posted by Leigh on March 6, 2011
{SXSW is right around the corner. Whether or not you will be in Austin, TX in March, the Countdown to SXSW series should hopefully get you excited about the fantastic artists who will be performing this year. And maybe convince you to come. Check the full schedule at the SXSW link above for more info.}
I’ve always wanted to visit New Zealand after the landscape was so awesomely featured in the Lord of the Rings films, so perfectly capturing Tolkien’s land as I could only possibly have remembered it. Although, as a Kiwi friend recently pointed out after I went on and on about living out my LOTR fantasies in a remote forest in NZ, NZ does have more to offer than the LOTR legacy. What could that be, you ask? Why, music, to name but one, recently discovered in the form of The Naked and Famous.
The Naked and Famous started as the project of Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith. Their first full length album, Passive Me, Aggressive You, was released in September of last year. Their sound is an explosion of synth-heavy electro-pop, completely catchy and unavoidably infectious. If you can imagine them as New Zealand’s answer to MGMT or Passion Pit, you won’t be too far off.
Off of Passive Me, Aggressive You, “Young Blood” and “Punching in a Dream” will move you. Quite literally. Catchy hooks abound amidst rollicking synth and airy, drenched vocals, all playing chase with the drum beats. “Crazy Yes Dumb No,” a B-side on the “Young Blood” vinyl and also available as a download on the band’s website, has a Stars-like quality about it, Xayalith’s vocals easily conjuring hallucinations of Amy Millan. This track is actually a cover of another New Zealand band, The Mint Chicks. Oh, New Zealand.
Their SXSW show will be at the top of my list. It should be at yours too.
The Naked and Famous – Young Blood (Downloaded 2890 times)
The Naked and Famous – Crazy Yes Dumb No (Downloaded 1152 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Catchy • Danceable • Electro • Female vocal • Male vocal • Poppy • With Bleeps & Blips
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April 12th, 2012 at 3:45 am
I am a New Zealander myself, and The Naked and Famous’ songs played on nearly every radio station here! I don’t think I know a single person who doesn’t enjoy at least one of their songs.