Orange Alert's Music Minute

Rock balladeers Christian Kiefer, Matthew Gerken and Jefferson Pitcher have performed a remarkable feat. They have composed and recorded 43 songs, one for each of the past and current presidents of these United States, and this was released as a 3-disc set titled Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs For 43 Presidencies, via the Standard Recording Co. on Sept. 9, 2008. They also plan on writing a song about our 44th President, and releasing it as a download come November. This incredible project features appearances by Califone, These United States, Bill Callahan, and more. For anyone who pledges to vote in the 2008 Presidential election, the label is offering a discount of 15% if you simply visit this link.

Listen to: James Monroe: The Last Cocked Hat (Feat. Marla Hansen) (mp3)

Inspired by Girl Talk's Night Ripper and J Dilla's Donuts, New York producer Belief has recently released a mix album called Let it Breathe. Belief has worked with Jean Grae, Murs, Talib Kweli, and more. Here is what he had say about the project, "It is black market music, filled with unofficial remixing and borrowing bits and pieces of major songs. As an artist who had been limited by sample clearance issues, I needed to find an outlet for all this sampled music I’ve created that feels very meaningful but has been left to get dusty in my hard drive over the years due to not being able to find the right artist to write the right song, or labels not being willing to release sampled music. Adding newer, sample-free material to the mix only seemed to add relevance to the more raw production style I had when I started. The answer to me was to just put it all out, for free, all at once, in as creative of a way as possible." Download it here for free.

Claiming to be from both Flint, MI and Chicago, where ever they are from they have managed to blend folk and hip hop in a way that few others have. Were are not talking Everlast here, this is more of Iron & Wine meets Dj Shadow. All is of it so wonderfully lo-fi, raw and honest. In February 2008, Kinetic Stereokids headed into Ghetto Recorders to mix their second release, Kid Moves, with Detroit studio legend Jim Diamond (White Stripes, The Mooney Suzuki, The Dirtbombs). The result is a more sophisticated effort than Basement Kids, while still retaining Kinetic Stereokids’ distinctive grit. To give the world a taste of what they recorded they are releasing an EP on October 14th called Have a Nice Day.

Listen to: Have a Nice Day (mp3)

It was nearly a year ago to the day the I first mentioned the crooner folk sounds of Jackson, Mississippi's Dent May. I am now extremely pleased to announce that he has signed to Paw Tracks, and will release his debut album The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele on February 9th.

1. Welcome
2. Meet Me In The Garden (mp3)
3. College Town Boy
4. Oh, Paris!
5. Howard
6. Girls On The Square
7. You Can't Force a Dance Party
8. God Loves You, Michael Chang
9. At The Academic Conference
10. 26 Miles
11. I'm an Alcoholic
12. Love Song 2009

The dark dance of Denmark's Larsen & Furious Jane is as frighten as it appealing and beautiful. On their third full-length album, Zen Sucker their mood and music gets even darker, but the quality of the sound and textures that they layer are complex and fascinating. Larsen & Furious Jane formed in 2002 by friends Torsten Larsen and Tore Johansen because the latter had a microphone, a computer and a room and was able to help the former record a few songs. The two recorded a CD-R debut album that doesn't really count, but got them signed to Morningside Records. They have since released 3 critically acclaimed albums, including the current release Zen Sucker

Listen to: A Deathbed Conversation (mp3)


LP33.tv claims to be a combination of old school mtv and myspace. This is another resource for young independent acts looking to be heard. They consistently stream a series of video's and have feature a different artist each week. Currently, it seems that they act involved are pretty mainstream in sound, but hopefully if the word spreads the music will be more diverse in the near future.

Having been introduced by a mutual friend, The Count, a.k.a The Count Of Monte Cristal, a.k.a. DJ Hervé and Sinden, two of dance music's foremost sonic experimentalists, soon realised that they had more in common than a shared love of music. Their opinions on music, films, humor, culture and life were shaped by a mutual spirit and attitude. The pair knew that they wanted to make an honest homage to garage (the club kind, not the Sonics/Monks kind), vibrant, incendiary sounds that had been a core constituent of deviant disco since time immemorial. What they got was so much more.

"Hardcore Girls" is a worthy successor to the exuberant bounce of "Beeper," the sound of the much hyped Baltimore breaks scene, evolved, displaced and mutated as only The Count & Sinden know how. Fronted by the hottest thing out of B’more since The Wire, 17-year old wild child of the mic, Rye Rye. She has been touring the states with MIA and, now signed to Interscope, she is set to do big things. Her unique and energetic vocal is treated to one of the duo's best bumpy bass grooves and the combined effect is nothing short of devastating.

Listen to: Hardcore Girls (Don Rimini Remix) (mp3)

Ugly Duckling Journey to Anywhere (Emperor Norton, 2002)

Long before The Cool Kids were cool and The Knux and the Kidz were takin' back to '88, Andy Cooper, Dizzy Dustin, and Young Einstein were rockin' Fresh Mode and doing their little samba all over the world. Formed in 1993, it's no surprise that their sound comes straight from the golden era of hip hop. Cut-up funk and classic dj cuts lay the ground for fun and funky rhymes about meat shakes, pick up lines, and just having fun.

Journey to Anywhere is Ugly Duckling's second album, but it contains the first song that I every heard from this fierce trio, "Do Your Thing". With one of the funkiest bass lines and that little ska guitar sample, it was the perfect rap song. On top of all that, as soon as Einstein broke in with the scratch I was in love! However, you can only find "Do Your Thing" on the Emperor Norton (now-defunct ) 2-disc reissue. UD has remained of one favorite groups, and they recently announced their return with a new full-length album Audacity.

Introduckling/I Did It Like This/Journey To Anywhere/Friday Night/Little Samba/Pike/If You Wanna Know/Eye On The Gold Chain/Pick Up Lines/Rock On Top (mp3)/Oasis/Dizzy/Down The Road/Lay It On Ya/Visions

Bonus: Do Your Thing (mp3)