Dead Shyre – Never Missed A Note * Single of the day * release date 4/5/2011

Dead Shyre are three brothers from Toronto, Ali, Hsane and Zameer Rizvi and Never Missed A Note is their début release, although Zameer has an established solo career.

The first thing that grabs you is the strum pattern, which injects an irresistible momentum into Never Miss A Note which carries you through the song. A similar effect to that achieved by the mix of Mrs. Robinson peculiar to The Graduate where the guitar represents the engine of Dustin Hoffman's Alfa Romeo Duetto.

In addition the almost hushed vocal performance compared to the impassioned chorus creates a great contrast in the track. Never Missed A Note is available for free download from Dead Shyre's soundcloud page (link attached). 

http://soundcloud.com/deadshyre/dead-shyre-never-missed-a-note

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Tally Hall – You & Me * Single of the day * release date 2/5/2011

Starting with a stark four beat guitar strum the opening verses of You & Me belie the underlying pop sensibilities that Tally Hall are about to bring to bear on the track. For when the chorus starts the harmonies and melody line melt together to produce a feeling that is quite sublime, transporting you to another plane entirely. The wonderful middle eight/outro finishes off the song to complete a perfect piece of pop.

You & Me is also available for free download (link below, but be patient the reply email takes a while to come through). It will also be on the Michigan band's forthcoming album, Good and Evil, which is due for release on the 21^st of June.

http://www.tallyhall.com/

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Kentish Fire – So Unpredictable * Single of the day * release date 25/4/2011

I'm always going to like a track where there's a strong buzzing bass line up in the mix. Utilizing boy/girl harmonies to great effect Kentish Fire have that perfect indie pop sound, with a disco underbelly, that can lift a song to it's full potential.

The Camden band have produced a cracking debut single with this. So Unpredictable together with the track In My Band is available for free download from the Kentish Fire website (link attached).

http://download.kentishfire.co.uk/album/in-our-band-so-unpredictable-single

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tUnE-yArDs – Bizness * Single of the day * release date 8/4/2011

Bizness is musically a wonderful powerful blend of overlaid melodies with intricate beats and the first single from tUnE-yArDs second album w h o k i l l . But if the music wasn't dynamic enough the vocal performance by Merrill Garbus (who together with Nate Brenner forms the core of tUnE-yArDs) adds another dimension with her sheer vocal power.

Also amazing is that for a track that sounds quite intricate a small band can create it live with the addition of a few loops and it's equally impressive. Bizness is available for free download by signing up to the tUnE-yArDs newsletter (link attached) and I've also added the link for the live performance because you can't hear enough good tUnEs. 

http://www.tune-yards.com/ 

Bizness live (You Tube) 

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Okkervil River – Wake And Be Fine * Single of the day * release date 21/3/2011

Wake And Be Fine contains many contrasts. The verses are frenetic and punchy with lyrics to match and standard rock instrumentation. Into this tempestuous sea the choruses arrive like tranquil islands, musically and lyrically, with string arrangements in soothing Viennese waltz-time.

Personally the combinations leave me thinking about how many levels there are to wake up from, the nightmares of sleep, the nightmares of the real world or the trance like state in which we drift through life.

Okkervil River's new album I Am Very Far is due for release on the 10^th of May but Wake And Be Fine is available for free download from their website (link attached). Interestingly their previous single Mermaid was in slow waltz time if that's more your pace.

http://www.okkervilriver.com/ 

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The Dears – Blood * Single of the day * release date 13/3/11

The best words to describe Blood are epic rock. In the early seventies, at the height of prog rock, this could easily have taken up one side of an album. Forty years later and The Dears can condense all of those ideas into four minutes, obviously without a ten minute guitar solo, although there are some knarly guitar licks.

The Dears formed in Canada 15 years ago and are no strangers to critical acclaim, it's easy to see why. Blood is released from their fifth album Degeneration Street and the track is available for free download. The link is attached and all you need to do is enter your email. Sounds like a bargain to me. 

http://www.dangerbirdrecords.com/releases/the-dears/degeneration-street

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Imperial Leisure – Dead Model release date 13/3/11

Dead Model is the latest release from London punk, rap and ska band Imperial Leisure. The track is also available for free download (link attached). Starting with a dark guitar riff and (as you can guess from the title) equally dark lyrics Dead Model is more towards the punk rock end of Imperial Leisure's spectrum. The ska influence is evident though in the stabbing organ underpinning the rhythm and soaring trumpet solo.

Performed with gusto and infectiously catchy it's a great taster for their new album Death To The One Trick Pony due out in the summer.

 http://www.imperial-leisure.co.uk/wp/

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Mausi – Follow Me Home * Single of the day * release date 8/3/2011

Follow Me Home is a terrific bouncy guitar pop début from Newcastle based band Mausi. Catchy chorus with great harmonies pushed along by a dynamic arrangement.

Better still it's available for free download from their website (link attached below), which is an admirable idea to get their music out there and prick the public consciousness.

Too many bands post one minute teasers for their singles on You Tube. Some get less than a hundred hits by time of release suggesting that music piracy is the least of their worries. Not so Mausi who are clearly not that short-sighted.

They very much deserve followers, giving the world the gift of a great song should win them some, they've  certainly found one here.

http://wearemausi.com/

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