Tag Archives: Brooklyn

Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #9 Sleigh Bells

17 Dec

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.

“Beach Girls”

“Infinity Guitars”

Follow:
Facebook
MySpace
Band Site
Twitter

Original BOD Post:
Sleigh Bells was originally posted on our Facebook profile. One of the first bands ever to be profiled. 3.24.10

They also made our “Best of 2010…So Far”

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

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Best Bands of 2010 HUMMINGBIRD AWARD: #19 Miniature Tigers

6 Dec

Best Bands of 2010
#19 Hummingbird Award – Miniature Tigers

From Phoenix, AZ to Brooklyn’s Park Slope, Miniature Tigers have been on the edge of major stardom for 4 years. This years Fortress could qualify as the record of the year. It’s a beautiful mesh of Supergrass and minimalistic electronic beats. At times the band vibes like it’s 2006, then at times they pluck and prod their way like Panda Bear or Toro y Moi.

Vitals:
Hometown – Brooklyn, NY
Members – Frontman-guitarist Charlie Brand, Rick Schaier on drums and vocals, Algernon Quashie on guitar, keyboard and vocals, and on bass and vocals.
Sonic Soulmates – Supergrass, Panda Bear, Toro y Moi and Vampire Weekend
Track of the Year:
“Goldskull” – I told you it would be on our list of top for 2010.

Follow:
MySpace
MiniatureTigers.com

Original Post: 10.5.10

2010 Hummingbird Awards
Hummingbird Award #20: Crocodiles –>
Hummingbird Award #19: Miniature Tigers

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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”

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Band of the Day (10.25.10) Bad Books

25 Oct

Band of the Day (10.25.10) Bad Books

I heard Bad Books this weekend. Their self-titled album Bad Books is raucous, fun, inventive but familiar at the same time. I hear a little Grandaddy with a bit of folk Alt-Country. I like to call it Electro-Folk. The band is an amalgamation of several others. As quoted from their Facebook: “Bad Books was never an intended nor calculated side project of Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull. Though the two musicians have collaborated and performed together on tour and within the Favorite Gentlemen community of artists for years now, the genesis of Bad Books came from a simple idea to fill space and time off the road by collaborating on a small batch of songs together at the top of the year.” Their keep ourselves busy project brings great songwriting that is both fluid and cerebral, with tracks named “The Easy & The Old Maid.” Their hometowns of Atlanta, Brooklyn and Fort Myers are all felt in their music. The Southern folk, the Park Slope shoe-gaze and the Fort Myers Florida retiree chill. I feel the Grandaddy, love the Gomez vibe and definitely sense someone in the band is as obsessed with My Morning Jacket as we are.

Band:
Kevin Devine, Andy Hull, Robert McDowell, Chris Freeman, Jonathan Corley, and Ben Homola

Hear:
“You Wouldn’t Have To Ask”

Download —> Bad Books “You Wouldn’t Have To Ask”

“How This All Ends”

Follow Bad Books:
Facebook
MySpace

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Band of the Day (10.21.10) Thieving Irons

21 Oct

BOD (10.21.10) Thieving Irons

Ahh good ol Park Slope and Brooklyn. I’d forgotten about you in all the Swedish, Danish, British and California music we’ve been posting lately. But you can’t forget about Brooklyn. Jay-Z doesn’t so why should we. So here we bring you the rustic southern rock gorgeousness that so belongs in Kentucky or Nashville but it’s in Brooklyn. Thieving Irons or Nate Martinez & Friends, makes one feel as if they just climbed to the peak of an Appalachian mountain, pulled out a leather bladder of whiskey and drained it clean. It’s good ol electric guitar solos, Gomez vocals and a southern piano tap with a flavor of KOL twang that makes for great music. They grab alt-country by the neck and drag it to a new level. They’re damn good and expect to see them on tour or at a festival in 2011. If your racking your brain because you’ve heard of Nate Martinez…riddle solved…he’s the co-founder of Pela. A few tracks posted below and a Daytrotter Session posted for your enjoyment. We can’t wait to see Thieving Irons when they visit Berkeley.

Hear:
“Ashes of the Riverbank”

Download — Thieving Irons – Ashes On The Riverbank

“Tow The Line”

Download — Thieving Irons – Tow The Line

Daytrotter Session Free Here — Daytrotter Rules

Band Members:
Nate Martinez with a rotating cast including Dan Brantigan, Mike Brown, Bryan Devendorf, Brian Kantor, Josh Kaufman, Ray Rizzo, Tom Zovich

Follow:
MySpace
Facebook
Read the KEXP Interview

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Band of the Day (10.5.10) Miniature Tigers

5 Oct

BOD (10.5.10) Miniature Tigers

Brooklyn indie pop rock, dabbed with a little Supergrass are what make Miniature Tigers great. So they made the trek to the big slope from Phoenix, but it was worth it. You all are probably snickering saying, “Dude Miniature Tigers were so Band of the Day in 2006.” Possibly, and yest CMJ did award them the top crown in 2008, but it’s Fortress that will define this band. Tell it To the Volcano was a fine record for these boys, but they released it smack dab in the in The Vampire Weekend years and they got lumped into that genre. It’s this latest record that makes them special and worthy of the daily jeweled crown. Miniature Tigers have perfected that Brit Rock Supergrass sound and they’ll make it bigger than Supergrass did. Those poor guys released fantastic records every year, and the US just ignored them…

Hear:
“Goldskull” – You’ve heard this single by now and it’s fantastic. WIll make the NBD Top 10. It’s GREAT!

Download –>Miniature Tigers – “Goldskull”

“Egyptian Rose” – The second best track on the album, showing their love for 90’s Brit Indie rock…piano in tow!

Band:
The band is made up of frontman-guitarist Charlie Brand, Rick Schaier on drums and vocals, Algernon Quashie on guitar, keyboard and vocals, and Alex Gerber on bass and vocals.

Follow:
MySpace
MiniatureTigers.com

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Band of the Day (9.7.10) Ablehearts

7 Sep Brooklyn, NY's finest sound maestro

Band of The Day (9.7.10): Ablehearts
Brooklyn, NY sound maestro Thomas Arsenault, brings the emotionally driven Ablehearts to us. The Flood is a collection of sound mixes and noise compilations, powered by Thomas’ Bon Iverish vocals. Listen to two new tracks and understand that when Thomas gets past the experimental stage, we’re going to have a massive star on our hands. His creativity is powerful and “2012” is a showcase of what he does best.

The Best Description of Ablehearts:
” Beautiful melodies, fractured song structures, jittery electronic loops and melancholy folk guitar” – Doron Sadja

Hear:
“2012′

“You Are the Girl For Me” – I think I fell in love with this so called “girl” for Thomas. I love this track!

Follow:
MySpace

Download the entire album here for the price of an Email address.
Facebook

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Band of the Day (8.19.10) Prince Rama

19 Aug Artplotationists raise beats from the ashes...Florida, Boston --- Brooklyn

BOD (8.19.10) Prince Rama

Prince Rama, formerly Prince Rama of Ayodhya, were raised on a commune in Florida, moved to Boston, now artfully creating in Brooklyn. They’re sound is ominous, spooky, arty and cool. I place them next to Jefferson Airplane and not as campy as Polyphonic Spree. They’re crafty and they pull off some very interesting 60’s world sounds. Shadow Temple, is their first album and you can pre-order it here before its release on September 14th.

Hear:
“”Lightening Fossil”

Band Members:
TARAKA LARSON
MICHAEL COLLINS
NIMAI LARSON

Follow Prince Rama:
MySpace
Facebook

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The Week in Review (7.31.10)

1 Aug

Listen to the Jim Jones RevueHow was your week? Mine was fantastic, I found five new bands that made my day and now I’m hoping they make your week or even your month. One of my favorite bands possibly for year was introduced this week. Enjoy the music.

If you’d like to receive MP3’s from our “Week in Review” via email, please sign-up to receive our email updates. Send me your email address or use the submission box on the right hand side of this page. Thanks for following us and we hope you’ve found your new favorite band.

Monday (7.26.10) Sisters, Aaron Pfannnebecker on Vocals, Guitars and Matt Conboy on Drums, Keyboards. They stack up the amps and pile drive their sound similar to early Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr. Malkmusesque. Brooklyn is home to Sisters

Sisters – “Highway Scratch”

Tuesday (7.27.10) The Jim Jones Revue This is the band of the month for me. I love them and so will you. It’s the wailing guitar, coupled with the banging piano and Jim’s screaming and wailing at top octane. Blues guitar, slapping piano and classic 60′s soul. I hope you enjoy them as much as me. If someone gave Little Richard some rage you’d have JJR. The boys are from London, but I believe Alabama is where their roots lie.

The Jim Jones Revue – “Hey Hey Hey Hey”

Wednesday (7.28.10) Amen Dunes – This is a timeless piece of music and am thoroughly impressed by Damon McMahon’s ability to make his sound both classic and modern. HEAR “Murder Dull Minds” to really get the best of what Amen Dunes can offer. Damon is from Brooklyn, NY now in Beijing.

Amen Dunes – “Murder Dull Minds”

Thursday (7.29.10) Frankie Rose and The Outs – If you’re a fan of Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts and the Dum Dum Girls, then you’re a fan of Frankie Rose. Her stick thumping was and is the driving force behind them. Now, she’s stepping off the stool to get behind the mic to help lead The Outs. “Little Brown Haired Girls” is such an amazing track, conjuring up so many great recent female indie led bands.

Frankie Rose & The Outs “Little Brown Haired Girls”

Friday (7.30.10) FUTUREBIRDS – Athens, GA is back and they bring us FUTUREBIRDS. It’s an amazing array of instruments played by talented musicians all coming together for one sole cause…great music. The spacey folk is so good and unique, please please listen to “Johnny Utah” it’s sooooo so nice on this hottt summer day.

FUTUREBIRDS – “Johnny Utah”

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Thanks for listening

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Band of the Day: (7.29.10) Frankie Rose and The Outs

29 Jul The hidden secret behind so many indie bands is OUT

BOD: (7.29.10) Frankie Rose and The Outs

If you’re a fan of Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts and the Dum Dum Girls, then you’re a fan of Frankie Rose. Her stick thumping was and is the driving force behind them. Now, she’s stepping off the stool to get behind the mic to help lead The Outs. Who knew she had these chops? Her voice is airy and reminiscent of the leading ladies of 60s air pop. With one album out and another on the way, the all female quartet of Frankie Rose and The Outs are well on their way to being in…

Listen to “Little Brown Haired Girls” from their upcoming album due out this September. Also, “Thee Only One”, a 7″ released late 2009, explains why Frankie Rose & The Outs deserve the nod to be Band of the Day

HEAR:
“Little Brown Haired Girls”

“Thee Only One”

Follow Frankie & The Outs:
MySpace

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Band of the Day: (7.28.10) AMEN DUNES

28 Jul Damon McMahon crushes your soul softly.

BOD: (7.28.10) AMEN DUNES

Damon McMahon a Brooklyn, NY native, may have followed the lead of Bon Iver, but there’s something special here. Much like Iver, he recorded his first record trapped in a Catskill’s cabin. Though I think trapping yourself in the Wisconsin wilderness in the middle of winter is a bit more rugged, we’re not comparing REI membership cards here. McMahon is another virtuoso, in that his sound belongs on some dusty 60’s vinyl recording. Reference The Zombies classic “The Way I Feel Inside” to give yourself the a frame of reference for his sound. It’s clean but isolating. You can almost hear the surrounding nature of his environment. Following yesterday’s romp and stomp soulful Jim Jones Revue, I find Amen Dunes to be a relaxing come down from that crazy evening. May even be the break-up artist of 2010.

Since DIA, Damon has since moved to Beijing and his isolated sounds have expanded a bit. Murder Dull Minds EP was released yesterday and it’s Asian influences are haunting. It’s scary how deep we’ve been asked to enter into Damon’s pain, but he such a fantastic musician you can’t help but listen on to the next track. HEAR “Diane” to see what I’m describing. I stick to my earlier description that this is a timeless piece of music and am thoroughly impressed by Damon’s ability to make his sound both classic and modern. HEAR “Murder Dull Mind” to really get the best of what Amen Dunes can offer. Beautiful track.

Hear:
Amen Dunes “Murder Dull Mind” This is a great great track.
Amen Dunes “Diane” Haunting sounds from the temple.

Follow Amen Dunes:
MySpace

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Band of the Day (7.26.10) Sisters

26 Jul Brooklyn is still cool, but it's a little cooler b/c of Sisters

BOD: (7.26.10) SISTERS

It’s amazing when two dudes can create so much noise you forget it’s just two people. Remember the first time you heard The White Stripes, you were probably convinced there was a bass player hiding behind Meg. To see rock duos live, you’re simply in ahh of their raw power. I don’t know what it is, but I can tell you that Sisters will be a massively huge band if they get the break. I believe it because it’s more than just noise you hear. It reminds me of Cobain a bit, when you finally got beyond the distortion, you could hear a guy in pain, struggling to get through everyday. Listen to Bleach again and ignore the noise and just listen to what he’s saying and how he says it. He’s in agony and his only catharsis was the stage and his listeners.

I now take you to Sisters, Aaron Pfannnebecker on Vocals, Guitars and Matt Conboy on Drums, Keyboards. They stack up the amps and pile drive their sound similar to early Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr. Malkmusesque. The sound is similar, but for all the noise it’s melodic and I truly believe Aaron has a lot to say. I haven’t met him, but I’d love to dig into it with him. They are labelmates (Narnack) with Iran, Langhorne Slim and Thee Oh Sees. They’re definitely going to break, so be the first to say you rocked it with them. Claim em now!!! I highly suggest listening to The Curse on their MySpace.

Hear:
Sisters – “Highway Crunch”

Follow SISTERS:
MySpace
Facebook

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HEAR IT: (7.8.10) BEACH FOSSILS – “Daydream”

8 Jul

HEAR IT: (7.8.10) BEACH FOSSILS – “DAYDREAM”

This track is why I love this band. I love it’s guitar blended with the vocals. It reminds of Huntington Beach circa 1986. My vans, the orange bathing suits and the summer joy. I get happy every time I put it on. I think it will conjure the same feeling for you all as well. I know it’s a YouTube video, but it’s the best way for me to show/hear the track.

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