If a gunman was shooting at your feet while screaming “dance!”, Foals would be the name of the gun. A 5 man indie band from Oxford, England. They are currently with labels Sub-Pop and Transgressive. 

Probably Admin’s favorite band for this year, it’s about time Vampire Weekend gets recognized on this website. So let me recite what I know about them from memory. Vampire Weekend formed in New York, since its members all graduated from Colombia University. They were referred to as one of the biggest bands to come out NY since Interpol, and are probably one of the most interesting bands out right now.

You’ve probably already heard of them though, and might not understand the indie hype. Unless you listen to their album you never will. Take African pop music (Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa) mix it with flirty violins and pile that over a bouncy drum and guitar to understand what they are doing. VW is a melting pot of sound, lyrics and creativity. Here’s a newer song from a movie that recently came out and another from their self titled cd. 

Ottoman

Campus

Sorry about the long wait. It’s been a busy week. But this is a song to calm the masses.

Belle and Sebastian have been regarded as the “greatest scottish band ever” probably because they speak an intelligible english, or because they have very awesome music. You have probably heard of them, but if you haven’t try any cd they’ve came out with. Their music is easily enjoyed by anyone, the lyrics are always interesting and wonderful. This song is a personal favorite. I implore you to find more songs. Enjoy.

Fox in the Snow

Hospital Beds is an excellent song that’s as somber as it is uplifting. The lyrics describe a truth that all living can relate to, the “joy and misery” we face everyday. The way Nathan Willet screeches the lyrics over the instrumentals gives the song a gospel/blues-like credibility that pain unleashes.

The piano plays like a lethargic sunday afternoon with its beaming notes and pleasant shine. Its occasional twinkling keys mimic wind chimes, or dancing window blinds on an open window and create an atmosphere that is far from lifeless. 

” ‘There’s nothing to do here some just whine and complain’, in bed at the hospital.”

Think of your life as your own hospital and listen to the music, even if you have never stepped foot in a hospital you’ll realize that you can relate more than you think. 

Cold War Kids have a new album coming out the 24th so look forward to that. Enjoy

Normally not a big fan of alternative music for predictability in it’s delivery, this man is the exception.

Jon Foreman, front man of Switchfoot, released four EP’s (Summer, Spring, Fall, Winter) from 07 through 08. The EP’s are a magnificent display of his abilities as an artist and are all very interesting to listen to. All he needs is his voice and the guitar, all else is filler, but create an interesting ambience. 

Very good. enjoi

The Cure For Pain
 

Learning How To Die

After a lot of moving this week, I’m finally back in place and have plenty of new posts to bring.

Fleet Foxes are a great place to start. Their sound is novel, for this decade, like the first time you heard The Shins. A current favorite in the blogosphere and nearly everywhere else from Rollingstone to Pitchfork, Fleet Foxes’ music takes the listener back a few decades, leaves them stranded with an acoustic guitar and tambourines, and tells them to shut the f**k up and enjoy the ride. Of course you will not have any trouble enjoying “Mykonos’ ” sound because it is ‘feel good summery, listen to it and take a dip in a lake’ type music. Their music at the same time is mysterious in it’s delivery:

And you will go to Mykonos
With a vision of a gentle coast
And a sun to maybe dissipate
Shadows of the mess you made

Take a listen. enjoi

Mykonos

Your Protector

Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her was a japanese band formed in 1992. Their sound is what we’d now days call indie. Existing during a time when Alternative rock and grunge ruled the airways, SSKHKH (haha) did not rise in popularity as much as they would nowadays in a time when indie rock music has developed solid fan base. SSKHKH was formed by two Japanese girls in Japan blah blah blah. Let’s get to the f*cking music. ahah

This song is solid and you’ll recognize elements from this song have been replicated by other bands *cough* Louis XIV *couuuugh.* enjoi.

Down To Mexico

[Animal Collective] combines a love of sonic free form electronic horror gospel hip hop soul pop madness and brings it all together into something that is (hopefully) at times totally pleasing and at others completely scary and confusing but most importantly is refreshing in this crazy crazy world. - Animal Collective

That summarizes their sound very well. At First listen their music is going to sound really fucking weird. You probably won’t make it through the first minute without going crazy. That is exactly what they were going for. The best part of AC is that you don’t normally hear anything as insane and orderly as their music. Try their latest alblum Strawberry Jam, it is a perfect 10. The songs are like puzzle pieces, clicking together very well without overlapping in strangeness or novelty, while adding more and more definition to an already crazy concept. Try them, but it’s not for everyone.

Eba eba eba eba eba eba eba get passed that near nuisance in Chores and enjoi.

Chores

For Reverend Green

Alot of popular indie bands come from Portland, Oregon: The Shins, Menomena, The Dandy Warhols, naming a bunch of Oregon bands is a bad idea (and pretty pointless), there are WAY TOO MANY. Maybe it’s due to the lack of black people and rap music in Oregon that causes music genres like indie and folk to flourish lol. Why this happens? like Tootsie Pops, the world may never know..

The Helio Sequence is one of these Oregon band with kick -assability. Made up of Brandon Summers on guitar and vocals and Benjamin Weikel, who has also played for Modest Mouse, on keyboards and drums, The Helio Sequence has decently packaged sound for their small size. No homo intended, let’s move into their music, from Oregon.

Although their sound has changed a bit from their last album, Love and Distance, HS has still produced a similar sound in Keep Your Eyes Ahead. Though it is a bit calmer it still maintains the signature small bleeps and bloops found in their musics. These are two very different songs, not to be used to compare albums, just to enjoi them. 

The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead

The Helio Sequence - The Echo Blomp - Love and Distance

Every few months a song comes out that grabs you by the balls (or vagine) and holds you there with your eyes peeled back, and your face in paralyzed, for the two minutes and twenty one seconds it plays for. This is that song. Standing Next To Me is a that beautifully done song I wish I had the words to describe, but not even words could do it justice. So read up on the Last Shadow Puppets HERE and enjoi.

The Last Shadow Puppets- Standing Next to Me