern-Houses (2009, Los Angeles, California) When I heard this track, I immediately bought the full album from Amazon. I am not in the LEAST BIT disappointed by this album. (Expect me to do a full review on this album in the near future.) Every track on this album was extremely solid, and if you enjoy this track, no doubt you’ll enjoy the rest of them. Rachel Stolte delivers powerful vocals, while Solon Bixler (from “30 Seconds to Mars”) backs her up on guitar along with Davey Latter on drums. This track can be found on their sophomore release “Remind Me Where the Light Is”.

Superpose – Blue Beatle is the New Black (2009, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil) A lot of awesome bands have been coming out of Brazil these days, most notably Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS). This one just happens to be offering their debut EP for free off of their myspace page. A bit dark wave, a bit electronica, Superpose is definitely going to be leaving another footprint in the sand for Brazilian Indie artists trying to make a name for themselves worldwide. Paula Felitto does all the vocal work, while Isaac Varzim performs computer, guitar and keyboard duties.

Kevin Devine & The Goddamn Band – Brother’s Blood (2009, Brooklyn, New York) Time for this weeks token Folk/Country song. Kevin Devine is no stranger to the music world. Having several full albums under his belt, as well as having done the vocals/guitar for “Miracle of 86″, he’s accrued quite the solid discography. If you dig Okkervil River or Drive-by Truckers, you’ll really enjoy Kevin Devine & The Goddamn Band, as they sound kind of sound similar to them at times. You can find “Brother’s Blood” on his latest solo effort of the same name.

May?!? Really? What happened to March and April? *blinks* This year just seems to be flying by, with the “Date Added” timestamps in my iTunes library as my only proof that the past few months have really happened. Music is funny like that with me. When I hear a song, I can remember what I was doing when I bought the album/track, roughly when I bought it and so forth. I’ve also found that I’m far more productive, and capable of learning stuff when I’ve got music playing. I suppose that comes from growing up in a musical house.

Anyways…enjoy this weeks Friday Fix. No particular theme this week, though a few of these tracks have interesting stories behind them. So, sit “indian style”, scootch up and listen as I tell you their tales.

Sufjan Stevens – Sofia’s Song (2009, Petoskey, Michigan) For those of you that have been desperately waiting for new Sufjan Stevens music, enjoy this previously unreleased track. I found this track on the asthmatic kitty blog, with a very interesting story about Sufjan’s name, told by Sufjan himself. The article also went into detail about his early music endeavors, stuff he’d record in his home, on tapes, 4-tracks and hard drives. Sofia’s Song is one of these songs. Will we hear more of these boxed up gems? One can only hope. Sufjan has released a few other tracks this year, two of which were on the “Dark was the Night” compilation. He’s also helped out on “Welcome Wagons” debut album, his influence in their sound being quite noticeable.

God Help the Girl – Come Monday Night (2009) “God Help the Girl” is a story set to music, which Stuart Murdoch has been working on intermittently for the last five years, its origin in some songs that were written while Belle and Sebastian were touring “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” in 2004. This album has strong hints of “old school” Belle and Sebastian, but at the same time, introduces new vocalists, more orchestral scoring and makes for an overall phenomenal sounding release. If you want to read more on this project, you can read more about in on their website.

Paper Tiger – 1995 (2008, Utrecht, Netherlands) More and more bands these days are giving digital freebies. Some being so bold to share entire full lengths for free, in hopes that folks will listen, and preach the awesomeness of their band. Paper Tiger, and the folks at “Beep! Beep! Back Up The Truck” records seem to believe in this philosophy. There are always free albums on their website. This band is awesome. The guitar riffs, percussion and even the vocals (at times) remind of XTC’s music that is so near and dear to my heart.

Snowsera – 24 (2008, Chicago, Illinois) Another band offering their latest EP for free from their website. This track can be found on their “Fictions” EP, which is five really solid tracks of indie rock music. Formed in 2006 at the University of Illinois, the four students deliberately chose a name devoid of any existing meaning. Over the past three years, Snowsera has brought its high-impact live show to audiences crowded into rec rooms, dimly-lit bars and concert venues across the Midwest. Along the way, the band has shared the bill with major label recording artists (…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, This Is Me Smiling) and veteran Chicago indie acts (State & Madison, Company of Thieves).

brakesbrakesbrakes – Don’t Take Me To Space (Man) (2009, Brighton, England) Brakesbrakesbrakes is the North American name of England’s “Brakes”. The band features Eamon Hamilton (formerly of British Sea Power) on vocals and guitar, brothers Tom and Alex White on guitar and drums respectively, and Marc Beatty on bass. They play irreverent, punked-up interpretations of various genres including traditional rock, country and folk, and surf rock. You can find this track on their latest album “Touchdown”.

American Art – Instrumental (2009, Lake Zurich, Illinois) While perhaps not the best song to reflect their true style, this song demonstrates their ability to record amazing music in the basement. Having released three albums since last November, American Art is another artist offering their works for free on their website. This song gets truly moving near the end…the piano kicks in and I get all goosebumpy. Here’s the kicker. Both the musicians in the band are only 17. Their other tracks are quite amazing as well. Sometimes hinting of early Radiohead and Arcade Fire. In fact, on this album, “Rearranging the Furniture”, they cover Arcade Fire’s “Rebellion (Lies)” in their own unique style. Quite awesome group developing here, and I really hope to hear more from them!

Paper Navy – All Grown Up (2009, Murfreesboro, Tennessee) Paper Navy are a folk-pop outfit originating on the fringes of Nashville, TN. With musical influences as divergent as classic country and 1970s era pop, Paper Navy’s music isn’t overly composed, offering lush sounding guitar based arrangements. If you dig what you hear, you can download this album for free on bandcamp.

The Sundays – My Finest Hour (1990, London, England) Old school jangle pop…ahhh..life is good. I’ve always dug this particular sound in British music. So, it’s always a nice surprise when I find a new band with this sound. You can find this track on their 1990 debut release “Reading, Writing and Arithmetic”. They have released three albums, an EP and several singles before dissolving in 1997.

Lovely Day – Racket & Fives (2008, Columbus, Ohio) Another great free album on bandcamp, Lovely Day was generous to share their latest release “The Young Rose Fivefold”. Currently unsigned, they are actively seeking out a label to sign with. Some of this album was really top notch, and there were a few songs that I felt were more filler than substance. Overall, it’s a pretty enjoyable album and worth checking out.

Spring is in the air. I know I mentioned this last week, and even made a post dedicated to “warming the hearts of our readers from cold places”, but still, I love this time of the year. :) And what better way to celebrate Spring than through some new music? I’ve put some extra tunes in this one as it was a good week for finding new tunes that I really liked. So, sit back, relax and enjoy.

The Milk & Honey Band – Disappear (2009, Brighton, England) My curiosity was immediately piqued when I first heard that this band was inspired by XTC. Andy Partridge is in fact the owner of the record label used by “The Milk & Honey Band”, and hints of his style are quite evident all throughout their album “Dog Eared Moonlight”. With their first album released in 1994, “The Milk & Honey Band” have four released albums, and a few EPs, one of which features Partridge on backing vocals and guitar.

Still Flyin’ – The Hottchord is Struck (2009, San Francisco, California) More of a collective than an actual rock band, Still Flyin’ is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Sean Rawls, who formed it in late 2004 in San Francisco after relocating there from Athens, GA. Rawls was inspired to put the group together by a song he had written while a member of Je Suis France, “Never Gonna Touch the Ground.” To jam on the song, he invited a wide range of friends to rehearse, resulting in an ever-shifting personnel of upwards of 15 musicians and singers at a time, performing locally.

Thieves Like Us – Drugs in My Body (2008, Berlin, Germany) I’m gonna dedicate this one to my friend Kaoru who’s told me in the past that “he can’t find any decent music from his home country”. While I realize that that’s probably an exaggeration, I do want to make his quest a bit easier finding some music that rocks close to home. ;) Thieves like us is a relatively new band, having relocated to New York City to cut their first album..or, the re-recording of their first album. I swear the vocalist of this band is Bernard Sumner of “New Order”. Even their sound is a bit 80s electronic. *shrugs* Good stuff, enjoy.

Big Fresh – W.L.U.V. (2008, Lexington, Kentucky) After an eight year silence, Big Fresh has released their sophomore album “Big Fresh Forever”. With a sound hinting of “Apples in Stereo”, Big Fresh blends wonderful musical hints from the past with a modern indie pop sound. Honestly, I don’t know much about this band, or what they’ve been up to for the past eight years, but if you know, feel free to leave a comment!

The Juan MacLean – One Day (2009, New York City, New York) After performing synth and guitar duties for “Six Finger Satellite”, John MacLean has started releasing his own solo work under the name “The Juan MacLean”. This was not as easy as I’ve made it sound. When the “Six Finger Satellite” broke up, Maclean’s aggravated emotional state and long-term drug addiction took him low enough to provoke a move from New York to New Hampshire and a drastic change in lifestyle. James Murphy (”LCD Soundsystem”) and Tim Goldsworthy, who were getting the DFA label off the ground, provoked Maclean to become interested in making music again. Using the name the Juan Maclean, Maclean took the sound of his defunct band to the dancefloor, retaining flashes of post-punk and ’70s experimental electronics. It’s good to see John releasing music again, and the Satellite’s even have a new album coming out this year. Enjoy this track, which you can find on his latest album “The Future Will Come”

Hosta – Jupiter (2009, Fayetteville, Arkansas) Hosta is a three piece indie pop ensemble performing throughout the Midwest United States. They create an exciting, high-energy show fusing the classic sound of 60’s Garage Rock and the Velvet Underground with electronic pop and experimental flourishes. Hosta was nominated for a 2009 Northwest Arkansas Music Award in the category “Best None of the Above,” which perfectly describes the band’s genre-bending music. I’m not sure if they’ve released this track on an album, other than the “One Dream, One Night” compilation, but they do seem to have at least one full length album released to date.

Wye Oak – Take It In (2009, Baltimore, Maryland) I always love finding musical talent from Baltimore. Why? Well, I grew up north of this great city, and as a kid, I’d listen to “WHFS” or “98 Rock”, and wonder what awesome bands came from Baltimore. Now, I can give you a whole list: Animal Collection, Arbouretum, Dan Deacon, Adventure, just to name a few. Today, I’m adding “Wye Oak” to your radar, as this duet from Baltimore is about to release their second album “The Knot”. Wye Oak (formerly known as Monarch) are Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack. Jenn & Andy have been playing music together and apart in Baltimore, MD, and chose their name from the honorary state tree of Maryland. If you dig this track, be sure to pick up “The Knot” and their debut release “If Children”.

The Most Serene Republic – Heavens To Purgatory I was first turned onto “The Most Serene Republic” when I heard “Present of Future End” off their “Population” album (2007). Coming this July 14th, you can enjoy their latest album “…And the Ever Expanding Universe” featuring 11 new tracks of love. This band has always been one that can cram in a lot of sound into a song, but do it brilliantly, making the final product both overwhelm and satisfy the listener. I’ve also heard they put on an awesome live show, filled with dancing an other fun surprises. Be sure to check out their latest album and see them on tour when they come around your town.

Great Lake Swimmers – Pulling On a Line (2009, London, Ontario) Oddly enough, “The Most Serene Republic” and “Great Lake Swimmers” both come from London, Ontario..and both are quite awesome. Another one of my favorite bands come from this Canadian town, “The Gandharvas”, but I’ll talk them up another day. Great Lake Swimmers are a bit more folk than the previous mentioned bands today. This song can be found on their latest album “Lost Channels”. Interestingly enough, a lot of the songs on this album sing about forgotten/hidden history around the Ontario/New York great lakes region.

Telefon Tel Aviv – Immolate Yourself (2009, New Orleans, Louisiana) Telefon Tel Aviv is a music collective started by Josh Eustis and the late Charlie Cooper of New Orleans, Louisiana. The two originally met in high school, but did not begin working on music together until after university studies. Since 1999 the two have been working to cultivate their sound, one that is based largely in electronic music, but that also shows flourishes of classical, vintage soul, ambient drone, and noise, among other things. Over the past few years, together and separately, the duo have completed production work for many other artists, including Marc Hellner/Pulseprogramming, L’Altra, The Album Leaf, Apparat, Belong, The Race, and others. They have built a studio in Chicago where they currently work on all of their projects.

As the weather starts to warm up, my heart goes out to all my friends living in cold places. So, in tribute to them, I’ve included a good number of bands that rock that come from “the cold lands”. It’s no new big news that Scandinavia has some of the best up and coming indie artists these days. So, another “big surprise” that there are a few bands from Norway and Sweden. Sorry Flint, nothing from Finland this time! *grins*

I’ve made this weeks Friday Fix a bit larger than usual, dedicated to help those folks coping with the cold still, in hopes to stave off their cabin fever a bit longer. Enjoy!

I Was A King – Norman Bleik (2009, Oslo, Norway) Fresh off their first, self titled full length, “I Was A King” brings us “Norman Bleik”. The interesting thing about this release is that it had some big names contribute to it; Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh), Sufjan Stevens, Daniel Smith (Danielson Famile), and Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor). Having only released one highly acclaimed EP in 2007, one has to wonder what other projects Frode Strømstad has been involved with musically to get such talent to contribute to his first album. The band hints strongly of influences from “Guided by Voices”, “Teenage Fanclub” and “My Bloody Valentine”, carving out their own unique jangle/shoegaze/noise pop niche in the indie music scene.

The Antlers – Two (2009, Brooklyn, New York) When Peter Silberman moved to Manhattan in the winter of 2006, he disappeared for a year and a half, staying locked up in his apartment, hiding away from friends, family, and most of the city. When Silberman emerged in the spring of 2007, he set out to explain his absence through a record that would take another year and a half to complete. Moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn, he spent most of his waking hours working on what was to become this album, “Hospice”, an elegy for his disappearance. Having released two other albums prior to this, both of those helped gain him some notoriety in the blogs. With the release of “Hospice” and some performances at SXSW, The Antlers are now far more in the ears of folks world round.

The Starfolk – Into the Clouds (2009, Minneapolis, Minnesota) I stumbled across The Starfolk, thanks to an awesome compilation called “Birdsongs, Beesongs” released for free by Eardrum Records. Lots of great songs were on this album, including this one. The band features members of Minneapolis indie pop mainstays “The Owls” and “The Hang Ups”, and are currently working on their debut LP, so this is about all you can find from them so far.

The Ballet – I Hate The War (2009, New York City, New York) This band definitely has a sense of humor about themselves, as is evident by both their myspace name (sissypopband), and website url (thepirateship.org). Both this song, and “In My Head” can be found for free on their website, and both are quite fantastic. Fun, poppy music tying in classical instruments always makes for music that I deeply enjoy, and “The Ballet” delivers. If you dig them, you can catch them at the New York City Popfest coming up in May.

My Teenage Stride – To Live And Die In The Airport Lounge (2007, Brooklyn, New York) I swear, the vocalist is the lead singer from “Dogs Die in Hot Cars”, but no..not even in the correct country. My Teenage Stride is currently in studios working on their fourth release, and have produced an EP and a few singles since this release, “Ears Like Golden Bats” was released in 2007. “My Teenage Stride” was started as a solo project of Jedediah Smith, and over the years, has had a shuffling set of members contributing to his works. Expect to see their new release sometime late this year.

Pants Yell! – Magenta and Green (2007, Boston, Massachusetts) Pants Yell! came into existence three years ago within the walls of a Boston art school. In their time together they’ve released a debut album, “Songs for Siblings”, a 7” single, appeared on numerous compilations, and have completed three East Coast Tours. Shows have been played with Islands, Jens Lekman and a slew of other artists. After releasing several homemade recordings, Pants Yell!’s debut album, was recorded in a 16-track analog studio and earned a wealth of enthusiastic notices from the indie music press in America and overseas.

Let’s Whisper – All Happy Endings (2009, Burlington, Vermont) Let’s Whisper is the sweet bedroom pop duo project of Colin Clary and Dana Kaplan of the Smittens. They write dreamy soft songs and have recorded a few songs that have appeared on compilations. This is no exception. I found this song on the “Birdsongs, Beesongs” compilation. They have only released an EP, “Make Me Smile” on the WeePOP! label but are currently at work on their first full-length album which will hopefully be completed this year.

The Golden Filter – Solid Gold (2009, New York, New York City) Perhaps better known for their remixes of such artists as “Peter Bjorn & John”, “Cut Copy” and “Little Boots”, “The Golden Filter” are also musicians quite capable of producing their own very awesome music. This relatively new band has been getting a lot of hype online as well as indie radio stations nationwide. Another SXSW band, they’ve gotten more exposure and are becoming more of a household electronica staple. You can find this song on their “Solid Gold” release.

Sorry to those folks that were unable to download the free tunes from amazon last week! To make it up to you, I’ve included a few tracks from there on this weeks fix. There were lots of good songs, some I’ve heard before, some new. There were also some “not so good songs”, but those seemed to be in the minority.

At any rate, enjoy this Friday’s fix, as it’s got some lovely new music for all to share.

Say Hi – Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh (2009, Brooklyn, New York) With a song title that sounds more like a quote from a bad porno movie, this song is really quite nice :) This band just switched labels to Barsuk Records, and I’m not 100% sure if they changed their name from “Say Hi to your Mom” at this point, but I’m pretty sure that happened earlier than this. At any rate, their first album on Barsuk is titled “Oohs & Aahs”, and is their strongest album to date (at least in my humble opinion). There are quite a few enjoyable tracks on this album, my personal favorite a close tie between this song and “November Was White, December Was Grey”.

Cursive – From the Hips (2009, Omaha, Nebraska) More than just corn comes from Nebraska, ya know? Bright Eyes, Matthew Sweet and Cursive are just a few of the awesome artists hailing from this fine state. Cursive’s sound kinda reminds me of another band..but which one is currently escaping my brain. This song is solid, and I love when the tempo picks up. They are truly a band that can combine classical instrumentation (cello, for example), with a modern sound, and well, I’m always a sucker for bands that can pull that off well. Be sure to check out their entire discography, including the album this song is on, “Mama, I’m Swollen”.

Sundae – 92 (2009, Seville, Spain) Ya know, I think this is the first modern music I’ve ever heard from Spain, with the exception of “Mago de Oz”. Sundae is pretty new to the music scene, and yes, they do sing in Spanish. However, their music is awesome. It hints of musical influences such as New Order, The Cure and other great 80s music. I can’t really dig up much on this band, as they really seem to be relatively new, but be sure to check out their myspace page to hear more awesomeness by them!

The Lodger – The Good Old Days (2008, Leeds, England) After three sold-out limited 7″s and touring around the UK and Europe with bands such as The Long Blondes and The Research, The Lodger released their debut album “Grown-Ups”, produced by Alan Smyth and James Ford, in June 2007 on Slumberland Records in the US, and various other labels overseas. After touring, The Lodger got back into the studio and recorded their latest album “Life is Sweet”, on which this track can be heard.

Parts & Labor – Nowheres Nigh (2008, Brooklyn, New York) Ya know, I won’t lie. Noise pop/rock really isn’t my preferred taste of music, but I reaaaaally enjoy this song by Parts & Labor. Another freebie, thanks to Jagjaguwar, this is probably my favorite artist out of the some 122 free MP3s included in that massive haul. Parts & Labor formed back in 2002, when bassist BJ Warshaw and keyboardist Dan Friel met at a knitting factory, added a few members and became the group the are today. The band has several albums under their belt, and you can find this track on their latest release “Receivers”.

Vetiver – Everyday (2009, San Francisco, California) Ok, time for my obligatory folk song (or so it seems). Vetiver is another one of those bands that remind me of another bands sound, not remembering which, but thinking it reminds me of something from the 50s-70s. Very sunshiny and upbeat, “Everyday” can be found on their latest album “Tight Knit”. This song just makes me wanna take my dog out on a boat and float lazily around on the lake. If you dig it be sure to check out any of their other four full lengths, two EPs and various singles.