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Oakley Hall —"No Dreams"
From I’ll Follow You on Merge Records Oakley Hall’s I’ll Follow You, their fourth full length and first for Merge Records, is the crowning achievement in a headspinning 18 months that saw the band release two LPs, Second Guessing and Gypsum Strings—both mainstays on many critic’s best of 2006 lists—and emerge from the Brooklyn underground on several national tours with the likes of M. Ward, The Constantines, Calexico, and most recently with Bright Eyes and Gillian Welch.
Rose Hill Drive —"Man on Fire"
From Rose Hill Drive on Megaforce Records It can be said that a true artist can only be judged by its live abilities. Rose Hill Drive took this maxim and put it to the test before ever releasing an album. The band built an enormous underground fan base with thrilling live shows, with lyrics that connect, and with a completely earnest approach. It’s a re-awakening of the spirit of music that motivates this band, and Rose Hill Drive’s spiritual connection with its congregation remains unparalleled. This organic and grass roots process has let the fans and then the music business come to them. It’s very important to the band that it happened in that order -– music first, business later.
AA Bondy —"There’s a Reason"
From American Hearts on Superphonic Records Recorded and mixed in a month at The Red Barn in Palenville, NY in January 2007, American Hearts is dark and sardonic but it’s not as claustrophobic, tortured nor troubled as you’d expect. The record is actually quite beautifully stark and stripped-down and well played, filled with great melodies and warm production. The songs are wonderfully influenced by an amalgam of folk and blues, filtered through the mind of someone who knows what makes a great rock song breathe.
Imperial Teen —"Shim Sham"
From The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band on Merge Records Imperial Teen is back!! With sly style and knowing sass, Will, Roddy, Jone and Lynn return with their trademark infectious hooks and impeccable pop sensibilities. Let the party begin!!
Caribou —"Melody Day"
From Andorra on Merge Records From its humble beginnings with the theft of a sampler gathering dust in his high school’s music department, through four acclaimed albums and an absurd collision with a litigious wrestler, Dan Snaith’s (aka Caribou) musical life has followed anything but a predictable trajectory.
