I have 4 exams in 4 days 2 physics, 1 mathematics and 1 chemistry. And I'm listening to Metric's new single from their album Fantasies! Its ultra catchy and smart, plus I have a style crush on Emily Haines, I wanna steal her wardrobe!
Sucks. Really it does. NOFX and Bad Religion are touring this year as well as is a newly "independent" Anti-Flag (they broke free of their corporate shackles and are now signed to Side One Dummy), but besides Meg & Dia there isn't that much else to look forward to. Unless you think Jeffree Star and Millionaires have any talent, which I don't. This music tour better have a serious makeover come next year or else they are going to be losing a ton of devoted punk fans.
Laura Marling - "Ghosts" and "New Romantics" I have a broken heart, I fell in love with a close friend who is now dating another close friend...these two songs have helped.
In other news, I was listening to Kate Nash's song "We get On" and realized it was written for my situation, but then again when you are sad every unrequited love song applies to you. Here are my other favorites:
Robyn - "Be Mine!" (Her whole album is actually amazing, she has a great voice and really unique style.)
Kate Nash - "We Get On" It sounds happy at first but there is an emotional shift in the middle.
Vertical Horizon - "Everything You want" and "Best I Ever Had" These guys must have gotten their hearts broken a lot because their entire debut album consists of break up songs!
Cage the Elephant - Their song "ain't no rest for the wicked" is a sweet little tune that sounds a bit like country (and not Kieth Urban country, like Johnny Cash Country), a bit of the blues and soul, with some funk and punk added in. I really dig how eclectic their sound is, it reminds me a lot of Gogol Bordello's version of "punk" which combines folk, gypsy and Ukrainian music, and pub anthems into a strange punk rock hybrid.
Are finally coming out with a full length album, a day after Asher Roth debuts his new album on itunes. Make the right choice pick up Chester French and leave Asher Roth in the discount bin.
I just watched this really wonderful french movie called "Love Me if You Dare" from 2003. It sounds corny, however it was far from it (its not Twilight...vomit). The plot basically centers around best friends who are so in love with each other they eventually destroy each others lives through threatening dares. The trailer says its a comedy and although there are funny moments the plot is not one of humor but of loss and despair. Although they do eventually come together in he end, the ending its self was a shocking and disturbing one...but also quite sweet and beautiful. Its a very hard movie to explain, you have to watch it for yourself. I wish I knew someone who I could love as passionately as the people in this movie, I know its fantasy, I just want my Mr. Darcy already.
Buraka Som Sistema - "Yah!" its kuduro a musical dance hybrid from Portugal, made popular by the Angolan immigrant population in Lisbon. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TWXXyaCQJM
Thunderheist - "Jerk it" Toronto based rap dance duo I've seen them in concert, a really good time, almost as fun as seeing Bloc Party live. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbvKUEXNaDU
Guiltiest songs?
Boa - "Eat You Up" My Korean and Chinese friends introduced me to her she can sing she can dance...she is a completely manufactured pop product of the Korean music industry. The lyrics to the song suck, but the beat is so catchy...I listen to it in my room with the door and windows shut. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUbiK8zl5BU&feature=related
Craig David - "Insomnia" Another sugary pop song but at least Craig writes his own material...still I am never really that comfortable telling people I listen to this stuff...I risk losing my indie cred! There are actually two versions of this song, one sung by Craig and another sung by Korean singer Wheesung...I listen to both...but the Korean version has messed lyrics.
Son Dambi - "Bad Boy" Another Korean singer! (My friends have really corrupted me.) However there is something about the Korean pop music industry, the songs are catchy, the singers are usually strong and since I can't understand the lyrics I don't feel stupid for listening to them!
Have gone through multiple line up changes that would usually ruin most bands. I have never listened to the new trio, (all three of the original singers are gone...see right) to me they will always be the same group I listened to in 11th grade...you have to love their matching outfits in their music videos!
The Whip are essentially a synthpop/ indietronica band and I listened to them a lot on late nights during the summer. I first discovered the song "trash" which basically sounds like one big electronic howl. Its gritty with a ton of percussion and a lead singer with a dirty English accent, quite appealing. "Blackout" is a bit of a tamer dance anthem but the other song I quite like is slightly older (2007) "Sister Siam" is a little electronic pop song about two people who just can't agree (you say tomato I say "tomato"). Yeah Spin didn't like them and usually the reviewers are right on the money when it comes to albums but I think they got it wrong this time around. Yes their sound can be a bit repetitive, but when it comes to groups like The Whip, Deadmau5, Justice, and Crystal Castles its always better to purchase individual songs you want rather than an entire album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ3eeRCoIBY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8VVA-EWi30&feature=channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OdMUeN3FW4&feature=related
Okay so I heard about this kid and someone was telling me he was the West Coast's answer to Southern hip hop which has become much more dance oriented and less focused on lyrics. So they said this guy was like a young Snoop Dog...what they forgot to tell me is that he IS Snoop Dog! I listened Nipsey's song "Hussle in the House" its not bad but its not exceptional either. I know the current trend in rap is all about going back to its retro roots, Marky, Lupe, Charles Hamilton, The Cool Kids we do need some rappers representing the old west coast sound...I just wish that those rappers would be a little more original than this guy. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery but I think being original is better. But hey you may like Nipsey I have a feeling he will be big...I'm just not that into it, I'll stick with my NWA and Tupac.
TV on the Radio has been on the cover of Spin Magazine twice in the last two years. Death Cab for Cutie signed to a major label 2 years ago (yeah I know its not breaking news), and more and more bands from major labels who probably would not be bestowed with the title of "indie" ten years ago are being packaged as indie by the major labels (think the Killers, Embrace, Keane, etc). And what scares me the most is the new "cool" factor and "indie cred" associated with being able to rattle off a list of bands that no one in your social group had heard of in order to forge a music identity. However this list of bands is becoming increasing smaller as more and more indie bands climb closer to the mainstream The Shins, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse have almost lost their indie statuses. So with indie music becoming mainstream (if it really is at all or just a select few bands) what is the new underground music scene? or is there even such a thing as an "underground music scene" anymore? Can an indie music scene really even exist in the age of the Internet?
Starting when I was in 6th grade I always had a desire to listen to music that my peers were not listening to at the time. I discovered the Clash, Death Cab for Cutie and Bjork all within the span of the first year. My friends found my taste quite abrasive and strange (especially Bjork) however I always noticed that 3 years after I started listening to a band they would follow. So by the time I was in 9th grade they had started listening to Death Cab and The Clash and I had started listening to the Velvet Underground, Bright Eyes, Oasis, The Shins, Joy Division and more obscure bands (at the time...it was 2003/2004) like Nada Surf, Bloc Party, M83, The Faint, Ladytron, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Matt Pond Pa, le Tigre and more. I liked most of my bands (besides the Clash, Oasis and Underground etc) because they were unique and unheard of. I enjoyed finding new indie bands on obscure labels and adding them to my music collection, it became almost a game. And when I found a new musician I liked it was almost like finding a gem, it was something special and rewarding especially if I was one of the first fans. I guess throughout high school most would classify me as the stereotypical 'indie kid" I did listen to other genres but kept a strong hold on my indie music. As school progressed more and more of my bands gained a broader following. At first I was dismayed even going as far as to stop listening to their music (I did this to Death Cab for 2 years) or to exclude myself to only their older albums (Modest Mouse). However as soon as I left the hell that is high school and went to university I realized how petty my music discrimination had become. Why would I only limit myself to indie music in the first place? i soon discovered I enjoyed a variety of genres including classical and electronica and I could still enjoy them without giving up my taste in indie bands. I could even listen to...(GASP) POP MUSIC! And that's what I did, but getting back to the argument as I found more indie bands succumbing to major labels and the title of "selling out" I had to question the vary definition of "indie" itself. Although major labels were claiming these acts would still maintain their indie credibility it seemed like a contradiction to call a band indie at all when they had a large base of fans and a huge record deal. I mean U2 and REM were indie once too, they certainly aren't now.
The Internet made it easier for me to find bands in high school however with that said it also made it easier for indie label and unsigned bands to create a large following without costly promotion campaigns. Websites like MySpace and YouTube have allowed millions of people to access relatively unknown music quite easily (what I'm saying is nothing new I am aware of that). However it has also taken the effort out of finding new music, which is a good and bad thing. although indie bands get more exposure I also think it has helped devalue their music. Since no effort goes into finding the musician even less may go into acquiring the song or songs (think vidtomp3 or lime wire). Since musicians can becoming success stories over night (literally) it is hard to find bands who are willing to compromise fame in order to stay loyal to their original fan base. Myspace Music has become the new mainstream music site with artists like "Hollywood Undead" and "Millionaires" becoming midnight success stories with millions of teenage fans most notably from the "scene kid" community.
Indie was a term coined to mean an alternative music scene of unsigned bands or bands signed to 'independent" record labels. Independent music has always been around, however the "Indie rock" genre really started to get its sound in the 1980s when college rock stations would play obscure bands and underground acts. REM, U2, Oasis, Blur, Elastica all rose to fame via college rock radio play. Later on many of these groups signed to major labels and were therefore stripped of their indie status, it made sense; if a band moves from an indie label to a major one they are no longer in the music scene, however today its not that simple. Kate Nash and Lily Allen are both British songstresses, both signed to a major label (Polydor in the UK) and both considered indie acts. Why would two high profile artists still be considered in the genre at all? Most people now a days judge a "indie musician" by the way their music sounds not by their record label or exposure. However indie music is so multifaceted how do you even judge if a band sounds indie? Sure there is some avant garde stuff which does sound outside the realm of the mainstream but in general its quite difficult to do. This is what is leading to some of the fear among indie devotees that our music scene is slipping. Just like alternative rock became mainstream rock in the early 90s with the invasion of grunge a la Nirvana and Pearl Jam many of our most notable indie acts can now be heard on top 40 radio. So whats an indie kid to do? abandon the music scene entirely? Not quite.
Yes the Internet has made it easier to taint the music scene we love so dearly but it has also made it easier to find much more obscure musicians (like I said in paragraph 3). Although indie fans fear the unlimited exposure of our music scene, I think its an unnecessary fear. Yes as the mainstream tastes changes a wider variety of music will be played on top 40 originating from the underground but most mainstream listeners are also lazy. Indie listeners are much more tenacious. An indie listener is willing to search every music site on he Internet and read every music blog in order to find a new band he/she likes. The only thing I warn against is the "indie snobbery" associated with our fierce loyalty to our music. No one likes the guy at the party who has to prove he's cooler than you by bashing every musician you like or proving he knows more about indie music than you do.
Its a bit more pop oriented than their last effort "Something Real" but so far their sophomore album sounds pretty solid. Tracks like "Black Wedding" and "What if" sound a bit generic and unoriginal but catchy. However tracks like "Here, Here and Here" and "Going Away" make up for the weak song writing on the first two singles. I especially liked the song "Going Away" mostly because I could relate to the lyrics. Overall I am looking forward to hearing the album in its entirety and not just snippets and singles that I find through my Internet sources. The album comes out April 21st and you can hear the first 2 singles and "Here, Here and Here" on their myspace. As well as on their official website (where they also have posted 3 singles from the last record).
The Filthy Dukes - "This Rhythm" at first I was a bit apprehensive towards this song but it grew on me. Some of the beats are similar to Crystal Castles songs but I prefer the male backed vocals to electronically enhanced female lead singer in CC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPD0jB53Vbo&feature=related
K'naan - "Waving Flag" I mentioned this song in a previous blog post however I really feel as if everyone should listen to this song. If this is the direction hip hop is going in I couldn't be more pleased.
Youth Group - "Forever Young" I like Alphaville's version as well but sometimes less is more. And I think this version is actually better than the original. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQi8wEHMm5Y
Lovvers! You guys win! What annoys me the most about them is that high end music critics have PRAISED these guys. and because I can't stand them I have been told that "I don't get it" apparently my musical taste isn't "sophisticated enough to understand the lyrical genius behind Lovvers." I have read the reviews and what has been panned by music listeners has been praised by critics...apparently being abrasive and annoying can get you labeled the next ground breaking band in the indie rock universe...go figure. I have tried to listen to their song "human hair" really I've tried, I've tried multiple times. I have also tried listening to a variety of their songs (I thought that their sound would finally 'catch on" to me...) including "No Romantics" and yet it all sounds the same to me. Some would call their sound "rough" and "unpolished" I just call it a mess...and not in a good way. But hey in the end if you like what you hear, enjoy it, I certainly can't seem to. People couldn't stand The Ramones or Sex Pistols when they came out either. Maybe I am too unsophisticated to appreciate this band... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JykLP5tjDwM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QER8Pr-Gco
Those Dancing Days - Sweet pop rock band from Scandinavia via Sweden. I don't know why the Swedish music scene has exploded in the last 2 years but its quite refreshing to know that the indie rock community is paying attention, I was kinda getting sick of all the Kooks and Cribs wannabees in Manchester and London. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXiW-Lg1wrM
Go Betty Go - Punk rock has always been very testosterone heavy. I mean mosh pits? mohawks? leather jackets with studs and spikes? This doesn't mean the genre is sexist, punks tend to promote tolerance (racial and gender wise) some even promote straight edge life styles. However it is still a hard genre for an all female band to break in to, but Go Betty Go did a decent job (not sure if they are together anymore). Their songs are a combination of pop punk and Latin infused punk rock of Los Angeles's South Central and Watts neighborhoods. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iZhs-p_7Wo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNxX8RjRx5g&feature=related
Headlights - "TV" they are from a tiny town somewhere in Illinois (I think...) however they make really cool lofi songs. A friend of mine introduced me to the band with this song 3 years ago and its still a regular on my mp3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuLeIjWOwK4
10.Against me! "New Wave" I put this one at the bottom because I listen to this in many different types of moods besides anger but I cannot deny the fact that many songs on this album are fist shaking anthems at the government and society. They have been compared to black flag and other notable punk acts however Against me! develops albums that are much more layered than that. They have influences in folk rockers like Bob Dylan, and Grunge acts as well as death-rockers like the Misfits. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvIuQ7L6ATw
09.The Roots "Game Theory" this probably isn't a conventional choice either I'm sure someone would want to replace many of my selections with Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Danzig Albums...however I tend to listen to this album out of habit, not to mention it is well composed gripping and packed full of frustration and angst. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU-y8Yc7c6M&feature=related
08.The Horrors "Strange House" this falls more into the sub genre of death-rock or horror punk which combines influences from goth and punk rock (think of bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees mixed with the ramones). But "Jack the Ripper" and "Sheena is a Parasite" are dark little songs that for some reason always make me feel better if I am extremely depressed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZMrwZItOGE
07. NWA "Straight Outta Compton"...I think this one speaks for itself, yeah I know its a groundbreaking album expressing the social frustrations of disenfranchised African American Youth...but I'm not really thinking that deeply about the message when I'm listening to "Fuck Tha Police." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkPb4s0-QcI
06. Sex Pistols "Never mind The Bullocks" in high school I hated mostly everyone on my bus so I would play this over and over again on my mp3 drowning out their sounds with Anarchy in the UK. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeP220xx7Bs
05. Anti-Flag "Mobilize" this was one of their live albums and in my opinion their best album before they sold out to a major record label. For a long time. Anti-Flag was the band to listen to if you wanted to "rebel" then they found a gimmick (songs about Bush) and ceased to be the awesome riot punk band they were in the early 2000's but this does not make this album any less awesome...and angry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhDchiPCXN0&feature=related
04. Bad Religion "The Empire Strikes First" although my two favorite songs from Bad Religion, "21st Century Digital Boy" and "I'm going for a walk" are not on this album, "Los Angeles is Burning," "Social Suicide," God's Love," and "Atheist Peace" are, thus the album makes up for it...the best album to listen to while exercising. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuZQ71Zm0cQ
03. Damone "Out Here all Night" this is more garage punk/ girl noise but I can just imagine how pissed off the band members were when they wrote this album...they have had lots of reoccurring problems with their record label, and have been dropped a couple times in the past. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fgyuy7iviw
01. The Bronx "The Bronx" shitty future and History's Stranglers. That's all you need to listen to while kick boxing. And you'll be ok. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnklQt3eHpQ
What is emo music? By the way popular culture portrays the music subculture you might mistaken it for a bunch of whiny depressed teenagers with black hair who cut themselves. However, "emo" music didn't start out as the soundtrack for teen angst and wallowing. Emotional hardcore as it was formally called started off as an offshoot of punk rock. It was created by punks who were frustrated with their own scene; they believed there was more to punk music than anger and protest songs. Although to many people the parallels between the genre "punk" and sub-genre "emo" are obvious, the sound of emo core was considerably more crude and closer to riot punk than the slick pop infused sound of today. The scene thrived for many years with a devote underground following where it mixed with the sounds of folk and indie rock. The music started to scratch the surface of the mainstream in the early 2000s with bands like Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional getting radio play and video spots on MTV. Later bands like My Chemical Romance, Panic! at The Disco and Fall Out Boy achieved mainstream success with large followings and world tours. Although emo is a genre of music most of us love to hate, it is really not as horrible as some indie snobs (me included) hardcore punks, and other outsiders to the scene make it out to be. The truth is emo has been given a bad reputation by various media outlets like MTV who showcase the worst emo music of the worst (and yes I'm talking about YOU Hawthorne Heights). If you are an adventurous listener there are plenty of good emo bands under the surface, hiding from the Fall Out Boys and Boys Like Girls of the world. The list below consists of what I think are the best, mediocre, bad, and worst bands of the emo world (at least in this girl's opinion).
The Good:
Jawbreaker - One of the first "emo" bands formed in the 1990s, Jawbreaker sounded more like a hardcore punk band than the "signature whiny emo sound" people associate the genre with today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNWnjSe5Iiw&feature=related
Rites of Spring - Formed by Minor Threat fan Guy Piccottio who added romantic frustration, loneliness, and a more melodic sound to the punk scene. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge8ucvLYLRc
Jimmy Eat World - Another band that I am partial to, although some would call their sound now more "pop rock" there is no denying that they started as one of the most important emo bands of the 90s. They made the genre accessible to a whole new generation of teenagers with their more "mainstream" sound. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5olLPmjVV24
Say Anything - Sarcastic, blunt, and little bit insecure Say Anything songs showcases what I think is the future of the genre. Sure Max Bemis (the lead singer and song writer) can be a bit of a jerk ( and something else that rhymes with Bemis), but if he keeps producing albums like "In Defense of the Genre" and "...Is a Real Boy" I think we can allow him to be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfptieWXEJA
Rainer Maria - A bit more indie rock than emo, the lead singer Caithlin De Marrais is refreshing and soothing like in the song "Catastrophe" and a bit harder and grating in other songs like "Ears Ring" the band has always made quality albums over quantity but sadly broke up in 2006. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUZ1Y5O_tpo&feature=related
Sunny Day Real Estate - The album "Diary" is one of the most important emo albums ever and can probably be blamed for all the "softer emo bands" that invaded the scene in the 2000s, However, this doesn't make the album any less awesome. Or the songs "Seven" and "In Circles" any less melancholy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMkH6xi6-Og
The Get up Kids - Another band that unfortunately gets blamed for the new influx of modern whiny emo bands. However, I have always had a soft spot for the album "Something to Write Home About." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNxYAYbQ90I
Dashboard Confessional - I love the songs "Hands Down" and "Stolen" his albums are so intimate they almost seem a bit too personal but that's what makes them so good. Not to mention I have always had a crush on Chris Carrabba. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3JMb2ZJB4w
The Mediocre:
Northstar - Yes I know they are one of the older emo bands, and yes I know that they are one of the first break through emo acts, but the singer's voice can be slightly nasal and annoying and all of their songs sound like the same generic whiny mess. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXkJHjnxP2A
The Used - With song titles like "Buried Myself Alive" I think I can safely rule out the Used as being a lofi or a twee pop band. Although they try really hard to make even more depressing songs with even more depressing titles, you see that's the problem...who really wants to play a album where all the content is the same? "Buried Myself Alive" is a cool song at first but 12 tracks full of "Buried Myself Alives"? Don't think so. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=the+used+buried+myself+alive&aq=0&oq=the+used+bur
Boys Like Girls - I think Boys Like Girls just came at the wrong time. There isn't anything awful about their music as a whole its just not special. There are plenty of bands today that sound like them, and their music is too shallow to be considered a relevant artifact of emo music history. They are like the MileyCyruses of their genre...sure they are popular now but after they loose their youthfulness will anyone still be around to listen to them? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5VdYqd6CdA
Cute is What We Aim For - Maybe I am being too hard on them because they come from my home town (Buffalo) but there is something inherently annoying about their look and sound. When they first burst on to the scene every kid at my high school had a CWWAF T shirt so I figured I had to check out what the big deal was about...what I found was quite disappointing, another cookie cutter band with a cookie cutter sound. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1X782zo1Qk
Hawthorne Heights - If you really need to know the reason emo was given a bad name in the mid 2000s look no further than this band. The lyrics make no sense except for the occasional outbursts of "Cuz you killed me!" and "my final breath is gone!" no wonder the girl left you...I wouldn't be able to take listening to your shitty music either. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezA5__H8ksA
The Ugly:
The Juliana Theory - Want a emo band that falls into the stereotype category? Well this is it! Take their song "Congratulations" the opening; "you kissed your life goodbye like lovers in the night."Woahhh...really? And the song goes even more down hill from there "your shadow falls on me?" Is this song really necessary? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR05iH1hl1I
Secondhand Serenade - Oh man another emo band with serious song writing issues. "Cause today you walked out of my life, today your words felt like a knife, I am not living this life." Congratulations! you guys can rhyme! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E7HHCv3qyQ&feature=related
Taking Back Sunday - I'll admit it, I liked the song "A decade Under the Influence" it just sucks that it all went downhill from there. "This Photograph is Proof" is almost painful to listen to its so bad. The lead singer whines at one point "would you like to forget?" and yes sir I wish I could forget this song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KgoDQf0_4c
My Chemical Romance - Maybe My Chemical Romance were ashamed of ruining the genre, but about 2 years ago they even denied being part of the scene, therefore making them part of this list! When your lead singer wears mascara and eye shadow and you play songs about death and suicide in a whiny fashion...what else should we call you? You certainly aren't a goth, metal or an industrial band...You give emo a bad name. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X46abt8OO8c
Story of The Year - When your biggest song is "Anthem of our Dying day" I think enough has been said. Its too bad this song wasn't the nail in this band's coffin. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVFtRq81Ku8
Panic! At the Disco - Not sure I should even classify Panic! as emo anymore I mean "I Write Sins not Tragedies" was one of the of the worst songs of 2006 and sounds like emo's answer to R Kelly's "trapped in the Closet" in terms of format and absurdity, but everyone must move on. Panic's newest album is more of a Sgt Pepper rip off. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kkbTNmg40c
The line up is an interesting one: synthesizers mingling with a bass, drums, acoustic guitar and a lead singer with a distinct English drawl. However, I was not impressed by thenewno2 fronted by George Harrison’s thirty something son’s (Dhani Harrison) new band. Although Yahoo Music, as well as many other more established music media sources like Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine are pushing “thenewno2” as the next big thing, I found their sound boring and contrived. The first song on their myspace page, “So Vain,” is Dhani Harrison’s attempt at the blues with electronic undertones. However, all the song does is showcase his limited musical writing skills. After repeating “its all so vain all the same” at least ten thousand times, before breaking out into a dream-like lyrical tangent, where he tries to sound as philosophical and deep as possible within the span of 30 seconds, it is clear that Dhani Harrison is a musician who takes himself way too seriously. Most of the other songs are an attempt to capitalize on the new psychedelic rock revival popularized by artsy egotistical act MGMT. The sound is more "surf meets acid rock" with Dhani Harrison’s voice slowly mumbling and moaning over the sea of sound, with no direction, melody or any stylistic technique. There are some highlights however, like the song “Say.” The female vocals mingling with Dhani’s voice on this track create an interesting haunting sound. Unfortunately, the remainder of the song is a mess of too many instruments competing to be heard at once. What ever happened to the simple concept of a instrumental solo? Thus, “thenewno2” is an amateur band that sounds like an amateur band. Dhani should spend less time “attempting to sound intelligent and deep” and more time creating a cleaner sharper sound.
Now on to a band that I am excited about. Telekinesis is Merge Record’s newest band and their debut record Telekinesis! Comes out on April 7th you can preview it here: http://www.mergerecords.com/store/store_detail.php?catalog_id=600&link=sidebarLink-home Telekinesis offers bouncy indie pop reminiscent of a more mellow Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder. They also seem to take some cues from the Shins' Chutes too Narrow, while adding a harder, more rock and roll sound. Songs like “Foreign Room” are more jumpy indie rock anthems, while tracks like “Great Lakes” are softer with a bouncy electronic undertone. But I mostly like them because they are fun to listen to; they sound clean and happy -- like Alphabeat without the obvious parallels to high school musical, which is sometimes off putting.
Marky - "Sheila" I love this song. Its not deep, or soul searching -- its just about a guy who wants to sleep with a girl. However, the hook is addictive, and the old school beats in an industry flooded with Auto-Tune, ironically make this track sound fresh and new.
Manchester Orchestra - "Wolves at Night" Great band from Athens Georgia (a known indie rock haven). The guys channel Neutral Milk Hotel and a mellower Apples in Stereo on this song.
Sophia Somajo - "Irony"Somajo hails from Stockholm Sweden which is experiencing it's biggest musical awakening since ABBA, with bands like Peter Bjorn and John, Lykke Li, Those Dancing Days, and Robyn infiltrating the indie scene. A very addictive song. (Her album "Laptop Diaries" ain't too shabby either)
1. Chairlift – “Bruises” and "Planet Health” Dream pop and lofi have started to re-infiltrate the indie scene and I am quite happy about it. Chairlift delivers indie pop songs drenched in trippy synthesizer sounds and a lead singer with a voice that resonates and rises above the sea of electronic fuzziness.
2. M83 - “Teen Angst” and “Don’t Save Us From the Flames” Both of these songs are about four years old, but they are still regulars on my mp3. They sound as though they were made 25 years ago and remixed to appear more modern. M83 seems fascinated with the 1980s: a decade that he barely lived through (he's 23). However, that has not stopped him from pursuing his eighties nostalgia through his music.
3. Zaho - “C’est Chelou” and “la RouéTourne” I discovered Zaho over the summer of 2008, and I quickly became attached to her music. She is of Algerian decent and resides in Montreal. Her songs have become quite popular in France and Quebec. She has been featured on many Francophone rappers' singles, adding to her overall hype (check out the rapper Cheb Mami's song "Halili" in Arabic and French). I can't say I analyze her songs that much, or contemplate the chord progressions, but its light and fun.
4. Yelle – “Ce Jeu” Another Francophone, Yelle, has created a lot of buzz over her debut electropop album, “Pop Up,” and it deserves all the press it gets. The beats are fresh and Yelle’s snarky lyrical presentation is enjoyable to listen to.
5. Ida Maria – “Oh my God” and “Stella” The first song portrays a woman in the midst of a panic attack: "Oh my God! So you think I'm in Control!? Oh my God! so you think its all for fun!?" The other song is about a night a prostitute spends with God. Whats not to love?
6. These New Puritans – “Elvis” Another band riding on a big wave of hype, I can’t say I have heard “Beat Pyramid” in its entirety (although it was released 6 months ago…) but I have heard their first single, and it’s good.
7. Plushgun - "How we Roll" and "Just Impolite" They were both featured in the Internet mini sitcom, "We Need Girlfriends" and they are definitely worth checking out. Plushgun remains mostly under the radar. However, with a song on the barf-tastic series, "The City," and with a song or two on another lame MTV "drama," Plushgun may soon scratch the surface of the mainstream.
Illa J - "We Here" Charles Hamilton is the New Lupe; Kid Cudi is the new Kanye. This guy has been compared to Common, but I don't think he sounds like any of them. However, he will eventually be the next big thing. Give it a year.
K'naan - "ABC's" and "Waving Flag" What made M.I.A so exciting in 2005 with her debut record, "Arular," was the idea of hip hop going global. K'naan is another hip hop ambassador: this time via Somalia.
