Finding new music for the WOTT podcasts is never an easy task but I recently noticed that Bandcamp has integrated a tiny bit of tagging to their service that allows you to search by region. So, I fired up the Nashville and Murfreesboro tags in search of new and undiscovered gems. I’m not saying all of these things are headed for a future podcast but it’s always interesting to hear a diverse bit of musical offerings from our fair town. Here are a few of my findings…

• Ramus – Machines Are Good – post-rock instrumental hard rock / metal onslaught. A genre that, as far as I’m concerned, is a Nashville rarity.
• Lawrence Crow – 1/f – abstract, ethereal, experimental electronic music. Maybe not something you’d jam out to in your car with the sunroof down but it creates a nice wall-of-sound aural setting at times.
• And The Relatives – Below and Above – apparently ATR has released a smattering of b-sides; all worth snagging.
• Yoseph y la Zilla! – Machine – a bit of electronic bedroom pop.. misfires a few places (autotune should be banned) but a fresh switch up.
• Whales – Departure – four song EP of big riff / wall-of-sound / shoegaze rock.

There’s a lot to wade through but I recommend giving it a spin and seeing what you come up with.

Awhile back I did a little bitching and moaning about the lack of Internet presence from Hands Off Cuba. I’d been told that their new album, From Arrival to Survival, was a fine piece of work but I couldn’t actually investigate anything further than that. Being an avid Internet nerd, this was frustrating. I even threw down the gauntlet to the band – if they really wanted a site, I’d make it for them. Well, turns out they wanted a site!

I ran into principle member Ryan Norris one night and discussed my little rant and he agreed; it was appropriate for the band to be online beyond a Myspace page. Now, a few weeks later, we’ve launched the first iteration of HandsOffCubaMusic.com; there’s more slated for the site at a later date but this is great deal more than what was already out there, so it’s a huge step forward.

Long story short, visit the bands site and be sure to snag the two free tracks from the new album.. you won’t be able to resist getting the entire thing after hearing them.