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

It seems that we are safe from the new Circle Line or whatever was in Switzerland that the New York Times referred to as as "the Large Hardon Collider” – I can only assume that someone has put hardon into their spell check dictionary!  Seems it has a touch of dysfunction problem now. There was a lot of speculation about whether we were all going disappear into a black hole but actually I’m not in the least worried. As soon as it was switched on the weather cleared up and we had a few days of what is called "Indian" summer last week. Of course that has finished now and it’s more like spring with sunshine, a brisk breeze and heavy showers.High School Soul – The New Duncan Imperials (Chicago, IL, USA)From their Pravda Records album End of Phase One. Due for release next Tuesday, 7th OctoberIt’s hard to believe it now, but before 1989 no band had ever combined the explosive elements of white trash culture, Dada art and Chuck Berry. There was a gaping hole in the fabric of popular entertainment and the New Duncan Imperials sewed it up. Springing to life in Chicago almost 20 years ago, the band startled the club scene with its overpowering live show and reckless disregard for boundaries, confronting unsuspecting crowds with a blizzard of gloriously heavy riffage and free-association lyrics that ran the course from the Brady Bunch to Friedrich Nietzsche.The NDI saga began in Chicago in the spring of 1989. Bored with the straight-ahead approach of the band they were in, Pigtail Dick (guitar and vocals), Skipper Zwackinov (bass, balloons, and vocal), and Goodtime Dammit (drums, drums, drums) began playing for laughs in the basement of Pigtail’s mom’s house. "She really, really hated us," Goodtime recalls. "That’s when we knew we were onto something." The band focused on laying strange yet sharp lyrics. "Most of our songs were about food, or driving, or how to prepare intricate chicken dishes while driving," says Skipper. "A lot of people didn’t get it, but the ones who did loved it." Their first gigs, noisy slugfests in cramped dives around the seedy parts of Chicago, are now the stuff of legend. It wasn’t long before the band was the toast of the town, and soon one of the most widely-read rock critics in town, Bill Wyman of the Chicago Reader, had anointed them "The Best Band in the City." The Chicago Tribune followed suit (adding the word "live" to the title), and the boys were in business.www.newduncanimperials.comwww.myspace.com/newduncanimperialsHell – Jen Lowe (Conneticut, USA) A real struggle to know which song to play next from Jen’s album From this end of the Hallway. The entire album is beautifully crafted and Jen"s vocals are right in your ear (well it works for me). Of particular interest is the percussion. I could seriously have played any track, indeed I did a few times before picking one entirely at random! Jen Lowe is a sincere songwriter who writes straight from the heart.  Her lyrics are direct and thoughtful, as she wastes no time getting the heart of the matter.  Having been a full time touring percussionist and drummer with many national acts, Jen’s sense of the song writing process is strong. Her blog reports that "I am going to be playing my annual Butterfly Stitcn gig on Nov. 8th at Lumberjacks Camp Ground for the Womens’ Festival held there. This means I will be back in town. I am looking for a gig for Friday night. House concert perhaps? Holla if you got something."www.jenlowe.com www.myspace.com/jenjenloweDown to the River – Kompoz (Florida, USA)I just came across this exciting use of web and digital technology. Kompoz is a social workspace for musicians. Use it to compose new music with other artists around the world. Got an idea for a song? Record a track. Upload it. Then invite others to add drums, bass, vocals or anything else! All music is created under the open licenses of the Creative Commons. Just like this show. The only problem is that I don’t know who was involved in the track!www.kompoz.com/With all my heart – Marcela (from who knows where?)A remarkably low tech recording of a very simple song – it just works.From her Number 2 album – that’s the title, No. 2I"ve been trying to find out more but to no avail. I hope we can discover something through Jamendo where you can download that track and a couple of others. If you know any more, please let me know.  As you’d imagine, no website and no MySpace so no links. Can you help out?Chatting with Jayme Gutierrez who is based in Spain during the week. He has oput together a great little video as part of a competition. Now there are three things I"d really strongly suggest that you do:1.    Go to the YouTube link www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLpLXXzY6ec and check out the video. I’m sure you"ll be impressed. 2.    Rate the video by clicking on the relevant star just below the player window. That’s what will help Jayme in the competition but then,3.    Add a comment to make connection with Jayme and then Share by clicking the Share button. I bet there"s someone who would love to see it, and vote!www.myspace.com/jaymegutierrezCookin’ with Cohen – David Bennett Cohen (New York, USA)"Mr. Cohen isn’t the average hippie gone Wall Street, he’s also a certifiably smokin’ barrel house rumba boogie-woogie piano player in the James Booker/Professor Longhair/Dr. John vein." More specifically he provided the distinctive keyboard sound for Country Joe and the Fish way back in the 60s. Over the years, he has played and/or recorded with The Blues Project, Mick Taylor, The Luther Tucker Blues Band, Elvin Bishop, Hubert Sumlin, Melvin Van Peebles, Happy and Artie Traum, Arlen Roth, Eric Anderson, David Blue, Tim Hardin, Norton Buffalo, Jerry Miller, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Buddy Miles, John Cippolina, Huey Lewis, Michael Bloomfield, Bob Weir, John Kahn, Johnnie Johnson, Jimmy Vivino, Jay Owens, Debbie Davies, Byther Smith, Bobby Kyle, Rocky Lawrence, Johnny B. Gayden, Sandra Feva and others.www.davidbennettcohen.com/Heartbeat – Melissa Ferrick (Boston, MA, USA)Acclaimed indie folk singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick released her 9th album Goodbye Youth on her own label Right On Records September 16TH, 2008. The album will be sold exclusively at digital retail and on tour per Melissa’s request. "Touring is my livelihood, and indie retail is dead. It seems like the younger my fans get, the harder it is to get them out of their houses so I decided to give them two options to buy my new album: 1. Stay in your bedroom and download the new album, or 2. Get out of your computer speakers and have a tangible experience." The album is available on iTunes.www.melissaferrick.com/ Bonita – The Pimps of Joytime (Brooklyn, NY, USA)The genre-defying Pimps of Joytime pay homage to funk, afrobeat, latin and hip hop, combining loops and live playing in a way that is seamless and infectious. The joyful noise you’ll hear is a heady musical gumbo sure to get you moving. Their eclectic debut album High Steppin’ is available now on Wonderwheel Recordings.Native New Yorker Brian J founded the group in the eclectic confines of Brooklyn in 2005. As lead singer, guitarist and producer, Brian J whips the tracks into shape flanked by a 5-piece band.www.pimpsofjoytime.comwww.myspace.com/pimpsofjoytimeDragonfly – Luthea Salom (New York, USA)Sunbeam Surrounded by Winter is the new bittersweet album from part Spanish and part Canadian singer/songwriter Luthea Salom, produced between NY and Skopje, (Macedonia) by Malcolm Burn and Luthea herself. This is her second album and it’s evocative, immediate, poetic, luminous, personal, innovative and though rooted in different cultures, it has a clear identity of its own.This new work of 12 original songs (plus one cover – Rebel Rebel by David Bowie) doesn’t only reflect the surprising energy of this devout guitar player but also her original and free spirited melodies, all lead by a sultry and at the same time, cutting voice that can sometimes be soft and sweet and others sour, but always painfully honest.www.lutheasalom.com/www.myspace.com/lutheasalomsongs