The Outstanding Musical Theater of Katzenjammer

If there has ever been any proof of the impertinence of the role of radio music programming in the advancement of good new music, Katzenjammer is it. The radio ready, yet largely ignored, first single "A Bar in Amsterdam" from Katzenjammer's 2008 debut, "Le Pop" was posted on AmieStreet.com a few months back, and ever since that time, I've been searching for a US copy of the "Le Pop" CD. Apparently available shortly after its release on such sources as Amazon, the CD has been listed as unavailable since I started searching, although the mp3's are available from both Amazon and i-Tunes. The band has assured me that the international version of "Le Pop" will be re-released this fall in the USA. After digging, I did find the original release of "Le Pop" with a US currency option at Grooves-Inc.com, a Swedish reseller.

From the opening of "Overture," which slams non-stop into "A Bar in Amsterdam," you know that you are in for an experience that rivals musical theater. Katzenjammer's brand of alternative pop is accessible yet eclectic. Three parts gypsy caravan, three parts pop, one part rock and roll, a dash of folksy goodness and a splash of Vienna seasoning make for a completely individual sound.

"Le Pop's" mostly upbeat numbers keep the party rolling from "Amsterdam" to "Tea with Cinnamon" to the outstanding "Hey Ho On The Devil's Back," Katzenjammer pops from the silly to the profound without letting the carnival stop. Speaking of silly, the title track is so much fun you will be laughing within seconds of its start!

Just when you think you have Katzenjammer figured out, though, they slip you something unexpected; the sad yet beautiful "Wading in Deeper." This is just an intermission however, proven by the follow up tracks "Play My Darling Play," "To The Sea," the waltzing "Mother Superior" and set closer, blues rock number, "Ain't No Thang."

Katzenjammer's four woman collective, made up of Soleig Heila, Anne Marit Bergheim, Turid Jorgensen and Marianne Sveen, jump from instrument to instrument interchangeably. Those instruments are many, too, including but not limited to accordion, melodica, mandolin, guitar, harmonica, trumpet, tuba, drums and balaika bass.

There aren't enough good words to describe this band. Oslo, Norway is lucky to have them as citizenry and we need to see more of them in the USA.

You can listen to tracks from the band on their MySpace Page and purchase their CD from the aforementioned Grooves Inc.com page. You can read more about the band on The Bonoroo site and let's not forget the bands own official web site. A search for some of Katzenjammer's videos on YouTube, etc., will give you the flavor of the band's live performances as well.

If you take pride is listening to and acquiring great music, you owe it to yourself to check out this amazing band!

Music In Brief: Sunlight Square Podcasts Update

It's Friday, September 18, 2009, and Sunlight Square Podcasts has released 2 new podcasts on their site. Be sure to refresh your feeds! Sunlight Square Podcasts. Not sure what Sunlight Square Podcasts are? Check out this blog article.

Need a Change? Try Samantha Shelton on for Size!

Actress turned singer Samantha Shelton (episodes of "House," "CSI: Miami" and "Gilmore Girls" to name a few) has found her true calling in musically interpreting the past in the present tense. Following in the footsteps, albeit not to closely, of such groups as "Squirrel Nut Zippers" and artists such as "Nellie McKay," Shelton's new 4-song EP, "Cranky Moon" lifts styles from old standards in the vein of a ragtime crooner.

"Maybe" lilts and rolls, gently provoking, sounding like it was lifted from the 1920's, if not for the references to boxed wine and phone texting. "No One Knows" ups the beat a little bit while Shelton's breathy vocal intones "Oh what you do to me, no one knows." "Cranky Moon" the title track, sounds as if it could have been a soundtrack from an old black and white and includes a chorus of female vocals that could have backed up early Sinatra. The track includes the F-word as one of the lyrics, thus projecting the whole thing into the present day. It's a delightful track, and a fitting title track to this small set. Finishing a bit like it began, "Sit and Sigh" boom-chick-chick-boom beat is a proper book-end to set opener "Maybe."

Musically, the instruments are simple and perfectly matched to Shelton's vocals. Perhaps the only complaint I have about this collection is that it is too short. I'll anxiously await a long-player from Shelton in this style. The EP is available digitally from AmieStreet along with a previous long-player in a quite a different style "Are You Kidding Around?". You can also hear complete tracks from both offerings on Shelton's MySpace Page.

The Ragbirds: A Musical Blender

A fundamental philosophy that I've followed when searching for music is "New and Different." That doesn't mean the music has to be necessarily "new" but "new to me." Enter Ann Arbor, Michigan's "The Ragbirds" and prepare for a blender full of different. The Ragbirds mix folk, pop and middle eastern sounds combined with accomplished lead vocals provided by band founder, Erin Zindle. Other band regulars pull off a perfect blend of instrumentation and spare background vocals; T.J. Zindle, guitar, Dan Hildebrand, bassist, Randall Moore, drums and Tim Dziekan, percussion. Erin also switches between violin, percussion, accordion, banjo and other instruments as well as her lead vocal position.

With the band's August 2009, long-player "Finally Almost Ready, The Ragbirds show their stuff by combining all of their diverse styles into a blender for an entirely pleasing, if eclectic, collection. The first single "Book of Matches" has reached the No. 2 position on the Japanese top 40, but a quick listen will tell you that The Ragbirds are anything but a caterer to the top 40 sound.

"Finally Almost Ready" has many pleasing moments, not counting "Matches", including the mid-tempo rocker "Get In", the folk styled and absolutely wonderful, "The Frame" and toe-tapping, head-rocking "Getting Dark" to name only Four of the 12 great tracks on this CD.

One thing that my son always likes to hear are full-length samples of the music, and since I'm able to do this without compromising copyrights by simply pointing you to the bands web site, I've done that in the link attached to this post. Just click the title of this blog entry to take you there.

You can find more information on the band from their MySpace Page and you can purchase the tracks from AmieStreet Here for a pittance.

You can purchase the CD for $12 (plus shipping) at The Home Grown Music Network.

Sunlight Square Podcasts

Things have been a little cluttered on AS for the last couple of weeks and I haven't had much time to sift through the offerings there. Yesterday, a friend of mine asked me to check out a funk group called "Sunlight Square" which I never did find, but I did end up finding a pretty cool podcast for those of you that want something a bit different to listen to musically.

There are 8 pod casts on this site, and they all have a slightly different focus. The pod casts look like they only come every 6 to 10 months, so this will be a brief (about 8 hours) listen until they issue a new podcast. I've really enjoyed listening to this, and hope that you will love it too.

My recommendation would be to start listening to the pod casts from the newest (number 8) to the oldest. The flavor will change as you go, but there are some very interesting styles covered and some really interesting covers too.

If you've been here before, then you know that for some strange, inexplicable reason, the podcast links are broken. So I've replaced them with a link to the site's podcast page. Just click the link below and then subscribe to the podcast based on your PC's environment.

Sunlight Square

Enjoy! And let me know what you think.