Band To Watch In 2013: Twigs

So now that we survived the apocalypse, everyone is trying to predict which new bands are going to get big in 2013.  One of my personal favorites is Twigs, which just came out with their first self-released EP of the same name.  Their songs slightly like quiet, slow-tempo (and far more lyrically deep) Rihanna single.  It comes with four tracks; Weak Spot, Ache, Breathe, and Hide.  Their frayed yet smooth electro-pop sound is beautiful, but has an underlying sinister feel.  "Breathe" sounds something like a ghost possessing your NES; it is electronic, intriguing and amazing, but is still slightly creepy none the less.  When watching the music video (which is black and white footage of a woman vandalizing a car), it distracts you from the melodic soundtrack and makes you wonder about the underlying darkness within the show.  "Weak Spot" is also equally noteworthy.  It's starts out sweet and seducing, but the lyrics send a message and a warning. I heard he's got a weak spot for you / He's gonna come. Gonna come running. "Ache" is slightly less dark, the lead singer lamenting her love for a man. I ache for you. 

Download Twigs here, or for you fancy schmancy hipsters, buy it on vinyl here.

The xx: "Last Christmas" Cover

I know what you must be thinking.  The xx? With a CHRISTMAS cover? It kind blew my mind at first.  Anyways, it's actually an enjoyable cover.  The xx's minimalistic and hushed style fits the song better, and (in my personal opinion) makes the song a bit more tolerable.  I mean, let's be honest.  "Last Christmas" is one of the cheesies and most annoying Christmas songs out there.  But the xx really nurtures and embraces the inner meaning of the song.  The tender, emotional tone really comes out with the xx cover.  Check it out and download bellow.

What other unlikely bands do you think should make Christmas covers?  My personal favorites would be Passion Pit and Dashboard Confessional. : )  Let me know your favorite in the comments bellow!

New Review Ideas Wanted!

Hey guys, as you might know, I've been pretty busy lately, and haven't had a ton of time to write reviews and find new music to review.  So, if you have any bands, tracks, or albums you want me to review, leave a comment bellow!  I promise to review as many of the suggestions as I can! Thanks!

My Top 6 Love Songs

Sorry I haven't been posting lately.  But now that I'm on Xmas break, I'll be posting more often.  Anyways, I've been doing pretty good.  I've kinda had a crush on a girl for a while, and I found out she likes me back (:D).  But that's enough about my boring love life.  Since I was in the mood, I decided to put together a love song playlist for you guys.  Enjoy : )

Hands Down (Acoustic Version) - Dashboard Confessional

Angels - The XX

Be My Escape - Relient K

Cuddle Fuddle - Passion Pit

Young Blood - The Naked and Famous

Hot Air Balloon - Owl City

(This is basically my playlist from the past week)

R.I.P Owl City

It's official. Owl City is dead.

And Carly Rae Jepsen killed it.

Snow White and The Huntsman Soundtrack: Florence + The Machine

Have you seen Snow White and The Huntsman yet?  Surprisingly, the movie wasn't a complete letdown. Even with the famously emotionless Kirsten Stewart starring, I found the movie quite interesting. The queen was great, and the animation was spectacular. There was, however, one major standout for me, and it came during the credits. You know, credits? Those names at the end of the movie that no one ever reads?  Well, the soundtrack they chose for it really caught my attention. It comes from a talented band called Florence + The Machine, and is bold, robust, and so full of depth.  A drum pounds while an orchestra plays and Florence wails, making you feel like you are in the movie, about to march off to war.  Check it out bellow.

                   I can't believe they wasted this on the credits. It would have been perfect during the actual movie. :(

Passion Pit Make SNL Debut: Video

Last night was better than Christmas night for me. Two of my favorite things, "SNL" and Passion Pit, combined forces when Passion Pit performed Carried Away and Take a Walk on the show last night, hosted by Christina Applegate.  Check out their performances bellow!

Up And Coming Artist: Venus Hum

There's noting I like more than finding a band with a new, fresh, funky style. And when my friend showed me Venus Hum last weekend, I had found one (well, technically, she had found them, but that's beside the point). The band has been around for a while, but continues to create funky, strangely passionate songs with an erotic, spastic beat. The band's main music producer, Tony Miracle, has a rare heart condition called Venous Hum, which inspired the band name. I really enjoy this quote from their website: "The band... explore(s) the marriage of pop songwriting and strange electronic sounds". It kind of wraps up the entire band's style in a sentence. Their music is very similar to the sounds your computer might make while on a spastic fritz (which is a good thing). I can't wait for their next electronic-industrial masterpiece, but while we wait, check out some of their music bellow.

Do You Want To Fight Me - Venus Hum
Hummingbirds - Venus Hum
Pink Champagne - Venus Hum

Video: The xx Perform "Chained" and "Sunset" On TV

Check out the videos bellow to see The xx perform their songs "Chained" and "Sunset" from their new album "Coexist" on the British TV show Later... With Jools Holland. Comment, let me know what you think!

Artist Update: Grimes

Let's face it. Canada has brought us some, well.... annoying artists. Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, to name a few, have gotten songs stuck in my head that nearly drove me insane. But, I think I've found an artist that makes up for Canada's "questionable" music reputation. Claire Boucher, better known by her stage name Grimes, is a Canadian Industrial / Psychedelic / R&B / Pop / Medieval Style / Rock artist. (You really can't describe her music). She's been doing pretty well lately. New York Times named her album Visions "One of the best albums of the year so far". She also made her TV debut on Jimmy Fallon in August, and performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival this summer. It's pretty fun to watch her perform live. She performs with a keyboard on one side of her, and a soundboard on the other. During the instrumental breaks, she loops the mic around her shoulder and starts playing the keyboard and soundboard at the same time. It really is impressive, just like her music. Her music has a very broad style, but some basic elements; catchy synthesizer melodies, light, airy, atypical vocal combinations, and a near psychedelic feel. Check her out in the video bellow, and download her album Visions on iTunes.

Photots: Made In America Festival

Didn't get to go see Budweiser's Made In America Festival? The one with the awesome crowds, amazing music, and fantastic artists? That's OK, neither did I (gigantic sad face). Well, I have some awesome pics below, so you can feel like you were there, and tell all your friends you were. Your welcome ;)

Jay-Z on stage

Dirty Projecters onstage

Passion Pit onstage

D'Angelo onstage

Janelle Monae

See the rest of the slideshow here.

Thanks to Pitchfork Media, and to Colin Kerrigan for the pictures.

New Music Video: AlunaGeorge

Remember that post I made a while back about AlunaGeorge? That one about their awesome, funky, smooth, catchy new song? Sure you do. Anyways, check the just-released music video for "Your Drums, Your Love" below, directed by Henry Scholfield and choreographed by Brooke Milliner.

Artwork by Arran Gregory

Pre-Order "Your Drums, Your Love"

AlunaGeorge on Nowness.com.

Review: "Bad Religion" by Frank Ocean

I've been wanting to review Frank Ocean's "Bad Religion" since it came out in July.  The talented singer-songwriter's debut album, channel ORANGE, is a good album, but the real standout is "Bad Religion".  The song is tragic and passionate, as Frank sings with pain in his voice and soul in his heart.  A church organ moans while Frank sings "Taxi driver, I swear I've go three lives / Balanced on my head like steak knives / I can't tell you the truth about my disguise / I can trust no one."  The song follows Frank as he sings to his taxi driver, telling him the woes of his life and asking him to "Outrun the demons, could ya".  The song projects Frank's innermost thoughs and feelings of grief.  You can nearly feel his pain when listening to this song (in a good way).  Listen for yourself below, a d please comment with your opinion!
Listen to "Bad Religion"

New Album Rumor: Vampire Weekend

It's impossible not to love Vampire Weekend: Their preppy style, their fun indie-rock music; even their name is awesome. Their album Contra, released in 2010, debuted number 1 on Billboard Hot 100 (not that I'm surprised. The album is great, I highly recommend it). The band also played at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago this summer, where they performed a new, untitled song. But that's not all folks: Ezra Koenig, the lead vocalists, said to the crowd: "After the show, we're gonna go home and finish the new album". I got ridiculously excited when I read this (I was REALLY excited). To add to my excitement, Ezra announced this in July, so I think it would be safe to say that the new album is going to be released soon!!!! :D I'll keep my eyes peeled for any new announcements! In the mean time, download Contra (if you haven't already), and if I here any new news on the new album, I'll let you know!

New Album: The xx

New album alert! The xx just released their second studio album, Coexist. Their acoustic, smooth, and slightly odd style make them an intriguing listen. Oliver Sim, the lead singer, sings in an airy, whispered voice that creates an intimate atmosphere that's not found anywhere else. Even though their music has a light feel to it, the lyrics and vocals add a passion to the music that creates an intense feeling of depth. The lyrics, although not always extremely meaningful, are presented in such a way that makes them sound like a piece of great poetry.

 Listen to their song "Angles" here, and download Coexist on iTunes.

Comment, let me know what you think!

The Only People Who Could Make Carly Rae Jepsen Worse

*Sigh*

New Leaked Download: Chris Baio

Chris Baio, the talented bassist for the indie rock band Vampire Weekend (Click here to listen. They're great!), has just leaked two new songs as a solo artist, "The Silent and "New You". Although similar, his song are considerably different from Vampire Weekend's, and express his own style. They start out simple enough, but slowly develop into a fun, funky beat, seamlessly merging acoustics sounds with synthesizer squiggles. The songs are super great for a club dance mix, a party playlist, or your iPod. Wanna download them? You can! Just click the links bellow, and start rocking out! ;)

Baio - The Silent

Baio - New You

Thanks to Pitchfork for the download link.

Band To Watch: The Naked and Famous

This summer has been pretty big for The Naked and Famous. The New Zealand band has started gaining popularity, performed on Jimmy Kemmel, and just finished a worldwide tour. You've probably heard their hit song somewhere this summer (I certainly have). It was featured in a Trident commercial, a "House In The Woods" commercial, as well as others. Some people may consider them a one hit-wonder, but I disagree. Their other songs are also just as great (in my humble opinion). They're style is really different from anything I've ever heard. It's punk, hard rock, but not in a head-banger-crazy-rock-star kind of way. It's a bit lighter, and has a slight synth-techno flare. They've been compared to Passion Pit and MGMT, and cite the band Nine Inch Nails as an influence. Even though their music isn't the style I usually enjoy, there is something oddly great and interesting about them. You can listen to them below, and decide for yourself. Please comment, let me know what you think!

The Sun - The Naked and Famous

Young Blood - The Naked and Famous

Punching In A Dream - The Naked and Famous

Sky Sailing: More Than a Method of Transportation

By now, we've all heard of Owl City; Fireflies was the pop hit of last summer. And even I, a total owl citizen, got sick of hearing it over and over eventually. However, there is more to Adam Young (the guy behind Owl City) than you may think.

  Before Adam got super popular with his synth-pop Owl City, he was working on an acoustic project called "Sky Sailing". Imagine an Owl City song, with all those whimsical, slightly weird lyrics, but replace all those synthesizer sound with an acoustic guitar and a piano. The result is Sky Sailing, and in my opinion is ever better than Owl City. Adam is actually a very talented guitar player. I tried to learn one of his songs on guitar, and could not physically get my fingers to move fast enough. Adam was working on Sky Sailing in 2007, but later abandon it for Owl City. Sky Sailing released one album, An Airplane Carried Me To Bed, and two singles. 

  I know this isn't necessarily "new" music, but I think not enough people know about the acoustic side of Adam Young. I hope you enjoy it enough as I do. :)

A Little Opera Goes A Long Way by Skysailing with Lyrics from Steve Wiilliams on Vimeo.

Best Song of the Week: AlunaGeorge

Since it's labor day, I thought I'd celebrate by posting about a great new song: "Your Drums, Your Love" by AlunaGeorge, a British alternative rock / R&B band. Although it hasn't been officially released for download, it's available for streaming. It's beat is smooth, passionate, and funky, and it's melody is infectious. The duo, Aluna Francis (vocals) and George Reid (music production) have received much praise, both for their EP "You Know You Like It" (which I highly recommend), and their collaboration with Scottish music producer Rustie in their song "After Light". They are planning to release a full LP in January, and you can download their EP on iTunes.

UPDATE: Check out the newly-released music video to "Your Drums, Your Love" here!

Great New Album: Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple is back! It's been eight years since Fiona apple released her album Extraordinary Machine, and now she's back with her new Album The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw and Whipping Chords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. (She's known for her ridiculously long album names). Even though the album title is annoying, the music inside the album is actually quite good, my personal favorites being "Werewolf", "Every Single Night", and "Anything We Want".  It's really hard to describe Fiona's music. It's very acoustic, and I guess you could call it..... alternative? Rock? Jazz? Whatever you call it, it's great, deep, and full of heart; the way music should be.

Listen to her song "Werewolf" here.
Please comment, share your opinion!

Today's Best Electronic / Pop Band

Lately, I've been a little obsessed with this great band: Passion Pit. I stumbled upon them while searching for some good new music, and I instantly fell in love with them. They are an electronic / pop band, but there's something different and great about them. The lead singer, Michael Angelakos, has an amazing vocal range (four octaves), and usually sings in his amazing falsetto. I do realize, however, that they aren't for everyone. My sister claims their music makes her physically ill.

The band has released an EP, Chunk of Change, and two LPs: Manners and Gossamer. The band started out as just Angelakos, who wrote the first Passion Pit songs that would soon be made into Chunk of Change as a gift to his girlfriend. Angelakos started doing solo shows, and was approached by Ian Hultquist. The two started collaborating, and later formed the band, adding new members Ayad Al Adhamy, Thom Plasse, and Adam Lavinsky (Thom and Adam were later replaced by Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer). Their albums have been well received (especially by me), and they are often featured in advertisements and TV shows (I heard one of their songs in a Taco Bell commercial a few days ago. Made my day). You can hear some of my favorite songs of theirs below.


Take a Walk - Passion Pit
Constant Conversation - Passion Pit
Moth's Wings - Passion Pit

Comment, let me know what you think!

Favorite Artist of The Month: Kimbra

Recognize her? She might look like somebody that you used to know (pun intended).  Kimbra (who's full name is Kimbra Lee Johnson) is a New Zealand pop artist who is taking the world by storm.  She is most known in the US for being featured in Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know".  Kimbra released her first album Vows in New Zealand and Australia in August 2011, and it was released in the US in May 2012.  It received much acclaim, and her songs have been featured in television ads and shows.  She's kind of like a funky, jazzy, classical Katy Perry. See my favorite song of Kimbra's, Good Intent, below, and check her out singing with Gotye here.

.

(Skip To 0:58 to hear her sing)