Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives - A. Sachs

The holiday season is normally a dead time for new music releases. Most bands want to get their material out in time to make the gift buying frenzy. As a result, the week of Christmas and New Years is typically a wasteland of unknown artists and small label releases. Still, that’s not always a bad thing. I did manage to stumble over a few artists new to me and a couple of new releases that are quite satisfying.

The first track is off the new Midwestern Hurricane EP by Austin, Texas recording artist Maggie Walters. The material on her new release manages to wander the boundaries between alt-rock and contemporary country, an area I normally shy away from. It’s her sultry voice that sold me though. The percussion track is quite nice also, with a distinct world music vibe. I’ll be looking forward to her next full album due out in February. Here is Fingerprints by Maggie Walters.

Next, a group of indie rockers from Ontario, Canada known as Moneen. This track isn’t new at all but I did stumble over them while casting about for new crumbs of music during this long dry spell. Surely nominated for an award for the longest song title on a CD release, this is There Are A Million Reasons For Why This May Not Work… And Just One Good One For Why It Will off their 2006 album The Red Tree.

Here we have a high-energy offering from a band that hails from Bournemouth, England. Released on their July 2007 debut Fractured Life, this stripped down, guitar driven track is just one of several stand out tracks off their first album. This is Get In Line from Air Traffic.

Finally, a special treat. This is a shiny new track off an EP that just became commercially available today. This Seattle fixture is a one of those rare bands that refuse to be put in a box. Their sound spans multiple genres from rock to jazz and everything in between. The smooth, smoky sound on this track is a great example. Here is Seattle’s own Ghost Lobby with Diamond Lights. Check out the rest of the tunes of the Our Ways Are Strange and Foreign EP on CDBaby or DigStation.