music mix II
I guess I have only done this once before, last summer! wow. been a while. I was very sneaky and made sure to search our lovely friend motorbike's LAST.FM charts in order to figure out what she has heard and has not heard since she loves to partake in these things. let's start with some rock:
FM Knives - 20/20 // straight out of Sacramento, this pop punk band has some of the most driving songs I have heard in a while. No whiny annoying voice, no tired riffs, and overflowing with beautiful lyrics and bass lines that don't take their lead from the melody or drum rhythm but create a whole world of their own. this song actually has a BASS SOLO in it...wtf. This band was formed in 2001 but they have the sincerity and energy of punk from the beginning of the movement. Bummer that they broke up.
Hot Snakes - Plenty for All // Hot Snakes are in my top 5 favorite bands. Rick Froberg is an incredible vocalist--he conveys urgency, rage, and a heartfelt frankness all at once; besides Rick's vocals, his guitar playing combined with John Reis's guitar licks created such a powerful wall of sound. This particular song is probably as close to radio friendly they had ever gotten since it is less hardcore than the rest of their work and tinged with pop.
Obits - Back and Forth // Obits are Rick Froberg's new band after the break up of Hot Snakes. Although it's still prominently punk, a lot of it reminds me of early 60s rock or Stooges-era hard rock--it kinda has this cock rock swagger that just jams out. With super catchy bass lines and taunting guitar melodies that are less jagged than work that Hot Snakes did, Obits will probably get much more recognition than Hot Snakes did (at least while HS was still formed). "Back and Forth" pulls you in between a drum beat reminiscent of Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and a chorus that's steeped in a Beach Boys sound.
Foreign Born - Into Your Dream // Foreign Born changed their mix of new wave and folk rock to a more direct rock and roll approach in this song. I'm not particularly a huge fan of Foreign Born--although they were quite good when they opened for St. Vincent at the Warhol last year--but I really like this song. So fun and addictive. Who doesn't love sleigh bells?
Mas y Mas - The White Visitation // Hilarious lyrics and furious acoustic strumming. Sounds quite different from other Mas Y Mas when you take out the drum machine, the cheeky guitar and the cheesy synths but still very mesmerizing. I am infatuated with the masterminds behind this band and am only living in this world so I can one day see them live. They almost make me regret moving back to the midwest since I will be that many more miles away from their aura.
Ra Ra Riot - Too Too Too Fast // For a band that only started in 2006, Ra Ra Riot have quite deftly navigated the indie rock waters. Their songs burst at the seams with furious bass lines, frenetic violin, calming cello, and sensitive vocals that are a mix between romance and agitation. Seeing them live last February totally sold me--they are so incredibly TIGHT for six young musicians and have true charisma and energy on stage. I can't usually deal with choppy and repetitive lyrics, but this song is one of my favorites off their debut album.
I have six more I will write once my finals are over! They are electronic, groovy, new wavey, way less punked out than this so stay tuned even if you weren't into these. Also all old lj mixes are deleted when I post a new one, except these six won't be deleted when I upload the next six, just the mix after that.
FM Knives - 20/20 // straight out of Sacramento, this pop punk band has some of the most driving songs I have heard in a while. No whiny annoying voice, no tired riffs, and overflowing with beautiful lyrics and bass lines that don't take their lead from the melody or drum rhythm but create a whole world of their own. this song actually has a BASS SOLO in it...wtf. This band was formed in 2001 but they have the sincerity and energy of punk from the beginning of the movement. Bummer that they broke up.
Hot Snakes - Plenty for All // Hot Snakes are in my top 5 favorite bands. Rick Froberg is an incredible vocalist--he conveys urgency, rage, and a heartfelt frankness all at once; besides Rick's vocals, his guitar playing combined with John Reis's guitar licks created such a powerful wall of sound. This particular song is probably as close to radio friendly they had ever gotten since it is less hardcore than the rest of their work and tinged with pop.
Obits - Back and Forth // Obits are Rick Froberg's new band after the break up of Hot Snakes. Although it's still prominently punk, a lot of it reminds me of early 60s rock or Stooges-era hard rock--it kinda has this cock rock swagger that just jams out. With super catchy bass lines and taunting guitar melodies that are less jagged than work that Hot Snakes did, Obits will probably get much more recognition than Hot Snakes did (at least while HS was still formed). "Back and Forth" pulls you in between a drum beat reminiscent of Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and a chorus that's steeped in a Beach Boys sound.
Foreign Born - Into Your Dream // Foreign Born changed their mix of new wave and folk rock to a more direct rock and roll approach in this song. I'm not particularly a huge fan of Foreign Born--although they were quite good when they opened for St. Vincent at the Warhol last year--but I really like this song. So fun and addictive. Who doesn't love sleigh bells?
Mas y Mas - The White Visitation // Hilarious lyrics and furious acoustic strumming. Sounds quite different from other Mas Y Mas when you take out the drum machine, the cheeky guitar and the cheesy synths but still very mesmerizing. I am infatuated with the masterminds behind this band and am only living in this world so I can one day see them live. They almost make me regret moving back to the midwest since I will be that many more miles away from their aura.
Ra Ra Riot - Too Too Too Fast // For a band that only started in 2006, Ra Ra Riot have quite deftly navigated the indie rock waters. Their songs burst at the seams with furious bass lines, frenetic violin, calming cello, and sensitive vocals that are a mix between romance and agitation. Seeing them live last February totally sold me--they are so incredibly TIGHT for six young musicians and have true charisma and energy on stage. I can't usually deal with choppy and repetitive lyrics, but this song is one of my favorites off their debut album.
I have six more I will write once my finals are over! They are electronic, groovy, new wavey, way less punked out than this so stay tuned even if you weren't into these. Also all old lj mixes are deleted when I post a new one, except these six won't be deleted when I upload the next six, just the mix after that.