I posted about Woods a while back and this first track is by the Babies, a band featuring a former Woods member by the name of Kevin Morby. There's a nice bit of trivia for you there, as well as a link to the past of this here blog.
It's not a new thing, and now that I think about it, I'm not entirely sure that what follows is an example of Brooklynisation or just an example of a band going a bit too far in going for a certain sound. The band is First Aid Kit, you can listen to them at the following link:
Go ahead and do so. What do they sound like to you? Something from the Southern US perhaps? Maybe California in the late 60's? That's how they sound to me, but they're bloody Swedish, and they're new! Now fair enough, I know a lot of bands from non-English speaking countries end up singing in English, but this is beyond just the use of a language, this is the use of all kinds of signals that indicate where this is from -- but it's not from there. They even sing with little catches in their voices! Honestly, as much as I like the music, it's hard to take seriously when it's such a facsimile that's almost a parody. Sorry, First Aid Kit, but you've gone too far.
In other news, Woods are coming to DC -- Friday, Nov 2nd, at Red Palace.
My work has had a nice technology update recently; new computers, new drills, things like that. One of the side benefits has been that I can now listen to internet radio while I clean people's teeth -- definitely a bonus! I used to hate cleanings, now I find myself looking forward to them just so I can hear some BBC radio. The Beeb, and basically Radio 6, is as far as I've got in my net radio exploration I'm afraid. I find that the DJ's and the mix of music on there seem to suit the kind of work I do; it's great having eclectic UK radio to hear again, instead of the advert-supported format crap that DC is dominated by. There's a definitely more of an indie and old music focus, as opposed to the latest dubstep, but that's OK. Having the radio on has definitely introduced me to some new bands and tunes that I probably would've missed otherwise, and I thought, why not share my discoveries? No doubt I'm late to the party on some (many?) of these but I'm ok with that -- I'm a 33 year old dentist, I don't mind not being up on the latest stuff (one reason why there's no Frank Ocean on this blog yet). And with that, here are some tunes, with very little background info -- you can do some of the work yerselves.
First up, NCZA/Lines. No idea how that band name is pronounced, but I do like the electro sound of this track, 'Compass Points':
The singers's got that perfect indie-singer look too -- check out those cheekbones! You can hear more from them at their site.
Next, Mystery Jets, with 'Greatest Hits':
I was quite charmed by this song and had a few guesses as to who it was by. I haven't heard anything by Mystery Jets before, but they've been around a while. You can hear their latest album in it's entirety here. Recorded in Austin, don't ya know.
So one thing that's cool to do while hearing these good songs is trying to figure out who I'm listening to. I'm pretty embarrassed about the next one -- not only was I unable to guess who it was, I've never even heard the song before. The references to Brooklyn and Manhattan definitely put me off, and had me thinking... Patti Smith? The voice had me thinking... Chrissie Hynde? Wrong both times -- it's PJ Harvey with 'You Said Something':
Ok, last one, and I can imagine at least one of my siblings getting annoyed at this post being too long now. This last band is called Woods. I've never heard of them, but it seems like they've been around for a bit. Here are the gentle indie sounds of 'Cali in a Cup':
