Ludo

I was literally in the middle of a post about Belle & Sebastian (coming soon) when I went to a concert, fell in love, bought all their albums and decided to post about this group instead. They even beat out the parts of the brain song for my ring tone!!! Who is this new artist???

LUDO!

Ludo, named after the character from Pan's Labyrinth, formed in 2003. They are based out of St. Louis, MO. They have released one EP, "Broken Bride (2005)", and two albums, "Ludo (2004)" and "You're Aweful, I Love You ( 2007)." The last Album came after signing with Island Records in 2006. They are currently on the Uncle Fester tour with House of Heroes, This Providence, and Relient K.

They are categorized as rock.pop.alternative, but I really hate trying to guess what genre a band is. They are reminescent of New Found Glory and Trapt, but there are a couple of things that set them apart for me. Their lyrics are incredibly witty. Listening to them makes the nerd in everyone come out. They have one song, for example, called "Part I The Broken Bride" that is about time travel, dinosaurs, and love. Who can dislike a song about that??? Also, their live performance - be prepared for a bold statement - is the best live performance I have ever seen. They were funny, had a great sound, and really engaged the audience. They came out afterwards to meet the fans and sign autographs, which I know isn't uncommon for a band this new, but impressed me nonetheless. There is nothing ground shaking about their sound, but they are good for a band so young.

I also wanted to explain their EP "Broken Bride" a little bit. This EP is a rock opera. It is about a man who loses his wife in a car crash and spends the next 15 years of his life building a time machine to get back to that morning. In his travels, he encounters zombies, dinosaurs, and dragons. I know a lot of people won't like it because it is a bit sci fi, but I thought it was brilliant. A rock opera about a guy so much in love he would go to the beginning and end of time to see his wife one more time? What is not to love??? The other albums are not rock operas... just in case you were worried ;)

After doing some research, it looks like people either hate or love them. It also looks like it correlates to whether you have seen them live or not. Maybe watching their video will help? Also, you can find them on myspace.

Favorite Song: Good Will Hunting By Myself
Favorite Album : You're Aweful, I Love You

Also, if you don't mind, after you read and listen, drop a line to give your first impression. That way, everyone who reads after you can get more than my impression! Hope you like them!

Mirah

I was first introduced to Mirah in Tracks in Bloomington. I was searching through used and discarded cds when I heard some of the oddest sounds I had ever heard on a cd. I asked the guy at the register and he showed me to her cd's and told me she had performed in Bloomington that summer. I am so sad I wasn't there for that concert. I immediately went home and bought 2 other albums.

Mirah is from Philadelphia and published her first album when she was 23. She signed to K records two years later. She has several albums out, the latest being Share This Place: Stories and Observations with Spectraton International.

Her voice changes with her mood. She treats it like an instrument, singing low in an almost whisper, then changing to a light jazz feel in the very next track. She has done a lot of work with the Phil Evrum and the Black Cat Orchestra, making every song's background unique. With such versatility, you never get bored as you listen to her albums. Her lyrics are clever and almost harsh.

I want to say a little bit about Share This Place because it is such a different album. This was my first experience with Mirah and I was not sure how to take it. Every track revolves around the life of a different insect and sings mostly from their prospective. At first, the lyrics seemed earthy and meaningless, but once I realized she was singing as a beetle, for example, I was incredibly impressed. Her whole album urges the listener to notice life, even in its smallest form, and coexist. I thought it was a very clever way to get her message across.

Overall I give her a 9 out of 10. She became one of my favorite artists the day I heard her in Tracks and I really think you will like her too.

You can find out more about her on myspace. If you like her, try Imogen Heap, Frou Frou, and Feist.

Favorite Track: The Garden
Favorite Album: Advisory Committee

Acceptance

So, unfortunately, Acceptance had broken up before I had ever even heard them, but not before releasing one album and three EPs!!! They got together in 98, started circulating music in 2002, and after releasing Phantoms in 2005, announced the break up in 2006 when the lead singer decided to "take on the yoke of a common man."

As for their music, I would classify them as something like alternative rock, though they are dangerously close to pop. For me, they lay somewhere between RUFiO and The All-American Rejects. Their lyrics are not the the introspective heart clinchers that I love, but the sound is pretty good. The lead singer has a great quality to his voice, and the songs are catchy and very easy to like. While most bands have to grow on me, I liked them literally from the first time I heard them. It is the type of music you play in your car when you want something upbeat to rock out with. Overall, I would give them a 6.5/10. (anything over 5 is worth trying out in my book)

If you want to give them a try, I would start with "Take Cover" or "The Letter" from Phantoms. "Hold On" from Black Lines to Battlefields is my favorite.

They can be found on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/acceptance along with some of their music.