This is an artists I saw on Paste Magazine this morning and absolutely loved her. You can use the link above to read more about this 21 year old Texan. She is cultivating her style which could be described as anything from americana, country, singer/songwriter, to pop. I can't stop playing this song. I just wish I could find a place to buy her music. "All I Need" is certainly my favorite of hers, but below is a good video of her twangier song, "The Real Thing". Enjoy.
This band quickly became my new favorite, just yesterday, despite all the amazing new releases. Their songs are cheerful, goofy, and easy going. They sound similar to Camera Obscura both lyrically and musically, which explains why I like them so much. Their debut album was released in the UK this spring but is not yet available in the US. They also played at SXSW this year. Hopefully they will be coming back to the U.S. soon. I have enjoyed all of their songs with their honest lyrics and fun catchy melodies. I was especially intrigued by "Dear Stephen Hawking".
Let me tell you, Stephen Hawking's love life has never been so interesting. I really hope he has heard this song because that would just make my day. I can't even begin to imagine what listening to this song would be like for him without laughing out loud. Seriously, just take a second to imagine that. Below are some songs for your sampling pleasure, click to play. Enjoy.
(Side note: I have finally put an end to my hot linking songs. yay me. This is the best format I have for right now. Eventually I will incorporate a real media player so I ask that you just bear with this format for now instead. Thanks. Links will only be available for one week.)
I just learned that The Romany Rye is touring with Delta Spirit this summer and it made me even more excited about going to this concert. I didn't know that was possible. This band is really good, they fit right in with Kings of Leon, Delta Spirit, Plants and Animals, Mason Jennings type music. They also have potential and lots of it. This is a great song to kick off my June playlist.
I am so excited for Delta Spirit's new album, History from Below, coming out June 8th. So far a few songs have been (unintentionally?) leaked on the internet and you can get "Bushwick Blues" and "911" if you want to search for them, but I'm pretty sure they are there illegally so you can listen to "Bushwick Blues" on their myspace. While you are there you can check out their tour dates for this summer, it's pretty extensive. They will make an appearance at the Middle East (Cambridge, MA) on June 28th, I will be there. It's going to be a really fantastic summer album, you can tell just by looking at the cover art. That is assuming you judge things by their covers like I do. It screams "awesome summer album for driving to the beach with the windows down and volume up" right? Right.
I loved their last album, "People C'mon", is a song from it that we have mentioned before. They do guitar and drum driven rock with a very classic sound, no computer stuff, the way rock & roll should be. It's nice to know that music like this still exists, thank you Delta Spirit.
"911" is a perfect song about the current times with lyrics, "the folks back east they say the market's fine/ I heard that before in 1929" and other politically charged bits and pieces. "Bushwick Blues" gets played on repeat a lot because it has a fast tempo and well written hooks about a love that's hard to get over. I give this band one of my highest recommendations. I like it so much that I took the time to transcribe the lyrics of my favorite verses just for you (sorry if I botched them). Plus that way I got to play it on repeat some more. During SXSW, Delta Spirit did an acoustic recording of Bushwick Blues that you can watch in the video below. For the more upbeat album version listen on myspace. Hope you like it!
Hold on to my hand
Never let go, never let go,
We were just two kids, acting tough,
Well then we grew up, me not so much
All the other guys, that you see,
are nothing compared to me,
because my love is strong and my heart is weak after all.
(skipped a verse)
To the other side of the states return,
I met a young girl, well I couldn't manage her,
Because I think of you in every girl I meet,
It's no relief, it sounds to me, just as sweet,
So maybe I'm a fool for feeling used,
But the way we kiss at night I thought you knew,
Cause my love is strong, and my heart is weak afterall
This is a band that met and formed in L.A., he was a music composer for T.V. and she was an actress. They clicked and started writing songs together. Keifer Sutherland liked them and signed them to a label, Ironworks, that he co-owns. They made an EP called Loose Boots, then they toured with Lifehouse (also on Ironworks), and then they released a full length album, First Rodeo, that came out in March of this year. They were also just at SXSW.
What I really like about their music is it is a little jazzy-pop ("Slow Brains"), a little country, a little bit of twang ("Not for long"), and some songs, like "Bouncing ball", are just plain and simple with some great lyrics. While her voice lacks the depth that would really grab your attention, you almost don't realize because the songs are a lot of fun, plus she can play the fiddle. It is really a great album, one of those that you can listen to all the way through without getting music ADD. It brings to mind wide open spaces and cowboy boots stomping on a dusty barn floor without being a country album. I recommend everything, there is not one song I dislike, they even do a good cover of The Smashing Pumpkins' 1979. They have an April residency at the Hotel Cafe in L.A. which is just one of the signs that this will be a band to keep your eye on, they have mainstream appeal and I think they have potential to do really well. Listen on myspace. Check out their live performance of Not For Long to get a taste of their other side.
The Parisian, Alexandre Debain, who invented the harmonium in 1842 (what the hell is a harmonium?) probably never imagined the portable version being played in New York subways by an indie busker band, Freelance Whales. While the harmonium is not totally obscure--it was used in various Beatles songs, by Jeff Buckley, and Sigur Rós--it does seem like a strange part of a five person band. The harmonium adds the "je ne sais quoi" appeal to the Freelance Whales' music, but this is not to say it stands out per-se, their music is layered and balanced between their guitar, banjo, harmonium, glockenspiel, bass, and drums. They slowly built up a New York following, playing at house parties, street corners and subways, that has allowed them to go from being eclectic buskers to performing at SXSW for the first time this past week. Other reviews of Freelance Whales' have claimed that this a band for people who like Sufjan Stevens, Ra Ra Riot, and even Postal Service. But I think it is charming music that seems to fit into this new trend of instruments galore like Hey Marseilles, Horse Feathers, and Beirut. I love what these bands are doing and while some bands try and make it work, it is a difficult task, and many fade into obscurity or take a different route, but I believe we will be seeing more of this in the future from the Freelance Whales. Get a free download of Generator 1st floor from these kind people.
Listen to more on myspace. I suggest Hannah, Generator 2nd floor, and Ghosting. Don't forget to watch the harmonium in action in the video of them playing at SXSW last week for NPR.
This is a "SixtyOne" find. They have an EP out and that is about it. This song is really catchy, maybe a little boy band-ish for some, but it is a fun song to bop around to. I do like their sound and they have talent so maybe there will be more to look forward to from them in the future. They are also playing at SXSW so maybe they will get noticed. You can listen to more here on their myspace page.
Somedays you don't want any words, just music. Somedays you just want a soundtrack for your everyday life. This is it. I spent yesterday walking around snowy, slushy, Boston with this on repeat. It is amazing how the snow flakes fall in time to this song and when you are people watching from the coffee shop window the people move to the beat of the music. Basically I was distracted from real work by this song all day long.
This Austin, TX band pronounced Bal-moor-ay is made up of five people playing guitar, piano, melodica, banjo, violin, cello, and the double bass. They have toured the US 3 times and will be playing at this year's SXSW. You can listen to their stuff from their new album on their myspace page. I urge you to listen to the whole song, when it sounds over, it's not, thats part of the beauty. You will know you are near the end when you hear the...well I will let the ending be a surprise for you (around the 5:10 min mark). Enjoy!
SJB's post about Meiko made me think of another favorite of mine who I came across at about the same time. Madi Diaz is a young and talented singer/songwriter who writes beautiful lyrics from Pennsylvania originally, she went to Berkley in Boston, and is now based in Nashville. Her songs were on last year's Valentines day cd. She has two albums out that I both really like. Canvas is probably my favorite song but I could only find this annoying video with Clive, whoever he is, so you just have to be patient or skip ahead to the 3:10 mark. She also looks a good deal different now if you click on the Let's Go link you will see. She will also be performing at SXSW this year so I expect her to become better known in the very near future. Keep an eye on her! Check out some of her stuff on myspace too.
Other songs to listen to: Side, Let's Go, Nothing at all, I know I know
"He said, this mattress is a canvas So lets pour ourselves upon it and paint a picture of our love."
I came across the Canadian, Basia Bulat one year when I was looking at the line up for SXSW and really liked her. At the time the only songs itunes had available were "In the Night" and "Snakes and Ladders" which I both really like. But now she has a new album out called, A heart of my own, and I really really like it. She has an interesting voice and uses a lot of strings and keyboards so she doesn't come off as another chick with a guitar. Her sound is very unique. Her song, Before I Knew, was in a Subaru commercial which you might recognize and I almost posted it because I am a sucker for hand claps in songs. But here is live version of "Heart of my own" found on her new album. (This is one of those ones that you might want to check out on itunes to see what her cd version sounds like, also check out her website for clips of her songs).
I found Brooke Waggoner two years ago on the SXSW website where it list all the bands that are lined up and usually gives you a sample or two of their songs. This is a tremendously dangerous website if you have a downloading music addiction and take A.D.D. meds. If I look at this sight it is inevitable that I will stay up all night downloading hundreds of songs.
Anyways, back to the artist...this song is from her EP called "Fresh Pair of Eyes". But in the meantime she has released two full length albums that show a wide range of musical skills. But I have not gotten a good chance to listen to them quite yet because I have been too busy loving "Hush if you Must" and "So-So". I was really torn between these two songs because so-so mentions wanting hot cocoa in colorado but I picked Hush if you must because her piano playing rocks, especially at the end. Maybe soon there will be more posts about her newer songs.
