Summer 2007 1 Shannon Wright - Everybody's Got Their Own Part To Play  Atlanta singer-songwriter Shannon Wright sounds intense. Her rather dark new album Let in the Light is centered on her distinct, low rasp and an accompanying piano or guitar. Wright’s cryptic verses find relief in choruses with a minimal, disarming directness.
artist link 2 Pela - Lost To The Lonesome Brooklyn, New York quartet Pela has crafted a signature rock sound with infectious hooks, an airtight rhythm section and inventive guitar work. Pela has shared stages with The Flaming Lips, Sleater-Kinney, and The Decemberists, and are featured in the upcoming documentary Rockin’ Brooklyn, alongside TV on the Radio, Coco Rosie, The National, and others.
artist link 3 Mexican Institue Of Sound - Para No Vivir Desesperado Mexican Institute of Sound is a one-man project helmed by music industry tastemaker Camilo Lara (he is Managing Director of EMI Mexico). With only his computer and record collection, Lara creates impressions of his bustling hometown of Mexico City through his party-friendly musical collages.
amazon.com 4 matt pond PA - Magic Boyfriend Brooklyn’s matt pond PA (they used to live in Philadelphia) delivers another collection of melodic pop on their recent EP If You Want Blood. Their full length Last Light will be released this fall.
artist link 5 Bonde Do Role - James Bonde Currently relocating from Rio to Berlin, the raucous and irreverent Bonde Do Role is a trio of DJ Gorky, DJ Pedro, and vocalist Marina. Apparently most Brazilians don’t even understand much of the band’s lyrics, sung in an obscure Portuguese gay slang called Pajuba. Their simple songs are all about energy and attitude – and that enthusiasm has them blazing through the 13 songs on their debut With Lasers in less than half an hour.
artist link 6 Emily Haines - Mostly Waving (todorK Remix) Written and recorded over the past four years in Los Angeles, Montreal, Toronto and New York, Knives Don’t Have Your Back was Emily Haines’ 2006 debut, a collection of intimate, piano-driven tunes in stark contrast to her full-time band Metric’s bold, danceable rock sound. “Everywhere I’ve lived while working with Metric,” Haines says, “I’ve written songs on the piano and played them for no one.” Last Gang Records has now released a follow-up EP What is Free to a Good Home, which features this remix of “Mostly Waving.”
artist link 7 The Veils - Calliope! Shortly after London’s The Veils released their 2004 debut, the band split up and left founder Finn Andrews to start from scratch. Nux Vomica is the realization of both the new band’s evolution and Andrews’ matured songwriting and vocals. The album achieves a grandeur that sounds organic, not overdone.
artist link 8 Eleni Mandell - Make Out King Eleni Mandell’s album Miracle of Five began by recording Eleni’s vocal and nylon string guitar, then the band, including Wilco guitarist Nils Cline, overdubbed their parts. The result is an album with plenty of well-placed and sometimes surprising textures that never lose sight of the focus – Mandell’s guitar and voice delivering her straightforward songs.
artist link 9 The Sea And Cake - Too Strong The Sea and Cake, an indie supergroup of sorts (featuring respected solo artists Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt, producer and Tortoise-member John McEntire, and bassist Erik Claridge) are back with Everybody, the band's first full length in four years. The album finds the band continuing their singular brand of dreamlike, jazz and soul-inflected pop music that sounds delicately crafted and effortless at the same time.
artist link 10 Podington Bear - Elephants On Parade An anonymous - and highly motivated - electronic musician, Podington Bear has been creating instrumental songs as podcasts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for all of 2007.
artist link 11 Gabby Glaser - Your Eyes Throughout the 90s Luscious Jackson brought funk, pop, and hip-hop together with a decidedly New York point of view. This summer sees the release of co-founder Gabby Glaser’s solo debut Gimme Splash, and she continues where the band left off, bringing all the grit and good times of her past project while adding some welcome balladry.
artist link 12 Blank Blue - All The Shallow Deep LA organization ArtDontSleep has created an underground community of music and art fans through events – both legal and illegal – that combine visual art, live graffiti, and DJ sets. The compilation From L.A. With Love brings together music from producers that reflects this growing scene. Blank Blue, one of the artists featured on the album, is the collaboration between producer Elvin Estela and vocalist Niki Randa.
artist link 13 Eugene McGuinness - Bold Street Eugene McGuinness, a 21-year-old musician that splits his time between Ireland and England, has yet to release an album, but between live shows and a recent single and (forthcoming) EP through Domino Publishing, he has garnered a strong following and some valuable radio play in the UK.
myspace.com 14 Two Gallants - Seems Like Home To Me Known for their aggressive, electric live shows, Two Gallants have fostered a dual musical personality by sometimes recording with a raw, stripped down acoustic sound. Their latest EP The Scenery of Farewell is one of two released this year, and shows off their ability to reconcile the two personalities.
artist link 15 Seabear - Libraries Seabear’s new album finds 23-year-old Swede Sindri Már Sigfússon’s breathy vocals layered atop lo-fi pop and folk staples: acoustic guitar, subtle synthesizers, and occasional toy instruments.
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