New Music "Picks of the Week!"

Don't you hate when you're singing along to a song and the artist you're listening to gets the lyrics all wrong? Just sayin'. (File under: "Bathroom on the right.")

Okay... here are a few very interesting recently-released sing-a-long alternative tracks that definitely stand-out from most of the crap corporate radio pushes on us daily. (Burn!) As usual, this blog is Nickleback-free.

"ANNA SUN" - WALK THE MOON

I love an uptempo tune that - with just a couple listens - can put you in a better frame-of-mind. Ready to get happy? Meet the Cincinnati-based indy-band Walk the Moon and a poppy-piece that keytar player Nicholas Pettrica says is, "about college, and maintaining that little bit of being a kid." Love the catchy synth-riff and especially the line, "We got no money, but we got heart!" (Be sure to check ou their music video!)




 "MEANT" - ELIZAVETA

A couple of months ago a posted a review of "Video Games" from Lana Del Ray. This ballad, "Meant," is comprised of a lot of the same heartbreaking, sultry emotion. Russian-raised Elizaveta delivers her vocals carefully, methodically while evoking a lack of trust. (Her, saying: "I still think that we were meant to be." Her, then thinking: "Lie to me now."  Genius.)  She said of her vocals, "I was coming down with a cold, and my throat was in shreds after singing it a number of times, in order to get the perfect take. Also because it is so emotional, and my voice kept giving out."

"1901" - BIRDY

It's hard to believe that English singer Birdy (Jasmine van den Bogaerde) is only 15-years old.  Her interpretation of the Phoenix hit from 2009 - about the ups-and-downs of a young couple living in turn-of-the-century Paris - comes across as if it came from the vantage-point of a veteran heart.  I've always loved the more-uptempo Phoenix original, but I think you'll agree with me when I say Birdy's Tori Amos-like take flies much higher.

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."