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.

New Music "Picks of the Week!"

I hope you had a chance to check out my recommendations from earlier this month as they're just beginning to take off.  The Gotye track "Someone That I Used To Know" is especially getting alot of attention nationally!  But that was yesterday's news!  On to this week's picks!

"TONGUE TIED"-GROUPLOVE

I know we're just a few weeks into 2012, but I'm gonna be bold and label this track the feel-good song-of-the-year!  I've been playing this Grouplove single for three-weeks now and still can't get enough of it.  And, odds are if you pull up next to me while I'm in my car, I'll be singing along to it at the top of my lungs.  You may have already heard "Tongue Tied" as it was used in an iPod Touch television commercial last month.  Trivia: Grouplove's Ryan Rabin (drummer/producer) is the son of former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin.  Get to know it!




 "DEDICATION TO MY EX (MISS THAT)"-LLOYD

Okay, I'm was a little slow on this one as it was released four-months ago.  But what-the-hell... if it pleads, it leads!  What peaked my interest the very first time I listened to "Dedication To My Ex" is I immediately recognized that this soulful song (from R&B singer Lloyd Polite, Jr.) samples the bass loop from one of my favorite Duffy tunes: 2008's "Mercy."  The track, which features André 3000 of OutKast and is "narrated" by Lil Wayne, has enough funk to get your grandma dancing!  Just tell her that word she can't quite understand is "cookie."

New Music "Picks of the Week!"

It's a new year and everyone is making resolutions to eat less and exercise more.  I, on the other hand, promise to try and get these blogs out in a timely fashion because I've been slacking as-of-late.  So, how about updates once a week? Okay, that ain't gonna happen... so, let's make that once a month.  Deal.

Since my previous post, which was last October, I've discovered a handful of great tunes.  But, by now, you've probably heard of some of them.  If not, you gotta check them out.  And, I pledge to update this page with more shiny-new pop songs often, and... eat less and exercise more.


 "LONELY BOY"-THE BLACK KEYS

What's not to like about this track?  "Lonely Boy" has several layers of hook from the bluesy guitar to the motivating back-beat and a obsessive chorus that will have you singing along after your first listen.  ("Oh, OH, oh-oh... I got a love that keeps me waiting...")  The parent album El Camino was only released last month and has quickly been added to many critic's favorites lists of 2011, including mine.  The song was co-written and produced by Danger Mouse.




 "SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW"-GOTYE

I'm usually attracted to something that stands out from all of the others, a song that is definitely uniquely unique. This post-relationship point/counter-point set-of-lyrics starts out delicate but builds to an emotional climax with lyrics about broken promises and how to move on after an emotional break-up.  The roles are played perfectly by Gotye (Australia's Wouter De Backer) and Kimbra (New Zealand's Kimbra Agiejew). Love... this... song!!!




 "TONIGHT"-SEETHER

You don't have to be into post-grunge/alternative metal to dig this single from the South African band Seether.  "Tonight," which is part of their album Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray, is heavy but melodic and romantically uplifting as well.  It is by far the best cut from their new album and has already hit the top of several rock charts in North America.  Remember, it'll sound better at "11."

After you add the above three suggestions to your music library, here are a few others I've been playing on my iPod since Thanksgiving that you might want to get to know too!

"THESE DAYS"-FOO FIGHTERS

"TOMORROW"-CRANBERRIES

"UNDERNEATH THE SYCAMORE"-DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

"PARTY IN MY HEAD"-SEPTEMBER

"GET BURNED"-SLEEPER AGENT