Tobias Fröberg is awesome. Honestly, I don’t know much about this guy other than that he is an Indie folk singer/songwriter from Sweden who has toured with Jose Gonzalez and that his music is a really worthwhile.
As I sit here listening to him, I really can’t figure out why Tobias Froberg isn’t more of a household name among Indie music lovers the world over. His melodies are fun (the kind that usually get you to sing along before you even know the words) and his vocals are moody. His songs are mostly, if not all, based on his acoustic guitar. If you think folk and you just won’t be disappointed.
I think the thing that I like most about Mr. Froberg’s music is his versatility. When he wants to be happy and upbeat, as in “When The Night Turns Cold” he does it convincingly and when he wants to be all sappy and lovey dovey, he does it with the best of them.
Froberg has released two albums, For Elisabeth Wherever You Are and Somewhere in the City. Somewhere in the City is an impressive release, one of those very complete and well-constructed albums that you can listen to all the way through over and over. Have a listen and see for yourself.
I sit here listening to a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Antony and the Johnsons and I feel calmed by the hauntingly beautiful voice of Antony Hegarty. I’ve been a fan of these guys for a while and I must say that they are one of the few bands to cover this song that actually do it justice (in my humble opinion anyway).
Hegarty was born in the U.K. and moved to the U.S. as a teen. His voice is truly one-of-a-kind and I like it a lot. There aren’t many singers out there that can pack as much emotion into their voice as Antony can. Have a listen and see for yourself!
The band has released 2 albums, Antony and the Johnsons and I Am A Bird Now with a release entitled The Crying Light due out autumn 2008.
Favorite songs include “Fistful of Love“, “Hope There’s Someone“, and “Cripple and the Starfish”. If you like Antony and the Johnsons, try: Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, Bjork, and Rufus Wainwright.
Here’s a live video of Antony and the Johnsons playing “Fistful of Love”. I like the studio version of this song better because the horns give it that big band type of feel, but this is pretty rad too. Enjoy!
So I moved in to a new place over the weekend and I had some time to listen to a couple of albums, one of them was Cowards & Robbers by the Cold War Kids. These guys have kind of already broken onto the scene and they are playing their super cool Indie Rock infused with a bad case of the blues. Their sound is very simple and totally broken down to the basics, they have a pretty normal setup with guitar, bass, piano, and drums.
The vocals coupled with the piano are really what sells me on this band. Lead singer Nathan Willett has a tone that strikes deep, his voice is really what makes this band unique.
Cold War Kids have already played before a national audience a few times (Letterman and Kimmel) and have proven to have a sound that will stick around for a while. If you haven’t heard them, you need to check them out. My favorite songs is “We Used To Vacation” (the video for the song is featured in this post). The break down as the chorus comes in is just awesome. Other notable songs are the single “Hang Me Up To Dry” and “Hospital Beds”.
Kalai (Kaniela Ka lei Ali’i ‘O’Kalani Kala’i) was born in Hawaii, but raised primarily in Alaska. His musical styles include blues, folk rock, and acoustic. His fans usually also like Ben Harper, G. Love, Israel, Damien Rice, and he is much better than that annoying Jack Johnson. Give your ears the soothing sounds of “On My Mind” (available on his Myspace page). You can’t forget a crowd favorite, “Fear Not the Wild Things,” which combined with the music from the rest of his albums will convince you as it has me, that Kalai brings a new standard to the singer/songwriter category of Indie music. He has a super smooth and controlled voice, and is almost surgical with his clean and crisp guitar playing.
Nicknamed “The Hand” because of an enormous hemangioma that grew on his hand as a child, he has had to learn to live with constant pain in the affected area’s of his hand which he usually keeps wrapped and medicated. His sound is a mix of the areas and cultures which have influenced him through his life; the laid-back sounds of the Polynesian culture as well as the blues and folk styles of the mainland. One thing common in Blues music that Kalai is an expert at is ad-libbed, on-site song writing. Just as a he makes a joke or tells a story, he can immediately flow that story or joke into a completely original song.
On stage and in person, he is one of the funniest musicians you may ever meet, aside from Stephen Lynch of course. His humor and vocal tones when he is making jokes and teasing, have a strange but welcome familiarity, just like that of the late Mitch Hedberg. Even in the middle of a live performance, he once took a short time to make fun of me as I had to leave to take a phone call from a friend who was meeting me at the concert. By short time I mean 15 minutes, and by make fun of me I mean thoroughly embarrass.
If you are a big fan, leave a comment with your favorite songs and why you like Kalai.
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