1. "Kangding Qingge" - Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet
Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet combine a unique blend of old time bluegrass with trational Chinese influences. While it may sound like a disaster in theory, the results are actually great.
2. "Around the World in a Tea Daze" - Shpongle
According to Raja Ram, the word “Shpongle” is a feeling of ultimate positive and euphoric emotions. I can’t help but fall into the Shpongletron Experience everytime I see their shows. Shpongle is a completely new sound that seems to incorporate aspects of a cornicopia of musical styles.
3. Why? - Good Friday
I’m a big fan of hip-hop. Yet I get tired of hearing the same recycled themes regurgitated constantly by most rappers. Why? is an experimental hip-hop group unlike anything I’ve heard before. Plus, the lead rapper has a bad ass mustache.
4. "Wonderlust King" - Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello is one of the few bands that fall under the classification of gypsy punk. I can’t think of a better description for their frantic and theatrical shows.
5. "Florida Rain" - Matt Bauer
I downloaded Matt Bauer’s EP a few years ago through looking at artists similar to Gillian Welch, and was instantly impressed with his songwriting. His darker lyrics and sparse use of instrumentals create a truly haunting Appalachian folk sound.
6. Gommorrah
Gommorrah is set in modern day southern Italy, and provides a brutal glimpse into the Comorra syndicate. The Comorra have existed since the 18th century, and have a huge influence over the region. Five unique stories come together through the involvement of the Comorra. It’s hard to believe the incredible amounts of corruption that take place daily in this region of Italy.
While I struggled to think of a fun theme for my first Exec Recs blog, I ended up failing miserably and decided to share a few artists and bands I discovered over the past year that I believe are worth passing along to the dedicated Rock Lobsters reading my ramblings. So, here are the first five that came to mind:
I feel like a lot of pop-punk bands these days have developed a consistently slightly boring sound, which saddens me as a pop-punk fan. These guys give me hope. They've got a knack for writing catchy songs and making their way into any playlist I try to put together.
2. Teen Daze
I'll be the first one to admit it....I'm a sucker for chill wave and synth pop. I came across Teen Daze this summer, and his ability to put together really solid synth pop tracks really impressed me. He is also well-versed when it comes to surf-pop and can make you feel like you're surrounded by sand and sunshine.
I am also a big fan of metal and hardcore, and after I stumbled across their Bandcamp page, I was hooked. I typically get bored when I listen to 10 minute long songs, but these guys have the ability to keep my attention for the entirety of their long tracks without making me shut off my iTunes.
This band's name alone should tell you they are rad....but in case you have never seen Scooby Doo, these guys are another solid pop-punk band I came across over the summer. I like their simple and catchy pop-punk, as well as the Scooby Doo samples throughout their album. My apologies for being unable to find a good live video for them.
I am also a fan of good emo/math rock stuff (i.e. the kind that isn't produced by teenagers wearing their sisters' jeans). Daytrader is just a good band who stuck with the early math rock sound. I make it a point to share them with my fellow emo/math rock fans.
"Bomb the Music Industry! is one of my absolute favorite bands and this past summer they released their 7th full-length album Vacation. I can already say with certainty that this album will be my favorite album of 2011. The album is a step in a new direction for BTMI! with more mature lyrics, a plethora of guest appearances and a sound heavily influenced by the Beach Boys. The album still has that classic BTMI! feel though—it’s still loud, fast and synth-infused punk. I can’t help but get chills hearing interlude track “Sponge Board/Baby Waves” and the final refrain of the album on “Felt Just Like Vacation.” “The Shit That You Hate” is another great track, and while I have a really hard time choosing a favorite, “Hurricane Waves” probably comes the closest and is the song I chose to share here. Oh yeah, you can also download this album for free!
I heard about Joyce Manor at the beginning summer and they quickly became a staple in my rotation. Unfortunately, being from California, they don’t come out east too often, which is too bad for me because I would love to see them live. Their full-length, self-titled album is a super solid punk album, from which the above track “Constant Headache” is taken. Joyce Manor also just signed to Asian Man—one of my favorite labels! You can download the track “Constant Headache” for free from Topshelf Records’ 2011 label sampler.
3. “Emily, You Were Right” - Emily and the Complexes
This summer while Tyler and I were in New York City, Tyler was walking around in Times Square playing songs, when the creator of the fashion/music website, Blind Specs, approached him and asked him to make a video. Above is the result for his classic song “Emily, You’re Right,” which was filmed in one take on the streets of SoHo in NYC. Emily and the Complexes will be playing in Athens at The Fern Gully this Friday, September 23rd!
This summer, The Sidekicks, another favorite of mine, put out a 7” split with Scranton, Pennsylvania band Tigers Jaw. The split features an original track and a cover track from each band. Above is a new track from The Sidekicks called “Little James.” The original track from Tigers Jaw, “Jimmy Piersall,” is equally as good! You can stream the whole split.
Delay is a great pop-punk band from Columbus, Ohio. Their track “Lake Erie Back Float” comes from their 2009 album Plain Language. The track is a bit sporadic, but they make it work wonderfully and it’s catchy as hell! You can download the track from the Shout Out Loud Prints Mixtape for free here.
Wugazi was a project that came out at the beginning of the summer from Cecil Otter and Swiss Andy. Like the name suggests, Wugazi’s 13 Chambers is a mash-up of Fugazi and Wu-Tang Clan and, it’s pretty great. Above is “Sleep Rules Everything Around Me”—the track comes Fugazi’s “Sleep” and Wu Tang’s “C.R.E.A.M.” Another one of my favorites is “Nowhere to Wait.” The entire album can be downloaded for free.
I saw a YouTube comment for one of O'Death's songs recently that stated that the Brooklyn alt-country act sounded almost like a "Mumford & Sons parody." While that isn't an entirely true description, it does say a lot about the seat-of-your-pants bluegrass rock the band puts forth. "Low Tide" is the best example of that; a breakneck hell-raiser with twangy vocals and backwoods fiddle. Plus, after watching the video, you can see how underground they are! Get it? GET IT?
2. "Sleep, Child" - Nick Jaina
Nick Jaina, a singer-songwriter/occasional writer from Portland, visited Columbus last October when he opened for Decemberists side project Black Prairie on their Burn Down the Organ tour. Jaina's penchant for melody and folk sensibilities struck me immediately when I saw him live, and an appreciation for his smart lyrics soon followed. Last year's A Bird in the Opera House is one of my favorite records from 2010, and "Sleep, Child" is one of its best. Feel free to look up "Theresa," "Another Kay Song" or "I Don't Believe You" if you find the sounds of Jaina and his band appealing. Frankly, I'll be surprised if you don't.
3. "This Train is Bound for Glory" (Woody Guthrie cover) - Mumford & Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
British folk megastars Mumford & Sons announced the Railroad Revival tour a few months ago, bringing along with them Old Crow Medicine Show and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
Badass aspect of the tour 1: the bands traveled from tour stop to tour stop in a vintage railroad train.
Badass aspect 2: this cover of Woody Guthrie's classic song, which ended each show. Nearly every instrument gets a turn at the forefront, as does each vocalist. Plus, Alex Ebert goes sort of nuts onstage. As would be expected.
4. "Nothing But the Water" - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
I can dig the newer material put out by Vermont's Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, but give me this performance of "Nothing But the Water" at 2006's Boston Music Awards, and I'm completely satisfied. Potter sings the tune nearly a cappella for the first three minutes, with a tambourine as the only complement to her soulful vocals. After about three minutes, the music takes a turn, as The Nocturnals enter in and turn the song into a full-fledged jam.
Try not to enjoy it. I dare you.
5. "Avast Your Ass" - Kitsune^2
I spend way too much time on the Internet, one of my favorite things in the world being Internet memes (as long as they're not overused [they usually are]). "Avast Your Ass" is itself a meme, though it was not originally intended to be. The song ended up being remixed numerous times as YouTube users took other videos and messed with the pitches of different voices to create, essentially, a "cover" of the original.
That has been done with everything from the Nostalgia Critic's Chester A. Bum character to the My Little Pony character Fluttershy. Chances are the song/meme wouldn't be so popular if it weren't so damn catchy.
6. "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" - Colin Hay
I could never come up with the right words to explain how much this song--my favorite song ever--means to me, so I'll let the music do the talking.
7. "Musical Chairs" - Fair to Midland
My middle and high school years were spent listening predominantly to hard rock music, and occasionally I'll find a band which causes me to regress into old habits.
Fair to Midland, a Texas five-piece that was originally the first band signed to Serj Tankian's Serjical Strike label, has been a favorite since their 2007 record Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times is True. 2011 marks, at long last, the release of Fair to Midland's fourth effort, Arrows & Anchors, with the first single being this heavy-hitting tune. The demo for "Musical Chairs" was released over a year ago, and the finished product made a song that I didn't think could be improved upon that much better.
8. "Money is Such a Beautiful Word" - Tom and Jerry: The Movie
"We've got to have... moneeeey."
See how many sexual inflections you can find in Lickboot's vocals! Mainly at 1:22. So many lolz, all of the time.
9. "Folsom Prison Blues" - Paul McDonald
Yes, I watch American Idol. Yes, sometimes I'm ashamed of it. But this past season featured a contestant who was about as indie as the show may ever get--Paul McDonald, of the Bonnaroo-playing The Grand Magnolias. McDonald was so out-of-place it hurt sometimes, but the Bradley Cooper lookalike hit his stride with the Johnny Cash cover of "Folsom Prison Blues," which slayed that evening's competition. It's not the most inventive thing ever, but when you do it on a show such as Idol, it's very much miles away from the hundredth cover of Aretha Franklin's "Respect."
10. "Forbidden Friendship" - John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon)
I've always been a huge fan of movie scores, and though Hans Zimmer's epic soundtrack to Inception and Trent Reznor's lauded The Social Network score did wonders, it was John Powell's How to Train Your Dragon that floored me. I'm sorry--Reznor's my dawg, but the fact that this score did not win in its category at the 2011 Academy Awards is pure blasphemy, and I'll be sore about it for years to come.
Exec Recs is a blog to which all 13 members of the ACRN Executive Board collaboratively contribute.
Here, you can find each of the ACRN Execs’ music-related recommendations at the moment.
Sometimes it’s silly, sometimes serious, sometimes throwback, sometimes brand spankin’ new. Exec Recs is all about musical musings and miscellany we currently dig – and think you should check out, too!
6. Gommorrah
