Location: Chicago, Illinois
Sound: Fuzz Pop
Description: Haven’t been this excited about a new band for a while. They got the garage rock revival thing per se going in the innate catchiness of their music, but have what I would consider a world of fuzz that just kind of builds on top of said greatness.
Top Songs: Pretty much all of the ones on their MySpace
Comparison: Ty Segall
Link: http://www.myspace.com/themonstertones
Video:
No no not those Beets!
Artist: The Beets
Label: Captured Tracks, Mountain of Slime
Years Active: 2007-Present
Where Does This Shit Originate?: Jackson Heights, New York
Members June- Vocals/Guitar and Josie-Vocals/Bass
Main Influences: According to their MySpace, “Chicos Electricos, The Beach Boys, Eduardo Mateo, Spit and Puke, Ramones, Tom & Jerry, Jackson Heights, Emi Delico, The International Adult Conspiracy, and Chicos Electricos.”
Sounds Like: Also according to their MySpace, “a trio of drunk, possibly retarded twelve year olds. Seriously, my left tit probably outweighed the whole fucking band.” – Tuddd’s Muddd, (http://tudsmudh.typepad.com/)” I myself and Glen hear a lot of Beat Happening in their soud, attitude and overall aesthetic. Also, a little bit of wildmen, garage drenched drunkeness a la Black Lips.
Top Songs: “Broken English,” “Flower Girl,” “Happy, But On My Way,” “I’m So Bored,” and others
Top Album: Spit In the Face of People Who Don’t Want to Be Cool
If You Like…: If you like the Black Lips, Maine Coons, Beat Happening, Shaggs, Ramones, Tim and Eric (haha), then the Beets may just tickle your fancy like they have tickled mine.
Check Them Out!
http://www.myspace.com/thebeetsbeat and http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/the-beets-concert/20031324-37382373.html
History: Five best friends who’ve been making jamz since 2006, at the latest. Maybe even earlier than that. It’s a band that features members of The Boston Chinks and possibly some other dudes, though we’ll never know for certain.
Years Active: 2006-Present
Label: Goner/In The Red
Genre: Bubblegum/Psychedelic Pop
Line-Up: Will, Billy, Alex, Bennett, Stephen, Ben, Michael, and Ray.
Musical Style: Like others have said, they sound like the Beach Boys with a little bit more of an experimental knack. I’m sure a notable portion of King of the Beach was inspired by these recordings that Billy and Stephen were in on. They also sometimes sound like a happy Jay Reatard. Huh?
Best Album: I don’t think they’ve released a full length yet.
Top Songs: All of the songs on their Myspace page are pretty grand.
This is the guy from Happy Birthday. If you are a long time King Tuff fan then you say to people, “hey, yo, King Tuff is Happy Birthday.”
Here are some fun tunes I found by King Tuff:
– “Kind of Guy”
– “Sun Medallion”
Check him out!
I first heard about this band and song and music video from the Pop Jew. The Pop Jew has solid taste in music and recognized me on her blog for my cunning computer room performance of “I Am A Girlfriend.”
Never mind that, though. Check out this band PUJOL. Not like Albert Poo-Hole, but rather like Daniel Poo-Joe. They are from Nashville, Tennessee and they play fun power pop-ish punx and his junx kind of music. So definitely give a check out to this video, which is pretty new. Then, if you are impressed, head over to their MySpace and listen to more of their tunes.
Here’s some great links involving this band:
– Daniel Pujol on Vinyl
– PUJOL “Mission From God” Video
– PUJOL Myspace Page
Band: Box Elders
Year Formed: 2005
Label(s): Goner, Shattered, Hozac, Grotto
Members: Clayton McIntyre, Jeremiah McIntyre, Dave Goldberg
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Genre: Cave Pop (according to Facebook page), Garage Pop, Garage Rock, Rock and Roll, etc.
Influences: Redd Kross, Jeff Barry, The Clean, Science Fiction (all according to FB page)
Influenced: Time will tell
Top Songs: Jackie Wood, Alice and Friends, Atlantis, Hole In My Head, Ronald Dean, Isabella, Death of Me
Top Album: Alice and Friends (2009, Goner)
Note: If you like BE, you will probably also dig Nobunny, Black Lips, Thee Oh Sees, The Okmoniks, Hunx and The Punx, Jay Reatard, King Khan & BBQ Show, Mark Sultan, Bobby Ubangi, Gaye Blades, and others of similar styles/genres
Note II: Box Elders are opening for the Black Lips at the Middle East on March 25!
Comments: These guys create some of the catchiest, funnest, Rock and Roll around! Their live show is incredibly entertaining, especially due to drummer/keyboardist (yep, he plays both simultaneously!), Dave Goldberg’s exqusite dance moves/antics.
I’d rather post live versions, but they just don’t do justice to the studio versions. The videos themselves, that is, not the actual performances.
P.S. Glen and other Klyamers, why haven’t we done more BS on here like WE?!
Chris
History: Formed in 2006 by a then 19 year old college student named Zach Condon. A few others, a short while later, joined the band and collectively began work on a debut LP titled Gulag Orkestar.
Years Active: 2006 to Present
Label: Ba Da Bing!
Members:
Zach Condon, Perrin Cloutier, Hari Ziznewski, Jason Poranski, Nick Petree, Kristin Ferebee, Paul Collins, Jon Natchez, Kelly Pratt, and Ben Lanz
Genre: Balkan Folk
Musical Style: “Gulag Orkestar,” the first track off their 2006 album of the same name, is very dramatic and folksy, featuring a delightful contrast of imposing horns and drums and light and playful tambourines. But Beirut also has songs like “Postcards From Italy” that don’t sound all that differently than your typical non-American independent folk, like Jens Lekman.
Moods:
Top Album: The Declaration of Independence (1776) This is Tom at his finest; one incendiary motherfucker. Before he completely sold out with 1803’s corporate shilling Louisiana Purchase. No expansion my ass!
Top Lyrics: “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government.” and “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing… the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
Chris
History and Formation: Formed in Berlin, Germany in February 2009 shortly after the Black Lips fled India after an incident of homosexuality and nudity. The Black Lips met up with King Khan and Mark Sultan (BBQ); all members collaborated to form Almighty Defenders and recorded an LP. Continue reading Band Spotlight: Almighty Defenders
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 