Sometimes we music people can get too smart for ourselves. We get caught up in the art of the whole thing and end up featuring artists that do really interesting things musically yet aren’t particularly catchy. Look, it happens. But a good writer (like myself, obviously) occasionally reminds himself that it’s not always about complex combinations of genres or minimalistic production or super-deep philosophical lyrics. Sometimes, it really is just about the music being good.
When it comes to Danger Radio, the music is just good. They’ve got this pop/punk vibe without the relentless driving drum beats of other punky tracks. Instead, they rock out to an easier-going backdrop, if that makes any sense. Think early Maroon 5, but definitely harder. Every song on the most recent album, 2008’s “Used and Abused,” comes in with strong chords, tight, understated harmonies, and a lead singer with a really contagious voice. Above all, though, the music just resonates. Every song drums up a certain level of excitement, and that’s where it’s at, especially when it comes to selling records.
My first experience with the group was catching the acoustic version of “Your Kind,” which I spotted on YouTube and immediately fell in love with. The studio version is probably even better, and other tracks on the album, like “So Far Gone,” “Used and Abused,” and “Alive for the First Time,” all do similarly positive things for the musical soul.
So is Danger Radio doing anything particularly fancy? Are they pushing the envelope of avant garde, modern music? Nah. But they are doing a whole lot of what more artists should also be doing—keeping it simple and keeping it catchy? Indeedy-do. I just like them. I like them a lot. But will you like them? You will. You will a lot, too.
You will.
Buy the album
Joan Armatrading has been making music for nearly forty years. Yeah, that’s four decades. This British singer-songwriter is back at it again with the release of This Charming Life. With forty years of experience you get a wonderfully crafted album that oozes the confidence of knowing what making music is all about. It is crystal clear that Armatrading knows who she is and through her music she is ready to tell you all about herself.
The next time a music reality show brings out a mentor to help guide the newbie musicians, it should be Joan Armatrading that takes that role. As the years have rolled on Armatrading has learned how to be resilient and adaptive in an industry that can break you just as fast as it makes you. She has broken into the UK charts countless times and it was her 1976 track, “Love and Affection”, that really gave her some widespread attention. Armatrading has made a career of exploring multiple musical styles such as blues, rock, pop and jazz. This three-time Grammy Award nominee is back at it again with her 2010 release of This Charming Life.
This Charming Life is an upbeat album that showcases Armatrading’s happy and energetic side. Each track flows together wonderfully and gives you slices into her ever so charming life. For those just coming across the work of Armatrading you have a lot that you can get caught up on. After you take in This Charming Life I would highly recommend that you give Into the Blues a spin.
KC’s Personal Picks: “This Charming Life”, “Two Tears” & “Heading Back to New York City”
Joan Armatrading’s video for “This Charming Life”
Listen to the album
Buy the album
Ben Kweller is a fall-back artist. I know that sounds like a bad thing, but it is in fact the exact opposite. He is one of those tried and true musicians that, no matter what, you can always fall-back on for great music time and time again. His earlier albums had a Ben Folds-esque feeling to them with some very folky aspects closer to a Neil Young and some very alternative sounds closer to the Strokes.
We recently had the chance to catch up with Ben Kweller after a gig in Boston and, after popping a squat on the floor, got a chance to ask him about his upcoming projects and life in general. We asked him about his recent album Changing Horses and the inspiration behind this folk, country, blues album as opposed to his earlier works that were more pop and rock oriented.
He was definitely one of the more quirky artists we’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. He’s a very chill guy, but has an energy that surrounds him and his music that is hard to describe, but easy to love. Find out why we love Ben Kweller, and why you should too.
Buy the album:
Massive Attack – Paradise Circus
Hope Sandov lands the vocals on this track like Sully lands planes in the Hudson, but it’s the dynamism of the music itself that makes this track so haunting and utterly engrossing. Massive Attack could give two craps about lyrics and vocals; as far as they’re concerned they exist only to complement the music. And in this case, the music is undeniably fantastic, and it changes enough over the course of the track to keep even sufferers of A.D.D. completely and utterly look at that bird! It’s flying! What was I saying?
Das Pop – Never Get Enough
If you listen very, very carefully there’s a distant hint of a Jackson 5 sample in the backdrop of this track, but it’s not a retro sound at all. Das Pop may be based out of Belgium, but they’ve got a sound that could be marketable here in the US, at least when it comes to this song.
Lily Allen – Not Fair
In between oldschool rickety country and the modern flavor of Lily Allen’s UK hip-hop is “Not Fair,” an admittedly brazen track lamenting a former lover’s ineptitude in the bedroom. But regardless of what it’s actually about, the song is catchier than hell. So blast it, but when your six-year-old child asks what Lily means when she says, “You never make me scream,” just tell her it’s because Lily and her friends play well together in the sandbox. Probably best to just leave it at that.
It wasn’t long ago we featured this silent “K” duo of alternative hip-hop brothers in our Weekly Jukebox. The New Orleans natives employ electronic, alternative and hip-hop to create a steady flow of multiple genres of music in their 2008 release Remind Me In 3 Days. Their most famous single “Bang! Bang!” has been featured on this thing called the radio and also some show called Entourage.
But after picking up their album, I was [not] surprised to find a whole album of catchy tracks not far from the very attractive beats in their first single. Songs like “F!re (Put It in the Air)” and “Cappuccino” take hip-hop, stick it in a blender with guitars, hardcore and awesome and toss out a delicious hip-hop milkshake on the other end. Pretty appetizing? I know.
In a sea of auto-tune and a top 40 that time and time again has followed the same formula, a group like The Knux show that some artists can still hang with the big dogs. They make me believe that it is still possible to make unique beats and create a unique sound without the “help” of Kanye West. Take that Kanye West.
After the two brothers “Krispy” and “Joey” were displaced by Hurricane Katrina, they re-located to Los Angeles where they kicked off their now successful music career. They were quickly invited to pretty much every major U.S. festival including the famous Lollapalooza where they were discovered by the also famous me. And I promise, once you check The Knux out you’ll be hooked on your new favorite hip-hop artists. You can send thank you cards to me. Money is also accepted.
Check out the video for “F!re (Put It in the Air)”:
Listen to the album:
Buy the album:
If you like The Knux, check out k-os!
