Subtle layering of emotional songs with attitude both playful and deep make Stacey Dowdeswell an artist to keep an ear on. Her debut album Turn That Light Out oozes soulful and mostly contemplative songs, co-written & produced by label mate Scrimshire, benefited with added depth and clarity from Benedic ‘Nostalgia 77‘ Lambdin’s engineering. Electronic heads should check the pair of remix albums where Stac’s songs are reimagined by beatsmiths like Bonobo, Ashley Beedle and Natural Self. Bass driven “All Or Nothing” is a full-bodied red wine, and “Tip” is a mature, intelligent track, while Hint’s counterpart takes all that maturity into the club and shakes it like there ain’t no tomorrow.
Originating from Western Sahara in Algeria, growing up in a multi-cultural environment, Soha blends a variety of styles in her work. Mixing musical traditions from around the world, the prominent Cuban, Latin, jazz and soul influences, Soha gives an appealing vivacity to her sound. The soulful beats and warm equatorial flavours of “Tourbillon (Serre-Moi Fort Si Tu M’aimes)” contain a seductive quality, while “C’est Bien Mieux Comme Ça” creates a festive yet relaxed pace.
Each summer brings a variety of bright, sunny and catchy songs. The sweet vocals, gentle humour and the sing-along lines of Lenka’s debut single “The Show” (2008) caress the ear and perfectly define those warm, flirtatious and easy-breezy summer days. With her solo debut the Australian-born artist delivers a fine blend of quirky pop, dreamy-indie qualities and electroacoustic sweetness.
Funky good times and flavorlicious rhymes from the Afro-beat legend Tony Allen. Hooking up with artists like Damon Albarn, Ty, and Unsung Heroes, Home Cooking delivers a diverse course of intellect, style, and hip-happenin’ vibes to keep any party alive. Whether you’re looking to dance or sit back and feel the groove, it’s all in there.
Being that you’re a fully committed Aurgasm reader, you’re no doubt fully fluent in the cuban music subgenre son. Not could you only write a four page paper on how the mountainous geography of Cuban affected the flat city of Havana’s music culture, but you’ve also forced your friends to watch the Buena Vista Social Club movie several times. Well today I’ve got a Moroccan version of Compay Segundo, god rest his soul. Rhany brings the full force of Buena Vista’s “Chan Chan” along with an Arabian twist.
Friends, it’s been a while. Aurgasm launched in 2004 and soon after was one of the top 50 music blogs online, with thousands of music lovers visiting daily.
But things change. The posts have slowed down. And over the past 4 months, most posts were totally missing. (Sorry about that, but I’ve now painstakingly restored as much as I could!)
We don’t plan to post new artists, but the site will stay online for you.
Also, if you’d enjoy a more varied tour on the past 14 years of Aurgasm, you can now poke through the archive in random order:
The story of Okou begins in a Parisian bar. Tatiana Heintz, originally from the Ivory Coast, and Gilbert Trefzger, a Swiss guitarist with Egyptian roots, are truly world artists. Their debut album Serpentine (2010) blends sounds from around the globe. Serpentine captures the spirit of soul, blues and roots music, evoking the best American folk traditions and New Orleans’ sound with a delicate European touch. The acoustic guitars and banjo arrangements with the somewhat old-fashioned groove make “To The Bone” a perfect road trip soundtrack. Seductively mellow, French sung “A L’aurore” is a real West Africa meets New Orleans musical gem. The outstanding song carries rich instrumentation that includes strings, banjo and tuba.
Now if you’re from Australia, you’re fully aware of this power squad of rockers. But if you’re not, don’t start thinking The Cat Empire is in the same aussie vein as Silverchair and Savage Garden. No no, TCE packs a hell of a punch – killer guitar riffs coupled with a nasty brass section. All the while, they feel like some neighborhood kids having a hell of a time, but you can’t not love the entirely fun grooves they produce. ‘Sly’ jumps loudly off their newest album, Two Shoes, while ‘Hello’ is one of the killer singles from their earlier eponymous release. Dig the organ and swing interlude where it duels against a mean turntable scratch. Extraordinarily fun and enjoyable stuff. Perfect for the hot summer.
My good man Tom Korkidis (of Eksi Ekso) invited me back our local River Gods, in Cambridge, for a night called Jukebox Mélange. Here are the sets I played; jams from the 70s, early 00’s and 09.
Last summer I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Stockholm, Sweden. The music scene is incredibly active there, but if you go expecting to see some DJs or global acts you know, you might be a bit surprised; the country produces so much music that it’s pretty self-sustaining. Amanda Jenssen emerged out of their Idol 2007 competition and just scored a #1 spot on the charts with this track, and yet, there’s hardly any coverage outside of Scandinavia. The chorus has an obvious pop sensibility, but her soul-driven vibe (think: Amy Winehouse) is showcased in the verses. (Thx, Christofer!)
Aurgasm seeks to bring you an eclectic menagerie of aural pleasures. We scout out music you've never heard and deliver only the finest. Expect music curiously different, yet simply enjoyable...
Paul Irish is a music-loving web geek in San Francisco.
Originating from Western Sahara in Algeria, growing up in a multi-cultural environment, Soha blends a variety of styles in her work. Mixing musical traditions from around the world, the prominent Cuban, Latin, jazz and soul influences, Soha gives an appealing vivacity to her sound. The soulful beats and warm equatorial flavours of “Tourbillon (Serre-Moi Fort Si Tu M’aimes)” contain a seductive quality, while “C’est Bien Mieux Comme Ça” creates a festive yet relaxed pace.
Each summer brings a variety of bright, sunny and catchy songs. The sweet vocals, gentle humour and the sing-along lines of Lenka’s debut single “The Show” (2008) caress the ear and perfectly define those warm, flirtatious and easy-breezy summer days. With her solo debut the Australian-born artist delivers a fine blend of quirky pop, dreamy-indie qualities and electroacoustic sweetness.
Funky good times and flavorlicious rhymes from the Afro-beat legend Tony Allen. Hooking up with artists like Damon Albarn, Ty, and Unsung Heroes, 
Being that you’re a fully committed Aurgasm reader, you’re no doubt fully fluent in the cuban music subgenre 
Now if you’re from Australia, you’re fully aware of this power squad of rockers. But if you’re not, don’t start thinking The Cat Empire is in the same aussie vein as Silverchair and Savage Garden. No no, TCE packs a hell of a punch – killer guitar riffs coupled with a nasty brass section. All the while, they feel like some neighborhood kids having a hell of a time, but you can’t not love the entirely fun grooves they produce. ‘Sly’ jumps loudly off their newest album, 
Last summer I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Stockholm, Sweden. The music scene is incredibly active there, but if you go expecting to see some DJs or global acts you know, you might be a bit surprised; the country produces so much music that it’s pretty self-sustaining. Amanda Jenssen emerged out of their Idol 2007 competition and just scored a #1 spot on the charts with this track, and yet, there’s hardly any coverage outside of Scandinavia. The chorus has an obvious pop sensibility, but her soul-driven vibe (think: Amy Winehouse) is showcased in the verses. (Thx, Christofer!)