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Band of the Day (1.11.11) Wolf People

Be prepared for some rock from Wolf People

Band of the Day (1.11.10) Wolf People

I miss metal. I miss hard rock. I miss it all. I’ve admitted to my hessian days, my obsession with Maiden, Slayer, Danzig, etc. I’ve grown up but what I appreciate the most is the more jammy metal. Not Phish, but jam hard rock like our 2010 Hummingbird Faves Tame Impala or Dungen. It’s just timeless music that transcends all of it. Zeppelin long-term standing Sabbath’s recent hipster revival all stems from the fact that it’s just good music. Good music rises and rarely falls. The derivative does. So when you look at trail-blazers like Sabbath you find one quality that stamps them as “legend” great musicianship. Iommi plays guitar very well, Ozzy can belt it, etc. Wolf People may be that bands that carries the torch for 2011. 2011 is shaping up to be the ROCK HEAVEN. Where Tame Impala road the Swedish coat-tails of Dungen, I think Wolf People may be riding a whole new sound. Fine they use a flute on some tracks, Jethro Tull would argue they ripped them off, but where The Tull goes all renaissance fair, Wolf People stays put and really keeps the mood rock going. I’m obsessed with them. I liked Black Mountain and The Sword, but I love Wolf People. Just give em a try and I’ll bet you kick up the volume to 11. They’re brilliant. The new album Steeple was recorded in a converted barn studio in a 17th century Welsh mansion. They stayed in the servants quarters and recorded the album in the barn to create a sound that is so earthy and vibrant.

Vitals:
Hometown: Bedford/London/North Yorkshire, Midlands, UK
Members: Jack Sharp (vocals/guitar); Joe Hollick (guitar); Dan Davies (bass) and Tom Watt (guitar)
Sonic Soulmates: Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Dungen, Tame Impala, Kyuss
Must Hear Tracks:

“Morning Born” – Jack Sharp shows us his chops here. Hollick just plugs it in and destroys the guitar on this track. It’s smooth and has a great vibe. At about 1:45 it just kicks ass.

“Tiny Circle” – Jethro Tull for the new millenium

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Tags: 2011 Rock Heaven, Arizona Turk, Band of the Day, Bedford, Best New Bands 2011, Best New Bands of 2011, Dan Davies, Jack Sharp, Joe Hollick, London, Midlands, Morning Born, North Yorkshire, sonic soulmates, Tame Impala, Tom Watt, UK, Wolf People

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Categories 2011 Best New Bands, 2011 Rock Heaven, Band of the Day, HEAR

Band of the Day (1.10.11) The Monday Mornings

10 Jan

Cleanliness is Godliness for The Monday Mornings

Band of the Day (1.10.11) The Monday Mornings

Seattle is home to our Monday morning enthrallment. The name isn’t the most inventive, but it’s their music that does the trick. The use of strings with acoustic guitars will always get my attention. It gives a slight nudge to the twangy folk…think Edward Sharpe, but it’s coupled with a Conor Obert vocal that makes it sound a lot like the Bright Eyes Casadega record. They have two LPs under their belt, a lot of touring, a lost bass player and whole lot of momentum. Their sound is familiar, but it’s also strong enough to give them their own place. They have some diversity and they can bring it down or up when necessary. Thanks to the Turk for his late night upload of The Monday Mornings!

Vitals:
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Band mates: Michael Mearns, Brett Berger, Andrew Forsman, Jim Petosa, Ian Williams, Katie Mosehauer
Sonic Soulmates: Bright Eyes, Weakerthans, Cursive, most Saddle Creekers
Must hear Traks:
“Ideas Alike” – Conor with a female counterpart make this my fave track from the album.

“Shift the Sea” – Strings accompany this pretty little tune.

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Tags: Andrew Forsman, Arizona Turk, Band of the Day, Best New Bands 2011, Brett Berger, Conor Oberst, Ian Williams, Ideas Alike, Jim Petosa, Katie Mosehauer, Michael Mearns, Seattle, Shift the Sea, WA

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Categories 2011 Best New Bands, Band of the Day, HEAR

Band of the Day (1.6.11) Widowspeak

6 Jan

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”

Download The Widowspeak EP for free now….

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Tags: 60's Garage Rock, Best New Bands 2011, Brooklyn, Burnout, Harsh Realm, Mazzy Star, Michael Stasiak, Misfits, Molly Hamilton, NY, Robert Thomas, Tennis, Widowspeak

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Categories 2011 Best New Bands, Band of the Day

Band of the Day (1.5.11) The Builders and The Butchers

5 Jan

The water in Alaska grows fresh folk sounds from The Builders

Band of the Day (1.5.11) The Builders and The Butchers

The diversity of great music is mind-boggling. Yesterday we posted No Joy, a female shoegaze duo, today we’re posting a band of five men who create fantastic folk music from Alaska. Yeah, that’s right Alaska. The Butchers and The Builders have garnered an amazing following as they blaze their trail, now centered in Portland. The Great Northwest creates such amazing cozy melodic music, it’s hard not to enjoy the bearded man sound. Where Trampled By Turtles may break speed records for their turbo-charged folk sounds, The Builders and The Butchers plod away, in a tempered, melodic pace that gets your toes tappin, conjuring up the roots of American folk sounds. Their songwriting is like a Louis L’Amour novel addressing God, the Devil and the brothel where you might not leave. The new album, quietly their 3rd, will be released on 2.22.11…we’re waiting to debut a new track. I love this band and I thank The Marina Machine for this great recommendation.

Vitals:
Hometown: Portland, OR via Alaska
Members: Alex Ellis, Harvey Tumbleson, Paul Seely, Portland, Ray Rude, Ryan Sollee,
Sonic Soulmates: Trampled By Turtles, Langhorne Slim, Murder By Death, Heartless Bastards
Must Hear Tracks:
“Barcelona” – The new album is coming in February 2011, but this is my favorite from the Salvation is a Deep Dark Well album.

“Golden and Green” – This was the big single from the last album and it’s the one we rattle around here at NBD.

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Tags: Alaska, Alex Ellis, Best New Bands 2011, Golden and Green, Harvey Tumbleson, Oregon, Paul Seely, Portland, Ray Rude, Ryan Sollee, The Builders and The Butchers, The Marina Machine, Trampled by Turtles

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Categories 2011 Best New Bands, Band of the Day, HEAR

Band of the Day (1.4.11) – No Joy

4 Jan

No Joy is All Joy to your ears.

Band of the Day (1.4.11) – No Joy

Ahhhh Day 2 of this new year and why not focus on walls of sound and shoegaze or as the band describes “doomgaze” pop. The Elizabeth Fraser layered vocals eerily remind you of the angelic voice rattling around inside your head. She’s alluring but disruptive, making you feel as if your safe in her arms, then she whispers those insane lyrics in your head. WOW, she may even be an Incubus…okay, I’m getting carried away, but you get the drift. Take a listen to our two favorite tracks below. After you listen…realize it’s only a duo. They did befriend Bethany of Best Coast and get a coattail ride on her label, so there is familial love here and you will be seeing their name on the SXSW/summer festival circuit.

Vitals:
Hometown: MONTREAL, CN
Members: The Montreal/L.A. duo of Laura Lloyd and Jasamine White-Gluz Kick your ass!!!!
Sonic Soulmates: My Bloody Valentine, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Gauntlet Hair, Eternal Summers
Must hear tracks:
“Maggie Says I Love You”

“Pacific Pride”

Another fine Daytrotter Session Get No Joy @Daytrotter now…Love Daytrotter see all the NBD bands on Daytrotter here
Ghost Blonde new album here

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Tags: Arizona Turk, BEST COAST, Best New Bands 2011, Bethany Co, Bethany Cosetino, Canada, Jasamine White-Gluz, Laura Lloyd, Los Angeles, Maggie Says I love You, Mexican Summer, Montreal, No Joy, Pacific Pride

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Categories 2011 Best New Bands, Band of the Day, HEAR

Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #2 The Pomegranates

28 Dec

It's All Yours Pomegranates, go get the Hummingbird

Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #2 The Pomegranates

Seriously, in November we all thought the #3 best new bands were set. The Pomegranates had a nice single hitting the college radio charts and so we profiled them. Then I spent a few weeks with the new album One Of Us and I was impressed. I spent time with them on my headphones on BART, on my car stereo, on my home stereo. Every time the shuffle pulled up one of their tracks, I stopped to check who it was. It hit me on a trip to Columbus, I listened to “Prouncer” and realized that these guys are worthy of the #1 spot for our Hummingbird Awards. What about The Radio Dept? What about Jim Jones Revue? Well The Pomegranates hit #2 and we’re confident in saying that they are that good. The album is a collection of fuzzy surf sounds, 90’s Brit Rock and early 80’s new wave. They’re Surfer Blood mixed with Blur with a dash of U2 Boy. These guys are GREAT and they are one of the Best New Bands of 2010.

Vitals:
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Band Members: Joey Cook – Vocals, Guitars/Keyboards, Isaac Karns – Vocals/Guitars/Keyboards, Jacob Merritt – Drums, Daniel Lyon – Vocals/Guitars
Sonic Soulmates: Blur, Oasis, U2, The Radio Dept. and of course Surfer Blood
Tracks of the Year:
“Prouncer”

“One of Us” – Spacey, shoe-gaze love track. Might be my fave. A little U2 bass line

Daytrotter Session: HERE

Original BOD Post: 11.4.10

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2010 Hummingbird Awards
Hummingbird Award #20: Crocodiles
Hummingbird Award #19: Miniature Tigers
Hummingbird Award #18: Gamble House
Hummingbird Award #17: Tame Impala
Hummingbird Award #16: Paper Crows
Hummingbird Award #15: Perfume Genius
Hummingbird Award #14: The Fresh & Onlys
Hummingbird Award #13: Tennis
Hummingbird Award #12: Memoryhouse
Hummingbird Award #11: Karkwa
Hummingbird Award #10: Lord Huron
Hummingbird Award #9: Sleigh Bells
Hummingbird Award #8: Crystal Fighters
Hummingbird Award #7: Efterklang
Hummingbird Award #6: Best Coast
Hummingbird Award #5: Jim Jones Revue
Hummingbird Award #4: Chapel Club
Hummingbird Award #3: The Radio Dept.
Hummingbird Award #2: The Pomegranates

Tags: #2, #2 Hummingbird, #2 Hummingbird Award, Arizona Turk, Cincinnati, Daniel Lyon, Daytrotter, Hear, Hummingbird, Hummingbird Award 2010, Issac Karns, Jacob Merritt, Joey Cook, OH, One of Us, Pomegranates, Prouncer, The Radio Dept., U2

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Categories Band of the Day, HEAR, MP3, The 2010 Hummingbird Awards

THE HUMMINGBIRDS (The 20 Best New Bands of 2010)

5 Dec

You Want One of These

First of all let me thank you! This is the First Annual Hummingbird Awards and we owe it to you. This has been an amazing year for us here at NBD. We profiled over 200 bands, bands have thanked us and you fans have been supportive of us. So to close out this year, we going to count ’em down. It’s time, we’ve taken the last week to study our picks. We’ve found a few things..

1. You fans love your bands
2. Canada is producing some amazing music in 2010
3. Sweden and the Nordics are producing even better music (I’ll leave it to you to defend your music)
4. The Pet Sound was hot in early 2010, but it’s been replaced by….
5. XX/XY duos – WOW there a ton of female/male duos this year.
6. Singer songwriters will be all over our top 10
7. Arizona Turk has a lot to say about the list
8. We don’t give the award to bands that have already made it…we reward the ones who need it.
9. Our favorite band of the year is a shocker
10. Hummingbirds are amazing birds…Your Band Wants To Win a Hummingbird!

A Hummingbird is the most prestigious award a new band can receive. Hands down, if you win one, your life will never be the same.

2010 WINNERS

Read our Music Excavators Picks:
Editor Gems (Albums)
Editor Gems (Songs)
Arizona Turk Gems (Albums)
Arizona Turk Gems (Songs)
Music Muse Gems (Songs)

All the Hummingbirds

Tags: Arizona Turk, Best of 2010, Bristian, Canada, Hummingbird Award 2010, Nordics, Pet Sound, The Hummingbird Awards, TOP 20 BANDS OF 2010, Win A Hummingbird

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Categories Band of the Day, The 2010 Hummingbird Awards

Band of the Day (11.23.10) Cocoon

23 Nov

BOD (11.23.10) Cocoon

Cocoon is a French pop folk duo made up of Mark Daumail and Morgane Imbeaud. Clermont-Ferrand is their hometown but I’ve found that Panda Mountain seems to be their hometown of choice. Neither Chinese nor of Panda origin, Cocoon has a fantastic sound. They’re not new to the “famous band” thing, they were huge success in My Friends all Died in a Plane Crash
, so their following is massive. I don’t claim to be the first to find this band, but I do claim a love for their XX/XY sound. Their sound is clean acoustic guitars with back and forth love jockeying. They claim a desire to be a duo like White Stripes, but I can’t help but compare them to the great bands on Arts & Crafts like Stars or even Joy Zipper from 2006, The Submarines and the brilliance of Michael Penn with Aimee Mann duets will make you go back and download their entire catalog. But come one, really, they sound amazingly similar to Swell Season. We love their sound and I want to be the first to say it’s Time to Make Them Your New Favorite Band”

Hear:
“Hummingbird” – Joy Zipper with an upbeat sound.

“Mother” – Paul Simon? Great moving sound. Jose Gonzalez and Avett Brothers? Lovely song…still not convinced…well it’s the French Swell Season.

MP3 – Cocoon – “Mother”

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Tags: Aimee Mann, Band of the Day, Clermont-Ferrand, Cocoon, France, Hear, Joy Zipper, Mark Daumail, Michael Penn, Morgane Imbeaud, MP3, XX/XY

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Categories Band of the Day, HEAR, MP3

Band of the Day (11.22.10) Memoryhouse

22 Nov

BOD (11.22.10) Memoryhouse

With the success of Florence and The Machine, there will be a slew of new female led, drama queens hitting the scene. Unfortunately, every single one will be compared to the “Oh I wish I was Siouxsie Sioux” vocals standards. I think our team at NBD has profiled at least 60 bands that I would consider far more inventive and stylish to that of Florence. Today is definitely one of those days.

Memoryhouse is so good, she actually gave me chills the first time I listened. I love The xx for one reason, it’s that simple solo guitar that intros Romy Madley Croft’s vocals. I find that so alluring and it really draws the emotion of the vocals. Memoryhouse is Guelph, Ontario’s Evan Abeele, classically trained and Denise Nouvion’s photographic mind, melded together to form a soulful Beach House/My Bloody Valentine. They don’t conjure sadness, but rather a sense of passion. They make me want to create. Their simple electronic drum beats never seem Yacht-like, or campy, they are better than The xx and I think you’ll find their music a great accompaniment to the blustery winter weather. Denise’s voice will warm your heart as your bearing the snowy winter doldrums. I think we’ll add them to the mainstage of our Inukshuk Festival

Hear:
“Sleep Patterns” – Simple guitars, electronic drum beats and Denise’s beautiful vocals.

“To The Lighthouse” – My favorite song off the EP and I really think it will make our 2010 Top 10…lovely tracks.

Memoryhouse “To the Lighthouse”

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Tags: Arizona Turk, Band of the Day, Beach House, Canada, Denise Nouvion, Evan Abeele, Guelph, Hear, Inukshuk, Memoryhouse, MP3, Ontario, The XX

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Categories Band of the Day, Best of 2010...So Far, HEAR, MP3

Band of the Day (11.16.10) Games

16 Nov

BOD: Games

Avalanches meet trip-hop chill. Don’t you miss Avalanches? It was a publishers nightmare, but they were fantastic. Games are the Brooklyn Duo Daniel Lopatin and childhood friend Joel Ford getting their love from Stereogum and the BloggerBoys. Two tracks have been posted since September, both are below. That We Can Play, is an EP layered in purple juiced, slowed down R&B jams. Great work music and good good stuff for a bleary Friday afternoon. Tears for Fears or anything Richard Blade played on KROQ in LA would fit right into the same genre as Games. Second track is from their new EP, first one is not, but I love it more.

Hear:
“Everything is Working” – Love this most.

MP3 – Games – “Everything Is Working”

“Shadow in Bloom” – 80’s Tears for Fearish track…

MP3 Games – “Shadows In Bloom”

Tags: Avalanches, Band of the Day, Brooklyn, Daniel Lopatin, Everything is Working, Games, Hear, Joel Ford, MP3, NY, That WE Can Play

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Categories Band of the Day, HEAR, MP3

Band of the Day (11.15.10) MNDR

15 Nov

BOD (11.15.10) MNDR

So the holiday is over and life has changed for New.Band.Day. A new XX/XY duo was officially wed in Kansas and life has never been better. So with that we celebrate another fantastic XX/XY duo MNDR, pronounced Mander. Forming in 2009, Amanda Warner and Peter Wade have two EPs under their belt and hopefully a full length on the way. Warner is a fellow Bay Area resident, having moved to NY to get her music career on the right trajectory. Hey we might be the only MUSIC BLOG based in Berkeley, but we know where bands break.

They’ve toured with Yacht and Deerhoof and now with Chromeo. With a resume like that, you’d think MNDR would have a gigantic following or at least a full length. Never-the-less, MNDR’s Warner sounds like Berlin backed with the most minimalistic of electro-clash sounds. She may sound like Santigold, she has a trajectory not supported by MIA, but rather Mark Ronson and the entire Bay Area and New York. We love the sound and we want MNDR to be your new favorite band.

Hear:
“I Go Away”

Download –> MNDR – “I Go Away”

“Fade to Black”

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Tags: Amanda Warner, Band of the Day, CA, Electroclash, Fade To Black, I Go Away, Mark Ronson, MNDR, New York, Oakland, Peter Wade

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Categories Band of the Day, HEAR, MP3

Band of the Day (11.8.10) Lakes

8 Nov

BOD (11.8.10) Lakes

Lakes of San Luis Obispo are great. The new record “The Agreement” is nothing more than a good old fashioned love record. Sometimes I get exhausted listening to music that drains my emotions. I need a feel good record and Lake’s completely delivered. Today I’ll call this band cool, but I promise they will get so big, we will all look back on this post and say “Remember when Lakes was a cool Indie band from San Luis Obispo?” Or maybe not. The record is strong with several “playlist” love tracks that your girlfriend will surely appreciate. The lyrics are clever and the music is good. I think you’ll all agree that what makes a GOOD band is great songwriting and a set of pipes. Where Lakes excel is where most local bands fall flat on their face. Seth Roberts can sing and the tracks are great. Take a listen.

Hear:
“Loose Fix” – Not the pop driven single but a good The Alarm type track. Who didn’t love The Alarm!?!

“Broadlyn” – The single…again, this band will be MASSIVE, so enjoy their Indie status now. This track is poppy….

“The Heart is an Anchor” – A little DCFC sounding.

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Band:
Seth Roberts
Jeremy Wells
Justin Sears
Jacob Wick
Matthew Covington

Tags: Arizona Turk, Band of the Day, Broadlyn, CA, Hear, Jacob Wick, Jeremy Wells, Justin Sears, Lakes, Loose Fix, Matthew Covington, San Luis Obispo, Seth Roberts, The Agreement, the alarm

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Categories Band of the Day, HEAR

Band of the Day (11.4.10) Pomegranates

4 Nov

BOD (11.4.10) Pomegranates

Fuzzy surf rock is the best description I have for our band of the day, Pomegranates. Cincinnati, Ohio is home to this fab four, not a huge coastal city, so the surf is only because the other self-proclaimed non-surfers Surfer Blood sound very similar to the Poms. The best part of the Poms is that as you dig deeper into their new album One of Us, you start to hear a deep brit-rock influence. Maybe a little Blur, the searing guitar riffs of early Oasis and even a tab bit of Boy U2 bass lines. They remind me a lot of our early 2010 fan fave The Radio Dept. Not as synthy, more guitars but very similar track structure with again…more guitars. Great guitar work on this record. Thank you Arizona Turk and glad to hear the baby is home safe.

Hear:
“Prouncer”