In order of preference, four albums from the mailbag:

HOTEL EDEN-“A Way Back Home” (EP)

The best thing about Hotel Eden’s debut EP, “A Way Back Home” is that it doesn’t really sound like anything else out there right now.  It’s a crisp meld of pop electronica and “real” instruments, like crispy piano’s on “The Take-Home,” with pitch-perfect pop vocals.  The songs are instantly familiar and intimate without being trite or cliché.  This is one of the best EPs I’ve heard so far this year, and should be quickly added to your collection.  You won’t regret it.  On Solar Set records.

For fans of: The Stars, A.C. Newman, Peter, Bjorn & John, Feist.

The Take Home

SIX RED CARPETS-”Nightmares + Lullabies”

Six Red Carpets‘ debut album, which you can download absolutely free right here,is a cross between Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins.  And yes, you should find that very intriguing.  I definitely recomment that you get the whole album! (follow the link)

IN CADEO-”Making Our Graves”

In Cadeo are offering 4 out of the 5 songs on their new album, Making Our Graves, for free at their website.  Why should you care?  Because this Brooklyn-based foursome sent me those 4 songs, and I dug ‘em enough to write ‘em up without a full album review.  That’s something I almost never do.

NATSTAR

Natstar is offering his humbly titled I Am Legend mixtape for free.  It’s not bad, and you sure can’t beat the price.  Click here for a direct link for the album.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST . . .

I’m giving a shout out to one of my favorite directors, Sam Raimi, who scored bigtime with one of the best horror films of the past 10 years.  Go see “Drag Me To Hell.”  Even if you’re not a fan of the genre, you will enjoy his deft camera work and non-CGI fx (as well as the CGI ones, of course).  Only Raimi could make the tired gypsy curse theme fresh and innovative.  And scary!  It was very reminiscent of his great work in Evil Dead 1 and 2.  My only complaint: Where was the cameo from Bruce Campbell???

AND STILL ANOTHER LAST . . .

Cover Me has a collection of Pixies covers–the entire album, “Doolittle,” covered.  I was never a huge Pixies fan, but it’s cool to hear this blogger’s great work . . .

Tags: Horror, Movies