If you've already seen the film '500 Days of Summer', then there's a good chance you are already acquainted with this song as it is featured prominently on the soundtrack. Much like the turbulent relationship between the two leads in the film, the song alternates between slow steady build ups followed by spurts of intensity. The band is The Temper Trap, and comes to us all the way from Melbourne, Australia. Their debut album 'Conditions' will be released stateside on August 13, but if you can't wait til then you can download the single now to tide you over.
After a couple weeks off we are back with some new material. First on the agenda: a talented singer by the name of Anya Marina. If I could describe this song in only one word, I think the most appropriate adjective would be 'frisky.' It's the second single off her album 'Slow & Steady Seduction' released back in January. If you dig it, be sure to check out her awesome cover of TI's 'Whatever You Like' -- which can be found on her myspace page.
When members from 2 separate bands previously profiled on this site collaborate to put out some new material, the law of transitivity basically deems that this new venture be profiled as well. Meet Discovery, a new band comprising Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles and Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij. Their debut album under the Discovery moniker--LP-- is full of light and poppy synth-filled tunes that could effortlessly float through your next summer cocktail party. As is the trend in music these days, a handful of the songs rely on auto-tune to assist with the vocals. Despite increasing backlash to its growing use, I personally don't mind it in this case and think that it actually complements rather than detracts from the musical arrangements found on this album. Of its 10 tracks, I felt it was only appropriate given recent events to feature their take on the Jackson 5 classic.
At some point during my years at UVA, every single girl I knew (and a handful of dudes) -- mostly from suburbs near or above the Mason Dixon line -- seemed to instantly become a loyal country music fan. Out of nowhere artists such as Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and Brad Paisley became household names. Despite the increased exposure, I never really jumped on the bandwagon, save for a few of the cross-over hits which became my guilty pleasures (e.g. Tim McGraw's 'I Like It, I Love It'). A few years after graduation, I found myself stationed in Nashville, TN on a long term project for work, basically the epicenter of the country music scene. One weekend I decided to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, and being able to sample many recordings there, realized how good a lot of the early country music artists were (think Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, et al). The sound of these artists contrasted so sharply with what passed off as modern day country music. Listening to Those Darlins, a female trio from Murfreesboro TN, one can't help but think they are listening to a band from another era, but that has just enough attitude to sound thoroughly modern at the same time. This band has been getting a lot of buzz throughout the musical blogosphere, and fortunately for us, will be playing a show at Arlington's very own Iota next Tuesday. Catch them now before they move on to bigger venues.
This is a Washington, DC based music blog to help you discover new artists, bands, and collaborations which don't always get mainstream press. Have a listen, your ears will thank you.
