posted by Susanna on February 23, 2012
If you’re looking for a unique mixture of rocking garage band and folk-like swing, here it is: the Heartless Bastards have released their fourth album, entitled Arrow. Based in Austin, Texas, the band embodies a sound that is as “weird” as the city itself. This record is all about trying to get home, to the security and the shelter, but the album is anything but safe, testing the limits of the genre the band has been labeled with. The first track, “Marathon,” eases you into the record with dark bluesy vocals and echoing guitar that set you to swaying. “Parted Ways” picks up the tempo a bit, and starts the shift towards the garage sound found on previous albums. “Skin and Bone,” my favorite song on this record, and quickly becoming my go-to driving song, has a smoother feel and swinging melodies, declaring “I want it to be like when I was young.” The album is rounded out with the pleading ballad, “Low Low Low,” which showcases lead vocalist Erika Wennerstrom’s deep blues voice. With so much variety on one album, it seems like it would come across as a weird, jumbled mess. But for the Heartless Bastards, “weird” is a lifestyle, and it definitely works.
Heartless Bastards – Marathon (Downloaded 305 times)
Heartless Bastards – Parted Ways (Downloaded 221 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
» Meaningless labels: Bluesy • Dark • Downbeat • Female vocal
(20 votes)
Loading ...posted by Susanna on February 10, 2012
I’ve never been more surprised at a concert than when I saw Ingrid Michaelson for the first time last year. Songs like “The Way I Am” and “You and I” are so innocent and sweet that Michaelson’s onstage person, filled with dark humor and hilarious antics, is quite shocking. Her cover of Radiohead’s “Creep,” below, reveals that darker side that not many people know exists. Further investigation of Michaelson’s lyrics shows that she isn’t all sugar and sunshine, as she first appears:
“But I would rather feel the sting
Than never to have felt a thing
I’ll always know you were the one
To rip me from the ground
It’s all because of you that I’m through”
Michaelson’s voice is impossible to deny, whether she is singing a pleading ballad like “I’m Through” or an angst-filled anthem like “Palm of Your Hand.” An incredible voice is easy to listen to while skimming over the lyrics, but Michaelson’s words deserve just as much attention as the way she presents them. They are deep and thoughtful, full of pain and fear of not feeling.
“I thought I knew the answer was you
But now I know it’s always me.”
When I first listened to Michaelson’s fifth release, Human Again, I’ll admit I was underwhelmed. I got caught up in looking for instant hits like “Be OK” that reel you in with cheery harmonies and bubbly ukelele. But the album requires deeper insight. It begs for you to listen to what Michaelson is trying to say. Once I opened myself up to the lyrics, I was overcome with appreciation for her album and her songwriting in general. This is a darker album, but the emotion behind it is so real and moving that I feel like the world is finally getting a piece of the real Ingrid Michaelson.
Ingrid Michaelson – Creep (Downloaded 315 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
» Meaningless labels: Amazing Voice • Beautiful Lyrics • Cover • Dark • Female vocal
(22 votes) Loading ...posted by Susanna on January 16, 2012
I’m looking forward to a lot of things in 2012, but music-wise the new Morning Benders album has me the most excited. If you like the feel-good vibes that you get from the Kooks (review here) or Phoenix, you’ll feel right at home with the poppy harmonies of the Morning Benders. The band resides in Brooklyn, but they formed in Berkeley, California. You can definitely soak up the California sunshine in their music, listening to “Cold War’” and “Promises,” both from their most recent album, Big Echo. You might also find yourself swaying along to the undeniably catchy lyrics and folky guitar found in nearly every track. If you’re really craving a carefree mood (think driving down a country road on a sunny day with the breeze in your face and no particular place to be), check out the video below of “Excuses,” performed with a full hipster orchestra in a Yours Truly session. How can you deny the joy of that?
Morning Benders – Cold War (Downloaded 357 times)
Morning Benders – Promises (Downloaded 275 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
» Meaningless labels: Americana • Happy • Male vocal • Poppy • Upbeat
(21 votes) Loading ...posted by Susanna on November 29, 2011
The Kooks are catchy if nothing else. The band was formed in 2001 in Brighton, East Sussex, and has released three albums on Virgin. Their first album, Inside In/Inside Out, shot them straight to fame in the UK as it achieved platinum status in the UK, Australia and Ireland. Their second album, Konk, was released in 2008 and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, and found lesser success in the United States. With influences ranging from Bob Dylan and The Beatles to more recent artists like Lykke Li and Phoenix, you never know what you’re going to get from The Kooks.
The band’s most recent album, titled Junk of the Heart and released in September 2011, comes as a pleasant surprise. While the sound is different from either of their previous records, it is just as magnetic as before. Junk of the Heart brings on a more modern sound with the same poetic lyrics. The single, also “Junk of the Heart,” is reminiscent of albums past with the poppy, bubbling happiness that The Kooks are known for. My favorite track though is “Killing Me,” which starts off with a soothing beat and jumps into a lovely, swaying harmony that you can’t help but sing along with. “Rosie” is one of the faster paced tracks on the record and is destined to be a hit on the radio. One of the more surprising tracks on this album is “Time Above the Earth.” It is slow and winding, showcasing the vocals of Luke Pritchard and producing a feeling of self-revelation. The Kooks have a variety of influences and three albums that are all successful, yet each has its own unique sound. It is nearly impossible to pick one word to describe the sound of The Kooks, but one thing I know for sure; they write catchy songs. You’ll be singing along with your best British accent in no time.
The Kooks – Ooh La (Downloaded 323 times)
The Kooks – Killing Me (Downloaded 357 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
» Meaningless labels: Brit-Pop • Catchy • Male vocal • Poppy
(16 votes) Loading ...
February 22nd, 2012 at 2:25 am
I LOVE Ingrid Michaelson! I saw her this sumemr in Des Moines when she was there with Jason Reeves. I downloaded a few of her albums and I’m hooked on her music. My favorite favorite songs are Keep Breathing and The Hat, although like every other song she sings are so good too