Obsessively blogging about pop music, pop videos, pop stars, and pop culture from inside the MTV headquarters in Times Square. We also have a slight Jonas Brothers problem. And a little fixation with Tokio Hotel.
Amazing Baby is a tribe of Brooklyn weirdos on a hardcore vision quest. On their debut full-length, Rewild, the sonic explorers glam out in the far reaches of a dozen imagined mini universes, introducing mystical creatures ("The Narwhal"), gruesome danger ("Bayonets," "Deerripper") and fantastic real estate ("Invisible Palace"). In league with fellow Brooklyn heavyweights MGMT and Chairlift, Amazing Baby have been generating high-intensity buzz since the first sky-ripping growl of their neo-psychedelic revolution.
Amazing Baby's latest single, "Smoke Bros," is a cosmic boogie about starving cannibals that's half smirk, half snarl. The single's heady pomp and swagger is pure T.Rex, but its outer space guitar sounds and cynical edge are pure Brooklyn, 2009. Don't miss this new glam-rock (hey, aren't Tokio Hotel kinda glam...?) juggernaut.
Watch the mind-blowing video for "Headdress" below, to get a feel for the level of Arcade Fire intensity we're dealing with here, then download "Smoke Bros" for free on Amazing Baby's website.
Vampire Weekend have quickly gotten to be such a big deal that you need a three-day pass and binoculars to see them. The calypso-grooving Columbia grads' summer plans include All Points West, Lollapalooza and Ibiza Rocks. That's why last night's Happy Ending performance at Joe's Pub was a serious can't-miss.
Vampire Weekend accompanied three authors -- Wells Tower, John Wray and Arthur Phillips -- all of whom read from their work. John Wray, who wrote a novel called Lowboy about a sixteen-year old paranoid schizophrenic who believes that only he can save the world, was the most Buzzworthy of the bunch, if that makes sense.
Exciting as all that was, the night's highlights all came from Vampire Weekend, who tweaked their big singles ("Oxford Comma," "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," etc.) just enough to make them sound totally new. The theme of the event was "risks," and VW took a major one by closing with a cover of Tom Petty's "Walls," sung over a wide-smiling piano riff borrowed from Arcade Fire's "Tunnels." It paid off big time. By the first chorus, the whole place was singing along.
Wish you coulda been there. Maybe you would've gotten nicer photos than I did :-/. Next time! Watch Vampire Weekend's "Mansard Roof" below and get a better look at a great night, after the jump.
The 1990s, who share origins and former members with fellow Scots Franz Ferdinand, are an indie rock group on the rise. The blogosphere is already all over them, and these days, that usually means the rest of the world is just a breath away. Or at least a car commercial.
Not only are their songs airy David Bowie-evoking pop gems -- particularly "59," the first single from their latest album, Kicks -- but they also have flat-out incredible videos to match.
The "59" video, which has just entered the MTV2 rotation, is a stop-motion animation masterpiece. The band members and assorted other characters are rendered as two-dimensional paper cut-outs, uncrumpling and grooving out in a charming miniature world. It's stunning.
One For The Team have a song called "A Better Job" that opens, "Let's move to Brooklyn together/ We'll both get internships at Matador Records." Is that the indie rock version of that thing rappers do when they mention specific street corners and recent cultural events? It's definitely the indie kid equivalent of "Seats down/ Windows up" and other such rap fantasies. Few of them would admit it, but no skinny mustache-faced hipster in his right mind wouldn't choose a shoebox Brooklyn apartment loaded with discontinued Yo La Tengo t-shirts over a steamy night at the club.
The One For The Team indie kid fantasy doesn't end there. Not only do the band's lyrics cater directly to aspiring hipsters everywhere, but they've got a sound to match. The Minnesota based power-pop balladeers sound like a cross between The Arcade Fire and The New Pornographers, with hints of Shins and early Beatles. Take note, Matador! Maybe this dream works both ways ...
Finally, on top of all that, One For The Team back up their Obama-era optimism with this kinda incredible DIY promise:
The album [Build a Garden] was recorded and mixed entirely by One For The Team in their apartment in Minneapolis. Each individual order will be filled personally by the band and will include unique items sent directly from the band to you. The album's packaging is printed on recycled materials and is assembled and numbered by hand by the band. Only 500 physical copies of the EP will be made, however, the album will be widely available for MP3 download.
Live One For The Team's new age rock 'n roll fantasy, right here.
There's no way you'd ever guess that Audrye Sessions are from California. Their lilting melodies, ever-swelling sound, their delicate pronunciations... even their clothes, haircuts and hometown (Livermore??) scream Brit-rock. And man do they scream it well! Like Muse covering U2 or The Verve with The Arcade Fire's berserk rhythm section.
Speaking of covers, much of the internet-addicted world got their first taste of Audrye Sessions when their weepy take on Elliott Smith's "Waltz #2" made the blog rounds. The band, which consists of Ryan Karazija (Vox, Guitar), Alicia Marie Campbell (Bass), Michael Knox (Guitar) and James Leste (Drums), has made short work of the offline world too, playing San Francisco's Noise Pop Festival, taking major strides at SXSW, touring with Margot & The Nuclear So & So's and quietly becoming one of Oakland's biggest deals. To add to the growing buzz, Audrye Sessions are in the process of translating their addictive vintage sound into their first full-length album. If you're a fan of Snow Patrol, Coldplay, Radiohead or Oasis, definitely give Audrye Sessions a whirl. Here's their video for "Turn Me Off."
The 1990s
