Best 5 Albums of the Year So Far is Coming Soon!

Sorry for my slowed posting pace, ladies and gents. Who knew that the beginning of summer would be just as hectic as the end of the school year? (Not me.)

That being said, I am in the process of searching for my top 5 albums of the year (so far) so stay tuned and enjoy previous posts in the meantime!

Be back soon,

Andrew

"Tamer Animals" by Other Lives

I am an avid listener of NPR's "All Songs Considered." On one of the more recent episodes, the two hosts went over their new musical discoveries from the Sasquatch Music Festival (which I was super bummed I couldn't attend).

I've loved two of their finds so far, and here's the first one.

Other Lives is a group that combines the wispy-ness of psychadelic/folk music with the darkness of Pink Floyd. I'd say the best comparison you could make about this band is that it's a cross between Radiohead and Pink Floyd.

That being said, there's a lot of interesting stuff going on in this album that can't be pigeonholed as a copy of another band's style. There are the acoustic guitars and airy vocals, yes. However, what sets this album and the group itself apart from others is how they can flirt with the darker side of music.

The best example of this occasionally foreboding sound can be found in "As I Lay My Head Down." Using strings, tambourine, and what I believe is a bassoon, Other Lives creates a brilliantly paced song which is at the same time beautiful and very unsettling.

Indeed, Other Lives makes great use of instruments, from those of "As I Lay My Head Down" to the wonderful piano work in "Tamer Animals." Overall, this record is a fresh look at alternative music, and is definitely one that you shouldn't be surprised if this album shows up later this year on a "Best Album" post.

Here's a link to the band's Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/otherlives/music

Check them out and, until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

"Big Echo" by The Morning Benders

As soon as I got home after my last day of the freshman year of college, I opened my iTunes and played one song: "Excuses" by The Morning Benders. The explosion of orchestral happiness at the beginning of the song channeled perfectly the excitement I was feeling at the prospect of summer.

And with that, this post is about "Big Echo" by The Morning Benders, the perfect soundtrack to anyone's summer. The album as a whole is so well done, so wonderfully "hipster," that it's impossible not to fall in love with.

The instrumentals can be both quiet (as in "Mason Jar") or boisterous (as in "Excuses"). Pair that with earnest, slightly waif-ish vocals and an honest, low-fidelity sound and you have an extraordinarily well-crafted 40 minutes of indie rock.

Also, though this is a small note, it's refreshing that the lyrics of the album are varied (as in, not 11 variations on the theme of a love song).

My three favorite songs on the album are "Excuses," "Stitches," "Mason Jar."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/themorningbenders/music

With that, enjoy the beginning of your summer!

Andrew

"The Story and the Song" by Between the Trees

Hey all,

I'm sorry for the delay. It's finals week here at UCLA, so my last week has been filled with studying more information than is possible to memorize.

With that, however, I took my last final today and with just one essay left, it's time for another post!

"The Story and the Song" by Between the Trees has been in my iTunes library for years. I had forgotten about it, though, until a couple days ago, when my iTunes started playing a song off the CD randomly. I was shocked that I hadn't listened to them more!

For those of you who have been with the blog from the beginning, you know I am a huge fan of a band called Barcelona. Between the Trees plays with a similar general sound, with the largest similarity being the group's maturity and restraint. There are some great guitar riffs on this album, but they aren't shoved down your throat.

The other great asset of this album is the vocals. They are clearly not auto-tuned, and that rawness gives the frontman's voice a vulnerability that is very refreshing. I love when recording quality is not absolutely perfect. It means what you're listening to is authentic.

All in all, a super solid alternative rock band for the summer!

My three favorite songs are "White Lines & Red Lights," "The Fort," and "You Cry a Tear to Start a River."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/betweenthetrees/music

Until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew