Creative Commons

MixGalaxy’s Various Artists “Winter Tales” Compilation Album

Here is another great release from this fresh new netlabel. Filled with 15 very different tracks from an array of independent artists, "Winter Tales" has a track for everyone. This winter Mixgalaxy Records prepared for you this very special compilation full of mystery and fairy-tale spirit with snowy scent of cold winter nights spiced with catchy melodies and grand arrangements.
Ispahan

Ispahan – channeling the sounds of the old Orient

I live in Asia Minor, and when I first heard the melancholy and mysterious strains of Christian "Kiane" Fromentin's Ispahan, my first thought was that this guy must be making music in my local area. I was surprised to find out that he's actually in France - he just has a very innate sense of what the region of the Near and Middle East sounds like, and a talent for evoking nostalgia... even for listeners who have never been to this part of the world.

Dazie Mae “Velvet Dress & Stockings” – jazz & blues the cabaret style

Dazie Mae plays a form of ragtime jazz and blues mixed up in a French cabaret environment. Their full length album titled Velvet Dress and Stockings has a sexy and smoky feel spearheaded by the sultry lead vocalist Jeanne Jattiot. She reminds me of a jazzy version of Marianne Faithfull. The instrumental backing is almost perfect with snappy keyboards by Mathias Daval, guitars by Tom Lameche and bass by Serge Dejazz.

The Lionshare

The Lionshare is the debut feature from writer/director Josh Bernhard. Shot the independent, almost student way - with consumer video cameras, barely any lighting or audio equipment and friend actors on a close to nothing budget - its an engaging, young movie definitely worth a download. Relying on naturalistic dialog and a barebones aesthetic to match the bare honesty of its characters, The Lionshare is a personal look at life and love in an increasingly impersonal world.

…anabase* “Le bonheur flou Le bonheur flou” – so good, you won’t notice the language barrier

People often ask me how many languages I speak, simply because my music collection holds so many international artists who don't sing in English. But to tell the truth, I don't require a song to be sung in a language I understand, in order for me to be able to connect with it. If you never thought you could get into music in any language other than English, I urge you to give Anabase's Le Bonheur Flou a try.

Ten and Tracer’s Tsotsitaal – hurry and jump on the very slow bandwagon

Ambient music is one of those things that people either hate or really hate, and I used to be in both those groups until an ambient-loving friend of mine sat me down to set me straight. "You don't have to have songs shoved down your throat," he said. "Just close your eyes and float, and you'll find that music is all around you." At the time I rolled my eyes at the tree-hugginess of it all, but really I do take his point.

Jan Felipe “Abril” – indietronica with a truly international flavour

One of the things I really love about Creative Commons music is the potential to connect directly with artists. It helps increase my enjoyment of the music, knowing a little about what these musicians are like and understanding their drive to create. Often they contact me via last.fm after seeing their albums in my library, and the conversation develops from there. Sometimes, as in the case of Brazilian songwriter Jan Felipe, it can lead to some very interesting things.

Revolution Void “Increase the Dosage” – free energetic nu-jazz and trip-hop album

Proving that music never truly died in the region, after its heyday in the early 1990s, Seattle native Jonah Dempcy’s project Revolution Void reached a funkified zenith after 8 years in existence with its 2004 release Increase The Dosage. The energetic nu-jazz and trip-hop blending in the album actually harkens back to jazz fusion groups of the 70s and 80s, like Weather Report or Chick Corea’s Return to Forever.