Being it Friday, I wanted to throw out a few electronica songs that will get you going for the weekend. I have a track here from Billy The Kit called "Booster" and another speaker banger by Nero.
"Booster" by Billy The Kit reminds me of something that might have been left off the Blade Original Soundtrack. You remember the vampire movie that really kicked off the now overhyped genre. Who knew Blade was ahead of it's time? Actually, Blade was ahead of it's time for being one of the first successful Marvel Franchises. Enough Blade talk, this track is brand spanking new. Get out your glow-sticks.
And then there's Nero. I enjoy this song for it's constant assault on my speakers. I imagine if my neighbors ever gave me shit, I'd just crank this and put the woofers to the floor. Yeah, I remember doing that once in college with some 15 inch subs. Neighbors thought a helicopter was overhead. "Bad Trip(Bar 9 Remix) by Nero.
What's in the water in Sweden? They're putting out a lot super pop alternative songs from a decent assortment of bands. Bye Bye Bicycle join the company of all those bands that include one of my personal favorites, Lykke Li. They sound more English to me than Swedish but that's the power of music. It can really hide your nationality.
"Northpole" is one of their first singles from a few years back. After hearing this song for the first time, I was certain they were from somewhere in England. Who knew?
"Believe Me/Leave Me" is their newest track from Nature. I think they've really matured on this album. Their sound is more layered and full. I'm digging what I'm hearing on this single. I like when bands play on a spinning floor in a video. More spinning floors please.
I wanted to post the usual flashback Tuesday band yesterday but got caught up so here it goes. The blast from the past comes from a band from the heart of Los Angeles, Knapsack. I actually used to live across the street from the lead singer, Blair Shehan. Listening to the new band he formed play was entertaining when you walked by.
Knapsack put out three albums in the mid to late 90's. They were caught in that pre-emo wave but were really better than that. Their sound reminded me a lot of Jawbreaker at the time. Blair Shehan had a great way of expressing himself through words. The lyrics to this day stand the test of time. Worth digging through the stacks of used cds and picking them up. Shehan formed The Jealous Sound in the early 2000's and they're still playing. The Jealous Sound is actually playing at Satellite in Silverlake in a week.
"Please Shut Out The Lights" still remains as one of my favorite songs from the late 90's. What a great track. Love the way this song just closes out the album This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now.
"Courage Was Confused" is a track from their second album Day Three of My New Life. The raw punk energy fused with the low key melodies at the beginning is just great. Lot of new alternative bands play rock too clean these days. I love the raw screaming here and the jagged guitars.
"Cold Enough To Break" is one of those songs that just grabs you on the first listen. The lyrics are so strong and heavy you can't help yourself but to listen closely. This band deserved more hype when they were around.
Have no fear good people, Blair is still writing great music with The Jealous Sound. They just put out A Gentle Reminder and are touring as we speak. Here's "Change You" from A Gentle Reminder.
As a long time fan of the FIFA series by EA, I wanted to talk about all the great music they've brought to the masses. This video game franchise has been awesome at introducing a huge population to indie bands that might have gone unnoticed. I know people that would've never encountered that genre of music if it wasn't for FIFA games. Here's a quick crashcourse through all the great music that has been in FIFA games in the past years. Just in time for FIFA 13 which comes out Tuesday.
"Wolves" by Good Natured was on the load screen on FIFA 12 if I remember right. Anyhow, the song is damn good and stuck in a lot of game players heads by now.
"Gold Gun Girls" by Metric was a main stay in FIFA 10. This song will bring back memories for anyone that's played that game. I think it was on all the load screens. Great song either way.
"Not In Love" by Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith was one of my personal favorites from the game. I had the CD but didn't have the version with Robert Smith singing. I had to hunt this track down as a single. Well worth it. One of my favorite Smith songs from the last decade.
"Panda" by Astro is one of the new tracks that will blitz our ears in FIFA 13. Didn't know much about them but playing the new demo got me to seek them out. Hats off to the music supervisors for the FIFA games.
I don't know much about Bear Mountain. But they're music is damn infectious and if you look them up on YouTube, you get snowboarding videos. Yeah, guess the mountain part throws the search off. And they're not the bearded old dudes that played in the 70's either. Yeah, I ran across that in my search on Google. Come on people, pick a name that's easier to search. They should consider this when deciding on a band name.
"Congo" is one of their first songs off of their EP XO. I could definitely get used to their music quick. The chorus is great on this.
"Two Steps" reminds me of early Passion Pit but a little more refined around the edges. Bear Mountain could make a mark in the indie-electro scene with a name change. I kid I kid, their name is alright.
The Vandelles do their best to follow bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club with extra grunge out guitars and surf side melodies. I really dig the band's rough around the edges sound. The kind of songs I can see in the next David Lynch movie. They give me a 50's vibe with motorcycles, muscle cars and switchblades.
"Lovely Weather" is one of my personal favorites from The Vandelles. This video really represents that noir infused sound. I really like the fuzzy guitars with the muddy vocals.
"Get Down" is from their album Del Black Aloha. It's a bum rush of fuzzy guitars and distortion. I love a good wall of sound. I need a good car chase to go with this music.
"Summer Fling" is one of the tracks that really gives that surf vibe. It's hard to believe these guys are from the east coast when you listen to this song. Summer might be over but the fling can carry on. Not sure what's up with this video.
It seems to be a trend these days with European bands making catchy pop songs in English. The latest import to catch my ears is Pony Pony Run Run. Their music is catchy and simple. Nothing to distract from just enjoying the song for what it is. Great background music on a summer day or a drive. They've been around for a while but I know I haven't heard much about them. I'm not positive about their album's American release yet. There's plenty of their music on YouTube to enjoy. A good handful of their singles are also on iTunes.
"Come Back To Me" is from their self-titled release from this year. It reminds me of another popular French band that made it stateside just recently. I'm sure you can pick up on that.
"Sorry" is another single from their new album. Nothing like a video with mermaids. French mermaids to be exact. I know you're interested now.
"Hey You" is the band's most well known song. I think it's available on amazon.com and iTunes. The shot of the skinny French hipster trying to box made me laugh.
I haven't checked on Jonah rocks page on YouTube in a while but I decided to give it a view tonight. Wow, how time flies. I remember seeing Jonah on YouTube back when he was 3 years old. He's 7 now, sporting a mohawk and still smashing those drums. If you've never seen Jonah, you need to get on his YouTube channel and view his amazing talent. The future of rock will be in good hands with more kids like Jonah. And big props to his parents for nurturing his love for music.
Here's Jonah playing "Smoke On The Water" by Deep Purple on drums. I wonder if he has groupies at this school.
I still remember the first time I heard Murder By Death. They were opening for The Gaslight Anthem and I was blown away. This was four years ago and I felt so out of the know. What have I been listening to? How did I miss such an awesome band? Always a great privilage to be introduced to a band live.
We are days away from the release of their newest album Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon (September 25, 2012). It gives me another reason to hunt them down for a live show. To hear Sarah Balliet play the cello live is a treat. The entire band is great actually but I have my personal crush on Sarah playing her cello. It gives their music, live and in recorded, such a gothic and deep sound.
I was planning on an album review next week for Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon, but I think so highly of this band that they deserved a complete shout out. I've notice a lot of people have never heard of them or didn't realize they had heard them in passing. Their name sounds more suited for a Norwegian death metal band. These guys are far from. Think of them as a modern day western outfit. Dusty roads, booze soaked dreams, and a bloody nose after a bar fight in the deep south. At least that's what I imagine when I listen to their music. It's like a William Gay novel brought to life in sound.
"I Came Around" is one hell of a song from Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon. I want to give that album a full listen next week and get back with my favorites. If the rest of the album sounds like this, I'm a happy camper. Seriously folks, this a novel in song.
"I'm Comin' Home" from Red of Tooth & Claw is their most popular song to date. I'm sure a lot of people have heard this song and didn't know the band responsible. This song kicks much ass live. "Turning brick walls into doors, I'm Comin' home." Enough said. Here is a fan recorded live version of the song.
"White Noise" was their big single from Good Morning, Mapie album released in 2010. Very cool video to go with the haunting song.
"No Oath, No Spell" is another single from Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon. I just love hearing Sarah Balliet and Adam Turla stripping down the song to two instruments. Sounds so much bigger than two people playing. Go see them live and buy their music. This is the kind of band we need to support. Brilliant!
Yeah, nothing these days really sounds that new let's all be honest. But it doesn't have to be a bad thing in my book. The Presets new album Pacifica does a great job sounding like Underworld and yet sounding original enough not to bore me. Songs like "Youth In Trouble" and "Surrender" are total Underworld flashbacks to me. They do have some tracks that jump the rail like "Ghosts" and "Promises" that actually sound more like Erasure to me. Honestly, I think the entire album has a lot going on to make a wide variety of electronica fans happy.
"Youth In Trouble" is one of the first singles off Pacifica. It's a good club thumping song that made me dust off my Underworld CD's.
"Ghosts" seems to be their latest single. You can tell these guys really have range in their sound. That's what made the album appealing to me.
The swimming in this song reminded me of the New Puritans song "We Want War." This band never made a splash here in the States. I know totally random but enjoy it anyways.
Here's "Bruce Lee" from Underworld's album Beaucoup Fish. The band kids, not the movie.Just wanted to show why I thought The Presets on some songs sounded similar. Beaucoup Fish still sounds great 13 years later.
Wax Tailor just put out Dusty Rainbow From The Dark and definitely makes a mark in the trip-hop arena. A very solid LP with a nice list of guest appearances on vocals. I want to give some credit to Wax Tailor for being so versatile on this album as a whole. There are songs on Dusty Rainbow From The Dark that could easily be a replacement for the opening credit of Mad Men. Then there are songs that are more hip-hop and less trip-hop. The entire album might not be for everyone. If you like Portishead, I recommend the tracks: Heart Stop, No Regret, Phonovisions, Down In Flames, Dusty Rainbow, and Only Once.
"Heart Stop" is one of the first singles off Dusty Rainbow From The Dark and itfeatures Jennifer Charles on vocals. She does a great job imitating Beth Gibbons style of vocals.
"Dragon Chasers" is an older song from Wax Tailor and features Charlotte Savary. It's worth a click if you're unfamiliar with his work. Cool video. The name of the song reminds me of a South Park episode.
I'm a little behind in talking about this band but they recently caught my ear and I really dig their weird electro rock sound. Actually, what's more strange is their lyrics. The band in question is I Was A Teenage Satan Worshipper. Yeah, that's actually their name. They're from Finland so that might explain the name and the strange lyrics. If you like Primal Scream as much as I did back in the late 90's you will dig this band.
"Amasterdamned" is my own personal favorite track they've put out so far. It's from their album Strange Lights. I know they have a new one coming out soon. Hoping they have more cool songs like this one. It takes me back to XTRMNTR era Primal Scream. With a beat this cool, lyrics can be forgiven.
And for those of you that were under a rock when Primal Scream came out with XTRMNTR, it's time for you to pick up that album. It still holds up. Here's their big single "Swastika Eyes." They had a video for this song but I can't seem to find it on YouTube. If I remember right, it was available on the CD with a double disk set.
I use music in the background while writing. So, it's nice when you can listen to something other than film scores while doing so. I'm not the only person that doesn't like writing to music that has lyrics. Just hard to consentrate on your own words when someone elses words are being sung in your ears. Anyhow, bands like Godspeed! and Explosions In The Sky get heavy play in my iTunes because of it. It's nice when a new band comes along to add to that collection.
I'm talking about Collapse Under The Empire. Just two guys making all this epic sound. I think all the songs from their new album Fragments Of A Prayer hasleaked on YouTube. If you like Explosions in The Sky, you will dig these guys.
"Closer" is their first official single from Fragments Of A Prayer. "Closer" doesn't take long to build unlike some of their other songs. Probably the reason why they picked it as the first single.
Grime's video for "Genesis" has me puzzled. What the hell is going on it this? And what is she singing? I agree with one of the YouTube comments, "what language is this?" I've tried to listen to her LP but I just think it's some hype that's got her all the love. I don't see anything remotely that interesting about the music and her lyrics are pointless. At least to those of us that have no clue what she's saying. She's from Canada right? They speak English there last I checked.
I do enjoy the girls in weird outfits. But seriously, out of all those views, how many watched it for the song? You guys be the judge. Maybe I'm completely out of place. I don't hate it, just don't get it.
Polica came out with Give You The Ghost earlier in the year but I never watched their videos. Today, I decided to check out a few of their videos and honesty it made one of their songs more epic. Might be the reason why they have a nice amount of views. Not to take away from their music of course. Has anyone else had that happen to them?
"Amongster" was the video of theirs that I was referring to. The nature photography with shallow depth of field just looks great with the music. The song has a more epic feel after watching it. I do dig the song regardless of the video. Just saying. It's my favorite from Give You The Ghost.
After one sloppy Monday Night Football game, I came home and hit play on my iTunes and I bounced right to Moss. I had forgotten all about their album Ornaments. Moss reminds me of Fleet Foxes in the vocal melodies but with a good mix of synth to make the songs feel a little more pop. They're too good to be with so few views on YouTube and this little of hype. I'm always surprised when bands don't get heard. Maybe it's because they're not from the US or the UK.
"Almost A Year" is one hell of a song. I personally love lyrics and it's great when that combines with the right melody to create a memorable song. I was hooked by the twelves seconds mark. Really, that's all it took. I'm just surprised there's no official video for this song. What gives fellas?
"The Hunter" is one of the singles released from Ornaments so far. It's the great middle to me showcasing both sides of their sound. These guys can write songs, that's all there is to it.
"What You Want" was their first single off the album. I don't think there's a bad song on Ornaments. It's here that they sound most like Fleet Foxes to me.
When I think of New York bands I tend to think of The Strokes. The Republic of Wolves on the other hand sound like they're from the deep south somewhere. I was thinking maybe an Alabama band. Anyhow, these guys are good. A nice melodic rock with soulful lyrics that is always welcome to me. Their latest LP is In The House of Dust. They remind me a lot of Manchester Orchestra and Brand New.
"Home" is off of their EP The Cartographer and it's one of my personal favorites of theirs. I'm surprised it didn't catch on more than it has.
Here's an acoustic version of "Woolen Blankets" from their album Varuna. Love the banjo in this song. Anytime a band sounds this good stripped down to it's essential sound, it makes me think they're worth the ticket live.
"For His Old Branches" is from In The House of Dust. I wanted to make sure to plug a song from that LP. That albums is actually a mixture of acoustic versions, demos and alternatives of older songs. I think it's a great introduction to the band.
So, I really wanted to post the videos Futurecop!. The music is interesting in it's heavy 80's synth. Most their songs seem like they would've fit right in with the Drive soundtrack. Anyhow, what I'm here to show is their videos. I can't really figure out if they've made them or they're fan-made. It's an odd mixture of 80's popculture slapped together to go along with their music. Some of the movies they cut in are more obscure than others. Oh yeah, they're a UK based outfit.
"Class of 1984" is the first video up. Makes me want to watch Ghostbusters. This is from their album The Movie.
"Gateaux Blaster" is one my favorite song from The Movie. The video is made up of animated cartoons from the 80's. It's a best of animated cartoons from my childhood actually. This video is just too rad not watch all the way through and remember when you were 12. OK, maybe I still enjoy those cartoons just as much. Yes, I admitted it.
"1988 Girls" is rather self-explanatory. You know after giving their album another listen, I have to say I actually enjoy it more.
"The Only Way" is Futurecop!'s own original video. Just wanted to share an actual video they've made. This song is new and not on their album The Movie.
Yup, another band not from the United States. We are falling behind this year. I've been more impressed by music from all around the world lately than past year. Thank you internet for making this possible. Not saying there hasn't been great albums from US bands this year. I guess my own exposure to foreign bands has expanded.
Lola Kite has come out with solid album that's enjoyable from beginning to end. I Start To Believe You came out earlier this year but it's still in heavy rotation on my iTunes. They have a nice blend of 80's synth pop that's easy to listen to and before you know it the album is done.
"Energy Could Be Our Closest Friend" is in my opinion their most memorable song on this album. It has a nice slick production and low key vocals that blend seamlessly with the synth.
"Don't Block Our Sun" is probably their funkiest song on the album. The beat at times seems in contrast to the synth but somehow it works. I love the girl dancing perfectly to the music in this video. It's almost hypnotic.
"Tokyo Love" was the third track I picked just because it involves a city name. I had to keep in line with my previous posts about songs with city names. It's a nice song nonetheless. It's odd that it's the second song this year I've liked with Tokyo in the title. That city must be kicking it these days with all the love.
The other day I stepped all over the band The Script. Today, I want to give you an alternative that actually shows a range of talent. The Script truly sound so processed I felt like I was eating a chicken McNugget. Bastille is the name of the band and for some reason they don't have an actual album out. They've put a song here and there plus recently they released a free EP of covers. I highly recommend you hunt down that free EP called Other People's Heartache. So, there's no album review for this band but a showcase of a few songs that expose their range and talent. And yes these guys are from the UK.
"Laura Palmer" is a damn addictive pop song. I guess the band likes Twin Peaks. If you like a synthy pop song well look no further.
"Requiem for Blue Jeans" is one of the cover songs from Other People's Heartache I wanted to share. They do a great job of mixing "Requiem For A Dreams" famous title song by Clint Mansell with "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey. These guys are good. I'm picking up their album when they finally get around to releasing one.
"Bad Blood" is their newest single and it seems to have caught some hype with all the views. I'm thinking most are from the UK and Europe.
I can't believe it's Tuesday again. I promised to talk about bands some might have forgotten or missed in the last 10 years. One of my personal favorites was Idlewild. This Scottish band had a small moment in Europe but barely a blip on this side of the pond. They came and went with a few videos here and there. I think the labels mishandled them and they never had their moment in the sun like they deserved. Here are three of my favorite Idlewild videos in no particular order.
"You Held The World In Your Arms" is from Idlewild's The Remote Part album released in 2002. The Remote Part is my favorite album of theirs. I highly recommend seeking it out and giving it a full listen. You will be dissapointed you didn't buy it when it was released. I didn't play FIFA '03 but from the YouTube feedback I guess that's where most heard this song. And they say video games are a waste of time.
"A Modern Way Of Letting Go" is a nice short and powerful little song. I tried not to include another song from The Remote Part but it's too hard. That album is that freaking good.
"These Wooden Ideas" might have been the first song of Idlewild I heard. I remember buying the 100th Broken Window CD from the used bin. I don't think they actually had a new copy of Idlewild. It was most likely brought there by some A&R intern because Aaron Records was close to a lot of major record labels in Los Angeles. I miss you Aaron Records and the cute alterna-girls working the counter. They were the type you'd be embarrassed to buy mainstream from to avoid judgement.
I just love the world getting smaller by all the bands popping up from every country. I didn't expect to have such cleaned up English language melodic music coming from Norway. I was actually thinking they were from either Portland or the East Coast. Team Me is the band and their album is called To The Treetops!. I know they played at this year's SXSW. I've been listening to them since March and I guess they haven't caught on here in the US yet. They remind me a lot Freelance Whales.
"Show Me" is their first big single from To Tree Tops!. This song is catchy and damn infectious like bird flu. I listened to it off and on for about a month when it first came out. If you haven't heard them yet, waste no time and click the link.
The melody on "Daggers" is what made me recall Freelance Whales the most. I'm betting if some placement agent heard these guys they would be getting played in a ton of TV commercials. Sometimes, you hope bands like this just stay a secret so you don't hear them during the next Taco Bell ad. Yes, I'm talking about you, Passion Pit. "They gotta eat!"
"Patrick Wolf & Daniel Johns" is another great track from this LP. These three songs should be convincing enough for you to find out more about Team Me.
Just in case you haven't heard of the Patrick Wolf they refer to it in the song title, here's "Time of My Life." I only link this for the benefit of the American readers. I'm always a sucker for girls who play violin. Just saying.
I really love this video. I first saw it back in the spring of this year and thought I'd watch it again. I noticed that it didn't have a lot hits on YouTube. I wanted to make sure to mention it so people would check it out. The song is "Cold Feet" by Lost Lander from their album DRRT. The song is actually what inspired the video so let's not take away credit here from the source.
The entire Lost Lander album is worth a listen while you're checking out this video. Click on their "Afraid of Summer" track on YouTube after you watch the video above. For some reason the link for it wouldn't embed.
I just came across The Script because I don't listen to the radio. That made me sound like a music snob, but honestly with everything from YouTube to iTunes following us around on our phones why listen to the radio? Anyhow, I randomly came across The Script. After one listen, I wanted to throw chairs at whatever source led me to this stuff. If Nickelback had a younger brother that was a bigger douche than them, The Script would be it's name.
That's all my rant. I told myself I wouldn't slam bands on this site but this is too watered down and assy not to say to avoid. It's like a public service announcement. I would link a video but why make you suffer if you haven't heard their shit.
It's become a theme so far for me to dig up things that might have been passed by this year. I was thinking about what t I was playing late spring/early summer and I came across Fibes, Oh Fibes!. I forgot how much fun this band is. They remind me of a Swedish Hall and Oates in some songs. Maybe it's the blonde guy with a mustache that does it. He's both Hall and Oates rolled into one. They sing music that just makes you happy.
"Apex Of The Sun" was the first song I heard from their LP called Album. I imagine these Sweds have a great sense of humor with an album called Album. Anyhow, this song is the kind of music that makes me think of sunshine, the beach, and a chocolate sunday. Where's the official video for this damn song? This deserves one. I think I played this YouTube video a lot. This is still not available in the US.
"Goodbye To Love" is the Hall and Oates sound I was talking about earlier. This really has a flashback to the mid 70's Pop-R&B sound. It's so different from "Apex Of The Sun," it's hard to believe that it's not only on the same album but it's done by the same band.
"Untitled" is one of the other songs I managed to find of them on YouTube from this LP. This song is damn good but I have an issue with length. Not sure why a pop tune like this needs to be over 5 minutes long. Just a preference. Make this album available in the US.
I was browsing for another good band to talk about and then started listening to TV Girl'salbum The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle. I've had this album all summer and am surprised it hasn't had more write ups. These guys deserve more views on Youtube.
"All A Dream" was one of the summer's perfect pop songs. I know I played it in the car more than a dozen times while driving around. It reminds me of MGMT's first album. How does this song not have more love? Their use of samples and layered beats is pretty seamless.
"Loud And Clear" is probably a close second for me on this album. Just so damn cool how they layer all the samples. It's hard to tell what songs they lifted things from. This is the summer album people just didn't realize existed. You officially have a few more days of summer left. It's not too late to declare these two songs summer jams.
Tu Fawning are a Portlant, Oregon based band that pretty much defines their city with their sound. I can't imagine them coming from anywhere else in the United States. This is so Portlant. And not in a bad way. Portlandia has sort of made that town a punchline.
It's really hard to nail down what they might sound like which is pretty cool in my opinion. "Anchor" is one of their more accessible songs for the masses. Probably the reason why they picked that as their first single off their album A Monument. Not sure what the guy is doing running aimlessly near the ocean. Hell, I have no idea what any of these people are doing in this video. The entire album might not be for everyone but I think this single is a damn good start.
Here's a stripped down version of "A Pose For No One" from A Monument. I like how organic their melody is live. I should catch this band next time they're in Los Angeles.
Last song I'm posting for you good folks is "Sad Story" from their Hearts on Hold LP. And yes this video is weird. I do enjoy when one of them shoots glitter out of her hands. I think it's glitter?
65daysofstatic to be exact. This is by no means a new band but I'm sure there are plenty of people that haven't listened to these guys. All my other posts have focused on the more melodic side of alternative but I wanted to bring some noise to the party. These guys are a mix between Explosions in the Sky and At The Drivei-In with a twist of Clint Mansell for good measure. If you're looking for music to get you pumped during a workout or a good run look no further. Also, great for any trailer you might want to make for a movie. Here are a few tracks that I highly recommend downloading from iTunes or wherever you get your music.
"Radio Protector" is probably one of their most epic songs. I'm surprised I haven't heard it in a movie trailer yet. This song comes from their album One Time For All Time released in 2006.
This is one of the songs that really gets you fired up. These guys have no vocals which make their songs even more fun to listen to in my opinion. Sometimes you just want to hear the guitars and the drums pound. "Crash Tactics" from We Were ExpldingAnyways by 65daysofstatic. This might be their most bleep bloopy song. That's my own wording for electronic synthy vibe. Yes, I'm very technical folks.
Here's another epic track from these guys. This reminds me of something I might see Clint Mansell compose for a film. Definitely a bit more raw than Mansell's compositions but still in the same ballpark. "Don't Go Down to Sorrow" from The Destruction Of Small Ideas.
Here's "Death Is The Road to Awe" from Clint Mansell's score of The Fountain. Take out the strings and put in guitars. You can see what I'm talking about with the similarity to 65daysofstatic. Isn't music amazing how it can emotionally move you with no spoken words?
I first heard Capital Cities live. No better way to be introduced to a band than to be invited to a show by one of their fans. I'm assuming the person that invited me is a fan knowing she's friends with the band. Then again it's hard not to be a fan of this band. They don't have a full length album out yet but they deserve your attention. This band was made to play on Friday coming home from work.
"Safe and Sound" is their first big song that some might have actually heard. I'd say this band is most similar to Passion Pit. At least on this song they are. Their live performance is just as good as their recordings. This fan video is better than the one they made later.
It's cool that they can make clever beats but not take the lyrics so seriously. "Kangaroo Court" is a perfect nonsense pop song made for airplay.
The newest thing I could dig up on Capital Cities is this damn good cover of the classic song performed by Sinead O'connor and written originally by Prince. "Nothing Compares To You" looks like a simple song to cover but these guys make it their own. Look forward to their first full length LP.
Just a few days ago I was introduced to the song "Tokyo" by California Wives from Chicago. They have a very Two Doors Cinema style of a sound. To be fair, they actually are more distant relatives of early 90's New Order than more recent bands. Really catchy pop-alternative. Layered vocals with nicely arranged synth beats overlapping the guitars. Their album Art History is out and worth a spin for fans of alt-pop.
Like I mentioned before, I was introduced to this band through "Tokyo" a few days ago. This song to me is the most catchy of the tracks on Art History. Maybe I just like city of Tokyo and there's the immediate attraction. I've never even been there.
It's hard to find links to a lot of their songs on Youtube. "Los Angeles" was another song I really enjoyed on the album. Maybe I like songs about cities. That's it. Just wait to the next entry where I talk about a band with the name "cities" in the title. Here's "Twenty Three" from California Wives. These guys are from Chicago so maybe this song is about Michael Jordon?
Here's the last song I'm posting from California Wives. They are worth a listen. Easy on the ears. "Purple" is the name of the track and I wish there was a better sounding version on Youtube. These guys have a crisp sound. Don't let the poor audio quality fool you.
Early in the year, I found out about Zulu Winter and their single "We Should Be Swimming." I thought this band would definitely get a lot of praise and get some attention from the perfectly crafted song. I was pretty wrong on that one. They did get a little write up on NME but no dent on the US side. The Brits are so ahead of us in music taste. Just compare Rolling Stone magazine to NME in showcasing new bands. Normally, Rolling Stone is six months behind something NME mentions. Just saying.
Anyhow, Zulu Winter have put out one hell of a first album. On Language they really showcase that new perfectly crafted sound coming from England. They remind me a lot of the Maccabees. I just hope we get more of these kinds of bands.
Their first single "We Should Be Swimming" is a great kickoff to an album that follows close behind. I honestly can't find anything not right about this song. Maybe that's their only flaw, they are too clean in their music. A little more fuzz in the guitars. Would that be considered Math Rock? And give the lead singer a sandwich in this video. The dude looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks.
"Key To My Heart" is the latest single from the album. I mean seriously, these guys know how to craft a song. Flawless.
Here's "Silver Tongue" which probably is my second favorite song on the album. Make no mistake, the entire album is a must own. There's no filler here. I hope these guys stick around to make another album after this one.
Seeing this clip made me realize I need to see this band live. And the dude needs to eat some food.
This LP has been playing off and on since it came out earlier in the year. It's definitely not for everyone but if you like trip hop and especially Portishead then you should find Emika's self-titled LP Emika. It's a nice dark and moody album with sparse sounds and features a vicious subwoofer beatdown. The bass will kick you in the face in a good way.
"Professional Loving" happens to be me one of my favorite tracks from the album. It might just be the most accessible song for the masses. Sometimes with trip hop it's tough to recommend to others. You can definitely see the similarities here with Portishead. And by no means am I putting this song down but actually giving it a compliment.
"Double Edged" seems to be Emika's most popular song. I gauged that by the amount of views it's gotten on Youtube. I think it's one of the earlier songs released for this album. I love the building song behind the track that keeps getting broken down by a thumbing drum beat.
"Drop The Other" was another one of those tracks that was released on a previous EP and made it's way to her debut album. I just love the soundscapes that follow her voice.
Here's the classic song "Only You" by Portishead. I remember how much I loved this video when I saw it on MTV way back in the 90's. I think it still holds up really well.
