Oh Monica, what wise words you sung.
I apply Monica's theory to a lot of things, music not being an exception. Not many things piss me off more than when people hear only one song by a band and declare "O M G this band will CHANGE YOUR LIFE ! ! !" exclamation point, exclamation point, etc. I have a lot of one night stands with songs (I was going to say bands, but that'd be weird and wrong). This blog is compiled of some people who I have become very committed to, and others that befit a moment that I then cruelly dump and move on. Such is life. Monica didn't write a song about being musically slutty, therefore I don't know how to break the habit. So here I am, the musical Carrie Bradshaw, and these are my Aidens for the day...
Have you ever listened to one of those "indie-electronic" bands? None come to mind right now, but I know there are a lot of them out there. A lot of the time I find myself really down with the music, but vocals and ridiculous lyrics ruin the song for me overall. Windom Earle make music that those great backgrounds are made of. While I could never call myself an electro fan (I find flashing strobe lights and huge stereos far too daunting) I can say I really enjoy the music these guys produce, that really can't be put in any other category other than electro. People who are masters of electro will probably hate this, however people without an opinion on electro will probably love, and that's probably you.
Going to an extreme here, the Stolen Minks appeal to the fourteen year old in me who still wishes she spent every Saturday in the Electric Ballroom listening to really dirty CBGB's era punk. These days I've mellowed out a bit, but it doesn't mean from time to time I don't love hearing some really great scuzzy punk. Bikini Kill fans will love the Stolen Minks, who make me feel like I have a (less poppy) Blondie of my own generation to love.
Continuing on a punk themed route, Die Brucke play wonderfully fast hardcore. Hardcore was one of my first loves and has provided some of the most memorable musical experiences of my life. Music like this is great, abrasive, intense and not for everyone, which is why I love it. You can't get much harder or faster than music like this and that's what makes it so much fun.
Fast forwarding to the present and modern music, let's talk about Team B. A bag of Brooklyn All Stars, featuring members of LCD Soundsystem, Beirut and the Arcade Fire. You can't really get more indie avant garde than that can you? I find the music sounds a bit convoluted and difficult to listen to, but I didn't instantly fall in love with Beirut either, which is something I make an effort to remember when listening to the band. Have a listen, I'd be interested to hear what you think of them.
I saw Jack Lewis and the Fishermen Three play in an amazing basement venue in Manchester not to long ago. They came straight from opening for the Cribs, having driven for hours earlier that day, exhausted and tired to end up playing a really great cohesive set despite all of this. Long gone are the days when I made the effort to go see bands I'd never heard of play every night, but these guys made me want to do that again.
Pleasantly surprised Jack, Jeff Lewis' brother, sounds like a better, more interesting version of his sibling. The band angle less for the quirky 'I'm-on-like-so-many-drugs-man' vibe and focus on playing really interesting basic guitar based pop music. Plus they're from Portland, beards, check shirts and insta-endearing cool factor included.
Waiting For the End Of The World is kind of a mouthful to say. The name is also a bit dismal. The band however sound like the Walkmen and have a singing drummer, which is nearly always a good thing. They've been playing around New York a lot lately and while I haven't had a chance to catch them live yet I did come across a live set on the simply super Baeble website, which you can check out here. Who doesn't want concert in their bedroom? Sure beats going out a lot of the time.
Lastly, mellow out with some nineties lo-fi pop, Patterns play really softly driven pop-rock. Quite Bishop Allen, though perhaps a little more accessible. Fans of Barsuk or Polyvinyl bands will like them a lot, I think. It's fun music to assist you as you go about your day.
Sunshine calls outside my window, until next time.
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