Just because you wander, doesn't mean you're lost.
TIt’s not uncommon for college students to bond over their love of music. A lot of us have similar tastes in music to begin with. But what happens when you take college students, who like the same kinds of music, and put some instruments in their hands? You get bands like Ra Ra Riot, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Chester French, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The Whigs.
Ra Ra Riot
You may have recently seen Ra Ra Riot at Juice Jam, but it definitely wasn’t the first time the band has played on the Syracuse campus. Ra Ra Riot formed right here on the SU campus in 2006 and within 6 months of their formation, they were already playing the CMJ Music Festival after which they gained acclaim for their high energy performance. The band however, faced a roadblock when their drummer, John Pike, was found dead after a show in Rhode Island. The band acknowledged that they had lost a great talent, yet they pushed on and signed to V2 Records. In May, the band released their debut album, The Rhumb Line, and met critical acclaim.
Listen to: “Dying Is Fine”
Personal Style: Salvation Army meets American Apparel
MGMT
When Andrew VanWyngarden met Ben Goldwasser during freshman year in 2001 at Wesleyan University, they were not trying to start a band. Goldwasser has been quoted saying “We were just hanging out, showing each other music that we liked.” It was in these jam sessions that the Management, now known as MGMT, created a unique blend of music known as psychedelic pop. In 2006, MGMT signed to Columbia records and recorded their debut album, Oracular Spectacular. Their first single “Time to Pretend” has taken over the indie radio airwaves and MGMT dominated the line-up of various festivals this summer including SXSW, Bonnaroo, Coachella, and even over-seas at Glastonbury. Continuing in their unique tradition, MGMT is making plans to record double-disc for their next album- one disc pop, and the other psychedelia.
Listen to: “Electric Feel”
Personal Style: Dirty hippie - Tye-Dye head to toe, topped off with a bandana and Ray-Bans
Vampire Weekend
By far the preppiest band on the music scene, Vampire Weekend formed in 2006 at Columbia University. It was in part to their time in New York City, that the band soon created a sound that they refer to as “Upper West Side Soweto” - a Paul Simon-like mix of western classical with rock and Africana. Later that year, the band signed to XL Recordings and released their self-titled debut album, which debuted at #17 on the Billboard charts in its first week of release. Spin magazine named Vampire Weekend the best new band of 2008, while Rolling Stone named their calypso-esque song “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” #67 on their Best Songs of 2007 list.
Listen to: “Oxford Comma”
Personal Style: Purely Preppy - Loafers, Khakis, Sweater vests.
Chester French
Once described to sound like “Brian Wilson singing over Motown tracks with a rock edge,” Chester French is one of the most interesting up and coming bands out there. Getting their start at Harvard, bandmates D.A. Wallach and Max Drummey recorded their debut album in the basement of their dorm. They were named one of the top bands to watch this year by both Rolling Stone and Spin with their razor-sharp lyrics and catchy melodies. When it came time to sign to a label, hip hop moguls Jermaine Dupri and Kanye West were just two of the producers battling to sign Chester French. However, N.E.R.D.’s Pharrell Williams ultimately won the battle and signed the band to Star Trak/ Interscope records. The band is currently on tour with N.E.R.D. and Common as their upcoming album, Love the Future, becomes undoubtedly of the most anticipated albums of the year.
Listen to: “The Jimmy Choo’s”
Personal Style: Classy - Suits and clean cut all the way.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Social networking sites and blogs are now a major form of band promotion, but when Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (abbreviated CYHSY) formed at Connecticut College in 2004, it wasn’t as common. The band become one of the first to use self-promotion on the internet and quickly gained popularity. After self-releasing their debut self-titled album in 2005, which debuted #26 in the UK, CYHSY signed to Wichita Recordings, on which they would release their sophomore effort, Some Loud Thunder in 2007. CYHSY is a band known for their live performance with strong drum beats and the unique vocals of frontman Alec Ounsworth. Having previously toured with indie favorites, Architecture in Helsinki, the band is playing a few upcoming shows in major US cities while Ounsworth records a solo effort.
Listen to: “The Skin on My Yellow Country Teeth”
Personal Style: Totally laid back, vintage tees and jeans.
The Whigs
The Whigs are known for their no-mess, kick your ass rock. Unlike most other bands formed in colleges that we see, they stray from an indie sound to revive both a 70’s rock and 90’s grunge to sweetly and seamlessly blend the two together. Their first album, released in 2005, Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip, was recorded in an abandoned frat house while attending the University of Georgia- the perfect venue to capture the band’s gritty, no-frills sound. In 2008, the band released their sophomore effort Mission Control, which has received critical acclaim for the band’s ability to revive a sound rarely heard from today’s young bands. The band is currently on tour with the Kooks, Kings of Leon and We Are Scientists.
Listen to: “Like a Vibration”
Personal Style: Revival of grunge - Lynard Skynard tshirts…possibly with cut off sleeves.
The XYZ Affair
With their band name taken from a 1798 historical event between the United States and France, it figures that The XYZ Affair formed in college. The band formed in 2000 while attending New York University. Described by SPIN as a mix between Modest Mouse, The Killers, and The Decemberists, the band creates clever and catchy melodies that they have managed to release independently on various EPs. However, even though these rockers have shown the world their intelligent lyrics, they claim in their song “All Of My Friends,” that “dare I say, my education was less than I hoped it would be.”
Listen to: “Little Fool”
Personal Style: V-necks and corduroys…calm, cool and collected.
Ra Ra Riot
You may have recently seen Ra Ra Riot at Juice Jam, but it definitely wasn’t the first time the band has played on the Syracuse campus. Ra Ra Riot formed right here on the SU campus in 2006 and within 6 months of their formation, they were already playing the CMJ Music Festival after which they gained acclaim for their high energy performance. The band however, faced a roadblock when their drummer, John Pike, was found dead after a show in Rhode Island. The band acknowledged that they had lost a great talent, yet they pushed on and signed to V2 Records. In May, the band released their debut album, The Rhumb Line, and met critical acclaim.
Listen to: “Dying Is Fine”
Personal Style: Salvation Army meets American Apparel
MGMT
When Andrew VanWyngarden met Ben Goldwasser during freshman year in 2001 at Wesleyan University, they were not trying to start a band. Goldwasser has been quoted saying “We were just hanging out, showing each other music that we liked.” It was in these jam sessions that the Management, now known as MGMT, created a unique blend of music known as psychedelic pop. In 2006, MGMT signed to Columbia records and recorded their debut album, Oracular Spectacular. Their first single “Time to Pretend” has taken over the indie radio airwaves and MGMT dominated the line-up of various festivals this summer including SXSW, Bonnaroo, Coachella, and even over-seas at Glastonbury. Continuing in their unique tradition, MGMT is making plans to record double-disc for their next album- one disc pop, and the other psychedelia.
Listen to: “Electric Feel”
Personal Style: Dirty hippie - Tye-Dye head to toe, topped off with a bandana and Ray-Bans
Vampire Weekend
By far the preppiest band on the music scene, Vampire Weekend formed in 2006 at Columbia University. It was in part to their time in New York City, that the band soon created a sound that they refer to as “Upper West Side Soweto” - a Paul Simon-like mix of western classical with rock and Africana. Later that year, the band signed to XL Recordings and released their self-titled debut album, which debuted at #17 on the Billboard charts in its first week of release. Spin magazine named Vampire Weekend the best new band of 2008, while Rolling Stone named their calypso-esque song “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” #67 on their Best Songs of 2007 list.
Listen to: “Oxford Comma”
Personal Style: Purely Preppy - Loafers, Khakis, Sweater vests.
Chester French
Once described to sound like “Brian Wilson singing over Motown tracks with a rock edge,” Chester French is one of the most interesting up and coming bands out there. Getting their start at Harvard, bandmates D.A. Wallach and Max Drummey recorded their debut album in the basement of their dorm. They were named one of the top bands to watch this year by both Rolling Stone and Spin with their razor-sharp lyrics and catchy melodies. When it came time to sign to a label, hip hop moguls Jermaine Dupri and Kanye West were just two of the producers battling to sign Chester French. However, N.E.R.D.’s Pharrell Williams ultimately won the battle and signed the band to Star Trak/ Interscope records. The band is currently on tour with N.E.R.D. and Common as their upcoming album, Love the Future, becomes undoubtedly of the most anticipated albums of the year.
Listen to: “The Jimmy Choo’s”
Personal Style: Classy - Suits and clean cut all the way.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Social networking sites and blogs are now a major form of band promotion, but when Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (abbreviated CYHSY) formed at Connecticut College in 2004, it wasn’t as common. The band become one of the first to use self-promotion on the internet and quickly gained popularity. After self-releasing their debut self-titled album in 2005, which debuted #26 in the UK, CYHSY signed to Wichita Recordings, on which they would release their sophomore effort, Some Loud Thunder in 2007. CYHSY is a band known for their live performance with strong drum beats and the unique vocals of frontman Alec Ounsworth. Having previously toured with indie favorites, Architecture in Helsinki, the band is playing a few upcoming shows in major US cities while Ounsworth records a solo effort.
Listen to: “The Skin on My Yellow Country Teeth”
Personal Style: Totally laid back, vintage tees and jeans.
The Whigs
The Whigs are known for their no-mess, kick your ass rock. Unlike most other bands formed in colleges that we see, they stray from an indie sound to revive both a 70’s rock and 90’s grunge to sweetly and seamlessly blend the two together. Their first album, released in 2005, Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip, was recorded in an abandoned frat house while attending the University of Georgia- the perfect venue to capture the band’s gritty, no-frills sound. In 2008, the band released their sophomore effort Mission Control, which has received critical acclaim for the band’s ability to revive a sound rarely heard from today’s young bands. The band is currently on tour with the Kooks, Kings of Leon and We Are Scientists.
Listen to: “Like a Vibration”
Personal Style: Revival of grunge - Lynard Skynard tshirts…possibly with cut off sleeves.
The XYZ Affair
With their band name taken from a 1798 historical event between the United States and France, it figures that The XYZ Affair formed in college. The band formed in 2000 while attending New York University. Described by SPIN as a mix between Modest Mouse, The Killers, and The Decemberists, the band creates clever and catchy melodies that they have managed to release independently on various EPs. However, even though these rockers have shown the world their intelligent lyrics, they claim in their song “All Of My Friends,” that “dare I say, my education was less than I hoped it would be.”
Listen to: “Little Fool”
Personal Style: V-necks and corduroys…calm, cool and collected.