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Alright, so if you’ve been listening, you already know that I’m quite partial to the sick electro beat paired with some silky vocals. Dre, Pharell and Timbaland will always be great in my opinion, but it just seems like the indie scene has been coming with the freshest beats lately. Imagine taking this beat and letting Jay-Z put down a verse on it. You don’t have to be a musical genius to know that would be stupid sick. (Also check out Phantogram’s ‘When I’m Small’ and ‘Running From The Cops’ if you want to hear some other nastiness.)
Phantogram is an American Electro Rock band out of Saratoga Springs, NY. Comprised of guitarist Josh Carter and keyboardist Sarah Barthel. Their recently released album ‘Eyelid Movies’ is a strong sign that this group has staying power. The album is solid all the way through.
In answering the age old question for relatively unknown artists “Who do you sound like?” Sarah replies “A combination of Kanye West and Radiohead.” Personally, I’d have to add in ‘The Bird and the Bee’ because Sarah’s vocals are that smooth. Done an Done. I’m a fan.
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Personally, I never thought this much soul could come from Denmark. The land that gave us Lego’s produces another gem in the form of Quadron. Their music reminds me of a throwback to the soul of the 60’s. “Pressure” in particular draws from the likes of Diana Ross and the Supremes. Mayer Hawthorne: you have company.
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Late to the game I know, but last year I was introduced to The Shins. A group of guys who treat their music like works of art. Their albums tell stories, their lyrics are thoughtful and their sound is all their own. Their songs were the type that you can get lost in; perfect for a long drive in autumn. Led by musical genius James Mercer.
In a contrasting musical universe (yes, there are musical universes) a producer named Brian Burton or better known as DangerMouse broke into my musical conscience with the highly acclaimed Grey Album and of course through Gnarls Barkley fame. The Grey Album was a mashup album of Jay-Z’s Black Album and the Beatles White Album. The album took the timeless lyrics of Jay-Z’s greatest album (yes, it’s better than Reasonable Doubt) and infused it with the beats from an even more timeless masterpiece in the Beatles White Album. The result was foreign, creative and inspiring. It just worked… the end result sounded so natural, like the lyrics and the beats were made for each other all along.
When I heard that Mercer and DangerMouse were collaborating on an album I was instantly a fan. The result is their group entitled debut album under the name Broken Bells. I only get to say this 3-4 times a year, but this is an album that I can put in my changer and listen to all the way through on repeat. It’s phenomenal. Get it.
(Side Note: Isn’t it interesting how Cee-Lo (from Gnarls Barkley) and James Mercer have somewhat similar voices? High and kinda whiny? Makes me think that Prince and DangerMouse NEED to get together and make some music!)
Thanks to Katherine B for introducing me to The Shins, Tyler B and Jesse B for heads up on the recent collabo.
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I first came across Sia on Kanye’s blog over a year ago and even though I thought she was a little weird, I couldn’t stop watching/listening. Her quirky performances were intriguing and now I am a fan. “You’ve Changed” is a new single off her upcoming 2010 album and if you are lucky enough to be in Seattle on April 12th or at Coachella, you will be able to get a live glimpse of what I am talking about.
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During one of my recent endeavors into the depths of the interweb, I came across Jonathan Carr. From Glasgow, Scotland, Jonathan received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music at the ripe age of 17. While there, Jonathan won a competition to have John Mayer produce and perform on his track. The outcome: pretty awesome. Here is a link to a clip of the making of the song.
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Okay, let me be the first to say that I thought Fireflies was so catchy, but that it was annoying and a total ripoff of the Postal Service sound. I didn’t want to like Owl City and that’s probably why I just got around to finally listening to their debut album Ocean Eyes. After a thorough listening, I still think they are Postal Service ripoffs and only capable of one sound, but I have to admit that there’s a catchiness to this sound that is almost impossible to deny. I was extremely caught of guard by this one track which stood out in my mind as a bit different. Check out The Saltwater Room, it’s got a chill beat and the lyrics make a little more sense than ‘Ten Million Fireflies. I’m weird cause I hate goodbyes’ which btw doesn’t make you weird at all. In fact you’d probably be more weird if you LIKED goodbyes. Ugh, this post is making me mad. Just listen to that song.
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A little bit of a departure from what I normally post, this song is quite hypnotic. The XX is a small band hailing from South London, England. They will actually be playing in Seattle at Neumo’s on November 27th.
This is something that we normally wouldn’t post but how can you not share such a ridiculously good deal on one of our all-time favorite candies. Which got us to thinking..
Haribo Gummi Bears, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
-Eating a handful at a time is like a party in my mouth and everyone is invited.
-Though I prefer the red heads, I am a sucker for the occasional bear from Greenland.
-Sometimes I perform plastic surgery and create my own hybrid bear/flavor pairing. This is achieved by biting the head of one and attaching it to another.
-From time to time, I like to bite the limbs off first, thus allowing me the confidence to know he won’t be going very far. (wait, what?)
-I enjoy closing my eyes and eating them only to guess which color they are. More often than not, I guess incorrectly, but I do have my way from time to time.
-When the bears are too much for me, I always know I can fall back on the frogs and coke bottles for comfort.
To all you interested buyers, these deals don’t last long so snatch them up before the bears start demanding the money they deserve.
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After successful endeavors with their respective bands, Wes Miles (Think the coach of LSU with a slight lisp) of Ra Ra Riot and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend come to together to form the group Discovery. So different than anything I have heard out there in musicland. The beat is almost reminiscent of the 80’s and is very intoxicating.
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It’s Monday, we’re all back on the grind. I think Hockey nails it with their lyrics: “So much work, work, work. Yeah. So much work for me.” Okay, so he’s probably really talking about a girl and not the TPS report I’m staring at my desk, but still are those two things so different? Just sayin’.
Hockey is a new wave band out of Portland, OR. From the band themselves - ‘We wanted to make dance music that was infectious,’ says Jerm. ‘Almost like: this is a band but it might as well be a DJ.’
Thanks Adam H. and a crazy GirlTalk prefunk for introducing me to this band.
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Andrew found this “little secret” and I happened to play it accidentally on his ITunes one day. I have been hooked ever since. For all you Seattleites, if you want to check these guys out, they will be playing the Showbox at the Market on October 11th. I will be there.
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“Let’s show these fools how we do this on that west side. Cause you and I know it’s the best side” - Tupac Shakur
Thanks Jesse for the tip!
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But, wait
Oh, it’s much too late
Oh, and I cannot be walking home
Until I’ve found my love
Oh, the other girls are drifting home
So, where’s the freedom in the disco
If you’re all alone
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I first discovered Phoenix when Entourage used their hit single from 2000 ‘If I Ever Feel Better’ during their closing credits. 4 albums and a 3 year hiatus later Phoenix scores with their latest album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. So many great songs on the album but ‘Rome’ stands apart.
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Mr. Hudson and the library is a brand new act out of London that is signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label. Not to be confused with the head of its label, Mr. Hudson’s music is categorized as alternative music, as you can hear on this song Supernova, off of their debut album “Straight With No Chaser” due out August 3rd.
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Unofficially, this officially became the anthem to an amazing excursion we had through the wine country of Washington. Simple in lyrics, the true gem of this song is the encompassing beat laid down by Golden Filter. (For download, right-click the link and save target as..)
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“Whooo!”
What can I say? It’s catchy.
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Okay here’s the deal. Put on your best headphones, close your eyes, hit play and let this beat take you somewhere else. It’s crazy. I love it.
While recently exploring the depths of Pandora I stumbled across this gem. Even though it is a little old (circa 2005) it is definitely worthy of a post.
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“You never had it better, Than when I was with you, baby.
So come back to earth, let’s drink some tea and smoke some herb.”
