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Tricky is one of the original members of Massive Attack, and was a huge part of their success on the first two albums. He then parted ways in the mid 90’s and took on a solo career that had incredible buzz. Since then he has released several albums and worked with artists like Bjork, Live, and Garbage. His latest LP entitled Knowle West Boy drops here in the U.S. on September 9, and takes on his usual trip hop beats but with a mix of rock and reggae. One of the best things about Tricky is that he is never selfish with the vocals and recruits the talents of several different artists. However in true Tricky fashion, you can hear is dark, subtle voice in the background of most songs. Today’s catch, “Past Mistake”, is my favorite track on the new album. Enjoy!

Today I made a hard decision of deciding what should be the “Catch of the Day”. It was between Imogen Heap or Big Blue Ball. Well, I ended up using Imogen Heap as my catch; however, I think this new side project by Peter Gabriel is worth blogging about. Big Blue Ball has been a 15 year love affair for Peter Gabriel and has finally been completed. It involves the talents of Sinead O’Connor, Tim Finn, Deep Forest, Joseph Arthur, Karl Wallinger of World Party, and was produced by Stephen Hague who is better known for his work with New Order. The album takes you on a trip through all parts of the world with sounds from the U.S., India, Ireland, and other areas that have been an influence for the artists involved. We played “Whole Thing”, which is one of the few tracks that Gabriel actually lends his voice to. In my opinion, this song is a masterpiece and is one of Gabriel’s most memorable performances. I have always been a big fan of his from his solo career to the film scores he has put together (The Last Temptation of Christ, Rabbit-Proof Fence), and it’s great to see that he’s back with an outstanding way to express his artistic talents. Go get this album!!!

Imogen Heap has a very special place in my heart considering she was my first interview I did for Chillville. Now I am glad to hear that she is in the process of recording a brand new album, which should come out late this year or early next year. According to her website, she is working hard out of her home-built studio in Essex. For all of the hard core Imogen Heap fans, she has decided to release today’s catch, “Not Now But Soon” as a little appetizer until the full length LP comes out. You can know also catch this tune on the Heroes soundtrack from the hit TV series. Enjoy!

Chillville artist Unkle will be releasing a new LP which is a continuation of last year’s War Stories. The new album “was inspired by the moving image”, according to the band’s website. With that said, they will be also contributing a track for the new X-Files movie that is scheduled for release later this summer. End Titles…Stories for Film will be released as a digital download on July 15th, and will have contributing vocals from Josh Homme, Black Mountain, and James Petralli. Earlier this week they led us on a wild goose chase in order to get 4 free downloads by releasing them on different websites over a period of 5 days. I was able to get today’s catch, entitled “Blade in the Back” featuring Gavin Clark on Vox. Enjoy!

The place to be Thursday evening is Emo’s Lounge, getting your groove on to a DJ set by Andy Rourke (of the Smiths). He’s been DJing at clubs around the world, playing and recording with various bands, and even has an ongoing stint with a radio station in Britain; tonight he’ll be mixing tunes to get Austin on the dance floor. Directly preceding him is Austin’s own Black and White Years, whose electronic/acid/dance rock we’ve mentioned before as something you want to catch live. This is one of their last shows in town before ACL, so catch them in the cool surroundings of Emo’s Lounge, or find yourself later in the heat of late-September Zilker Park, completely unprepared for the beats that are making you rock out.

Friday, you’ve got a plethora of options for your live music needs on this July 4. You can check out Brazos as they kick off their month-long residency at Progress Coffee; imagine sipping on some java while listening to tracks from their upcoming album, set to drop in a few months. With their newer material, Brazos (Chillville write-up here) specializes in minimalist, indie-tinged folk, and is perfect for winding down from an eventful day of sun, fun, and fireworks. Or if you want to get your dance on yet again, head over to Beauty Bar for the also-homegrown Octopus Project and their whimsical electronic stylings.

But don’t sleep in too much after your busy night; July 5th means the Exit Music Fest at Waterloo Park. It starts at 10am, is chock full of local talent (musical and artistic), and lasts until 10pm, so bring a blanket and sunscreen and make a relaxing day of it. With four stages, there’s certain to be something for everyone’s taste.

Don’t think that just because this is a holiday week, the musicians of Austin are taking time off along with everyone else; there’s good live music every night this week, and the Chillville blog is here to lay out our recommendations.

You may want to take notice of the Beauty Bar – they’ve been collaborating with Navdo Presents for Monday Night Alright, a weekly event with both live music and a DJ, adding fun to a night of the week normally so quiet you can actually find parking downtown. Tonight’s lineup is Peekaboo Theory, El Ten Eleven, Ohn, and P*ssing Neon, with the Saturday Night Matador spinning tracks. Or if you want to make an early night of it (doors at 7), Antone’s has SuperSoul Monday with funkalicious Flyjack and mellow, soulful Much Love opening.

Tuesday has the all-star pick if you’re into punk: No Age was in town most recently for SXSW, where they incited and then proceeded to live up to some majorly great buzz. They’re at Emo’s, in a certain-to-be-packed gig with Abe Vigoda, Infinite Body, and The Strange Boys, who will be fresh off a gig earlier that evening (starts at 7) at Beerland with Miss Alex White & the Red Orchestra.

Check back in a few days for a run-down of our concert picks for later in the week, but for now we’ll leave you with the just-announced news from MySpace land: Bitter:Sweet is coming back to Austin! They’ll be playing the Parish on August 18th, so put that date on your calendars, and be ready to buy tickets as soon as they’re up, because this’ll be selling out quick.

On July 8, The Black Ghosts will be releasing their long awaited, self-titled, full length album on IAMSOUND Records. If you are not familiar with them - they sound like a cross between Hot Chip, Blur, and Kasabian. In my opinion, this album is what the second Kasabian album should have been. They were here during SXSW, and hopefully we will get a chance to see them again following the release of the LP. Today’s catch is “Full Moon”. Enjoy!