There's a good man who runs a blog over at everybodytaste.com. His name is Matt Carr. I can recall several times the guy has turned me onto something really worthwhile, so I thought I'd try to bring some of that magic in the following guest post. Here, Matt recommends six tacks from six bands I should have turned you on to already. Give a listen and go say "hi" to that dude at his blog.
Laura Coleman, the drummer for New York City's Murder Mystery, takes her first turn on lead vocals here and channels that playful and dance-friendly electro-pop magic behind early Madonna jams like "Into The Groove" and "Physical Attraction." Songs don't get much more fun.
Call it 1960s-inspired garage-pop-rock. These Brits know how to jangle their guitars and sing a sharp melody.
This absurdly prodigious San Franciscan songwriter recently created 100 fictional bands and recorded a song for each for his "100 Records" project. If you dig doo-wop, blues, and 1950s rock n roll, Smith culls it all and more into his own irresistible vintage brand of folk music, perfected on last year's full-lenth Tomorrow Is Alright and reintroduced with this year's The Hypnotist 7".
A recent transplant to Portland, Oregon, one of the best bands I've stumbled upon in the local scene is the Ramones-loving, absurdist punk trio the Mean Jeans. The lyrics are hilarious, the power chords are big and fuzzy, and the choruses warrant plenty of singing along.
Seth Kauffman of North Carolina's Floating Action recently offered up his former band's LP as a free download. Much like his current obsession with reinterpreting vintage funk and reggae sounds, Kauffman's Choosy Beggars also had one foot in the past—one dipped here in southern soul.
Apparently making a living as a studio musician and touring guitarist for the likes of Jenny Lewis, Julian Casablancas and Cass McCombs wasn't satisfying enough for Blake Mills, so he went out and recorded one of 2010's most surprisingly compelling releases. It's called Break Mirrors and don't be surprised if it becomes one of your favorite records.
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