Friday, September 21, 2012

Night Visions

I know this is my second indie rock suggestion in as many posts, but I was always intrigued by this particular band, and it wasn't until I heard one of their songs during the Olympics that I gave them my attention, for which I'm glad I did.

Album: Night Visions
Artist: Imagine Dragons

If you can get past how amazing their name is, the Imagine Dragons are quite the talented group. They're fairly new to the scene, having formed in only 2008, but have they've released 3 EPs and one full-length album, which is the subject of this post.

Night Visions encompasses all that's great about the indie side of alternative music, at least to my ears. With an ample dose of thumping bass, a measure of flowing vocal theatrics, and an abundance of general musical talent, this record has hit the recipe for awesome dead on.

To me, the biggest allure is the songs' catchiness. All too often, it seems as though a song that's labeled catchy turns out to be a stereotypical, sellout, pop song. However, here it's nothing like that. The music is original, and has a deeper meaning than a lot of what's out there nowadays. Also, not to hate on the music industry, but here the songs actually sound genuine, a rare find in today's market.

Some standout tracks include;
• The whole album

And I'm not just saying that to make a point or anything; I honestly tried to list out all of the ones I really wanted to suggest, but by the time I was done I realized I had listed pretty much the entire album. Which obviously is a good thing, and means you should probably go give this one a listen from start to finish if you find yourself liking their sound.

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Lonely Forest


Every so often, you come across that one band that, at least for the time being, becomes your new most absolutely favorite band. Well today I give to you my new most absolutely favorite band. 

Artist: The Lonely Forest

An American indie rock band from Anacortes, Washington, The Lonely Forest formed in 2005 and have since released 2 EPs and 3 full-length records to date. On their website biography, their music is described as having a core of John Van Deusen’s soaring vocals and keyboard melodies, wrapped tightly around Tony Ruland’s expansive guitar anchored by a heavy, yet nimble, rhythm section. 

Even from only having known about them for less than a day now, I'd still have to agree that the music is very vocally driven, but the guitar and rhythm parts are most definitely right there to back it and give their sound a very unique texture.

Lyrically and stylistically, their songs entertain a contrast of “brilliant pop songs featuring lyrics about spiritual longing wedded to an almost prog-rock sensibility” according to their site. Because of this, they apparently appeal to broad range of listeners, from “wide-eyed teenagers to jaded scenesters.”

From my own experience, I can only add to that by saying that their music sounds to me like a combination of Arcade Fire, Chevelle, and a little Angels & Airwaves perhaps. And honestly, I’d have to say that that’s a combination that really needed to happen, based on how amazing this band sounds. 

Some standout tracks include;
• Tooth for Tooth
• Coyote
• We Sing In Time
• Blackheart vs Captain America
• Are You Afraid of the World? 
• Nuclear Winter

I’m sorry I don’t have more songs to suggest, but I just found these guys yesterday and was a little impatient to post about them, so I haven’t gotten the chance to be able to explore their discography in any kind of depth. However, you can obviously go forth and discover on your own, which I strongly encourage! It's not nearly often enough that bands such as this get the attention they deserve, and these guys definitely deserve any and all attention they can get.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Four Seconds

It's nice to find a song that's just really fun to listen to. Be it a catchy beat, comical lyrics, or something else entirely that creates such an atmosphere, there's nothing quite like it and it makes for a great listen.

Song: Four Seconds
Artist: Barenaked Ladies

I had heard of this band before, but I had never come across any of their music and had never been inspired to seek it out, probably because that's quite the loaded Google search. 

When I found this track, it only took a few seconds for me to fall in love with it. After finding out what band was responsible for it, I was pleasantly surprised that it was a band I had heard mention of before.

Overall, it's an insanely catchy track. with heavy emphasis on the beat behind it. Not only is it unique, but it's quite involved with a neat guitar part, a driving drum rhythm, and even what sounds like a few baritone saxophone notes near the end. The vocals are also catchy in their own right, and honestly hard to not sing or hum along to. The lyrics are nothing overly profound or cohesive, but that just adds to the intrigue.

This track is definitely worth giving a chance, if for no other reason than that these guys found a way to rhyme with "orange," which is obviously a pretty unique undertaking. Really, it's just an overall enjoyable listen, from the uptempo to the quirky lyrics and everything in between.