Category Archives: Indies, Up n’ comers & Unknowns

Stuff you probably won’t hear on the radio.

The Sunday Funday Playlist – August 28, 2011

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What a week!  At work, I’m going Mach 10 with my hair on fire, but still managed to catch a few great live music shows this week, meet up with friends for drinks, hang with my favorite fellow music blogger for an evening, and get my house somewhat clean for company coming in this week and next.  On top of all of that, I managed to pick up a couple of new musical selections to share with y’all this week.  Dig in!

1.  Anchor – Bess Rogers

Oh my.  For a girl who loves clapping and alternate percussion in her music, this song is a feast of wonderfulness.  Bess is a witty songwriter who I’ve taken a shine to over the past couple months, but this song puts her at a whole new level in my world.  It’s true that when it comes to music, I have an addictive personality, but this song will get even the most staid-non-music lover smiling.

2.  Behold the Hurricane – The Horrible Crowes

I’ve professed my love for Gaslight Anthem before, so it should come as no surprise that The Horrible Crowes are on my list of “must investigates.”  The side project of lead singer Brian Fallon, it’s definitely right up my alley.  A little less punk, a little more rock sensibility.  The full length album will be out next week, but you can get the single now.  Check ’em out on Facebook.

3.  Night Parade – Quiet Hounds

If you haven’t read my review of this Atlanta band’s EP yet, please do – and then go download it for free right now before they realize it’s too good to be free.  I’ve spent the latter part of the week mildly addicted to their music – thank you, Radio Potato, for that.  This is currently my favorite track from the EP, but it’s likely to change soon because every single track is amazing.

4. Here Comes the Rain Again (Eurythmics Cover) – Coury Palermo

I am a sucker for anything 80s.  Seriously the greatest decade of music EVER.  So when this Nashville artists posted a cover of the Eurythmics classic “Here Comes the Rain” on NoiseTrade, I was all over downloading it.  And I love it!  It’s creepy and dark and does the original justice – without sounding the exact same. Pick up Coury’s sampler on NoiseTrade here.

5. Kill It Cut It Down – Parachute Musical

I’ve been a busy girl this week with reviews…also reviewed Parachute Musical’s new one, Kill It Cut It Down.  The title track has stuck in my head to the point where I find myself humming “Kill it cut it down, kill it cut it down.”  And while they don’t have anything posted to SoundCloud, someone was nice enough to post a video of them performing it live on YouTube.  And this way, you get the full effect of how amazing Josh is on the piano!

Quiet Hounds – Who Are These Masked Men?

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On the hunt: Who are the musical wonders behind Quiet Hounds?

On the hunt: Who are the musical wonders behind Quiet Hounds?

I love a good mystery – always have.  It started when I was eight, with Encyclopedia Brown, and I’ve never looked back.

So, when my fellow lover of all things music and now friend Radio Potato posted her August Top 5 Songs, I was intrigued by the killer rock sounds of “Hemlock” by a band I didn’t know – Quiet Hounds.  Just like a high school girl with a new crush, I obsessively went about trying to find more info on the band.

I was quickly stymied.  They are all deviously masked in their PR photo.  Their bio is a study in creative writing and the flowery language of vaguery – it gives nothing away about who these fellas are!

“The collective is one part prolific lyricist and melody writer, one part instrumental savant, one part curator of taste, music and culture and one part effortless precision of all things percussive. These creators need no credit other than the satisfaction that these songs take on lives of their own, sent into the ether to be played with the windows rolled down on warm sunny days.”

A mystery born. Encyclopedia Krissie on the case! A source close to the Atlanta-based band tells me “these guys are well known from other projects – and they want people to listen with fresh ears and not connect them with past work.”  Very interesting, indeed!

One listen to their self-titled EP reveals that we’re not dealing with an ordinary band start up.  These cats (or shall I say dogs?  Seems kind of rude…) are obviously a talented bunch.  Complex melodies, creative song structures, ridiculous drumming, chimes, keys, and absolutely gorgeous vocals.

The EP starts off with my favorite track – at least for right now – “Night Parade,” a deluge of tambourines, keys, snaps, and sweet harmonies enough to make any pop-lovin’ girl like me happy.  But then it dives into the eerie jangle of “Hemlock” with frantic keyboards and fast-paced lyrics that make you feel like you’re running through the woods in a building horror movie until you get to the chorus, when you feel like you’ve come out at an abandoned castle and there’s a masked man standing in the middle courtyard singing for you and you alone (I swear, these are the images that run through my head when I listen to music!).  And that’s how it goes for the whole EP – one unexpected transition to the next, from the hooky sing-along of “Southern Charm” with it’s “oooh oooh”s “and “heys,” to the alternating military precision and sweeping beauty of “Art of War,” it’s new discovery after new discovery.

These songs are so addictive.  I’ve had the EP for three days, and I can’t stop listening to it. Yes, part of it is me trying to crack the case of who the band is, but the larger part is that the music is incredibly good.  And different.  And I find myself getting lost in the lyrics; as someone who wants to be a writer when she grows up, I do appreciate a good lyric, and these are exceptional.

The most amazing part?  The songs were written and recorded in a two week span.  TWO WEEKS!

These are not your average rock songs, kids .  I highly recommend going to pick up the FREE EP.  Like right now.

And while my inner sleuth really wants to know who these amazing musicians are to give them credit for making such a tremendous little EP, I’ll be content for these masked musical crusaders to stay behind the curtain if they keep making music like this.

More Quiet Hounds:  Web | Facebook | Twitter

Download Now: Parachute Musical, Kill It Cut It Down

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Parachute Musical Kill It Cut It Down

Parachute Musical's Kill It Cut It Down is an "abandonment of old ways"...in other words, a fabulously frenetic pop record worth investing in.

Before I ever heard Parachute Musical play a note, I knew I would love them.  Why?  Simply because lead singer Josh Foster is Christopher Jak‘s doppelganger – and I do not need to repeat again how much I love Mr. Jak.  Pretty sure he already considers me a stalker.  But I digress…

In all seriousness, the first time I saw Parachute Musical play, I was H-O-O-K-E-D.  It would be hard for these kids to avoid the Ben Folds references thanks to Foster’s stand-up, high energy, knock the keys around piano stylings, but they deserve to shine without the comparison.  Absolutely fantastic up-tempo melodies, witty lyrics, perfect pitch vocals, downright mad crazy bass lines – all topped off with some mean shaker and tambourine skills – it’s edgy pop perfection, really.

So count me among the faithful that logged onto their website Tuesday morning to download their new album, Kill It Cut It Down for a measly $2.  Talk about rewarding your fan base; the price goes up by $1 every day until it gets to $10. So add marketing genius to their skill set. [Go get the album.]

The foursome, who originally hail from D.C. but relocated to Nashville a few years back, have created an 11-song musical novella that is certain to carve a swath to some big time attention for them.  Along with Foster, Tom Gilbert (guitar), Andrew Samples (bass) and Ben Jacoby (drums) address traditional youthful angst in a dizzying carousel ride of love and relationships, heartbreak, insomnia, self-discovery, disappointment in people, impetuousness and regret – in their own words, a “quarter-life crisis in full effect.”  It’s a logical and welcome progression from 2008’s Everything Is Working Out Fine In Some Town. Yes, young bands can grow up gracefully, and it’s awfully fun to hear in the case of Parachute Musical.

My favorite tracks include the 70s reminiscent “Stubborn Young Manhood”; the title track and its pounding, rhythmic chorus line that I’ll inevitably find myself walking around singing arbitrarily for the next several days; and the sharply uncharacteristic “Losing You,” noticeably lacking Foster’s killer keys and instead sporting a very Dion and the Belmonts-esque sing songy guitar foundation.

The long and short?  If have a need to relive your impassioned younger years, you’re going to adore this record. But more importantly, if you enjoy a good piano tune, appreciate great vocals, a devilishly catchy melody and clever wordsmithing, and absolutely need to discover a new band whose star is shining bright, you must jump on into Parachute Musical’s Kill It Cut It Down – and don’t bother with the ripcord. This is music worth freefalling into.

More Parachute Musical:  Web | Facebook | Twitter

Friday Awesomeness: The Soldier Thread’s “Anybody”

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I think my soul lives in Austin, TX sometimes.  This week’s Friday Awesomeness belongs to the fabulous Austin band The Soldier Thread.  I am not a huge fan of female vocals in general, but Patricia Lynn goes right up there with Grace Potter in my book.  Just love, love, love her voice (and her hair, but that’s a different story). This video of her and Justin performing their song “Anybody” acoustic just puts into perspective how incredible her talent is. The song is hella powerful to begin with, but slow it down and just have it hang out with a piano and it’s incredibly beautiful. Ho.ly.in.sane.bat.man.

Get the full band version of “Anybody” here (and pick up “Matador” while you’re at it).

More The Soldier Thread:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | iTunes | YouTube