Aurgasm

retro-pop // french // lounge

Cheery. Poppy. Light ‘n fluffy. This track bounces off of the Paris Lounge 4 compliation. There bassline is full and deep, but yet it makes you want to act like a playboy.
Perfect for your next cocktail party when your girl starts swiveling her hips with drinks in her dainty hands.

The Lovers – Crick Crack

rock // indie-folk // chill

Delicate guitar work. Soft gentle voice.
Sufjan Stevens used to be part of the folk-rock group Marzuki in Michigan. But then he moved to NYC and went solo. The sound he creates is substantial but softly soothing. He’s the indie rock response to alt-country’s Iron and Wine.
His name isn’t like his sound. His sound reads like a pane of clear, beautiful glass. Take some in.

Sufjan Stevens – For The Widows In Paradise, For The Fatherless In Ypsilanti

orchestral jazz // spy music // idm

Layers upon layers of sound that whooshing by you in a sonic fury. Norway’s Xploding Plastix erupted in their country’s impressive music scene with their debut, Amateur Girlfriends Go Proskirt Agents and earned themselves a Grammy for best electronica record. Their music is like James Bond lounge-jazz meets Amon Tobin; Henry Mancini vs. Squarepusher. Their blow-you-away website has all their music available, in high fidelity audio.
A triplage of gorgeous music, today, for you to indulge in.

Xploding Plastix – More Powah To You
Xploding Plastix – Treat Me Mean, I Need the Reputation
Xploding Plastix – Rattlechaser

Xploding Plastix’s website (with full songs)

pop-rock // country

Wilting on a cold cave floor; paintings on walls. Glimmer of light in distant sound. Close to me ears, far from my years. Unknown memory inside me stirs; awakens. Caress my heart? Open my mind? In a way notes were and weren’t meant for. Disrupting my measure of sorrow. Curiosity in my betrayed hope. The soul of Southern blues rocking my gritty New York street. Moving me to country charms, youthful delight, and back through. Holding a glimpse of joy in hands worn and torn.

A new world for me.
Shannon McNally – Now That I Know
Shannon McNally – Leave Your Bags by the Door
+ Purchase / Visit

Since Aurgasm’s launch over two years ago, I have been putting all of aurgasm’s mp3s in this folder called /tracks/. If you had pulled it up in your web browser, it was a directory listing of all the music I’ve posted for the past 6-8 months. What you may consider a treasure trove for you, the IFPI (essentially a worldwide RIAA) considered it a violation of the DMCA. The Digital Millenium Copyright Act is what the RIAA uses to sue dead grandmas without computers, claiming they’re sharing mp3s.

So what happened the other day?

Thursday, the IFPI contacted my webhost and had them remove all the mp3s on my site. No further legal action is being taken (that’s a good thing), but all of aurgasm’s music is gone for the moment.

…and thank you.

I appreciate the outpour of support everyone has given. Fellow bloggers have been educated by my mistakes and supportive of my plight. Aurgasm’s readers have eager to help; offering to document their purchases that came from this site and more. For the moment, be comfortable and sit tight. Things will hopefully return to normal quickly.

So what now?

Aurgasm will continue to feature your favorite music you’ve never heard, but we’ll be thorough in obtaining permission to share the music we need to share. Up to now, a good portion of the music on Aurgasm has been posted with artists’ (or their representatives’) consent, though not all. I am eager to put Aurgasm’s music back online, but need to first get legal consent from all artists to share their wares. I’m in the midst of communications with the IFPI to rectify the situation.

With sage advice from EJ of Loudersoft, I fired off this email to the IFPI this morning:

To Whom It May Concern:

1) I have permission from the record label, PR company or the artist directly for many of the tracks posted on my site. Additionally, some of them are not copyrighted whatsoever, therefore it’s unlawful to claim to represent the copyright for all of them.
2) If there are any specific examples of tracks that you consider to be in violation, you are required under U.S. jurisdiction to provide me with complete and full disclosure of the specific offending items.
3) If you fail to respond to this with the appropriate information on or before November 1st, 2006, I will assume that the IFPI is withdrawing their DMCA complaint, that it has no further merit, and that I am exempt from future action on this claim.

-Paul Irish
http://aurgasm.us

Stay tuned for more music and hopefully less drama. :)

dream pop // electronic

Swedish duo Ola Frick and Carina Johansson have been making dreamy, sophisticated pop for the better part of a decade. Hearing their latest album, a mix of lush orchestral swells, twinkling piano, and endearing guitar riffs, is not unlike seeing a rainbow. Bright and sweeping, it’s the sort of music you’d put on the playlist while drinking strawberry lemonade under the summer sun. And yet the lyrics, too, are worth more than a passing glance: warm and pensive, they make a fine counterpoint to the sweet melodies and often cover darker, more daring ground. Perhaps that lemonade could do with a touch of liquor.

Good, nearly clean fun
Moonbabies – Sun A.M.
Moonbabies – Take Me To The Ballroom

Music and words lovingly contributed by Natalia
buy this cd

acoustic rock // 70’s folk rock

Gentle voice. Calm melodies. You should know him already: Nick Drake had a short, yet prolific musical career; one that saw its biggest response after his apparent suicide in 1974. He was signed at the age of 21, and only produced three complete albums — but each is full of aural beauty. I was first turned on to him by this incredible complilation aptly named Acoustic. (You’ll love it)
Drake’s somber songs have a chillingly beautiful sound that will completely clear your mind. Listen and release.

Nick Drake – Road
Nick Drake – Riverman

doo-wop // retro soul

Firey Soul, Doo-Wop, Rhythm n’ Blues are smashed together by Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes to create a big sound with an 18-carat edge. These cats mix retro styles like a bartender with 2-day stubble in a juke joint, breaking down ’40s and ’50s Jive into a modern flare. Clairy’s voice lets through emotion in gasps and wails, supported by her gang of Rackettes spitting out background vocals you don’t wanna mess with. The band delivers smoking licks through Australian airwaves resulting in a hot plate that’ll surely blow your top.

Finger snappin’ ooohhss and bop-bop she’do-bops.
Clairy Browne – I’ll Be Fine
Clairy Browne – She Plays Up To You
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jazz // thunder

Hopefully your speakers can fully embrace the percussive salvo of Bottom Rhythm Jam. Featuring Indigo Jam Unit‘s drummer, Takehiro Shimizu, and pianist Yoshichika Tarue, led by Kosuke Tsuji, with Gandhi on contrabass, this is the hardest hitting, relentless pounding jazz I’ve ever enjoyed. A ferocious and awesome Encounter binding earthly tremors to your body.

Explosive jazz from Japan.
Bottom Rhythm Jam – Crisis
Bottom Rhythm Jam – Core G
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gothabilly // folk

In my hunt for a loud, abrasive sound, I found Waylon Thornton’s guitar riff drum pounding garage surf Lake Butler, Florida grit to finally satisfy. After listening to the 20+ albums he’s unleashed over the span of five years, the instrumental Black Salt became my favorite.. for a time. Eventually storms subside and I mosey along; catching inspiration or simply exploring until I’m somewhere. Drifting down New River Vol.1, parting clouds shape imagination and cooling water splashes my face as I lay on a raft of improvised twangy acoustic tunes. Their scenic, contemplative spirit holds freedom, struggle, wisdom, and genuine splendor.

The essence of music’s magic.
Waylon Thornton – Coffin Nails (Black Salt)
Waylon Thornton – Four (New River Vol.1)
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