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In my opinion, Doves are one of the best bands that have come together in the past 10 years (that list also includes Coldplay, and The Killers). Originally, they started out as an electronic/dance act under another name; however, the UK trio then decided to go another direction with their sound. The nice thing is that they still use a lot of that electronic flavor mixed with live guitars and drums. There first album, Lost Souls, was a masterpiece created with their biggest hit being “Catch the Sun”. They are now set to release their 4th studio album on April 7th, and hopefully this will be the fourth major treat from the band. Doves is composed of brothers Jez and Andy Williams, along with Jimi Goodwin, who can all three play every instrument they own. Today’s catch happens to be the title track of the album entitled, Kingdom of Rust. But seeing that this is more of an alternative rock song, I decided to give you the “Kingdom of Rust (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)”. Enjoy!

Gabriella Cilmi (ironically pronounced “chill-me”) is the hottest thing to come out of Australia right now, and she is now looking to take over the U.S. She has already won 6 trophies in the ARIA Awards (Australian Recording Industry Association), which is the equivalent to our Grammy Awards. Some of the categories she took home the hardware were “Best Female Artist” and “Breakthrough Artist of the Year”. Gabriella has sold a ton of records overseas, and VH1 has her as a “You Oughta Know” artist for 2009. She will be visiting us next week for SXSW, in her quest to take over the world…and to be honest, I think she can. Her voice is strangely similar to Amy Winehouse; however, her tracks have a more pop-like sound that is infectious. These are songs that both young and old can enjoy. So take a listen to my catch entitled “Sweet About Me” from Ms. Cilmi, and be sure to get her first album, Lessons to Be Learned, which drops here in the U.S. on 3/17. But let me fill you in on a mind-blowing fact about Gabriella…she is only 17 years old (which is even more jaw dropping after you listen to her voice, and the entire album)!!! Enjoy.

So in 2008, Tricky released his latest album entitled, Knowle West Boy. This past week, we saw the release of a new EP containing remixes of tracks from that record; however, he also released a brand new song as a bonus. Tricky has always been known as one of the pioneers of the electronic/trip-hop movement, starting with his membership with the legendary Massive Attack. He was only 21 when he became a part of the band, but turned into a major force on the first two albums (Blue Lines and Protection). His contribution was viewed as the legitimate urban, hip-hop piece of Massive Attack, especially on “Karmacoma”, “Eurochild”, and “Daydreaming”. He then parted ways with the band to pursue a solo career, and a couple of his tracks came with him. On his first LP, the incredibly successful Maxinquaye, he used the lyrics written for “Karmacoma”, re-arranged the entire sound, let vocalist Martina Topley-Bird take the mic, and called it “Overcome”. The same thing was done with the Massive song, “Eurochild”, which was converted to Tricky’s “Hell is ‘Round the Corner’”. After several years, several albums, several collaborations (Garbage, Bjork, Nenah Cherry), and a few movies/videos, he is doing a rare U.S. tour. Be sure to catch him at this year’s SXSW festival. Today’s catch is called “Numb”, and you can listen to a clip of it down below. Enjoy!

Tricky – Numb

So Depeche Mode is set to release a new album entitled, Sounds of the Universe, this April, and it’s really hard to believe that this band has been together for almost 30 years. There is not a lot I can say about DM that you probably already know, due to the fact that they have been one of the biggest and most influential bands of alternative music. They have sold over 75 million albums worldwide, recorded 11 studio albums (including 3 live LPs), and have sold out stadiums in a matter of hours. However, they did have some dark clouds looming over their heads when they lost Vince Clarke (who went on to create Yaz and eventually Erasure) after the first album, when Alan Wilder left the band in ‘95 (who later formed Recoil), and when Dave Gahan went through his drug addiction days & was declared dead for 2 full minutes after being resuscitated back to life during a drug overdose. They have now left those rough times in the past, conitnuing on as a trio (Gahan, Gore, Fletcher), and performing some of the best electronic music & live concerts ever. They have just released the first single, “Wrong”, which happens to be my “Catch of the Day”. This song really shows how DM has matured over the years, and taken the advancement in music technology to a new level. Check out the video for this track above. Enjoy (the silence)!

So the Norwegian band, Royksopp, is back with their newest full length LP since 2006′ The Understanding. I am sure you all have heard “Remind Me” through the now infamous Geico caveman commercial, but what you may have not know is that they have other songs that have been used as music beds by Apple, KLRU, and Austin City Limits. Today’s catch is entitled “Happy Up Here”, which is the first single from their upcoming album, Junior. The over/under for commercials that will use songs from this album is currently at 2. Check out the clip below to hear a sample. Enjoy!

Royksopp – Happy Up Here

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the duo that makes up Pet Shop Boys, have been together for 21 years now, and are still belting out great tunes for all to hear. Obviously, they get much more radio air time overseas, but don’t think for one second that PSB has not put out anything of quality since doing there cover of U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” back in ‘91. They have been one of the most influential electronic bands over the years, and have inspired such acts as The Killers, Keane, Scissor Sisters, Kylie Minogue, and Robbie Williams. One other thing they are also known for is an extravagant live show that includes props, dancers, lasers, and video imagery. I actually saw them back in ‘99 when they came to Irvine, CA, and it is easily one of the most entertaining shows I have ever witnessed – very Broadway-like. So on March 13, the duo is set to release a brand new LP entitled, Yes. Today’s catch is the first single “Love Etc.”, which has the reminiscent sounds of “Opportunities”, “West End Girls”, and other tracks from their early days. Check out the clip below to hear a sample of today’s catch. Enjoy!

Pet Shop Boys – “Love Etc.”

So Saint Etienne has been one of my all time favorite bands since the early ’90’s, and I fell in love with them after releasing great tracks like “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”, “Nothing Can Stop Us Now”, “Girl VII”, “Calico”, and ”Join Our Club” (I can go on and on). Every album they were releasing was a fantastic piece of work, containing very unique & catchy tunes. Sarah Cracknell has worked magic filling the electronic-pop melodies with her sultry, air-like vocals. Her good looks matched with perfectly with her voice, creating an almost angelic persona. Being a former club DJ, I also got real familiar with the vinyl remixes for a number of their singles, which at times were as good as or better than the original version. Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs, and Sarah Cracknell have continued making records over the years, and they are set to release their third collection of hits over the past two decades, entitled London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne. Today’s catch is the only new track that will appear on the double disk album which is expected to be released later this month - “Method of Modern Love”. Check out the clip below to hear a sample. Enjoy!

Saint Etienne – Method of Modern Love