When it comes to XX/XY duos, the year has been dry as the Thanksgiving turkey from your negligent alcoholic mother. I’m sad about it. We were crazed in 2010, something like 30 of them. The Bowerbirds are a 2006ish Raliegh, NC creation. Many members, many iterations and three quality records. Love the new one that released back in March. Just now, Dead Oceans is servicing the new single to college radio and Sirius/XMU. Hear it below. They’re folky, but The Clearing, the new record, tackles the upbeat ebb and flow of a duo. I like ’em a lot and I think you’ll see them in early December on our Hummingbird lists.
Vitals:
Hometown: Raliegh, NC
Members: Phil Moore + Beth Tacular + Yan Westerlund + Mark Paulson + Leah Gibson
Sonic Soulmates™: Arcade Fire, The Dodos, Megafaun, Devendra Banhart
Trackables™:
“Tuck The Darkness In”
Gardens & Villa open your eyes your about to break!
BOD 11.11.11 Gardens & Villa
It’s been awhile and I apologize. Today we’ve found a band that may just be the Hummingbird winner of 2011. Can’t believe these guys have flown under the radar for this long. I’m assuming they will pop up on some irrelevant TV show soon, but in the meantime steal their fame and be the first to follow.
Gardens & Villa are a combination of GOOD Vampire Weekend a splash of MGMT and a great reason to pull out The Shins ancient relics and give them a spin. The boys hail from our favorite turkey time villa of Santa Barbara, CA. Their synth pop indie rock is right in line with the shiat today. This band won’t be under the radar, they’ll be in every commercial right around February. The band formed in 2008, joined Secretly Canadian and befriended our good friend Richard Swift. He influenced this self-titled beauty and you really really really need to get yourself a copy. Buy it on vinyl here
Vitals:
Hometown: Santa f’n Barbara, CA….the album was recorded in Oregon Members: Chris Lynch, keyboardist Adam Rasmussen, bassist Shane McKillop, and drummer Levi Hayden Sonic Soulmates™: The Shins, MGMT, Vampire Weekend (the good not lame version), The Police, Richard Swift Trackables™:
“Black Hills”
Really there are days, weeks when I just get bored listening to the same old drivel. I try not to remind myself how great it used to be…when one band from one new area from say Toronto, led to a slew of fantastic artists. Wow, that was just last year. Sometimes, I just have to remember that great music isn’t easy to find. I feel like our excavators have exhausted The Swedes, The Canadians, Chicago, San Francisco, the well seemed dried up. But then, I found a this lonely ‘ol lost track from Apparat, dream pop artist who had two records on Shitkatapult now on Mute. His new record The Devil’s Walk is great commute music. Calming dream-pop that conjures up 80’s revivalists like Cocteau or Roxy and then layered in a little James Blake. I feel good about today’s selection and I think you’ll find love in Apparat.
Vitals:
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Members: Sacha Ring
Sonic Soulmates: Four Tet, Cocteau Twins, Sigur Ros
Trackables:
“Black Water”
Don't Be Alarmed, People Still Go to the LIbrary and They Still Whisper
Band of the Day (10.11.11) Library Voices
I still have the urge to post more information about our “Already Profiled” bands that have new records. There are so many, it’s hard to keep up. We can’t forget about the new ones, we really can’t. Today’s band is a Canadian delight. Now that we’re finally over the maple leaf obsession, we get a band from Regina, Saskatchewan, CA dead center of Winnipeg and Calgary. Some of the most beautiful country in the world, but it’s damn cold. The band Bon Iver’d up in a small town of Kronau (population: 209) to record their sophomore record and it’s quite good. The band has not been on the golden road to Oz, their trailers have been robbed, their instruments and studio destroyed in a flood, but the seven piece Reginates are aiming for their own US rocket ship. The record hits next Tuesday and we have a track or two below. Think of the bell clanging female backed Los Campesinos combined with 80’s horn driven favorites like Bruce Hornsby and then sprinkle in some good ‘ol home cooked Canadian bacon like Stars and The Dears and you have Library Voices. Love ’em and you will be hearing them all over soon.
Vitals:
Hometown: Regina, Saskatchewan, CA
Members:
Amanda Scandrett – keyboards /vocals
Paul Gutheil – saxophone / vocals
Michael Thievin – drums
Brennan Ross – Guitar /vocals
Carl Johnson – lead vocals
Michael Dawson – keyboards / vocals
Eoin Hickey-Cameron – bass guitar
Sonic Soulmates: Los Campesinos, The Dears, Stars, The Range with Bruce Hornsby
Trackables:
“Generation Handclap”
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”
The War on Drugs was no war, but just a name for a cause...good music cause
Band of the Day (8.25.11) The War on Drugs
I’m definitely a kid of the 80’s. Watching Nancy on stage passing out T-shirts telling me I shouldn’t. While Ronnie was on the 11pm news telling us how we’re winning the “War on Drugs” against the Colombians. Do you know what I really think…by calling it a war, it helped fund an industry and kept the economy moving forward. Maybe it was just a ploy to help us get our get our favorite band of the day. Ironically, The War on Drugs is down home Americana, the likes of Dylan and Springsteen…just like Reagan’s war on Angel Dust. TWOD are more of a collective, starting back in 2005, with Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile touring Oakland, Philly, etc. then Vile bailed and Adam got serious with Dave Hartley and Mike Zanghi. They make up a super trio of electronic Americana. The threesome have Americana roots, with a Adam sounding a lot like Dylan fronting and the boys adding their best My Bloody Valentine. Love the new record Slave Ambient and the tracks posted below. Think Wilco meets Dylan meets Eels.
Vitals:
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Members: Current
Adam Granduciel (vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, samplers)
Dave Hartley (bass, guitars)
Mike Zanghi (drums, percussion, sampler) Former
Kurt Vile (guitar)
Kyle Lloyd (drums)
Charlie Hall (drums, organ)
Sonic Soulmates™: Bob Dylan, Springsteen, My Bloody Valentine, Eels, Grant Lee Phillips
Trackables™:
“Baby Missles”
White Denim in Austin, TX is like wearing cowboy boots in LA. Fashion Police...
Band of the Day (8.23.11) White Denim
Two words solidify my love for White Denim, no not Meghan Fox no the two words that leave my mouth every time I hear White Denim…Hummingbird Award. Yeah that’s right, they are that good. Yeah and I don’t really give a hoot that they’ve been playing music since 2006. Five years is enough time for a band to really hit their shit. And I swear their new record D is rock your socks off good. I love the diversity of the 80’s deep bass rock, similar to early U2, and the droniness of 2011 found on “Street Joy” like that of Girls. They get all fuzzy at times like our faves here at NBD, Tame Impala. If that gives you any indication of their sound then why the hell are you reading this post. Listen and follow brother. And by the way, you tell me, but I think this qualifies and I do think I declared that 2011 was the re-birth of rock…..
Vitals:
Hometown: Austin, TX
Members: Josh Block (drums), Steve Terebecki (bass), and James Petralli (guitars, vocals)
Sonic Soulmates™: Did you see that I trademarked it…Tame Impala, Boyish U2, Shabazzzzzz
Trackables™: Trademarked that shiat as well.
“Drugs (PBJ Remix)” – My present to you.
Spell Crafted bitch...my pants are way too tight and my 80's are on right now!
Band of the Day (8.19.11) Craft Spells
You know when you haven’t seen someone in a while and you stumble on them….forgeting their name but recognizing their face…you say “Hey Man, what’s up dude???” Well I feel that way almost daily when I hear new bands. I know you look and sound familiar but I just can’t find the name. Craft Spells reminds me of my college buddy that I saw at Peet’s coffee yesterday. What the hell is his name? Well if it’s Craft Spells it’s more like my 7th grade buddy, due to their 1983 modern new wave KROQ stylings. I liken them most to Joy Division oddly cute 18 year daughter. Or if you want to get all weird about it, how about Joy Division’s new spawn having their own child…like Seapony or Beach Fossils. Or what the hell is that band’s name again?
Vitals:
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Members:
Justin Vallesteros
Jack Smith
Peter Michel
Javier Suarez
Sonic Soulmates: Joy Division, Seapony, Beach Fossils
Trackables:
“Party Talk” – We first heard in August of last year…a year ago. The album came out in March.
“After the Moment” – Your Junior Senior moment of the day. Fucking love this song! Just so you know, my hair is plastered to my head, my jeans are way too tight and I just totally blew a speaker in my mom’s Fiero. Wait it’s not 1986.
I found this band from a Google search...Young Girls
Band of Day (8.8.11) YOUNG GIRLS
As the Turk told me last night, “Don’t Google search these dudes…” well I did and I got what I expected. Knowing that these Houston lads had a strong single floating around the intertubes in “Mexico In December”, my search was made much easier. The threesome garage rocksters bring happy summer sounds with a 60’s flare and a peaceful warrior approach. I love the echo harmonies, reminds me of KROQ circa 1985 when the first wave literally crashed into the garage punks. Harlem from our 2010 NBD collection is a quick reminder of their sound, but I give the Sonic Soulmate nod to Surfer Blood. Houston isn’t a hotbed for surfers, but I hear that the dudes from Surfer Blood don’t surf either, so here’s to Texas’ surf rock…yeehaw dude!
VITALS:
HOMETOWN: Houston, TX
MEMBERS: Charlie, Luis Carlos, and Pete (SEND ME LAST NAMES PLEASE)
SONIC SOULMATES: Surfer Blood, Cooler than but Vampire Weekend, Fang Island
TRACKABLES:
“Mexico in December”
The Bay Area has a scene and it's not non-Shalant with The Shalants
Band of the Day (8.4.11) Shalants or The Shalants
Nothing more homer love for home town heroes. Shalants are bluesy and ballsy and they hail from San Francisco. Their recently released self-titled album is that good. “That Good” means that you must tell your friends that Shalants are your new favorite band. Listen to “The Mercury Twins” below and you’ll be screaming for more. So I posted another track just so you stopped begging. Trust us and we’ll trust you. They’re part of the emerging SF psych surf, garage scene that includes some of our faves like Sonny and the Sunsets, Girls and The Fresh & Onlys.
Grab the album here…support these lads
Vitals:
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Members: Miller Carr Robin Macmillan Jacob Silver Brett Eastman
Sonic Soulmates: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Tom Waits, The Walkmen, The Kinks and Neil Young + Sonny and the Sunsets, Girls and The Fresh & Onlys.
Trackables:
“The Mercury Twins”
“The Deserter” – I promise that this will be the track you talk about to all your friends.
Follow: MySpace
Facebook —- Come on boys get with the times
A brown recluse is horrid, Brown Recluse is pleasantly summerific.
Band of the Day (7.25.11) Brown Recluse
Back is back and I won’t apologize. Busy and the music has dried up…really the music coming out really is weak. It’s not an excuse, it’s just the truth. A ton of sophomore albums from our favorites have hit the streets…list coming soon. Today’s band, Brown Recluse, was on our radar last year with an EP that turned our heads. Now with Evening Tapestry hitting the eplaces, including Spotify, we’re finding much love for them again. They’re a little XX/XY with that Belle and Sebastian edge. Is that an edge? A brown recluse is probably the most disgusting spider on the planet. It’s poisonous bite eats away at your skin and creates quarter-sized craters in your skin, especially grotesque when conducting a google search for the band…the band not so disgusting. They pleasant summer breezy sound will get you through the long hot or oddly globally warmed American landscape. Give em your love. I’m gonna start adding Spotify links too.
Vitals:
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Members: Tim Meskers | Mark Saddlemire | Herbie Shellenberger | Daniel Steinberg
Sonic Soulmates: The Beach Boys, Belle and Sebastian, The Zombies
Trackables:
“Impressions of a City Morning” – Summer love
Battery about to die and it's at :11 minutes for the 11 best of 2011...eerie.
I can’t wait until next week. I’m anxious and excited and I just want to get it over with…you understand, the anticipation to tell someone some good news. So I’m all alone in a dark hotel room, I think the electricity just crapped out on me, so it means I have :11 minutes on my Mac to make this shizzle fo real. SO here it is, 11 Bands for 2011 in all it’s glory… THE BEST OF 2011…SO FAR
11. Other Lives – This is the band that won’t leave my playlists for 2011. I love them hard.
“Tamer Animals”
10. Suuns – 2010 year end dandies have captured our hearts in 2011.
“Arena”
9. Code Pie – The BSS of 2011. Canadian love children with layered sounds.
“Love Meets Rage”
8. Widowspeak – We were there in the beginning. We’ve heard from the fans and we’ve watched them skyrocket up our PAGEVIEW list. Wow. They have more traffic then all of the 2011 bands combined. Just listen.
“Harsh Realm”
7. Sun Airway – Found them to be the most delightful band of 2011. I think they’ll move up the charts by year end.
“Waiting On You”
6. The Vaccines – They are the ROCK darlings of 2011 and if you haven’t heard their singles then you’re trapped in a Chilean coal mine.
“Blow it Up”
5. The Antlers – One word “FINALLY” they’ve hit the hipster mainstage. We love them.
“Rolled Together”
4. The Donkeys – The Turk found these San Diego stoney garage boys.
“I Like the Way You Walk”
3. Seapony – The Trio from Seattle is our Tennis of 2011. So Spectory good.
“Always” – A little early Cure guitar riff.
2. James Vincent McMorrow – Do you know me? Really have you been reading us for awhile? Then you know we love Singer/Songwriters and JVM is better than them all this year.
“If I Had A Boat” – Try not to tear up.
1. Star Slinger – Dude has been a DJ for less than a year and his stuff is otherworldly.
“Mornin'”
GIVING YOU THE BIRD…THE WHOLE 2011…SO FAR PLAYLIST —>
I feel like it's already July 4th celebrating XX/XY sparklers with Statue of Liberty
Band of the Day (6.24.11) Statue of Liberty
I’m a sucker for the XX/XY duo, especially when they have that wailing folky guitar. I write and I write and I write about these girl boy bands and it never ceases to amaze me that I just can’t get enough of them. Statue of Liberty hail from Des Moines, IA. They started as a solo project and then they joined forces to create a quick EP with an album on it’s way. Their two tracks are below. I liken them to this new and watered down version of TV On The Radio with a sprinkle of Paste Magazines finest bands. They do a lot of jockeying for vocal leads, but Bobby seems to always win. They’re male led and they sound great. Enjoy them.
Don’t forget on July 1st…look for “The Best of 2011…So Far” and the secret link to our “Giving you the Bird Vol. 1 Playslist” to celebrate our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
Vitals:
Hometown: Des Moines, IA
Members: Bobby Bradford, Miss Marywood Kate
Sonic Soulmates: This new softer version of TV on the Radio, interesting XX/XY duos Tweedy and Feist, Plant and Krauss, John Heart Jackie, The Civil Wars
Trackables:
“Back To You (Demo)”
NewBandDay 