1. LEMON SUN – WANNA HAVE YOU
Coming out growling like THE STONES’ “Bitch”, Los Angeles’ LEMON SUN have just completed a full-length with Dave Schiffman that’s a thrilling ride. A five-piece with dueling guitars and a classic frontman, a la Mick/Robert/Roger. Management: Larry Little. Legal: Michelle Jubelirer. NEEDS: Booking.
LEMON SUN – NEW ALBUM TBD – UNSIGNED
2. THE ETTES – CROWN OF AGE
Los Angeles’ THE ETTES went from unsigned to snapped up since arrival of this amazing CD by Take Root Records, with the North American CD release date on September 9th. Recorded at the famed Toerag Studios, ‘Look At Life Again’ will appeal to any fan of THE KILLS or THE DUKE SPIRIT.
Management: John O’Malley. NEEDS: Booking. Legal.
THE ETTES – LOOK AT LIFE AGAIN SOON – TAKE ROOT RECORDS
3. MAGIC WANDS – BLACK MAGIC
The Nashville duo, MAGIC WANDS, are still performing tricks to gain attention in the homeland, but the Brits are already taken by their strange magic. Booked for Glastonbury and Wireless Festivals, this track’s appeal doesn’t take a crystal ball to figure out.
Management: Simon Bobbett. Booking: Russell Warby/Dave Kaplan. ASCAP.
MAGIC WANDS – DEMOS – UNSIGNED
4. CREATURE – BRIGITTE BARDOT
Mere teenagers from Canada, CREATURE scared up plenty of attention at SXSW and are at work building a monster. ‘Brigitte Bardot’ goes from TOM TOM CLUB to NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB to flashes of SLY & THE FAMILY STONE. A party track with more curves than Brigitte Bardot.
Management: Gourmet Délice, Bonsound. NEEDS:
CREATURE – DEMOS – UNSIGNED
5. THE BLOOMS – WHITE WALLS
Some of the most exciting new music springs up from the strangest places, case in point with THE BLOOMS from Tulsa, Oklahoma. You’d swear they channel directly from Freddie and Brian with this QUEEN-tastic track. Legal: Dave & Steve Bird. BMI. NEEDS: Management, booking.
THE BLOOMS – DEMOS – UNSIGNED
6. CHRISTOPHER DENNY – TIME
Step back into time, our music icons all possessed undeniable talent, whether it was Ray Charles or Johnny Cash. No hiding behind fashion or pro tools. CHRISTOPHER DENNY and his band, the OLD SOLES, are as Arkansas as Arkansas can be & Denny contains a voice that comes along once in 30 years, and could be the long-lost love child of Patsy Cline & Roy Orbison.
Booking: Jonathan Adelman, Paradigm. Legal: Reed Hunter.
CHRISTOPHER DENNY & THE OLD SOLES – AGE OLD HUNGER – 2:59 RECORDS
7. MY PET SADDLE – IL FAIT BEAU
Sounding like DYLAN’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ era, Fullerton, California’s MY PET SADDLE provide us with a full-on jamboree in ‘Ill Fait Beau’. Live they are reckless drivers, swerving and falling all over the place in true bohemian glory, minus the patchouli but plenty of funk.
NEEDS: Management, legal, booking. No PRO.
MY PET SADDLE – EP – UNSIGNED
8. PORT O’BRIEN – I WOKE UP TODAY
Oakland’s PORT O’BRIEN maybe sitting by the dock in the Bay area, but their ship has already launched in the UK/Europe (City Slang) and in Australia/NZ (Dew Process). They’ve toured with Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes, Rogue Wave, and Nada Surf, and need a deal at home. They have the fire and conviction of THE ARCADE FIRE, and are confirmed for the Monolith Festival. Manager: Chrisian Stavros/Bryna Gootkind. Booking: Jackie Nalpant, Paradigm. Rob Challice, CODA, UK. Legal: Brian McPhereson. BMI
PORT O’BRIEN – ALL WE COULD DO WAS SING – UNSIGNED IN US
9. THE YELLING – BLOOD ON THE STEPS
Turn this one up to piss off your parents. Los Angeles act, THE YELLING are new on the scene but quickly getting interest. The banshee like vocals from Nathanal Cox recall ROBERT PLANT, and the guitar work of Robert Davis is one stop off from commanding. This band screams ENORMOUS potential.
Manager: Mike Soens. NEEDS: Booking.
THE YELLING – DEMOS – UNSIGNED
10. THE MUSLIMS – BRIGHT SIDE
San Diego’s THE MUSLIMS bring that kind of garage rock sound that we generally reserve for THE STROKES to the party. Every track on this self-released disc could’ve been selected to make the playlist this month, and this one should bare warning that another Casablancas sounding frontman could have a hit with a song about a “Brightside”.
THE MUSLIMS – THE MUSLIMS – UNSIGNED
11. THE MORNING BENDERS – WAITING FOR A WAR
They say nice guys finish last, but the exception comes from Oakland’s THE MORNING BENDERS are off to a quick and fortunate start, doing the full NA tour with THE KOOKS and signing to +1 Music. Compared often to THE SHINS and THE LITTLE ONES, live it’s all about the charm of frontman Chris Chu.
Management: Jonny Kaps/Simon Bentley. Booking: Heather Kolker, Paradigm.
THE MORNING BENDERS – TALKING THROUGH A TIN CAN - +1 RECORDS
12. THE BOTTICELLIS – THE REVIEWER
THE BOTTICELLIS are the surf/pop wing of the SEA IN THE SAND collective, which also includes the Raga-Psych project Cotillion and folk duo Kuma/Koshka. One part San Francisco hippie, one part pure power pop, fans of BIG STAR should review the debut LP, Old Home Movies. Highly recommended. Booking: Chris Faville, Mongrel. Legal: Paul Sommerstein. SEASAC. NEEDS: Management.
THE BOTTICELLIS – OLD HOME MOVIES – ANTENNA FARM RECORDS
13. THE ROSEWOOD THIEVES – SILVER GUN
New York’s THE ROSEWOOD THIEVES made their first strike on TVT Records, but now have dusted off and moved on without a label with a string of new songs that will steal your hearts. ‘Silver Gun’ has a JOHN LENNON familiarity to it and they back it up with a captivating live show worth catching.
Legal: Ted Harris. BMI. NEEDS: Booking, management
THE ROSEWOOD THIEVES – NEW SONGS – UNSIGNED
14. THE MUMLERS – SHAKE THAT MEDICATION
Nope, this track isn’t a JIMMY SMITH track or from 1964, it’s live and alive in 2008 by a 19-year-old white kid from San Jose named Will Sprout. Part New Orleans groove, part STAX, THE MUMLERS blend BOOKER T with LITTLE BARRIE. Again, great music bubbles up from unique places.
Legal: A-Train Entertainment. BMI. NEEDS: Booking, management.
THE MUMLERS – THICKETS & STICHES – GALAXIA RECORDS
15. SOCIETY OF ROCKETS – TIME
SOCIETY OF ROCKETS, the San Francisco psychedelic band closes out the disc with a page out of the AL GREEN’s songbook with ‘Time’. Releasing “Our Paths Related” on vinyl on their own vanity label, the album includes everything from way-out guitars to groovy horns. This track was made for a sunny Sunday afternoon, a Frisbee and some BBQ.
ASCAP. NEEDS: Management, booking.
SOCIETY OF ROCKETS – OUR PATHS RELATED – UNDERPOP RECORDS.
THE MOST GORGEOUS SONG OF THE YEAR: FLEET FOXES – OLIVER JAMES
OTHER ARTISTS TO WATCH:
BLONDE ACID CULT – Track: KICK THE FUNK
The cult started in New York City that have taken the Manchester-STONE ROSES and made it their own “Madhatten” sound. One of the strongest demo cd’s I’ve been sent in some time, I’m drinking the cool-aide. Unsigned
GERONIMO – Track: JUST LIKE WATER
Indie rock this good from Saskatchewan, Canada? Since discovering them at SXSW, this one’s been in constant rotation. Unsigned
ELECTRIC TOUCH – Track: DON’T BE AFRAID
Young band from Austin, Texas wrangles up a singer from the UK and sounds like THE LIBERTINES with hits. Coachella, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Justice Records
MONTE NEGRO – Track: ME DEUELE NO ESTAR JUNTO A TI
Los Angeles via Mexico, seeing them was like witnessing a band in Felini's 'La Dolce Vita', or the international-ness of Duran Duran's 'Rio'. Epic Records
BIRDS & BATTERIES – Track: AFTER THE FLOOD
A five piece that reminds me of classic THE BAND. This is an album so gorgeous I find myself playing it over and over again because it lulls you into magic. Unsigned
GRAVEYARD – Track: LOST IN CONFUSION
Sweden's WOLFMOTHER, just close your eyes and it's ZEPPELIN - a voice from another time. TeePee Records
THE GRIZZLY OWLS – Track: WHAT’S A GIRL TO DO?
From Bakersfield, CA, THE GRIZZLY OWLS are the husband and wife team of Jenny and Joseph Andreotti that have self-released the disc, 'By Night On My Bed' that is a pure delight. Unsigned
HONEY CLAWS – Track: SHOUT OUT
This collective from Austin, Texas take the hipster-hop of COOL KIDS and drop 808-style bombs. One moment indie, the next electronic rock, but hip hop through and through. Unsigned
ALSO BUZZING:
Flash Lightnin’, White Lies, Girls, The Hands, Abigail Warchild, Fake Shark – Real Zombie, Amazing Baby, The Brute Chorus, Chairlift, Dukes of Daville, He Say, She Say, Heartsrevolution, Erin McCarley, Let’s Go To War, Mostly Bears, Chikita Violenta, Florence & The Machine, The Ironweed Project, Rebekah Higgs, Django James & The Midnight Squires, Duchess of York, Civil Twilight, Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons, Grand Archives, Red Wire Black Wire, Born In The Flood, Friska Viljor, The Airlines, Crayonsmith, The Frontier Brothers, Wallpaper, Sebastian Grainger & The Mountains, Social Studies, Snake & Jet’s Amazing Bullit Band, Wintersleep, Pistol Pistol, Dignan, Princeton, Hockey, The Pity Party, Gringo Star, The King Left, Titus Andronicus.
**** Please remember to buy music when you can or go out and see these acts live.Labels: Christopher Denny and the Old Soles, lemon sun, Magic Wands, My Pet Saddle, Port O'Brien, The Ettes, The Muslims, The Yelling
Get out to Pianos tomorrow between noon and 6pm for the annual Skewer Party at CMJ. 
If you got a taste of INTRICATE MACHINES live on our Future Sounds radio show four weeks ago, then you'll have some idea what you're in store for tonight at the Silverlake Lounge.
Future Sounds is joining forces with The Planetary Group again for the Annual Skewer CMJ Party this year in New York on October 24th at PIANOS from 12:30pm to 6pm.
Sometimes I get nervous when I fall for a band from another town that I haven't seen live, but over time I build them up in my mind pretty large and many times, my expectations come crashing down. Last night was the ideal scenario, you wait for a band to play your town, they come, they own it. 
One of my favorite young bands around, San Diego's THE MUSLIMS are in town tonight in support of MODEY LEMON (Birdman) at The Echo this evening.
