Of the three bands that I mentioned in the post before last I still enjoy Glasvegas but don’t think they lived up to the hype, love The Joy Formidable even more and feel the same about The Sound of Arrows.
They Joy Formidable are as big a find as I have ever stumbled across. They right tight, exceedingly well produced and catchy pop-rock. They have female vocals that alternate from sexy and direct to gauzy and remote (see “While the Flies” and “My Beer Drunk Soul is Sadder than a Hundred Dead Christmas Trees” respectively, and what a great name for a song that last one is). They have amazing guitar breakdowns and face-melting bass lines (particularly on “Austere”) that remind me of another band with the word “Joy” in their name… The sound is very different but when a bass thinks it’s a guitar and a guitar thinks it’s a keyboard I usually think Joy Division. On occasion they also channel this shoe-gaze vibe that makes me think of My Bloody Valentine’s first album (the song in question is “Ostrich”). If J.D. and M.B.V. are what I think you sound like them you can be guaranteed that I’ll heart your music.
I can’t recommend these guys highly enough. They have past three weeks of fairly constant listening without me getting sick of them.
Glasvegas have one great song (though that might be untrue, I haven’t heard the whole catalogue). “Geraldine” tells a great story, drives well with a big guitar sounds and the band seems to try and replicate that on every other track that I’ve heard. I don’t want to write them off because I do like their sound I just think they need to figure out how to get beyond the one trick pony show. Sound of Arrows is the same, like I said above. I like them, they’re fun. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy their album but I think they are worth looking up.
Add to the list of February’s notable finds these bands/artists. I’m going to try and keep this brief so it will be confined to the artist’s name, a quick review and the songs that I like.
1.) AC Newman – A New Pornographer’s spin-off band that sounds a little Peter, Bjorn & John. He has a really nice voice, there are violins in some of the songs and he covered “Take Me On” by A-ha!
Listen to: “The Heartbreak Rides,” “Submarines of Stolkholm” and the aforementioned cover.
2.) La Roux – Sultry dance music that has a woman’s voice in it that I can’t shake out of my head some days…
Listen to: “In For the Kill” and “Fascination.”
3.) Ellie Goulding – Singer-songwriter stuff but with a touch of electronic beat and production added. She has hooks that don’t let go and a way of singing a chorus that makes me smile.
Listen to: “Wish I Stayed” and “Guns + Horses.”
Just take my word and listen to these:
“John the Revelator” by Nicholas Jaar
“Pen to the Paper” by PARLOVR
“Astoria, Menthol Lite, Hilltop, Wave of Evil 1982” by Blackout Beach
“Lemmings Anthem” The Oohlas
Listening to “LAX Files” by The Game and “Hero (feat. Keri Hilson)” by Nas because I feel like listening to a little of that G-Rap shit. Post title by Two Door Cinema Club which is another band to look into. The picture in this post has very little to do with anything… it’s the moon from my back yard.
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