Retraplayer, comprised of long-time friends Leon Briggs and Phillip Pearson, draw on elements across genres to create their unique sound dubbed as “Esoteric Pop.” To give you a sense of how complex Retraplayer’s sound is – just take a look at the duos listed influences which run the gamut from electronica’s The Prodigy to hip-hop emcees Jadakiss and Nas to experimental/indie bands such as Yeasayer and Passion Pit and even singer-songwriters John Mayer and Nick Drake.
“The Observatory” is a beautiful representation of all of the above. It’s mesmerizing, catchy, thought-provoking, and mysterious all at the same time. As Retraplayer’s Leon Briggs told us, “[it's written] from the perspective of someone who doesn’t believe in coincidence or chance and that every event that occurs is brought about them by their predominant actions and thoughts; cause and effect/attraction.”
Give it a listen below then head on over to Retraplayer’s website to grab a free download of “The Observatory,” which is the title track for their upcoming EP (August 4). You can also find the guys on Facebook.
I’ve always gravitated to the lyrics of a song before anything else. I can overlook poor or over-stylized production, as long as the lyrics get me. It’s important to know that upfront before you hear my latest obsession, A.M. Architect, a duo of electronica savants. Yes, I said electronica, see where I’m going with this?
A.M. Architect’s debut album The Road to the Sun is so far outside my comfort zone, a trip into the unknown, and I like it. Check that — I NEED it. It’s easy to get lost in the ambient beats, to let the music lead the way with soothing backbeats, guitar tinges, and the occasional hand claps. So if you’ve had as rough of a day (or last few months!) as I’ve had — sit back, press play — and let A.M. Architect take the reins.
Up next for TRT’s bold predictions for “makin’ it” in 2010 is Brooklyn’s own OTiS. I first caught wind of OTiS a few weeks back thanks to one of our most reliable tipsters, Jake, who sent me the band’s cover of Pharcyde‘s “Passing Me By.”
Did I fail to mention, OTiS is not a rap group, by any means, but lead singer Craig Schoenbaum sure had me fooled, which points to the band’s versatility. OTiS defines themselves with three words: Rock, Soul, and Groove.
We can confirm after snagging OTiS‘ self-titled album in advance that those 3 words are certainly apparent from the album opener “All Over Again” to its closer in “Under the Gun.” But, for me the album’s stand out song has to be “American Dream,” the politically driven song that examines today’s world. Soap box not included. (more…)
After a busy 2009, Cage the Elephant are heading back on the road for a Spring headlining tour, which kicks-off February 15 in Augusta, GA. The band is currently riding the momentum of two-chart-topping singles in “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” and “Back Against the Wall.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Cage the Elephant has become known for their live performances at festivals like South-by-Southwest. Media has likened frontman Matt Shultz to many things including, “a demented Bible Belt preacher,” and “a Tasmanian devil whooping and jumping up and down like a frenzied gibbon.” So if you’re into that sort of high-octane, in-your-face, performance style, you should catch them on the road. Full tour dates after the jump
My favorite Louisiana natives, Benjy Davis Project, are getting set to release a new album, Lost Souls Like Us and we’ve got the official tracklist and cover art. BDP has gone through a bit of a line-up shuffle as of late, but the group is still comprised of original members Benjy Davis (shocker) and drummer Mic Capdeivelle.
The band recently dropped their new single “Stay With Me,” a mandolin-driven song about love with room for interpretation, whether in the moment or looking back on it. It’s quintessential BDP with a focus on intensely personal lyrics written by Benjy Davis as a result of life experiences.
Check out some footage of Benjy Davis Project in action that was captured at Sullivan Hall back in December. Official track-list for Lost Souls Like Us is after the jump, the album hits March 2nd.
Hey indie bands/artists, this post is for you. Still struggling to figure out if social media can help propel your career? Well, while you mull it over, brilliant indie bands like NYC’s Love and Logic are making their dreams come true.
The band decided to cover Adam Lambert’ssong “Whataya Want From Me” then took to the streets of Manhattan to shoot an authentic video starring everyday New Yorkers (and probably tourists). The video, though simplistic in concept, is visually catching. Shot in black and white, the video features members of Love and Logic interspersed with close-up performance shots and random strangers holding up a cardboard sign that reads “What Do You Want From Me.”
Love and Logic then (smartly) uploaded the video to YouTube and used Twitter to get the video in front of Adam Lambert. The singer took notice and tweeted the video link with the message “Wow!!! This is beautiful” and his rabid following did the rest. Views skyrocketed and rumor has it, MTV has expressed interest in the video and Love and Logic.
Props to the band. Check out the video after the jump! Then listen to Adam Lambert’s original. We wanna know, which do you prefer? Give us a shout in the comments.
Beat Radio first caught my ear on the Dope Lotus Winter Sampler and, since then, every time I stumble across them on shuffle, I have to stop and listen.
I should correct myself, too – Beat Radio is more “he” than “they” and largely subsists off of the not-inconsiderable talents of Brian Sendrowitz. Being said, Brian does have some help and, live, is backed by some very able musicians.
If I had to compare Beat Radio to another group, I’d say Death Cab for Cutie, or Over the Atlantic (their earlier stuff). They’re not exactly the same, but they all excel at smart, poppy-yet-emotional indie rock. Still, decide for yourself!
Continuing with our predictions on bands for our newly minted “makin’ it” in 2010, we’d like to introduce you to The Rural Alberta Advantage or The RAA for those who are easily tongue-tied like myself. Hailing from, you guessed it, Alberta, Canada, The RAA are the real deal.
A three-piece indie band that writes about what they know, “hometowns and heartbreaks.” I first caught The RAA in concert last May at The Mercury Lounge on a pure whim — and — I’ve been hooked since. At the time, they played to a half-filled club and didn’t even have an album to release. Fast-forward almost 8 months, their debut album Hometowns has officially dropped, they played to packed crowds, and recently opened for Passion Pit here in NYC. Pretty amazing!
This past weekend, The RAA returned to the Mercury Lounge with a vengeance. Not even a terrible cold could sideline frontman Nils Edenloff as he soldiered on through not one, but two, 50-minute shows. The other bandmates were in top form as Amy Cole did her thing on back-up vocals, xylophone, and tambourine while drummer Paul Banwatt kept time to perfection. Check the band stats after the jump and audio of standout track “Don’t Haunt This Place.” Let’s just say they had me at “heartbreaks.”
The Shout Out Louds‘ new album, entitled Work, is still about a month away, but you can catch a preview of it below with the just-released video for the first single, “Fall Hard.”
The Swedish group’s album will be hitting the States on February 23rd. The album was produced by Phil Ek, who’s been behind several of Built to Spill‘s best albums, the last two Shin‘s albums and both Band of Horses‘ records.
Impressive work, to say the least.
“Fall Hard,” already out in Scandinavia, will be available for download everywhere else on February 2nd and the song “Walls” is available for free here, or on the band’s Web site.
I’d like to nominate my first pick for bands most likely to be “makin’ it” in 2010. I should note that I’m no expert, having poured a lot of recommendations behind Bad Ronald way back in the day.
Still, I’m fairly comfortable with my assertion that Team William is awesome. Check out the two videos below – one is a live compilation of three songs, and the other is their very cool video for “I Walk Away.”
Band Stats:
Origin: Belgium
Age: Three Years
Super Powers: Upbeat Indie Pop/Rock, Cute Accents
Reasons for Makin’ It: The song “Walk Away” is way too infectious for the indie circuit to ignore and it’s Max Fleischer-inspired video is solid gold.
We started as a three friends having conversations about music during lunches together at the office. Since then we have expanded to seven members, including a Chi-town native, and the conversations have gotten bigger and better. The Round Table has grown into a casual setting where music aficionados can gather to discuss all things music. Topics include (but not limited to) artists and bands, new music releases, concerts, recording industry news and concerns, and the occasional nugget of entertainment gossip. We have tastes that cover the entire music spectrum and love to share them (and our opinions) with each other. We are The Round Table! Come join the conversation!
