Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, based on name alone, may sound like a president on first offing, but give his eponymous, debut album a spin and you'll soon realize a more relevant career has presented itself for this 25-year-old Brooklyn bard. This is modern music made the old-fashioned way: take ragged, soulful and completely compelling hymns for tough times, throw into the mix an impressive array of backing musicians, and just record what happens. His sophomore album is Summer of Fear, out October 20th on Saddle Creek Records. New York has been sadly lacking a proper troubadour looking at the stars while mired in the gutter--but in Miles, we have our man.

What’s Been Said: “As dramatic and erratic as Robinson is, his songs never flirt with histrionics, nor do they hide his shameless, troubling relationships with sex and drugs and alcohol. His album is a mess of riffs and poetry you can get drunk on, in the bar or your bedroom.” — FADER

“The gripping, gorgeous Summer of Fear trades fractured gray folk for multihued and ambitiously arranged Americana. To hear the swooping strings on ‘Summer of Fear pt. 1′ or the stately horns parading across the 11-minute ‘Losing 4 Winners’ is to witness catharsis crafted with both passion and smarts.” — SPIN

“Much like Conor Oberst, Robinson may be surrounded by friends and their democratic noises, but his burdens are all his own. The bands and artists already mentioned help provide some of Robinson’s sonic signposts as well. The art-soul bleat of TVOTR is there, though MBAR steers more towards Dylan/Band loose-ended ramble than Bowie-styled museum pieces, putting him more in line with Oberst, Phosphorescent, and even the Arcade Fire.” — Pitchfork


Listen:
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - "The Sound"

After listening to any of the four tracks on Brooklyn quartet Suckers debut self-titled EP you won't be at all surprised to learn that Yeasayer's Anand Wilder produced it, along with Chris Moore (TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs). Think "2080" minus the kids. The group, which includes BTW Quinn Walker, constructs songs around uplifting group chants and harmonies and an at times dub-like, always joyful synth-and-percussion based instrumentation (with some bass providing the low-end, tons of shakers). Walker's joined by drummer/keyboardist Brian Aiken and fellow multi-instrumental chanters Austin Fisher and Pan. Speaking of "Pan": Scene-wise, you wouldn't be off placing them square in the colorful, fertile circle of MGMT, Chairlift, and Amazing Baby.

Shilpa Ray and her Happy Hookers play grinding blues, sleazy jazz, and bracing rock with punk immediacy and pop appeal. The result? Something like a vulgar Ella Fitzgerald, channeling Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, and singing her songs before a wall of distortion and thunderous, pounding rhythms. The band reads like a who's who of recent NYC rock luminaries including members of Creaky Boards, Soft Black, Kapow!, and cult rock producers The Negatones. Live shows are already a notorious commodity -- and audiences have been screaming as loud as the band does.

They are currently riding a wave of SXSW buzz which has followed their 7 shows there and preparing for a Spring tour and a Pianos Residency in May. Their debut album, 'A Fish Hook An Open Eye' captures the band's raw and unique sound in 8 solid tracks, demonstrating depth, ability, and emotional scope, eclipsing anything from Shilpa's already lauded past. But Shilpa is not looking back: ‘A Fish Hook An Open Eye will be released this spring and then Shilpa and her band will viciously tour throughout 2009.