Thursday, February 07, 2008

Five Minutes to Midnight

Well, it's not actually five minutes to midnight, but that's the song I'm listening to right now(by Boys Like Girls, they are amazering). I haven't been on here in forever, so a lot has happened. Nothing anyone wants to hear about, of course, so I'll just talk aimlessly about something completely pointless. Haha, just kidding. Lately I have become a music adventurer: I will listen to anything and everything. I have discovered some truely unique and enjoyable bands/artists, and I will give a small rundown and review of a few of them for your reading pleasure.

Ingrid Michaelson:
Fascinating artist, primarily indie, she has a soft voice but a quirky, interesting rhythm to most of her songs. She seems to be almost a blend of A Fine Frenzy and Fiest, having that lullaby-esque tone like Fiest but the heartfelt lyrics and piano of AFF.

The Weepies:
Also an indie group, very good. They have a gentle almost innocent quality to their music, focusing on gentle lyrics backed up by soothing instruments all tied in with lilting voices that seem to draw you in saying, "It's ok to be a kid again."

Yael Naim:
You're probably familiar with her song New Soul, which has been featured on the commercials for the Macbook Air. She has a very interesting voice, not particularly strong but with just enough of an accent to make it interesting. Her music is something akin to AFF but with more prominent guitar than piano. I will confess, I've only sampled a few of her songs, but I'm planning to get ahold of some more.

Minnie Driver:
A big surprise, a very appealing actress/singer. She has a very deep quality to her voice, and her lyrics are wonderfully poetic. If you are to check out any of her songs, let it be Beloved. Certainly one of her strongest.

Joss Stone:
The first time I heard her, I wasn't too impressed or excited. Then, when I went back and listened again, I came to thoroughly enjoy her deep, strong voice and wonderful bluesy quality. She is an artist I would categorize as a contemporary classic: she is definitely up to today's standards in more than one way, but her lyrics and style have a classic, jazzy feel to them that make you want to sing in the shower.

30 Seconds to Mars:
Yet another story of actor-turned-singer. But this one has a happy ending. Jared Leto on lead vocals has an amazing talent to take the lyrics that would just be so-so by some other band and make them truly amazing. His strong voice makes your soul fly and your throat tighten. The lyrics, under his strong control, cease being merely song and become true poetry. A very underrated band.

Boys Like Girls:
Also an underrated band, but I think their talent is slowly being realized. The composition of their lyrics combined with the instruments and strong lead singer make almost every song they sing perfect. My favorites so far: Thunder and their Frou Frou cover, Let Go. Definitely a band worth buying the cd for.

Well, that's as many bands/singers as I have the energy to review for now, I hope you found it helpful. I plan to update more often since I actually have some things to write about now, so expect more mindless drivel coming soon! Ta-ta!

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