Get your dancing shoes on! Wednesday evening I had the pleasure of meeting self-styled Phunk Rockers Cherry Blackstone. The band kindly spent time with me in Norwich before a rocking gig with UK soul legend Beverley Knight.

The band were put together by graduates of the Brits Performing Arts College, Andrez and ReDD. The college has also produced the likes of Amy Whinehouse, Kate Nash and The Kooks. Spending a year putting together material and honing a unique sound they returned to the college and recruited Ashton (Keyboards) and Rupert (Lead guitar). These guys are awesome live! I do not feel that the recorded material is doing them justice.

The band have built up a steady following by playing gigs in the places that they feel are right for them. They have a very clear vision of how they wish to develop. The band recieved a major breakthrough when the renowned Jamie Cullum invited them to play two large outdoor gigs. This enabled the band to play in front of 10,000 people. Even better for them Jamie was impressed enough to invite them back up to jam at the end of his set. Very rarely have I met a band who are as enthusiastic and have total belief in the fact that they will achieve their goals. The current tour with Beverley Knight was organized with the help of no professional management. The band have also produced and marketed both their debut single, “Kushti,” and their forthcoming album Forget the Formula. The music has a real funky edge but with the depth of a rock band taking in influences of Sly and the Family Stone and mixing it with the sound of Coldplay, U2, and Lenny Kravitz.

From the feedback after the gig they are definitely hitting the right spots. The album should be ready for general release in early 2008. A ballad from the album called “Come Too Far” is without doubt one of my favourite songs of angst and hope of 2007. The band gave me a mix of songs that have inspired them on this current tour 1# Beverley Knight - Sister Sister(the live version) which having heard it last night, I fully understand 2# John Mayer - the continuing album 3# Cherry Blackstone - Come Too Far.

Cherry Blackstone Live: After spending time with the band, I was intrigued to see them live. Having the graveyard support slot on a tour and playing to someone else’s crowd is never easy. However, these guys made it seem so from the off the crowd were really digging the tight funky keyboards and guitars. ReDD has a real deep soulful voice that is seen to its full range on the ballad “Come Too Far”. Andrez plays mean skins and is a considerable vocal talent himself. By the end of the all too short set the crowd were definitely more than warmed up. I would definitely be more than happy to see them as a headlining act. I predict that by the end of 2008 they will be vaunted as a must see live act!

- Mark

MP3: Cherry Blackstone - “Come Too Far”
MP3: Cherry Blackstone - “Frustrated”

Photo: Jason Lee Parry

Robbers On High Street are spreading the holiday cheer early this holiday season! The band has decided a holiday song and b-side with the blogosphere. “Seasons Greetings,” is a Christmas cover that will get you in the holiday mood long before the egg nog will.

The song was originally released on the album Daddy, Is Santa Really Six Foot Four? It was written by Raymond Moberly and first performed by Teri Summers and the Librettos.

Here’s a previously unreleased b-side from the band’s acclaimed album, Grand Animals:

MP3: Robbers On High Street - “Return To The Seed”

I know I’ve shared this West Indian Girl song before, but when the video crossed my desk this morning…I figured I might as well share it again. Is anyone out there listening to this lot? You probably should be!

MP3: West Indian Girl - “To Die In LA”

Editors kick off 2008 with an expansive US Tour, with special guests Hot Hot Heat and Louis XIV.

EDITORS’ US Tour Dates:
Jan. 8th – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
Jan. 9th – Saint Petersburg, FL – Jannus Landing
Jan. 10th – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues
Jan. 11th – Atlanta, GA – Roxy
Jan. 12th – Nashville, TN – Wildhorse
Jan. 14th – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
Jan. 15th – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Jan. 17th – New York – Terminal 5
Jan. 18th – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
Jan. 19th – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
Jan. 20th – Montreal, QC – Club Soda
Jan. 22nd – Toronto, ON – Koolhaus
Jan. 23rd – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
Jan. 25th – Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre
Jan. 26th – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
Jan. 27th – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
Jan. 29th – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
Jan. 30th – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe
Feb. 1st – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
Feb. 4th – Seattle, WA – Showbox At The Market
Feb. 5th – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
Feb. 6th – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
Feb. 8th – San Francisco, CA – Warfield Theatre
Feb. 9th – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Feb. 10th – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
Feb. 13th – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
Feb. 14th – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues

See their Myspace blog for links to purchase tickets (as Mark didn’t supply links for this post as he should have…hint, hint).

MP3: Editors - “Munich”

I’ve been swimming in a pool of 80s nostalgia lately. I recently put together 5 mixes for an 80s theme party my coworkers and I were planning for this weekend…things went amuck and the party was cancelled.

What does one do with the 100+ songs he compiled? Share them with you, naturally!

An exchange with Cecilia this evening lead me to create this category…that and watching VH1 Classic’s rebroadcast of 120 Minutes. Growing up in the 80s was definitely a different experience. I figure it’s long overdue to share some memories from those days and create a category dedicated to everything 80s…music, videos, fashion, nostalgia, collectibles…you name it.

Shortly after Berlin’s “The Metro” played, I jumped up off the couch and ran to my keyboard…I had the song on Mix 4 and knew I could find the video to share with you. The web really is a wonderful thing where sharing is concerned, isn’t it?!

MP3: Berlin - “The Metro”

Polyvinyl Records will be releasing the new Aloha EP on December 4. The 7 song effort is called Light Works.

“The songs are built upon acoustic guitars, but we think you will find the title to be somewhat ironic. We’re very proud to present this little world to you, and happy to say it will be adorned with artwork by Daniel Danger and Jake Kelly and cased in a 100% recycled digipak.” - Tony C

Aloha are making records today that will be talked about in a decade.” - Rocket Fuel

“…poised for the cult-favorite status befitting a band exploring the possibilities of music without limits.” - Billboard

“Aloha make music that makes you excited about music again.” - Milk Mag

“Aloha are reinventing a whole genre of music… Welcome to a new breed of indie rock.” - Held Like Sound

MP3: Aloha - “Body Buzz”

I love going to my mailbox and finding albums like The Dimes‘ The Silent Generation patiently awaiting my undivided attention. They’re few and far between, I assure you.

I’m pretty excited about sharing this one with you, so I hope you enjoy it…it’s definitely one of the better albums I’ve received in recent weeks.

The effort will be released by Pet Marmoset Records on December 11. If you enjoy the mp3s I’ve shared below, you might want to pick this one up when its released.

Photo: Luis Elenes

“…The Dimes simply create really lovely, understated but sweepingly beautiful tunes that burrow into your brain, take hold, and refuse to leave.” - Seattle’s The Stranger

“…a fantastic new album from one of the city’s most promising new artists” - Barbara Mitchell, Portland Tribune

“…lucid, charging pop anthems complete with clap-along beats and considerable harmonic glee” - Andrew Kryza, Williamette Week

MP3: The Dimes - “Jersey Kid”
MP3: The Dimes - “Catch Me Jumping”

Tickets are dwindling for The Dandy Warhols X-Mas Show at the Roseland on the 19th. If you’re in the area and would like to attend, click here to purchase.

MP3: The Dandy Warhols - “Little Drummer Boy”

We tried to give this one away before, but nobody bit. I promised our friend Jessie at Cornerstone Promotion I’d give it another shot. I’ll let her be the judge of who and how many win(s).

Here’s what you need to do: Leave a comment telling her why she should send you a copy of the CD. That’s it. Nothing more…er…well, leave your e-mail address in the comments for her to contact you. Contest ends Sunday, Dec. 2 at Midnight!

Simple, right?!

MP3: The Jam - “Pretty Green”
MP3: Mark Ronson - “Pretty Green” feat. Santo Gold

Fans of Green Day, Sum 41, and Blink 182 will definitely want to check out Long Island’s The New Rivals.

The band recently toured with Stiff Little Fingers and is hitting the road again at the end of the month supporting The Lemonheads.

The band’s management was cool enough to allow us to offer their first single, “Mudslinging,” for you downloading pleasure. The song has just hit Modern Rock radio (stations like Q101 in Chicago, WLIR in New York, WFNX in Boston and Punk on Sirius among others are spinning the song. Let us know what you think.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES WITH THE LEMONHEADS:
11/30 – SLIM’s – San Francisco, CA
12/01 – Troubadour – West Hollywood, CA
12/02 – House of Blues – Anaheim, CA
12/04 – The Cashbah – San Diego, CA
12/05 – Club Congress – Tucson, AZ
12/07 – Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO
12/08 – Aggie Theatre – Fort Collins, CO
12/09 – The Record Bar – Kansas City, MO
12/10 – Varsity Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
12/11 – The Double Door – Chicago, IL
12/12 – The Double Door – Chicago, IL
12/14 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH
12/15 – Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI
12/17 – The Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH
12/18 – The Chameleon – Lancaster, PA
12/19 – Black Cat – Washington D.C.
12/20 – The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
12/21 – The Highline Ballroom – New York City, NY
12/22 – Middle East (downstairs) – Cambridge, MA
12/23 – Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ
1/18 – The Lion’s Den – New York City, NY
1/25 – Club Crannell - Poughkeepsie, New York

MP3: The New Rivals - “Mudslinging”