Fresh Scouts » The Vault

Barcelona

Tank — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:44:51 +0000

With the World Cup finally at a close and Spain with a victory in-hand, I find it only fitting to draw your attention to one of my new favorite bands: Barcelona. Ok, maybe the mere fact that the name of the band coincides with a city in Spain isn’t enough to relate it to the World Cup, but I’m the one writing the post and I do what I want.

Barcelona is actually from Seattle, WA and has nothing to do with Spain. But don’t fret, this band is just as 1st rate as the Spanish World Cup team. Again, not related but trust me they are worth it. I first came across these guys after hearing the song “Come Back When You Can” in a video I was watching online. In the end, I was more concerned about the song than I was the video (sorry guy that made the video), and it brought me right to their debut big label release: Absolutes.

My personal favorites lean heavily towards their slower songs: “Get Up”, “Please Don’t Go” and “First Floor People.” These guys definitely have a knack for creating simple, emotionally-driven songs that you can’t help but listen to over and over again. Like “Baby Beluga” for a 3-year-old. Kids just can’t get enough Raffi. It’s like a well-known fact.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see a lot of tour dates out there for these guys, so if you fall in love with them (which you will) you’ll just have to wait a little while to see the real thing. It’s ok though because it’ll just build up the anticipation while you listen to Absolutes over and over again. I’ve listened to it almost 40 times in three days (actually about 3 times, but that’s pretty close to 40) and the anticipation is killing me (softly of course.)

Buy Absolutes:

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Sia

Tank — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:30:10 +0000

I’ve been in the mood for some hot music. I’m not talking about the latest Kanye track or anything you might find in an inappropriate video. No, I’m talking about genuinely hot music. Music that will burn your ears if you get to close. For a while, I thought it didn’t exist. I thought it couldn’t exist. And after searching literally for minutes, I thought I would give up. But after running into a very wise (very drunk) bar patron the other night wanting to offer me every person he has ever listened to ever, I discovered Sia.

I thought it was destiny after I went home and listened to some of her tracks. I thought it was meant to be. I had been searching for the hottest of hot music and I had finally found it. One listen to the soulful stylings of “The Fight” and “Clap Your Hands” and it was hook, line and sinker. Her Nelly-like beats and sound blend with a Fiona Apple-ish vocal to create tracks that are completely playful and dance worthy.

Slow it down a bit with tracks like “I’m In Here” and you get the full package. In fact, she’s so good she only needs one name. Not like those other guys that have TWO names. Ha! Two names?! Who needs TWO names when you can have ONE?! That’s what I imagine she says anyways.

Check out the video for “Clap Your Hands” and, you know, clap your hands:

Buy We are Born:

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Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

kc — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:38:16 +0000

We featured Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears in our Weekly Jukebox back in June 2009. What we discovered then, and still believe to be true, is that this band is one of the hottest young things on the music scene. These Texas boys hit it hard with a soulful blues swagger that takes no prisoners. Their debut album, Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!”, is jam packed with the kind of music you would expect from a group of guys calling themselves Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. What’s that? Don’t know what to expect from a band called Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears? Well, all the more reason to toss on the ear phones and go for a ride.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

If you love the unique energy and styling of James Brown, well…you are gonna love you some Black Joe Lewis. There is certainly a retro feel to Lewis’ work, but the music exudes a modern day feel with a grittiness and attitude that keeps each track relevant and powerful. Plus, the band name is genius. Could they be the name of a 1970’s Saturday morning cartoon? Could it be the moniker of a pimp and his lady friends? Could it be the name of one of the most explosive acts out there? Could I possible ask any more questions of you? Ok, enough with the questions. Here is a statement. Listen to Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears!

KC’s Personal Picks: “Sugarfoot”, “I’m Broke”, and “Gunpowder”

Check out the official video for “Sugarfoot”

Buy the album

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Black Stone Cherry

kc — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:03:45 +0000

You won’t see Black Stone Cherry on the menu at your local ice cream shop. Although, that does sound downright tasty. I digress. Please understand that these guys aren’t soft, pleasant and served in a dainty little cup. Black Stone Cherry serves up a heaping scoop of hard southern rock music that will will blast your face off. These Kentucky boys know how to rock and they delivered in a big way with their 2008 sophomore release of Folklore and Superstition.

If you rock out to The Black Crowes and Lynyrd Skynyrd on the regular, well…for starters, you’re awesome. I feel safe in saying that you will become mega-awesome if you add Black Stone Cherry into the mix. Their music has a pulse pounding blend of deep south rock fused at times with hard rock and metal. It is not all about wailing guitars though. But don’t fret, there are plenty of wicked guitar solos to go around. In addition to the high octane instrumentation, you are also treated to a solid and meaningful lyrical display, all lead by front man Chris Robertson. There is even some slower stuff in their collection. The end product inspires me to run around neighborhood streets karate kicking every trash can I see. Yeah, I am a badass thanks to Black Stone Cherry.

Currently the boys are touring the globe playing every festival out there and supporting a ton of bands. This is all setting the stage for their anticipated third album, which is rumored to be in the works. So, head on down to your local ice cream parlor and demand some Black Stone Cherry. When they say they don’t have it just turn right around and kick over their trash cans. Yeah, now you’re the badass.

KC’s Personal Picks: “Blind Man”, Devil’s Queen”, and “Soul Creek”.

Check out the video for “Soul Creek”

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Rogue Wave

Gabe — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:00:12 +0000

I’ve been pouring through these Indie Music Playlists looking for talented bands that we could feature on site, and I’ve started to notice something pretty disconcerting about the genre: most of it is really, really bad.

Indie artists have, for the most part, started indie bands because they don’t want to fit into the tidy formulas of regular pop and rock, and while there’s a certain level of credibility to such a mission statement, the end result often ends up overly-experimental and—let’s face it—kinda weird.

But once in a while there’s an indie band that not only manages a hot song, but several hot songs and even complete hot albums. They experiment, and they strive to do something different, yet they also don’t sound like trash-can banging modern performance art. Rogue Wave is one of the indie bands that does it right.

In fact, they do it so right that I hardly even consider them indie. The first two tracks on their new album, “Permalight,” are both energetic, interesting, and most importantly, identifiably musical. “Solitary Gun” sounds like something Zach Braff would pick out for his next screenplay, and “Good Morning” has a stronger drumbeat and techno edge that absolutely makes it radio-worthy.

The entire record is painted with songs as colorful as the gorgeous album cover, and while it definitely makes strong efforts to do the whole indie thing, it’s not at all offensive to those of us who aren’t exactly gung-ho about some of the goofier stuff in the genre. We’ll give Rogue Wave a full endorsement for fans of rock, alternative, pop, and electronica. It’s not kinda weird. Just good.

Check out “Good Morning” here:

Buy “Permalight” here:

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Justin James

kc — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:24:09 +0000

Dude, you need to relax. Slip on your flip flops, grab some lotion with a good SPF, and head on down to the beach. It is officially summer and that means it is time to “chill out” and “hang ten”. That’s what the kids are saying nowadays, right? While you are frying on the hot sand you are going to need some tunes that will mellow you out. Thankfully singer-songwriter Justin James paddles by on his surf board blasting the good vibes that you are seeking.

J.J.

I don’t want to be a downer, but you need to know that a few years ago Justin was attacked by a tiger shark while he was surfing. Yeah, a tiger shark. That brush with death gave Justin a deeper appreciation for life and his music reflects his renewed focus on living life to its fullest. The music that springs forth on Justin’s second major label release, Perfect Sometimes, is collection of warm feel good tracks. This album is a follow up to his 2007 debut, Sundrenched, which garnered a lot of attention with placement on a string of television shows.

So here is the deal. We here at Fresh Scouts give you the permission to cut out of work early, drop all of your responsibilities and make a b-line for the nearest beach or water park. On the way there you will need to take the top down or shove your head out the window. And what should you be listening to on this most awesome get away? Well, Justin James of course. You’re welcome.

KC’s Personal Picks: “Perfect Sometimes”, “Missed Again”, and “Stay Close To Me”

Check out the video for “Perfect Sometimes”

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Anais Mitchell

Gabe — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:00:17 +0000

There’s an ancient Greek myth about a dude named Orpheus who lost his wife Eurydice to the underworld due to a series of very nasty poisonous snake bites, on their wedding day of all times. The story could end there and still suck, but it gets worse.

Orpheus travels to the underworld and so moves Hades with his beautiful, mournful songs, that he agrees to release both he and his bride-to-be back into the upper world with one, admittedly odd, condition: Orpheus must lead the way, Eurydice must follow silently behind, and Orpheus can never look back at her until both have reached the upper world.

The moment he set foot back on solid earth, he turned to gaze upon the face of his beloved, forgetting that they both had to be in the upper world before he could look back. Eurydice, of course, got sucked back down to hell and Orpheus never would see her again.

Your asking yourself what this story has to do with popular music, and it’s a valid question. The answer is simpler than you think, and her name is Anais Mitchell. An Ani DiFranco product, Mitchell is a soulful, talented songwriter who in March of 2010 finally released a recording of “Hadestown,” her folk opera based on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

The term “folk opera” sounds like it’d be the lamest genre of music in the history of life, but the score to “Hadestown” is so diverse and emotional and—dare I say—blessed with the hard-to-achieve virtue of relistenability, that it’s anything but boring. Featuring such talented musicians such as DiFranco, Bon Iver, and a folk artist named Greg Brown that’s got one of the most guttural, affecting voices in the genre.

My personal favorites are “Way Down Hadestown,” “How Long?” and “Hey, Little Songbird,” but there are a ton of tracks on this record that could be stand-alone successes. A few are a little experimental, but there’s a reason this Anais Mitchell album (and the live show it’s based off of) has been so critically acclaimed. It’s smart, moving music, but with a story like this one, how could it not be?

It’s a musical experience you won’t regret you had. You won’t look back. In fact, you’re forbidden to. Just like Orpheus.

Buy Hadestown:

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Hanson

Tank — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:31:44 +0000

When most of you hear the name Hanson the first thing you think of is three skinny white kids with long hair happily humming along the ramblings of a song we’ve all come to (secretly) love. Many of you may remember their 2004 release Underneath with the hit song “Penny & Me” which was plastered all over MTV for what seemed like years. I, admittedly, thought the song was catchy and since then have gained a new-found respect for the brothers. Not because I never saw them as musicians. It was just hard to imagine the same guys that created the “Mmmbop” craze becoming serious musicians.

After stumbling across their latest release Shout It Out, I’ve come to realize that these guys actually have a style closer to the Gabe Dixon Band or Matt Wertz than the bubble gum pop that got them started. Their latest release is extremely catchy and includes more mature musical instrumentation (which it appears has continually emerged over time.) Make sure to check out “Waiting For This” and “Making It Out Alive” for some of that catchy pop I talked about a sentence ago.

If you’re looking to check Hanson out this summer, they are hitting up the tour scene hard in the U.S. right now. We plan on catching them at the House of Blues in Chicago in August and plan on reminiscing on “Mmmbop” for the rest of our lives. What can I say, it brings back memories.

Check out the video for their new single “Thinkin’ Bout’ Somethin’”:

Oh, and also “Mmmbop” for old time’s sake:

Buy the album:

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Chiddy Bang

Gabe — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 09:00:45 +0000

Pardon my French, but gosh darn if Chiddy Bang isn’t frickin’ awesome.

If I ended the article right there, would you go out and buy the gang’s debut mixtape, “The Swelly Express?” Probably. But, I’m going to explain to you why it’d be a good idea anyway, just in case you’re not completely convinced.

But seriously, they’re frickin’ awesome.

First and foremost, let the record state that Chiddy Bang—comprised of rapper Chidera “Proto” Anamege, producer Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Beresin, and a handful of talented others—does a lot of their work by sampling indie rock and flipping it into some sort of B.A. hip-hop/electronica hybrid that Pro can rap to.

Perhaps their most popular song, “The Opposite of Adults,” samples MGMT’s “Kids” and has this rolling vibe that just screams summer hit. Other samples on their first two mixtapes include “Better Things” by Passion Pit, “Chicago” by Sufjan Stephens, and “Bulletproof” by La Roux, which we featured on our Jukebox once upon a time.

Every song on both records has hit potential. The beats are ridiculously hot and the way Proto rocks the beats is flawless. The man knows how to ride an instrumental. Imagine 50 Cent, but without the marbles in his cheeks and significantly more musical credibility.

They’re on tons of charts worldwide, but haven’t really hit the U.S. just yet, despite the fact that these guys are from Philadelphia. Soon, though, I imagine that they’ll be too good for their fellow Americans to ignore.

If there’s a place for Justin Bieber in today’s music industry, there’s definitely a place for Chiddy Bang. Gosh darn it.

Here’s the video for “Opposite of Adults,” then an audio link for the next single, “Truth”:

Buy The Opposite of Adults here:

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Band of Horses

Tank — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:48:16 +0000

Seattle has churned out some great stuff over the years. Great coffee, what was the SuperSonics, that super-sweet Needle thing, a baseball team that brought Ken Griffey Jr. to super-stardom and, in-turn, created one of the best baseball video games of all time. The list goes on. And at the top of that list, is Band of Horses.

This relatively new rock group, first formed in 2004, created a total of three award-winning albums. I’m not actually certain they were “award-winning” in the literal sense of the term, but you get the point. Plus, you know they’re pretty big if they have the “Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week”. Yeah, they’re kind of a big deal.

Their most recent album, Infinite Arms, released in May 2010 is a great mix of their signature melodic rock sound. Their style has hints of Silversun Pickups, The Shins and The Strokes but remember: it’s only hints. Band of Horses have a style all their own and it would be insulting to insinuate otherwise. You got a lot of nerve.

These guys make the rounds all over the world, but if you get the chance to check them out on tour, they have a few U.S. dates already planned for this summer. I hear they put on a great show, plus there might be horses there. Who knows.

Overall, if you’re looking for a great album to chill to this summer, pick up anything by Band of Horses. And if you’re not looking for a great album to chill to this summer, pick up anything by Justin Bieber.

Check out the old school video for their first single “The Funeral” from their first album Everything All the Time:

Buy Infinite Arms:

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