THE SOUND

JEFFREY MARSHEK is a self-professed music junkie who’s New Years resolution for 2010 is to discover more new music with you. And continue turning you on to great new releases from artists you know and love. And the artists you possibly never heard of who are making exciting music in Independent, Alternative, Folk Rock and Electronica. Meanwhile, he and his ears are looking forward to hearing from: Gorillaz, LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip, Massive Attack, Sade, Amy Winehouse, an exciting collaboration with David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Groove Armada, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Sia, Cake, MGMT and Interpol!! Here are some of the best that 2010 has to offer so far….

MY-POD: THE SOUNDTRACK

Charlotte Gainsbourg: Serge’s daughter (and Beck’s long last sister???)

Charlotte Gainsbourg had her eyes set on crafting an acting career. But being the child of celebrated singer songwriters, music was clearly in her blood.

Her first release, ‘5:55’ was a somber debut constructed by French producers, Air. Gainsbourg returns this time around with a sparse, slick collection crafted by Alt Rock pioneer Beck. And the pairing turns out to be a sublime collaboration.

Sounding like Beck’s female doppelganger appears to be an effortless task for Gainsbourg, whose opening track, ‘Masters Hands,’ is a bedtime prayer for the macabre, with a Beck-ified mantra hook – “breathe out-Come alive-give me reason to feel”.

Title track ’IRM’ is a Lewis Carroll look at Inside Charlotte’s Head during a routine MRI.

‘Trick Pony’ recalls the music of The Breeders: a mod groove with snares, drums and Ms. Gainsbourg doing a vocal snake dance. ‘Le Chat Du Café Des Artistes’ is the track that reminds you most that she is the offspring of 2 French singer songwriters.

Beck’s fingerprints are undeniable and his trademark production instrumental here. Finally making his presence known, Beck appears midway through the LP on “Heaven can wait,” singing along with Gainsbourg “heaven can wait and hell too far to go”.

IRM proves well worth the wait.

Charlotte on Myspace

SPOON: Music to spoon to

Britt Daniel and the gang, a.k.a Spoon, have come along way from their first studio album.

The Austin, Texas-based band may be Indie pop staples, but their music is currently heart throughout television shows, film soundtracks, commercials, video games and Starbucks compilations.

This kind of popularity would seemingly kill the unpredictable melodies and unique use of guitar that fans of Spoon have come to know and love.

But on ‘Transference’, their 7^Th LP, call Spoon anything but poppy, radio friendly, sellouts.

They are the antithesis: A dark, at times bleak (The opener is the gorgeously cynical ‘before destruction’), ‘Transference’ turns out to be a collection of questions pertaining to the certainty of love (on the simple groove ‘Is love forever’) as well as to what if we choose to live inside our heads (‘The Mystery Zone’)?

“I’m writing this to you in reverse. Someone better call a hearse” Daniel warns in a spooky suicide letter- after the fact in the terrific ‘Written in Reverse.’

But it’s ‘Got Nothin’, the album’s rollicking single where Daniel is willing to lose his darkness, to relinquish his bitterness and patterns. You will be too.

Spoon on Myspace

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VAMPIRE WEEKEND: Revisiting Graceland With The Kids

VAMPIRE WEEKEND’S ultra successful debut 4 years ago landed the New York Indie Rockers a level of notoriety and Critical Praise that an artist dreams of.

Naysayers predicted a short shelf-life for the catchy, sardonic social commentary scored to afro pop rhythms performed by the privileged white boys.

Their sophomore release, ‘Contra’, is an extension of that, a contemporary Baroque Pop/West African style take on California, again from a group of uber-privileged New Yorkers.

Opening track “Horchata,’ is a tribal jam, chalk full of xylophones, drums and a melodic chant-like hook.

‘White Sky’ is keyboard sunshine confection, a contemporary take on Paul Simon’s Graceland.

‘Holiday’ is a ska riddled groove and ‘Taxi Cab’ is a lullaby. ‘Run’ is a you-and-me-against-the-world type anthem for young lovers. And ‘Cousins’ cleverly addresses the elitist, Upper West Side, silver spoon heritage the band catches fire for. By album’s end, the Atari-esque ‘Diplomat’s Son’ grooves with a catchy MIA sample, inviting calypso feel and lead singer Ezra Koenig’s breezy vocals, daring you to sing along.

Vampire Weekend on Myspace

Photo by Bee Skutch at

YOU TUBE: UNDER THE COVERS

SNOW PATROL is giving a fresh updated take on the INXS classic ‘New Sensation.’

Lead singer Gary Lightbody smolders in a way that recalls the early days of Bono and U2.

I’m betting it is a cover version that would make even Michael Hutchence proud.

THE SHINS don’t immediately come to mind as a modern day version of the hippy, trippy 70’s rockers Pink Floyd?

Covering their ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ track ‘Breathe’ seems like an odd choice on paper. The result is an impressive, pitch-perfect surprise.

WOLFMOTHER does emo epic spin on timeless Kate Bush track ‘Wuthering Heights’.

The Aussie rockers’ rendition could easily be on the soundtrack to the next Indie rock scored love story-Think ‘500 Days of Summer’ Pt2.

Also makes me curious to hear them do a couple of Velvet Underground covers…

JAMIROQUAI brings his unique tenor styling front and center for a funkified rendition of the Roxy Music favorite ‘Love Is The Drug’.

Complete with a soulful backing band and singers, the song is revived with some rhythm and feeling.