There is one prevailing occurrence that informs a music blogger that s/he is doing something right – a bulging email in-box.  In reality though, anyone who has ever had a job where the primary communication touchpoint is email knows what this is like.  Tens of emails come in every day, some you answer promptly, others get trashed, and then still others yet get a mental note taken and a solemn promise of return.  The only problem is that sometimes that promised return gets, well, forgotten, and then you feel like a dink because you’ve breached an unspoken, albeit solely kept, social contract.

Such is the case with Roma di Luna‘s “Hey Lover,” a song passed along a few weeks back that received a solemn promise, was forgotten, but is now made good.  The truth is it was made great!  Listen for yourself.  I’ve had Roma di Luna on my radar for some time now, but have never been nudged strongly enough to begin delving into their work.  Now’s the time, for me as well as you.

Check out Roma di Luna at the Minnesota State Fair on September 5 or 6 on the Heritage Square Stage at 6PM.  They’ll be hosting a CD Release for their forthcoming album Then the Morning Came at First Avenue on October 2.

Hey Lover – Roma di Luna

Links

Roma di Luna – Website / Myspace

posted August 31st, 2010 at 5:00 pm MN Rock Roma di Luna

We last name dropped The 4onthefloor back in July as they were preparing to play Rock the Vine, and since that time they’ve been hard at kicking bass drums and playing shows close to home here in MN and in IA.  Their latest and probably most unique live performance took place on a roof top in somewhere Minneapolis.  Guess who shot the footage?

Links

The 4onthefloor – Website / Myspace

MPLS.TV – Website

posted August 31st, 2010 at 10:37 am Video City of Music, The 4onthefloor

This week’s City of Music segment from MPLS.TV features local rockers Me And My Arrow jamming out while surrounded by art adorned brick walls.  Not my favorite scene to date, but the song and performance are well worth pressing play for.  Catch these guys at the Kitty Cat Klub tomorrow night!

Links

Me And My Arrow – Myspace

posted August 26th, 2010 at 12:55 am Video City of Music, Me And My Arrowm

Check this out!  Minneapolis’ Dearling Physique has just released a new tune off their forthcoming record due out in January.  The song is titled “Discipline Your Hands,” and we’ve been informed that you can get your hands on a copy of it today for the low, low price of a tweet or Facebook plug.  Have a listen below and visit the following link to knab yours.

http://dearlingphysique.com/

posted August 24th, 2010 at 6:09 pm Uncategorized Dearling Physique

Songs For Strippers; you read me right!  This is probably also the first time you’ve read about this despite the album’s release in 2008.  Whenever I receive a new record I always assume its newness in more ways than one.  This makes sense since bands, artists, and labels typically don’t bother pimping out old material.  Yet as I so often tell artist friends of mine – “just because it’s flippin old to you doesn’t mean it’s not brand new to anyone (everyone?) else.”

Here we have such a case.  Who is/are Swallows?  Had I not visited a couple of their haunts online I might never have been made aware of Songs for Strippers‘ release two years ago.  In fact, a little googlebot indicated that this local band stood altogether unrewarded and unnoticed by local outlets when Songs for Strippers dropped.  Hmm… that’s puzzling, considering this record is one of the best beginning-to-end creative efforts I’ve heard out of a local outfit in the last couple years.  Did no one care?  Was there no promotion?  From out of nowhere – where did these guys come from!?

Now are the days of singles and five songs, where music might often be written as much for people’s attention spans as for their tastes.  So perhaps now more than ever is the time to revisit some memories.  Once upon a time singles reminded me of kisses, and albums reminded me of plans (alright, who caught that one?).  The name Swallows might disincline your thinking of kisses (for obvious reasons), but Songs for Strippers should certainly incline you to make plans for swinging into the Fine Line Music Cafe Saturday night.

Rumor has it these guys are working hard in the studio on the follow-up to Songs for Strippers.  Hot stuff, now swallow this!

The Craven King – Swallows

I Won’t Let You Down – Swallows

Who: Swallows
What: Live Show
When: Saturday, August 21 @9PM
Where: Fine Line Music Cafe

Links

Swallows – Website / Myspace / Buy the Record

posted August 20th, 2010 at 1:51 am Reviews Swallows

The venue formerly known as Sauce (now Cause) and what is presumably Bobby & Steve’s Autoworld.  That’s all it takes for BNLX to rock in their video for “You Left Me Here.”

Links

BNLX – Website / Myspace

posted August 17th, 2010 at 10:12 pm Video BNLX