New Music "Picks of the Week!"

Congrats to Adele for going six-for-six at the Grammys last Sunday. "Rolling in the Deep" definitely was one of the stand-out recordings of 2011. But so many other great songs go virtually ignored every year due to major label influence, music directors with tunnel-vision (tunnel-hearing?) and/or conservative corporate broadcast policies. But that's why I'm here... to shine my little light on those little songs that should!

Okay, here's your chance!  Be the first on your block to play these yummy indy-tracks!  Ready... set... PLAY!


"SO BRIGHT"-ALFRED HALL

This song and band are so new and obscure I wasn't able to find much about them in my Google investigation. All I know is that Alfred Hall hails from Norway and that their single "So Bright" is... so smooth... so hypnotic... so ethereal... but in a good, spacy, nitrous-oxide kind-of-way.  Warning: Do not operate heavy machinery while under the influence of this song.

"FREE"-GRAFFITI6

Although relatively new, Graffiti6 is just beginning to get some notice thanks to a few good reviews and last Friday's appearance on Conan O'Brien.  "Free" is steeped heavily in Sixties falsetto-styled soul backed by a slow-building orchestral string section. Why Graffiti6? Apparently these half-dozen dudes from London have a thing for illicitly sprayed wall art.




 "ORIGINS"-TENNIS

Boy, am I digging deep today.  Here's another promising track I stumbled upon a couple of weeks ago which I feel deserves a bit more attention. The tune's dirty and distorted keyboard riff (husband: Patrick Riley) becomes a wonderful contrast to the sweet and innocent sounding vocals (wife: Alaina Moore) on "Origins." By-the-way... from what I understand, this Baltimore duo was assisted in the studio by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys. Tennis, anyone?

Honorable mention:

"UNDERNEATH THE SYCAMORE"-DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

"WE ARE YOUNG"-FUN.