Epitonic Newsletter: Vol. 6, No. 1 - 'Bodysong Contest'
02/17/04
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Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood has always been the band's secret weapon, playing a key role in developing the unsettling and unconventional sonic textures that have allowed the band to reinvent itself so many times. When asked to score the British documentary Bodysong, Greenwood seized the opportunity to demonstrate his skills as an arranger outside the context of his band. The result was an atmospheric collection of layered instrumental compositions created with the jazz group Emperor String Quartet. You can stream Greenwood's remarkable soundtrack for the rest of the week and have the opportunity to win one of ten limited edition vinyl seven-inch singles or one grand prize vinyl autographed by Greenwood.
Enter to win >>

New Secret Machines Album Exclusively Online

New York-via-Texas rockers Secret Machines' excellent new album Now Here Is Nowhere won't hit stores until spring, but you can have it now. How? Just buy it in digital format. This marks the first time an album has been offered for sale digitally so far in advance of its physical record release. To mark the occasion, Reprise Records is offering a free six-song digital sampler featuring a bonus Secret Machines track along with songs from The Walkmen, The Sun, The Von Bondies and others, and a free limited edition Secret Machines CD-R on which to burn the album.
To stream and purchase the album, visit http://thesecretmachines.com >>

Music for Human Rights

Amnesty International has recently released its first ever CD, featuring tracks by Radiohead, Coldplay, Aimee Mann, Beth Orton, Ryan Adams, 1 Giant Leap, David Gray and the anonymous artists' collective REVBOY, plus an interactive digital art piece by Fischerspooner. The compilation isn't available in stores, but you can get it for free if you become a member of Amnesty. You've been meaning to do that anyway, haven't you?
To find out more, visit http://www.musicforhumanrights.com >>

Festival Season Approaches: M3

March is almost here, and with it, the annual slew of music festivals which take place in March. This year there's a new contender, the very promising M3: Miami Music & Multimedia event, which seeks to challenge the longtime primacy of the Winter Music Conference in South Beach this March 5-9 by focusing squarely on the future of the music industry. The spawn of David Prince's notorious Miami Master List, formerly the unofficial WMC bible and guide to events in Miami, M3 will explore the direction of the music industry through a two-day summit. But the music is what it's all about, and M3 offers an incredible slate of confirmed performers, including Dizzee Rascal, Kurtis Blow, Aceyalone & Abstract Rude, ?uestlove, Midwest Product, Madlib & Peanut Butter Wolf, Mr. Scruff, Juan Maclean, Dimitri from Paris, !!!, Richie Hawtin, Soft Pink Truth, Ellen Allien, Matthew Dear, Dabrye and many more.
http://www.m3summit.com >>

Radiohead
"There There" by Radiohead
Ever since Radiohead got famous on the strength of their memorably self-deprecating single, "Creep," they've shown themselves to be as full of surprises as they are pathos. They're one of those rare bands that can transcend labels, genres, and expectations and still appeal to just about everyone.

SubArachnoid Space
"Deep End" by SubArachnoid Space
With droning guitars and heavy bass, SubArachnoid Space's psych instrumentals are at once pounding and lethargic -- the perfect soundtrack for everything from driving to sleeping to crying, laughing to punching the walls.

n.ln
"Spoke Words" by n.ln
N.ln's mix of tight melodic electro, noisy breaks, and droney blissfulness provides adventurous exhibitions of glitchy, catchy abstraction.

Rachel's
"Last Things Last" by Rachel's
The best indie chamber music ensemble in the world. These sweeping, lovely compositions are as luminous and enticing as the moon itself.

Marumari
"Stars As Eyes" by Marumari
Marumari's synthy beats bounce along the border between the worlds of pop and abstract music. Following the lead of Boards of Canada, this is "serious" electronic music that will make you bob your head.

South (U.K.)
"Loosen Your Hold" by South (U.K.)
This London trio may be young, but they've got experience that belies their years and it shows in their intriguing approach, which couples archetypal Brit-pop with hip electronic ambience to create a sort of noveau space-rock, by turns meandering and anthemic.

Low Flying Owls
"Looks of a Killer" by Low Flying Owls
Sacramento's Low Flying Owls draw on musical sources ranging from Syd Barrett to Jason Pierce in crafting a dark, surprisingly ornate brand of 21st century psychedelia that's bold, beautiful, and frequently breathtaking.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' trashy punk shares the sound and aesthetic of new wonder kids like the White Stripes and Strokes. But they shoot for sexier punk rock, thanks to a frontwoman who could be the second coming of Joan Jett, Kathleen Hanna, or Siouxsie Sioux.

The Fever
"Ladyfingers" by The Fever
New York's The Fever Knows herky and they know jerky, and they put the two together into a frantic rush of bouncy, spastic post-punk heat that suits their name indeed.

Quix*o*tic
"Ice Cream Sundae" by Quix*o*tic
The askew pop of DC's Quix*o*tic hints at Christina Bilotte's previous punk band Slant 6, but stays very mellow, minimal, and eerie.

Panthers
"Don't Be a Dick" by Panthers
Brooklyn's Panthers know their critical theory and they know their punk rock. They mix the both (happily with a decided emphasis on the latter) in a ferocious sonic assault.

Out Hud
"Dad, There's a Little Phrase Called Too Much Information" by Out Hud
Sacramento's Out Hud is a pendulum swinging back and forth between dub, electro and funk, while somehow remaining deeply rooted in punk rock and the indie underground.

B. Fleischmann
"It's All So" by B. Fleischmann
You've had a long, hard, day at work. You sit on your couch. You pet your cat. You need soothing beats and mellow electronic music. You need B. Fleischmann.

Adult.
"Nite Life" by Adult.
The enigmatic Detroit duo Adult. are boundary pushers of the highest order, orchestrating a spectacular collision between synth-based electro sounds and punk ethics, and doing so with compelling insouciance and swaggering panache.

Juan Maclean
"By The Time I Get To Venus" by Juan Maclean
John Maclean of Six Finger Satellite is now solo artist Juan Maclean. He's working with NYC producer duo The DFA to produce some great new stark yet danceable electro cuts.