New Music From Tiny Dancers
Big sounds come in small packages.
Tiny Dancers represent some lost and rarely tapped into genres for a new British group. Named after a troupe of sinister dwarves in Roger Corman's The Masque of the Red Death, (no credit to you, Mr. Dwight), Free School Milk is the debut album from this colorful Sheffield based five piece. The album conjures up one big indie backyard bonfire, a sort of pleasant middle finger to the brash garage pop of late. Bordering on the playful side but never entering Chuck E. Cheese territory, platinum blonde front man David Kay takes us through a set of child-like escapism.
Tiny Dancers taps into the earthy tones of groups like the Band and The Cyrkle, and also the darker suggestions of James and Crowded House. Producer John Leckie (Stone Roses, Muse, Cast) adds his trademarks sense of pop hypnosis on tracks like "Hannah We Know". Starting off as a simple rootsy pop track in form, the song builds upon itself much like the sugary and innocent psychedelia of the mid-60's American radio hits.
Free School Milk is available via import on Parlophone Records.
Posted by Joe Roth on Jul 16, 2008 @ 6:45 am
Get to Know: Cavashawn
The young Midwesterners make an album that you can't help but like.
Age doesn't always mean success, especially in the current music industry. Some of the greatest new music is being produced by people who remember watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, rather than the more "mature" crowds who isn't as familiar with the robotic series. The Midwest quartet Cavashawn may not be the oldest in years, but the group is no stranger to success...
Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Jul 15, 2008 @ 6:10 am
Crown Of Love Goes Ivy League
This is Ivy League covers Arcade Fire.
The indie rockers of Arcade Fire got together in 1995 when front man Win Butler was just 15. The lineup wasn't solidified until 2003 when Butler's wife joined the band, and the debut album recorded and released. The album was praised by critics and it seemed like you couldn't watch TV, a movie, or turn on a radio without hearing one of the songs being used in some capacity. MTV even gave Funeral the top slot on their list of the 50 best albums of the year...
Posted by Cory Roop on Jul 14, 2008 @ 8:10 am
The Freelance Whales Hit The Scene
Using dreams as inspiration, The Freelance Whales produce light hearted experimental pop.
Some people swear that remembering your dreams is a vital part of your life, and what started as a creative writing class project for Judah Dadone soon turned into an obsession. Armed with three notebooks full of dreams, Dadone turned his homework into artwork – creating The Freelance Whales, a reference to not only members of the band, but also the songs. What Dadone conveys through The Freelance Whales is a series of unfinished thoughts, confused sensory experiences and convoluted yet composited emotions.
The now Brooklyn based Dadone, along with band mate Jeremy Sklarsky, are recruiting new band members and working on their first album, tentatively titled We Could Be Friends. While Dadone handles the songwriting, Sklarsky mans the production side. Together they create a brand of experimental pop that is as musically layered as it is lyrically savvy. Sounding like it was made with instruments from Playskool (in an utterly endearing way), the lighthearted sound is overshadowed by lyrics that make you smile to yourself and wonder if your dreams can be as fulfilling as the sound from The Freelance Whales.
"Hannah" is a shining example of the sheer wit of Dadone's writing and Sklarsky's ability to create music that fits the creative vision that Judah's dreams take on. Take a listen to "Hannah" below, and start to feel good about hitting that snooze button a couple more times.
Posted by Wes Soltis on Jul 11, 2008 @ 8:15 am
The Cover Mixtape
Because giving someone an album full of covers tells them…something.
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. So the countless amount of covers that exist isn't surprising given the fact most musicians are huge music fans themselves (who would have guessed?). It's pretty easy to just cover a song exactly like an artist, but what really takes a cover to the next level is when you tweak it just enough to make the song your own. Below is a list of songs retooled and revamped for your listening pleasure. (The original artist is in parenthesis)...
Posted by Lisa White on Jul 10, 2008 @ 7:48 am