Singing, rapping, speaking, and chanting are all part of the same animal, made from the greatest of all instruments. There’s no one formula for a compelling vocal; some great singers and rappers sound bored, some sound utterly transfixed. Personality is the key, and if you can get that through Auto-Tune, great. The results are what matter. Here are 10 performances that hit us particularly hard, listed alphabetically by name.
The holidays are upon us, with their frantic wrapping, decorating, shopping, backing, and general pine-scented commotion. But, of course, you need some music to listen to while you’re yuling those logs and decking those halls. Luckily, this year we’ve got a handful of new holiday gems from artists like Beach House, Best Coast, and — of course — Kanye West. Crank these nouveau carols, and don’t forget to right click + save as to download them, or scroll to the bottom for the whole mix.
This week brings fresh tracks from bigwigs like the Arcade Fire and Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, as well as familiar indie favorites such as Deerhunter and Best Coast. And, as per usual, we’ve also showcased a slew of great, new bands that are impatiently waiting to top your summer queue (Active Child, First Rate People). The bounty abounds! Be sure to Right Click + Save As your next ten after the cut.
When we asked readers yesterday if Gwyneth Paltrow was the mainstream’s Zooey Deschanel, we got an interesting response: a yawn. It turns out, many of you are sick of hearing about Zooey at this point. And frankly, we’re beginning to agree. Which begs another question: Who has enough style and substance to become the next Queen of the Indies? We’ve got 10 solid nominees after the jump.
So, bros, we’ve been doing a lot of thinking about chillwave recently. For one thing, we’re kind of amazed that so many bands can create such similar music and all continue to earn rave reviews. (Today, for instance, Pitchfork graced Best Coast with an 8.4 and the title “Best New Music” and depressed us with the reminder that Bethany Cosentino used to be part of the awesomely out-there Pocahaunted.) Something else we’ve been wondering about is where all their beach-/California-/color-/water-themed band names came from. Did Wavves issue a memo back in 2008? Are the more recent acts copying the older ones? Are they all nostalgia trips? After the jump, we collect the stories behind 10 chillwave band names, directly from the mouths of the artists themselves.
This wind-whipped week’s mix includes downloadable tracks from fresh faces (Oh Mercy, DOM), friendly faces (Sleigh Bells, Best Coast), and familiar faces (Marina & The Diamonds, Tokyo Police Club). Be sure to save face and know these tunes by heart before they blow up this summer and all you’re left with is woulda coulda shouldas. Don’t forget to Right Click + Save As after the cut to properly savor the next ten.
Exciting news: Your latest Flavorpill Mixtape has arrived. Your ears are salivating. Your fingers are ready to click ctrl + left click and “save as.” Eight essential downloads from this past week in music after the jump — all free for the taking! Take a listen, and then leave us a comment with what you think.
Is it just us, or has music been wrapped in a blanket of derivative fuzz lately? Seemingly now more than ever, an excess of “lo-fi” and “shitgaze” bands have invaded the blogosphere, unabashedly riding on the coattails of their elders, Wavves and Vivian Girls. With so many carbon copies, how is one able to discern between good fuzz and bad fuzz? We’ll guide you through the perilous world of lo-fi, and let you know about three bands actually worth the buzz.
We prematurely mourned the end of summer in last week’s mix. We still have time before the cold sets in — let’s celebrate. Give your fingers a little warm-up stretch and get ready to “Right Click, Save Link As,” because after the jump we present 10 essential downloads from our latest Viva Radio show that we consider required listening at Flavorpill HQ. Enjoy! Read More »
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