Each week we bring you the current Top 10 indie tracks streaming on Spotify to help you create the perfect workweek playlist.

Arctic Monkeys have held onto the top spot for the past 4 weeks…wonder who will eventually take over their coveted spot? “The Wire” has swapped spots with “Reflektor” while the rest of our Top 10 appears to be about the same with the exception of The 1975’s “Girls” breaking in at #7, “R U Mine” & “My Number” both dropping 2 spots and “Falling” breaks into the #10 spot.

Weekly Top 10 Indie Tracks Streaming on Spotify

1. “Do I Wanna Know?” – Arctic Monkeys (AM) [Spotify]
2. “The Wire” – Haim (Days Are Gone) [Spotify]
3. “Reflektor” – Arcade Fire (Reflektor) [Spotify]
4. “Chocolate” – The 1975 (The 1975) [Spotify]
5. “Afterlife” – Arcade Fire (Reflektor) [Spotify]
6. “Afraid” – The Neighbourhood (I Love You.) [Spotify]
7. “Girls” – The 1975 (The 1975) [Spotify]
8. “R U Mine?” – Arctic Monkeys (AM) [Spotify]
9. “My Number” – Foals (Holy Fire) [Spotify]
10. “Falling” – Haim (Days Are Gone) [Spotify]

Megan’s top pick for the week:

“Chocolate” – The 1975 (The 1975)

Each week we bring you the current Top 10 indie tracks streaming on Spotify to help you create the perfect workweek playlist.

Well, well, well. Artic Monkeys are still locked in this week with “Do I Wanna Know?” at our number one position with Arcade Fire’s “Reflektor” holding strong in the number two slot. “The Wire” (Haim) has snuck back into the Top 3 again this week and “Forever” (also Haim) is back in our Top 10 this week after falling off the list last week. There are however two new comers to our Top 10 this week; Foals with “My Number” and Two Door Cinema Club with “Changing Of The Seasons”.

Weekly Top 10 Indie Tracks Streaming on Spotify

1. “Do I Wanna Know?” – Artic Monkeys (AM) [Spotify]
2. “Reflektor” – Arcade Fire (Reflektor) [Spotify] 
3. “The Wire” – Haim (Days Are Gone) [Spotify]
4. “Chocolate” – The 1975 (The 1975) [Spotify]
5. “Afterlife” – Arcade Fire (Reflektor) [Spotify]
6. “R U Mine?” – Artic Monkeys (AM) [Spotify]
7. “Afraid” – The Neighbourhood (I Love You.) [Spotify]
8. “My Number” – Foals (Holy Fire) [Spotify]
9. “Forever” – Haim (Days Are Gone) [Spotify]
10. “Changing Of The Seasons” – Two Door Cinema Club (Changing Of The Seasons) [Spotify]

Megan’s top pick for the week:

Chocolate – The 1975 (The 1975)

Each week we bring you the current Top 10 indie tracks streaming on Spotify to help you create the perfect workweek playlist.

This week we still see Artic Monkeys’ “Do I Wanna Know” standing strong at number one, but you will notice how Haim have fallen from the charts with only one track gracing our Top 10 (The Wire). Arcade Fire have climbed the charts this week with “Reflektor”, moving up 6 slots along with “We Exist” breaking into the Top 10. Stay tuned as we will have our review of Reflektor on the site later in the week.

Weekly Top 10 Indie Tracks Streaming on Spotify

1. “Do I Wanna Know?” – Arctic Monkeys (AM) [Spotify]
2. “Reflektor” – Arcade Fire (Reflektor) [Spotify]
3. “Breezeblocks” – alt-J (An Awesome Wave) [Spotify]
4. “The Wire” – Haim (The Wire) [Spotify]
5. “Chocolate” – The 1975 (The 1975) [Spotify]
6. “Angels” – The xx (Coexist) [Spotify]
7. “We Exist” – Arcade Fire (Reflektor) [Spotify]
8. “Afraid” – The Neighbourhood (I Love You) [Spotify]
9. “R U Mine?” – Arctic Monkeys (AM) [Spotify]
10. “Sex” – The 1975 (The 1975) [Spotify]

Megan’s top pick for the week:

“The Wire” – Haim (The Wire)

Welcome to the newest weekly segment for Way Too Indie! We are bringing you the Top 10 indie hits streaming on Spotify for the week to help you create the perfect workday playlist, every week.

Looking at this week’s Top 10 I should remind you to check out our recent review of Haim’s newest album Days Are Gone. Haim clearly has made a splash on the top streaming list for this week with three appearances on it, two of those being from their newest album. Let’s dive right into the countdown!

Weekly Top 10 Indie Tracks Streaming on Spotify

1. “Do I Wanna Know?” – Arctic Monkeys (AM) [Spotify]
2. “The Wire” – Haim (The Wire) [Spotify]
3. “Sweater Weather” – The Neighbourhood (I’m Sorry…) [Spotify]
4. “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High” – The Arctic Monkeys (Why’s You Only Call Me When You’re High?) [Spotify]
5. “Breezeblocks” – alt-J (An Awesome Wave) [Spotify]
6. “Chocolate” – The 1975 (The 1975) [Spotify]
7. “Falling” – Haim (Days Are Gone) [Spotify]
8. “Reflektor” – Arcade Fire (Reflektor) [Spotify]
9. “Angels” – The xx (Coexist) [Spotify]
10. “Forever” – Haim (Days Are Gone) [Spotify]

Megan’s top pick for the week:

Sweater Weather – The Neighbourhood (I’m Sorry…)

Jesse Teer from The Senators (review) speaks about the historic roots of the band and some of the struggles that come from independently producing your own music. He describes his favorite place to play in Phoenix and what it is like being in a band with his brother.

The Senators is an interesting band name, how did this name come about?

I am definitely a history nerd. One of our early song concepts dealt with the pre-Civil War feud between U.S. Senators Brooks and Sumner. I guess the name got thrown out there and it kind of stuck. I think its simple but still a bit iconic, and it fits the project well.

How did The Senators form as a band? How long have you guys played together?


The project began back in 2008-09 with a lot of long distance back and forth between Rooster and myself. He was living out in Memphis at the time. As we kept sending concepts back and forth, the songs began to draw more heavily from the elements of Memphis Rock n Roll and American Roots music. When Rooster came back to Phoenix, we put together the material we’d collected and some newer songs and by December of 2010 we were able to focus on recording an EP. It quickly turned into the full-length album Harsher Than Whiskey/Sweeter Than Wine. We started bringing in some local Arizona talent that we knew to record some parts for the album, and we started playing out in June this year. I’m lucky to be surrounded by some really good musical talent.

Were there bands before The Senators?



(laughs) Yeah. I think every artist has an embarrassing project or two circa when they were learning to write and compose. That stuff is likely floating around somewhere on the web, but its probably not worth tracking down. As far as the band goes, I think it is interesting in that we were all classically trained growing up. We really didn’t all play in your typical garage bands, but were mostly playing in orchestras, jazz bands, etc. Band nerds all of us.


Can you remember the first song you ever sang/performed?


Yes. When we were really young, I remember getting all of our brothers together with cardboard-cutout instruments and “performing” what must have been a great rendition of “Heard It Through the Grapevine” for our parents. 
Wish I had that on tape.


What about the first song you ever wrote? Do you still play that song today?


For our listener’s sake, I refrain from playing it. It started writing back when I was 15 and angsty. The first Senators song that I wrote was “Sea and Its Floor”, which I still think is one of the stronger songs on our first album. We use that one to open up our set.

What would you say has been the biggest obstacle for The Senators?


Trying to go the completely independent route can be challenging. Since we have decided to do all of our production, all of our promotion, and all the other business pieces like licensing, it can sometimes feel like we are learning as we go. We are in a great spot that as a really young band we are getting a lot of good national exposure and play. It keeps us on our toes. I really like aspect of the project.


If you had to describe The Senators music in three words what would they be?




Rooted, not revival.

Would you say there is a specific theme that your songs cover? If so,
what are they?






Harsher was not constructed as a concept album, per se, but I hear from a lot of our listeners that they definitely identify some common threads: some biblical and historical references. Those are powerful images on their own, but I don’t dwell on that stuff as the subject, just use those images to paint a more specific picture. I’m usually writing on things that are much more personal.


How is it being a in a band with your brother? Is it all brotherly love?




I secretly wonder if the rest of the band thinks we’re gonna end up in some really bad Oasis-esque situation. But all kidding aside, its great. It’s a rare thing to have someone who can be completely unfiltered and honest who will tell me something really sucks when it does. We are both pretty opinionated, so it can get a little heated. At the end of the day I know the friction leads to an even better product… we don’t let each other get away with anything that’s not great, and we haven’t resorted to blows yet.

Is anyone else in your family besides your brother and you musically gifted?


Yes. Our mother was an amazing pianist, but she developed a disability that kept her from following that dream. I remember falling asleep to her playing Chopin when I was young. Instead, she turned out to be an equally amazing doctor. Growing up, she got us into music at a young age, me with with piano and cello mostly. Without her influence I wouldn’t be where I am today.

What is the most memorial venue you have ever played at?


Up to this point, I have to say the Rhythm Room in Phoenix. It is one of those venues with a lot of grit and history. A lot of famous blues players have gigged there over the years, and you can feel a certain soul within the building. It definitely has some attitude. Hopefully, if you ask me next year I’ll be saying the Ryman. Fingers crossed.

Every band has musical inspiration, what bands would you say motivates you the most as a musician?



I think motivate is the right word. I don’t ever really try to emulate anyone or a particular style. As a group, we definitely have musical heroes that influence us and make us want to be better writers and performer. Cash is the kind of guy you listen to and are just flat out astounded. He did it for decades and decades. Even at the end with ‘Hurt’ he won over a whole new generation. I have great respect for Ben Gibbard as a lyricist. On rotation right now I have Van Morrison, Old Crow Medicine Show, Calexico, Civil Wars, Frightened Rabbit. I really like what the Lumineers are doing. Great songwriting is always motivating. 


Can you describe your process for creating music?

I devote a lot of time to the craft. Lots of late nights with an acoustic and a notebook. But when it comes to a good song, it usually comes out all at once, and fast at that. On the flipside, it is great to be able to take concepts to Rooster, who is pretty honest in sizing them up. He also has some great stuff he is working on too for the next album.

You mentioned next album, so what exactly is next for The Senators?
If I can brag on one thing we do well, its that we are constantly writing new material – and it is sounding fantastic. We just recently released an EP of early production tracks from our next album (the Cross of Gold – EP). Those three tracks are now available on iTunes. Harsher was a lot of fun and I am proud of it as our first product, but I’m even more excited to see where the next album will take us. As a group we have found ourselves and our identity through the process of the first album, and I think I’ve grown up some as a writer since. So far the working title is Battle Hymns.

As far as touring goes: we are in a really strange and wonderful place in that we are receiving national play and exposure without the grind-it-out touring that it often takes to get there. We can be a little more selective about which road swings we are planning, and we are especially looking forward to hitting the festival circuit in the coming year. With as strong as we feel about the new material, about half of our live set is now new material and half tracks from Harsher.

]]> http://waytooindie.com/interview/interview-jesse-teer-the-senators/feed/ 0 http://waytooindie.com/review/music/deadmau5-album-title-goes-here/ http://waytooindie.com/review/music/deadmau5-album-title-goes-here/#respond Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 album title goes here<]]> http://waytooindie.com/?p=8388 The now widely known Canadian electronic powerhouse, known to the general public as deadmau5, has released his sixth record entitled >album title goes here<. The album is a wildly different approach to the world of electronic/trance music than what listeners have heard on the previous albums. The only question one may ask is this: is this a good or bad thing? deadmau5 has been ridiculed in years past for making music that sounds no different from the next, meaning that all of his songs that he produces sounds alike. Now, I must agree that is kind of a common theme in the music business in general, so it isn’t really a surprising that people have accused deadmau5 of this. Especially when you consider the genre of music that is fairly notorious for the music sounding alike. However, >album title goes here< varies so greatly from previous deadmau5 albums that it is hard to believe at times you are even listening to a deadmau5 album!]]>

The now widely known Canadian electronic powerhouse, known to the general public as deadmau5, has released his sixth record entitled >album title goes here<. The album is a wildly different approach to the world of electronic/trance music than what listeners have heard on the previous albums. The only question one may ask is this: is this a good or bad thing? deadmau5 has been ridiculed in years past for making music that sounds no different from the next, meaning that all of his songs that he produces sounds alike. Now, I must agree that is kind of a common theme in the music business in general, so it isn’t really a surprising that people have accused deadmau5 of this. Especially when you consider the genre of music that is fairly notorious for the music sounding alike. However, >album title goes here< varies so greatly from previous deadmau5 albums that it is hard to believe at times you are even listening to a deadmau5 album!

I am going to say something that is going to contradict myself right now…and I want everyone that reads this to know that I am doing so and that I realize it. While I was listening to >album title goes here<, the first song, “Superliminal” sounded like pure deadmau5 goodness and I was very much anticipating the next tracks. To my utter surprise I had recognized the beats to the very next song! How was that possible since it was my first time experiencing the album? I soon realized that the song “Channel 42” had recycled the opening beats and fade-in intro from one of my favorite deadmau5 songs from 4×4=12, “A City In Florida.”

Like I said before, it is not uncommon that musicians often stick to what works and this is clearly what happened here with the song “Channel 42.” I am sure that there are other songs from other albums by deadmau5 that are closely related to one another too, but this is the one I found to stand out to me. And I realize this can open up a Pandora’s box of criticisms of other artists, which is not what I am trying to accomplish with this statement, but just pointing out an observation that I made while listening.

The variety of musicians that leant their vocals and other musical talents to >album title goes here< is so broad that it ranges from; emo pop icons, to a Cuban/Latino hip pop group, to a British Grammy Award winning songstress, to a house DJ to a dude who happened to add his vocals to one of deadmau5’s tracks, “The Veldt”. The artists that I am speaking of are Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance in “Professional Grifers”, Cypress Hill in “Failbait”, Imogen Heap in “Telemiscommunications”, Wolgang Gartner in “Channel 42”, and Chris James in “The Veldt”. Quite frankly, I haven’t heard that kind of diversity on an album that at the same time holds true to the original genre, electronic/house music.

I feel like it is ridiculously hard to review an album of this nature. There isn’t much you can add to reviews that have been written in the past about electronic music due to the similarities between them. Bumping bass? Check. Synths? Check. Random bits of sampling? Check. The formula is pretty basic when you break it all down, but I think the most important aspect of electric/house music is this; does it make me want to dance like an overwhelming fool? In the terms of this >album title goes here< not so much. There are certainly times when the album lags and changes from traditional electronic music. Now, the question is if this is a bad thing or not and quite frankly that is a matter of opinion. Maybe deadmau5 has stumbled upon a new kind of electronic music. Only time can tell on that thought.

I feel like the musicians are expected to make music that sounds the same but at the same time completely different and fresh. >album title goes here< is an album that makes this idea a reality by having the first half of the album sound like “old” deadmau5 tracks and the second half of the album is the completely different “new” sounding deadmau5 tracks. Basically, the album is split down the middle in my mind. Old versus new. I have to say, I stand on the old side for the most part. Quite frankly, it is hard for me to decide whether I liked the album or disliked the album. Indifferent would be more appropriate.

Who doesn’t love an exquisitely played banjo? What about some well-placed harmonica? Or is the mandolin more of your fancy? Trumpet? Well, The Senators have it all on their newest album Harsher Than Whiskey/Sweeter Than Wine. I must say I was more than surprised by the musical talent of this Phoenix based indie/Americana group consisting of Jesse Teer (vocals, guitar, mandolin), ‘Rooster’ Teer (bass, harmonica), Amber Johnson (keys), Carlos Villegas (banjo, guitars), Joe Bitz (trumpet, guitars), and Jason Yee (drums).

Harsher Than Whiskey/Sweeter Than Wine is the complete package for the listener. All the instruments meld together in blissful harmony that can only be described as addicting. It also helps that lead vocalist, Jesse Teer, has a voice that almost seems to be whispering the lyrics to the listener as if he were singing the listener a lullaby, but it is by no means boring or lethargic sounding. Quite the contrary, Jesse’s vocal performance is entrancing and demands the attention of the listener without being abrasive or overpowering to the instrumentals that compliment each other in a delightful fashion Now, I feel like I need to clarify that not all of the songs resemble that of a lullaby. The Senators know when to kick it up a few notches with songs like “Lazarus” and “The Sea and Its Floor” are two amazing examples of the versatility of the musical quality on Harsher Than Whiskey/Sweeter Than Wine.

The whole album takes the listener back to what we could image to be simpler times of the old West. It is quite fascinating. I think the one song that really brought that thought to mind was “Harsher Than Whiskey.” All the songs are easy to understand and to enjoy which makes listening to the album extremely easy to do and as a listener it is easy to hit repeat and spend your day in a folk related dream.

The sophomore album, Gossamer, for the breakthrough band Passion Pit not only took 4 years to come to life, but it was also amazing that it was even completed in the first place. Passion Pit has been thrown into the media spotlight recently due to show cancelations due to “mental health” issues of their front man Michael Angelakos. As many know, Angelakos has informed the media that he lives with Bipolar I, which is a mood disorder that includes episodes of mania and depression. All that being said, Gossamer was an album that took me weeks to really embrace and to completely understand.

Upon first listening to Gossamer I was anticipating the perky, hyperactive musical style of Manners from four years ago.  I was, at first, sorely disappointed to not have heard a single song with the same feel as “Little Secrets” and instantly stopped listening to the album for weeks. Eventually, I was talked into giving it a second chance and I am exceptionally happy I did so. Passion Pit is NOT the same band they were when Manners came out four years prior so it is naive to believe that Gossamer would be identical to it, it is easy to think something like this since, as a listener and a fan, you want it to be like the music that made you love the band, but at the same time you want something that is new and different. That pressure to has to be quite the cross to bear for such a young band. This paradox is often referred to as the “sophomore slump”.

The autobiographical Gossamer takes the listener on a dark journey through the life of lead singer Angelakos life for the past four years. Staying ever true their upbeat instrumental style while the lyrics have taken a plunge into darkness. The lyrics are heavy and thoughtful on the life of alcohol and drugs that Angelakos had been fighting through. The blend of poppy beats and dark lyrics makes a link to the musical style of The Smiths, with the obvious difference in vocal styles. Angelakos has been criticized in the past for his extremely high vocals in the past and his lack of vocal range. However, I feel in Gossamer he proves that he does have some range to his vocals which is can be heard in the opening song to the album “Take a Walk.”

Songs like “Love is Greed” is an insightful song into the ideas that Angelakos has about love and his ideas of inner workings of being in love with someone.  With lyrics like “If we really love ourselves, how do we love somebody else?” I feel really captures Angelakos confusion, possible frustration and overall ideas about what love is to him. Other songs that I highly recommend a deep listening to really embrace and understand the path that Gossamer is trying to take the listener down are “On My Way,” “Carried Away,” “Constant Conversation,” and “It’s Not My Fault I’m Happy.” Gossamer will be an album that will surprise you with its honesty.

Only In Dreams drifts the mind to a time where the listener feels like they are relaxing on a beach somewhere without a care in the world (which is convenient for a land-locked soul like me.) Dum Dum Girls are a California based band and their musical quality is very representative of their home state. Their seemingly lazy and relaxed vocals coupled with equally relaxed guitar and drums make it the ultimate beach bum record. Now there are times when the tempo and vocals break from their relaxed state which is what I personally find to be the most interesting aspect about the Dum Dum Girls music because it breaks them from the stereotypical “surfer music.”

That being said the Dum Dum Girls are totally a surfer pop band. A listener can gather that from any of their songs on their 2011 album Only In Dreams. I think my main beef with Only In Dreams is that as much as I appreciate them sticking to a specific genre, I feel like a lot of the songs tend to sound way too much a like. As in a lot of the songs sound almost identical from each other. Of course, there are outliers to this. Take a listen to “Heartbeat,” “Just a Creep,” or “Caught in One” for a little variety on the album.

What saves the rating of this album is the way that the tracks are arranged and the tracks that seem to sound eerily a lot a like are broken up with a slightly different sounding song. Due to this the listener does not become extremely bored with Only In Dreams. Personally, I keep listening to the album for the non-mundane tracks like I listed above.

If anyone is located in the central United States I would suggest coming out to the Omaha, Nebraska musical festival, MAHA on August 11th that runs from noon to midnight, 12 straight hours of musical magic. Dum Dum Girls will be playing with the likes of Delta Sprirt, Icky Blossoms, Garbage, and Desaparecidos to just name a few of the bands that will rock the passing 12 hours. Check out their MAHA Music Festival website for the full line-up and to purchase your tickets on-line.

Caribou, formally known as Manitoba and currently known as Daphni, has gone through a few name changes (as you can see) and the main composer/musician of it all, Daniel Snaith, is anything less than brilliant musically as well as academically (the man has a PhD in mathematics for goodness sakes!) Snaith’s musical quality is eerily relaxing and yet upbeat and exhilarating. The album Swim was released in 2010 and was significantly different in comparison to his older albums released under the name Caribou.

Before, the music of Caribou was heavily influenced in psychedelic beats, which is still there in Swim but the musical quality reflects more on Snaith’s time as a DJ in London. Meaning that the music of Swim is more of a dance based album.

According to Snaith, the album Swim motivated him to get back into making music (he was on a 2 year hiatus before the release of Swim). Snaith, apparently, recored over 700 songs, many unfinished, for this album and ended up only choosing 9 songs to make the cut onto Swim.

In terms of the sound of Swim, it is certainly a unique album to listen to. His only single off of Swim, Odessa, is a strong opening to the album, giving the listener a taste of the music that is to come. Snaith is very talented with his ability to play the synthesizer. I say this, because generally speaking I am by no means a fan of synthesized music. However, the way that Caribou melds it into the music makes each song for me. I must say that the synth in “Bowls” does get a bit out of control for me with the repeated bell-like ting and weird, wet sounding noise (reminds me of someone who would beat-box). To be honest, I could do without the song “Bowls” being on the album at all.

Isaac Show from Later Babes (review) talks about the newly formed DJ group that derived from his previous band (We All Have Hooks for Hands) and Soulcrate. We discuss how the group formed and how they nearly went by the name Mars Travolta instead of Later Babes. Also, we find out what food they would eat if they were trapped on an island.

How did Later Babes form out of We All Have Hooks for Hands and Soulcrate?
I (Isaac) just started making a mix for no reason in my basement, and then it caught a couple ears in Soulcrate, and we decided it needed to be played live. So with a lot of input from them (Soulcrate) and us (Hooks), we made it happen.

Where did the name, Later Babes, come from?
Myles had a drawer full of names, and we picked it out of a hat.

What were some of the other names in that hat?
Baby Snakes, Mars Travolta, Alabamarama, and Hiya Pals to name a few.

What made you decide to give away the album Lisa and do you plan on ever selling music under the band Later Babes?
We don’t own any of the music, so it has to be free. We will probably never sell you music, but we will sell you a T-shirt or 2.

You are shipping out free CD’s to anyone that provides you with their address, how many do you think you have sent out so far?
We still are, and I dont think we plan on stopping. We have shipped out close to 500 copies, and given away more than 1000.

What is the most difficult transition from mixing at home to playing live?
At home, no one can see you. And when we make this mix, we are very conscious of the fact that people will have to play with this live.

When you guys play live there is a keyboardist and drummer, do any of the tracks feature either of these on Lisa or just live?
There are added keyboard parts added, and few drums scattered here and there.

Can you describe your process of creating a mash-up song and how do you decide which songs to use?
Basically, create a pool of songs that we all like, and start at a certain tempo, and put as much of it together as you can. The key is to have more than you need. I think we used about 10% of the songs that were submitted by us all. In the future, we might take submissions from fans.

So I have to ask…what is up with all the cats?
Internet phenomenons. We are pretty much an internet band, so we need to follow internet trends. Cats, pizza, Doritos and maybe boobs next.

Who do you get your inspiration from?
From my friends, and growing up going to parties, and dancing to sweet indie jams in our living room.

Are you guys planning on ever going on tour or is this more of just side project for now?
Hooks is ending very soon (July 20th at the orphuem) and we have been scheduling a few out of town shows, to see if we can play to people who dont know who Hooks or Soulcrate is. So yes, it has been talked about.

Are there any plans on doing any follow-up albums to Lisa?
Working on it as we speak.

If you were trapped on an island and could only eat tacos or pizzas, which would it be?
Doritos Late Night Tacos, and Doritos Pizza Supreme. So Doritos it is. (pizza)

]]> http://waytooindie.com/interview/interview-isaac-show-later-babes/feed/ 0 http://waytooindie.com/review/music/later-babes-lisa/ http://waytooindie.com/review/music/later-babes-lisa/#comments Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=5068 Reining from Sioux Falls, SD, Later Babes is the brainchild of Isaac Show with the help of another local band members (Soulcrate Music) and including a member of his other band We All Have Hooks for Hands. Later Babes created a smash-up album that slams together classic music with hip-hop and indie songs. Now, you may be unimpressed by this, as making mash-ups is a pretty common thing anymore. However, Later Babes mashes-up music in a completely unique way, not only is it a DJ doing mash-ups but it also features live drums and keyboards. Later Babes is made up of Isaac Show, Tory Stolen, Myles Gosmire, Wes Eisenhauer, and Corey Gerlach.]]>

Reining from Sioux Falls, SD, Later Babes is the brainchild of Isaac Show with the help of another local band members (Soulcrate Music) and including a member of his other band We All Have Hooks for Hands. Later Babes created a smash-up album that slams together classic music with hip-hop and indie songs. Now, you may be unimpressed by this, as making mash-ups is a pretty common thing anymore. However, Later Babes mashes-up music in a completely unique way, not only is it a DJ doing mash-ups but it also features live drums and keyboards. Later Babes is made up of Isaac Show, Tory Stolen, Myles Gosmire, Wes Eisenhauer, and Corey Gerlach.

Lisa as an album, is literally one continuous song that makes for almost an hour of an epic journey through music memories. Later Babes covers the spectrum of music genres: early 90’s rap, modern pop song, musicals, indie bands, and so forth. There is probably a song that they mashed into their album Lisa that you can listen to and enjoy.  Due to the nature of the album, it is hard to pick apart the album and break it down into specific songs. That being said, it is also hard to properly review Later Babes due to the nature of the music they are creating; being that a large portion of the music you hear was created by someone else. What makes Later Babes music special is that it is created in a way in which the music is blended together and combined with their own special touch of keyboards and drums added in.

Lisa is an album that needs to be listened to all at once to really experience it properly, but if you must, each song is strong enough to be able to stand on its own. The transition between each song ends in a way that the tracks can bleed together or be listened to as a singular track. But the flow of the album is amazing.

Doesn’t make sense? Take a listen to really understand what I mean. You can download Later Babes Lisa album for free from their BandCamp, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Later Babes on Tumbr.

Odd and titillating are about the ways I could describe HEALTH’s 2010 remixed album ::Disco2. ::Disco2 is the remixed version of their 2009, second full-length album Get Color and also features a new track by HEALTH called “USA Boys.”

“USA Boys” and “Before Tigers” (the first version of it, there are 2 other versions on the album) are the two lead off songs on the album ::Disco2 and are by far my two favorite songs on the album. Granted, it takes some time to adapt to the uniqueness of HEALTH. The lead vocals are significantly muffled and unlike most other bands seem to be considered second the instrumentals. Which works for HEALTH considering the instrumental quality is significantly more interesting and entrancing in comparison to the vocals that are monotone at best.

That being said, according to HEALTH, they meant to make the vocals second to the instruments. HEALTH states about their lyrics that they are “purposely kept vague for the listener” so that the listener is unable to relate to the lyrics which is something that they do not want. They even go on to state that they wanted to the lyrics/vocals to have an even quality like a “Zombie melody” or a “Gregorian chant.” Quite frankly, I have never heard of a band making their lyrics and vocals the background to the actual music before.

Oddly enough, I am not too heartbroken that the vocals are second nature and I almost feel like they could be cut entirely from the album as a whole, almost. The lyrics that you do hear and can make out are quite good, but you really have to force yourself to focus in on them. I must say that the most brilliant quality I have found about the band is their use of the drums. Their drumming ability is out of control. Listen to “In Heat” or “Die Slow” for an example.

The very first time I ever heard a song by Young the Giant was way back in 2004 when I was a lowly freshman in high school. At that time they were still known as The Jakes and I had discovered them on PureVolume.com (my addiction for new, unknown bands…yeah, I was THAT kid). Their song “Cough Syrup” caught my interest immediately and instantly became my favorite song ever recorded. So you could understand my surprise when I heard the ending lyrics to “Cough Syrup” playing on the radio just a few short months ago. Baffled by the instance, I was unable to Shazam it in time to see who had, in my mind, ripped off my favorite song in the world. I would catch a portion of the song a few more times before one day catching enough of the song to know that The Jakes had done a name change and re-released “Cough Syrup” for their new self-entitled album Young the Giant.

For the longest time, I had issues accepting the new version of my favorite song (“Cough Syrup”). And I can honestly still say I favor the original version of the song from when they were The Jakes. Perhaps, it the pretentious music snob in me enjoying them more when they were not so well known, or it could simply be due to the fact that it is the version I am used to. I must honestly say though, that the Young the Giant version of “Cough Syrup” has grown on me. I’ll let you all make your own decisions on the matter though.

“Cough Syrup” aside, the rest of the album is the ultimate summer road trip soundtrack. Calm and chill while having moments of chaos and excitement, perfect for a summer day of driving. The perfect mixture of amped up tunes blends in with the relaxing to keep the listener entranced and on their toes. Songs like “My Body” and the album closer “Guns Out” are true alternative rock jams that make you want to turn up the music and scream along. While songs like “12 Fingers” and “Islands” are much more relaxing but certainly just as fun to sing along to and certainly do not leave the listener wishing for substance. I have always been a fan of the lyrical quality of The Jakes and that completely bleeds into the music of Young the Giant.

Young the Giant has become quite the musical sensation as of late and after listening to their self-entitled album, on repeat for the last week or so, I can completely understand why. Sameer Gadhia, Jacob Tilly, Eric Cannata, Payam Doostzadeh, and Francois Comtois certainly have created a brilliant album that is fun and relaxing, while still exhilarating. Sameer’s vocals are unique to the ears while the surrounding musical complement blends in so perfectly they basically function as one working organ of musical delight.

Here are some YouTube links to compare the old and the new “Cough Syrup” to gather your own opinions on the matter:

The Jakes | Young the Giant

Both are delightful and they do sound fairly close, but there are obvious differences.

Not only is their music unique and fun their name is equally as delightful to say. STRFKR, also known simply as Starfucker, are an electronica band from the great city of Portland. Being in the music business since 2007 and having 3 studio albums under their belt along with three or four name changes, STRFKR is certainly a standout in their genre. It may also help that the band has a tendency to preform in drag either to pull more people to their shows just for a chance to see them all dolled up in women’s clothes. STRFKR consists of Joshua Hodges (vocals, keyboards, guitar, drums), Shawn Glassford (bass, keyboards, drums), Keil Corcoran (drums, keyboards, vocals) and Patrick Morris (guitar keyboard, vocals).

STRFKR shows, in general, make you want to dance until your legs go out and their second studio album Reptilians doesn’t disappoint in the dance area either. From the semi-calming, sway worthy tunes of “The White of Noon” to the spaztic convulsive dancing that comes with songs like “Julius” the album covers all kinds of upbeat dance songs that make you want to turn up the beats and forget about your worries. A couple songs on the album have unique intros or outros that have samples from Lectures by the British philosopher Alan Watts (“Mystery Cloud” and “Hungry Ghost” on this particular album).

Not only are the beats out of control on this album but the lyrics are catchy and fun as well. Take a listen to “Quality Time” to really understand what I am saying. STRFKR is a hard band to describe; it is completely one of those bands you need to hear to really understand their musical genius. Seeing them in concert is also a HUGE must as well. Their live shows are an exhilarating experience where you completely forget your insecurities and let loose with the dance moves that you only do by yourself with no outside eyes to see.

STRFKR’s Reptilians will put you in a dance trance that you will have no desire to come out of. So next time you are feeling in the mood to dance like a fool, download some STRFKR and blare the crap out of it. Trust me, it is good life choices and you will not regret it. If you really like them, check out their newest album confusingly entitled Reptilian that should be released later this year according to Wikipedia.

If the name doesn’t give the listener enough indication on the type of music they will be listening to, let me offer a few other words to help better describe the music of Morosity: deep, dark, sinister, and a bit depressing. Morosity’s album Misanthrope is unlike anything I have heard on any rock station before. The blending of acoustic instrumentals with the true rock vocals of Jesse Albrecht is truly unique to Morosity.

Depending upon who you are, it may be bothersome for some listeners to fully listen and experience Misanthrope due to most of the songs on the track list being over 4 minutes in length (the very last song on the album is a whopping 12 minutes and 52 seconds long). That being said, the songs on the album do not seem to drag on or even feel like they are lasting any longer than a 3 minute song which says a lot about the lyrical and musical talents of Morosity. However, there is always an exception to the rule. The song “Day of Reckoning” has a musical outro that just takes too long for my taste. That being said I am (generally) not too keen for musical interludes, intros and outros (like many others in the human population, I am extremely impatient). I must honestly say though that “Day of Reckoning” is one of my favorite tracks from the album, it is just that outro seemed like a bit of an overkill to me.

When I first began listening to Misanthrope by Morosity, I didn’t begin with the first track on the album (“Adam”) and I regretted that decision after listening through a few other songs with my playlist on random. When I came back to the album a few days later I started from track one and that made all the difference. Misanthrope has a flow to it, songs bleed into the other, and it feels like a concept album, a storytelling album that guides you through a journey. Listening to the songs out of order is possible and the songs can stand on their own for sure, but for the first listen to it is best to experience the songs in the order of the track list to gain a better understanding of album. I find it hard to pick out specific songs to talk about for this album because I feel like the whole album is one hour long song which is a throwback idea that I am completely okay with.

Morosity consists of vocalist Jesse Albrecht, guitarist/violinist Jason Wolfe, bassist Shawn Bachinski, drummer Nick Johnson, and guitarist David Rowan. The band reins from Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota and you can download their album Misanthrope from iTunes or buy the album off Amazon.

Folk music without the stereotypical vocal twang is what Fencewalker brings to the plate with her EP Mourning the Whale. Her vocals may lack the overall classic folk twang but her musical backing is true blue folk (AKA there is some banjo goodness in a good number of the 8 songs on the album). Fencewalker reigns from Philadelphia, PA and claims on her Facebook page that the album was created with “me, fruity loops, and a cat in a basement with a resonator, and a piano, and whatever else I can accumulate.”

Mourning the Whale has a certain rawness to it that is prominent and honestly what makes live shows the creative and exhilarating experience that they are. Fencewalker’s vocals are soothing and smooth which relaxes the listener into a lull of peacefulness that would be perfect for a rainy day and a hot cup of tea. That being said, there are some times during certain songs (“Shoulders” and “Colors” for example) where the guitar and other instrumental backing seem to get off kilter and begin to feel jumbled and confused in comparison to the dreaminess that preceded the musical error.

The most interesting track on the album would have to be “Deceived”. “Deceived” is not only the lone semi-upbeat song, contrasting with the general calm of the rest of the EP, but it also has the most vocal range (“Hold” also shows some vocal experimentation).

In general, the Mourning the Whale is a good start for indie folk musician Fencewalker. The EP gives the listener an idea of what Fencewalker is capable of creating as an artist, but as a listener myself; I wish the album had more exploration in vocals. Don’t get me wrong, Fencewalker has a wonderfully sultry voice, but it seems like she could do so much more with her voice.

Listen to the stream of Fencewalker – Mourning the Whale:

Sexy, provocative, and soulful the pipes on Lana Del Rey will feel like a blast from the past with a modern twist. Del Rey’s music is heavily influenced from her interest in Cuba that any listener can pick up on when listening to her music. Born to Die is actually Del Rey’s second album, but the first album released under her stage name Lana Del Rey.

Her first album, Lana Del Rey aka Lizzy Grant, was released in 2010 under her birth name Lizzy Grant and has a very different feel and sound to it than Born to Die. Lizzy Grant had a more hopeful, love filled lyrics and is more acoustic which is a harsh contrast to the dark and almost depressing lyrics blended with hip hop beats that spans Born to Die. Whatever spawned the change in Del Rey’s lyrics was clearly life changing in more ways than one.

In terms of the track list on Born to Die (Deluxe) every song has a different feel and slightly different attitude while all still falling under the umbrella category of heartbreak. It is rumored that Del Rey and her boyfriend of the time had broken it off sometime after the release of her first album thus leading to the heart crushing lyrics on Born to Die. With the lyrics being so personal and honest they compliment perfectly with her deep and soulful vocals. Take a listen to the title track “Born to Die” to get a good idea on what I am talking about. I have never heard such control and experimental capability out of any modern woman vocal artist. Del Rey’s vocal talent is outstanding to the point that certain songs almost had me convinced that there must be multiple singers on the album (Off to the Races is a prime example). Personal favorites for me from Born to Die are: “Dark Paradise,” “Summertime Sadness,” This is What Makes Us Girls” and “Off to the Races” (even though I must emphasize again that the whole album is mind blowing).

I picked to review the Deluxe version over the regular version mostly to expose the 3 songs that unique to the album. Two of the three, I enjoy just as much as the rest of the album (which is my favorite of the year so far). The song “Lucky Ones” just doesn’t seem to belong with the rest of the album. It is more of a traditional almost love song and just falls completely flat on its face in my opinion. However, “Lolita” and “Without You” still resemble the rest of Born to Die while still being unique. “Lolita” in particular should really have been featured on the non-deluxe version of the album. The song bleeds sex with its deep beats that are clearly based in Latin roots and lyrics that are dark and sinister like the rest of Born to Die and pairs up nicely with “Carmen” which is on the album.

Dubbed the “self-styled gangsta Nancy Sinatra” Del Rey is certainly a unique woman who may possibly be the most classy sex infused artist out there. Her appearance is classic 50’s turned up a notch or two on the sexified scale and so far in 2 out of 3 music videos has died at the end. Granted, I am concerned that the 25 year old may be a bit mentally unstable but that only makes her more fascinating and entertaining to watch grow as an artist. All that being said, Lana Del Rey is not just another pretty face who sings nice, she is a serious artist that has a distinct voice and has something to say and has no qualms about singing about what’s on her mind.

The whole album can be listened to on repeat without boring of it (trust me, I have been listening to it for a month straight and haven’t lost interest in it yet). Del Rey’s breakout hit “Video Games” is a lusciously sultry song that is a great introduction for the listener that has never heard Lana Del Rey and should (hopefully) get the listener pumped for what the listener will hear on the rest of Born to Die.

After being contacted by the singer/songwriter Vieem I was surprised by how much I was able to enjoy and relate to her music. A little bit pop and a little bit gospel, Vieem certainly has some pipes on her. Generally speaking the lyrics to her three current tracks (“Why A Reason”, “Amidst the Mist”, and “If Only You’d Know”) are heavy and filled full of emotions that reach deep down into your heart and squeeze tight. You cannot only hear Vieem’s lyrics, but you can feel them.

Personally, the stand out song of Vieem’s trifecta of tunes is “If Only You’d Know”. The emotive quality of her lyrics paints a perfect picture of a woman who is being overlooked by a (potential) lover. The vocal range in this song is beautiful and displays a level of maturity that can be matched with fellow mainstream female vocal artists. That being said, Vieem’s other two songs “Why A Reason” and “Amidst the Mist” are good, but in comparison to “If Only You’d Know” they seem to fall a bit flat vocally but match lyrical quality.

Vieem may not be a mainstream pop star in the United States at this point in time, but her music is being appreciated in the UK and perhaps we can be hearing it in the States sometime soon. Check out her SoundCloud to experience the beauty of her voice and the intelligence of her lyrics. 

Here’s little back story to better help you, the reader, understand and get to know this up-and-comer: Her stage name, Vieem was derived from her initials which are VIE which also happens to be the French meaning for “life” (which happens to be her second language…French that is). Her musical career began as a child when her father taught her the piano that launched her into a path of taking vocal and piano lessons. In high school Vieem formed and fronted an all girl’s group entitled (3 days) that lasted until the end of her high school career.

Currently, Vieem is a Brooklyn born and raised solo artist whose music is deeply rooted in emotional and heartfelt anthems about life and love. Tacking on to her vocal talents, Vieem is also an accomplished lyricist and holds her own record label called Fink Desour Records.

The first time I heard of Frightened Rabbit was just over a year ago when my best friend made me watch the music video for their song “Backwards Walk” on YouTube. After that moment, I knew I needed to hear more from this group. The lyrics were captivating and told a story that is relatable and heartfelt of a man trying to leave a bad relationship but just cannot find it in him to leave this girl.

Scott Hutchison who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and lyricist of the group speaks to soul with his seductive lyrics that fit perfectly into the instrumentals created by guitarist and bassist Billy Kennedy, guitarist Andy Monaghan, and drummer Grant Hutchison on their second studio album The Midnight Organ Fight released in 2008. (Note: In 2009 after the release of The Midnight Organ Fight, Frightened Rabbit added keyboardist Gordon Skene who is currently still with the band.)

The Midnight Organ Fightis chalked full of delightful hits that really showcase Hutchison’s brilliantly unique lyrics. Take a listen to songs like “Old Old Fashioned” and “Modern Leper” for example which are two standouts on the album to me for their not only creative lyrics but for their folky rock sound. Hutchison’s heavy Scottish vocals ring through the ears and captivate the listener into a lulled, relaxed state. This album is one that can easily be listened all the way through multiple times without boring of it. I personally have listened to it on repeat for the last day because I am still able to explore the lyrics and instrumentals and find new and exciting aspects of the songs that I had not discovered in previous listens.

My only complaint with The Midnight Organ Fight is that it is stacked at the beginning of the album with lyrically and instrumentally strong songs like “Modern Leper”, “I Feel Better”, and “Old Old Fashioned” that the ending four songs on the album feel like a weak outro to a brilliant album. Now that is not to say that those last four songs are horrible and should not be included on the album. That is not what I am saying at all, I just feel that they may have been better placed elsewhere in the album.

I had the pleasure to see Frightened Rabbit in concert last year when they were touring with Death Cab for Cutie. One thing that I look for in a band is their ability to sound identical to their studio albums because I have noticed that many musical groups have fallen victim to over editing to the point that they sound completely horrid live. Luckily, that is not the case with Frightened Rabbit. They had a captivating show that sounded exactly as if I were sitting at home with my headphones on shamelessly rocking out to one of their albums. That being said, I would have to boldly say that I think Frightened Rabbit is a band that one should look out for in the future with their fourth studio album rumored to be released in August of this year.

The Avett Brothers are generally viewed as a trio including the actual brothers Seth and Scott Avett who are the lead vocals, banjoist, and guitarist of the group with stand-up bassist Bob Crawford. However, these three gentlemen do not limit themselves to strictly strings and vocals. Each has the talent to play percussions, drums, organ, electric guitar/bass, mandolin, piano and harmonica respectively to quickly list a few; clearly each member is a multi-talented musician. Also included in the band is the cellist (AKA a person who plays the cello) John Kwon that is included on certain tracks on their sixth studio album I and Love and You released in September of 2009.

I and Love and You, to me at least, holds a different musical vibe than previous studio albums. The overall tone is a lot more upbeat, clean and together with more of a rock undertone than the folk music I would generally tie to the Avett Brothers. That being said, I do not feel that I and Love and You is so far unlike from previous albums to be a complete 180 from what one is used to hearing from the Avett Brothers.

Scott and Seth still bring the same impactful vocals but include a much more mainstream and together instrumentals that may throw off their loyal followers and may make those followers pine for the older folky sounds of the Avett Brothers. Luckily, there are tracks, “Laundry Room” for instance, that still display the folky sounds that one can always find in previous albums. What I find most fascinating about this album is the Avett Brothers ability to go back and forth with their well-known folky sound and their newfound rock sound. Listen to “The Perfect Space” for a delightful musical roller coaster of Scott’s shouts that drift into a dreamy melody of piano that can easily lull one into a relaxed state of euphoria.

All this being said I would recommend for an avid Avett Brothers fan to give I and Love and You a chance. I think it may surprise even the most critical of fans with how much they can enjoy the catchy lyrics and brilliant musical hooks of the Avett Brothers. Hey, you may even find yourself singing along to songs like “Slight Figure of Speech” or “Heart like a Kick-Drum” which I personally feel like differ the most from other songs on previous albums.

Sing-to-your-soul kind of women empowering, gospel church music is Florence + the Machine’s follow-up album to their 2009 mega hit Lungs; Ceremonials displays the vocal superiority of lead singer Florence Welch and creative instrumentals of her band mates Robert Ackroyd, Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Isabella Summers, Tom Monger, and Mark Saunders. Welch’s vocals never ceases to amaze my ears with her soulful alto that makes one think of Southern gospel choirs. There is no arguing that Welch has got mad soul as a vocal artist and immensely creative and motivational lyrics.

Ceremonials, however, fell flat for me. It lacked the experimental qualities that Lungs embraced and exploited that shot Florence Welch into stardom.  The whole album held a very churchy vibe with many tracks holding choir-like background vocals.  Granted, Welch’s vocals hold true to the church choir realm, I felt like in Lungs she took many more risks with her vocals and instrumentals (listen to “Kiss with a Fist” or her hit song “Dog Days are Over” for a couple examples on what I mean).  Although I must say certain songs do display the fantastic quality of musical performance I know of Florence + the Machine to display. Take “Spectrum” for instance that demands the listener to dance like a fool and shout along to the powerful lyrics.

Lungs also held a kind of angst that I feel like Ceremonials is greatly missing from it. Granted there are some fabulously spiritually pleasing and motivating songs like the second single from the album, Shake it Out. Overall, I felt like this album was trying too hard to be something it was not. Perhaps, it is also partly my fault for expecting magic from Florence + the Machine being that I am such a huge fan of Florence Welch’s majestic voice and her inspiring instrumentals that generally force the listener into a blind dancing craze.