Second new band of the week

My music week has been amazing. I already told you about my new love of Broken Bells in the last post but now I want to talk about a band completely different from them. Now this band is considered a country/bluegrass band but I find that to be quite misleading. They do have country/bluegrass tones to their music but I would say that they have quite a bit of indie/alt influences. The band I am referring to is The Avett Brothers. A trio from rural North Carolina The Avett Brothers are exactly what I have been looking for in a world I did not know was missing something. I have never heard a bluegrass sound have so much energy behind it. The lyrics have a lot of emotion behind them and you can really hear that in the vocals. I have listened to bluegrass in the form of the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?". Funny thing is, that movie came out in 2000 the same year The Avett Brothers formed. And why not that was some really good music. In fact I would say that if the Soggy Bottom Boys,the fictional band from the film, were making music today it would sound an awful lot like The Avett Brothers. To make my point I only need to refer to their song November Blue. A song of missed love with a nice pace to the tempo. Any band can make a sappy sad slow song. It really takes skill to put lyrics with that kind of feeling to music that is almost upbeat. Just a fantastic song. I know that it draws on emotions in my own life. Who does not miss someone. I know I do. It is that kind of ability to connect with their listener that I think really sets them apart. As always I hope that I have introduced you to something new that you will enjoy. I sure do. Happy listening!

First new band of the week

So all week I have been finding out about bands that are new to me left and right. Some good and some well lets just say that are not my cup of tea. I think this week has a few stand outs for me though. One being Broken Bells. Which for those not in the know(which was be up until this week) they are a band made up of The Shins front man and guitarist James Mercer and producer and artist Danger Mouse aka Brian Burton. Now at first I did not know what to expect. I know and love The Shins. Danger Mouse has done work that I liked in the form of his work with Gorillaz, Beck, and Gnarls Barkley. But they seemed the odd couple. However when I gave their work together a listen all doubts went out the window. They had something really special going on. The beats Burton cooked up mixed with the indie roots of Mercer just worked. Their is no other way to say it. It is just the kind of music I am finding myself drawn to these days. The indie/hip hop mix when done right is a combination on the level of peanut butter and jelly. Both are awesome on their own but when they come together its just something awesome but in a completely different way. And Broken Bells is one of those to get it right. There is a perfect balance to the sharp vocals of Mercer and the new school beats created my Burton. The track I found myself playing the most was one called The Ghost Inside. Its one of those songs you find yourself nodding to the beat. Meanwhile the vocals are the contrast that keeps the song in balance and really stand out. The melody wraps everything up real nice and just makes the song wholly enjoyable. If that is the first song you hear from them you will soon be looking to get more of their work. Trust me cause it happened to me.

My top plays this week

So I am a huge fan of top 5 lists so I thought I would share my top 5 plays for this week. Why not a top 10? I am the kinda person who loves to have my music on shuffle. So this is a pretty diverse list. There is some rap, alt, rock, pop but no country ha ha sorry it is a rarity if I play any of that. So here is my top 5

1. Young Forever by Jay-Z (I do not know exactly what it is about this song maybe the combo of rap and 80 music. Maybe its just the fact that Jay-Z is a great rapper but either way I cant seem to stop playing this song anytime I turn on some tunes.)

2. All My Friends by LCD Soundsystem (To me this song is a journey. At over seven minutes you get just that. The build up that happens right from the start is just a taste of things to come. By the time the lyrics kick in you are hooked. It gives me the feeling of a song I want to hear when I am on my way home from the bars at four in the morning. I know that LCD Soundsystem are from NYC and you can feel it in this song. It makes me want to move there and just try to find out what secrets the city has entrusted them with.)

3. If I Fail by Cartel (I just like Cartel. Their songs tend to be kinda on the epic side or at least they try for that I think and more often the not they succeed. I am a sucker for epicness. This track off their first album is no different. It is one of those tracks that makes you think about your own relationships. I think when a song can make the leap from just a song to one that makes you think about your own life it really hits the mark.)

4. Drop The World by Lil Wayne feat. Eminem (As the lines between musical genres gets more and more blurred I find myself going off into different directions and finding a lot of things out there that I like. This track by Lil Wayne had a strong bass line but also has some synth and guitar. Add in the fact that Lil Wayne and Eminem sound like they are slamming you with their lyrics and you have one tough edgy yet very very catchy track.

5. Epic Last Song by Does It Offend You, Yeah? (The first time I ever heard this track I was blown away. I had been listening my way through the album and when I arrived at the last track I was expecting another hip electronic rock alt song. But what I discovered was probably the most aptly named track I have ever come across. Everything about this song draws me in. The vocals, drums and guitar are all spectacular. I can not get enough of the guitar mini solo that comes at around 2:40 in.

Well that is my top 5 songs for this week. I hope it has given you some look into how I think about music. I will be posting more later this week about where to find free tunes and any other thoughts I have. So enjoy if you decide to give them a spin.

Free tunes!

Here is the link to the 25 songs I was talking about in my last post from Urban Outfitters SXSW 2010 site. So now you can judge them for yourself.

the beginning

So I am just going to be honest. I have no idea what I am doing. I do not know what will become of this blog. I am just going to enjoy the journey. I feel I have a lot to say and I would enjoy sharing it with the world.

Right now I am sitting in my room listening to some new music I just downloaded. I am trying to figure out if I like it. It was a free music download from the Urban Outfitters website. They are promoting SXSW(South by Southwest). It was a group of 25 songs from various artists who are playing at the festival. I am about half way through so far. I would say the 11 songs I have listened to are pretty good. None have struck me enough to warrant a second play but at the same time I have not skipped past any songs mid play. I am really notorious for skipping songs for no reason other then I want to know whats on next. I really have an obsession with finding new music. I do not care if they are a band that only has one recorded track or if they are on top of the world. I do not discriminate. I really have become hooked on the UO blog newsletters because every Monday they have 5 free music downloads. I recommend everyone check it out immediately. There is a lot more on there then just free music. And if anyone reading knows of a place to check out new music or wants to just promote their band I would totally love to take a listen and offer my opinion. I can not say if anyone will read this but I hope if people do I can be a part of someone trying something new. Well I think this is a good place to end for the night. I will be back with more to share soon.