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

Music from Canada, Iceland, France, Boston, Asturia, New York, Germany and Singapore for you on SnC this week along with news from the LIET festival and Stowmarket. 
It’s a bit of an odd mix. Probably induced by the exceptionally low autumn temperatures in the UK at the moment and the hugely enjoyable Session at the Barn which we recorded yesterday with Something Happened. What jolly japes with Derek, Terence and guest vocalist Ruby. (right)

I don’t know – The Sheepdogs (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Sporting the long hair and scruffy beards of their musical forefathers, The Sheepdogs create old school rock and roll that moves and grooves.
The Sheepdogs’ third record Learn and Burn, on which each track gushes 70s classic rock sound, has just been re-released on vinyl. The band’s grooving melodies and dueling guitar riffs transcend generations with their double helix of rock revival and contemporary flair.
Comprised of Ewan Currie on guitar and lead vocals, Leot Hanson on guitar, Ryan Gullen on bass and Sam Corbett on drums, The Sheepdogs started as just a group of old souls that loved to jam. Songs like “I Don’t Know” and “The One You Belong To” showcase the radiating guitar skills and lush harmonies between lead and back-up vocals. 
www.myspace.com/thesheepdogs
 
Sólin mun skína – Rökkurró (Reykjavik, Iceland)
Rökkurró’s melancholic serenades are evocative of the cold and desolate landscapes of their distant homeland. Mesmerising tones and swooping strings projected against a bleak and solitary Nordic backdrop. And yet, unique warmth pervades Rökkurró’s music owed to the fragile and soothing voice of Hildur Kristín Stefánsdóttir.
Their debut Það Kólnar Í Kvöld (It’s Getting Colder Tonight) was released in 2007 in Iceland, Europe and Japan to great critical acclaim, followed by tour dates with iconic figures of the Icelandic music scene múm and celebrated neo-classical composer Ólafur Arnalds.
Three years on Rökkurró are releasing their sophomore album produced by Alex Somers, partner and music collaborator of Jónsi Þór Birgisson (Sigur Rós). Í Annan Heim is a collection of nine graceful compositions that showcase a darker, more expansive and mature sound, full of meticulously crafted melodies, complex arrangements and smooth sonic textures.
http://rokkurro.tumblr.com/
www.myspace.com/rokkurro
www.twitter.com/rokkurro
 
Nouveau Départ (Feat Manhope) – Yemguy (France)
This EP is an album of transition, as its name. First, it marks a break with the project Fudd (even if the sound is close to final) is just the beginning of a schizophrenic musical and artistic …
This is a studio EP, most tracks therein will never be played live, but they are laying the foundations of the universe that will be discussed later.
The songs were written and recorded between March 2009 and May 2010, and I am very happy to share them.
A big thank you to those who contributed directly or indirectly to this album, it will recognize to … Guilhem aka Fudd or Yemguy
www.yemguy.com
www.jamendo.com/en/album/79378
 
John Peel Arts Centre plan for Stowmarket wins grant
A scheme to open an arts centre in Suffolk to commemorate legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel has won a £50,000 Big Lottery Fund (BLF) grant.
Mid Suffolk District Council wants to refurbish the Stowmarket Corn Exchange building to create the centre named after Mr Peel, who lived locally.
The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts aims to promote strong interpersonal skills, education and community. 
UK community groups were invited to bid for a share of the £3.6m from the BLF.
Mr Peel appeared regularly on the airwaves from 1967 until his death in 2004, becoming one of the UK’s most famous and popular presenters.
Sheila Ravenscroft, Mr Peel’s widow, welcomed the grant.
She said the centre would be for “music, art and drama for all ages. That’s why people are so excited about it”.
(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-11853554)
 
Ride – John Eye (Boston, USA)
A former art student, John Eye has been painting with sound since he formed the band one of us in 1992. It started out as his way to “compile and illustrate all the emotions and ideas that seemed difficult to confine to a canvas.” The band released seven recordings and tracks on various compilations exhibiting a continually evolving sound and songwriting style, mastering genres from rock to world to beat driven dance music.
The track is from his current EP Cannonicus 3.14  released in the Fall of 2010. The beat-driven offering spans rock and club genres and includes a traditional Lakota Sioux sun dance song. The work is a testament to nearly 20 years of musical evolution and showcases original songs and re-mixes by John Eye and renowned East Coast producers and DJ’s.
You can buy his music through iTunes and CD Baby links on the site.
www.johneye.us/
 
LIET Festival
I mentioned the LIET festival at which Asturian artists Xerta were competing. You can see their performance here.
XERA

Valsiau de San Andros – Xera (Asturies, Spain)
They came a very creditable second in the jury prize which was won by Orka from the Faroe Islands who Grumber played a fair bit of when he was actively podcasting  
ORKA

There are loads of videos of performances at this years festival at
http://tinyurl.com/3x8uths
 
Slam Dunk – Dashboard Madonna (Hamburg, Germany)
Honey and Sascha met at a recording session. Sascha was producing a track and a female singer was needed. Honey was recommended by a friend, and after recording a couple bars Sascha new he had found the right singer, not only for the song, but for his own band he was forming called Dashboard Madonna. The band have successfully played live in Germany and London and have built a steady fan base.
The album was recorded and produced in sorts of countries such as Portugal, Italy, Great Britain and Turkey, as Sascha loves to travel. “With technology so advanced these days it’s possible to be creative anywhere you happen to be and capture it on your Laptop.” says Sascha. 
The songs on Neon Life contain lyrics that are short stories about peoples lives instead of dishing up the usual about love and relationships most artists tend to do. Honey: “We’ve got all sorts of different characters in our songs. One is about a gambler, one is about a guy obsessed with Bond-Girls or another one is about a frustrated housewife who decides to escape her boring life. Most of the lyrics are very tongue in cheek. Music should be fun to listen to and we think we have achieved that.” The albums first single is Slam Dunked a funky song about a girl who chooses her guys by how good the are at basketball. Slam Dunked is available at all major digital stores including the itunes Music Store, Amazon MP3 and Napster.
www.dashboardmadonna.com
 
Ghali Ya Bouy – Sephardic Music Festival, Vol. 1 (New York, USA)
A mix of traditional, dance, electro, hip hop, and folk songs from around the Sephardic world makes up the Sephardic Music Festival’s first compilation album, released world-wide yesterday.
Founded by American-Israeli producer Diwon, the Sephardic Music Festival showcases the latest Mizrahi, Yemenite, and Ladino talent from around the world. Selections range from traditional Sephardic folk songs to hip hop, electro, and dance music. 
A whole other world of Jewish culture and inspiration can be traced to the Jewish communities of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Whether live or on CD, the Sephardic Music Festival presents a tapestry of harmonies, rhythms, and motifs as rich, vibrant, and diverse as the Jewish world itself.
The 6th Annual Sephardic Music Festival hits NYC from December 1-8.  The annual festival is produced by www.shemspeed.com
The festival starts tonight with a Jewish Diversity Night @ IndustryCity NYC in a 20,000 square foot loft on the water at 220 36th St Brooklyn, NY 11232 The event includes: Interactive art installations, Live art performances, Art gallery, Tagging wall, Dveykus Fashion Show feat. their famous Israeli Keffiyeh lineand music by Diwon, DeScribe, Y-Love & more.
It closes on December 8, 2010 with Culture Mash (Closing Night Party!) with Saadi, Dr. Israel, Diwon & tons more artists tba @ Knitting Factory
Culture Mash takes Shemspeed’s Balagan Boogaloo series, which The Village Voice dubbed Stereotype-defying music, to the next level. The party series is produced byIsraeli/American world music maestro Diwon and hosted by Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory. It features worldwide MCs and Dub Selectas from varied backgrounds, including Balkan, Dancehall, Baile Funk, Mizrahi, Bhangra, New Mediterranio and Afro Beat. Culture Mash is a festive and energetic blend of the sounds that moves shoes to dance floors worldwide, and unifies people through culture and music, celebrating diversity and finding the common ground.
Location: 361 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn 8pm | $10 pre-sale | $15 Door
Full information from:  www.sephardicmusicfest.com
Smadar Levi “Ghali Ya Bouy” (mp3) from “Sephardic Music Festival, Vol. 1” (Shemspeed) Buy at Shemspeed CDs Direct Buy at Shemspeed Download Direct More On This Album
The Violin Song – Arun Shenoy (Singapore)
Arun Shenoy has most recently released his debut world fusion record titled Sol, an elaborate production recorded almost entirely live at various locations across the globe. The passionate rhythms of flamenco, fused with contemporary popular music sensibilities make this a unique and evocative musical experience. 
Sol is a free for download through his Facebook page. A 5 track EP features music from the full length follow-up to Sol, titled Rhythm Of the Sun. In parallel he will be co-writing and performing in a new alternative rock act he has just formed with singer and songwriter Sridhar, in Singapore.
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