Local Natives
Local Natives sound like a more guitar driven version of the Fleet Foxes. That is about the biggest compliment I can give them. Personally, I don't need another Fleet Foxes in my life, so maybe that is why I've tried and tried (nearly fifteen listens), but their album Gorilla Manor won't stick.
To be fair, they were pretty good live, so if you dig their music, they should be up there on your can't miss list. You'll get your harmonies, you'll get your mustaches, and you'll get pretty much every song off their only album. The setlist last time I saw them consisted of exactly that, every song on Gorilla Manor. I sure dig the use of the drum stick hitting the drum's rim, which they use extensively, so that always gets me. Hopefully they've been working on some new material by now.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Airplanes (My least favorite song, but it seems to be the favorite of the superfans, so you'll probably like it)
2. Sun Hands (My favorite song live)
3. Warning Signs (Talking Heads cover)
4. World News
5. Wide Eyes
Fitz & The Tantrums
This year's Mayor Hawthorne & The County, this old school 50's style soul band features a horn section, piano, percussion, and no guitar? They are one of the bands on the Sasquatch lineup I fell for the hardest.
A friend of mine caught them live recently and said back-up vocalist Noelle Scaggs is "Honestly Overly Talented," and spoke highly of their performance. I'm confident a couple of the songs below will convince you their music is tons of fun. They are one of my top ten can't misses.
Suggested Tracks:
1. MoneyGrabber
2. Dear Mr. President
3. Tighter (This love song is straight up Doo-Wop, and might be my overall favorite)
4. Breakin' The Chains of Love
5. Don't Gotta Work It Out
6. News 4 U
Surfer Blood
I wrote about this band a lot last year, including three paragraphs in my MusicFestNW 2010 live review. Read that here (use the control + F to find their band name, it's a rather long and boring review). They were also number 46 on my top 50 albums of 2010. Read the album review here.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Swim (I had to stop what I was listening to earlier today to play this song, I missed it so much)
2. Anchorage
3. Twin Peaks (great song live with the louder vocals)
4. Floating Vibes
5. Neighbour Riffs (instrumental)
Young The Giant
One hit wonder, the next band hitting it big you will eventually hate, or somewhere in between? After the first time I heard "My Body," I had to play it again, and again. That song has money written all over it. I don't listen to the radio, but I knew that was going to be a hit. After doing a bit of internet research, it's indeed getting heavy radio play. So there you go, you already knew more about this band than I if you frequent the frequencies.
The rest of the album is pretty tough to pin down. There are some catchy moments, a lot of cheesy pop (effective nonetheless), and a couple dull songs. Their style reminds me a lot of Maroon 5, sorry to say. I doubt I'll be revisiting the album much in the future, but I do love a good pop song, and they have a couple.
Suggested Tracks:
1. My Body
2. Strings
3. 12 Fingers
4. Apartment
5. Guns Out
3 comments:
I have heard excellent things about local natives live, so I will probably check them out unless there is something else I really have to see.
As for Fitz and the Tantrums, I've pretty much fallen in love with those guys (Noelle especially, damn that girl can move). Hadnt even heard of them before the lineup came out and then heard Moneygrabber a couple of times and couldnt stop repeating it. The other songs I've heard (havent gotten the whole album yet) are solid and it looks like those guys would put on an entertaining show.
Add them to the list of bands I must see on Sunday. Kind of a shame that nothing higher than Wolf Parade on Saturday gets me excited yet every second band on sunday is pretty much a must see, which I'm sure will be impossible once the schedule comes out.
How is Cough Sryup not a recommended track for Young The Giant. Come on, that's the crowd favourite for sure.
Every time I hear that Cough Syrup song, I think, "This is really dumb basis for a song." I know it is one of their more popular tunes, but I couldn't compromise my journalistic integrity by suggesting that error in judgement. Sure, it's a bit catchy, but if your name isn't Lil' Wayne, you shouldn't be allowed to write songs about cough syrup. Crowd pleaser? What, do they through bottles of cough syrup into the audience? I'm on board then.
Post a Comment