The Music Minute

Hidden Ghost Balloon Ship is a frightening and adventurous side project of Trevor Naud and Little Tommy Daniels (aka LTD). These two have created a dreamstate like sound that slowly creeps along the line between nightmare and fantasy. Their sound is dark yet the whispered vocals that Trevor supplies are enticing. LTD supplies the backbone and shows that he can quickly shift from aggressive pounding to a gentle electronic haze. Detroit's Romantic Air is currently giving away the album digitally for free, but preface it by saying that it is for a limited time so grab it today.

Borrowing their name from James Joyce, Kinch is a Phoenix band that made a lot lists with last years Advances. Their sound is a little roots rock and a little piano pop, but the magic lays in there melodies. Now they are set to return with the follow-up ep The Economic Chastisement next month. The are heading out on a brief tour with Dear and The Headlights before arriving at SXSW.

Listen to: The Economic Chastisement (mp3)

Ohio's Like Bells plays mostly instrumental music. It's a genre that is consistently growing and expanding their role in the music scene. With Gabe Baker on guitar, Garret Openshaw on Violin, and Will Mason on drums, this trio lays down a consistent groove. Signing to Cleveland's Exit Stencil Records back in December, their self-titled album will be released in May.

Listen to: Atlas (mp3)

Omaha's Electric Needle Room has been compared to the legendary They Might Be Giants, and with good reason. Drawing influence from Sufjan Stevens, they just release and album filled with upbeat folk tunes called Safe, Effective and Fun. Released on Series Two Records in an edition of 300 copies, this album is a study in pop through the eyes of Matt Beat, Steven Beat, Bryan Poole, and Daniel Lewis Diedrich. It's a light romp that just might make you smile.

Listen to: If You're Happy, I'm Happy (mp3)

New York's Hi Red Center is the most recent signing to Indiana's Joyful Noise Recordings, and I couldn't think of a better label for this band. There sound is pure joy, filling each track uplifting melodies and lyrics. Their second album "Assemble" hits streets on Feb 10, and that is the same night that they will be here in Chicago at the Empty Bottle. Visit their myspace page for the full listing of shows.

Listen to: Symmetry Chameleon (mp3)

Hockey is no longer Portland's hidden secret, but they are offering up a new track from their forthcoming debut album, Mind Chaos (Virgin Records, June 2009). This track is one of the funkier tracks on the album, and I'm sure it will make you move. They are headed around the UK this month and the hype is only going to continue to build.

Listen to: 3am Spanish (mp3)

The idea of genuine pop music is much more complex then the music itself, but Norwegian band I Was a King is taking pop back to an era when it was all simpler. Grabbing strong influence from '60's, this group really pulls their sound from '90's indie rock. Their 2007 debut caught the attention of new fans and media alike, but most of all they found an audience with fellow musicians. Their new album "I Was a King" (The Control Group, April 2009) features collaborations from Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh ), Sufjan Stevens, Daniel Smith (Danielson) and Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor) . The album was recorded at Marlborough Farms (Brooklyn, NY) and mixed by Nick Terry (Primal Scream, The Libertines, Klaxons ).

Listen to: Norman Bleik (mp3)

For the past ten years hoards of people have been making their way to Coachella Music Festival, and this year they have complied one of the most impressive line-ups I've seen in a long time. As tickets went on sale last week, the line-up for this festival taking place April 17-19 already included names like Morrissey, My Bloody Valentine, Paul McCartney, The Cure, Leonard Cohen, Calexico, and many many more. This marks the first ever U.S. festival appearance for McCartney who is currently supporting his latest release Electric Arguments. You can see the entire line-up here.