Cool Music Central

2012's Next "Big" Things: The search is on...

2012-01-22T21:00:00.000+02:00

The hottest topic of discussion among music fans around this time of the year is usually which new bands have what it takes to become the next "big" things in the year ahead. Taking motivation from the many lists out there, we've done our research and we've come up with the following shortlist of five new bands that fit the profile of what we'd like to listen to more in 2012. Let's have a

1989: Top 50 Singles

2012-01-15T19:02:00.001+02:00

And with this post our '80s Singles project comes to an end. Since last March, we've been posting monthly the playlists of our 50 favorite singles of the year from 1980 onwards and now we're finally standing at the doorstep of the '90s as we unveil our 1989 Top 50 Singles list which is topped by "Monkey Gone To Heaven", one of Pixies finest moments. The environmentally conscious track was

The Big Pink in Session: The Future is coming

2012-01-14T19:15:00.002+02:00

I hope you've enjoyed our 2011's Top Singles playlist (already our most popular post in the blog's 4 year history), time now to start looking for 2012's cool jams. One of this year's most anticipated new releases is coming out this week and the latest installment of the 4AD Sessions series is giving us the chance to get a first taste of what to expect. London electro-rockers The Big Pink,

Top 100 Singles of 2011

2012-01-01T22:30:00.000+02:00

Happy New Year from Cool Music Central! We're starting 2012 with the ultimate 2011 playlist containing no less than 100 excellent singles or EPs from the past 12 months. The first half of our selection which makes up our official Top 50 Singles of 2011 list, has a ranking order and the rule of including just one single from each artist or group for a more varied and hopefully more

Top 60 Albums of 2011 (1 to 30)

2011-12-24T19:30:00.000+02:00

Merry Xmas from Cool Music Central! In a slight break from tradition, this year we are presenting our year-end Best Albums list in our festive Christmas edition and we're keeping our favorite tracks of the year for the first post of the New Year. To describe the year's music in just one sentence, I'll just repeat what I was saying back in October: in 2011 the girls had all the best tunes!

Top 60 Albums of 2011 (31 to 60)

2011-12-21T13:00:00.000+02:00

C.M.C.'s "Albums of the Year" week continues with the first part of our Top 60 Albums of 2011 list. Check out below the albums from 31 to 60 plus some of those that came close but didn't make the cut, then come back on the Christmas weekend for the main course - our 30 favorites of the year. Keep in mind that this list is actually a snapshot of an ongoing process. You'll get an idea of what

Top 10 Debuts of 2011

2011-12-18T15:10:00.000+02:00

Cool Music Central's "Albums of the Year" week starts here! The first installment, as usual, is dedicated to the best debuts of the year and between Wednesday and Saturday we'll unveil our Top 60 Albums of 2011 in two parts. So let's start our year-end list-fest by giving props to the emerging new artists who offered us the most impressive debuts of 2011. For this Top 10 the focus is on

Listening Habbits 11-12.11

2011-12-11T14:19:00.001+02:00

Just before we start unveiling our year-end lists for 2011 (debuts, singles and albums), let’s take a closer look at some of the best records we’ve listened to in the last couple of months. Regular Cool Music Central visitors will not be surprised to find The Fall’s latest LP (their 29th to be exact) at the top of our album pile. Consistency and the uncompromising rock'n'roll vision of Mark

2011 AD

2011-12-07T14:26:00.001+02:00

I think 2011 has been quite a good year for 4AD. Listen in the widget below a track from each artist who released a record on 4AD this year (hint: at least 3 of these albums will be in our Top 30 of the year): Link And while on the subject of 4AD releases, here's a brand new track from Mark Lanegan Band's forthcoming album "Blues Funeral". The album, Lanegan's first solo release since

New Releases: November 2011

2011-12-03T16:07:00.001+02:00

With so many year-end lists around perhaps I should be starting this first December post by wishing you all a happy New Year! Yes, there is a first draft of our very own "best of the year" list somewhere in My Documents, but before finalizing anything, let's take a look at some of the latest interesting new releases and keep in mind that although December's release schedule is littered with

Found Sound 4 with Wise Lines, Alejandra O'Leary, The Cymatics, peopling, LAw, King Kong Company

2011-11-27T18:58:00.001+02:00

In the fourth installment of Found Sound, the series of posts where we introduce our latest discoveries from emerging artists, we have put together an eclectic mix of synth and indie pop, garage and noise rock, electronica and '90s style big beat. Let’s start with something close to home: Wise Lines - Towards The Sun <p>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://wiselines.bandcamp.com/album/

1988: Top 50 Singles

2011-11-25T01:37:00.001+02:00

I don't like to dwell on the past too much but if I had to choose my favorite year for music, I'd go with 1988 without much hesitation. This was the year Sonic Youth gave us "Daydream Nation", their masterpiece and one of the finest guitar rock albums of all time, Pixies left us stunned with their powerful full-length debut "Surfer Rosa", The Sugarcubes came out of Iceland's glaciers with

EMA, Monovine, live @ Bios (Athens, November 19, 2011)

2011-11-20T20:40:00.000+02:00

Charmed beyond words but, hell, I’ll give it a try anyway. Let’s take things from the beginning. I am sure glad that the time machine has not been invented yet. Just imagine how many millions of rock fans would love to take a trip to Seattle circa 1989 - 1990 to be at one of Nirvana’s early gigs. And imagine what that would have done to the brilliant but fragile mind of Kurt Cobain. The guy

Keep Shelly In Athens vs. Soft Metals

2011-11-12T15:20:00.001+02:00

This might have been The Fall Week here in Cool Music Central but that doesn't mean we've stopped listening to new music. Actually, a recent visit to my local record shop not only resulted in the enrichment my record collection with a couple of new vinyl gems, but it has also changed the soundtrack of my weekend to something a bit more electronic, laid-back and sexy. Hit the play button

Fall Week: Shift-Work

2011-11-11T17:38:00.001+02:00

On Monday we’re expecting the release of The Fall’s 29th LP "Ersatz GB", in the mean time here’s another highlight from their awe-inspiring 35-year career: "Shift-Work", the band’s 14th studio album, was released on April 1991 and in our assessment of that year’s best releases, it was second only to Nirvana’s "Nevermind". It was the second of three albums that the band released on a major

She's Beyond Good And Evil

2011-11-09T23:25:00.001+02:00

Could someone, please, convince this woman to record a covers album as soon as possible? After blowing our minds earlier this year with her stunning reinterpretation of Big Black, St. Vincent has started covering The Pop Group's "She's Beyond Good And Evil" in her recent concerts. Check out below her amazing performance of the track on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: St. Vincent - She's

Fall Week: Bend Sinister

2011-11-09T01:43:00.002+02:00

Next up in our Fall Week a tip of the hat to The Fall's tenth studio album, "Bend Sinister", released September 29, 1986 on Beggars Banquet. Its 25th anniversary this year didn't receive the same kind of attention that "The Queen is Dead" got, although it is, without a doubt, a record just as important for '80s British rock music. Then again, what Fall record from that period was anything

Fall Week: Lie Dream of a Casino Soul

2011-11-07T20:44:00.000+02:00

The latest single by The Fall (number 47 by this count) was released digitally and on limited 7" edition today (get them here). "Laptop Dog" is the first taste from "Ersatz GB", the legendary band's 29th studio LP, which comes out on Cherry Red next Monday and this gives me the perfect opportunity to make this the unofficial Fall Week and celebrate just a few of way too many great moments in

New Releases: October 2011

2011-11-03T00:00:00.000+02:00

A look at October's most interesting new album and single releases: Albums HIGH PLACES - Original Colors SUMMER CAMP - Welcome to Condale REAL ESTATE - Days SPECTRALS - Bad Penny STILL CORNERS - Creatures of an Hour THE BATS - Free All the Monsters M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming XENO & OAKLANDER - Sets and Lights JANE'S ADDICTION - The Great Escape Artist BJÖRK - Biophilia MY BRIGHTEST

1987: Top 50 Singles

2011-10-31T01:29:00.000+02:00

One of hip hop's greatest moments, Public Enemy's third single "Rebel Without a Pause", is at the top of our Best Singles of 1987 list which you can check out here. Before the end of the year that Public Enemy made their groundbreaking debut with "Yo! Bum Rush the Show", the band was already aiming to raise the bar even further. The goal was achieved with the mind blowing "Rebel Without a

Friends - I'm His Girl

2011-10-25T22:32:00.000+03:00

It deserves to become a massive hit - check out below the video for the superfunky "I'm His Girl", the second single by the very promising Brooklyn act Friends. It is released on October 31st by Lucky Number, while here you can find a free download of their debut single "Friend Crush". Friends - I'm His Girl

Listening Habits: The Fall 2011 Collection

2011-10-23T19:05:00.001+03:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again: in 2011 the girls have all the best tunes. Case in point, the list with our favorite albums for the first half of autumn, where the female voice is ever present, with seven records in our Top 10 coming either from women or woman-fronted groups. Our two top records for the current period (and a sure thing for the year-end Top 10 list) come from

Found Sound 3 featuring The Church Of Synth, Casiokids, Anomie Belle, VUM

2011-10-18T14:00:00.000+03:00

Time for the third installment of Found Sound, our column dedicated to the presentation of our latest music discoveries based on your suggestions. We'd like to thank everybody who has submitted mp3s or links to new music. Even though we don't always have time to answer to all of your emails, I can assure you that we'll always find the time to listen to anything that you send to us and the best

Dirty Beaches, A Victim Of Society, live @ Bios (Athens, October 11, 2011)

2011-10-16T16:53:00.001+03:00

The spirit of primal '50s rock’n’roll was very much alive last Tuesday night at Bios, the venue that played host to Dirty Beaches’ first ever Athenian show. It hasn’t been long since the release of "Badlands", Dirty Beaches’ debut album, but it seems that the lo-fi nostalgic sounds of Alex Zhang Hungtai’s project have struck a chord with the local indie crowd that formed disorderly queues

High Places: Sophia

2011-10-13T22:36:00.000+03:00

Two of Cool Music Central's favorite groups come together for a new video: "Sophia" is one of the standout tracks off "Original Colors", High Places' latest album for Thrill Jockey, and for its video they have collaborated with Busy Gangnes from Telepathe who not only choreographed the whole thing but also performed all her own stunts as you can see below. The album, which is available for