Orange Alert's Music Minute

Here is the message I got from Beatman of Voodoo Rhythm Records:

C.W. STONEKING USA TOUR…… BE THERE !!!!! The amazing C.W. stoneking from Melbourne Australia is on tour in the USA. You have to see that.. it’s hobo Blues, Delta pre 2nd world war blues.. and he’s simply AMAZING !!!! Go please go and see this man and he gonna change your life forever.

If the name sound familiar that is because Mr. Stoneking was featured on Orange Alert back in August. This is his first tour of the states.

APRIL
6th LOS ANGELES, Hotel Café
7th LOS ANGELES, Hotel Cafe
8th AUSTIN, Scoot Inn
9th LAFAYETTE, Blue Moon Café
10th NEW ORLEANS, DBA’s
18th NEW YORK, Banjo Jim’s
19th ROSENDALE, Rosendale Cafe
20th NEW YORK, Rockwood Music Hall
21st PHILADELPHIA, Johnny Brendas
22nd, NEW YORK, Pete’s Candy Store
26th, TORONTO, Drake Hotel TBC

Listen to: Bad Luck Everywhere I Go (mp3)

Formed in 2005 by singer/songwriter Shawn Jones (Something Happened, Larks & Owls) and a revolving cast of several longtime friends, The Lovely Sparrows is the culmination of over a decade of musical growth and collaboration.

With The Lovely Sparrows' debut LP, Bury The Cynics, Jones has penned his most accomplished and ambitious songs to date. Meticulously written and recorded over the last year, Bury The Cynics marries lyrical pop sensibilities with Jones' formal composition training. Bury The Cynics is set for release on July 8th, 2008 by Abandoned Love Records and The Rebel Group.

The Lovely Sparrows will be performing April 10th at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle.

Listen to: Department of Forseeable Outcomes (mp3)

With a name like Morrissey, this Maryland native has some big vocals chords to fill. However, name is really the only thing Sean and Steven have in common. Sean Morrissey sings beautifully breathy folk music that is sure charm even the most mopey Smith's fan.

In the fall of 2007, Sean teamed up with long time friend and former high school band mate, Myles Vlachos, to create his solo debut EP Lolita’s Last Slow Dance. Sean Morrissey’s debut EP features guest appearances from other musical friends; and with production help from Vlachos, created an album that is a true display of his creativity and talent.

Download a watermarked version of his Ep here.

I stumbled across this duo from Sao Paulo back in September, and mentioned them here. Now they have already toured in Europe, and now the duo are poised to bring their groove-based blend of electro-pop, rock, house, and baile funk to the U.S. with their new Love & Lust EP, out now on Control Group.

This Brazilian electro-rock band is made up of a singer (Mylene) and DJ/producer/drummer (DJ Periferico), who has remixed songs featured on the "City Of God" remix soundtrack album, and has produced such Brazilian acts as Otto, Trio Mocoto, BiD, and Sidney Magal.

On stage they are like a hip hop duo with one dj and singer, always connecting with the audience and transmitting tremendous energy. Mylene is not a MC but sings the Funk Carioca (the favela´s Funk) like one; Periférico plays the turntables like a punk drummer and the drums like a techno DJ. Mixing in their sound the flavour of jungle music as well as house music, Telepathique's first successful European tour proved them to be an entertaining group with roots on the dance floor and the horizon on the future soundsystem, never forgetting the present, with their electro and breakbeat. All of these ingredients make a terrific recipe and that is Telepathique.

Listen to: Eu Gusto (mp3)

De Pere, WI... that's right De Pere, this is the home to Peter Rosewall (keys), Peter Pisano (guitar, vocals), Bobby Maher (drums), and Mei-Ling Anderson (bass) better known as The Wars of 1812. They released their debut album, Status Quo Ante Bellum, month on Amble Down Records and Afternoon Records.

Listen to: Radio Unsigned (mp3)

Hello Tokyo, the female fronted, power-pop experience from Brooklyn, NY, is releasing their debut LP Sell The Stars on April 22, 2008.

From the beginning, Hello Tokyo has steadily garnered continuous success. Hello Tokyo won the 2006 performance slot on the Ernie Ball Stage at the Vans Warped Tour, they have had music placed on MTV's The Real World and Road Rules consecutively for the past 3 years, and their single "Radio" was chosen out of thousands as the theme song for the Animal Planet series Horse Power.

Listen to: Steady the Gun (mp3)

The Peel Back: Moby Ambient (Instinct Records, 1993)

The release of Moby's latest album Last Night finds me revisiting everything that I enjoyed about Moby back in the day. I mean way back, pre-Play Moby, in fact tonight I am going back to 1993. Ambient was Moby's second album, and it title was fitting in some aspect, but in others it was slightly deceiving. Ambient music is typically filled with drone and repetition, to slowly fills the room and floats for hours. Moby's version of Ambient is music more rhythmic and danceable. He is really creating a form of techno light, techno for the chill-out after party. If you picked this album up in 1996, expecting to hear something similar to what Aphex Twin had achieved with his ambient album, you may have been pleasantly surprised. You may have been dancing instead of dreaming. Moby is consistently changes his sound, but as he progressed and delves into new sounds and forms, Ambient remains a hidden gem in his early collection.

My Beautiful Blue Sky/Heaven (mp3)/Tongues/J Breas/Myopia/House of Blue Leaves/Bad Days/Piano & Strings/Sound Dog/80/Lean on Me