Great new music from independent labels and artists all around the world

Harvest at last – been delayed by dreadful wet weather. The neighbours are out with their combines, tractors and trailers getting what they can from the fields around the farm. In fact, a track up to some fields passes right behind the barn, as you’ll hear!Love me when I leave – The Dares (Whittier, CA, USA)When most bands tell you they’ve had to "grow up in public," they’re talking about getting pushed into the spotlight before they’ve had a chance to find their voice. But for Whittier, California, trio The Dares, who started playing when twin brothers and co-founders Ben (guitar/lead vocals) and Matt (drums/vocals) Peterson were all of 8 years old, the idea was a bit more literal. These boys-to-men literally grew up in public, forming a band when their peers were still dabbling in youth-league sports and landing a major-label contract with Jive Records before they"d even finished high school. Today, as the trio’s powerhouse spin on pop-punk tradition is making clear, The Dares are ready and able to grow even bigger.www.thedares.com/www.myspace.com/thedaresDefine yourself – Peter Greenstone (Austin, Texas, USA) Peter Greenstone is one of the relatively small section of artists that I consider to be worthy of featuring on the show from time to time.He is an independent musician, a singer/songwriter producing his own sound from his home studio in Austin, Texas. Freely stepping across and often defying genres, Peter mixes acoustic and synthetic sounds and tones to create an atmosphere in his music that is sometimes surreal, sometimes haunting, sometimes whimsical, but always personal. You can buy his album of the same name (Broken Symmetries) or any individual track through his site.www.petergreenstone.com/Thanks for letting a few other folks know about SnC – it is showing in the download stats. I’m not obsessed by numbers but it is gratifying to see the audience grow.Leave the Borough – The Soor Plooms (Salisbury, UK) [Jamendo]"Rural Rhesus Negative Electro Pop Punk Trash"Named after a type of Scottish boiled sweet, the Soor Plooms are an electro pop-punk group based in Salisbury, UK. They are led by multi-instrumentalist Glenn Ploom and were established in January 2007.The Soor Plooms" music features analogue synthesizer and drum machinesounds from vintage models such as the ARP Odysey, ARP 2600 and Roland CR-78.A debut double A-side single (Leave the Borough/Meet you at the Assizes) was released in January 2008 and is available from Jamendo at www.jamendo.com/en/artist/The_Soor_Plooms. A follow up single (We are the lean Men/Escape) was released in May 2008 and they can be downloaded from their MySpace.Recorded at X-26 studios, Salisbury UK. www.myspace.com/soorploomswww.last.fm/music/the+soor+ploomsAftermath – Twilight Dementia (Washington DC, USA)Twilight Dementia’s music is a testament to the strength of partnership and that the whole is often much more than the sum of its parts. Their debut, self-titled album, Twilight Dementia, is a bold and daring statement of purpose that demonstrates the group’s unwillingness to play anyone’s game other than their own. The Washington D.C. based duo’s engrossingly atmospheric and ethereal rock is the product of a duo that seemed destined to find each other.www.twilightdementia.com/www.myspace.com/twilightdementia"What if those heavy things cracked their little brittle bones to the marrow?" – Voodoo Economics (Philadelphia, USA)From their album If::then::ininamiAlison Conard – vocals, keys, guitar, electroniques, productionJustin Gibbon – drums, electroniks, klangJeremy Prouty – bass, electronics, vocalsJustin and Alison were part of a now-defunct Portland band called Episodic."Uneasy listening. This is a good thing.""It’s like…Dr. Seuss mixed with metal."http://voodooeconomics.info/www.myspace.com/voodooeconomicsPete Cogle calls by to explain benefits of AMP (Association of Music Podcasting) for listeners.www.musicpodcasting.orgMessage from The ClerksYEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH!!ALL THE BEST FROM GERMANY!AND MANY THX FOR SUPPORTING US ON YOUR SHOW!!!ARE WE ABLE TO GET A COPIE, TO USE IT ON OUR WEBSITE???MAY THIS BEER TRUCK CARE FOR YOU IN 2008:|^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| || )____|…BIER TRUCK……….| ||’|";, __)|_…_…_______===|=||_|_____)"(@)'(@)"""”"**|(@)(@)***(@)REGARDS!!!DER GERO UND DIE CLERKSAt the Movies – Blue Swerver (Hackney, London, UK)We spend baffling lengths of time glueing sorrowful lyrics, shy trumpet, nimble jazz and glitchy electronica together in a refined but still slightly cut and paste manner to form a sort of Chet Baker meets Massive Attack by way of Paul Simon sound which strives forward fuelled by the honesty of our intentions and a small quota of smugness which acts as an adhesive…I’ve been listening to the album all week and I promise the glue works, this is intelligent song-writing, artful arrangement, skillful performances  and clean recording at its best. Although slightly retro in its jazzy approach, this is very much music of our time and could just catch on big-time. It deserves to.Track credits:Guitar and Vocals – Adam GreenElectronics – ContrawiseBass – Robin GreyDrums – Joe AllenKeys – Ben OliverProduced by Marc Specter and blueswerverEngineered by Marc Specter and Robin Grey @ Sandy Lodge Studioswww.myspace.com/blueswerverContacts networks, webs and memory Some people from the increasingly distant past are clear in my mind but have no context others have rich context but there’s a hole at the centre of the web, like a blind-spot, where I know there’s a strong connection but I can’t see it right now.Tasky – Blue SwerverAre these childhood references culture specific – let me know.www.myspace.com/blueswerverLeave The Blues Behind – Kelly Richey (Cincinnati, OH,  USA)As a teenager, Richey practiced guitar 12 hours a day. "I never set it down,” she remembers. "I took it to school, I took it to the kitchen table and if I took a walk it was strapped on." Now, when she picks up her guitar, anyone within earshot is compelled to listen. A working musician since her teens, she began her professional career as a member of the Arista Records group Stealin’ Horses; in 1990 she formed The Kelly Richey Band, with whom she has become both a national and international touring artist.Take a look at her videos on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/5orlu3Since establishing her own label, Sweet Lucy Records, Richey has released 10 albums and a live DVD, as both a solo artist and as The Kelly Richey Band. As an extension of Sweet Lucy Records, she built a studio where she records her own music and works with other artists.Richey’s involvement with music goes way beyond recording and performing. A longtime private guitar instructor, in 2003 Richey began developing a Guitar Workshop and a Blues History program to take into the schools.Richey created Music for Change, a 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to music education in today’s public schools; a variety of programs offering live performances, lectures, and interactive participation serve to facilitate learning opportunities for students while keeping the history of American music alive and prospering.www.kellyrichey.comwww.myspace.com/kellyricheyMy thanks to all the musicians and labels for their kind comments on myspace and for making their music available.Back next week probably from somewhere quite different. If you can’t wait (bet you can!) Pete Cogle hosted PC Podcast from the Barn on Saturday and roped me in for a bit of conversation. You’ll find it on PC Podcast at http://pcpodcast.blogsome.com