When I heard that Bo Bice was going to be on Amie Street, my first instinct was to laugh and say, "isn't he one of those cheesy contestants from American Idol?" Well, I was right in one respect-- Bice was one of the popular runner-ups on the hit TV show. I soon discovered, however, his music has quite a bit more integrity than I had assumed.

The first track, Witness , hit me square in the face with it's gritty gospel-tinged funk and reminded me of bands like Government Mule, The Allman Brothers Band, and The Black Crowes. This took me by surprise, though had I been a little more familiar with Bice's influences, I wouldn't have been as taken aback. On Take The Country Outta Me , he sings about his heroes including Merle Haggard, ZZ top, Lynrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Johnny Cash, and many other legendary musicians. Bice even manages to show versatility with ballads like Sinner in a Sin , which reminded me of Bob Seeger and The Eagles. Sure, it's safe to say that Bice might still be a "nobody" had he not been a contestant on a hit TV show, but if you can get past that stigma and take a listen to

, you'll realize that Bo Bice doesn't need American Idol to do what he does best-- rock out!

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So, it's been a busy week at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York and I've been going to see shows and panels like it's my job ... well, it kind of is :) Anyway, I've seen a ton of independent music which has been great and not so great. One thing that I've noticed is that many of the indie-rock bands that I've seen at CMJ draw from many similar influences and end up playing music that all sounds alike. When you're one of these bands, it's really tough to break away from the pack, and the one thing that is going to help you stand out is the quality of your songs.

What does this have to do with Bombay Bicycle Club? Plain and simple: they fall into all too common category of bands who are influenced by artists such as The Strokes, Sonic Youth, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, and Modest Mouse. Like many other young bands with the same influences, Bombay Bicycle Club wear these influences on their sleeve drawing comparisons to say a cross between... Radiohead and The Strokes, for instance. Yes, this is the kind of description that gets written about a ton of up-and-coming bands, but I'd venture to say that Bombay Bicycle Club is one band that knows how to use those influences to write great songs. Their newest EP,

, is filled with upbeat indie rock tracks with a delicately trembling vocal delivery, echoing atmospheric guitars, and a driving back-beat. Songs like Pedestal show that this talented young band (each member is only 17 years old!) have a ton of potential to write great songs for many years to come.

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The Minor Canon was named one of the top "10 bands to Watch in 2007" by the LA Times and have shared the stage with many notable artists including Jose Gonzalez and Voxtrot, among others. With so many indie-rock bands out there, you might ask, "what makes these guys different?" Well, I'd venture to say it's their orchestral approach: in addition to your typical rock band instrumentation (guitar, bass, and drums), The Minor Canon employ organ, piano, and a horn section, all of which add a dimension you don't typically hear in indie rock. Blackbook Magazine categorizes them as "Memphis soul on an indie bender" and OC Weekly describes their music as "honest to god stellar sad pop." They're surely a band that fans of The Arcade Fire and Spoon can appreciate.

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Jason Schwartzman (the musical mastermind behind Coconut Records) co-wrote and stars in the new Wes Anderson film, The Darjeeling Limited, along with Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody. But as many Amie Street users know, Schwartzman's musical talents more than compliment his work in film. Just listen to West Coast and you'll be asking yourself, "how can one guy be so incredibly multi-talented?"

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Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings are blowing up and Amie Street is bringin' you the world premiere of their funky new album,

, which features the signature, retro sounds that attracted Amy Winehouse and Kanye West to the band. We're also very excited to bring you an exclusive interview with Ms. Sharon Jones herself! The Queen of Funk told us about her favorite tracks from the new album, her aspirations to collaborate with Justin Timberlake, and what it was like to work on a movie with Denzel Washington.

Click here to read the interview.

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Best known as a member of the Rat Pack, Dean Martin is one of the most well-recognized Italian-American singers of the 20th century. His smooth jazzy crooning earned him numerous #1 singles and helped him gain high recognition as a film actor and television personality. Amie Street is delighted to bring you

-- an album that showcases exactly why Dino is a household name as one of the greatest American entertainers of all-time.

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Mary Karlzen's fourth album,

, is filled with country influenced folk-rock performed by a band featuring members of the E-Street Band, Wilco, and the Dixie Chicks. In addition to ten of Karlzen's original tunes, the album includes Skyway by Paul Westerberg and Heart Of Saturday Night by Tom Waits. Her songs are in a similar vein as Brett Dennen and her voice is quiet and subdued (much like Deb Talan of The Weepies). What's not to like about that?

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Mighty Sparrow (aka "The Calypso King of The World") is one of the most recognizable names in Trinidadian music. Amie Street is pleased to bring you thirty-five albums from this 11-time winner of the Calypso Monarchy and an eight-time winner of Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival Road March competition. Whether he's singing about romance or politics, Mighty Sparrow's music will make you feel like you've been transported to the Caribbean right in time for the Carnival celebration.

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I was browsing through the new artist page a few days ago and I saw a very familiar name: The Rembrandts. Where did I recognize that name from? Certainly not from my toothpaste, right? Oh yeah, they're that pop duo that performed the SUPER catchy theme song for the show Friends. I couldn't believe that they'd put up their music on Amie Street, so I had to see for myself. Lo and behold, they are indeed on the site! Even though their most recent album,

, doesn't feature the famous track "Ill be there for you," these guys can still crank out catchy radio-ready pop just as well as they could before Chandler and Monica started dating!

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[Editor's Note: Throughout the day we will be profiling each of the Eclipse® Sets the Stage™ contest finalists. The winner will play a CMJ Showcase on October 18, at NYC's The Blender Theater at Gramercy, and will open for Datarock. Make sure to vote for your favorite artist on their artist page and check the leader board throughout the day.]

Brooklyn's Finest Electro-Pop

The Epochs have made quite a mark on Amie Street. The band sounds like anything from The Postal Service to TV on the Radio to (dare I say it?) The Beegees. Check out some user RECs to see the effect their music has had on the Amie Street community and make sure to check out their tunes to hear their original sound for yourself.

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