The Music Minute

Brother/sister duo Chris and Kate Farstad wanted to form a band four years ago so they asked Micky Alfano and Mark Ritsema to join them, and together Mouthful of Bees was formed. Two years later the band released its debut album, The End, on Afternoon Records. Their sound was fresh, melodic, and highly entertaining, but the process to make a follow-up was not easy. Before embarking on their next album in the spring of 2008, the band decided to enlist the help of friends Simon Larson and Patrick Swanson for new songs and ideas. In the following months of often-grueling recording sessions, a newer, quirkier and more sophisticated sound evolved, complete with tricky time-signatures, complex harmonies and a larger, more fully-orchestrated sound. When all was said and done, erased accidentally and done again, Mouthful of Bees had created, what else, Mouthful of Bees, 12 diverse tracks of lush, strange, rockin’ pop. Their new album will be released digitally on April 21st and the physical albums will appear in May.

Songwriters Amy Cooper (San Francisco) and Noah Wheeler (St. Louis) met in NYC while both playing the same night at the same club. Together they make up Naked Hearts. They formed in January 2008 and just one year later they had released their debut ep, These Knees. It's is the alternating vocals and steady beat that make these two irresistible. This is stripped down sleepy pop, and it is all build with drum and guitar. Their ep is available as a vinyl 12" and a digital release.

Listen to: Call Me (mp3)

Eilen Jewell has a sultry delivery and is at her best of classic '60s tinged rock 'n Roll. Her third album ,Sea of Tears, will be released on April 21st, and this album pays tribute to all the best that rock and blues have to offer. Jewell has that swagger and steam, but can let the stabbing chill of sharp guitar consume a track at any moment. After the release this month, Eilen and her band will tour up and down the East coast in some of the nation's most well known venues; touring in support of the record, Jewell will transform the stage around her into a performance arena of the 1950s and 1960s. From Vermont to North Carolina, Jewell and her band will captivate listeners with her timeless narratives all over the country.

Listen to: Sea of Tears (mp3)

An Australian pop rock band is on its way to the states. Yves Klein Blue is on their way, and they are launching it with the release of their ep Yves Klein Blue Draw Attention to Themselves. Starting later this month they will be playing shows in LA and NY. They are uniquely are named after artist Yves Klein's famous IKB, a blue paint that does not lose its brilliance over time, forever appearing wet and freshly applied. The name is a metaphor for the bands aspiration to create music that will never fade.

Listen to: Polka (mp3)