I hope that the month has started out marvelously for all. It has for Joe, Toben, and Steve, the winners of our latest cd giveaway compliments of Barsuk Records.

If you live in the twin cities area grab a pen please. On the 17th of August at the lovely Varsity Theater InRadio will be throwing part fundraiser part cd release extravaganza for the fabulous Best Friends Forever . InRadio featured Mike Gunther and His Restless Souls as well as soon to be featured Maria Isa will also be performing. It'll be a great night filled with wonderful music and all should come out in support of InRadio and BFF.

Lastly, InRadio has a new name which it will begin using very shortly, so embrace Echolocations, the company formerly known as InRadio.

The lovely people at Barsuk Records have agreed to help host our second CD give-away. If you want your name thrown in the mix to receive one of these fabulous releases, email me: alice@inradio.net.

Rocky Votolato: The Brag & Cuss. 'The Brag & Cuss' moves from the minimal acoustic guitar and vocals of 'Makers' to a fuller sound. Most of this record was played by a full band, featuring James McAllister (Sufjan Stevens) on drums, Bill Herzog (Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter) on bass, Casey Foubert (Pedro the Lion) on electric guitar, banjo, mandolin and all percussion, and Rick Steff (Cat Power, Hank Williams, Jr.) on Hammond b3, piano, and accordion. The bare emotion that made 'Makers' great is still present in spades, but this time Votolato has ventured further into classic country territory. Votolato paints broad pictures with a simple turn of phrase, and he pulls you into a world of reminiscences and feelings that are truly timeless and eminently human. A profound sense of freedom and release comes across in the new record, which in turn is more hopeful, laid-back, and embraces life with a resigned optimism.

Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter: Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul. This album is a musically deep piece of work, addressing themes of love, illusion, forgiveness, and the universality of the human experience. The band's musical growth has been mirrored by the evolution and maturation of Sykes' distinctive singing voice, which time has saturated with a weathered wisdom that connects to something beyond the singer and the song. And the visual aesthetic of Sykes' songwriting has never been more evocative. Listen closely to her stark descriptions of isolation, sometimes-swaggering toughness, fragile human emotion, and the possibilities of love, and you'll hear something that perfectly, tenderly, and surprisingly captures the feel of the 21st century so far — it's the sound of vulnerability, and the sound of the best and most relevant piece of art Jesse Sykes has ever made.

John Vanderslice: Emerald City. John wrote the bulk of his new album, 'Emerald City' (out July 24), while knee-deep in legal limbo after a visa application for his girlfriend, a French national he met in Paris, was rejected by US Immigration. The songs and themes are fueled by an era of deep insecurity and paranoia; they develop in front of a backdrop of ritualized and mythologized current events. Lyrically, JV's characters and storytellers track Manifest Destiny from burning wagon wheels to two-bedroom homes with full amenities in Bakersfield, California. Along that rough road, there are bewildered commemorations, peace-lovers and revenge-lusters, psychotic reactions to unnamed episodes, and the grief-stricken and the vengeance-hungry wrapped up in the same skin. Weaving throughout the entire album is the ever present danger of opposition. But at its simplest, 'Emerald City' is made up of JV's love songs — confused and angry, afraid and defeated. The red tape tie-up for JV and his girl remains unresolved.

InRadio 5.2: Elephants On Parade is finally on its way to your mailboxes, sorry for the delay friends. 5.2 is packed packed packed with fun. Debut albums offer great tracks from the likes of: Beat The Devil, Lightning Dust, Hallelujah The Hills, Bloody Black Eyes and more.

Balkan Beat Box offer up a delectable audio treat with 'Habibi Min Zaman' from their latest release, 'Nu Med'. Stating that they are a natural reaction of musicians who wanted to erase political borders, Balkan Beat Box create musical connections that politics often keep separate. Jewish, Balkan, Arabic, Syrian, European, Moroccan, and American are united by hip hop beats and dancehall toasts. The members of Balkan Beat Box do not believe in flags, nationalities, or borders. 'We believe in listening to localities... to local music,' says Balkan Beat Box co-founder and saxophonist Ori Kaplan. 'Nu Med' is a musical vision of what the New Mediterranean would sound like if borders were removed. Their musical nomadism continually returns to the Gypsy sound. 'Gypsy is the definition of a soul, not a color or place. It's a take on life.' States co-founder Tamir Muskat.

Balkan Beat Box serve as a reminder that we need to transcend borders not continue to create them.

enjoy! -alice

Thank you Dan Deacon for the interactive musical adventure embarked upon by all at the Triple Rock last night. On tour in support of his latest release, 'spiderman of the rings' deacon treated us to a dance contest, a sing along, and one hell of a dance party. Quite the entertainer Deacon, who stood in the middle of the crowd, created a house party atmosphere, which generated intoxicating energy. If a certain Dan Deacon comes through your city I would recommend going, even if you don't find yourself a fan of his music, he will probably win you over, the man works in mysterious ways.

InRadio subscribers will get a small peak into his latest record when InRadio 5.2: Elephants On Parade arrives at your door. We ran a tad behind schedule for this issue, but it'll be there shortly, promise. The wait will be worth it though, 5.2 is chock-full of sassy summer tunes that promise to delight.

Congratulations to Stefanie Kalem the winner of our first ever ticket giveaway, stay tuned for more free stuff to come.

It seems like there has been a consensus: Come august it'll be six cd's for 30 dollars, so subscribe now if you want to save some money. Thanks for all who voted.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing Finally Punk at the Belfry. I got there in time to see Kitten Forever, who set the non-existent stage quite nicely for the Austin four-piece. We were all crowded in the basement and it was very hot, but the energy was good. They had paintings that they bought at a rummage sale strewn around their equipment and they changed their instrument arrangement after each song. It was punk musical chairs and it made me happy to see women playing everything they could get their hands on, figuring it out together, and having lots of fun.

Lastly, if you live around the twin cities you really should go check out b-girl-be this weekend. I've had a sneak peak at the art exhibit and it is very much worth the trip.

InRadio 4.6 featured artist, Birds & Batteries are just about to release their new album, 'I'll Never Sleep Again'. The celebration will be held on June 27th at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco, which will also include performances from Dame Satan and 20 Minute Loop. Michael Sempert and crew have generously given InRadio two tickets to the show. If you're in the San Fran area and want to attend for free email me: alice@inradio.net and I'll throw your name in the hat. The winners will also receive a free copy of, 'I'll Never Sleep Again'.

Dear Listener,

Behind the scenes here at InRadio, we've been doing a little remodeling and as the summer rolls on different changes will be taking place. We will keep you informed as they happen. In short, by the end of the summer InRadio will pack its bags and head out west to Portland, Oregon. The talented minds that started InRadio are ready to embark on a new chapter in their musical adventure and have turned their focus towards the fabulous imp, an up and coming digital media player that enables publications to offer their recommended media to their audience. They have left their baby in my care and I am honored and excited to take the reins of responsibility at InRadio.

Without much advertising we keep at it, and continue to promote and support independent artists. You, our fabulous subscribers, have kept this possible both financially, and at the core of our mission.

Thank you! And now I ask your advise on two issues:

One: Over the 5 years of InRadio's short life, we have seen our costs rise as we try to keep our subscriptions costs low, accessible and stable. In my own 2 years with InRadio, I've seen post rates and often mounting costs put pressure on InRadio that, with our current state of transition in mind, are now stressing our limited resources. However, before making any changes I would appreciate your opinion. Please vote, and submit your thoughts!

Two: InRadio needs a new name. To save me from ripping my hair out with nights of unproductive brainstorming, please contribute your ideas. Once I get a good list going I'll put it to vote and we'll see what happens.

Thank you again for all your support. This is a very exciting time for me, InRadio, imp and with your involvement, I hope you will also be enthusiastic about what the future brings for the company formally known as "InRadio".

-alice hacker