This Day In Blog

Keep an eye/ear out for IDA MARIA. This ultra-cool "Norwegian force of nature" (I don't know who said that) is coming to the US - next week at SXSW, Coachella in April, and here in D.C. at the Black Cat on March 26th.

I saw Ida Maria at a small show two years ago during CMJ. I went in with no knowledge of her whatsoever, and became a fan within the space of just a few songs. Born and raised in Norwegian territory of the Arctic Circle, she's cool in the literal sense of the word and all others. Yeah, you could make some Bjork comparisons in her origins and dark-haired beauty, but she's more of a rocker, and has a more earth-bound attitude. And I loved the way she wrote her set list on her forearm with a sharpie.

Her first single, "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked," has already been a Top 15 hit #13 in the U.K. I've been hearing it/liking it muchly on KCRW. Another track, "Oh My God" is being used in “Gossip Girl” promos this season. (But we'll excuse that.) The album, Fortress Round My Heart, is set for a March 24th digital release in America.

Here are two neat facts pulled from the 24-year old Ida (pronounced ee-dah)'s press pitch:
1) She grew up in Nesna, Norway, a university town of fewer than 2000 people north of the 66th latitude.
2) She has a benign variant of synaesthesia, a rare condition in which perception in one sense mode arouses imagery from another, so that one can see sounds or hear colors, for example.(My dear Emma has that, too, which makes her a monster at Sudoko.)

Audio of "I Like You... and other goodies are available at her myspace site.

I have a few more freebies, courtesy of the nice people at IODA Promonet, who give me permission to share mp3s here on the CPF blog.

BLUE GIANT is a project started by the male/female duo who make up Viva Voce (I saw them open for The Shins and wasn't too impressed; they sounded like White Stripes wannabes) and features members of The Decemberists and Swords. The group’s new EP offers six tracks, one of which is a duet with Sleater Kinney’s Corin Tucker.
Blue Giant
"Target Heart" (mp3)
"Blue Sunshine" (mp3)
(Amore!Phonics)

Buy at Amore!Phonics - buy direct from the artist.


And here's a trio of tasty blues tracks from Burnside Records, who released the first Kelly Joe Phelps full length back in 1994 and have offered a few tracks to promote that the new version of the CD adds two previously unreleased songs from the original masters.

"I've Been Converted" (mp3)


"Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" (mp3)

"Lead Me On" (mp3)
Buy at iTunes Music Store

Thanks, and you're welcome!