Patrick Pleau's Hype...

Ok...I admit, I don't speak a word of French. But music is the universal language and if something is good it doesn't really matter what language it is in, it's still good. That's especially true in the case of Patrick Pleau!

This French Canadian sounds like he was beamed to the 21st century from the 60's with a love of all things Chanson. He's got that smokey, tender voice that haunted so many French pop records 40 years ago and made all the girls fall in love.

When you wrap his voice around tunes that sound something like Phoenix mixed with a dash of Britpop and throw in some international intrigue (yeah, ok he's from Canada) you have the makings of something special that's bound to cross borders and language barriers. As fate would have it Patrick Pleau does have that something special...it's his album called, Hype-Moi.

Hype-Moi is a great record that's filled with jangly pop, huge choruses, and tender ballads that will no doubt make girls stalk him no matter where he goes. It's a fun listen that will make you wish you were in Paris...or Montreal as the case may be. If you love your pop with a bit of foreign flare, than Patrick Pleau is your boy.

Download: Bocalophobe
Download: Antigenie
Download: Cimetiere Lunaire

Rosie and Me

Rosie and Me are a folk/acoustic duo from Curitiba, Brazil, made up of Rosie and Alex.

Their music is driven by Rosie’s voice, with an increasing level of vocal participation from Alex, whose voice blends entirely with the whole set. Rosie also plays a great number of instruments, such as: guitar, piano and bass while Alex plays the synths and harmonicas. In addition to the namesakes of the band there's also Guilherme who plays the bass and Tiago who plays the drums.

Perfectly matched, their songs are catchy and heartbreaking at the same time. It's cute and cuddly twee pop and nothing says Spring more than Rosie and Me's shy, shuffley tunes. If you ever thought Ballboy's softer side was brilliant than you'll find Rosie and Me the most charming band to ever come out of Brazil.

They record everything themselves and have yet to step in to a studio to record an actual EP. But they've been kind enough to send over a few demo tracks that are charmingly brilliant twee pop.

Download: Folkie Song #2
Download: Old Folks (New Year)
Download: The Big Fight
Download: I Lost You (But I Found Country Music)

It's All Minimal to Joachim Spieth

Techno has been the new black since before that phrase came into existence. It is a genre that flourishes in the most dank cities and towns across the globe. Detroit and Berlin are it's two capitals but if you observe surrounding areas you're sure to find the echos of this machine music coming from seemingly abandoned buildings. That's where Joachim Spieth and his Affin imprint step in.

Joachim Spieth, has released records on Techno giants like Kompakt, Speicher and Paso Music. He started the Affin imprint a little over a year ago to release his own tracks and those of like-minded producers.

And that's where we come in. He's released his new compilation album Presence which marks the past decade or so of his musical career. To celebrate he's released a handful of tunes for you to get scientific to.

If you like things that are minimal, sleek, and precise than Joachim is your boy. His clinical techno killers are bleak, stark, and really frickin good. Mixing found sounds, throbbing basslines, and beats that take control Joachim knows a thing or two about glitch, minimalism and just making songs that fry your brain.

Download: Ich
Download: Connect
Download: Maxime Dangles - Strawberry (Joachim Spieth Remix)
Download: Bjirn Scheurmann - Musicmol (Joachim Spieth Remix)

Beware of Alligators

When you think about Kitsap County and “the other side of Puget Sound,” not much comes to mind but small towns and the naval shipyard. But that's where Alligators come from. These five gentlemen have already hit it big in a sense just because of their name. Alligators (the animals), are large reptiles that have a peculiar mystique surrounding their existence and without being reptiles, the band are hoping that mystique follows them.

Taking influence from many of the greats and hints of Radiohead, The Beach Boys, and The Zombies can be heard in their songs. While they don’t stick with one narrow style of music, their sound can be described as very creative, high-energy, precise pop laced with beautiful harmonies and clever arrangements. Each element of the band is interesting; from the tight pulses that the bass and drums provide, to the guitar-synthesizer relationship during the always-stylish vocal melodies. In other words, while there are hints of Radiohead's prog leanings, The Beach Boys multipart harmonies and the Zombies 60's groove, the song ends up sounding like a long lost Phoenix track. Is that a good thing? What do you think?

Download: Where Does It Hide
Video:

Ryan Smith Just Wants to Feel

Ryan Smith's music finds middle ground between the far reaches of the indielandscape and the familiarity of pop radio. His latest album, I Just Want To Feel That Way, was called "the best six Paul Westerberg songs that Paul Westerberg neither wrote nor recorded."

That wouldn't be far from the truth. Smith's whiskey coated vocals and slightly rustic sense of songmanship hits the mark. His songs are a smoky, remorseful listen that's quite entertaining and will remind of dusty prairies, hard drinking, and harder times. The perfect musician for these dark days then.

Download: Santa Cruz

Download: A Few Hundred Miles

Taking Over...

The Takeover UK are in fact NOT British but hail from the exotic land of Pittsburgh, PA. In the short time since I originally posted about them as part of the Stimulus Package Tour the band released their debut album on Rykodisc entitled Running with the Wasters. They might not be British, but they're the most Britpop non-Britpop band to not to come out of the UK. Figure that one out.

The foursome perform a raucous blend of pop smattered with a bratty dose of punk rock rebellion. Huge hooks and smashing choruses flirt with one another in songs such as "Ah La La," while the band's inherent charm shines through in tracks, "Evelyn" and "The Lonely Ones." The Takeover UK are as charismatic on record as they are live and that's why you should see them when they roll through your town. See the earlier post for dates!

Download: Ah La La (video featured on TEN TRACKS YOU NEED last week)
Download: Running With The Wasters

You're Filthy.

Carmine P. Filthy has been sweating it out on the dance floor since he was 15 years old. P. Filthy got his start in the club scene as an integrated part of Beat Camp and Revolver down in Miami. He moved on to Chicago to throw underground art party Mondo before moving on to a residency at Grammercy. After four years in the city that built House he moved to Brooklyn. Since moving to NYC in 2005 he has produced and Djed all over the city including venues & parties like APT, Happy Ending, Ruff Club, Crooked Disco, Beauty Bar, B.E.D., element and South Paw.

Carmine P. Filthy is always interested in the new territories of sonics for the dance floor. P. Filthy plays relentless tech crunk, body music and heavy electro as well as the deepest italo and slickest techno. He's shared the decks with DJ Fame (Dubsided), AC Slater, The Captain (Trouble & Bass), Alexander Technique, Lauren Flax (iheartcomix), Glimmers, Eamon Harkin, James F!@#$ing Friedmen, Selway, Mark Verbos, Tommie Sunshine, Ewan Pearson to name a few.

The two mixes span some time but are still super worthy. Barack is a bit more "euphoric," if you will while Sordid is a bit rougher. Are they worth downloading? Um 2 hours of music for free...yeah they are.

Download: Sordid Standard via Soundcloud
Download: Barack the Boat via Soundcloud