16 January, 2007

Keeping My Homies Ahead of the Game

I’m horrible at being ghetto, but that’s not the point. The point is that I’m good at finding awesome tunes to keep my friends occupied. Maybe it’s a sixth sense, or some superhero power I gained when I was exposed to radiation, or maybe it’s just a talent. Although I can’t begin to explain my superhuman abilities, I can use them for the greater musical good.


The new supergroup, The Good, The Bad, and the Queen, may have a ridiculously long name, but they make music that’s at least as ridiculously good. “Kingdom of Doom” has odd guitar noise and a steady bass line that lends it an eerie British sound. It sounds like the Gorillaz slamming out rock songs in a haunted Victorian house. On the rest of their debut, they bounce out reggae beats (“History Song”,) techno music with bumpy piano (“Herculean”,) and sprightly piano with bouncy, yet mellow guitar (“80s Life.”) Listen to their whole album on Myspace.


Being the little pushover that I am, I can’t help but wait with briskly beating heart for the new Fall Out Boy release, “Infinity on High.” The boys know where to place a hook, and they’re just so darn cute, plus, based on the song “Carpal Tunnel of Love” their new album will be the break up album of ‘07. Just a little heads up to all my emo friends (you know who you are!)


I’ve been infected by the Lily Allen bug. Her music is bubble gum, pure musical candy without nutritional value, but worth your time just for the fun you’ll have listening to her snarky commentary on relationships (“Smile”) and Kate Moss (“Everything’s Just Wonderful.”)


For fans of local music, Boston’s female fronted band My Little Radio will be hosting their CD release party at TT the Bear’s on February 2nd. For people who don’t know My Little Radio’s music, it sounds kind of like Flyleaf meets Paramore, and absolutely nothing like the fabulous Dresden Dolls.


Sometimes when a band or artist has a lot of chatter circulating online and blurbs in big magazines, when everyone seems to hear something different in their music, I don’t hear anything. I have a horrible time trying to find something interesting in music that everyone else seems to be touting. After a little break from the gossip, I can usually find something I like about any kind of music. Here are a few good bands/musicians I’ve ignored in the past because they were already receiving a ton of buzz:

Cold War Kids

Brett Dennen

Death From Above 1979 (no longer together)

Iron & Wine (Like I’ve said before, I was late on the whole Garden State thing.)

KT Tunstall

The Raconteurs

Los Abandoned

Old Crow Medicine Show


I want to finish you guys off with something old yet exceedingly interesting; Hobbit. Yes, they’re named after the race of miniscule hairy beings from the J.R.R. Tolkien books. Yes, all of their songs are about the plots of said books. Yes, they are a cheesy prog rock band. But if it weren’t for these three little things, Hobbit would be huge. They basically rip off Led Zeppelin, but then what self-respecting rock band doesn’t?

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