We are long overdue for a forum in which to discuss breaking artists and new local talent. So, here's one. Let me know what you think of these artists! Let's have a dialogue!! With any luck I will be able to write one of these up every 1-2 weeks, and you can continue to be informed on new and/or undiscovered talent, which will lead you to even more new/undiscovered talent (as is often the case with these things), and our dialogue can continue! Excitement!
Kent, WA
Ah, those young kids and their music. Will there ever be a time when genres like pop-punk and emo are looked on by the critical music demagogues as being layered and varied and having the complexity generally thought to be needed for genre growth? That is up for debate; after all, the question centers around the perception of the music, as opposed to the music itself. It can certainly be said that some bands have unique sounds within the constraints of these "stereo"-types (sorry, bad pun--couldn't resist!), and West on 18 is one such band. Their debut LP, Vented Frustrations, is, in its way, a slight re-working of prototypical pop-punk. While being extremely listenable as the work of a "pop-punk/emo"-style band, the harmonies have more of a depth and the timing is a little different--both speaking to a unique vision of the genre and a forward-thinking attitude about the directions in which it can be manipulated, but the element that truly sets this band apart from its peers is its guitars. Lead guitarist Scott Reed was clearly raised on healthy amounts of Slash and George Thorogood, nods to both of which punctuate nearly every song. The heavy riff-age and blistering solo parts give the songs a visceral immediacy that made the genre so compelling in the first place, when you couldn't swing a Dickies jacket without hitting a Blink 182 fan. Heavily recommended for summer driving--and/or check them out live at a Seattle-area venue!The Mayfair Set - www.myspace.com/themayfairset
NY, NY/LA, CA
The term super-group gets thrown around a lot, so why not throw it around some more? A combination of NY's Dum Dum Girls and Los Angeles' Blank Dogs, this group uses layers of reverb as an instrument. This has identified them with the prevalent Lo-fi scene, but there is more to it than that. When I say reverb, I don't mean like recorded through a tin-can phone; I mean like recorded through a tin-can phone in a crypt...underwater. OK, that's probably overstating it. But, at some point, the songs must take over, especially when they've been given what is ostensibly an obstacle to overcome--and take over they do. Catchiness shines through every time. How far this band goes will be partly determined by the success of DDG, who have just released their first LP on Sup-Pop (I Will Be). Whether or not The Mayfair Set records anything else, the Young One EP is definitely worth the price of admission. Perfect for sipping wine on a summer evening...you will not be disappointed.Justin Townes Earl - http://www.myspace.com/justintownesearle
Nashville, TN
Remember when you first heard The Wallflowers? If you were anything like me, your first reaction was, at least somewhat: "Really? Bob Dylan had a biological hand in that (as in, Jakob Dylan)? Hmph." Now picture the complete opposite. JTE is the son of the famed Steve Earle, who is still a mainstay in the Americana/Roots scenes. His style is different, having been filtered through the prism of radio from the mid-eighties on, and imbued with a sense of roughness that can only have come from a deep spiritual kinship with punk-rock. But at the end of the day, it is about his songs, and it is my position that Justin Townes Earle has yet to write a bad song. Check out his newest release, Midnight at the Movies. Perfect for having just had your heart broken, or feeling like you just had your heart broken.So...how did we do? Might any one of those be your new favorite band? One way to find out...
--TRx
roar.
Very nice!
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