Women in music.

Lately I have noticed myself growing in appreciation for female vocals in bands. I found CocoRosie online a few weeks ago and I am still unsure as to what exactly to think. I enjoy it, I really do; it's different, weird, atmospheric, and certainly one-of-a-kind. The full bio can be found here, but i am going to give you a cliff notes of sort:

Coco Rosie is made up of two sisters, Bianca and Sierra, who do most of the arrangement and vocals, and two guys, Gael and Tez, who pretty much do everything else. The genre i've heard is "Freak Folk" which makes sense as far as genres go. Below is a link to a song performed on a French television show. This song really demonstrates their diversity in sound and arrangment.

Werewolf


Another inspiring group is Nico Vega, who are a trio based in LA consisting of two guys playing guitar and drums and female singer, Aja. more information found here. Nico Vega's 2009 self titled album has been in heavy rotation lately, but what impresses me the most is a series of acoustic videos they have on their YouTube account. included below are two of my personal favorites:

Medicine Man


and Gravity


Latly, Here is a UK band that i cannot get enough of: The Joy Formidable. The album "The Big Roar" is set to be released in March 2011 in the US and is phenomenal release from start to finish.

Whirring


links:
CocoRosie on Facebook
Nico Vega dot com
The Joy Formidable

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SMD

Here is a band that i have been developing a fondness of lately. St. Louis, MO based So Many Dynamos. For those lit nerds out there, yes, that is in fact a palindrome. I was first turned on to SMD through their 2006 release, Flashlights. Flashlights starts out with the airy and uneasy track Saturday Night, Sunnday Morning. This is a perfect example of what a first track should do for the listener: set the stage. from the dynamic growth of the guitar and vocals to the very minimalist choir at the end, this track rings of intention. The rest of this album demonstrates the tightness of the ensemble and their ability to switch dynamics, key, tempo, and time seamlessly.

Then I decided to seek out their 2009 release, Loud Wars. This album ushers in a more refined and sonically crafted sound for the band. The production on Loud Wars is very apparent in that it helps bring a greater nuance to the already intricate arrangements. This album concludes with one of my favorite tracks at the moment, The Formula, a 6:18 epic romp through indie-electro rock heaven. the catharsis brought on by the conclusion of Loud Wars is hard to rival. Especially with the whole band chanting the final chorus:

"There's a place in the atmosphere,
Where the sound waves go when they disappear
Where the words you speak, no one should know,
Where'd you think that your prayers go?"


here is a live studio video of this track:


and to gain some insight to their writing process:



Check out their Website and Facebook Page.

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Portland music Vol. I

Living in Portland is a truly unique experience. especially when referring to music. and specifically when referring to culture, but for now i am going to focus on music. i highly recommend you support:

Girlfriends.

Girlfriends has been described as a one-man (Jerry Joiner), three-piece band. confused? check out their (his) bandcamp page to get an idea. both albums are available for free download.

Girlfriends

I had the chance to see Jerry play his awesomely original blend of math rock, dance, indie, and electronica at the Ash Street Saloon on 1/1/11. due to it being new years day, there were only a few people brave enough to attempt a two-day hangover, but i was determined to be there. here is a video of Jerry rocking his sweet tasty jams live in Spokane Wa. just ignore the douche in the front row. college kids. damn them.




Check out Girlfriends' Facebook Page. become a fan, 'like' his page, and throw him a couple bucks on bandcamp if you can swing it. he is a really nice guy.



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Music.

My goal with this is to create something of a place where i (read: YOU) can come to see what is going on that is original and interesting. self-indulgent, a little bit, but this is a blog after all...

so to start things off, i figure i'll talk about what holds the most gravity in my life: Music. i love music. playing it, listening to it, and seeing it take shape. i even dream of music. so here i will include links and videos of some really neat music. if you are a copyright holder and do not want your music displayed here, feel free to email me and i will remove said content ASAP. note: no piracy is intended, simply offering insight into various forms of media i find appealing and wish to promote/review/discuss.

so onwards to content!!!

here is a video that i find very groovy:



this is a band called Awesome New Republic, or ANR for short. they are a 3 piece electro-indie band out of Miami and you can find more info here.

i found this band from Music Inside Of Us, a terrific blog with a lot of really cool music.

and in the same vein, i have been really enamored with Portland based Electro Pop band, Starfucker.

check out a couple of tasty jams from Starfucker's upcoming album, Reptilian

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First post.

boom.

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TDW