Tag: music reviews

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Best of Genres

Best Electro Pop Bands

I first discovered the genre electro pop in the early 2000’s with the band MGMT. I was immediately entranced by the synth-heavy riffs and catchy beats and I have loved the genre ever since, which originated in England in the 80’s. It has since grown into a huge commercial success around the world with acts such as Britney Spears and Lady Gaga popularizing the sound. The list I created dives more into the indie world of electro pop. The genre is known for its use of electronic musical elements like synth keys, computer-generated beats and effect-heavy vocals. 

  1. Inner Wave- This LA-based band is my favorite electro pop act and one of my favorite overall groups. They bring infectious catchy beats with synth heavy instrumentals and cool modern lyrics. After I first discovered this band I was hooked and couldn’t stop listening to them, which explains their cult following. 
  2. Mild High Club- This Chicago-based project formed by Alexander Brettin mixes jazz, hip hop, psychedelic pop and electro pop to create a perfect lo-fi sound. One of my favorite musical acts, Mild High Club is one of those rare combinations of genres that sounds so amazing when put together. 
  3. Men I Trust- This electro pop group from Quebec brings a smooth calm jazz sound, mixed with a steady synth beat and dreamy whispery vocals. They mix many genres together including dream pop, electro pop, jazz and indie pop to create one of my favorite sounds. 
  4. Sports- This electro pop group hails from the unlikely state of Oklahoma. Their style is a mix of David Bowie and Prince dance beats, dream pop soundscapes and ironic 80’s style pop. They use a lot of humor and love to sexualize their lyrics in funny ways. A very entertaining band, they captured my attention with their catchy songs and overall unique and cool personas. 
  5. Crumb- This Brooklyn-based electro pop group mixes together elements of jazz, electronica, indie pop and lo-fi hip hop. They have a calm smooth delivery and very hypnotic beats that make them highly enjoyable and addicting to listen to. 
  6. MGMT- One of the pioneers of mixing electronica and indie rock, MGMT became very popular during the mid 2000’s with their psychedelic dreamy sound. This power duo originated in Connecticut and have gone through slight sound changes throughout the years, from psychedelic indie rock to more of an 80’s new age sound. They remain one of the best bands of the 2000’s for their witty song writing, catchy songs and unique approach to modern music. 
  7. Josefin Ohrn + The Liberation- This Swedish psychedelic electro pop band mixes traditional 60’s style rock with modern synth heavy instrumentals. They are a very unique group and have had a lot of positive attention and critique for being a relatively new band. 
  8. STRFKR- This Portland-based band follows closely to a more traditional electro pop sound full of techno-style beats, long looping songs and colorful layered synth instrumentals. Don’t let their poppy exterior fool you as they are still very much an indie band who likes to stay out of the commercial spotlight. 
  9. The Marias- This LA-based electro pop band blends together jazz, psychedelic soul, Latin soul, R&B and indie pop. They sing in both English and Spanish in a smooth and velvety voice and love to use Latin jazz percussions, horns and guitar riffs to create a smooth, chill vibe. 
  10. Tame Impala- This Australian indie rock band didn’t start off being an electro pop group but slowly evolved their sound over the years. They grew to enormous commercial success after their album, “Lonerism” which paved the way for their new electro pop sound found in their next album, “Currents”. They are an amazingly talented band that blends together psychedelic rock, electro pop and indie rock to create a clean, well-crafted sound. 
  11. Badbadnotgood- This Toronto-based instrumental electro pop band is known for their production work but has an impressive number of jazz fusion songs. They mix jazz, electronica, hip hop and psychedelic rock to create a unique and dynamic sound. 
  12. Club Kuru- This London-based psychedelic pop group creates soft and subtle electro pop sounds full of catchy riffs and layered soundscapes. They have a unique style that takes from many different eras and genres. 
  13. Homeshake- This Canadian solo artist takes elements from hip hop and blends them with lo-fi indie jazz and electro pop. He has worked with fellow Canadian, Mac Demarco, and shares a lot of his style, with strange sounding guitars and synths. He has a great overall sound full of awesome bass lines and synthetic drum beats. 
  14. Meltt- This psychedelic dream pop group from Vancouver, Canada blends colorful, detailed soundscapes with indie, alternative rock riffs. This combination creates a truly breathtaking listening experience that has caught the attention of indie fans from around the world. 
  15. Paul Cherry- This LA-based musician, songwriter and producer has a funky style that pays homage to 80’s synth pop. He uses humor and satire in his work, which is highly addictive and entertaining to listen to. 
  16. Reptaliens- This Portland-based indie pop group is a nice combination of electro pop, psychedelic rock, art rock and dream pop. I have been a fan of theirs from the minute I first heard them and I’m hoping they grab the attention of a larger audience. They are smart and talented and draw from a wide variety of musical influences from around the world.
  17. Still Corners- This American/British band is a great example of traditional dream pop. They are probably my favorite dream pop bands behind the original dream pop masters, Beach House. They blend electro pop and psychedelic indie rock and flourish through their mellow, whispery vocals and echoing desert-vibes guitar work. 
  18. Tops- This Montreal-based indie rock band has a delightful 70’s disco style mixed with 80’s synth pop. Their vocal delivery shines and hits some wonderfully high notes while the background instrumentals are subtle, catchy and seductive. 
  19. Unknown Mortal Orchestra- This Portland-based mastermind of electro pop music has been creating experimental music for years. He finally received some recognition and commercial success for his album, “Sex & Food”. He has a mix of styles ranging from 20 minute experimental instrumental songs to pop songs reminiscent of Michael Jackson. 
  20. Video Age- This New Orleans-based retro pop band brings you back to the 80’s with their vintage style beats and primitive synth keys. They are on the border of being a cheesy 80’s style band, but somehow make a legit, worthwhile modern fusion sound. 
  21. Sunbeam Sound Machine- This Australian psychedelic pop project is led by multi-instrumentalist Nick Sowersby. He mixes elements of psychedelic rock with effect-heavy guitars, dream pop with trippy soundscapes and electro pop with a steady beat.
  22. Part Time- This San Francisco pop project was created by multi-instrumentalist David Loca. He recorded most of his expansive library of music in his home studio. He is a mix of primitive 80’s synth pop, soft rock, new wave and lo-fi bedroom pop. He really captures the essence of the synth pop era from the early 80’s. 

Written by Adam

Categories
Best of Locations

Best Austin Bands

Austin, Texas has always been known for having the best live music scene in the country. They are a melting pot of all kinds of music including country, blues and indie rock. Austin also hosts one of the country’s largest music festivals, South by Southwest (SXSW). I have compiled this list of my favorite Austin acts, including some well-known artists like Spoon and Stevie Ray Vaughan and lesser-known indie bands like Holy Wave and RF Shannon.

The Bright Light Social Hour- Created in 2010, this psychedelic rock band blends elements of space rock, funk and blues to create a truly amazing sound. The guitar work by Curtis Roush is remarkable and elevates your senses into new realms with his use of trippy effect pedals. They mix many genres together, like dream pop, blues and psychedelic rock. Definitely my favorite band from Austin, their album “Space is Still the Place” is a masterpiece and is worth a listen.

Holy Wave- Originally from El Paso, this Austin-based psychedelic band has been rocking since 2008. They mix trance-like rhythms with catchy psychedelic guitar riffs. They were an important part in creating Austin Psych Fest, now known as Levitation Festival. 

The Black Angels- Formed in 2004, this psychedelic heavy rock band is one of the premiere acts from Austin. With long, layered songs about war, death and other dark themes, they are an important group in the psychedelic rock community and one of my favorite bands. 

Star Parks- An Austin based project from Andy Bianculli that blends lo-fi dream pop with catchy Beatles-style indie pop. A hidden gem from Austin with lots of great psychedelic, layered songs. 

RF Shannon- Created by songwriter and vocalist Shane Renfro, this dreamy psychedelic band is quintessential Austin. His calm and soothing voice carries you into the hot Texas dessert. A great mix of blues, soul and psychedelic folk rock, RF Shannon is hard to categorize but makes for great easy listening. 

Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears- Created in 2007, this energetic group blends blues, soul and funk to create a unique modern sound. Heavily influenced by Howlin’ Wolf and James Brown, this group is very entertaining to listen to and one of Austin’s best. 

Shakey Graves- Formed in 2007 by guitarist, songwriter Alejandro Rose-Garcia, this Austin band mixes traditional Americana style blues, folk and country to create a soulful and tender sound. He has gathered a lot of commercial success while also retaining his indie, bare-bones bluesy sound. 

Spoon- One of the most well known Austin bands of all time, Spoon jumped onto the indie, alternative rock scene in 1993. They have had hit after hit over their many years of recording and touring. Their style is unique and has an experimental and art rock edge, making them one of the pioneers of alternative rock in the 2000’s. 

Stevie Ray Vaughan- One of the best blues guitarists of all time, Stevie Ray brought blues to a wide audience with his unique heavy sound and soulful songs. He used heavy strings and was known for his intense and jaw dropping live performances. He was my gateway artist into the world of blues and his legacy will always live on. 

Freddie King- Born in Gilmer, Texas, Freddie made a lasting impression on the Austin blues and overall music scene. A direct influence on Stevie Ray, Freddie brought a heavy and powerful sound to electric guitar blues. He is one of my favorite guitarists and his sound has been copied for many years. His live performances are very entertaining. He played with passion and had a very fast and creative sound that defines Texas blues.

The Sword- Formed in 2003, this Austin-based heavy metal band blends classic metal like Black Sabbath with more modern doom metal and stoner rock. You can definitely hear their main influence, Black Sabbath in both the vocal style and guitar playing. John D. Cronise is the main lyricist and vocalist and loves to write songs about Norse mythology and ancient literature. The Sword is a dynamic metal band that brings energy and a level of precision and touch.

Written by Adam

@fortheloveofindiemusic

Categories
Best of Genres

Best Modern Psychedelic Rock Bands

Psychedelic rock grew to enormous popularity during the mid and late 1960’s with bands like Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and The Doors. I grew up listening to these 60’s bands and became obsessed with the genre. I loved the sound they created with their long effect-heavy guitar solos, trippy lyrics about mind-altering drugs, perception, the afterlife and mythology, and the overall style and rebellion they brought to the music industry. After many years of solely listening to 60’s psychedelic rock, I decided to branch out and listen to modern indie rock. I quickly discovered a whole new world of modern psychedelic rock with bands like Allah-Las, The Growlers and The Blank Tapes. Below is a list of my favorite psychedelic acts so far.

Buffalo Killers- This heavy psychedelic rock band was formed in Cincinnati, Ohio by the Gabbard brothers. Their style is not typical of psychedelic rock found on the west coast, but has more of a blues, roots rock and swamp rock sound. They have excellent vocal harmonies, tightly composed instrumentals and heavy, rich guitar work making them one of my favorite overall bands.

The Black Angels- This psychedelic rock band began in Austin, Texas. Their style is a combination of shoegaze and psychedelic rock. They like long repetitive songs with layers of effects backed by amazing Jim Morrison-style vocals. A great modern psychedelic sound that is hard to match.

The Blank Tapes- This psychedelic rock project was created by LA-based mastermind Matt Adams. He uses traditional 60’s style sounds with contemporary and witty lyrics. I have been a fan of The Blank Tapes for many years because of their humor, cool surf rock style and how closely they stay true to the 60’s psychedelic rock feeling and sound.

Black Mountain- This psychedelic rock band comes from Vancouver, BC and brings an array of psychedelic rock sounds ranging from 60’s pop and 70’s metal. They have a nice variety of styles but remain true to their psychedelic roots. A very complete sound that combines vocal harmonies and powerful guitar-driven acid rock ballads.

All Them Witches- This rock band comes from Nashville, TN and brings a fiery, electric sound. They are not the typical psychedelic rock band with trippy effects, but instead have a heavy blues influence and a slight southern rock sound. Nevertheless, they create a great powerful sound that is very much psychedelic in nature.

The Bright Light Social Hour- This psychedelic rock band from Austin, TX has a great sound that combines space rock, dream pop and classic rock. They have amazing guitar solos and bring their listeners to new dimensions through heavy use of effect pedals and trippy soundscapes.

The Growlers- This LA-based band mixes psychedelic rock, surf rock and garage rock to create a genre they call beach goth. One of my favorite bands, they have highly catchy songs that use humor and social commentary backed by dark surf rock instrumentals.

Magic Castles- This psychedelic rock band comes from Minneapolis, MN and follows closely to the traditional 60’s sound of The Byrds and Jefferson Airplane. They have a clean, smooth sound that is highly layered and structured and easy to listen to.

Allah-las- One of my favorite bands, this LA-based group mixes all of the best parts of 60’s music. They touch on jangly pop, like The Byrds, surf rock, psychedelic rock and even Latin bossa nova. They stick closely to the sounds and styles of the 60’s and were an instant obsession of mine the first time I heard them.

Levitation Room- Another great LA-based psychedelic rock band (yes, a lot of good bands are from LA) that mixes guitar-driven riffs, vocal harmonies and trippy electric soundscapes. They are a great example of modern psychedelic rock and stay close to the 60’s vibe.

Mystic Braves- This LA band travels through the 60’s and 70’s different styles, from surf style west coast rock to 70’s baroque pop ballads. I’ve always appreciated their vocal harmonies and layers of percussions that are classic west coast psychedelic rock.

The Nude Party- This psychedelic rock band is from North Carolina (finally a non-LA group) and brings a lot of Mick Jagger vocal energy and catchy 60’s rock and roll vibes. They are a large band, consisting of six members which you can really hear with their highly energetic and layered songs.

The Asteroid No. 4- This San Francisco psychedelic rock band has a large expansive library that weaves in and out of the different 60’s genres including folk, psychedelic rock, jangle pop and British pop. A very professional and polished band that stays true to their psychedelic rock identity.

Holy Wave- This psychedelic rock band hails from Austin, TX and is a major force in the local scene, creating a major psychedelic music festival called Levitation. They like to use a combination of organs and crunchy guitars with slow effect-heavy vocals. They give off a very chill and peaceful vibe and are important figures in the neo-psychedelia movement.

Quilt- One of the only bands on this list from the east coast, this psychedelic rock group is from Boston, which gives them a different sound compared to the typical sunny California flower power grooveness. They have some serious talent and many of their members have had good solo careers, including John Andrews who has made some amazing albums. One of the best modern psychedelic rock bands, they use all of the great techniques but with a modern twist.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre- This highly influential and impressive psychedelic rock project was founded by Anton Newcombe in the 90’s. He has been making music for decades and has a vast and delicately crafted library of songs. He really lives and breathes the 60’s and is one of the closest sounds you’ll find to the original psychedelic pioneers.

The Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound- This guitar-driven psychedelic San Francisco rock band has some amazing electric guitar solos and riffs full of wah pedals and trippy reverb. They definitely lean more to the acid rock and heavy rock genres which I personally love listening to.

The Vacant Lots- This New York City based duo blends psychedelic rock, shoegaze, post punk revival and synth pop to create a remarkable, unique sound. Their style is a blend of dance, electronica and psychedelic rock, with heavy use of effects and echoing vocals. They have collaborated and toured with The Growlers, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Black Angels and have made their mark on the neo-psychedelic movement.

Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin- This guitar driven psychedelic rock band from San Diego brings to mind the simple and pure sounds of 60’s rock. They have a hint of The Doors and Led Zeppelin. They don’t try to complicate their sound with tons of layers but instead stay true to some amazing guitar riffs and solos.

Josefin Ohrn + The Liberation- This Swedish band blends together psychedelic rock and electro pop to create a truly amazing and unique sound. They are a great example of how to use classic psychedelic rock fundamentals with modern electronic techniques.

Weird Owl- This Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock group draws heavily from folklore and mythology and is a nice mix of 70’s metal, space rock and stoner rock. They bring a heavy fuzz sound full of trippy guitar solos and slow mythical lyrics.

The Sadies- This Toronto-based band began making music in the late 90’s. Not your typical psychedelic rock group, they instead blend together folk, country, jangly pop, western, surf rock and psychedelic rock. They sound a lot like The Band and have often been compared to them. They also have a jangly pop sound similar to The Byrds. Regardless of who they sound like, The Sadies are one of the best Canadian rock groups of all time and belong on this list because of their undeniably unique psychedelic style.

Gold Celeste- This Norwegian psychedelic pop band creates layers of effect-driven guitars and organs to create a chill trippy sound. They also have great vocal harmonies that mix well with their complex soundscapes.

Vinyl Williams- This LA-based psychedelic rock band is led by multi-instrumentalist Lionel Williams. He creates rich and colorful soundscapes that are modern and vintage at the same time. He has a unique psychedelic sound that is full of layers of electronic synths and guitars. He also has really cool abstract album artwork.

Sugar Candy Mountain- This Oakland-based psychedelic pop and rock duo is a great blend of 60’s style psychedelic surf rock and tropical inspired funk. The band is made up of Will Halsey who plays the drums and Ash Reiter who plays guitar and sings. Together they create a groovy 60’s inspired psychedelic pop sound that is very Californian.

Midnight Sister- This LA-based duo is not your typical psychedelic band with guitar heavy riffs and trippy effects, but they are definitely psychedelic in the mood they create. They are a mix of chamber pop and psychedelic pop and have a cinematic style full of strings and orchestral sounds. Juliana Giraffe, the main singer, has a deep sensual singing style that brings to mind dark disco music from the early 70’s. One of my favorite underground psychedelic bands that I hope gets more attention and praise as they continue to make music.

Kikagaku Moyo- This Japanese psychedelic band was formed in Tokyo in 2011. They are a highly influential band in Japan and have played a large role in the Japanese psychedelic music scene. Their music is mostly instrumental but occasionally they sing in Japanese or English. They use a variety of instruments ranging from flutes and sitars to traditional Japanese folk instruments to modern electric guitars. Their music is diverse and varies from long trippy instrumental songs to psychedelic folk to hard psychedelic rock guitar-driven songs. They are definitely a band worth checking out if you are a fan of psychedelic music.

King Buffalo- This heavy psychedelic rock trio is from Rochester, NY. Their style is a combination of psychedelic rock, blues, stoner rock, metal and space rock. Sean McCay is the vocalist and guitarist and is one of the best modern rock guitarists I’ve ever heard. He is fast and very technical and comes up with some really trippy sounds. King Buffalo’s music is complex and full of intricate layers of heavy fuzz guitars, synths and powerful drum work. Definitely an amazing psychedelic rock band that is both modern and pays homage to classic rock.

Written by Adam

@fortheloveofindiemusic

Categories
Album Reviews

Jonathan Wilson: Dixie Blur

Jonathan Wilson’s newest album Dixie Blur is a beautifully crafted folk masterpiece. Like all of his previous work, his attention to detail is uncanny. He is really showing off his producer skills in this record, along with his song craftsmanship and instrumental technique. 

Jonathan Wilson has released four albums prior to Dixie Blur. Much of his earlier work has a more psychedelic rock sound of the 60’s and 70’s, relying heavily on his electric guitar solos and trippy soundscapes. Dixie Blur is a much more polished and mature folk album, blending traditional sounds with touching and at times sad lyrics. 

He begins the album with “Just For Love”, a cover of the 60’s Bay Area band Quicksilver Messenger Service. I was thrilled that he started the album with one of my favorite sixties gems. His version is perfectly done with a slightly slower and eerie vibe. He continues with his most popular song, ‘69 Corvette, which pays tribute to his father. The lyrics of death and loss combined with the violin creates a unique and magical sound that only Wilson can achieve. The rest of the album is full of amazing songs. Some of my favorites are “Platform” and “Golden Apples”, both of which are tender acoustic numbers with his trademark smooth singing style. 

Whether you’ve heard of Jonathan Wilson or not, Dixie Blur is definitely worth a listen. It is a perfectly crafted, sentimental album that blends country, folk and psychedelic rock. I highly recommend it, along with his entire library. 

Genres: Folk, Indie Rock, Psychedelic Folk

Score:

9/10

Written by Adam

@fortheloveofindiemusic

Categories
Artist Spotlight

Buffalo Killers: A New Familiar Sound

I grew up in a house of classic rock. I remember waking up to the sounds of Led Zeppelin and The Doors, while my Dad made his coffee. For most of my teenage years I was stubborn and stuck in my ways, assuming all new music was commercialized pop with no heart. After years of only listening to late 60’s and early 70’s rock, I finally got up the courage to branch out. I discovered bands like Allah-las and The Growlers, which opened my eyes to the world of modern neo-psychedelic rock. I have since been on a relentless search for the perfect psychedelic sound, blending just the right amount of fuzz, harmonies, rhythm and crunchy guitar solos. I found the perfect mix in the band, Buffalo Killers.

The band was formed in 2006 by Ohio brothers Andrew and Zachary Gabbard, and Joseph Sebaali after the breakup of their first rock group, The Shams, which had an earlier 60’s sound similar to The Animals or early Rolling Stones. You can hear many of these elements in the Buffalo Killers, with their tightly structured blues progressions, energetic vocals, powerful guitar solos and meaningful lyrics. The Buffalo Killers are a more polished and refined version of The Shams. They are the perfect blend of late 60’s, early 70’s blues rock. Their lyrics are creative and powerful, and at times haunting. The Gabbard brothers’ harmonies range from a soulful southern blues style of the Allman Brothers to a more gentle sound reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Their melodies send chills up your spine. They have a slight metal sound similar to early Ozzy, while also sounding almost identical to Neil Young. They touch on themes of rebirth, ideath, nature and freedom. They have toured with some big bands including The Black Keys and The Black Crowes. Andrew Gabbard has released music independently under his own name and the brothers are currently making music as The Gabbard Brothers, which I’m very excited about.

Photo by Erin Volk

What really drew me to Buffalo Killers is their guitar work. Being a guitar player myself, I really fell in love with their tone and technique, so similar to the sounds of late 60’s, early 70’s blues rock. Andrew Gabbard is truly a master of his craft. His tone and vibrato is unmatched. He holds the note at the right time and has the perfect blend of blues, rock, metal and crunchy psychedelia. His sound is very similar to early Clapton while playing with Cream, full of rich, heavy distortion. If you are a fan of rock guitar, no matter what era, take a listen and you will be amazed and transported into a realm of timeless sound and technique. 

Buffalo Killers have released eight albums. Their second album, Let It Ride, was produced by Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach. Almost all of their albums have a similar sound except for Fireball of Sulk, which to me has more of a punk, metal or grunge style like Nirvana. It’s hard for me to choose my favorite songs from their entire discography, but a few that stand out to me are “Get It”, with its catchy piano and heavy blues guitar, “Huma Bird”, with its soft subtle flare and “Need a Changin’” which really sums up their overall philosophy and style and is a wonderful rock anthem song. 

Buffalo Killers are my perfect psychedelic rock band. They have the right balance of touch, technique, soul and downright heavy homegrown rock flare that will leave you wanting more. They are a new familiar sound that will grab you and never let go. 

Favorite Songs: Get It, Huma Bird, Need a Changin’, Moon Daisy

Genres: Psychedelic Rock, Roots Rock, Blues, Southern Rock, Folk Rock, Swamp Rock

SCORE:

10/10 The Perfect Sound

Written by Adam

@fortheloveofindiemusic