Ok, so I’m sure by now you’ve had your encounter with AWOLNATION’s increasingly popular track Sail, but I’m also sure that the exposure stops there. AWOLNATION is much more then a one hit wonder and is the solo project of talented American Aaron Bruno. AWOLNATION successfully captures a unique style of Alternative rock that makes you want to do a double take. The band’s debut album Megalithic Symphony is full of catchy tracks that are both up and down the spectrum of rock and sanity. This is where we find the wonderful track Guilty Filthy Soul delivered in a sing-yell style similar to Sail, albeit a bit tamer. All the same musical appeal, but in a pill that I think more people can swallow. I’ll admit that i’m not quite all in for AWOLNATION, but the dude writes catchy indie rock that just bleeds passion so I’m helpless not to fall for it. I’m really just looking for something new to get hooked onto so I can stop randomly wanting to shout SAIL!
Sail on over to AWOLNATION’s Facebook page and give them a Like!
Cage The Elephant know it's Always Something from Bowling Green, Kentucky
Cage The Elephant have always been something truly great. I mean why else would their music receive so much repeated play in the media? After being constantly barraged with Cage The Elephant’s first album singles since the band gained airplay in 2009, it’s easy to see why so many would be sick of material from these guys. I can’t help but to feel that it should not be like this. Their newest album Thank You, Happy Birthday should have been something for people to embrace and enjoy, not just acknowledge the hit song Shake Me Down and move on. There is much more to their sophomore album then one might first perceive and I decided that maybe I had sold myself short by not acquiring the album in full sooner.
I stopped by my [not so] local record store to see what discount CDs I could pick. (It’s a damn shame that no one still buys CDs.) After spending a 30 minutes walking through the CDs in alphabetical order I finally made the decision to go with Cage The Elephant’s Thank You, Happy Birthday and ANR‘s Hearts. I left the store and immediately popped my new Cage The Elephant CD into my car’s stereo. I was sent off into the twisted and estranged musical realm created by the sounds of the first track off of Thank You, Happy Birthday, Always Something. With it’s sharp lyrics and mysterious melody I was sold on the spot for this new Cage The Elephant. What a hell of a way to start an album! Trust me when I say the creativity and lyrical superiority did not stop there. Track by track I was gifted with alternative rock awesomeness as I drove home thoroughly satisfied with my purchase. I can’t recommend enough that you pick up Thank You, Happy Birthday again and give it a proper go this time. It’s busting with real energy and talent at the seams.
Note: There was no way to get Always Something on Soundcloud so I did a work around through Grooveshark. Please let me know if the player does not function properly.
Funeral Party bring us The Age of Knowhere from Whittier, California
It’s called dance punk and it’s the very fiber of Funeral Party’s being. It’s also called turning the volume up as loud as possible and letting the beat take you in as you jump up and down to the raw and untamed rock n’ roll these guys dish out so damn well. How can you not feel an overwhelming sense of excitement when you listen to this east coast band cut loose and make music that can simply be described as “a good fucking time.” I challenge you to listen to Finale all the way through and not tap your foot along. You won’t be able to. Nope. Not at all. In fact you actually might start thrashing around the room so make sure to stand in an area free of furniture. Finale isn’t the only tune by Funeral Party that will cause spontaneous rage dancing. Their debut album The Golden Age of Knowhere is full of tracks that will rock you to your core and has to be up there somewhere in the top five list of debut albums this year. One of my favorite tracks of the past couple months has been Funeral Party’s epic anthem New York City Moves to the Sound of L.A.. You just gotta love that cowbell opening. All in all Funeral Party is a band I’d be happy to play at any party, even my funeral. I think Finale would be perfect.
Here is the music video for Funeral Party’s Finale. Good times enclosed.
Go like Funeral Party’s Facebook page now! I know you like them so let them know it.
Young the Giant bring us their special brand of American indie rock from Irvine, California
Young the Giant have absolutely mesmerized me with their 2010/2011 self titled debut album Young the Giant. I can’t help but listen through the album over and over again thinking to myself, “This is what true and creative indie rock sounds like.” It’s hard to find a track on the album that isn’t both majestic and enthralling. At the same time it’s difficult to pick just one track off this spectacular debut to highlight and praise. I’m sure the world is already very familiar with Young the Giants first single My Body, as it has seen endless radio play over the past few months. I could’ve shared my favorite track off the album with you, I Got, but i’m selfish and am keeping it all to myself. So I guess that leaves the steady and soothing track Cough Syrup. With it’s mellow string of chords and wonderfully catchy vocalization, it’s just one of the many songs responsible for my returning again and again to the album. I keep telling myself just one more spoonful of Cough Syrup now, but it can never be just one. It’s probably not healthy to chug a whole bottle of the stuff, but I can’t help myself when it says Young the Giant on the label. Now i’m going to drift off now into a trance like state with a belly full of beautiful indie music courtesy of the best new band of 2011. You can listen to Young the Giant in all it’s entirety on Soundcloud here.
Here’s the music video for Cough Syrup which was released last week.
Head over to Young the Giant’s Facebook page and give them a like. You know they deserve it.
Ok, so I’m sure everyone is already very familiar with Cults song Go Outside by now, but how about the rest of the album? Cults released their self-titled album Cults earlier this month to a world ready to embrace xylophones and whimsical lo-fi vocals alike. The album carries on all the charm of Go Outside and more with a pretty much flawless track-listing. To highlight just one that stands out I’d have to give praise to the song Never Heal Myself. Again we find ourselves lured in and entranced by a simple percussion line of notes played on the xylophones. This time we get a taste of Cults back up guitars which lay over perfectly on top lead singer Madeline Follin’s delicate vocals. Cults simple throwback indie pop is what makes the band so special in my opinion. No band out there right now posses a sound quite like this (Ignore Best Coast) and for that I salute them. Cults have the summer time feel good indie lo-fi on lockdown and we have no choice but to bite and like.
Head over to Cults Facebook page and give them a like. What reason could you have not to?
The Sifting Pan 