Ploafmaster General

Thanks to Michael Eades I now know about a tasty new band, Ramona Falls, fronted by the lead singer from Menomena. Ramona Fall’s music is simultaneously airy and driving rock, and you can get the full effect from this amazing music video for “I Say Fever”:

Holy smokes…some news for which I’ve been waiting a few years: Sufjan Stevens is releasing a recording of The BQE, a symphonic piece he composed and presented only in a series of live performances in NYC back in 2007. I’ve heard only small portions via NPR and the Asthmatic Kitty website, but I’m glad to see he’s publishing the piece soon so I can hear it in its entirety. I’ll be pre-ordering as soon as I get the chance.

Oh yeah, and bonus! It will include a freaking VIEWMASTER DISC.

Do you ever have a musical act that you totally love but seem to have dropped off the planet? You can’t help but move in your chair every one of their tunes plays in your headphones, but you’ve stopped checking the official website and/or other channels for news long ago because it’s been ages.

A number of musicians fit such a bill for me and, the act in mind today is dZihan & Kamien, the Vienna-based down-tempo duo that created one of the finest albums in my arsenal: Gran Riserva. After years gone by with a dearth of news (and no official website) I don’t feel that bad for missing the announcement of their first studio album since 2002. It seems that the fellas released Music Matters in late April, and you can stream the whole thing for free on their new website! Sure, it’s Flash-tastic, so I can’t link directly to the listening page, but hit up the music link at the top of the page, and mouse over the left side of the album listing until the cover for the new album slides into view. And listen. Over and over.

I’m scooting over to Plan 9 forthwith tomorrow after work to see if have this album, and if not, I’m gonna have to see if the official D&K store delivers to The States (the prices are in Euros only). This album is my new jam.