Rachael Cantu, Starlight Mints and Camera Obscura

Rachael Cantu's "guitar rambles like Jack Elliott and Woody Guthrie, her lyrics haunt like Dylan and Elliott Smith, and her voice is sweet and torn like Bjork and Patty Griffin". At least that is how her bio tries to describe her and she is now on the road. Tonight is the beginning of her very selective city run around the United States and Irving Plaza in New York city is where the ball starts rolling for the Massachsetts resident. No selective dates are scheduled in Canada, but if you live in New York, Boston, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Annapolis, Atlantic City, Seattle or Portland then you are in luck. Check out her MySpace page or her website for dates and venues. MP3: Rachael Cantu - Saturday MP3: Rachael Cantu - Hear My Laughter

Oklahoma's Starlight Mints consists of five nonconformist individuals who all just happen to love to make out of the ordinary music. Much of their bizarre sound comes from the generous strings and sampling, all of which can be heard from their new album entitled Drowaton. Hitting store shelves tomorrow (April 25, 2006) on Barsuk Records you can expect to here plenty of bells, horns, strings, piano and synthesizer noises and effects. The band is in Oklahoma City, OK at the Bricktown Ballroom on April 27th for a CD release party for Drowaton. :: Brian Heater, Aversion :: Dan Groth, The Wake MP3: Starlight Mints - Inside of Me Glasgow, Scotland's indie band Camera Obscura first emerged onto the music scene in 1996 but took five years to get out their debut album Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi, for UK residence only. By the time 2004 rolled around those in North America got the chance to get a taste of what Camera Obscura sounded like when Merge Records stepped into their lives to help release Under Achiever Please Try Harder. Those who were hooked on that album can now look forward to more enchanting melodies from the six piece band with the release of Let's Get Out Of This Country on June 6th. However, according to Merge Records they are now accepting preorders and shipments will arrive sometime around May 9th. MP3: Camera Obscura - Lloyd Im Ready To Be Heartbroken (via You Aint No Picasso)/em>