mp3hugger Blog - Bands on tour

• Woven - She Blows My Amplifier

  When it comes to absorbing music I have a slow digestive system. It usually takes at least half a dozen listens before I am fully up to speed on the merits of a song. Every now and then though I hear something and though the pieces may not have fully...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • Sigur Ros ON TOUR (US/UK)
• Supergrass - St. Petersburg

  The beautiful game has been reborn and it's wearing a Russian jersey. This classy football team led by the extravagantly gifted Andrei Arshavin arrived at Euro 2008 as rank outsiders but they have slowly become the team of the tournament. Seeing them outplay a much fancied Dutch side has been...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • Supergrass ON TOUR (UK)
• Damon & Naomi - Beautiful Close Double (Free Tickets!)

  Despite breaking up in 1991 the main constituents of Galaxie 500 are still making vital music. Dean Wareham has perhaps had the higher profile post G500 with Luna and more recently with Dean & Britta. Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang decided to stick together after G500 and have produced 7...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • Luna
• Iron & Wine - Muddy Hymnal

  I’ve shared a car with someone who was in love with Iron & Wine. By the end I was close to climbing out the sunroof at fatal speeds. Not that the whole experience was horrible, the opposite was true in fact for about 3 songs but after that the law...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • Iron ON TOUR (US)
• The Poems - Sometime Somewhere Someone Should Say Something

  Put the music of Glasgow and Sweden on a gramophone and you’d easily have a lifetime’s worth of pristine pop. For such northerly climes it is quite amazing that the sunny melodies just refuse to stop shining. And now we have a new (ish, ‘Young America’, the bands debut, has...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • Camera Obscura ON TOUR (UK)
• Nada Surf - I Like What You Say

  The trick to becoming popular and staying so has been one that has eluded Nada Surf. MTV championed them early in their career, 12 years ago, but since that zenith they have made the slow inexorable descent towards to relative obscurity (they still maintain a high profile in alternative circles...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • Nada Surf ON TOUR (US/UK)
• Bonnie & Clyde - Guess There's No One

  Much like how I don't understand how FIFA Records gets away with calling themselves that I often wonder how the estate of Bonnie & Clyde don’t come running to this Swedish bands door. If they did they’d probably just spray them with complimentaries for making such luxurious audio though. ‘The...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • Camera Obscura ON TOUR (UK)
• Mad Gregs - Old Man

  Fresh out of the box and not half as crazy as their name suggests (and distinctly Gregless too) this L.A. quartet are just the tonic for lazy summer afternoons. ‘Old Man’ is taken from their soon to be released debut ‘Big Nun’ and is awash with subtle harmonies and shuffling...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • Jack Johnson ON TOUR (US)
• Orphans & Vandals - Mysterious Skin

  I am gobsmacked at this, over 10 minutes of quality audio and a good story to boot. Reminds me a lot of Animals That Swim, not only in the vocals but in the cerebral stakes also. Remarkably this London 5-piece remain unsigned but you’d hardly think that they were operating...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • The Animals ON TOUR (US/UK)
  • Chet
  • The Vandals ON TOUR (US)
• French Kicks - Abandon

  I held this aside for the fireworks I was expecting from the French when they took on Romania the other night at Euro 2008. Big snore ensued. That game aside it has been a terrific competition and even when the quality has dipped the effort has been heartening. Thankfully it...(read full post)

  Artists mentioned:
  • French Kicks ON TOUR (US)