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Lee Levin

“On May 5, 4AD will release ‘Actor’ the anticipated new album by St. Vincent (nee Annie Clark), and the follow-up to her first album, ‘Marry Me,’ one of the most acclaimed debuts of 2007. ‘Actor’ was co-produced by Clark and John Congleton (Modest Mouse, Polyphonic Spree, etc…), and features eleven new songs, all written and arranged by Clark”

- Shorefire Media

I was just thinking the other day, I reeeealllyy hope girl-with-the-’fro Annie Clark releases the new St. Vincent album soon because I fell in love with Marry Me. With a wonderful blend of keys, intricate arrangements and electronic bits in the background, St. Vincent is exceptional.

Lee is an author and co-founder of the popular music blog, Knox Road. You can find more of his work at http://knoxroad.wordpress.com/

image courtesy of ohmpark.com

Wow, talk about a band blowing me away. I had never heard of Starlume until I stumbled upon their MySpace. I messaged them with a hope of maybe getting some info about, as well as music from, the group. Not only did they warmly respond, they provided three unique mp3s: two brand-new, yet-to-be released songs off their upcoming EP.

Starlume formed when Landon Rose (vocals/keys/guitars) and Corey Eggleston (drums/backing vocals) began their musical journey over six years ago when they started recording music and playing shows across the country. This eventually led to settling in Nashville during the summer of 2007—a year later they completed Starlume with the additions of Robert Smith (bass) and Nate Woodall (guitars).

It’s shocking that Starlume isn’t on the radio—they create the perfect blend of accessible-pop with some darker overtones that keep them from, as many of us like to say, “selling out.” The lush arrangements and Rose’s falsetto vocals make for such a full and cinematic sound, so it’s no surprise that their song, “So Please” (mp3 below) was recently featured on an episode of One Tree Hill—a show that disappoints as television, yet consistently finds some of the best music out there. And Starlume is no exception. Listen to the mp3s below (with Starlume’s own descriptions). You’re getting a sneak peek at a band that will surely make waves all over the country in no time.

Starlume – “Angel of the Sea” [MP3]. Starlume says: “This song is unreleased and will be on the EP we put out this spring. The version you hear is a pre-production track that we’ve recorded, mixed, and produced ourselves in our downtown Nashville rehearsal space this winter. We’re currently working on a “better” version in a “real” studio.”

Starlume – “Devils Don’t Sleep” [MP3]. Starlume says: “Same as ‘Angel of the Sea’.”

Starlume – “So Please” [MP3]. Starlume says: “This is from our last release, Get Found EP, and was recently featured on the Feb. 2 episode of One Tree Hill. It’s available on iTunes as well as on our MySpace.”

Lee is an author and co-founder of the popular music blog, Knox Road. You can find more of his work at http://www.knoxroad.com/

image courtesy of starlume’s myspace