Archive for the Video Category
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”.
If you like Cold War Kids try: Spoon, Okkervil River.
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 José González takes simple guitar parts and makes them sound intricate and interesting. Debuting on the scene with a style and tone that modernizes classic groups like Simon and Garfunkel; Jose Gonzalez writes rich Indie folk music on his classical guitar to sooth the soul.
In spite of his name Jose Gonzalez was actually born in Sweden and uses his American-European roots to come up with interesting melodies alongside covers. The young artist has a solid command of his guitar and is able to make use of subtle emphasis to add an extra dimension to his guitar playing. His cover of “Heartbeats” (originally by The Knife) has gained recognition and been featured in an award winning commercial for Bravia. It seems strange to link to a commercial but if anyone hasn’t seen this they need to. It’s beautiful. (Click on read more)
His debut album (and only album at the time of writing), Veneer, is full of a subtle passion that any music lover can appreciate.
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 Brand New is most commonly described as being Rock or even Alternative Rock but has roots in New York local hardcore. Even though they’ve been around since 2000 the band gained widespread appeal with the album “Deja Entendu” which is French for “Already Heard,” probably a play on Deja Vu, “Already Seen”.
Their greatest strength is their song writing. Lyrics are easy to hear, understand and beg to be sung along to. Most songs have a quiet build up with a satisfying speed up and blow out. The explemplar of their style would be the song “Sic Transit Gloria.” The title is taken from the latin phrase “Sic Transit Gloria Mundi” which means “thus passes the glory of the world.” Check out the media after the jump for a listen.
If Brand New has a weakness, it is their live shows. They seem to have a hard time keeping in time and playing well with each other. They are worth a listen and have great music for guitar and bass players to learn.
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It’s really hard to put into words how I feel about Sufjan’s music but I guess that’s just it, his music makes me feel, it’s emotional.
Sufjan is talented on some pretty rad instruments, most notably the banjo. He also plays the French horn, the guitar, various woodwinds, the drums, and the piano. Not only is he proficient on the instruments that he plays, but he is also able to write music that truly highlights the sounds of each instrument.
Sufjan Stevens is given credit for his part in the reviving folk music in the Indie realm. He has also set a very lofty goal of producing an album for each of the 50 nifty United States. He’s done Michigan and Illinois and we already enjoy loads of good music.
If you like Sufjan Stevens try: Andrew Bird, Tobias Froberg, and Jose Gonzalez.
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 Seriously, this guy is amazing! Andrew Bird is an accomplished violinist who is able to add that instrument along with some very impressive whistling to create a sound all his own. This is music that is hard to classify, there just aren’t that many artists out there that are doing what Bird is doing and it might be easier to list instruments that he can’t play instead of those that he can. His music can rock, it can make you cry, it can be fun, and at times, it can be ethereal; it’s just takes you somewhere else.
One thing that Bird and I have in common is that we both learned to play the violin by the Suzuki method which directly leads to one of our major differences, he is amazing on the violin and I gave up before I was 7!
It’s been a long road but Andrew Bird has worked himself into the Indie spotlight with albums like Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs and his latest release Armchair Apocrypha. Favorite tracks include “Sovay,” “Skin, Is My” and “Fake Palindromes” but to be honest, you really can’t go wrong with Mr. Bird.
Download “Heretics” from Armchair Apocrypha.
If you like Andrew Bird try: Sufjan Stevens, Jose Gonzalez, Tobias Froberg
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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.
Label type: Indie
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 One of the new and upcoming underground bands in the Utah and Northern California area’s (and expanding) is a group called Victim Effect. This Rock, Metal, Melt Your Face Off, Progressive fusion band has an extremely unique writing style which is perfectly combined with a strong and commanding stage presence. As a well practiced band which cares more about the fans and the music than they do fame and riches, be prepared to become a hardcore fan as you get addicted to their self titled CD, Victim Effect, which is almost exclusively sold only at their concerts and their website. With three guitarists (who compliment each other very well in their musical composition), a bassist, an amazing drummer (which all super amazing bands should have), keytarist (for electronica awesomeness and sample playback), male vocal lead, and female back-up vocals.
Started in Sacramento, CA and relocated to Provo, UT this is definitely a band that wants you as a fan and will prove it. Send them a myspace message, talk to them after a show, bump into them somewhere random, and this is a band who wants to get to know every single one of their fans. They have gone on a few mini-tours up and down the west coast and hit most of the western US states. Where many Indie bands in this genre fail, Victim Effect successfully makes you want to move to the music.
When it comes to making a list or searching for a new less-known band to listen to, going to a concert is the best exposure you can get to Victim Effect. They have a song called “Alice Alice” for free download on their website, or you can listen to a few of their songs as well as see their “Go Fight” music video on their Myspace page. I would recommend “You Bet” and “Backwoods Gunsmen” as initial songs to listen to in addition to the “Go Fight” music video.
Label type: Indie
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 Imogen Heap, the talented and dynamic ex-Frou Frou front woman takes the lead as a soloist continuing with her strong independent sounds and emotion evoking lyrics. Regardless of what style of music you come from, you are sure to enjoy listening to “Hide and Seek” as well as the rest of the tracks on her recent album Speak for Yourself. It’s a well-rounded, powerful album that you not only need to hear but are sure to love after you do.
On stage there really isn’t an explanation that will do her justice. Mixing and looping her own sounds and creations live, she provides a unique expression of multiple instruments controlled over a MIDI keyboard and laptop while singing at the same time. She is self-taught in sequencing, music engineering, and sampling. On musical instruments, she is proficient in playing piano (her first instrument), as well as the cello, clarinet, guitar, drums, and the unique Array Mbira.
Imogen is an accomplished singer/songwriter and producer who has worked with people from Josh Groban (ah hem, no comment), Britney Spears (we might just forgive her this one time for that), Jeff Beck, Sean Lennon, Blue October, and even Acacia. She has been burned a few times and doesn’t trust big music labels, rightly so, but has recently sided with BMG after working explicitly with Almo and Megaphone.
As far as genres are concerned, good luck really hitting the nail on the head, but as far as an attempt we could put her in the following: Electronic, Alternative, Indie Rock, and Ambient.
Label Type: Indie
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