Orange Alert's Music Minute

Ryland Bouchard is probably better known as The Robot Ate Me, but for his latest release Seeds he returns to using his given name. He actually retired the name in 2007 when he began working the ambitious project that Seeds has become. This album was written and recorded by Ryland Bouchard and Kevin Michael Mayfield between October 2007 and August 2008 on a 1971 Stephens Electronics 2416 console and an Otari MX80 2" 16 track at his home in Portland, Oregon. This is clearly his most honest and personal work to date, and with a total of 52 tracks over two albums, he also had a lot to express. Next month Ryland will hit the road with Orange Alert favorites Emperor X and Drew Danbury for a set of exciting shows.



Our friends from New York, Murder Mystery are shopping around a new track called "The World". They prefaced it by saying it may or may not be a departure for them, and who is really to say if it is. Sure, it sounds different then their work on Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here it Comes, but this track shows growth. It is really quite remarkable and I would love for you to have a listen.

Listen to: The World (mp3)


One of my favorite releases of 2007 was Jason Quiver's (aka Papercuts) Can't Go Back. It was nostalgic and inventive all at the time, it a simple and heart-felt, and above all else it was beautiful. This past week Gnomonsong announced that Papercut's next album You Can Have What You Want will be released in April. On this album Jason has stripped down his sound even more using mostly vintage organs, pulsing bass & Kraut-via-Ringo-inspired drum rhythms.

You Can Have What You Want
01 Once We Walked In The Sunlight
02 A Dictator's Lament
03 The Machine Will Tell Us So
04 A Peculiar Hallelujah
05 Jet Plane
06 Dead Love
07 Future Primitive
08 You Can Have What You Want
09 The Void
10 The Wolf

Listen to: John Brown (mp3) (from Can't Go Back)



I've know singer/songwriter Brooke Healy since high school, and she has always been fascinated by the process and sound of music. Now she has gone from covering The Murmurs in Midwest living rooms to finally releasing her debut album with her sister Angela as Sister Solace. The self-titled, self-released album is a collection of songs ranging from electronic tones to graceful folk. Yet, what stands out on the album are the harmonies that only sisters could achieve.



If I had to pick one song to represent all of 2008 it would have to be Sleepyhead by Boston's Passion Pit. I can't tell if it is the driving bass line or the swirling electronic, but I cannot get enough of this song. Apparently producers out there feel the same way and remixes have been flooding the inbox. Here are a few of my favorites.

Listen to: Sleepyhead (The Knocks Remix) (mp3) Sleepyhead (Wallpaper. Dio Remix) (mp3) Sleepyhead (Bo Flex Giantess Remix) (mp3) The Mummers vs Passion Pit (mp3) Sleepyhead (original version) (mp3)



I know I mention Minneapolis a lot, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share with you the music of Lookbook. The combination of Grant Cutler and Maggie Morrision, Lookbook is a sonic adventure through the darkest after hours club to the glowing snowbanks of the Midwest Sunday afternoons. Their self-released, handmade debut ep, I Fear You, My Darkness is now available through their myspace page. This is a completely different sound coming from the music drenched streets on Minneapolis, don't miss this!

Listen to: Believe the Hype (mp3)


Perhaps one of the most anticipated releases of 2009 is Dan Deacon's "Bromst", and this week he offered up a sneak peak at what is in store. Unlike the completely electronic Spiderman of the Rings (Carpark, 2007), the instrumentation on Bromst is a mixture of acoustic instruments, mechanical instruments, samples and electronics. The player piano, marimba, glockenspiel, vibraphone, live drums, winds and brass give Bromst a much richer tone than his previous work. The intricate and complex parts, skillfully executed by the performers, are woven together into a rich, dense, noisy dance pop that has become Dan Deacon's signature sound. Bromst is an attempt to blend the intense energy of Deacon's live performance with electronic madness he creates in the studio, and from the sound of the first single "Get Older" he has succeeded.

It is no secret that I am currently in Chicago, and this weekend we got what seemed like 100ft of snow. I thought about digging my car out of the side of a snow drift, but instead I decided to share a few tracks from the most wintry band I know, Gävle's Twiggy Frostbite. Don't forget that their debut album, Through Fire, will be released digitally worldwide in April.

Listen to: Heroes (acoustic version) (mp3) Heroes (original version) (mp3) Messy Star (acoustic version) (mp3)