Orange Alert's Music Minute

Formed in 2001, these high school friends have tried out a few different styles over the years. Originally a punk band, on their latest EP, Wait Outside, this trio blends the energy of punk rock with their new found pop sensibilities and curiosity for atmospherics. Over these seven tracks, Caw! Caw! features unique guitar patterns, solid melodies, and a lot of boyhood fantasies. With a great cover by Liz Born, Wait Outside is an ep these three friends from an unnamed Chicago high school should be proud of.

Listen to: Organisms (mp3)

It's been ten years since Sista K, Clem, Matt and Soupa Ju (a.k.a Watcha Clan) came together to revolutionize the world music scene. On their return release, Diaspora Hi-Fi, they bring together North African, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, and French influences along to a strong dance beat. The album plays like a nomadic journey from hilltop to hilltop, from country to country, from religion to religion, you never know where you are headed next. The bands personal journey acts the same why, and it will bring them to America for the first time. On October 1st they will be appearing at Droma Gypsy Fest in New York.

Back in the '90's there was a band called Madder Rose. Billy Coté and Mary Lorson were in Madder Rose, and that band made four albums and toured the world, headlining the Melody Maker stage at England's Reading Festival and enjoying critical approval if not staggering sales. Since that time they have worked on different projects, but are together again and have brought in Kathy Ziegler. Now as The Piano Creeps, this trio is creating one part indie pop, one part free jazz, and one part piano ballad. Their album, Future Blues (for me and you), is out on October 14th.

Listen to: Hey Love (mp3)

The buzz has been building around this band for years, and finally their debut album Some Are Lakes will be released by Saddle Creek Records on Oct. 7th. Land of Talk is powered by the fierce vocals of Elizabeth Powell and they have been touring their native Montreal and all over the North America for the last two years. With bassist Chris McCarron and drummer Andrew Barr (The Slip), the band set up in an old converted church outside of Montreal and recorded 9 songs with the helping hands of Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). The tenth and final track “Troubled” was recorded in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, at Vernon’s parents' home.

Listen to: Corner Phone (mp3) and Some Are Lakes (mp3)

As an electronic musician it is easy to build a certain level of mystery. A bedroom producer can slip into their own world, delve deep into their own sound, or in the case of Ghostly International latest artist, rise high above the atmosphere and gaze down. Late last month, The Sight Below release a free ep called No Place For Us. This three song taste of what lays ahead on their full length debut, Glider, in November, gently floats and glides and explores, for a brief moment, the hidden world of The Sight Below. Download the ep, pour a glass of wine, lean back and relax.

New Jersey indie roots four-piece Carlon will embark on a twelve date tour starting tonight at Public Assembly in Brooklyn, New York. The breezy twelve gig jaunt is in celebration of the band’s forthcoming Ropeadope Digital debut, Johari Window, due September 30th. The tour finds the band making its way down the east coast and into the gulf, before concluding three days prior to the album’s release in Austin, Texas. Johari Window, the long-awaited answer to Carlon’s self-released Suburban Heel EP, was produced by the band and Ross Petersen and executive produced by Pete Francis of Dispatchin Carlon’s warehouse rehearsal space in New Jersey. Head over to Imeem now, for an exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of the record.

Listen to: Cantaloupe (mp3)

The Peel Back: Latryx The Album (Quannum Projects, Aug. 1997)

This was another album that I was a little late to the party on, but in 2001 when the Scratch documentary came out there was a bonus feature with Arizona's Z-Trip. In this little segment Z-Trip shows the audience how to blend two songs together. The vocals he used where "The Life" by Mystic, but the instrumental I hadn't heard before. Even through I hadn't heard it I was captivated. I couldn't get that bass line out of my head. I watched the video again the next day, and paused it for the second that they show the label of the album. It read, "LADY DON'T TEK NO". I quickly looked up the song, and in no time I The Album in my hand. Now Lady Don't Tek No is actually on an ep released in 1998, but The Album is a great introduction to the sound of Latryx.

Consisting of now legendary rappers Lyrics Born and Lateef the Truthspeaker, Latryx was formed in 1996 with the help of long-time friends DJ Shadow and Chef Xcel (of Blackalicious). This album is a true collaboration of the soul and funk of Lyrics Born and the laid back R&B flow of Lateef. There really was a sense that something special was going one, and these two have gone on to be extremely successful. Earlier this year, Lyrics Born his second studio album (first on Anti Records), Everywhere at Once. On October 14th, Lateef will team up with Gift of Gab to release a full length Mighty Underdogs album and drop some Science Fiction.

Listen to: Lady Don't Tek No (mp3)