Hey,
It's been 3 weeks since I gave a Top 5 PLaylist, so here's another installment. No theme here, just random, like always. :)
In no particular order--because I'm too much of a softy to rate these songs--my weekly playlist...
5. Heart Skips A Beat by Olly Murs
I realize this guy is hardly indie/unknown, given the fact that he tried on the X-Factor in England and toured with One Direction, but, this guy has pipes. The original version is mediocre, but check out this acoustic performance. He has a great voice and I would love to see Olly push his vocals and explore other types of music besides bubblegum pop.
4. Bronte by Gotye
I love the soft, Bon Iver-esque instrumentation. Wally's (AKA Gotye's) vocals just lightly waft over the instruments, complenting never dominating, serving as another mechanism in this beautiful machine. The poetic lyrics remind me ever so slightly of a lullaby, coupled with the graceful, lilting tempo. I respect you, Wally. I do. I really wish this song would make it on the Top 40, but that's just a silly thought. The majority of people who listen to the radio want one catchy line they can post on Facebook with an immature emoticon and some club jam. Not beautiful simplicity.
3. Treading Water by Alex Clare
Alex Clare has gained significant notority for his song "Too Close," but I am willing to argue that "Treading Water" is a much better track off his album Lateness of the Hour. "Too Close" is good; I'm not saying that it's bad, but I like TW better. I'll explain. :) Reasons: the romantic, bittersweet lyrics detailing a failing relationship, the gentle beginning leading up to a gorgeous Dubstep-style climax, the way Alex blends several musical styles (which one could point out he did the same thin on TC), the way he transitions from a roaring chorus to a soulful second verse, and how the song just goes full force right to the very last second.
2. Get Higher by Paper Tongues
I found these guys a few years ago and remembered them the other day when I was listening to another band (Imagine Dragons) whose voice reminds me of the Paper Tongue's lead singer. I love the rock influences, the lead singer's unrelenting powerhouse vocals, the religious-without-being-righteous lyrics, and the guitar lines. I'm so glad I rediscovered this song as it brings back some great memories from JUnior High.
1. Sleep Alone by Two Door Cinema Club
These guys are one of the best alternative bands right now, up with MuteMath, Panic! At the Disco, and Young the Giant. I honestly cannot find anything to complain about with this song; all I hear is a fantastic, complex song that represents exactly what I love about alternative music.
A. The guitar lines that carry the song
B. Tempo changes
C. Volume changes
D. Confusing, poetic lyrics
E. A dinstinctive vocalist
F. A talented drummer
G. An infectious chorus
H. An original sound
I. Utilizes various instruments besides guitar, base and drums
J. Makes me smile
Alright, that about wraps it up for this week. :)
In a couple of weeks, I'll be seeing MuteMath in concert (2nd time!!!!!) so as soon as that happens, you'll get a new review of this tour. :D
Until next week,
Bella
Showing posts with label alternative indie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alternative indie. Show all posts
Friday, August 31, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Beecher's Fault
Hey,
Happy Friday! Granted, for most students like me, Friday is just another day of the week, but if you're working good for you. You survived another week. For me, I'm just happy I survived the heat; it's supposed to be 100 degrees this weekend. But I'm keeping cool, exercising indoors and listening to good music. :)
So, speaking of good music...
If you are in an undiscovered band or if you are a fan on an undiscovered band and would like a review on my blog, please leave a comment, e-mail me, or tweet me at twitter.com/tsoml2012
Until next week,
Bella
Happy Friday! Granted, for most students like me, Friday is just another day of the week, but if you're working good for you. You survived another week. For me, I'm just happy I survived the heat; it's supposed to be 100 degrees this weekend. But I'm keeping cool, exercising indoors and listening to good music. :)
So, speaking of good music...
I love social media. It goes without saying that social
media connects us, brings us together, and introduces us to new people/ new
things we might never have found otherwise. I was slow to join twitter. I
thought, honestly, I have an e-mail account, Facebook, and a blog. What else do
I need? It turns out, I was missing out. In the past, bands tried to reach new
ears by way of MySpace and now, they use Twitter. One day when I logged on my
account, with my unbearably long e-mail address (thesoundtrackofmylife2012@gmail.com) I saw I had a new
follower. Usually, it’s just like one of my sister’s friends, but it turned out
to be a new band I had never heard of (hence the word “new”) called Beecher’s
Fault. Curious, I clicked on the link to their Facebook page and listened to
their song “Misbehavior.” I am so glad I did.
These guys
are incredible. The band is comprised of three guys from Astoria, New York : vocalist/guitarist Ben Taylor, vocalist/keyboardist Ken
Lamken and drummer Eric Levine. Their music boasts many features such as a
beautiful indie vibe, some aspects of modern alternative sounds, and an unmistakable
sound. When they come on my Spotify playlist I know automatically who it is. They are very distinctive and I like that. I find even in
alternative circles that bands tend to get lazy and bang out a boring melody
and some mediocre lyrics. Maybe it’s just me, but I like bands that put effort
into their sound. With Beecher’s Fault, you never have to doubt that they
worked at their music. All of their tender loving care really paid off.
My
favorite songs are Leftover People and Conductor. Leftover People is cool because
the piano intro leads into the song perfectly, the drum line fits perfectly,
and the overall beautiful simplicity with a touch of chaos. Simplicity and
chaos, though they might be antonyms, work well with each other. And Conductor stands out because of
the emotional lyrics, simple instrumentation, and the vocals give me goose bumps.
They also have really cool music videos. I
especially enjoyed the music video for Liars,
which uses shoes to tell a story. Very creative. I loved it. J
So, in the end, I really enjoy their music. I like
the polished yet slightly gritty sound. They embody alternative music and I
hope nothing but success comes their way.
If you want to connect with these guys, their music
is available on iTunes, Spotify, and their website. You can find them on Twitter,
Facebook, MySpace, and their official website.
Here are the links:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/beechers_fault
Twitter: http://twitter.com/beechers_fault
Website: http://beechersfault.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeechersFault
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/beechersfault
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/beechersfault
If you are in an undiscovered band or if you are a fan on an undiscovered band and would like a review on my blog, please leave a comment, e-mail me, or tweet me at twitter.com/tsoml2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
I'm NOT A Hipster; I Swear On My Vinyl Records Because MP3s are Too Mainstream
Hey!
before I get to my promised post, I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who is reading my blog. It means the world to me, truly!
Tonight, I would like to explain, on behalf of moderate hipsters everywhere--like myself--what we are trying to say when we--mostly they--make seemingly stupid comments. To clarify, I am not a hipster when it comes to clothes, speech, or who I associate with, but I do share similar ideals when it comes to music. Remember: not a hipster, just agrees with them on music from time to time. :)
For example, I find myself saying this a lot: "Mainstream music sucks."
You're probably thinking "Put a sock in it. This is my jam!" Fine, it can be your "jam," but number one, I don't think anyone has said that since like 1990 and number two, your "jam" maker has no talent. By saying that mainstream music sucks, what I'm saying is that artist has no talent, really, like I just said. If their voice is pumped full of auto-tune, does that mean they are a good singer? Nope. Mainstream music, any more, is dominated by idiotic rappers and "singers" who get high on the love they have for themselves. That's why mainstream music sucks.
Next, I will say "This band should be famous, not that one." That, readers, is jealousy. I am so jealous that bands like Maroon 5--who are a shabby excuse for a band--and The Wanted--can you believe that people consider them a band?--are making millions of dollars each year, selling tickets at ridiculously inflated prices, and have sold so many songs on iTunes, while more talented, "real" bands are making a little money here and there, but if you asked a random person on the street who MuteMath was, they'd probably just stare at you. Ask them who Bieber is, though, and they'd be able to tell you. It's just wrong. Many people--hipsters, maybe--listen to other bands with more talent who deserve the appearances and sponsorships. It's just kind of sad, for us, I suppose. That one is explained by jealousy and sadness.
Then, we say "I liked this song before it was popular." yes, I know everyone has heard someone say this before and you're probably annoyed by it. Let me explain it with a fantastic simile, let's pretend that you love searching for treasure--bear with me here--and you find a huge one, with trillions of dollars in it and you're just super rich and happy and everything. But then, the word gets out about your treasure and pretty soon everyone wants a piece of that treasure and they go back to where you found it and start taking all your money and pretty soon, you only have like, five hundred thousand. You're probably pretty sad at this point. Okay, get it? No? I'll explain. the treasure is the music, the people stealing the treasure are the dopes who are too lazy to find the music on their own and bum off your discovery and then claim it for themselves. Understand now? here's another way to look at it: I'll give you an example from my own life. "We Are Young" by Fun. is an incredible song and I discovered it because I have been a huge Fun. fan for the last year or so and I downloaded it back in September or so and loved it. I showed it to a friend of mine who loved it just as much, though for different reasons--I was drawn to the drum patterns and Nate's vocal range while she liked how sing-along-ready it was--and then a couple of months went by and BOOM! That song was huge. I had to transition from learning the lyrics on my own--most lyric websites do not post new lyrics very quickly, especially from alt/indie bands--to reading every 12 year old with a YOLO agenda posting the lyrics every hour. I get it, kids, it's really exciting to be 12 when you can't drive, drink, or smoke. How I envy you. Not. Anyways, that's why I like songs before they reach massive success.
Finally, I sometimes will say "I liked this band before they got big." You're probably shaking your head, thinking, "didn't you just say you wanted some of your alt bands to blow up?" Not really. I want my bands to have the type of success that Linkin Park or bands similar to them have had, success where they do not change their sound. Mainstream success often leads to some fancy producer or manager or greed taking over and trying to change the band. they land on the cover of magazines, start relying on a computer to do all the musical heavy lifting for them, and/or change their style completely. That only hurts their fans, the people who followed them when they had 50 Likes on Facebook, the people who went to their concerts, and bought their tee-shirts. But, when it comes to money and fame, they tend to forget that. And that is terribly unfortunate. I wish bands would stick up for themselves more often and stick with what works. Sadly, these producers/managers/greed will want them to change their stuff so that it is more appealing to 12 year old girls and 21-year-old party freaks. That's stupidity, in its finest form.
Next week, I will post about different bands/singers/people I've found on YouTube, all music related, though. :)
Until next week,
Bella
before I get to my promised post, I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who is reading my blog. It means the world to me, truly!
Tonight, I would like to explain, on behalf of moderate hipsters everywhere--like myself--what we are trying to say when we--mostly they--make seemingly stupid comments. To clarify, I am not a hipster when it comes to clothes, speech, or who I associate with, but I do share similar ideals when it comes to music. Remember: not a hipster, just agrees with them on music from time to time. :)
For example, I find myself saying this a lot: "Mainstream music sucks."
You're probably thinking "Put a sock in it. This is my jam!" Fine, it can be your "jam," but number one, I don't think anyone has said that since like 1990 and number two, your "jam" maker has no talent. By saying that mainstream music sucks, what I'm saying is that artist has no talent, really, like I just said. If their voice is pumped full of auto-tune, does that mean they are a good singer? Nope. Mainstream music, any more, is dominated by idiotic rappers and "singers" who get high on the love they have for themselves. That's why mainstream music sucks.
Next, I will say "This band should be famous, not that one." That, readers, is jealousy. I am so jealous that bands like Maroon 5--who are a shabby excuse for a band--and The Wanted--can you believe that people consider them a band?--are making millions of dollars each year, selling tickets at ridiculously inflated prices, and have sold so many songs on iTunes, while more talented, "real" bands are making a little money here and there, but if you asked a random person on the street who MuteMath was, they'd probably just stare at you. Ask them who Bieber is, though, and they'd be able to tell you. It's just wrong. Many people--hipsters, maybe--listen to other bands with more talent who deserve the appearances and sponsorships. It's just kind of sad, for us, I suppose. That one is explained by jealousy and sadness.
Then, we say "I liked this song before it was popular." yes, I know everyone has heard someone say this before and you're probably annoyed by it. Let me explain it with a fantastic simile, let's pretend that you love searching for treasure--bear with me here--and you find a huge one, with trillions of dollars in it and you're just super rich and happy and everything. But then, the word gets out about your treasure and pretty soon everyone wants a piece of that treasure and they go back to where you found it and start taking all your money and pretty soon, you only have like, five hundred thousand. You're probably pretty sad at this point. Okay, get it? No? I'll explain. the treasure is the music, the people stealing the treasure are the dopes who are too lazy to find the music on their own and bum off your discovery and then claim it for themselves. Understand now? here's another way to look at it: I'll give you an example from my own life. "We Are Young" by Fun. is an incredible song and I discovered it because I have been a huge Fun. fan for the last year or so and I downloaded it back in September or so and loved it. I showed it to a friend of mine who loved it just as much, though for different reasons--I was drawn to the drum patterns and Nate's vocal range while she liked how sing-along-ready it was--and then a couple of months went by and BOOM! That song was huge. I had to transition from learning the lyrics on my own--most lyric websites do not post new lyrics very quickly, especially from alt/indie bands--to reading every 12 year old with a YOLO agenda posting the lyrics every hour. I get it, kids, it's really exciting to be 12 when you can't drive, drink, or smoke. How I envy you. Not. Anyways, that's why I like songs before they reach massive success.
Finally, I sometimes will say "I liked this band before they got big." You're probably shaking your head, thinking, "didn't you just say you wanted some of your alt bands to blow up?" Not really. I want my bands to have the type of success that Linkin Park or bands similar to them have had, success where they do not change their sound. Mainstream success often leads to some fancy producer or manager or greed taking over and trying to change the band. they land on the cover of magazines, start relying on a computer to do all the musical heavy lifting for them, and/or change their style completely. That only hurts their fans, the people who followed them when they had 50 Likes on Facebook, the people who went to their concerts, and bought their tee-shirts. But, when it comes to money and fame, they tend to forget that. And that is terribly unfortunate. I wish bands would stick up for themselves more often and stick with what works. Sadly, these producers/managers/greed will want them to change their stuff so that it is more appealing to 12 year old girls and 21-year-old party freaks. That's stupidity, in its finest form.
Next week, I will post about different bands/singers/people I've found on YouTube, all music related, though. :)
Until next week,
Bella
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