Broken Bells consists of Danger Mouse and James Mercer of the Shins. Lately I have been sick of the Shins coming up on shuffle however; Broken Bells has provided a good alternative. The combination of lax hip-hop beats with indie guitar styling make this a fun listen. Check out there new video with a damsel in distress flying her Star Wars type spaceship. Also be sure to check out their current self-titled album.
Hopping over the pond to the UK (mentally that is), I checked out Zoot Woman’s new(ish) album. The album titled “Things are what they used to be” came out in August of 2009. The band, comprised of Stuart Price, Adam Blake, and Johnny Blake, is credited as one of the forerunners of the electroclash genre. Also, I must say that Krebak (Mirjam Baker and Michael Kren) did something special with this video. From mellower beats in “Saturation” to heavy deep synth beats in “We Won’t Break”, it’s just plain enjoyable to tap your toes to this band.
Being that today is his Birthday, I decided what better time to share Totally Michael. Hailing from Bloomington, Indiana, Michael combines pop with punk, creating the perfect music to dance to. Often performing shows in costume, Michael has performed for a diverse crowd around the US, from children at schools to packed bars in most major cities. Most recently Michael released an Adult only album and borrowed drummer Scott McNiece of Prizzy Prizzy Please doubling the size of his group making for a more intense show. Join me in begging him to come back and play a show on the West Coast! Check out Michaels new video Summertime.
I don’t know to much about these guys, but stumbled upon this track during a drunken session of web surfing (don’t worry I kept it classy with two buck chuck). What I do know is that they are a duo from Brooklyn consisting of Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm, and the track Real Life is from their debut EP Settings. They bring the synth big time on this one and couple it with island-like percussion, a combination that is conducive to dancing your ass off. The rest of the EP maintains a similar structure, never holding back on the synth-pop and providing a healthy dose of head-bobbing. Unfortunately, at a mere six songs it leaves me wanting more though I’m optimistic I’ll be getting my way in the near future. Enjoy.
Hailing from Ireland, these 18 year old children appear to be on to something radical. They’ve embarked on world tour to promote their new album Tourist History, selling out all stops, essentially living my dream (bastards). It’s a simple yet infectious sound that never seems to wear out, reminiscent of Phoenix. The track “What You Know” gets about 20+ plays from me a day. From the crunchy bassline, to the singalongable chorus, it’s does it all for me. Listen, enjoy, dance.
As this is my first review, I decided to post the album I think everybody should be listening to, but nobody is. Enter the one-man band of Max Tundra, consisting of Ben Jacobs of the UK. Max Tundra can best be described as a combination of complex chord progressions and time signatures of Frank Zappa, with the melodic pop vocals of Prince. Parallax Error Beheads You, released in 2008, is a dense synth album with frantically fast drumbeats, chronicling the end of a relationship and moving on with life. While the album maintains a somber subject, the music does nothing more then invoke happiness, and makes me think about the best times of my life. This album consistently holds the title of most played in my Itunes and will likely into the future, until I find my next music fix.
In November 2009, I had the pleasure of seeing Max Tundra headline at Bottom of the Hill in Potrero Hill. Playing to a crowd of 100 or less, he was able to inspire and confuse the crowd all at the same time. I would highly suggest attending his next show if you get an opportunity, as it was easily one of the most interesting shows I have ever seen.
Get this album, listen to it a few times and let me know what you think.
