myspace music monday: Dictaphone Blues

The last time we took a virtual stroll through New Zealand, I wound up hearing a little band called "Teacups." Well, Teacups is still the bomb, but I came across someone else with an entirely different sound that also happens to be awesome. Check it out.

Dictaphone Blues

Genres: Indie/Electro/Pop
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Band Members: Edward Thomas Castlelow
Influences: People that listen more than they talk, Morgan Schroeder, Christine Castelow, Sandringham Rd traffic on a wet day, The Jubbley Spufflewupps and anyone that is nice to me.

The Short of It: Charming indie pop music with jaw-droppingly awesome vocals.

Songs:
"Your Eating is You" - The actual title to this song should be "You're Eating is You," which, honestly, should've been enough for me to leave this dude's page and forget it forever. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that until I had already fallen in love with it. Edward sings passionately and confidently, and his vocals are probably a bit too front-heavy. Still the song is a blast to listen to, with a catchy, sing along melody and harmonies that challenge the likes of Field Music or Queen. This song is somewhere between the former and Belle and Sebastian. I can't download the song to place on Audio Overflow, but you should totally listen to it!

"Lantern" - Edward's vocals are once again the best part of this song, most notably in the chorus when he's playfully singing "I won't ever see until I hold a lantern." The song has a very groovy vibe to it that makes me want to compare it to some of Spoon's music...like "Rhythm and Soul." I'm totally digging this one.



"About 8 Hours" - This song is the only ballad featured on the page. After about 3 listens, I've decided that I'm not the biggest fan of it. It features some pretty decent production, but Edward seems less sure of his vocals, probably because a decent vocal melody never really enters the picture. It's the polar opposite to "You're Eating is You."

The Long of It: There's a ton of potential here, and even more potential that has already been realized. I think that Dictaphone Blues has a fairly marketable sound and I wouldn't be surprised to find Edward picked up by a label in the near future. Whether or not I actually hear his music on a grander stage than his myspace page really depends on how said record deal works out. I do think he deserves to be heard though, so here's hoping for some good luck and smart decisions!

Links:
Dictaphone Blue's myspace Page
More songs, in an entire radio set (streaming)

If you have any recommendations, or would like your band featured, please leave us a comment or shoot us an email at audiooverflow@gmail.com. Word.