Cinerama

John Peel died of a heart attack Monday at age 65. As Simon put it, it’s like a library burning. In memory, I’m posting a Peel Session track performed by one of Mr. Peel’s favorite songwriters, David Gedge, formerly of The Wedding Present and currently Cinerama. I don’t know how many incredible artists I discovered by way of the legendary Peel Sessions, but Gedge is definitely one of them. Man, there’s gonna be some good radio in heaven…

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The Marlboro Chorus

Imagine Ween and Pavement each running for president. But, unlike next week’s real choices, you actually liked both candidates. Who would you vote for? Undecided? Enter a third party: The Marlboro Chorus.

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Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura, like most good Scottish bands and football (a.k.a. soccer) clubs, hail from Glasgow. This seven-piece outfit makes classic pop. Sure, comparisons to Belle & Sebastian and even Nick Drake may abound, but Camera Obscura add a soul to their pop that makes them unique. Merge Records has been releasing their original Elefant Records releases in the U.S..

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Dealership

I found these guys through their video. A friend of mine directed it. Clever and catchy, reminiscent of The Rentals, Dealership have a hopeful, Friday night action vibe working for them. A poppy and wonderful antidote to the approaching winter.

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Emperor X

Sure, we all had Casio keyboards as teens in the ’80s. The only groove I could ever manage came from holding down the “fill” button on the disco beat. But the 7″ EP by Sea Saw that I bought in 1995 showed me what a Casio keyboard can do in the hands of a genius. I expanded my love of Casio keyboards to include its cousins, the Farfisa, the Rhodes, etc, and I ran the gamut from hollAnd (the re-named Sea Saw) to the Rentals to Quintron. With hollAnd going spacey, I now have Emperor X to provide me with my fix.

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Oxford Collapse

Time warp! These Oxford Collapse songs borrow heavily from some key songs from my youth. It’s uncanny I tell you… Respectively: Adam and the Ants’ “Beat My Guest”, Altered Images’ “Real Toys” (man, did I have a crush on Claire Grogan; I must have watched Gregory’s Girl fifty times), and, finally, a more recent favorite, Butterfly Train’s “What’s Falling About”. Sure the tempos are off a bit, but it’s the mood. It’s the rush of traveling backwards in time…

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Fog

I’ve just about reached presidential campaign 2004 overload. Everyone’s got their two cents and now, more than ever, they’re eager to spout ’em off. I can’t listen to, or read, any contemporary works without having the subtext lunge at me. Regardless of the message lurking below the surface, this taste of Fog’s forthcoming album flip-flops with clicks and clacks while the beat is firm in its resolve.

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20 Minute Loop

Each 20 Minute Loop song bears its own unique persona, personality, and sound — making comparisons to everyone from X to XTC seem rather fleeting. So, if you want backstory, hit Epitonic’s vault of 20ML downloads. I’ll simply leave you with a track from the yet-to-be-released Yawn + House = Explosion, which does represent one common thread in their work: immediate, narrative lyrics that suck you into a whirlwind of mesmerizing boy/girl harmonies.

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Mates of State

There’s one thing you can say about bands who tour constantly: they love their music. Mates of State is one of those bands — and you’ll soon love their music, too. In antipication of the November release of their new EP and DVD, enjoy these songs, one off of each of their three albums. Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel are literally mates, and the things they do with a Yamaha organ and a drumkit will soon put you in another state. So that’s how they got their name…

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Human Television

I’ve been on a huge Wedding Present revival lately for some reason (must be my sister getting married in April…) and, as always seems to be the case, I find myself experiencing the well-documented “Wedding Present Phenomenon”: nearly every other band I listen to now seems to be influenced by David Gedge and Company. This group from Gainesville is no exception, and would likely admit to having worn through a few copies of Bizarro. More Human TV MP3s (not to mention a good selection of Wedding Present CDs) can be found at Insound.

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