E' arrivata la richiesta di informazioni su Malika Ayane , voce della hit radiofonica "Sospesa". Si tratta di una giovane talentuosa milanese di origine marocchina, entrata da poco nella scuderia della Sugar di Caterina Caselli ( Elisa , Negramaro ,...). Ha studiato al Conservatorio e cantato a La Scala. Da poco ha iniziato a comporre e incidere canzoni proprie tra cui la raffinata "Soul Waver" che, nella versione in italiano il cui testo è stato scritto da Pacifico , è diventata "Sospesa". Di seguito il video che li vede duettare insieme. [...]
After a week off the mixes are back. I am trying to get a few ready to go so hopefully there won't be another break again for a bit. This week's mix is a bunch of songs I got while listening to KEXP during their Sub Pop 20 year anniversary special so a lot of them are Sub Pop bands or from the Northwest. Enjoy! Soulsavers - Paper Money Black Ghosts - Full Moon Pigeonhed - Glory Bound (Remix by Dave Ruffy) Folk Implosion - [...]

Despite being nearly a presidential term removed from the U.S., I'm still an election junkie. This one has been a real cracker so far and I keep abreast of the news and commentary from the U.S. through podcasts from my favorite pundits. I'm a little embarassed to admit this, but on a weekly basis I listen to the following podcasts for my U.S. politics fix: Meet The Press, This Week with George Snuffalupagus , MSNBC Countdown , The Slate Political Gabfest , KCRW's Left, Right and Center , The Radio Factor , [...]

So for last week's monday morning b-side, I posted a song that I initially thought was an acoustic mix of the album version, but it was actually a completely different recording entirely. This week I'm absolutely positively one hundred percent sure that this is an alternate mix of the album recording. Sugar originally released this version on the Changes single, and it was later included on the Besides compilation. [...]

before t'internet, there were magazines. ok there still are magazines but i now buy two per month - heat and glamour - whereas back in the day i used to get about ten. just seventeen was good for horoscopes and those little free books that taught you to be a total stalker, in a completely non-harmless way of course...'close your eyes and think of a question. stick a pencil down anywhere on the page. find the symbol you land on and the answer will be revealed....'he thinks you're too good for him'. well, durrrr. more! was of [...]

The Sugars, The Curse of the Sugars (Bad Sneakers, 2008) MP3: "Black Friday" With all the blather about the crop of New Amys - Duffy, etc. - and buzz groups like the Ting Tings and now the Sugars , England is really bringing the Brit-centric indie rock hit parade lately, especially since America gets periodically lost in the latest detour or sudden sub-genre. (Ladies and gentleman, witness the merkin-folk revolution!) The Curse of the Sugars is the Leeds [...]

Power Pop : Not just an under-appreciated music genre, but the style that made up much of our college radio playlists. In the 1970s it was Big Star who pioneered the sound by combining the melody and harmony of the Beatles with the immediacy of The Who. Cheap Trick was perhaps its best proponent in the next decade, the 1980s. The below bands, most notably the Posies and Teenage Fanclub... Power Pop : Not just an under-appreciated music genre, but the style that made up much of our [...]

This really should have been done about 2 weeks ago, but we seem to hit blogger-burnout around this time every year, no matter how good our intentions. We are trying though. In any case, we went down to see Bob Mould at what we thought would be a small gig in the Academy 3 and turned out to be a half-full gig in the Academy 2. Nevertheless, it was an enthusiastic crowd that greeted the ex-Hüsker Dü legend when he emerged onto the stage. About 30 seconds prior to his appearance, The Ledge had leaned over and told [...]

top o' the morning people. here's a killer sugar show which took place on 11.19.94 @ cat's cradle in carrboro, nc. this is from their last us tour. much love to the original taper. visit bob's blog . 1. gift 2. company book 3. hoover dam 4. going home 5. where diamonds are halos 6. granny cool 7. a good idea 8. [...]

- Frequenze Preview - "..Le armonie provenienti da un angolo di strada di una New Orleans anni 50 si scontrano con chitarre con tacchi a spillo, distorsioni fiammeggianti e tamburi martellanti. Questo trio di Bristol di cuori doo-wop continua a sfoderare duetti blues che parlano di gelosia e cuori spezzati. La voce maschile del gruppo ( Matt Bolton ) studia le arti vocali direttamente dai dischi di Bobby Bland, la batterista ( Jodie Wyatt ), una giovane sirena metropolitana, prende lezioni dalla migliore scuola di Detroit mentre l'altra [...]

And this week... Cut Copy - Lights and Music ( mp3 ) Foals - Olympic Airways ( mp3 ) House Of Fools - My Life Before Today ( mp3 ) Imperial China - There Is No Translation ( mp3 ) John Ralston - Fragile ( mp3 ) Land Of Talk - Speak To Me Bones ( mp3 ) Lightspeed Champion - Galaxy Of The Lost ( mp3 ) Magic Wands - Black Magic ( mp3 ) Oliver Future - Signing Off ( mp3 ) Ours - [...]

Banner night for the East End this Sunday. Birthday for Patrick of Pure Country Gold, belated bachelor party for Fireballs Of Freedom's Kelly "Gator" Gately and a welcome home benefit for David "Roach" Simmons of Fireballs, Starantula, Divining Rods, Thee Headliners, the Weaklings, Add-X and...pretty much every band 'round town deserving keyboard wizardry and inimitable presence. Simmons decamped to Raleigh last winter for solo work and a yet-untitled project with D-Generation's Richard Bacchus, so this'll likely be the last chance for a while to catch funk garage all-stars Pure Decadence. Along with Poison Idea guitarist [...]
So I finally got around to updating my library from the backlog of the past couple of weeks. Here are some of tracks that I am listening to at the moment. Enjoy the gorgeous weekend weather. Sol Seppy - Come Running The Wombats - Little Miss Pipedream Sugar - Hoover Dam The Courteeners - Cavorting Foals - Olympic Airways The Teenagers - Love No Imperial China - There Is No Translation Ours - Ran Away To [...]

Sugar: A Good Idea ( purchase ) Exciting news! We've come up with a good idea how to make this blog better and more fun for everyone. It's a new concept that will increase reader participation and improve the content. But it's going to take awhile to figure out the details. Hopefully we will be up and running with a new format (and a new name?) next week. Please stay tuned...

Download: Bob Mould - "See A Little Light" Download: Bob Mould - "The Silence Between Us" Download: Bob Mould - "High Fidelity" Download: Sugar - "Helpless" (all MP3s via Bob Mould's website ) "Random Rules" is a feature over at the A.V. Club where the entertainment section of The Onion asks various artists, musicians, authors, and anyone else relevant to the cultural landscape to put their MP3 [...]

We go nice and early because it's supposed to have a 10pm curfew but this turns out to be incorrect information. So we're in plenty of time to catch all three bands. They are a three piece called The Sugars. To me, they look and sound like a harder version of the Raveonettes. They also have quite an American sound, although they are actually from Leeds. As their set runs out of time they enquire as to whether they've got time for one more. In the end they cheekily slot in two back to back. Not bad. [...]
I can still remember the disappointment I felt with Sugar's follow up to their debut 'Copper Blue'. 'Beaster' may only have been an EP but after the pop majesty of 'A Good Idea', 'Changes' and 'If I Can't Change You Mind' it all seemed so harsh (the EP was actually made up of outtakes and leftovers from the 'Copper Blue' recording sessions). Thinking back though it wasn't quite that bad, in fact

Just a quickie post for the moment. I'm going to see Bob Mould this afternoon for a free at noon concert down at WXPN's World Cafe Live. I have no idea what I'm in for. Will it be new solo stuff from his album that comes out Tuesday, District Line , or the electro dance/disco music of Blowoff , or a throwback to Sugar and [...]
Next Tuesday your local retail shelves will see the return of Bob Mould with his 7th (and counting) solo release, District Line. I've fallen off the Bob Mould train a couple of times in the past (see: 2002's electronica flirtation Modulate), but, between hearing a few tracks, and having read numerous early reviews, and [...]
" In the last 20 years, we have increased sugar consumption in the U.S. 26 pounds to 135 lbs. of sugar per person per year! Prior to the turn of this century (1887-1890), the average consumption was only 5 lbs. per person per year! Cardiovascular disease and cancer was virtually unknown in the early 1900's." To reiterate: prior to the 20th century, the average consumption of sugar per person, per year, was 5 pounds. Today it is 135 pounds! Sugar keeps us [...]