Seapony are what make music. Spector soul with a lot of dreamy spice.
Band of the Day (5.23.11) Seapony
There was a time last year where all we could talk about at NBD was the power of Tennis. The married Denver couple that sailed the high seas of the Atlantic, wrote amazing songs about inlets and seaports and then crushed it with a fantastic record. We missed that series of knock-offs, that usually follow successful indie trends. Days, months and almost a year went by before we heard a knock-off or at least a band that sounded similarly good. Seapony does the dreamy, female led 50’s pop that made 2010 a great music year. Seapony does that Phil Spector sound so well, you almost forget that you’re listening to contemporary music. The Seattle trio, give us one of our favorite tracks of 2011…so far. You’ll be getting this in your email box if you a fan on Facebook. The album releases on 5/31…pre-order it here. By the way we love them even more for their midwestern roots..Oklahoma and of course Lawrence, KS home to our Music Muse.
Vitals:
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Members: Seapony is songwriter Danny Rowland, singer Jen Weidl, and bass player Ian Brewer
Sonic Soulmates: La Sera, Tennis, Eternal Summers, Emily Haines
Trackables:
“Always” – My fave from these lads…one of our 5 for 11.
“With You” – Tennis served well in 2011. Good solid Spector 50’s pop track
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”
Just in the nick of time, Music Muse sent us her favorite Top 20 songs from 2010. She’s been our inspiration all year long and she’s been reading and following since Day One! We love her and we love her picks.
Top 20 Tracks of 2010
20. Miniature Tigers – “Goldskull”
19. The Mynabirds – “Let the Record Go”
18. Tennis – “Marathon”
17. Cocoon – “Hummingbird”
16. Lost in the Trees – “A Walk Around the Lake”
15. Ferraby Lionheart – “Harry and Bess”
14. PS I love You – “Facelove”
13. Breathe Owl Breathe – Swimming
12. Adam Kesher – Hour of the Wolf
11. The Fresh & Onlys – Waterfall
10. Foreign Born – Early Warnings
9. Chief – In the Valley
8. Slow club – Giving Up on Love
7. Harlem – Someday Soon
6. The Tallest Man on Earth – King of Spain
5. Morning Benders – Excuses
4. Real Estate – Beach Comber
3. Chappo – Come Home
2. Dark Dark Dark – In Your Dreams
1. Efterklang – Modern Drift
I know these are too mainstream for NBD, but these were two of my favorite tracks of 2010:
Broken Social Scene – “Ungrateful Little Father”
Black Keys – “Everlasting Light” – Umm this was a VERY IMPORTANT Song for us in 2010
Read our Music Excavators Picks:
Editor Gems (Albums)
Editor Gems (Songs)
Arizona Turk Gems (Albums)
Arizona Turk Gems (Songs)
Music Muse Gems (Songs)
Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #13 Tennis
They’re the husband and wife, Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore, duo from Denver, CO. They bought a boat, sailed the Atlantic Coast and wrote beautiful songs. They define our XX/XY duos. It’s Hemingway meets Buffet, meets Vampire Weekend, meets 50′s bubblegum pop. I love the blend of the organ and her eerily timeless vocals. They are so fantastic and the more songs we hear, the more we know they will be bigger than big.
Vitals:
Hometown: Denver, CO
Members: Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore
Sonic Soulmates: The xx, Vampire Weekend, Dusty Springfield
Track of the Year:
“Marathon”
“Marathon” challenges the time warp and forces us back 50 years ago, where one enjoyed the lovely optimism of America. Alaina’s voice is up there with the best of the them, but when it’s coupled with Riley’s organ, you have to wonder if on that boat they weren’t listening to some Doors. Enjoy. It’s hard to imagine that these two originated from The Rockies and not from Brooklyn post NYU film school.
BOD (6.29.10) Tennis – The husband wife duo Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore, no not the former Laker coach, but the lead captain of this brilliant masterpiece of a band. The two decided to test their newly formed union, packed their duffles, left Denver, bought a boat and sailed the high seas of the North Atlantic. As their bond solidified, they discovered that a musical journal of their journey would be both hip and interesting. This travelogue is for our enjoyment and listening pleasure. It’s a Hemingway meets Buffet, meets Vampire Weekend, meets 50’s bubblegum pop. I love the blend of the organ and her eerily timeless vocals.
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