I read on Ultimate-Guitar.com once that Gerard Way refuses to allow his band to be known as an emo group, which is fair enough. It’s not his fault, after all. I read another article in Kerrang! ages ago about a girl who claimed that “MCR Saved My Life“. That’s a prime example of what I’m talking on about. How can a band save your life? It’s not like they ran into a burning building to save her… Anyway, I’m losing track of my point.

A band is never really emo, are they? Sure, they can be depressed/depressing, but so was Kurt Cobbain, he wasn’t classed as emo and never will be classed as emo. He will always be classed by many (but not by me personally) as a rock god who dressed and acted like an everyday American citizen.

Now you may say “What about the music?“. If you listen to “emo” bands and compare them to a punk band, the structure and musicianship are essentially the same. Power chord rock, fast agressive guitar solos, hard-hitting 4/4 drum beats… Where’s the difference? What they’re singing about? Maybe. An “emo” band sings about hating themselves and the people around them, punks bang on about hating the establishment and wanting to destroy various things (I’m sterotyping, I know, but these are just examples). Essentially, both are about hating things, both are negative… There’s a pattern forming here.

Tokio Hotel, often called an Emo band

Anyway, onto another thing; Dress. I like some of the dress sense that comes with “Emo” (I wear black a hell of a lot and swear by Converse – I’ll never proudly wear guy-liner though), but how can your dress sense be set into a class of fashion that ultimatly decides your taste in music? Is it because your favourite band dresses like that or because you want to make a statement? Probaby both…

With punk, most people dressed the way that they did because they wanted to rebel and make a statement with it. Others just did it because they thought Johnny Rotten (or whoever) was a God, and thought that following his beliefs was the way forward. With emo, they dress like they do mostly because they want to copy the band they love so much (these bands have no real stature or oppinions that the fans follow – they just want to be copied – big difference) but when they do it, they emphasise one little thing called ‘emotions’, most of which include them crying in a corner somewhere, usually over the most trivial things. This really reflects onto the band (or bands) that they’re following. They may love the band, but they’re killing their reputation without even knowing it.

So, I will ask again, do you still think there’s a viable reason for creating a new style of music for something that is just Punk but… dressed up? Sure, you may think that MCR or whoever you happen to worship deserve a whole catagory to themselves just because they’re gods in your eyes, but they already have a catagory, and it’s called pop-punk.

That’s all the emo is. Dressed up punk, or (as I said) pop-punk for short. I know that an article like this one isn’t going to really effect the minds of the masses a great deal, but I just want people to take heade of the fact that emo isn’t (and should never be) a style of music. It will only ever be the dress sense that a group of fans have adopted – nothing more.

Let’s take a look at two iPad apps released this week: Korg’s iELECTRIBE and GrooveMaker from IK Multimedia.

iELECTRIBE

Korg‘s popular among electronic musicians hardware Electribe Series is now also available as a dedicated iPad musical instrument app – the Korg iELECTRIBE virtual analog beatbox.

iELECTRIBE

“Korg Electribe products have been popular due in part to their interactive, easy-to-use front panel controls. The iPad’s 9.7″ multi touch display offers an intuitive layout that will be familiar to previous Electribe users. Just as on the original Electribe, users simply choose one of the eight parts (or sounds) and touch the 16-step sequencer to quickly build patterns and grooves.

The iELECTRIBE faithfully recreates the historic Electribe’s entire sound engine – including analog synthesis modeling and PCM synthesis, along with virtual Valve Force tube modeling. The sequencer can record instrument parts as well as advanced Motion Sequencing – the recording of knob movements as part of a pattern.”

The iELECTRIBE is currently available from Apple’s App Store. Regularly priced at US $19.99, a special introductory price of $9.99 is being offered until June 30, 2010.

GrooveMaker for the iPad

The infamous IK Multimedia‘s GrooveMaker series of remixing apps is now released as an iPad version as well.

GrooveMaker for iPad

“Released for the iPhone and iPod touch in August 2009, GrooveMaker has become one of the most popular mobile loop remixing apps. The GrooveMaker Free version has consistently been in the top 100 music apps with over 600,000 downloads, and the entire GrooveMaker family features 11 style-based apps for the most popular genres of music.

GrooveMaker for the new iPad offers the same smart features and streamlined workflow as the iPhone/iPod version for making music with loops, but also takes advantage of the new larger multi-touch surface to provide enhanced operation with an integrated, advanced controller.

Also, GrooveMaker for iPad adds even more control when working with loops, providing a new level of creative flexibility. Users can now switch “snapped” grooves with a single touch, plus control the number of loops that are automatically combined during a random mix. GrooveMaker iPad is the perfect addition to a DJ set, providing unlimited creative flexibility in live remixing and DJ applications.”

There are 4 GrooveMaker packs for the iPad available now: Free (a 120-loop pack with a mix of House and Hip-Hop), House, Hip-Hop, Drum & Bass. GrooveMaker House, Hip-Hop and D’n’B contain over 300 loops each and are $9.99 from the iTunes App Store.

Check out the demo video below:

I’m wondering, will we ever see Ableton Live on a tablet?

During the week, I have discovered three brand new movies that I take the liberty of describing as “inspiring” even before actually watching them (yet). Here they are, for your consideration:

72 Musicians

72 Musicians asks the question, “Why the hell do we chase this music dream, anyway?” The film was made and released by Topspin’s VP of Product Design Bob Moczydlowsky, so the creation, pretty obviously, uses Topspin platform for marketing and distribution (which is a unique and a promising collaboration on its own).

The documentary chronicles the struggles of 72 Kansas City musicians, “speaking with a single, anonymous voice about art, poverty, booze, lies, class, hardship, food and failure. Oh, and day care. And rock ‘n’ roll.” It features interviews and/or performances from members of Spoon, White Whale, The Architects, Coalesce, The Get Up Kids, The Republic Tigers, Mac Lethal, The Life & Times, Roman Numerals, SSION and more.

The movie has been released in a variety of formats, from an $8 iPhone version to HD downloads and DVDs with T-shirts and posters, to 50 DVDs in bulk, all the way to a $400 version which comes on a hard drive with all the assets, Creative Commons-licensed to edit and release your own version. Go read more at Topspin’s Ian Rogers‘ post here.

Don’t Quit Your Daydream

Don’t Quit Your Daydream was created by Los Angeles-based musicians Clark Stiles and Nathan Khyber from the band The Good Listeners and was produced in association with JLoar, Inc and Adrian Grenier’s Reckless Productions.

“It is a story of two musicians approaching their 40th birthday unwilling to relinquish their love of music. Not wanting to give up the dream of being rock stars after hitting 40, the duo set off to do what most said they couldn’t – record the album of their dreams on the road and document every second creating this film. Leaving their day jobs behind, they set off on a 24-day cross-country road trip in an RV recording and filming both the album and documentary, Don’t Quit Your Daydream, while spanning 12 cities across the heart of America.

“Stiles and Khyber were on a mission to find the answer many musicians search for: why risk it all for a pursuit in music? To answer this question, Stiles and Khyber set up their recording studio in each city, collaborated on a song with a local musician and asked them why, like themselves, were they drawn to do what they love most… which is to play music.”

The Runaways

The Runaways is the music-fueled story of the groundbreaking, all girl 1970s rock band, with Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning starring as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. The film is written and directed by Floria Sigismondi, and Apparition will release it on March 19, 2010.

“The two teenage valley girls with punk in their blood, meet and become the heart and soul of the seminal all girl band, The Runaways. Floria Sigismondi brings The Runaways to the big screen in this story of a group of extraordinary young women as they rise from rebellious Southern California kids to rock stars of the now legendary band that paved the way for future generations of girl musicians. Under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), the group evolves into an outrageous success and a family of misfits. With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself — and so do its two leads: Joan is the band’s pure rock’ n’ roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie-Bardot looks, is the sex kitten.”

The Runaways is produced by John Linson, Art Linson and Bill Pohlad. Joan Jett, Kenny Laguna and Brian Young serve as executive producers.

Have you had a chance to watch any of the movies? (Or have you decided that you should go to The Runaways premiere?) Share your thoughts in the comments!

There are a few things that will be different this year. First, there are no single-day passes; you must purchase the full 3-day pass, which costs a hefty $269 plus fees. Second, onsite camping is available by renting out 300-square feet areas where you can also park your car.

A few lesser-known acts that are worth mentioning

Jonsi

Jets Overhead: This Canadian indie rock band has yet to receive the commercial success it deserves. Their first album was released as a “by donation” download over a year before Radiohead applied a similar strategy to “In Rainbows”.

Portugal. The Man: The band has slowly been gaining popularity, all while continuing their experimental yet pleasant indie rock sound.

Jónsi: He is the lead singer of acclaimed Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, which has been on hiatus since earlier this year. His first solo album is to be released this April.

De La Soul: This hip-hop group sang in “Feel Good Inc.” by Gorillaz, and are also featured in “Plastic Beach”, the latest upcoming Gorillaz album.

Sia: Lovely-voiced Australian pop singer Sia has sang for Zero 7 but has also released three solo albums, with a fourth to be released this April.

A few of several artists (and reunions) that we would have liked to see in the lineup

Lady Gaga: Let’s face it, she’s one of the hottest artists in pop culture today, and certainly would have been able to attract a myriad of concertgoers on her own.

System of a Down: Although it could be too soon for a collective return to the stage, Coachella would be the ideal event for a reunion of the Californian band.

Lady Gaga. Photo credit: »grahamblackall on Flickr

Dr. Dre: With an upcoming (and allegedly) final album due to be released this year or the next, Coachella could have been a natural event at which Dr. Dre to perform, also due to Coachella’s close proximity (100 miles or so) from his hometown of Compton.

Pretty Girls Make Graves: Also would require a reunion, this unique yet underrated post-punk revival band played at Coachella in 2004. They broke up in 2007.

Interpol: New York based indie rock band Interpol have reported working on a new album, and although they are set to tour with U2 this summer, Coachella 2010 could have been a good starting place beforehand.

Yes, it will be crowded. As one person worryingly wrote on the event’s message board about how having a large camping site with cars and alcohol could prove to be dangerous if someone were to decide (rather stupidly) to drive their car on the camp grounds after consuming too much alcohol.

But Coachella is bound to be an entertaining weekend to say the least. It certainly is a bit of a financial stretch for those who are on a tight budget and/or don’t live within a 60-mile or so radius (and thus cannot drive back home at the end of each night), but this festival has brought together a myriad of talented artists and is one of the few times and places that one will be able to see supergroups Them Crooked Vultures (John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin, Dave Grohl from Nirvana and Foo Fighters, Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age), Atoms for Peace with Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Joey Waronker (R.E.M., Smashing Pumkpins); as well as The Dead Weather which includes Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs), Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age), all of those in the same weekend!

So think twice before dismissing attending this unique and promising musical activity.

Taking numbers from the top forty groups, there are a grand total of eleven groups that are categorized as “rock” of some variety, and looking further down the list the trend continues, with a grand total of 26 of the 100 top-earning artists coming from rock groups. The aforementioned list covers a variety of rock groups, from the easy rock of Coldplay to the harsh metal of Metallica, but the singles list is even worse, with only 13 of the top 100 songs originating from the rock artists.

This news spells trouble to those looking to make rock a creative vehicle. Rock has been a driving force behind much of the creativity of the past decades, its influence omnipresent throughout the close of the century. The majority of pop music of the seventies fell under what we would classify as “rock”. Even pop music of the eighties was strongly indebted to this phenomenon. The emergence of grunge, post-grunge, and nu-metal seemed to ensure the commercial viability of the rock n roll genre, but those genres have slowly shriveled to only a few musicians still making a living. Nickelback, Three Doors Down and Creed have all experienced disappointing album sales over the past two years, and newer bands with smaller fan bases (Three Days Grace, Hinder, AFI and others) have also failed to match previous sales.

Photo credit: tamako sato

The challenger to the rock throne seems to be electronic-oriented music. Strongly influenced by the funk/disco branch that evolved from R&B opposite Rock n Roll, electronic music has dominated the charts over the past year. 70 of the top 100 singles trace their success to electronic hip-hop beats or dance music. Critically electronic music is enjoying increasing popularity, as three of the top album nominees from this year’s Grammys came from these genres and a club-driven single won “Song of the Year” for the first time ever.

Not only electronic, but country music appears to have sucked away some of the life from rock n roll. Many of the same people that were drawn to earlier forms of rock n roll have been lured in by the crossover appeal of country. Since the success of Garth Brooks, country music has increasingly crossed over to poach many of the easy rock buyers. Country music has had no qualms about emphasizing pop-rock guitars in order to bring in would-be rock consumers. This, coupled with a willingness to substitute pop instruments for more traditional country instruments in radio singles, ensures that country is enjoying a strong, cross-sectional appeal to consumers.

Rock itself is struggling. No new genres have emerged to revitalize the rock scene. Metal is successful, but consumers of metal have little love for the more radio-friendly rock genres. A few pop acts embrace aspects of guitar-based rock, think Cobra Starship and their hit “Good Girls Go Bad”, but by and large rock finds itself at a crossroads. Will it be able to reinvent itself in order to survive? Or will it linger as a genre that has its occasional practitioners but little mainstream presence? One thing is certain: if there is no new creative force to revitalize rock n roll, it will slowly fade into a shadow of its old self.

So this is where the challenge emerges to anyone wishing to be successful in the rock genre: how can you grow as a musician to make your music something more than a tribute to heroes gone by? How can you invigorate new energy into an old brand of music?

Now, more than ever, it’s time to break the box of the past. What’s necessary is a new way of thinking, a willingness to experiment and have fun. One quote that has stuck said something to the extent that rock and roll is the music of the people; they could sing along with it, and dance with it. It stuck in their heads, its rhythm made you move. That is what is lacking more than anything else in rock. No longer the music of the people, rock has become dominated by seizure-inducing guitar-play or mass-produced ballads. Either rock will find its rhythm, or lose it entirely to another genre that willingly embraces it. The upcoming years are crucial in the development of rock, as it deals with the twin forces of electronic and country music. Rock needs to recast itself if it wishes to stay above water in the riptides of the music industry; I hold out hope that it can be redeemed.

Ben Histand is a fourth-year Business student with an interest in finding out how pop culture works, and has spent entirely too much time finding out how Marvin Gaye is the same as Led Zeppelin, and why Led Zeppelin sold a whole lot more albums.

What can be described as a first generation of musician-branded apps is built mostly to provide fans with content like music streams, news, photos, tour dates and so on (e.g. the Alice In Chaince iPhone app, covered here earlier). Despite all the built-in standard social features, it is more of a one-way communication.

And what we see now is a growth of the number of really creative applications. Bands unite with young developers and big companies alike to create interactive apps with their music in it. They share samples from their songs and allow doing remixes directly on the mobile device, and that’s not all.

Let’s take a look at some of the most recent and most notable examples.

Beaterator

Rockstar Games’ Beaterator

Originally made for a PSP platform, Beaterator had been optimized for iPhone / iPod Touch and appeared in the App Store in December. Beaterator gives users access to a library of sounds, many constructed by Timbaland, with which to construct original songs.

The infamous producer is not the only author of the samples used in the app, but the whole application is build around his fatty (in a good way!) image.

GrooveMaker Series

This style-based series includes 11 applications to date, each allowing you to create songs in particular genres, from Reggae and Hip-Hop to Techno and Drum & Bass (!). This month the apps’ collection has surpassed the 500,000 downloads.

GrooveMaker allows for instantaneous control over 8 stereo loop tracks, making it possible to remix the included loop library of drums, bass, bass drums, lines, pads, percussion and effects. Its patented randomization feature allows musicians to generate a number of remixes on the fly “to produce millions of possible groove combinations.”

These apps are attached to music genres rather than artist names, but let’s see what we have in GrooveMaker Rock Ace… The rock edition of the application features guitar samples from Skunk Anansie‘s guitarist “Ace”. The multi-platinum rockers reunited and released a greatest hits album last year, so isn’t a branded iPhone app a nice addition to a “comeback”?

Jammit

This is something truly interesting. OEM Inc., the company behind Jammit, has created a product that uses the original master recordings of popular songs formatted with synced notation and the capability to rebalance the mix for easy learning and playing along.

I won’t be trying to explain how it works, better check out the demo video:

Is there a space for musician-branded versions of this app? You can guess yourself. Already available for purchasing are Sum 41 and White Zombie bundles, and few dozens collections (“70′s Rock”, “80′s Rock” etc.) The artist and song catalogs expand rapidly, which can be seen on their Artists page.

The only thing though, we know the masters are pricey. So each Jammit app containing three songs goes for $6.99.

What else?

The list doesn’t end here. There is also a number of artist-branded Tap Tap Revenge games and many other interesting things in the App Store.

Not only musicians, but their creations become closer to the listeners – this tendency is great.

If you want to add something, feel free to do it in the comments!

Originally, the website was going to be launched on January 10th, but was delayed due to technical issues. The blog, which was launched this month instead, is now up and running and is already loaded with posts on the industry and music in general. What I checked out in the first place, though, was the About and Take the Tour sections.

What the hell is it?

Tunited logo

The platform is aimed at music lovers and musicians alike, at this point being more of interest to independent artists. “It will be a level playing field where artists are not judged on which label they are signed to or even if they are signed to a label at all, but they are judged on the quality of their music and how they engage with their fans,” the description says.

Tunited promises 100% of profits from musicians’ music downloads and maximum transparency. “We’ll let you know the why, where, how and who of everything on our site and give you a context to place it in. For example, we will be showing you where every penny goes of a 79p download.”

The site is based on four cornerstones: Create, Collaborate, Promote and Enjoy. Here’s a description for the Promote section:

Now this is the section to be rinsed for all it’s worth. Tunited has a pool of industry experts, A&Rs and producers poised to give advice and feedback on Tunited’s artist roster and scout the latest talent to sign. Add to that some marketing advice, a facility to produce merch and press up CDs at a low cost as well as a contacts list for industry people and you will be set. Listeners can promote the new music they love too by recommending bands and uploading tracks to playlists and widgets.

Sounds kind of familiar, but still not bad huh?

Asked if Tunited gives any priorities to particular music genres, the service’s Managing Director Matt Stanley told Dotted Music: “Tunited will be multi genre and we will attempt to cover as many genre within the editorial as possible.” He added, however, that Indie, Rock and Dance Music are expected to be three of their biggest categories.

And here is why you may care, if you are an artists yourself: you can become one of the first 100 profile artists featured on the website when it launches. Just submit your details (and upload a demo mp3) at this page. The competition closes at midnight on 31.01.10.

If you are not a musician, this service – self-proclaimed “a music lover’s paradise” – might be your destination as well. Head to the blog for more info.

Conclusion

It’s too early to praise what haven’t been launched in full yet, time will tell. But Dotted Music stays tuned. I might get a bit more of useful comments after meeting the company at MIDEM next week.

PS: I love how Tunited is impregnated by powerful mottos. Remember I mentioned Midge‘s loud statements at the beginning? Check this out:

“With Tunited, we’re not just opening doors for new artists – we’re blowing the doors right off, Italian Job-style!”

So what do we do so that we can sell without “selling out”? The main thing – if it does not hurt the music or artistic intent, do it.

You are a rock band, and everyone in it has a great body? Play shirtless! You are a jazz band? Got a really flamboyant bass player who always looks like he’s gonna launch his rocket when he solos? End with that, so nobody remembers your boring pianist. Play childrens music with punk influences? Pass out cookies to everyone who yells “NO NO NO!” during the bridge of “Time Out is My Time“.

Lady Gaga at MuchMusic Video Awards

Now that basic advertising is taken care of (learn to draw peoples eyes!) look at who is listening to your music. It is not everybody. I have yet to see a metalhead headbanging to the Cheetah Girls. You have an audience. They are the reason you come home from gigs with money. Never forget that, and learn about them.

Ask them questions. Talk to them. Sign their shirts and let them admire your gear. Teach them to play a song (they will love you; one of the bands I actively listen to taught me to play a song I liked on bass, it was the most amazing thing ever) and be a friend. But most of all, watch and learn. They are the source of your money. Learn to make that money flow much more readily. Let me show you some example fans (I made these guys up)…

• Yolanda Miranda Landa

Gender: female

Clothing style: really bright and preppy

What she does at shows: dances to the beat, talks with other bright preppy dressed friends

What she says about the band in comments on myspace/facebook/twitter: “OMG this is really catchy,” “I like that rly funky sound in ‘Danger’ at the show last night,” “(on Steve the drummer’s picture) u look so cute here!!”

What songs are on her (hot pink) profile: “Believe” by Lenny Kravitz, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye, “Take on Me” by Reel Big Fish, “Danger” by the Humanity

• Ian Pod

Gender: male

Clothing style: really lazy, wrinkled, stained, hair unkept as well

What he does at shows: sits off to the side, you usually don’t know he’s there, but he seems be a little early to the shows so he can watch the band set up

What he says about the band in comments on myspace/facebook/twitter: “cool music!”, “lol,” “nice solo in ‘Danger’!”

• Barry Apple

Gender: male

Clothing style: very formal looking, a little bit “hipster”

What he does at shows: usually at the bar with a shot or two, hitting on some women, taking business calls

What he says about the band in comments on myspace/facebook/twitter: “great job at the show last night! loved it!” “(on Steve’s picture) and that is why you get all the women, Steve,” “is that a bassoon on the recorded version of ‘Danger’? that’s cool!!!! record more of your songs XD!!!”, “lol Fred,” “stuck at work, listening to your music again”

What songs are on his (slick green) profile: “Supersonic” by Jamiroquai, “Walking on the Moon” by the Police, “Virtual Insanity” by Jamiroquai, “Take on Me” by A-Ha, “Readymade” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Certain Shade of Green” by Incubus

Now I’m gonna ask you some questions.

What do these fans have in common?

What seems to be the thing that makes these guys like the shows?

Assuming this is already a funk rock band with a lot of pop influences, what would the band need to do appeal to these types of fans even more?

Answers are in the next week’s follow-up article! Leave your own thoughts in the comments.

In 1976, in Salford, United Kingdom, a teenager by the name of Ian Curtis formed a band that would influence musicians until this day. Joy Division stemmed during the rise of punk music, led by bands such as Sex Pistols, and The Clash. After a few promising years for the band and having completed two albums, Ian Curtis committed suicide at the young age of 23. After his death, the remaining band members went on to form the highly influential and successful band known as New Order.

Photo by Frederic Sahyouni

Curtis possessed deep vocals that contained a natural reverb-like resonance. Aside for his lyrics, he often took a melancholic tone as can be heard in “Love Will Tear Us Apart“. He also had the ability to take on a wilder more chaotic punk sound in songs such as “Digital“.

That which makes Joy Division and Ian Curtis so distinctive is their irreproducibility. Few singers can replicate Ian Curtis’ bass-baritone vocals. The Killers covered Joy Division’s Shadowplay, with a bass line and drumming reminiscent of the early 80s post punk genre, all while adding a contemporary indie-rock sound with the band’s guitar riffs and frontman Brendan Flowers‘ vocals which are sung at a higher key than the original version. Radiohead covered the song “Ceremony” during a 2007 webcast. Although the song is officially a New Order release, as it was their first single, it was written by Ian Curtis and was performed only once in concert with Curtis as its singer. His death followed shortly thereafter in May 1980. New Order released the single in March of 1981.

Most of today’s indie rock bands are influenced by Joy Division, New Order, The Cure and The Smiths. But in turn, Joy Division has influenced bands from a whole spectrum of genres. With their cryptic yet dark lyrics and sounds, during an age where mainstream music was upbeat in likes of ABBA and the Bee Gees, Joy Division was one of the first bands ever to be called “gothic”. That is even though the goth subculture and music scene would only develop years after the death of the band. Today’s main indie rock lead vocalists that compare to the same singing style as Curtis include Paul Banks of Interpol, Tom Smith of Editors, Justin Warfield from She Wants Revenge, and so on.

Post-hardcore emo band Thursday have a song entitled “Ian Curtis” on their first album Waiting. Several songs of the debut album contain themes of suicide and depression. The song is in part a tribute to Curtis, showing how the decline of his mental health resulted in feelings of hopelessness. U2 as well as The Cure have also dedicated songs to the artist.

There have been two motion pictures about the band; the first being 24 Hour Party People which was mainly the development of Factory Records, the label with which Joy Division recorded its albums. The second film is a biopic, Control, depicting Curtis’ life during the formation and rise of Joy Division until his untimely passing.

The list of present day bands that were influenced by Joy Division and its frontman is a long one. Despite Curtis‘ life having ended so abruptly and at a young age, his complete uniqueness in style and musical delivery has been a source of inspiration for many bands until this day, and will continue to be just as influential for several musical generations to come.

As we told you earlier, Monday was declared a “Dotted Music Monday” here on DM, so today I’m free to speak about music as music, not a business. And today I will share some music that I discovered for myself last week.

STS9: “Atlas”

Sound Tribe Sector 9 is “a 5-piece electronic jam band fusing live instruments with electronic music.” It is releasing a new album entitled Ad Explorata on December 8th, and below is a free stream of “Atlas,” a track taken from the album.

Vaguely reminded me of early Orbital material, and that nostalgic feeling is wicked!

Heather Greene: “Moon Hangs Fire”

Oh guys, just listen to it… I’ve never heard of Heather before, but fell in love with this track.

The single is available as a free download on her website. It comes from Greene’s latest release, Sweet Otherwise, out now on Paved Earth Records. Described by Boston Globe as the “songs that evoke the defiant, giddy energy of musicians associated with John Hughes movies.”

Mirrorkicks: Anything Lip Dub music video

Not a free track, but still here. Loving the way iPhone is used in this clip. Plus, a bit of a Radiohead-alike vibe is never out-of-place.

Brim Liski: “Fight”

“Happy depression, electronic doom painted over with shimmering vocal layers and symphonic guitar tones – this is Brim Liski. Complexly self-described as electrogaze dreamhop, painted over with shimmering vocal layers and symphonic guitar tones.” Yay, kinda complex, but not too bad description. Grab the free MP3 here.

Bosques de mi Mente: “Inocencia” LP

This is my discovery of the past weekend (thanks to Jamendo iPhone app): album Inocencia by Bosques de mi Mente, released in October of this year… The act has four albums, and all of them are available online for free here!

Minimal, melancholic, beautiful. Also highly recommend is the Lo-Fi album (the production is better than the title suggests, trust me).

Atlantic Connection: “Westbay’s Pacific” promo EP

When I was talking about “my favorite music genre” in the post’s intro, I, of course, meant drum & bass. I will be dropping some bits of dnb here and there, but to not overload you – today I will just offer to download this free promo EP from LA’s Atlantic Connection (thanks for the link to Dubplatedigest.net). The track listing:

1. Moby – Porcelain (Atlantic Connection Remix)
2. Submorphics – Philly Dub
3. Brooklyn – Lightyears
4. Brooklyn – Lightyears (High School Crush Remix)

The EP is brilliant, from Brooklyn’s dubstep and house tunes to the remixed Moby “Porcelain,” the only straight forward drum & bass track (not the greatest one though) on the release, and a halfstep “Philly Dub” thing.

Well, I think it’s enough for today. Enjoy the music!