Wikipedia Genre: EDM and Future Bass. Home: NYC Poster Position: 7 Day: Friday at 5:45 Both Weekends
Thoughts: So I had decided to just run across the 7th line and knock out all four of them in a row. Big mistake. Having to suffer through San Holo and then immediately jump into this was not a good idea. I need a buffer in between the bad EDM so that I forget the last bad EDM and give the new bad EDM a chance. This had no chance. I wish it was actually called Gryffindor and was just electronic with all of the tunes sampling Hermoine taking Ron to task for not studying. RONNN! What *are* you doing? {heavy future bass drop sound} The best thing on his Spotify is a remix of the Portugal. The Man song "Feel It Still."
Which isn't as good as the original, but at least has a better song structure than anything else the guy has done. Guy's real name is Dan Griffith, and he is an American from New York. Wikipedia says that he gained initial recognition for remixing other people's songs like Tove Lo's "Talking Body." Sounds terrible. No actual albums available, just a bunch of singles and massive groupings of remixes of the same song. 7 versions of "Heading Home." 6 versions of "Whole Heart." 7 versions of "Feel Good." 7 versions of "Nobody Compares to You." So painful to get trapped into one of these whirlpools, just hearing slightly different versions of bad songs for like 30 minutes. Most listened to original song is called "Feel Good," and features Daya. 83 million streams.
Seriously, is this the same thing as San Holo? Generic female singer? Check. Lame lyrics about feeling good? Yep. Drop and synth? Of course. Blerg. You made me feel good and I like it! yay! One more, here is his most recent tune, "Winnebago" featuring something called Quinn XCII and Daniel Wilson. 4.7 million streams.
Sounds like Lil something. Yachty? Scooby? Purpy? Kyle? I have no clue what to say. This is not what I need to hear anymore. If you love this track, then more power to you, go get 'em and enjoy this show in the fall. I don't get it.
Wikipedia Genre: Trap, future bass Home: Netherlands Poster Position: 7 Day: Saturday at 6:30 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: I mean, I haven't even heard a note of this music and I already hate it. I remember seeing an artist named Com Truise the other day, and likewise it made me want to barf. SO CLEVER! And yet, you're messing with the extremely valuable childhood memories and feelings I associate with Han. When I get goosebumps every time the Falcon banks across the screen in one of the new movies of the Star Wars trilogy, that is real, and you, sir, and messing with those feels in pursuit of unimaginative "future bass." One guess what kind of music this is. if you were the first to guess generic EDM stuff, you have won a signed exhibit sticker from my desk. Well done. This is one of those guys without a real album, just a bunch of singles and a weird EP (that includes a straight up classical song), and a few "albums" that are just the same song redone 14 times. For real, he has a 2017 release that is the song "The Future" done in 14 different versions. If you can't decide which version of your computer generated song is actually good, then maybe its just not good? Seems like common sense to me. Top song, by a ton, is "Light" with 104 million streams.
Sounds like 8,000 other EDM tracks we've heard before. Female singing about generically aspirational subject - I JUST WANNA SEE THE LIGHT! - with a build up and drop that includes that backwards woozy synth sound. I could tell you that this was Avicii or Calvin Harris and you's be like, yeah, OK. Most of his other tunes are at less than 10 million streams. So, homeboy is Dutch, and his real name is Sander van Dijck. How can you not see that last name and think of dong? Will I ever stop being juvenile? I kind of doubt it. Also, in 2014, Disney threatened to sue the guy for copyright infringement over being too closely associated with Han Solo. I can't see any resolution to that demand, but it sure seems like he got to keep using the name. Dammit Disney, FINISH HIM! I'll give you one more track, this is his most recent single, "Summertime," which features Yellow Claw and has 1.4 million streams.
Yeah, that is probably worse than the earlier track? Is Yellow Claw the singer? Huh. Yellow Claw is another DJ (well, looks like 2 DJs), so who does what when three DJs make an electronic track together? Are they all hunched over one laptop, trying to punch the F4 button at the same time? I said I'd only do one more track, but Wikipedia shows that this guy became famous because he remixed the Dr. Dre song "Tha Next Episode." That song rules, so let's see what he did to it.
Oh God. He ruined it. You know why that original song rules? The pimp ass 60's tune Dre sampled. Removing that entirely just makes this a mediocre Snoop rap over the sound of Pharrell clucking his tongue from "Drop It Like Its Hot." This is bad. Meanwhile, it has 168 million freaking views on YouTube, so maybe I'm the one who is bad... I would not go see this live.
One Liner: Very good indie rock, in between Iron & Wine and Gaslight Anthem.
Wikipedia Genre: Indie rock, alternative rock, art rock Home: Atlanta. Poster Position: 7 Day: Friday at 4:45 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Odd juxtaposition of sounds if you just run through the top ten most popular tracks for this band on Spotify. I'm going to go ahead and write this review as I run through those, and then will offer more comprehensive thoughts once I've run through everything. The first song, the very excellent "The Gold," calls to mind Iron and Wine or Lord Huron or Death Cab. Slightly rockin', very emotional, powerful indie rock tune. Has just over 7 million streams.
I endorse this message. Very good song. From their most recent album, 2017's A Black Mile to the Surface. But then the second and third most popular tracks for the band are both from 2009's Mean Everything to Nothing, which are more like, uh, emo punk? Yelping rough vocals and taut guitar like Gaslight Anthem or Dashboard Confessional. Here is the band's second most listened to track, "Shake It Out," with 8.1 million streams.
Still a pretty good song, although I think I'd prefer the more chilled out sound to the older emo rock thing. One more tune, their most recent one, before I go dig into who the band is and what they are doing. Brand new single, "No Hard Feelings," released in March 2018, and so far with 525k streams.
That is actually a cover of an Avett Brothers song. And it makes me want to get all emotional and hug my dog and tearfully sob into his fur as I recall loss. Oh criminy, I was making a joke, and then I read the second comment on the YouTube video for that song, which is from someone saying that this song made them feel slightly better in the end of their fight with cancer, and so I just randomly cried at my desk for real while listening to this song. Stupid freaking cancer. Lovely tune though. And by the way, other songs on the Black Mile album get to rockin', now that I've run through the whole catalog here, know that its not all tender Iron and Wine vibing. "The Moth" kinda jams. In fact, that whole album is very good, bouncing back and forth between the two sides of this band's sound. I very much like the chilled sound like "The Gold" and "The Alien," but also enjoy the rawk. This album is good enough for me to save it in my Spotify Q. 2014's HOPE is actually a little like an Avett Brothers sound - especially on "Girl Harbor" - or Ray LaMontaigne sound. Then 2013's COPE goes more rock and roll, driving guitars. Ah, ha! Actually, those two albums are the same songs, just two different versions of the songs - rocking COPE and acoustic/chilled HOPE. Interesting. I like both of them - kind of cool to take rock and roll and strip off the sneer to reveal the emotional core beneath. Neat to put them side by side. I really like COPE, got some punk and emo elements. So who is this band? Interesting that they are from Atlanta. Their name immediately brings to mind the Madchester scene, with like, the string section from "Bittersweet Symphony" as a constant portion of the band, but instead they are pretty distinctly American sounding. The main guy, Andy Hull, says that he was 16 when he formed the band, and was super into The Smiths, who are from Manchester, and then the Orchestra part came in because he wanted to make it clear that he was the conductor of the band of high school kids, and others could come and go like a regular orchestra. Weird, but OK. I can guarantee you my band names I came up with at age 16 were waaaay dumber than that. I wanted a tattoo of a toaster for crying out loud. Odd factoid, they apparently created the soundtrack to the super weird movie Swiss Army Man. That movie was no good. Harry Potter fart factory was not even the strangest part of it. Another factoid, clap me on the back because I predicted this band would come to ACL. I am a knower of things. I'd definitely sign up to go see these guys play their show. Right up in my wheelhouse.
One Liner: Psych instrumental freakout jam music, but with horns
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia entry. Uh, psych rock, jam band, funk futuresounds zippy slip. Something online said Afropsych. OK. Home: Austin! Poster Position: 13 Day: Friday at 3:45 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Sweet band name, right? This is one of those bands with 94 people in it, all jamming out on stage together at the same time, and one where they try to outweird themselves with their media message. Check the landing page of their website. "From these Forbears, Great Nomads of the Golden Dawn. A Cabal of Secret Chiefs Arose. They Live in Light and Worship in Honor of the Message. Awaiting the Return of their Divine Solar Mandjet. They Convey the Signal in Song as they Look Towards the Skies for a Sign of the Coming Light. They are Known Among Believers as the Golden Dawn Arkestra." This is the part where that scary ass Heaven's Gate Marshall Applewhite guy shows up to induct you into his cult.
I want you to join Golden Dawn Arkestra!!!
The tunes are electric boogaloo psych funk jam music - mostly instrumentals. Two albums, 2014's Golden Dawn Arkestra (with a bit more surf influence) and 2016's Stargazer. Nothing is extremely popular by stream count, but the top one is the title track from the new album. Here is "Stargazer," which has just under 200k streams.
Only 3,521 views of that video, and yet its been out there for two years. Not good. I mean, 13 year old me would have watched it a hundred times just for the boobs. I guess kids these days don't need negative exposure boobs and can just see a million of the real thing online. Nevermind. Most of their tunes are in the 30k stream zone, or less, but one tune from their earlier album breaks the 100k limit at 144k. This is "Dimensions."
Good funky track. I think this band will be a ridiculous amount of fun at the Fest. I mean, none of their songs are boring. Weird, yes. Lacking lyrics, yes. A little frightening, also yes. The band itself is also weird as crap (as though the website discussion up above doesn't explain that. Check this article about the band, here are a few bullets from there:
From Austin.
The members are all space aliens who met and formed the band a few years ago.
The lead singer's stage name is Zapot Mgawi. But his real name is purportedly Topaz McGarrigle. C'mon man. How are you using a stage name with a real name like that?
They apparently have a new album (Children of the Sun) but Spotify doesn't have it - BOOOOOOO!
Let's freaking do this. Who is bringing the mind altering substances? Time to drop some California Sunshine and shimmy to the shiny sounds of slippery spacewaves.
One Liner: Old Arkells = good alt rock; New Arkells = generic indie dance rock
Wikipedia Genre: Alternative rock. Home: Hamilton, Ontario. Poster Position: 25 Day: __ Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: This is one of those bands that sounds very much like someone else, but I can't quite put my finger on it. The Wallflowers? No. Paul Westerberg? No. Cracker? Nah. Pete Yorn? Maybe? Soul Asylum? Not quite. The Revivalists? Could be. The Fray? Not quite. None of those are quite right, I'm thinking of some mid-90's soft alternative band like Ben Howard or Semisonic going for a soul sound? Dammit, there is something brewing in the back of my brain that is going to fire out in a few days and I'll be like "YES YES, IT'S BARENAKED LADIES!!!" (except that's not it either) Their "Related Artists" list on Spotify is a list of made up band names a computer created while being infected by the WannaCry virus: Said the Whale, Hollerado, Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, Hey Rosetta!, and Wintersleep. For real, those are band names who are apparently like this band. WTF. My wife and I had a fun discussion in the airport a few weeks ago where she was making fun of some band's name, and I told her about the band The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die. She didn't believe me, and then tried to come up with band names on the fly, and EVERY ONE OF THEM WAS TAKEN. Panties - taken. Black Panties - taken. On and on, everything she came up with had a band on the Internet who had used that name. Which is why we are now stuck with names like freaking Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker. The band is a pack of Canadians, and their sound is a piano forward indie rock. Their most listened to track comes from 2014's High Noon. Here is "Leather Jacket," with 6.2 million streams.
I mean, that is not their best song. Many of the other tunes in their catalog are much less cheesy than that one. I mean, the chorus? "You called me up from a pay phone I said "Hang tight, I can drive you home", I pulled on up and with a southern accent, I offered you my dad's leather jacket." Huh? According to Genius, he came up with the southern accent line because he liked Friday Night Lights, the TV show. WTF. And I agree with the sentiment near the end of the song - "who the fuck uses a payphone?" Let's go to their most recent album instead, 2017's Morning Report, which boasts their second-most listened-to track, "My Heart's Always Yours," which has 5.1 million streams.
Oh, wait, crap. Is that one pretty cheesy too? Dangit. I swear, when I listened through their whole catalog on Spotify I thought this stuff sounded pretty good. Now it sounds like the bad section of the Killers new album. Overly self-important and grandiose. From poking around on the Internet, it looks like there is a vocal section of fans who love their first album, and then have felt let down by the tunes since then. So let's give them one more shot, with their most popular track from 2008's Jackson Square. "Oh, The Boss is Coming!" has 837k streams.
Yeah, OK, this is more like a Foo Fighters-lite thing, more alternative rock and less piano indie. I like it too. "Pullin' Punches" is good. "Deadlines" has a good rock swagger to it. This album is definitely their best stuff. And it somehow includes a song called "Ballad of Hugo Chavez," which is so very odd and while ostensibly about the ex-Venezuelan president, but mainly just repeats the line "night of the sun! hey hey hey!" Whiiiich, I guess I missed the part of world history class where Chavez was known for yelling "hey!" at the sun during the night? That track is not great. But "Champagne Socialist" is pretty solid and the rock breakdown in "I'm Not the Sun," a keyboard-sustained rock ballad, is also prime. We'll go one more, their new track, a 2018 single called "People's Champ," which is more funky, but kind of a generic dance rock track.
OK. Well I guess I'm on board with the old school fans of the band who long for the old alternative rock sound, instead of the new piano and synth-heavy sound. Being that they are all Canadian, I'm sure even the angry fans are exceedingly polite about their disappointment in the new music. "Oh gee, eh, I surely did enjoy that first album, you guys. Great job trying to make more good music, eh? Sure love that first album though!" Probably won't go see this. Wait! It's the New Radicals! That is what I hear - the "You Get What You Give" guys! YES!!! No, wait, it's the bad part of the Killer's new album, but if Dave Grohl sang the lyrics while he had pneumonia! Dammit! I can't get it right!
One Liner: The Fifth Harmony escapee pop star with that "Havana" song.
Wikipedia Genre: Pop, R&B Home: Havana, Cuba. Poster Position: 2 Day: Sunday at 6:30 (they just moved this time back, FYI) Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: Oh yeah, I know that song. When I saw this name up at the top of the poster, I was confused. Who the hell is Camila Cabello? Then I played her top song and now I remember, this is prime pop music. Which brings to mind another question, which is what the hell is prime pop music doing at the top of the ACL poster? I don't know why it should be any different for me to find this weird but not question any of the popular rappers being at the top of the lineup, but for some reason it feels especially weird to have pure Britney/Xtina-style pop at ACL. So, in case you are like me and have no clue of the backstory here, a quick primer. Cabello is a Cuban-American who was discovered as part of 2012 season of The X Factor (a singing competition TV show) when Simon Cowell decided to create a power girl group called Fifth Harmony. After a few years, Cabello tried a few outside projects, such as that godawful Machine Gun Kelly song "Bad Things" and one with Shawn Mendes (also at ACL this year) before finally deciding to break free of the group and go out on her own. Her first solo single was "Crying in the Club," which Wikipedia says only had modest performance, but with 266 million streams on Spotify, sure seems like it did well.
OK. Super breathy sad-girl music. Kind of a Demi Lovato singing a Lana Del Rey vibe. Oh no, wait, but then the music changes up and gets a little more upbeat, and its actually about NOT crying in the club. What a crazy switcheroo! Ain't no cryin' in the club indeed! Also, I have no clue about anything involving this type of pop music - my kids love it but I change the radio anytime this type of stuff comes on. Not a very good song. So then in 2018 she released her only album, the imaginatively titled Camila. It immediately went to number one and was certified gold, mainly based on the strength of "Havana," the unstoppable single hit that I've heard too many times and never enjoyed. 874 million streams. Wow.
OK. Hold on. Lets unpack that video. The weird telenovella at the start? The cross-dressing abuelita (who looks like maybe John Legend?) who wants to use her flip flop to beat people? The grandma calls Cabello her Peachmuffin? Is that a thing? And then she grinds the bike messenger before John Legend bones the broom? Anyway, I get it - after "Despacito," the world is looking for more Latin crossover stuff and this easily fits the bill. Young Thug sucks, by the way. But I guess it is a pretty catchy chorus, but mainly for the Havana nananana part, not for the actual lyrics. She does a crappy song with Quavo from Migos. She does a bad tune with Pharrell (very bad. Go experience "Sangria Wine" if you really want to dip into the dregs of current pop music). She has a track with someone called Kane Brown. She did a track with Major Lazer and Travis Scott. She's out there doing stuff with other popular folks. I'm not going to try to say that she doesn't have a good voice. Definitely true. But after that, I just don't care. None of these songs are that great, just another pop star that'll release more generic breathy power ballads and club-thumpers before she disappears into where ever Hilary Duff and Nelly Furtado are now. Also, her high ass voice on "Never Be the Same," her third most listened to track makes dogs scream in pain and even tempered windows crack. And just so you can suffer through the Machine Gun Kelly song, here you go:
One Liner: Banjofied Americana and Harmonic Folk (with a big ginger beard!).
Wikipedia Genre: Americana, folk, alternative country Home: Portland, Maine. Poster Position: 18 Day: Sunday at 1:15 Both Weekends
Thoughts: Saw Portland as their hometown, and thought, "of course they are, banjo-playing Civil War enthusiast hippies should live in Portland," only to realize that is Portland MAINE! Surprise! Their Wikipedia bio pretty much is two sentences, including a note that they played on Conan's show in January 2018. Does Conan O'Brien still have a television show? Really? Huh, yeah, he's apparently on TBS. Dropping cable has increased the room in my brain for more music, instead of dumb late night shows and re-runs of Gone in 60 Seconds, so I feel like I'm in better shape than if I had seen these guys play on Conan back in January. The tunes though, they are pretty fun, banjo-fied ballads and foot-stompers. They started out with a 2012 EP that contains their most listened to track, which also later appeared on their first full-length, 2014's Believe. Here is "San Antone."
Live version, but you get the idea. Kind of like a Mumford-before-the-rock-transition vibe, with good harmonies and fun driving guitar/mandolin/banjo breakdowns. And a stack of harmonica. Although I'd like to take umbrage with the fact that they call the tune "San Antone" so that it seems like it would be an homage to the Mission City, and instead he just falls in love in Texas but he still loves the frozen tundra of his home up north. Juke move, bro. In 2015 they put out another album, called Field Notes, Vol. 1, which includes two of the more odd (but kinda cool) pieces of their discography. One, a bluegrass-ized version of The Who's "Baba O'Riley." Everyone loves singing about the teenage wasteland. Two, a song from the perspective of soldiers from Maine in the Civil War. That one is cool enough for me to show it off here.
Sorry, you have to turn that one up a little bit, they went soft with the recording. But this is some Decemberists shit right there, a detailed ode to joining up with the Union army to do battle for your fine fellow laddies from Maine. I like it. Finally, they have a recent album from 2017, Monarch. This one goes a little more rock and roll, a little less traditional bluegrass, but still keeps the banjo featured fully and front and center. The top track from that album is "Next Year," with 296k streams, but the one with a full video is called "Montreal," and is currently more popular (albiet with only 158k streams so far), so I give you that one.
Yeah buddy. Another good one. Is the banjo the finest instrument in all of humandom? I'm going to say no, but it sure is hard for me to dislike any band that heavily incorporates the cool sounding pluck of a banjo. But that tune has a lot of longing and melancholy mixed in with a great harmonic sound. Well done. I'm a fan. I was unsure when I started because the name is kind of too cute, but I've enjoyed the music. I'd try them out in the fall.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia entry, so funky indie pop? Home: Miami Poster Position: 21 Day: Sunday at 11:15 am Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: I like the band name. I was hopeful that this was going to be Atlanta strip club rap music (the rappers like to talk about the famous Magic City club in Atlanta, where hot new hip hop breaks to the masses). I then looked up Magic City to see what that had to do with anything. Here is a list of the cities that have claimed this moniker:
Atlanta, Georgia
Barberton, Ohio
Billings, Montana
Birmingham, Alabama
Bogalusa, Louisiana
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Endicott, New York
Florence, South Carolina
Orlando, Florida
Middlesboro, Kentucky
Minot, North Dakota
Moberly, Missouri
Muncie, Indiana
Roanoke, Virginia
South Omaha, Nebraska
Huh. Who knew that so many places were magic. Funny thing, these guys aren't from any of those places. They claim Miami as their home. Anyway, this music is not hot new hip hop. OK, well if they aren't strip club rap, then the fact that the band uses "Hippies" in their name, made me think this would be some shaggy jam band stuff. Like Dr. Dog or Phish or some other hippie thing. Nope - more like hipster white boy funk. Not sure where the name comes in or has anything to do with anything, other than sounding cool. This chunk of their website details the origin story, but still fails to describe where the name really came from:
Magic City Hippies began as a one-man band playing for the co-ed party scene on the streets of Miami — serenading the 20-somethings with a mix of old- school hip-hop covers and breezy pop originals. After months of stealing electricity and stirring up crowds of passers-by with his loop-based setup, Robby Hunter was given an ultimatum by the local police: to cease and desist from street performance or to get a gig at a “real bar.” Finding sanctuary in the neighborhood dive, Hunter enlisted the support of multi-instrumentalists Pat Howard (drums) and John Coughlin (guitar) for a regular Friday night gig (that paid, of course, in free beer). The trio dubbed themselves Robby Hunter Band and released a self-produced, widely acclaimed debut LP in 2013 entitled Magic City Hippies, which included the beachy Hype Machine-topper “Corazón” alongside indie blog hits ”Hard On Me” and “BUST.”
OK, and then this interview lends a little more light to the subject:
Why the band name change? Less narcissistic?
Ha, Ass. Yes. It’s a sensitive subject (not really). Honestly, we were affectionately dubbed Robby Hunter Band from playing the Cuda so many nights, and never having a real band name. We would always change our name to something the bouncer Charlie made up on the spot, or something we had been brewing up on the car ride over there. Magic City Hippies also came from an affectionate monicker: “Hippie Castle,” which is the name of the band's official residence — and naturally — the denizens of this lair are named “The Hippies."
So I guess he is just like my kids and doesn't understand what the word hippie actually means, so they're just going with it. Whatever. Let's get to the music. The most listened to track on Spotify is the opening track from the 2015 Hippie Castle EP, called "Fanfare," with 5.8 million streams.
Sweet semi-porn video right there, fellas. But this is what I heard back when I was wondering if this was going to be rap, and I was very sad. I suppose it is rap, but just a very bad version. I want to like that song, and bits of it appeal to me after a few listens, but overall I can't condone this music. No full album, but they have released a few more recent singles, and I'll give you the most recent so that you can get a feel for what they will likely release soon as their full-length. This is "Body Like a Weapon." Has 13k streams.
More jenky hipster rap/singing stuff. Kind of funky. I like that angle they are going for with the instrumentation, but I can't get behind the sing/rap vocals or the kind of intentionally lame aesthetic. This isn't my thing. No thanks. Of course they are weekend two only. I'm hating the fact that I can't do weekend one right about now...
Wikipedia Genre: None listed, I'll go with funk and soul and World. Home: Houston Poster Position: 11 Day: Sunday at 4:00 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: OK, this one is off the reservation, but its absolutely freaking cool. Do you remember BadBadNotGood from last year? If those dudes were trying to make funk instrumentals for rappers to use, I feel like these cats are trying to make funk instrumentals for spaghetti Westerns to use. And I do not mean that as an insult in the slightest. I'm truly digging what this band is laying down. One of these tunes is familiar, I think KUTX must have been playing it recently or something. It isn't the top track, but its still the one I want to present to you first, because it is flipping tight. I need Killer Mike to lay a track down over the top of it yesterday. This is "Maria Tambien," with just over 3 million streams.
By the way, that speaking stuff in that video doesn't belong - that is not in the real version of the track, but is for some reason included in the official video... But the key to these tunes is that bass. Hot damn, that bass is a reason to get up in the morning and face the day. Gimme some more of that stuff. The name though, I don't even understand how to say it. Wikipedia says the following: "When asked to play their first gig, [bassist] Laura Lee, who was learning to speak Thai at the time, decided they should name themselves after her favorite word, "khruangbin," which means "engine fly" or "airplane" in Thai. Speer admits that, had they had the foresight to predict the band's success, they may not have chosen a name that was so difficult to pronounce. Though the band's name is notoriously challenging to say, it symbolizes the international set of influences that shaped the band's formation." This video (with a very annoying screaming woman in it) shows how to pronounce it.
Krung Bin. Someone please make that lady shut up. No need to scream at the top of your lungs while this guy is trying to explain the band name. Criminy. Two albums, 2015's The Universe Smiles Upon You and 2018's Con Todo El Mundo. I like the newer album quite a bit more - the old one has more of a psych/surf vibe, where the 2018 album feels more solid and more funky. The "Maria Tambien" song up above is from the new album, but their most popular track is from that older album, this is "White Gloves" with 8.8 million streams.
OK. Not their best track by any means, but OK. Also, how fucking cool do these cats look in this video.
That is the good shit right there. That simple drumming to keep it moving. The complex bass climbing and descending and bouncing around, and then the ringing, plucking, insistent guitar. That first track is freaking goodness. The video is 50 minutes long, so I get it if you're not going to go that far, but just check out the opener. No, you need to see the second one too. I want to make sweet love to this music. Not like listen to it while I make love, I want to actually bone this music. Also, the fact that the bassist and guitarist share a hairstyle is kind of messed up. On her, looks great, especially when she breathes into the mike. On him, scary Moorish molester man. The fact that it is Weekend One only is a freaking travesty on a very high level. Hopefully they are playing the same day as Greta Van Fleet and I can catch them with a single day pass.
One Liner: Austin blues rocker with a killer guitar.
Wikipedia Genre: Rock, blues, soul Home: Austin Poster Position: 23 Day: Saturday at 12:45 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: The first thought I had about her songs was that she was raw. I thought she probably was from Austin, because her production sounded like she was being recorded in a bedroom studio down in South Austin somewhere. Then I listened to her 2014 album, The Light in Me, and the first few songs are much better sounding. Some real deal guitar work and a strong voice - kind of like a Gary Clark Jr.-lite. After I wrote that ( I swear) I read Wikipedia saying that the Austin American Statesman had called her “a Gary Clark Jr.-level talent who speaks boldly through her guitar." I mean, lets not get carried away here guys. "What I Need" is the strongest tune in my opinion - but with only 7k streams I'm not able to present you with a video link to listen to. So, here is her most popular track (by a mile), "Flying" with 91k streams.
Hear what I mean? Sounds like she recorded it at home with her phone attached to a mike. Not a bad tune, but I've played it a few times and am just not seeing anything exciting other than the great guitar solos. The rest is pretty basic and a little boring. That being said, here are a few interesting anecdotes about her:
Attended Berklee College of Music
Allergic to weed
Austin City Hall declared May 21, 2014 Jackie Venson Day. Take that Paul McCartney, I bet Austin doesn't have a Sir Paul day!
Only one album - 2014's The Light in Me - and then two EPs - 2017's Transcends and 2013's Rollin' On. Well, there is also a live album, but it is up and down in terms of quality. Her second most listened to track (almost everything in here is under 10k streams) is called "Mysterious," but honestly, I think you should just listen to the guitar work on this YouTube video instead - much more interesting.
Tune is called "Rollin' On," which is on a 2013 EP available on Spotify, but leave the lyrics and the rest of the band behind, that one is all about the slick Texas blues guitar work she is doing right there. Pretty sweet. That solo in the middle is choice, grade A prime. So are the crowd shots of the white people dancing to the music. Hell yeah, gimme more awkward white man overbite all day. Based on the albums, I was likely going to say I wouldn't go give this a chance, but after that live video, I might just go check it out and see her shred in person.
One Liner: Irish indie rock that belongs on a CW drama
Wikipedia Genre: Rock, Indie, Alternative. Home: Dublin Poster Position: 18 Day: Friday at 11:15 am Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Who was that band who was used over and over on Grey's Anatomy episodes? They had a song about a car crash or something? SNOW PATROL! Not a crash, but "Chasing Cars." That is what this band makes me think of, pleasantly generic indie rock that has probably been used in 19 episodes of a CW show. Well, maybe not that generic, I dig the Irish lilt to the vocals. And some of these get pretty fun - check out "Just Like That" from the 2014 album or "Addicted to Progress" from the 2011 album. Those are more like a Two Door Cinema Club type danceable rock track thing. According to Spotify's bio, they were originally called Kiros, and three of the four members started that band at 15, but then changed the name. This article calls them one of Ireland's most successful indie bands, so I guess these guys are big back home? It also notes that the lead singer is the son of Mary Black (which means nothing to me at all but she is apparently an important Irish folk singer), so I guess that is big time? Five albums, starting with 2007's Heroes or Ghosts, which boasts their most listened to track, "Heroes of Ghosts." 1.9 million streams.
The comments on YouTube are talking about how there are people out there who only know the song in Irish, but think its weird to hear it in English. Seems absolutely strange to remake a song in a different language. It seems like it would be impossibly hard to make the original lyrics work with the rhythm of the tune when the words changed entirely. Just seems like you'd get extra syllables and it'd sound all messed up. Like imagine if "Take out the papers and the trash" had to become "sacar los papeles y la basura." You go from eight syllables in English to eleven in Spanish. No way you can make that sound right. They get into the Christian rock spirit with "My God," back in 2011 - actually a pretty lovely little tune, like an Irish drinking song except the lyrics are literally asking for God to make him brave and wash away his disgrace. Pretty good tune. For the other tune I'll give you here, how about the most listened to from the most recent album, 2017's Trust the Wire. Here is "We Couldn't Fake It," which has 1.1 million streams.
Pretty damn good tune. Good vocals, good guitar, mediocre backing drum machine, and catchy chorus. I like it. Most of this is pretty good music. I take back my derisive mention of Snow Patrol up above. Well no, I don't take it back, but I'd say that several of their top ten most popular songs aren't my favorites and call out that comparison, but then as you run through the catalog a few times, its pretty good indie rock. Some of the songs suck, like "Sandy," which stands out as being especially bad sounding to me (makes me think of that crappy Sister Hazel song from back in the day). I'd go give these guys a shot.
