Music Mondays: 9 of the Best Bands You've Probably Never Heard Of
By Mitchell Mendoza and Wyatt Robertson
Hello everyone out there, ‘tis time for you to expand your horizons and embrace your inner hipster. (Yes, you, the one who goes to Alta and acts like he/she doesn’t even enjoy it!) There’s a myriad of bands out there that nobody has ever heard of and hopefully after reading this article you will have a couple new songs to add to your Top Spotify playlist.
DISCLAIMER: To the people who know like EVERY band on here, congrats, you probably post the coolest instagrams! Thanks for reading and just let the not so veteran hipsters out there gain some knowledge.
Hello everyone out there, ‘tis time for you to expand your horizons and embrace your inner hipster. (Yes, you, the one who goes to Alta and acts like he/she doesn’t even enjoy it!) There’s a myriad of bands out there that nobody has ever heard of and hopefully after reading this article you will have a couple new songs to add to your Top Spotify playlist.
DISCLAIMER: To the people who know like EVERY band on here, congrats, you probably post the coolest instagrams! Thanks for reading and just let the not so veteran hipsters out there gain some knowledge.
∆ (pronounced Alt-J)
Trying to describe ∆ is like trying to nail water to a tree. They are psychedelic folk. With an electronic hint. And a tinge of rock. Is that helpful? The seductive tones of ∆’s premiere song from their debut album An Awesome Wave, “Intro,” to the final professions of the darkly poignant yet hopeful serenade, “Hand-made,” is packed with different relaxing tracks whose muffled vocals become almost a mystery. ∆ has sure proven it can handle an eclectic variety of subjects from a brutally realistic and almost industrial capture of a rape scene in “Fitzpleasure” to reciting the digits of pi in “Taro.” If I were looking for one band on this list to make it big in 2013 it would hands-down be ∆. Crowd Favorite: “Breezeblocks” Hidden Gem: “Matilda” The One AM Radio This Los Angeles-born solo project of Hrishikesh Hirway never fails to produce soft, memorable, thought-provoking electronic melodies. From the almost suspenseful and subsequently soothing sounds of “Everything Falls Apart” to the upbeat and almost homesick-inducing “Sunlight,” The One Am Radio proves that while remaining steadfastly electronic, it will leave you thirsty for more. Crowd Favorite: “In a City Without Seasons” Hidden Gem: “Ticking Heart” New Young Pony Club
On the forefront of British punk, New Young Pony Club doesn’t fail to dazzle audiences. Their lustful nuances present throughout “Ice Cream” will be sure to be reeling through your head for hours after listening, and lead vocalist Tahita Bulmer seems to be sure to captivate your ears for the entirety of Fantastic Playroom. Self described as “kinky,” this band knows how to fill a room with its synthpop sensations with memorable tracks like “The Bomb” and “Tight Fit.” Crowd Favorite: “Ice Cream” Hidden Gem: “The Get Go” |
Diamond Rings
For some reason, John O’Regan is not yet a household name. Already with two full-length albums under his belt, O’Regan, the man behind Diamond Rings, has not failed to wow me. With lyrics like “Now I’m gonna stand tall, stand up, stand my ground,” I know that Diamond Rings will not putter out as many musicians do, but rather it will continue to grow until more people recognize what greatness is staring them in the face. The defiant “Stand My Ground” and dance-inducing “Something Else” are two songs that portray O’Regan’s nonconformist attitude, and, while nonconformity is often questionably ostentatious, Diamond Rings manages to provide an almost Brandon Flowers-esque color to its music. Crowd Favorite: “I’m Just Me” Hidden Gem: “Give It Up” The Head and the Heart
With one album completed, The Head and the Heart has already shown me that folk is not only alive, but it’s thriving. Ah, if only the melodic voices of both Josiah Johnson and Charity Thielen could sing me to sleep each night! They have captured the essence of what it means to be alive, which albeit corny, you will realize what I mean while listening to the longing confessions interspersed in “Down in the Valley” or the nostalgic regret swimming throughout “Rivers and Roads.” Their soft-spoken beauty is tempered with lightheartedness, like the sound of a cat’s meow interrupting “Cats and Dogs.” Crowd Favorite: “Lost In My Mind” Hidden Gem: “Winter Song” Fitz and the Tantrums
With neither an acoustic nor an electric guitar in the band, Fitz and the Tantrum’s unique new-soul sound remains unparalleled in the entire spectrum of the music industry. A faintly jazzy hairbreadth of an influence seems to be the only element that can trace Fitz and the Tantrums back to its home in the general label “Alternative.” A funky-looking, eccentric forty-something male vocalist paired with a sensual, remarkable equally-aged African-American woman create memorable choruses in “L.O.V.,” “Winds of Change,” and “News 4 U.” Perhaps Fitz and the Tantrums is mocking the whole music industry with “Rich Girls,” declaring that it is high-maintenance and fake. This entertaining, get-your-tush-off-your-seat-and-onto-the-dance-floor-kind of band is one you do NOT want to miss! Crowd Favorite: “MoneyGrabber” Hidden Gem: Cover of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics |
Sarah Jaffe
If I ever have heard a strong female vocalist whose ability to produce songs that refuse to leave my head yet can also soothe me to sleep, it is Sarah Jaffe. Her full voice fills every crevice of my ears with seemingly golden liquid music. Yes, you read that correctly. Gold. Liquid. Music. Dainty but powerful, Jaffe manages to create bubbly, effervescent songs like “Glorified High,” and, on Side B, a devastatingly somber “Fangs.” I’ll be damned if I don’t hear her on the radio this next year right up there with Florence Welch. Crowd Favorite: “Clementine” Hidden Gem: “Mannequin Woman” The National
At first, I was blown away by Matt Berninger’s innate ability to both write lyrically confusing and musically authoritative songs on a consistent basis. Quite different than the norm, Berninger is a baritone, and his calm yet confident and great voice seems to be like a captain cooing in your ear. I feel helpless and minute and powerless and oddly satisfied and warm to the way a song like “Bloodbuzz Ohio” can become an almost tangible presence in a room. Awed by Berninger’s victorious and triumphant lyrics in “Runaway,” I find myself craving more and more of this God-like voice. Crowd Favorite: “Fake Empire” Hidden Gem: “England” Stars
Looking back, I have noticed that Stars has been the most faithful band to their core sound. Their music never veers away from their almost trademarked gentle and inspiring tones that have both Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan to thank. Consistently has Stars proven to me that whether it be a cover of “This Charming Man” or a song about a séance, “Dead Hearts,” Stars shows its true colors. Frequently reminiscing of lost loves and hopeful futures, Stars has carried me through the ups of life with “14 Forever” as well as its downs with “Wasted Daylight.” Softly comforting, each track of Heart promises a new, optimistic beginning, and each song of The Five Ghosts serves as a reminder to remember the past in all of its glory. Crowd Favorite: “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” Hidden Gem: “Midnight Coward” |