Civil Twilight originated in South Africa before transplanting to the United States several years ago. Lead singer Steven McKellar's vocals invoke tacit comparisons to the snide and dramatic vocals of Thom Yorke (Radiohead) and Brian Molko (Placebo).
Stream the video to the understated, but rousing, single, 'Letters from the Sky,' below:
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Violent Soho - 'Jesus Stole My Girlfriend'
Digging deep into the bag of song tricks that made Pixies and Weezer famous, Brisbane's Violent Soho presents a sludgy, grungy, shoe-gaze of a tale with their single, 'Jesus Stole My Girlfriend.'
You can stream the song below:
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Stone Temple Pilots - 'Between the Lines'
You may stream the new single below:
Stone Temple Pilots - Between The Lines by Atlantic Records
Friday, April 02, 2010
Artist Spotlight: GLINT
Glint is a progressive electro-rock quintet hailing from New York City. The band's heavily layered, futuristic sonics have drawn comparisons to Muse, as both share a knack for bombastic rhythms and ethereal melodies.
I was first introduced to Glint last year when the song "Damaged Goods" was featured as an iTunes Free Discovery Download.
The group's new, self-titled EP features the single, "Freak." The track continues to follow the band's trademark for arena-sized synth anthems. You can preview the track below and download it for free.
GLINT - "Freak" (Radio Edit) mp3
Click HERE to watch a video of the band performing "Freak" live in concert.
Glint is currently on tour in the United States. For more information on the band and to learn where you can buy their music, visit http://www.glintonline.com/
MP3 download provided courtesy of Big Hassle Publicity
I was first introduced to Glint last year when the song "Damaged Goods" was featured as an iTunes Free Discovery Download.
The group's new, self-titled EP features the single, "Freak." The track continues to follow the band's trademark for arena-sized synth anthems. You can preview the track below and download it for free.
GLINT - "Freak" (Radio Edit) mp3
Click HERE to watch a video of the band performing "Freak" live in concert.
Glint is currently on tour in the United States. For more information on the band and to learn where you can buy their music, visit http://www.glintonline.com/
MP3 download provided courtesy of Big Hassle Publicity
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Stream the New She & Him Album
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Caught On Tape: Hold Your Horses! - "70 Million"
As the writer Oscar Wilde once said, "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life."
The French-American band Hold Your Horses! takes that expression to heart in the video for their new song, "70 Million."
In the video, the bandmates playfully reenact scenes from some of history's most famous works of art; often to hilarious results.
From Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam to Andy Warhol's portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Hold Your Horses! offers a brief art history refresher that is far more entertaining than informative, but definitely creative. This is one of the best music videos I've seen yet this year.
See how many pieces you can recognize. There will be a quiz at the end of the semester.
Can't name all of the artists? No worries, jump on over to Flavorwire to see some of the scenes from the video matched up with their original paintings!
The French-American band Hold Your Horses! takes that expression to heart in the video for their new song, "70 Million."
In the video, the bandmates playfully reenact scenes from some of history's most famous works of art; often to hilarious results.
From Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam to Andy Warhol's portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Hold Your Horses! offers a brief art history refresher that is far more entertaining than informative, but definitely creative. This is one of the best music videos I've seen yet this year.
See how many pieces you can recognize. There will be a quiz at the end of the semester.
70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L'Ogre on Vimeo.
Can't name all of the artists? No worries, jump on over to Flavorwire to see some of the scenes from the video matched up with their original paintings!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Music at the University of Iowa: A Photographic History, 1968 - 1971
Over the weekend, I was flipping through some of my mother's old college year books. She attended the University of Iowa in the late '60s and early '70s.
The pages are filled with some great photos of student life - not merely the organizations, Greek life and athletics, but the anti-war protests and vigils, as well. One such image captures a group of students holding a moment of silence for the Kent State massacre. On another page, there's an article about student experimentation with drugs.
And then, of course, there was the music. Perhaps no other era is as famous for shaping modern music as the late '60s.
At the University of Iowa, student organizations such as the Central Party Committee (CPC) were charged with putting on annual campus concerts. Legendary acts like Jefferson Airplane, Sergio Mendez, The 5th Dimension, Diana Ross & The Supremes and Simon & Garfunkel all performed on campus during these years.
Featured below are several of my favorite music photos from these yearbooks, accompanied by some of my favorite captions.
Neil Diamond (1970)
"At one point during his set, Diamond had all the lights in the Fieldhouse turned off. He then commanded the audience to set off the flashbulbs that were attached to their cameras. They obeyed. It was psychedelic."
Grand Funk Railroad (1970)
"Grand Funk gets a lot of insults from rock critics who contend that their music is tuneless and dependent on feedback and volume. Perhaps the criticism is valid. Even so, the near capacity audience which witnessed the concert gave Grand Funk enthusiastic response."
"...played a sellout concert at Madison Square Garden the night before they played in Iowa City, so they were excusably wasted during most of the evening; nevertheless, they eventually got it on, as the saying goes."
Richie Havens (1970)
"He spent nearly as much time talking politics as singing, but the latter was worth waiting for. His best moment came with the singing of "Freedom" and "Motherless Child," songs that he sang in the film, Woodstock."
John Denver (1969)
"The same night (as comedian Mort Sahl performed), folksinger John Denver was performing in the Union Wheel Room. He drew a larger crowd than Sahl."
Led Zeppelin (1968-69)
Although there is no writeup about this show, it is mentioned that nine members of the CPC executive board resigned shortly thereafter to protest what they called, "centralization of activities and budget restrictions."
The pages are filled with some great photos of student life - not merely the organizations, Greek life and athletics, but the anti-war protests and vigils, as well. One such image captures a group of students holding a moment of silence for the Kent State massacre. On another page, there's an article about student experimentation with drugs.
And then, of course, there was the music. Perhaps no other era is as famous for shaping modern music as the late '60s.
At the University of Iowa, student organizations such as the Central Party Committee (CPC) were charged with putting on annual campus concerts. Legendary acts like Jefferson Airplane, Sergio Mendez, The 5th Dimension, Diana Ross & The Supremes and Simon & Garfunkel all performed on campus during these years.
Featured below are several of my favorite music photos from these yearbooks, accompanied by some of my favorite captions.
Neil Diamond (1970)"At one point during his set, Diamond had all the lights in the Fieldhouse turned off. He then commanded the audience to set off the flashbulbs that were attached to their cameras. They obeyed. It was psychedelic."
Grand Funk Railroad (1970)"Grand Funk gets a lot of insults from rock critics who contend that their music is tuneless and dependent on feedback and volume. Perhaps the criticism is valid. Even so, the near capacity audience which witnessed the concert gave Grand Funk enthusiastic response."
"...played a sellout concert at Madison Square Garden the night before they played in Iowa City, so they were excusably wasted during most of the evening; nevertheless, they eventually got it on, as the saying goes."
Richie Havens (1970)"He spent nearly as much time talking politics as singing, but the latter was worth waiting for. His best moment came with the singing of "Freedom" and "Motherless Child," songs that he sang in the film, Woodstock."
John Denver (1969)"The same night (as comedian Mort Sahl performed), folksinger John Denver was performing in the Union Wheel Room. He drew a larger crowd than Sahl."
Led Zeppelin (1968-69)Although there is no writeup about this show, it is mentioned that nine members of the CPC executive board resigned shortly thereafter to protest what they called, "centralization of activities and budget restrictions."
These images appear without credit in the original yearbooks. Outside of university archives, most of these photographs are likely lost in your parents' attics somewhere. As such, I have taken the liberty of scanning them myself to preserve and share these moments in music history.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Artist Spotlight: The Burning Hotels
The Burning Hotels is an indie rock quartet with a knack for coupling post-punk riffs and melodic choruses.
Hailing out of Fort Worth, the band has been steadily building a name for themselves ever since their first EP in 2007. The Fort Worth Weekly described the group as, "One of the town's coolest bands, period."
The Burning Hotels' debut album, Novels, is set for release on April 27th, 2010.
On Novels, the band embraces an aesthetic for jagged guitar rhythms and heady, driving beats. Tracks like "Boy or a Girl" and lead single, "Austin's Birthday" sound ready for teen rebellions and college parties, while the lush, introspective reverb of "The River" echoes to a coming of age.
Novels shows a band with a lot of promise. Sometimes we're left searching for answers and occasionally we find them. If that sounds a lot like life to you, they might be on to something.
Novels may not be revelatory, but it is certainly a lot of fun to take for a spin.
For more information on The Burning Hotels, visit www.theburninghotels.net
MP3 Download: The Burning Hotels - "Austin's Birthday" (via RapidShare)
The Burning Hotels - "The River"
Band information and music samples provided courtesy: xo publicity
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Cassette Kids - 'Lying Around'
Cassette Kids combine the artistic sensibilities of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with the dramatic flair of No Doubt. As their Myspace page states, the band "make[s] the tamest dance floors gleam with sweat." True story!
Although the quartet is from Australia, they seem to be picking up steam here in the states. They are docketed to play SXSW in Austin, Texas this spring. Undoubtedly, a 2009 plug from the one and only Lily Allen has increased their exposure.
Check out Cassette Kids' video for 'Lying Around' above.
FreeAllMusic.com: A New Paradigm in the Digital Music Marketplace
The site's concept is simple. Users are given five credits each Tuesday. To redeem a credit for a free song download, the user must watch a brief advertisement from the site's sponsors. The user can choose which commercial out of a selection of 15 or so to watch. After viewing, the download automatically begins. The mp3s have no DRM restrictions, and they are typically available in 256 kpbs or 320 kpbs quality.
The idea is that sponsors, through their video advertisements, end up subsidizing music purchases for the end user. So while the song may seem free to the end user, in actuality the sponsor has compensated the artist and label for the end user's download. In exchange for the user's time watching video advertisements, the user gets a free mp3. And in exchange for footing the bill for the mp3, the sponsor gets thirty seconds of direct marketing with the user.
In the three or so weeks I've had beta access to FAM, I've been very pleased. The song and artist selection is comprehensive. Top 40 hits from Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas are available, as are more obscure alternative spins from Crash Kings and The Features.
The site does have some limitations. You are given only five download credits per week, and the credits do not roll over into subsequent weeks. In other words, you must "use or lose" your credits within a seven day period. Additionally, not every music label is on board yet, so there are still a number of artists missing from the database. Finally, the interface is lacking. Notwithstanding a "Top 100 Songs of the Week" showcase, songs and artists are not presented to the user in the way that the Amazon or iTunes stores tend to promote up and coming or artistically significant tunes. Instead, the user must enter a basic search query into FAM's in-house search engine and sift through songs that may or may not be relevant.
Despite its setbacks, FAM is a huge winner in my book. The site is still in beta, so it's interface and offerings are bound to improve substantially. Most importantly, where else can one download twenty free mp3s per month while ensuring artist compensation? Nowhere, that's where. Due to this fact alone, FAM is one of my favorite new music sites of 2010.
If you are interested in signing up for a beta membership, head on over to http://www.freeallmusic.com. My invite took about a month to arrive after registration, so be prepared to be patient. The pay-off is well worth the wait.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Artist Spotlight: NNEKA
Nneka is an Afro-German singer/songwriter whose soulful music has found a solid place in my rotation this year.
At 19, Nneka made the dramatic, cross-cultural leap from her native Nigeria to Hamburg, Germany to further her education and eventually pursue her music.
Since that time, Nneka's music has resonated with fans across the globe, including Lauryn Hill and Lenny Kravitz.
Nneka's music finds its roots in Afrobeat - her vocals ranging from freestyle raps to elegant neo-soul. It is music that is socially aware of its past and optimistic about its future. Nneka gives voice to the harsh realities of her African homeland - the poverty and militant government - but also the strength of her people.
She offers personal insight, not answers, and lends a fresh breath of hope to the struggles faced around the world. Nneka sings from her heart about the life that she knows, and you can feel it in her vocals.
Concrete Jungle, Nneka's first American album, was released earlier this month. Visit Nneka's Official Website and learn more about this great artist and her music.
Watch the video to her single, "Heartbeat" below:
You can catch her powerful television debut of the song from last week's Late Show with David Letterman right HERE (via YouTube)
And check out the official video to her also-fantastic song, "The Uncomforable Truth" (via YouTube VEVO)
At 19, Nneka made the dramatic, cross-cultural leap from her native Nigeria to Hamburg, Germany to further her education and eventually pursue her music.
Since that time, Nneka's music has resonated with fans across the globe, including Lauryn Hill and Lenny Kravitz.
Nneka's music finds its roots in Afrobeat - her vocals ranging from freestyle raps to elegant neo-soul. It is music that is socially aware of its past and optimistic about its future. Nneka gives voice to the harsh realities of her African homeland - the poverty and militant government - but also the strength of her people.
She offers personal insight, not answers, and lends a fresh breath of hope to the struggles faced around the world. Nneka sings from her heart about the life that she knows, and you can feel it in her vocals.
Concrete Jungle, Nneka's first American album, was released earlier this month. Visit Nneka's Official Website and learn more about this great artist and her music.
Watch the video to her single, "Heartbeat" below:
You can catch her powerful television debut of the song from last week's Late Show with David Letterman right HERE (via YouTube)
And check out the official video to her also-fantastic song, "The Uncomforable Truth" (via YouTube VEVO)
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Behind The Sample: Imogen Heap - "Hide & Seek"
Imogen Heap is a British singer/songwriter whose solo work gained increased mainstream success after her duo, Frou Frou, was included in the breakthrough Garden State soundtrack. The film's soundtrack created a large buzz for the single, "Let Go."
A year later, Heap released her lush 2005 solo album, Speak for Yourself.
Amongst the songs featured on the LP was "Hide and Seek" - an a cappela single that utilized a harmonizer to create a synthetic quality to Heap's vocals. Stream the video below:
"Hide and Seek" was showcased prominently in the tense ending moments of The O.C.'s season 2 finale. Watch the clip HERE (via YouTube). In the scene, a scuffle leads to a murder when a shot is fired in slow motion and abruptly met with the song's signature refrain, "Mmm, what you saaaay."
Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg then parodied the overly dramatic scene in the 2007 Digital Short, The Shooting, where the song is overused to the point of hilarity. Watch the skit HERE (via IDKWTF.com).
Under the casual title, "Dear Sister", the short quickly became an internet phenomenon, with legions of fans reenacting their own parodies using the song sample.
If you've turned on Top 40 radio anytime in the last 6 months, chances are you've heard Jason DeRulo's megahit R&B single, "Whatcha Say." DeRulo's 2009 sensation heavily samples the now-famous refrain for it's chorus. Stream the video below:
Even more recently, New Orleans hip hop duo, The Knux released the song, "Watchu Say," which also spins predominantly off of Heap's lyrics. Have a listen to it below:
The Knux - "Watchu Say"
Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" is yet another great example of a song that has continued to grow in popularity over a period of several years due to widespread pop culture and internet references.
A year later, Heap released her lush 2005 solo album, Speak for Yourself.
Amongst the songs featured on the LP was "Hide and Seek" - an a cappela single that utilized a harmonizer to create a synthetic quality to Heap's vocals. Stream the video below:
"Hide and Seek" was showcased prominently in the tense ending moments of The O.C.'s season 2 finale. Watch the clip HERE (via YouTube). In the scene, a scuffle leads to a murder when a shot is fired in slow motion and abruptly met with the song's signature refrain, "Mmm, what you saaaay."
Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg then parodied the overly dramatic scene in the 2007 Digital Short, The Shooting, where the song is overused to the point of hilarity. Watch the skit HERE (via IDKWTF.com).
Under the casual title, "Dear Sister", the short quickly became an internet phenomenon, with legions of fans reenacting their own parodies using the song sample.
If you've turned on Top 40 radio anytime in the last 6 months, chances are you've heard Jason DeRulo's megahit R&B single, "Whatcha Say." DeRulo's 2009 sensation heavily samples the now-famous refrain for it's chorus. Stream the video below:
Even more recently, New Orleans hip hop duo, The Knux released the song, "Watchu Say," which also spins predominantly off of Heap's lyrics. Have a listen to it below:
The Knux - "Watchu Say"
Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" is yet another great example of a song that has continued to grow in popularity over a period of several years due to widespread pop culture and internet references.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
She & Him - 'In the Sun'
In the interim, you can stream 'In the Sun,' one of Two's included tracks, below:
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Rouge Wave - 'Good Morning'
Permalink is slated to drop later this year. In the meantime, the band has released its first single, 'Good Morning.' After a couple of spins, it is quite fetching.
You can stream 'Good Morning' below:
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Yeasayer - "O.N.E."
Yeasayer's forthcoming album, Odd Blood, is the follow-up to the band's terrific, genre-blending 2007 debut, All Hour Cymbals.On Odd Blood, the band takes its brand of culturally diverse pop music to new frontiers. Where its predecessor could generally be found someplace between Western and Middle Eastern influence, Odd Blood sounds almost like worldbeat for an Earth-like planet in a distant solar system.
One of the album's songs that has found steady rotation for me lately is "O.N.E."
"O.N.E." is like an '80s pop gem funneled through hazy reverb and tribal rhythms. There's something both nostalgic and futuristic about the song that's enough to start a global dance party. You can listen to it below:
Yeasayer - "O.N.E."
For more, visit the band's official website.
And don't forget to watch the surreal video for "Ambling Alp" (via YouTube) - complete with creepy face massage, liquid floating heads and naked desert jogging!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Harlem - 'Friendly Ghost'
'Friendly Ghost' is the spirited and danceworthy new single from Harlem's forthcoming April 2010 release, entitled Hippies.
Stream it below:
Friday, January 08, 2010
Our Favorite Albums of 2009 (Part II)
As promised, here is Part II of Our Favorite Albums of 2009 list:
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
From "proto-Sanskrit Minoans" to "Porto-centric Lisboans," Andrew Bird's dense lyrics occasionally read like a dissertation, but his sense of melody always pulls them back into range. His musicianship is outstanding - looping pizzicato violin with guitar and an otherworldly whistle that's enough to send shivers down your spine. Noble Beast is a pastoral record for Bird - mixing witty, alienated apocalypticism with a keen sense of belonging to the earth, its creatures and its history. Easily one of the best performers I saw this year, or any other.
Andrew Bird - "Anonanimal"
The Dead Weather - Horehound
Jack White and friends bring blues back to rock in this made-for-headphones LP. Distortion and reverb dominate this guitar-heavy voyage. Although the album can meander aimlessly in parts - albeit only briefly - the record provides a wonderful trad-rock alternative to the lo-fi songcraft that currently dominates much of the day.
Watch the video to: The Dead Weather - "I Cut Like A Buffalo"
Watch the video to: The Dead Weather - "Treat Me Like Your Mother"
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
While many have dismissed it as a lesser album than his original masterpiece, there is no doubt that Jay-Z still holds his reigning title on The Blueprint 3. It's a massive album, with all-star collaborations, including Alicia Keys, Timbaland and Rihanna. While anything but an underground hit, it would be hard to deny an album of such proportions the success it's received. "Empire State of Mind" is Jay's ode to NYC - calling himself the "new Sinatra." On "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune)," he carves a tombstone for phony rappers and the studio-enhanced vocals that have dominated the radio in the last part of the decade. Jay-Z never caters to pop culture. He sets the trends himself.
Watch the video to: Jay-Z - "Empire State of Mind" (feat. Alicia Keys)
Watch the video and read our review to: Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
This French band has been writing catchy tunes for years, but hadn't seemed to be fully embraced stateside until the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The songs "1901" and "Lizstomania" received considerable exposure on tv ads and beyond all year. "Love Like a Sunset" is an epic for the band - a largely instrumental arrangement that builds to a prog-pop crescendo and back down, like an homage to "Baba O'Riley". The band was ripe for the attention in '09 and certainly stood out as one of the more deserving alternative pop records of the year.
Watch the video to: Phoenix - "1901"
Watch the video to: Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
Passion Pit - Manners
Some of the most hyperactive party tunes of the year were also some of the most thoughtfully-crafted, dark and self-searching, and this record serves as evidence. Passion Pit's first proper LP is chock full of indie electronic dance jams and falsetto funk. It's incredibly poppy and fun, but the underlying production value and emotionally earnest lyrics make it more than just a batch of disposable singles.
Passion Pit - "The Reeling"
In case you missed it, go back to Part I of Our Favorite Albums of 2009!
Andrew Bird - Noble BeastFrom "proto-Sanskrit Minoans" to "Porto-centric Lisboans," Andrew Bird's dense lyrics occasionally read like a dissertation, but his sense of melody always pulls them back into range. His musicianship is outstanding - looping pizzicato violin with guitar and an otherworldly whistle that's enough to send shivers down your spine. Noble Beast is a pastoral record for Bird - mixing witty, alienated apocalypticism with a keen sense of belonging to the earth, its creatures and its history. Easily one of the best performers I saw this year, or any other.
Andrew Bird - "Anonanimal"
The Dead Weather - HorehoundJack White and friends bring blues back to rock in this made-for-headphones LP. Distortion and reverb dominate this guitar-heavy voyage. Although the album can meander aimlessly in parts - albeit only briefly - the record provides a wonderful trad-rock alternative to the lo-fi songcraft that currently dominates much of the day.
Watch the video to: The Dead Weather - "I Cut Like A Buffalo"
Watch the video to: The Dead Weather - "Treat Me Like Your Mother"
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3While many have dismissed it as a lesser album than his original masterpiece, there is no doubt that Jay-Z still holds his reigning title on The Blueprint 3. It's a massive album, with all-star collaborations, including Alicia Keys, Timbaland and Rihanna. While anything but an underground hit, it would be hard to deny an album of such proportions the success it's received. "Empire State of Mind" is Jay's ode to NYC - calling himself the "new Sinatra." On "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune)," he carves a tombstone for phony rappers and the studio-enhanced vocals that have dominated the radio in the last part of the decade. Jay-Z never caters to pop culture. He sets the trends himself.
Watch the video to: Jay-Z - "Empire State of Mind" (feat. Alicia Keys)
Watch the video and read our review to: Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus PhoenixThis French band has been writing catchy tunes for years, but hadn't seemed to be fully embraced stateside until the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The songs "1901" and "Lizstomania" received considerable exposure on tv ads and beyond all year. "Love Like a Sunset" is an epic for the band - a largely instrumental arrangement that builds to a prog-pop crescendo and back down, like an homage to "Baba O'Riley". The band was ripe for the attention in '09 and certainly stood out as one of the more deserving alternative pop records of the year.
Watch the video to: Phoenix - "1901"
Watch the video to: Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
Passion Pit - MannersSome of the most hyperactive party tunes of the year were also some of the most thoughtfully-crafted, dark and self-searching, and this record serves as evidence. Passion Pit's first proper LP is chock full of indie electronic dance jams and falsetto funk. It's incredibly poppy and fun, but the underlying production value and emotionally earnest lyrics make it more than just a batch of disposable singles.
Passion Pit - "The Reeling"
In case you missed it, go back to Part I of Our Favorite Albums of 2009!
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Our Favorite Albums of 2009
Ah, yes. The old "Year in Review" list. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what the best records of the past 365 days were, and now, so do we. Without further ado...
The Lonely Note Presents: Our Favorite Albums of 2009 (Part I)
The Swell Season - Strict Joy
Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová earned a heartfelt Academy Award in 2008 for their song, "Falling Slowly," from the film Once (in which they both starred and performed the soundtrack). Their follow-up, Strict Joy, is as cathartic, focused and intimate as the struggling musicians in Once, while allowing their success to shine through in confident, climactic swells.
Watch the video to: The Swell Season - "Low Rising"
Florence + the Machine - Lungs
When I first heard "Girl With One Eye" nearly two years ago, I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last I'd hear of F+M. Lungs is an apt title for this debut, because Florence Welch has got 'em. She croons and wails in a Kate Bush-meets-Grace Slick style. Welch's dramatic vocals are backed by delicate harp pluckings and thunderous war drums, yet always manage to soar above the fray. Florence is a machine - a voice to be reckoned with in the new decade.
Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Swoon takes the band's dreamy pop shoegaze to a new level, pushing for grandiose layers of distortion without taking away from the hooks. Waves of guitar fuzz build a wall as hypnotically steady drums crash against it. Singer/guitarist Brian Aubert's whisper-to-a-scream vocals resonate perfectly with those of bassist Nikki Monninger. Swoon is a more progressive, yet accessible side of the band.
Watch the video to: Silversun Pickups - "Panic Switch"
The xx - xx
Undoubtedly, the indie breakthrough band of the year. The xx play coy, night music for the Zoloft-popping hipster generation. It's dark and pensive, yet sweet and refreshing. The boy/girl vocal trade-offs are those of isolated romantics. Influences from The Cure to Chris Isaak can be heard swirling throughout. It's a debut with enough raw innocence to be strikingly beautiful. This is a rare effort for any band.
The xx - "Infinity"
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Acute studio precision. Sonic craftwork. Superior artistry. Veckatimest is an almost perfect record. Shedding the lo-fi, shortform structure of many of their indie colleagues, Grizzly Bear birthed something of an acoustic dazzle in 2009. Veckatimest is so flawless, so tight, that the band’s dexterity may be rivaled only by classics Pink Floyd, Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, The Beach Boys and, notably, contemporaries Animal Collective. Many Baby Boomers claim they can recall the exact time and place they first heard Sgt. Pepper. Where were you when you first heard Veckatimest?
Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
Check back soon for Part II of Our Favorite Albums of 2009 list!
The Lonely Note Presents: Our Favorite Albums of 2009 (Part I)
The Swell Season - Strict JoyGlen Hansard and Markéta Irglová earned a heartfelt Academy Award in 2008 for their song, "Falling Slowly," from the film Once (in which they both starred and performed the soundtrack). Their follow-up, Strict Joy, is as cathartic, focused and intimate as the struggling musicians in Once, while allowing their success to shine through in confident, climactic swells.
Watch the video to: The Swell Season - "Low Rising"
Florence + the Machine - LungsWhen I first heard "Girl With One Eye" nearly two years ago, I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last I'd hear of F+M. Lungs is an apt title for this debut, because Florence Welch has got 'em. She croons and wails in a Kate Bush-meets-Grace Slick style. Welch's dramatic vocals are backed by delicate harp pluckings and thunderous war drums, yet always manage to soar above the fray. Florence is a machine - a voice to be reckoned with in the new decade.
Florence + the Machine - "Blinding"
Silversun Pickups - SwoonSwoon takes the band's dreamy pop shoegaze to a new level, pushing for grandiose layers of distortion without taking away from the hooks. Waves of guitar fuzz build a wall as hypnotically steady drums crash against it. Singer/guitarist Brian Aubert's whisper-to-a-scream vocals resonate perfectly with those of bassist Nikki Monninger. Swoon is a more progressive, yet accessible side of the band.
Watch the video to: Silversun Pickups - "Panic Switch"
The xx - xxUndoubtedly, the indie breakthrough band of the year. The xx play coy, night music for the Zoloft-popping hipster generation. It's dark and pensive, yet sweet and refreshing. The boy/girl vocal trade-offs are those of isolated romantics. Influences from The Cure to Chris Isaak can be heard swirling throughout. It's a debut with enough raw innocence to be strikingly beautiful. This is a rare effort for any band.
The xx - "Infinity"
Grizzly Bear - VeckatimestAcute studio precision. Sonic craftwork. Superior artistry. Veckatimest is an almost perfect record. Shedding the lo-fi, shortform structure of many of their indie colleagues, Grizzly Bear birthed something of an acoustic dazzle in 2009. Veckatimest is so flawless, so tight, that the band’s dexterity may be rivaled only by classics Pink Floyd, Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, The Beach Boys and, notably, contemporaries Animal Collective. Many Baby Boomers claim they can recall the exact time and place they first heard Sgt. Pepper. Where were you when you first heard Veckatimest?
Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
Check back soon for Part II of Our Favorite Albums of 2009 list!
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