This band made an appearance at SXSW 2010 and performed as part of the Hotel Cafe Tour showcase. Brooklyn songwriters Amber Rubarth and Alex Wong released their debut EP in July 2008. The Paper Raincoat self-titled full length album followed in 2009.

Since signing with Lynn Grossman and Secret Road Licensing, the record has landed placements on the CW television show One Tree Hill and in the Touchstone Pictures feature film, The Last Song starring Miley Cyrus and Greg Kinnear.

The duo’s style offers georgous harmonies, percussion, and a four hand piano piece as “Right Angles” is played by Amber and Alex on piano at the same time.

The album is available for download on iTunes.
The Paper Raincoat – The Paper Raincoat

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“Sympathetic Vibrations” by The Paper Raincoat

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“The Same Old Things” by The Paper Raincoat

This Vermont trio will join Deer Tick in mid-August for a few tour dates. They just released five alternative recordings in an EP titled Sun Dog EP on vinyl via Underwater Peoples.

The debut LP will be released on July 20, 2010. Visit Partisan Records to pre-order Made the Harbor by Mountain Man—aka, Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Randall Meath.

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“Soft Skin” by Mountain Man

I saw this band in Minneapolis, Minnesota at a club called First Avenue & 7th Street Entry. Anyone from Minneapolis will tell you that Prince was the local musician who helped to establish this venue during the 80’s.

Lookbook is a very fun dance pop duo made up of Grant Cutler and Maggie Morrison . Their album, Wild at Heart, is rocking my world right now. Not that I can hear it all that well as I have a double ear infection! Still, I KNOW that this is good stuff. Have a listen to my favorite song, “Yesterday’s Company,” and see if you agree with me?!

Image courtesy of The A.V. Club

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“Yesterday’s Company” by Lookbook

Simon Raymonde, the former Cocteau Twins’ bassist and founder and owner of the Bella Union record label, has teamed up with Stephanie Dosen. They have worked together before as he participated in her 2007 release A Lily For The Spectre. This time the two decided to form a true duet. Thus, Snowbird was born.

Have a listen to the live performance of “Where Foxes Hide” for the Ill Fit Records new night club opening in the UK.

The Ukranian born Lana Mir, will release her self-titled debut album on August 24, 2010 via Unfiltered Records. You may also visit her feature on Volume 2, #17 of Direct Current.

Lana – Summertime from Unfiltered Records on Vimeo.

Mark Ronson has a new video. The 2010 single “Bang Bang Bang” from Mark Ronson & The Business Intl is available on markronson.com.

It’s his next studio single, video appearance since “Just” with Phantom Planet from 2008.

AOL Music Sessions has offered up an NYC in studio performance of Jack Johnson performing “You and Your Heart.” The track can be found on his latest album To the Sea, which was released last Tuesday, June 1, 2010.

Dierks Bentley’s latest album Up on the Ridge was released on Tuesday. We’ve been hearing the title track single on the radio since April. Now, please have a look at the video.

I love the acoustic bluegrass assortment displayed here. It is unlike any other Bentley album. Another draw for me is its collaboration with Alison Krauss and Miranda Lambert—two of my favorite vocalists of folk/country influence. It also features Chris Thile of the Punch Brothers and Kris Kristofferson.

The new album, Antifogmatic, from Punch Brothers will be released on June 15, 2010. Punch Brothers is Chris Thile’s new effort following the “farewell for now” of his other band Nickel Creek. He and Steve Martin will duel their mandolin’s as Punch Brothers are scheduled to support Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers on several dates of their upcoming tour.

You may download the song “Alex” for FREE if you sign up for the newsletter.

Picture courtesy of The Bluegrass Blog

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“Alex” by Punch Brothers

This song was released on April 17, 2010 on Dangerbird Records. Only 500 copies of the “7 were produced. However, thanks to the Dangerbird Summer Sampler you may download “Credible Threats” for FREE.

Picture courtesy of So Much Silence

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“Credible Threats” by The One AM Radio