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!
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
Class Actress sheds light on what can be good in 2012.
Uncorked™ Class Actress
I’m a sucker for female leads. I’m also a sucker for minimalist electronic music. The stuff you can create on your kid’s toys…all said, simple beats and unlayered tracks may replace the cluttered underwater gargle we’ve been dealing with over the past two years. Class Actress is one stellar example of the mid-80′s Kate Bush led Depeche Mode tribute sound. Elizabeth Harper is the muse that leads Class Actress, having been at electronic music since 2009, she drafted the help of producers Mark Richardson and Scott Rosenthal. They created what is today one of our favorite late ’11 and early ’12 faves. Where Chairlift bores and drones, Class Actress soars. Her new record Rapprocher was released late 2011 it good and her following is growing fast. Elizabeth is Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells without the anger, she’s what makes music great these days. Here’s to a new age of female leads in 2012.
Vitals: Hometown: Brooklyn, NY via Philadelphia, PA Members: Elizabeth Harper Sonic Soulmates™: Twin Sister, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, Chairlift Trackables™:
“Weekend”
I haven't been this in love since last week. WIdowspeak soothes my soul. So deserving of the Hummingbird
Best New Band of 2011
#6 Hummingbird Award – Widowspeak
Ahhh the Spectorian sounds of 2011 all started back in January or maybe it was the hangover from 2010. Tennis, Cloud Nothings, etc. all slammed us with the airy 60′s pop female led bands. Our favorite and our fan favorite was Widowspeak. No band got more attention on NBD this year than Widowspeak. Why? A. They’re good. B. They had a new record hit mid-year and C. Molly crushes the vocals. This three time zone trio is a treat and we hope you find them Top 10 worthy on your list.
Vitals:
Hometown: Chicago, IL or Tacoma, WA or Brooklyn, NY
Members: Molly Hamilton, Michael Stasiak, Robert Thomas
Sonic Soulmates™: Cloud Nothings, Eternal Summers, Mazzy Star
Trackables™:
12 reasons to love 2011 and WATERS. Stop listening to drivel and listen to WATERS
Best New Band of 2011
#12 Hummingbird Award – WATERS
Van Pierszalowski formerly of Port O’Brien, which is no more (so sad), traversed the coasts from Alaska to Oslo back to SF and he’s created more aqually awesome music. Flowing tempos and Lord Huron vocals make us love him so much more. The tri-coastal hero is superhero amongst us all…Yo La Tengo in nature. The love is gushing and
Vitals:
Hometown: Oslo, Norway; San Francisco, CA; Brooklyn, NY
Members: Van Pierszalowski
Sonic Soulmates™: Yo La Tengo, Phosphorescent
Trackables™:
“O Holy Break of Day”
Don't punish us for joining the mainstream, but Lana Del Rey is soooo good. It's hard not to be a lover!
Best New Band of 2011
#13 Hummingbird Award – Lana Del Rey
The Spectorian sounds of 2011 all started back in January or maybe it was the hangover from 2010. Lana Del Rey is talented, but her attention is at it’s peak all without a record. She is due for her LA meltdown at this point..although, her album is due in January and it will sell lots o’lots of records. You be the judge, but we loved her in January and we still love her today.
Vitals:
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY/ Hollywood
Members: Lana Del Rey
Sonic Soulmates™: Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton (in tone), The Shirelles, Fiona Apple, Tennis, The Ronettes
Trackables™:
Love doesn't describe what we've discovered. Lana Del Rey is commitment.
BOD (8.29.11) Lana Del Rey
Modernizing that Spector sound is oh so beautiful when it goes right. La Sera’s done it, Cults did it and now Lana Del Rey. She’s the darling of the industry today and I think you’ll agree that your life is now a little better after you watch this video below. She is so Hollywood, that I already see her tragic rehab comeback. I love her. The saddest part is that I don’t get to discover her again. The goosebumps are gone and now replaced with a fear of being too late to write about her. By the way her first record won’t hit until January. There are only three tracks out there….I’ve posted “Blue Jeans” and the video for “Video Games”
Vitals:
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY/ Hollywood
Members: Lana Del Rey
Sonic Soulmates: Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton (in tone), The Shirelles, The Ronettes
Trackables:
“Blue Jeans”
Long Overdue, Brooklyn Hipsters Bring A New Record and More Love
Band of the Day (6.1.11) The Antlers
Long overdue is how I describe our band for today. Their 2007 “In The Attic of the Universe” and 2009′s “Hospice’ were quality rock/electronic records. They have an inventive sound, recording extended tracks in their bathtubs, with the dueling XX/XY vocals. Their sound has evolved into a mature electronic sound. I’m proud to post The Antlers and they deserved the nod so long ago, but we weren’t here so long ago, so don’t blame us. The best way to describe their sound, one part moody brit electronics of South, one party Elizabeth Fraser, and a drop of Grandaddys lo-fi electronic sound.
Buy the new album now Burst Apart and get “Hospice” on MP3 for free…
Vitals:
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Members:
Peter Silberman
Michael Lerner
Darby Cicci
Sonic Soulmates: South, Cocteau Twins, Grandaddy, Air
Trackables:
“Rolled Together” – A mellow Airish track that will pull you way up to the clouds
Modern day classic soul from Charles Bradley...A hummingbird is waiting.
Band of the Day (3.22.11) Charles Bradley
Born in Gainesville, Florida in 1948 and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Charles spent the better part of his childhood living on the streets. This is probably the first time we’ve had an artist make his debut at the youthful age of 63. But as I’ve read many times, age is only a number and Bradley brings a timeless classic to our ears with his new debut record No Time for Dreaming. Soulful, heart-wrenching vocals make you feel as if the 60′s never ended. Charles heals his broken heart on this record and you can hear every painful to healing moment.
Charles is, was heavily influenced by James Brown, having toured for 20 years under the Black Velvet moniker. Through hard times and incredibly strong determination, Charles, down on his luck, was approached by Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records. After several singles, bands disbanding, etc. Charles met Thomas Brenneck, songwriter and guitarist for the Bullets they hit it off and began working together. They released two singles on Daptone under the name “Charles Bradley and the Bullets,” but the Bullets soon dismantled. Charles lost his brother in a tragic shooting, that emotional loss led to the core of his songwriting. Putting words to paper to the microphone, Bradley and Brenneck created a masterpiece with the Menahan Street Band. The album is a beauty and Bradley deserves the love. His SXSW sessions were amazing and I thank Rafi (Tenacious Hand Stamp) and The Marina Machine for this artist rec!
Vitals:
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY (Bushwick)
Members: Charles Bradley, The Menahan Street Band (Leon Michels, Toby Pazner, Nick Movshon, Aaron Johnson, Mike Deller, Daniel Fodder, Dave Guy, Homer Steinweiss, Fernando Velez, Bosco Mann)
Sonic Soulmates: James Brown, Bill Withers, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Tyrone Davis
Trackables:
“The World (Is Going Up In Flames)”
If By Yes is a creative collaboration that is brilliant!
Band of the Day (3.21.11) If By Yes
he buzz from Austin this year centered around last year’s buzz bands like Cults or James Blake. I also saw a ton of Mexican Summer artists’ like No Joy, etc. It was also a hip-hop reunion event with Snoop, De La Soul, etc. What wasn’t obvious was that the female lead is taking over 2011. With bands like Puro Instinct,Gypsy Death and You, Wye Oak, La Sera and many many more. I didn’t hear the buzz from our favorite females which means they need more love. That’s why today we present the incredible If By Yes and their debut LPSalt on Sea Glass, a collaborative project created by two fairly well known indie pop leads. Petra Haden, the vocalist behind the groundbreaking vocal projects Imaginaryland and Petra Haden Sings The Who Sell Out, is Elizabeth Frazeresque with her complex vocalizations and searing falsetto harmonies. Yuka Honda is the electronic wizard behind Cibo Matto, but she’s dabbled in jazz, and hip-hop over the past decade and half in NYC. These ladies and men are accompanied by David Byrne and Nels Cline of WIlco and their debut album is shockingly good.
If By Yes also includes guitarist Hirotaka “Shimmy” Shimizu and drummer Yuko Araki, both long time members of the Japanese band Cornelius. For Salt On Sea Glass, special guests include David Byrne (vocals & lyrics) on “Eliza”, guitarist Nels Cline, and remixes by Keigo “Cornelius” Oyamada. Also…you’ll find Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle/Fantomas/Madlove) on bass, Michael Leonhart on trumpet and Courtney Kaiser on backing vocals.
Buy the debut album on 3.22.11 (My Birthday) here
Vitals:
Hometown: New York
Members: Yuka Honda, Petra Haden, Hirotaka “Shimmy” Shimizu, Yuku Araki and guest appearances from David Byrne and Nels Cline
Sonic Soulmates: Sia, Cocteau Twins, Zero 7, Dead Can Dance
Trackables:
“You Feel Right (Cornelius Remix)” – Beautiful etherial mix.
“Eliza (Featuring David Byrne)” – David Byrne makes this a classic track. Yuka Honda shines here.
Authentic pure quality sound of 60's bubblegum love pop - Chalk and Numbers
Band of the Day (1.31.11) Chalk and Numbers
Well you all are familiar with Tennis from our 2010 Hummingbird awards? Right? I used “Y’all because I am catching a connecting flight in Dallas right now. Well, the 60s pop XX/XY duo was a hot thingy in 2010. Many bands attempted it, many failed. Tennis succeeded because it captured the finest of The Walkmen, griity, somber rock guitar with what amounts to a perfect set of female vocals. Chalk and Numbers is even more of the 60′s bubblegum pop. Yeah 2010 was the year of it, but 2011 is the year others perfect it. Hell there were many many MP3 players before the iPod. It just took Apple to make the best one, with the content store…Chalk and Numbers are authentic and if you added some pop and crackle, you’d swear it was a 45 from 1963. I’m not equating Chalk and Numbers to Apple, but I am comparing them to Tennis. I think they’ve nailed the sound and the tamborines just close the deal for me. I’m sold. Hell it’s fun music, so enjoy it and let Chalk and Numbers know you love em too. Got the band tip from these “new to the scene” chaps from @_DeadJournalist on Twitter…Muchas Gracias. Find him here
Vitals
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Members: Sable Yong and Andrew Pierce
Sonic Soulmates: Spectoresque, The Shangri-Las, Tennis, Jenny and Johnny, Fitz and the Tantrums
Must hear tracks: “Here With Eachother” – It’s The Byrds with a little Tennis and whole lot of 60′s bubblegum love all over it.
“I Really Want to Work This Out” – Just so good.
Grab their new EP at BandCamp for free or a small price!
Widowspeak's mesmerizing vocals and simple riffs lull you into obsession
Band of the Day (1.6.10) Widowspeak
Is it Widow’s Peak or Widow Speak or Widowspeak, amazing how one space makes such a difference. The third version is my favorite, Widowspeak is a band of slow grind female led dreary rockers from Brooklyn, NY. Their music belongs in the 60′s with dream space vocals layered by a single amplified guitar. Garage rock with an air of creepy Misfits guitar strumming. Love hearing EPs from bands that have the sound, but not the overproduction. Get these cats in a studio and they’ll crush it. Your chance to hear em first and own em. Grab their EP from BandCamp below. Maybe I’m just obsessed with Cape Dory from Tennis, but I can’t help but play these tracks on repeat.
Vitals:
Hometown: Chicago, IL or Tacoma, WA or Brooklyn, NY
Members: Molly Hamilton, Michael Stasiak, Robert Thomas
Sonic Soulmates: Cloud Nothings, Eternal Summers, Mazzy Star
Must Hear Tracks:
“Harsh Realm” – so simple, but yet incredibly effective. She frightens me.
“Burnout” – The night is over, your bed is spinning and you need sleep, put on “Burnout”
Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #9 Sleigh Bells
Altering the landscape of music isn’t easy. 2010 was a year of passive, derivative drivel, made by machines and not musicians. But in saying that, we have answers and hope. We found at least 20 bands that have changed music and one or two that stand alone. Sleigh Bells is one of those bands, fusing searing guitars, fractured vocals and deep beats. It’s the XX/XY duo redefined. It’s the Slayer of our age. It’s angry and Alexis Krauss is our top Indie Hottie for 2010.
We made bold predictions for Sleigh Bells and we’re still waiting for the tipping point. We’ve seen the TV commercials, we’ve read all the “hipster” blogs, but we’re still waiting for that moment. We’re proud to have been the ones to introduce them to you and we’re even more proud to put them in our Top 10 Best New Bands of 2010. We might even say they are the Most Important Band of 2010. Their three best tracks are posted below.
Vitals:
Band Members: Guitarist/beatbox Derek Miller and vocalist Alexis Krauss
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Sonic Soulmates: MIA, Slayer, Your high school cheerleading squad
Tracks of the Year:
“Crown on the Ground” – This is the best song of the year. Check back on 12.28.10 for the full 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 […]
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.
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.
