Category Archives: Alternative

Alternative, Electronica, Minimalist, mp3

L'ALTRA – DIFFERENT DAYS (Electronica/Alternative – US)

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L’Altra was formed in 1999 in Chicago with original members Lindsay Anderson, Joseph Desler Costa, Ken Dyber, and Eben English. Marc Hellner was also a regular contributor. The band released one self-titled EP and two full-length albums (Music of a Sinking Occasion and In The Afternoon) with Aesthetics Records before English and Dyber left the band.

Having decided to go on as a duo, Lindsay Anderson and Joseph Desler Costa released their third studio album Different Days in 2005 on Hefty Records. With Joshua Eustis (better known as one half of Telefon Tel Aviv) on production duties, Different Days showcases L’Altra’s lush, romantic sound and perfectly balances electronic beats, conventional instruments and Anderson and Costa’s wistful vocals. What better illustration than the album’s gorgeous opening track “Sleepless Night”?

L'altra - Sleepless Night     

Listen to more music on the official site or MySpace. Buy it on L'altra

Alternative, Electronica, Indie, Rock

MS JOHN SODA – NO P. OR D. (Electronica/Indie – Germany)

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Ms John Soda

Based in Germany, the band Ms John Soda has already released three albums. Their last full length, Notes And The Like, was released a few months ago on hip Berlin hip label Morr Music (also home to Lali Puna). Their brand of electronic music with a twist doesn’t really lend itself to clear-cut definitions but that makes it all the more interesting.

“A nod on hold” is a good example of the kind of sound structure you can expect, with loops and different kinds of bleeps and bloops. At the same time, you’ll find lots of guitars and strings, especially on the new album. For example, “Scan the ways” is very guitar-oriented, while a track like “A million times” follows the melancholic, yet hopeful, sound of a small string ensemble. In general, the band manages to totally blend instruments and programming and the result is always incredibly smooth.

Ms John Soda - Go Check     

Ms. John Soda - Oulined View     

If you enjoy Notes And The Like, you should definitely give Ms John Soda’s previous releases a listen and you’ll get a couple more hours of listening pleasure. No P. or D. (2002) and While talking (2003) are definitely worth checking out.

To listen to Ms John Soda, go to their official site or to Morr Music. Buy their albums on Ms. John Soda

Alternative, France, mp3, Pop

CAMILLE – LE FIL (Alternative/Acoustic/Pop – France)

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Camille Dalmais, a one time political science student, made her musical debut in 2002 with Le Sac Des Filles, her first full-length album.

After taking part in the project “Nouvelle Vague”, Camille released her second album, Le Fil, in 2005 and sold over 250.000 copies in France. This conceptual album is built on one note (a “B”) that starts at the beginning of the album and goes on like a thread (le fil, in French) until the end. The songs are based essentially on voice, sounds and raw emotions is now being released in the rest of the world and it is already becoming a classic.

Camille - Au Port     

There is also a brand new live CD (EMI, 2006) where you will find a selection of tracks from Le fil and from Camille’s first album Le sac des filles.

To find out more about Camille, check out her page on MySpace or her official site. You can buy her music on Camille