Doesn’t look much like a deep house maverick, does it? Something about Walter Jones, the guy, and the hauntingly perfect single he’s just released, I’ll Keep On Loving You, doesn’t seem to add up.
The ho-hum, could-be-your-postman name. The hometown (New Orleans — not exactly a dance music mecca). The fact Jones has been making music [...]

Usually when I think of summer jams, I think big and bold and bright. I think of swooping Beach Boys harmonies or “Heat Wave”-y romps or, ya know, Summer Jam. I’ve noticed recently, though, the ease of which I’ve stockpiled a bunch of scratchy new lo-fi summer favorites. I know “lo-fi” is a bit of [...]

I was listening to this Turkish psych comp on the subway this morning (like ya do), thinking about recent obsessions (the comp is called Obsession) and how I’d fallen woefully out of the loop these past few weeks away from the eMusic hivemind. I’d been spending most of my downtime doing crosswords, eating exotic/borderline gross [...]

Well it’s a bit misleading to say “first” — I’ve been listening on and off to the promo of the newest Junior Boys LP for a month or so. But it’s still with a set of fresh ears that I try to form an opinion of this very clean, very understated, mostly unassuming record.
First of [...]

Collectively, we love the Golden Silvers, a young UK band, about as much as someone possibly could. Their debut will be arriving April 27th, and though we have yet to hear it in full, we are certain it will be stupendous. We nearly had these guys for eMusic Selects back in October (just to show [...]

As some of you know, we’ve had a Twitter account running for a few months now. However, now that Alex has taken over the majority of posting duties (from a too-silent me), this should be good. Follow us here: http://twitter.com/17dots.

We’ve been very quiet today, mainly because we are doing some heavy prep for a very big day tomorrow, across all sites. A certain jazz motherlode — a motherlode so big I don’t even think we will be able to get it all up in one day! — as well as new records from Ladyhawke, [...]

There have been a few of you who’ve said you’d like to come out tonight, so here are all the details.
When: TONIGHT. From 6.00pm.
Where: The Northumberland Arms, on the south west corner of Goodge Street and Charlotte Street, London, W1T. It isn’t a very big pub, so we should be easy to find once inside.
Who: [...]

Towards the end of November our friends in New York held a little shindig where 17 Dots posters met 17 Dots commentators. So now I’m proposing we do the same over here. I can’t promise you James May or Oz Clarke (sorry, I just wanted to put some really English celebrities in the picture i.e. [...]

Over the last weeks we’ve had a few singles land from bands fronted by young women who are just starting to generate a buzz. Here’s a quick round up:
Zoey Van Goey Sweethearts In Disguise – My personal pick. Zoey Van Goey are from Glasgow and play glockenspiel-augmented indie pop, but don’t paint them as [...]

I love the Mercury Prize. I admit that the bands I want to win never do win (I’m so sorry British Sea Power, it’s all over for you now.) But the Mercury seems to be one of the very few awards that actually gets people talking about music, as opposed to sales figures or party [...]

Twice over the course of the last week I had the opportunity to witness one of my favorite bands, the National, as they transitioned from small clubs to big stages. The group had the unenviable show-opening, 7pm “crack-of-dawn” slot on the REM tour (Modest Mouse was sandwiched in between). Watching the band handily upscale and [...]

I have not been able to stop playing The Presets latest album Apocalypso since it was released last month. Not since The National’s Boxer has an album received this much of my constant attention. Everything I like about 80’s, Industrial, Synthpop, Dance n whatnot is wrapped up in this tight lil [...]

Earlier this week the musical talents of Agyness Deyn were unleashed upon the world and, outside of the fashion press, no one batted an eyelid. That’s what someone should have told Agyness collaborators the Five O’Clock Heroes: you can bring a model to the recording studio, but you can’t make them listen to her sing. [...]

Eighteen years ago today 2 Live Crew’s album ‘As Nasty As They Want To Be’ was banned in their home state of Florida on grounds of obscenity. Following a ruling from Judge Jose Gonzalez, selling the album, released the previous year, was declared illegal. The ruling was overturned by the United States Court of [...]

In these days of digital downloads and industry turmoil it is so easy to feel disconnected emotionally from the hype and release of any body of recorded music. So imagine my surprise and delight when I was sent into a fanatic FURY upon noticing what had been tagged in two normally unexciting fields of [...]

So, we’re gonna stay cryptic for now, but tomorrow is going to be a big day for all US subscribers. (Sorry non-Americans!) We won’t give away too much, but there is a clue somewhere on the New on eMusic page. Check back tomorrow for the goods!

Sad songs don’t need to be about romantic love. Glasvegas’ ‘Daddy’s Gone’ squeezes the throat, pricks your eyes and gives a small downwards tug to your heart, but it hymns an absent father rather than a lost girlfriend.
This single from the Scottish four-piece arrived on eMusic yesterday and, if you can, you should really [...]

It isn’t often a major band and their record company decide not to tell anybody about a forthcoming album until a week before it’s due to be released, so I was surprised to say the least when one of eMusic’s bigger labels informed me that was exactly what they’d done. Have I heard it? No, [...]

I’m a little bit in love with Moshi Moshi right now. They’re having such a good run of singles by emerging artists, someone should send their A&R flowers and chocolates. I’ve already raved about Elle S’Appelle on 17 Dots, but now it’s Lykke Li’s turn.
Lykke is a Swedish artist, somewhat in the vein of Robyn [...]