UNCORKED™ – Best New Bands of 2013 (5.24.13) Marriages
Oh hey how are you? Yes we’ve been tweeting and not blogging, sorry. We got sucked into the world of twitter passing along new music, so if you’re in the mood follow us @newbandday
So you all know the Arizona Turk, right? I am convinced he’s got a basement full of candles and photos of someone, maybe even a stuffed dragon. I listen to his uncorked choices and I fear for my life. I go through this odd paranoia late at night when I hear the deep bass lines, the lack of vocals and swear someone is breathing on my neck. What is it with bands like Boris, Isis, Godspeed You Black Emperor that keeps people coming back for more? Candle lit basements or is just the age of rock. I take the latter. Marriages hail from LA, have been together for a few years now and they are the next generation of rock…don’t forget to lock your dogs, keep your dogs close and don’t look behind you.
Vitals: Founded: 2011 Hometown: LaLa Members: Vocals & guitar: Emma Ruth Rundle
Keyboards: Greg Burns
Percussion : Andrew Clinco Sonic Soulmates™: feeling a lot of Isis, Godspeed You Black Emperor and of course Boris Trackables™: “Part The Dark Again” – This is the last track of the EP and it’s so good. It’s the warm bed after a night of haunting.
Are there garages in Lambeth? If so, Palma Violets rocks theirs
UNCORKED™ – Best New Bands of 2013 (1.22.13) Palma Violets
You readers may have missed the stellar list our contributing music stalker posted back in December. Well it included Palma Violets one of the bands that turned our heads yet again. Just perfect bone crushing punk harmonies. It’s not surprising that these closet garage rockers hail from Lambeth outside of London. Hell we might be too late. NME already crowned them with their song of the year with “Best of Friends” hear below…but we might just catch the jetstream and claim that as something brilliant to keep an eye on! Their debut album 180 hits the street on February 26, 2013!
Vitals: Founded: 2011 Hometown: Lambeth, London, UK Members: Sam Fryer (vocals) and Chilli Jesson (guitar), Pete Mayhew (keyboards)
Will Doyle (drums) Sonic Soulmates™: U2 Boy era, The Libertines?? maybe…Arctic Monkeysesque Trackables™: “Best of Friends” – It’s catchy and the lead comes off like a combo of Sid and Bono —- Boy era Bono.
Hey everyone, we’re going to try something a little different. We’ll be sending out frequent updates, tracks, tour updates what floats our boat so we keep you our most prized possession, HAPPY!
Trackables: Jim James two new tracks for you to simmer with….
One of our favorite new bands is here to stay Ex Cops
UNCORKED™ – Best New Bands of 2013 (1.8.13) Ex Cops
Ahh man, back to the grind. Real life is busy and crazy this week, but NewBandDay life is calm and ready to take over the world. We received our Christmas gifts and man were we stoked. Ex Cops, with their kick ass 2012 EP is prepping with a new LP on 1/22/13 True Hallucinations. Grab it on vinyl here…The sound reminds us of Best Coast but with a dude on lead and with the new single holy cow they sound like Teenage Fanclub or even a little like Girls. With the addition of the players Kai, Leif and Sam, this record is sure to crush in early 2013.
Vitals: Founded: 2011 Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Members: Brian Harding, Amalie Bruun, Kai Kennedy on lead guitar, Leif Young Huckman on bass, and Sam Bair Sonic Soulmates™: Trackables™: “James” – New single very Teenage Fanclub!
Our Editor, Father Time is tossing out 2012 and saying hello to 2013
EDITOR PICKS: FINAL WORDS ON 2012 AND THE BEST ALBUMS AND TRACKS FROM RE
God thank you for the end of 2012. We survived another apocalyptic prediction, guns killing people and another visceral election. But enough with the real world, the music industry saw another year of deaths. We said goodbye to Dave Brubeck, Das Racist and essentially The Beasties. Rest in Peace Adam “MCA” Yauch (1964-2012). Let’s cheer this up a bit, we also said hello to Spotify in the US, the best new artists and the Indie becoming ironically mainstream. It was truly the year that the major label was put to bed. What do they provide any way? Distribution, please anyone can upload a track to Bandpage or Soundcloud. Marketing, come on we run this blog on pure passion and we get more traffic than Kings of Leon’s Facebook page. It’s done, it’s over, say hello to the powerful Mr. Indie, he will be your gatekeeper of the future.
As far as music. Trends that died:
1. Bands named after animals, see our Ark comment.
2. Vocals without electronics…yep
3. Drummers
4. Indies being Indies. Alabama Shakes and The Lumineers topping charts…wow.
Trends that took off:
1. Folk is the shit, see The Lumineers (The highest charting indie track of all time)
2. The record release from so called dead bands, see The XX, Clinic oh and a My Bloody Valentine record coming in 2013
3. The female leads, see Jessie Ware, Class Actress, Beach House, Alabama Shakes, etc.
5. Mainstreaming of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All…wow they’re like the North Carolina of music. The greatest rap draft picks come from Odd Future see Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean…
4. Sophomore releases from our faves, Tennis, Best Coast, Sleigh Bells, etc.
So we close this year with one final statement to all those bands out there…
KEEP WRITING SONGS
KEEP RECORDING BECAUSE WE ARE ALL STILL LISTENING.
Music is not dead, just the business of selling it.
KEEP CREATING AND WE WILL KEEP SHARING Fight on!
He is a menace to us all. The Arizona Turk’s 2012 Best of List
The Arizona Turk is one the primary contributors to New.Band.Day. He’s been a fixture since 2010 and his picks are ahhhhmazing. They may seem confusingly unfamiliar, but that’s why we love him. His picks sound odd today, but if you look back over the past several years, you’ll notice that those bands are just now breaking. The dude is a new band savant.
The Turk’s Favorites for 2012:
Bands:
1. Savages – London she punks
2. TOY – His #2, Hummingbird #1
3. Palma Violets – Closet garage rockers from Lambeth outside of London
4. Merchandise – Tampa’s leather greasers are 2013 darlings…calling it now!!!
5. Wild Moth – Post Punk dudes from SF.
6. DIIV- His #6, Hummingbird #6
7. Dads – New Brunswick, NJ emo dudes. See them Uncorked in Jan. WOW!!!!
8. POLIÇA – We liked Grimes better this year, but POLIÇA was on the top of the Turk’s mind…
9. Stumbleine – 1 of 3 dubsteppers from Swarm, now solo Londoner
10. Fidlar – LA based dudes who bring surf punk back!
11. Boys – Denver Rock Chick
Songs:
1. “Husbands” – Savages
2. “Motoring” – TOY
3. “Mid Air” – Paul Buchanan
4. “Lay Your Cards Out” – Polica
5. “Best Of Friends” – Palma Violets
6. “Mourning Glow” – Wild Moth
7. “Heavy To The Touch (think about tonight, forget about tomorrow)” – Dads
8. “Tomorrow” Niki and the Dove
9. “No Waves” – Fidlar
10. “If You Want Me To Stay (For A While)” – Shark Week
TWO BONUS B-SIDES THAT YOU SHOULD FIND AND BUY FOR YOUR COLLECTION
“Hard to Pretend” – The Donkeys b-side to “Won’t Let You Down” 7″
“Bright White Shimmering Sun” – TOY b-side to “Lose My Way” 7″
Hear them here
Albums:
1. Merchandise - Children Of Desire
2. TOY – TOY
3. Polica – Give You The Ghost
4. DIIV - Oshin
5. π – You In Colour
6. Dads – American Radass
7. Wild Moth – s/t (10″)
8. Pallbearer- Sorrow and Extinction
9. Wild Moth – Mourning Glow EP
ALBUMS YOU AND YOUR MOTHER’S SHOULD OWN BY NOW…IF NOT PLEASE SUPPORT AND BUYS THESE GEMS FROM THIS YEAR.
Japandroids – Celebration Rock
The Chromatics – Kill For Love
Tame Impala – Lonerism
Best Reissue:
Ride – Going Blank Again with Live at Brixton DVD
There is no better band in the land for 2012. Toy will be an amazing rock fixture for years to come.
Best New Bands of 2012 HUMMINGBIRD AWARD #1: TOY
This was an insane voting process, so democratic, then BOOM the big guy takes control and pulls a dictatorship on the NBD staff and just votes in TOY as the best new band of 2012. Why?:
1. They are the best rock band of 2012, hell the best band of 2012.
2. They actually wrote an album that held together over 12 tracks
3. Like Maiden and Black Sabbath before them, Toy is able to create diversity, a 4 minute rock anthem followed by an 8 minute mini novel, similar to an album like Powerslave with “Aces High” then “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
4. Nobody but nobody has re-created a record like A Storm in Heaven from The Verve. Did you know that The Verve was an airy, dreamy rock band with layered guitars or did you just know them from “Bittersweet Symphony”?
5. They will become popular from their softer side hear “My Heart Skips a Beat”, but we hope they don’t abandon their rock DNA hear “Lose My Way”
You’re probably asking, “Seriously New.Band.Day, Toy is better than Grimes, Jessie Ware, The Lumineers, etc.?” we would say “Thank you for the comment passionate kind reader. Absolutely, Toy is much better, they dare to tackle a rock genre that is for most parts dead. They don’t beat around the bush hear their opening track and they sure as hell aren’t going to follow the trend of going all folk on us.” I love when our readers write us. Toy is our #1 Hummingbird of 2012. God it feels good to get that of our chests. I think the Turk and the Muse will be sending me hate letters for the next six months, but don’t worry, they will have their unsolicited time to share their picks tomorrow see their 2011 and 2010 picks.
Vitals: Founded: 2012 Hometown: London, UK Members: Tom Dougall
Dominic O’Dair
Alejandra Diez
Maxim Barron
Charlie Salvidge Sonic Soulmates™: Primal Scream, Tame Impala, The Verve, Echo and the Bunnymen, Spiritualized Trackables™: From their S/T debut record
“Dead and Gone” – Quite possibly my favorite track of 2012.
“Lose my Way” – Quite possibly my second favorite track of 2012
“Colours Running Out” – Wow what an opening track
I’m sure you’ve heard her this year and that’s why she deserves the Hummingbird
Best New Bands of 2012 HUMMINGBIRD AWARD #2: GRIMES
Hours and hours and hours we debated over our #1 Hummingbird…it wasn’t an easy choice and many bands not only missed out by a hair, they didn’t even make our top 12. Sad but true. Grimes is not a new artist per se. Some of us have been allured by her siren voice since 2009, but it took a stellar LP like Visions for her to really shine and break-through. We put her experimental harmonizing of Halfaxa behind us and truly were treated with a perfect record. Not many artists can move past this phase. I don’t think Cocteau Twins ever moved beyond it and we know that many artists go in the opposite direction and move way too far into the art and we lose them forever. Grimes chose the perfect year to blossom her flower and we loved it. Thank you for “Genesis”, “Be A Body” and my personal favorite no not “Vanessa” from 2011, but “Colour of Moonlight” of 2012. So good. She truly embodies what an artist is and should be in 2012. We look for more over the next 10 years, maybe a little less falsetto harmonizing and some amazing lyricism will push her to #1 in 2013.
Founded: 2009
Hometown: Montreal, Cananda
Members: Claire Boucher
Sonic Soulmates™: Stacie Q, Polica, Class Actress
Trackables™:
“Oblivion”
“Be A Body”
“Colour of Moonlight”
Hummingbird #3 Brought to you by one of these best artists of 2012 Jessie Ware
Best New Bands of 2012 HUMMINGBIRD AWARD #3: JESSIE WARE
I am struggling with this pick. Really and truly, I actually think Jessie Ware is the #1 Best New Artist of 2012, but I also think that Alabama Shakes and The Lumineers made their impact in 2012. Here is the rub, they really don’t need our help here at NBD. Not that it makes our list any less legit, but I’m not handing out Grammy’s here. This isn’t about record sales, this is about a band that will withstand the test of time and be there in 10 years. I don’t think the Lumineers will be there and Alabama Shakes needs some song-writing and arrangement help. The album got a little tedious and didn’t exploit her voice like it should have. So that’s why our list DOESN’T include those two super chart busters. Jessie Ware should be #1 in any other year, but frankly #2 and #1 are just a hair strand better in our minds. We love Jessie’s production quality, her danceable mood driven tracks and her ode to 80′s stylistic sounds like Lisa Stansfield to make her our second favorite female lead of the year. We love Jessie Ware and we know she will not be going away any time soon.
Vitals:
Founded: 2010
Hometown: Brixton, London
Members: Jessie Ware
Sonic Soulmates™: Sade, Whitney Houston, Tracey Thorne
Trackables™: From her debut LP Devotion
Listen to “110%”, “Strangest Feeling” and “Wildest Moment” the title track “Devotion” here.
Best New Bands of 2012 HUMMINGBIRD AWARD #4: Alt-J (∆)
This might be a record for us, two bands back-to-back from Leeds. First Hey Sholay now Alt-J, although this civic rivalry may be problematic since most of the Hey Sholay lads are from Sheffield…either way, something is brewing in the water and it’s not ale, it’s a penchant for good quality music that leads the pack in some of the best new bands of 2012. We loved Alt-J back in September and we still love the Awesome Wave LP, hell they won a Mercury Prize…not why we loved them, but rarely does a winner of that prize suck. Read the original Uncorking here.
Alt-J is definitely still riding the hang-over of the 2011 layered electronic, dreamy sonic sounds of Animal Collective and Midlake, but at times we hear the timeless Fletwood Mac beauty shine through. Please listen to “Breezeblocks” and tell us you don’t love these guys.
Vitals:
Founded: 2011
Hometown: Leeds, UK
Members: Gwil, Joe Newman [guitar/vocals], Gus Unger-Hamilton [keyboards] and Thom Green [drums] met at Leeds University in 2007
Sonic Soulmates™: Midlake, Nurses, Animal Collective
Trackables™:
“Breezeblocks” – Amazing single
Best New Bands of 2012 HUMMINGBIRD AWARD #5: Hey Sholay
It’s always nice to spread the Christmas cheer and joy with an uplifting set of mates from Leeds and Sheffield. We’ve been harmonizing with them since August just waiting for this day to award them with a Hummingbird Award. They’re part indie anthem rock see Arcade Fire, part party music see Los Campesinos! with a final dash of London Suede for your festivus celebration. “Wishbone (Wish Wish Wish) is the song that will take them a mile above the Earth to their stardom. Whatever your taste, the album cleverly titled ((O)) will make your end of year plans a little happier.
Vitals:
Hometown: Sheffield and Leed, UK
Members:
Rob Philpot (Drums), Stef Kania (Bass, Moral Support), Liam Ward (Keys and Guitar), Liam Creamer (Vocals and keys and ) and Laurie Allport (Guitar)
Sonic Soulmates™: Arctic Monkeys, Maccabees, Los Campesinos!, London Suede
Trackables™ from the new LP ((O))
“My Blood”
“The Bears the Clocks the Bees”
“Wishbone (Wish Wish Wish)”
I hesitated with this one, primarily because this band has the buzz right now. But as we debated here we came to the conclusion that our list would be incomplete without DIIV. These Brooklyn boys lit up our headphones early in the year with their break-out track “Sometime”, we heard it all over the blog-o-sphere, Gorilla v Bear, Pitchfork, even in a Converse campaign. DIIV which was forced to change it’s name from Dive, belong in our top 5 of 2011, they have that beachy spacey sound that dominated the Animal Collective trail. They seem to have perfected it though. Zachary Cole Smith of Beach Fossils, a fan favorite of NBD years ago, has taken this band from experimental to the real thing. The greatest comparison we can make here at NBD is that of our band crush Real Estate and The Ark bands of Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, etc.
Vitals:
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Members:
Zachary Cole Smith
Andrew Bailey
Devin Ruben Perez
Colby Hewitt of Smith Westerns
Sonic Soulmates™: Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Real Estate
Trackables™ from her new LP Oshin
Past Lives”, “How Long Have You Known”, and “Doused” a
Just listen and trust us. One of the best records of the year.
Best New Bands of 2012 HUMMINGBIRD AWARD #7: Johnathon Boulet
Since we already posted the Playlist for the End of Times, which by note is on Friday, we couldn’t help ourselves and we had to award Johnathon Boulet with a Hummingbird. Nothing this year got us more pumped up for a fist fight then Johnathon Boulet. I wanted to watch Australian Rules Football drink a pint of Foster’s and beat some ass. There is no single rock record that should be listened to this year then their new LP We Keep The Beat Found the Sound See the Need Start the Heart. We dare you to hate it. Fine we hope you love them like we do. By the way, we know you music snobs will remind us that Johnathon Boulet had a record in 2009, and yes that record rules too, but seriously they deserve the nod and they are still considered BREAKING!!!! SO break them you fan boys!
Vitals:
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
Label: Ode to my boys at Modular
Members:
Ravi Gupta
Tim Watkins
Harrison Wood
David Rogers
Jono Boulet
Sonic Soulmates™: Indie Folk is what they call themselves???? Less Mumford and more Kasabian. A little Kurt Vile’s lonely loveliness, Blur’s get up and riot attitude, and Kasabian’s anarchy anthems.
Trackables™ from her new LP We Keep The Beat Found the Sound See the Need Start the Heart
“This Song is Called Ragged”
“You’re an Animal”
“Piao Voca Slung”
The Arizona Turk is one the primary contributors to New.Band.Day. He’s been a fixture since 2010 and his picks are ahhhhmazing. They may seem confusingly unfamiliar, but that’s why we love him. His picks sound odd today, but if you look back over the past several years, you’ll notice that those bands are just now […]
She is our #1 Band Crush of 2012. Hands down a well deserved Hummingbird. After 3 years and four LPs she’s taken artist sensibility and created a wonderful record.
Don’t deprive yourself of Jessie because she may have crested to the mainstream. Just don’t be that guy…enjoy Jessie for the fact that she is one of the best new artists of 2012.
UNCORKED™ – Best New Bands of 2013 (5.24.13) Marriages Oh hey how are you? Yes we’ve been tweeting and not blogging, sorry. We got sucked into the world of twitter passing along new music, so if you’re in the mood follow us @newbandday So you all know the Arizona Turk, right? I am convinced he’s […]
The Perfect Playlist for the End of Times. That’s right you Top 10 Doomsday Delights all compiled and ready to gooooooo!!! Now enjoy your final 39 days.
The Perfect Playlist for the End of Times. That’s right you Top 10 Doomsday Delights all compiled and ready to gooooooo!!! Now enjoy your final 39 days.
Three new nectarly fresh records to listen to…in their entirety. Don’t be a song slut, please listen to what they recorded. Do you just eat filling in the Oreo? I didn’t think so.
Love #DarrenHayman //audioantihero.bandcamp.com/album/audio-antihero-presents-regal-vs-steamboat-for-rape-crisis 6 hours ago
@wezen_ball Rick Ankiel. 6 different versions with a surprise appearance of Power every time THE ROCK! maybe we should call him Rock Ankiel 7 hours ago
STAFF PICKS – Our own Arizona Turk finally put pen to paper and sent us his 2011 GEM list stuffed with reverb, sonic soundwaves and spacey dreams. My mind is a whirl with all this great stuff. Read his list, like the bands on Facebook and listen to his playlist on Spotify. There are some real GEMS in here….Top 10 Bands, Tracks and Albums of 2011.
No other band put a dent in our 2011 universe, then Other Lives. They are big now, but even back in May of 2011, the band was still small. Now they’re touring with Radiohead and they are so deserving of our #1 Hummingbird Award for 2011. Get the album, tell your friends you’ve been listening since early 2011, and make them your new favorite band of 2011 and for all-time.
We don’t care that everyone knows who they are…they deserve to be voted onto the list of Hummingbird Award Winners. Listen and enjoy what everyone in The UK loves. They are better than any rock band since…The Strokes.
I love you, I hate you, I love you again, don’t leave me…please. That’s how we feel about our 4th Best New Band of 2011. EMA is Amazing and we want you to love her as well.
Age ain’t nuthin but a number. That’s right this 64 year-old soulman brings electrifying emotion to our ears. His Daptone Record is quality and well deserving of the Hummingbird.
Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #1 The Tallest Man on Earth
He is the reason why I love music, why I love to share music, why we endure the crap…he is the gem that was excavated one Winter morning back in February, and now he is THE MOST IMPORTANT NEW ARTIST OF 2010. Thank you Kristian for making and creating.
Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #2 The Pomegranates
Fuzzy Cincinnati, Ohio surf rockers bring a fantastic new album to 2010. I think these guys have just enough quirk to break-thru. They’ve been grinders on the road and with 3 LPs and a few EPs, they deserve the accolades. Love them and so will you! Hear two new tracks now a grab the Daytrotter session NOW! They DESERVE THE HUMMINGBIRD!!!
Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #3 The Radio Dept.
They were voted #1 in our mid-year Best of 2010 list. They are perfection in motion, they’re Pet Shop Boys sounds are a new way to make the [Second] Wave worth it’s rise. The Radio Dept. has an amazing album and will make our final three Best Albums of 2010, posted later this week. We love The Radio Dept. and we know you will!
Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #4 Chapel Club
Chapel Club is Morrissey trapped in a Interpol video. They destroy the stereotypes of the Second [New] Wave, and make it fun to listen to again. They mix The Smiths, Interpol, My Vitriol, Glenn Danzig and Joy Division all into one. The single “The Shore” is brilliant and we are thankful that the Arizona Turk pulled an all-nighter to find this gem. Merry Christmas
Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #5 Jim Jones Revue
Seriously the Best Band of 2010 and they’re only #5…WOW, this is much harder than I thought it would be. They’re Little Richard, The Misfits and Jerry Lee Lewis all wrapped up in an angry little package. I love em soo much, I hope this endorsement gets you to listen. Listen to 2 new tracks.
This is the final post of 2010. The Top 10 Albums from Me the Editor. Damn it’s been a great year musically. If you said this year in music sucked, then you weren’t listening or reading. If you have a friend and you’re a friend then pass along NewBandDay.com to them. It’ll be their New Years Resolution, or yours if you’re looking to be a better friend. The albums are here. So go download them…NOW! See you next year.
