I love the Hot Wheels corvette being played with in the dirt. So many visual metaphors. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Meghan Wolf quietly released Theory of Gravity late last year to rave reviews. We caught up with Wolf and found out some music that keeps her motivated:

Owen Beverly: Shooting the Bull – heartfelt, soulful folk rock. This guy is a great storyteller with an incredible voice.

The Little Death – serious, sexy, blues infected rock. Down and dirty sound, lit by some truly incendiary vocals by Laura Dawn. Sounds like your favorite dive bar on a Sunday afternoon.

Br’er: Filled With Guilt And Diamonds – lush, experimental avant-garde/ pop. Darkly beautiful; minimalist yet soaring and complex. Homemade artwork on the album makes it all the more special.

Dan Torres – his live show is so killer. Amazing voice, catchy songs. Popular with the ladies. Solo or with his excellent backup band, he performs with a lot of heart.

Dallin Applebaum: Fortune Cookie – her debut EP sounds like a great mix of Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple and something all her own. Great lyrics, awesome voice. Live, she samples and loops tones from wine glasses filled with water.

Rachel Platten – really awesome, feel good pop. Super catchy melodies and songwriting. See her live, she will make you smile.

Second Floor Stories - I love this band. They just finished mastering their CD. Intimate, thoughtful harmony vocals over gentle strummings and straightforward arrangements. Onstage, these two girls and two guys switch instruments and stare shyly at the floor.

War Tapes includes Neil Popkin (singer/rhythm guitarist, from Boston), his sister Becca Popkin (bassist, also from Boston), Matt Bennett (lead guitar, from Hawaii) and William Mohler (drummer, from SoCal). They’ve been raking in rave reviews since their 2006 live debut, and the early buzz on War Tapes earned airplay on such tastemaker radio stations as BBC Radio 1 and Live 105 in San Francisco, while “Dreaming of You” was aired on NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly (and “The Night Unfolds” for a week in March).

We caught up to the band for a slew of great recommendations:

1. Mew – their new album is titled: “No more stories Are told today I’m sorry They washed away No more stories The world is grey I’m tired Let’s wash away” I think that pretty much says it all.
2. Passion Pit – just started getting into it and so far I really like what I’m hearing.. really cool drum programming.
3. The Last Shadow Puppets – Arctic Monkeys side project. I really love this band, and pretty much everything they’ve ever done.
4. The Ravonettes – New Album “In and out of control” has been in my car CD player for the last 2 weeks straight – it’s so catchy.
5. Girls – really cool band from sf – one stand out track is “Lust for Life”

So how do you get them?

1) If you have a Twitter account, follow www.twitter.com/deepelm
2) If you don’t have an account, get one…it will takes just a minute
3) After you are following, go here:  www.deepelm.com/follower/

Your Twitter name is required to get your 2 Free CDs.

Seattle-based quintet Minus the Bear are very excited to announce the release of their new album, OMNI, set for a May 4th release on Dangerbird Records. Produced by Grammy Award winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket), OMNI showcases the quintet’s remarkable gift to craft visionary and gripping compositions, and with the assistance of Chiccarelli, revealing new layers in their songwriting as they pursue the next level in their inimitable musical style. With the exploration of erotic themes and fascinating tales of human sexual relationships, OMNI is a riveting new album of rich soundscapes illustrated by Minus The Bear’s trademark precision and tremendous growth as artistic lyricists and songwriters. Beginning April 21st, Minus the Bear will embark on a 6-week North American tour premiering these new tracks. Dates to be announced shortly.OMNI marks the first release for the band on Dangerbird Records.

After spending their entire Summer on the Vans Warped Tour in support of their album  The Hard Way, The Architects hitting the road with Flogging Molly and Frank Turner on the GREEN 17 TOUR. The Hard Way was produced by KCMO’s AARON CONNER (Cher, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G.) and released on SKELETON CREW (owned by Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance).

Zachary Phillips gives us some great music recommendations:

• ROMAN NUMERALS / Anodyne Records. These Kansas City boys cranked out an amazing record a few years back that went completely unnoticed if you ask me. Rule of 5’s is my favorite track! Do not miss their amazing live show at this years SXSW.
• THERE FOR I AM / Equal Vision Records. I spent all of last Summer bitch slapping bubble gummers in the face with this Boston-based hardcore band on the Vans Warped Tour. They are in my opinion the biscuits & gravy of their genre. They make Chiodos look and sound like a bunch of limp dicked wankers with bad taste in gear and not a song to stand on.
• GALLOWS / Sire Records  Holy living Fuck! These English mother fuckers released an album called “Grey Britain” that continues to kill me every time I hear it. Very muscular hardcore that my girlfriend loves working out and cleaning the house to! A must buy.
• P.O.S. / Rhymesayers  Steph the MC for P.O.S. has an amazing stage presence and spits some of the nastiest crap ever. His Beats are fresh. His show will leave you refreshed about hip hop.
• GHOSTY / Lawrence KS These indie/folk bastards are great! They have records out too! Sort of remind me of the Shins. Get online and check them out you spoon fed baby!

Sincerely ~ Zachary Phillips of THE ARCHITECTS

And Brandon Phillips of The Architects chimes in with a couple of his favorites.

ROLL THE TANKS - www.myspace.com/rollthetanks These guys are not friends of mine, we’ve never met and there is nothing in it for me in making this recommendation…which should indicate that I am VERY serious about how good these songs are and how much I’d like to see this band live. I think they have a residency at the Silverlake Lounge this month so if you’re in LA, check it out for me.

BENT LEFT - www.bentleft.com KC friends who manage to play great punk rock in the year 2010 without any metal-core breakdowns, screaming, or synthesized bullshit. They also happen to throw the best basement shows in all of human history. The kind of basement shows that will have you hunched over a bar ten years from now, your pizza delivery bag still strapped to your shoulder while you admonish your attractive 21 year old manager about her taste in music and insist that she could never understand the importance of Mission Of Burma or The Replacements.