Yeasayer

With Coachella music festival quickly approaching, it seems as though my posts may start heavily reflecting the acts that are appearing. In this vein, Yeasayer is a band that I was extremely hesitant about at first; having noticed the band's name all over music websites like Stereogum and Pitchfork, I was unsure of what to expect. With a single listen to their song, O.N.E., I was h.o.o.k.e.d. They define themselves on their myspace as "ENYA with BOUNCE", and I have to admit, they couldn't have said it better. Psychedelic, yet catchy, their songs have converted me from a sceptic to a devotee. And if you were wondering why their sound is so out-of-this-world, they have made it public that their latest album was a brainchild of an LSD trip the band shared in 2008. I've included their super trippy video for their song, Ambling Alp, and O.N.E. underneath. Check 'em out!




Yeasayer - O.N.E.

Broken Bells

One of the most exciting things you can stumble upon these days in the music world is an amazing collaboration, and even more exhilarating is a band that combines two incredibly different sounds into one masterpiece. Such is the case with the new band Broken Bells: a collaboration between James Mercer, the lead singer of The Shins, and Brian Burton, formally known as the producer Danger Mouse. Combining the epic voice from Chutes Too Narrow and the producer who mixed the legendary Grey Album (Jay-Z's Black Album and The Beatles' White Album) obviously sounds like it could not go wrong - but not only does it succeed, it surpassed all my expectations. The album is not even out yet, but their first release, The High Road, is just short of incredible. Check out their first single below, buy the album on March 9th, and once you fall in love after listening to this one track GO TO THEIR SHOWS in NY on the 10th and LA on the 14th!

Broken Bells - The High Road

Mini-temper tantrums

The Temper Trap 

One of the amazing discoveries I've made recently from my searches online for pleasure & for work is this amazing Australian band. In the crazy whirlwind of getting back to work after a few months off, The Temper Trap's album Conditions has been a point of solace and pure joy. Their sound is unique, as if you took a splash of Radiohead and TV On The Radio, mixed that with a hint of Phoenix and a strangely enough, a dollap of the eeriness in Sigur Ros. Each song sounds like a clip from a movie, whether it's a soundtrack to a love story, or a flash of a desert road trip. The final confirmation that this band was headed to the top of my list was hearing that a fellow Melbourne-ian, Daniel Merriweather, is a huge fan (I'll have to post about him and his special performance for our show this past week soon! It was a-ma-zing). The best thing about them, besides the music - they'll be at Coachella this year! (and you can only imagine the excited countdown I've got going over here)

PS - If you recognize "Sweet Disposition," but you can't place it -- it's from the trailer for the film 500 Days of Summer ;)

The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
The Temper Trap - Fader
The Temper Trap - Love Lost