Staff Picks
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Music Bytes
Retro Crush: Generationals
Spring is just around the corner and that means it’s time to update your playlists with some feel-good sunshine pop. We recommend Generationals, a lovely little New Orleans duo whom released their first studio album, Con Law back in 2009. (Last Summer actually, but we’re still crushing on the album because it’s so good!)
New Music: Broken Bells (that work)
“It’s not too late to feel a little more alive/We can escape before we start to vaporize,” sings Broken Bells’ James Mercer in “Vaporize.” Their other single, “The High Road” has Mercer singing “It’s too late to change your mind.” Too late, not too late, which is it? Like these songs, the complexity of Broken Bells’ debut album will have you feeling just as many different things. That’s because Broken Bells is a collaboration between the Shins’ frontman James Mercer and artist/producer Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley/Grey Album fame. While the teaming-up definitely has the two exploring new musical terrain, there are familiar elements of both artists that are easy to pick out. “The Ghost Inside” has a more poppy/soul feel to it, while “Vaporize” could easily be a Shins song. But the collaborative effort has produced a successful end result—even in the less experimental songs, there is evidence of new artistic heights, like with the organ in “Vaporize” which gives the song a reminiscent but modern feel of The Animals. And the rest of the album achieves a seamless integration of both artists’ sensibilities, creating a finished product that’s singular from their previous works. So whether you’re a Shins fan or a Danger Mouse fan, or just someone looking for something new and interesting to listen to, it’s definitely not too late to get a hold of Broken Bells’ new album. (released this Tuesday, March 9, 2010)
Mastering the Treadmill
Ok Go is going viral again with This Too Shall Pass – an even more elaborate and brilliantly choreographed music video than their homemade treadmill routine to Here It Goes Again. But don’t let this Cali band’s YouTube stardom overshadow their sound, because their 3rd release to date, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is by far one of the best mainstream pop albums to debut this year.
Girls
It’s a matter of simplicity. The band’s name is simply Girls, their album simply entitled Album. They’re an outlet of just two—lead singer Christopher Owens and Chet “JR” White. But don’t be deceived by what seems simple—this band’s debut album is anything but.
Brooklyn Bands
New York’s music scene has always thrived with ground breaking artists and influential rock bands. From legendary greats like The Velvet Underground and Ramones, to the experimental and modern sounds of Sonic Youth, Le Tigre, Interpol, and The Strokes – there’s no argument that the city has produced some of the coolest music on the planet.