With the help of our friends at meebo, Gary Gunn spoke with Amie Street members tonight at 8 PM EST. Gary is a talented musician and producer, and Amie Street is lucky to have his music and support.

Definitely listen to the album Brained Off Drugs by Waterlog, which he played on and produced, and to a staff favorite The Onion (Original) , and make sure you come by and say what's up to Gunn. He has worked with multiple musicians on Amie Street, including some for his current project coming out this spring.

DC born & raised, Gunn has been making music ever since he can remember, and now plays too many instruments to name. He is influenced by "music that is honest," and works mostly from his "studio in NYC that has bugged out gadgets and instruments."

He graduated with honors from Howard University's Business School, during which time he signed with Grammy winning producer Mahogany (Jay Z's "It's Alright") as a musician/producer and collaborated with artists like Dr. Dre, Knocturnal, Nas, & M.O.P; most notably, Dr. Dre's "Bad Intentions" for the "Wash" Soundtrack, which later became Jay Z's "Super Ugly" beat firing at Nas. Gunn also sat in on sessions with producers Demien Desandes (Carl Thomas), Ge-ology (Blackstar, Mos Def), Doc (Res, Esthero) and many others in NYC.

More About Gary Gunn After The Break

Posted in Uncategorized | by joshua | 1 Comment »

Addictive melodies and inventive songwriting meets a balls-out punk attitude. Instead of only being able to portray one mood or sound, the Baxter House experience tends to rip between emotional and sonic extremes like some kind of demented blow-up doll tied to a speedboat motor. This is not to say that every song is a schizophrenic experience, just that this isn't your conventional punk trio relying on 3 power chords, one drum beat, and a vocalist who couldn't sing to save their life. Front-woman Rachel puts all doubt to rest as far as her vocal abillities are concerned as she croons, screams, and shrieks her way through M.K.A.O. , while drummer-boy Sky alternates between cooled out rimshots and Crashing cymbals. Paradoxically Dissociative Personality Disorder is one of their grooviest songs replete with chunky guitar, driving drums, and breathy sound FX. So far on Amie Street it seems that Fat Gross Cowboy is leading the pack in REC's but with a band this inventive it's worth a listen to all 5 tracks they have up right now.

Posted in Uncategorized | by musipal | 3 Comments »
Tagged as Punk, Rock

Amie Street just got some Jazz from High Two, a great label from Philadelphia we've already posted about. High Two put up tracks from three artists:

The first group is Shot x Shot, "an improvisational acoustic quartet performing original compositions steeped in jazz tradition, but with experimental sensibilities." [Bio] Dusted calls Shot x Shot's self-titled album "a thunderous, thoughful debut from a group well on its way to turning every last head that will listen." Don't miss the track Chains of Agree .

The second group is Sonic Liberation Front, a group that "practically invents a new genre with each composition" and that's "known for its iconoclastic combination of free-jazz passion and Afro- Cuban percussion excitement." [Bio] Check out the track The Next Thing That Happens from their new album Change Over Time.

The third artist is Dave Burrell with tracks from his new album Momentum. All About Jazz called the album "a mature and haunting album from an acknowledged master - and a definitive statement from an underappreciated legend" and recommended the track Downfall in particular.

Don't miss High Two's Jazz!

Posted in Uncategorized | by treetops | No Comments »
Tagged as Alternative, Ambience, Jazz, World

Wake up Amie Street, you're sleeping on the super-fabulous Sugarman 3 from Daptone Records (home of Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings). Check it:

The Sugarman Three & Co. are an organ driven soul machine who have been at the forefront of the fast-growing funk scene for the past five years. Originally formed by tenor saxophonist Neal Sugarman as a Boogaloo combo, this band quickly defined it's sound as a break from the academics of typical soul-jazz by focusing on the soulful funk element of organ music and avoiding the affectations and cliches which too often alienate jazz musicians from the dancefloor crowd. [from www.daptonerecords.com]

You'd be crazy not to buy Sugarman 3's albums Pure Cane Sugar, Soul Donkey and Sugar's Boogaloo. Get 'em while they're FREE!

Click here to listen to Sugarman 3.

Posted in Uncategorized | by treetops | No Comments »
Tagged as Funk, Soul

Need some background music for tonight's Turkey Dinner? Want something the whole family will love? Amie Street suggests some Screamo/Hard Core from Something For Nothing. Check out 95 Is For Lovers and Not Sure Yet and enjoy the holiday!

Posted in Uncategorized | by treetops | 1 Comment »
Tagged as Hard Core, Screamo

This Saturday, November 25th, Amie Street will be showcasing a great NYC talent: The Bones Royal at Crash Mansion (199 Bowery St.). Hailing from The East Village, The Bones Royal embody rock n' roll in its music, its attitude, and its dress. Drawing large local crowds on nothing more than its live shows, The Bones Royal is situated well within the the current NYC "up-and-comer" movement.

Crank up the headphones and check out Marie . You'll want to buy it. Listen for the chorus as it shouts "Can't get her out of my head." After hearing the track, you'll have to agree.

Crash Mansion, a NYC landmark, has played host to artists ranging from The Spin Doctors, Usher, Wyclef Jean, The Fray, and George Clinton. We're proud to be a part of the madness with such an incredible band. The show is an hour long and starts at 9:00pm. Tickets are $10 (and worth every penny). Come. Tell friends.

Posted in Uncategorized | by DJchallah | 2 Comments »
Tagged as Club, Event, Rock

Make sure to check out Casey Shea and the excellent tracks from his album Take The Bite. Casey's music, described as "happy music for somewhat depressed people" (a fan) and "well-crafted, witty, and whimsically performed" (BreakThruRadio), is the best kind of Folk/Pop - the kind that's not lame. His songs Lartigue and Life In A Cube are Amie Street staff favorites so give 'em a listen.

Casey is also the lead singer for NYC's The Undisputed Heavyweights, a band that's better than Elvis. Hopefully, the Heavyweights will land on Amie Street soon!

In the meantime, check out this charming DIY music video for Casey's song "Lartigue."

Posted in Uncategorized | by treetops | No Comments »
Tagged as Folk Rock, Pop

Rarely do the names groups choose for themselves have any relevance to the music they play or the way they sound, but then again The Rebirth are far from your average band. Frequently compared to The Brand New Heavies, classic Jamiroquai, and Prince, The Rebirth gracefully blend old with new to achieve a nu-soul sound that still pays tribute to what was being bumped back in the day and back, back in the day. The single This Journey In , a pastiche of funk, trip-hop, and jazz, exemplifies the genre defying innovation for which this band is known. Championed by Gilles Peterson(BBC 1), Mr. Scruff(BBC 1), Garth Trinidad(KCRW) and just about any other dj worth listening to, the song has been licensed over 15 times to various compilations in the last year. Chances are that you've already heard The Rebirth while browsing through a Banana Republic store, watching a commercial, or listening to your favorite dj's latest compilation...you just don't know it yet. The second single off the album and close runner up for highest number of licenses, Every Body Say Yeah (LP Edit) , hits with a party vibe and then cranks the funk up to 11(yes it goes to 11) courtesy of a wicked flute solo at the end of the song. While the CD is definitely an essential, it's the live show where this band really shines, Shake It (feel the same) and Sum Same being consistent crowd favorties. Known for upstaging any act unlucky enough to play after their set, we definitely advise checking to see when this band might be coming through your area!

Posted in Uncategorized | by musipal | No Comments »
Tagged as Funk, Soul

For the Instrumental Hip-hop aficionados we have several treats this week. First off, check out San Francisco's Manic. While probably a closer relative to ninjatune's own Bonobo, he's been getting plenty of RECs comparing his sound to Dj Shadow here on Amie Street. The beautifully cinematic Spring is certainly an Amie Street staff favorite but Motive has the most REC's out of anything he's put up so far. Next, we travel to Germany to welcome Forss and though he's only put up one track so far, Flickermood , it's some seriously chopped and spliced groovy bizness... Kind of like Prefuse 73 with a bit more funk/soul to it. In any case, we heartily encourage sending the guy a message to beg for more songs...

Posted in Uncategorized | by musipal | 5 Comments »
Tagged as Electronic, Hip Hop, Instrumental

High Two is a record label from Philadelphia, PA that's dropped some great music on Amie Street from three different artists.
First and foremost is Adam Arcuragi. According to the Philadelphia City Paper, "this 27-year-old folk-rocker with the literate lyrics, the moody acoustic guitar and the voice like a sandy milkshake has released, quite possibly, the best album by a Philadelphia artist this year." Check out the songs The Christmas Song and 1981 from his self-titled debut album 'cause they're nothing short of amazing. Amie Street has seen Adam perform, with Deborah Nangle on violin and Peter Wonsowski on saw, and he's spectacular live.
Next is Cynthia G. Mason, whose haunting voice and beautiful songs, like Claim and Like A Lifer Out for Good , should be heard immediately. Her new album, Quitter's Claim, will not be released until January 2007, but you can buy three tracks from that album on Amie Street today.
Finally is A Cricket In Times Square, an Alternative/Indie band with a great song in Careless from their 2004 self-titled debut.
Don't miss High Two's tracks! Buy 'em up, REC 'em up.

Posted in Uncategorized | by treetops | 2 Comments »
Tagged as Acoustic, Alternative, Folk, Indie Rock