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:
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All “jam bands” that have been ripping it up on the top 40 charts and at house parties owe their success to the Spin Doctors. The doctors of spin dominated the early 90′s with a blend of commercially accepted rock, funk and straight up jamming. Pocket Full of Kryptonite became their career defining album when it hit the airwaves in 1991, and it forever left its mark on pop culture.
I recently rediscovered Pocket Full of Kryptonite as I was cleaning up and purging my expansive music collection. The Spin Doctors’ disc was actually wedged under Kris Kross’ Totally Krossed Out (don’t judge me). After I swung my pants back around facing forward I dove in and was reminded why I enjoyed the Spin Doctors so much. Lead singer Chris Barron’s playful voice highlights an album that is all about having fun and enjoying life through music. Listening to tracks like “Two Princes” acts like a time machine and takes me back to the early 90′s. Not the angst of grunge that was soon to follow, but the summer fun and frivolity of the time.
Over the years the Spin Doctors have released a hand full of records, but none of them were ever able to match the commercial success of Pocket Full Of Kryptonite. The guys have reunited from time to time to dust off the classics, but many of them have taken up other projects to express their musical talents. Speaking of other projects…were you aware that when the Spin Doctors first started in the 1980′s they were called the Trucking Company? Yeah, and one of the original members was a dude named John Popper. Pretty cool, huh? That would explain why the Spin Doctors have spent a lot of stage time with Blues Traveler over the years. Thanks to Wikipedia we all are a little smarter today. Welcome the Spin Doctors back in to your life. They will make you happy.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues”, “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”, “Two Princes” and “Shinbone Alley/Hard to Exist” which features Popper.
Check out the colorful video for “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”
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Court Yard Hounds – “Ain’t No Son”
I wasn’t quite sure how I would feel listening to 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks. I mean, I am in love with Natalie Maines’ voice and without it I wasn’t sure how it would go. But then I reminded myself that Martie Maguire and Emily Robison were the ones that created the Chicks and they both are incredibly musically talented. Thankfully the sisters deliver with good old rockin’ country. “Ain’t No Son” is a hard driving track that will get you thumping your foot along to the beat. I am still waiting patiently for the Dixie Chicks to release a new record, but in the meantime the Court Yard Hounds satisfy my need for some good country twang.
Check out the Court Yard Hounds performing on The Late Show with David Letterman
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Josh Ritter – “Change of Time”
I really enjoy Josh Ritter. He has established himself as a singer-songwriter that other singer-songwriters look to for direction. His songwriting skill is advanced and his delivery is crystal clear. With his new album, So Runs the World Away, the 33 year-old Ritter serves up another solid track with “Change of Time”. The instrumentation beautifully sweeps across the track and the lyrics are like leaves caught in that breeze. Yeah, I’m deep.
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Gin Wigmore – “Oh My”
Oh my, I enjoy this song. Here are the reasons: 1) Gin Wigmore is a great name. It sounds like it came together in a game of Madlibs or something along those lines. Great name. 2) She is adding herself to the great list of New Zealand exports along with Flight of the Conchords and the Lord of the Rings. 3) Her bad girl image combined with her raspy tone gives me an Amy Winehouse vibe without all of the rehab and baggage.
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A Rocket to the Moon – “Mr. Right”
The record label, Fueled by Ramen, clearly has an ear for popular music. With a musical stable that includes Panic! at the Disco, Paramore, Cobra Starship and Gym Class Heroes it is obvious that they have the formula for success written down and stored in a bank vault.
A Rocket to the Moon signed with Fueled by Ramen in 2008 and after constant touring they are carving a place for themselves on the charts. “Mr. Right” is a fun and energetic pop-rock song that is a great example of the music that they make. This song has been stuck in my head for several weeks now.
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Nneka – “The Uncomfortable Truth”
Nneka is Nigerian and German. Her cultural background and upbringing greatly influences the incredible music that she creates. When I listen to Nneka I am reminded of how I felt when I first heard Lauryn Hill. In February 2010, the U.S. will be treated to her release of Concrete Jungle. This is going to be big. Get a sneak peak by checking out “The Uncomfortable Truth”.
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Paper Tongues – “Ride to California”
I just can’t seem to get enough of groups that mix many musical genres together. The Paper Tongues combine rock, rap, and funk together in a way that feels natural. Their music is hard hitting, catchy and dance worthy.
The group formed in 2007, but 2010 is when we will see a lot of their hard work come to fruition. Their single “Ride to California” is setting the stage for big things to come.
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Maybe you like Norah Jones’s smooth, smoky timbre but just can’t listen to more than three of her tracks without slipping into a coma of relaxation.
I’ve got an answer for that.
Maybe you really dig Imogen Heap, but while some of her songs really land musically, others just come off as being really, really out there.
I’ve got an answer for that, too.
Maybe you’ve grown accustomed to listening to Fresh Scouts when we tell you about artists you should be listening to. Maybe you’re one of the people who already has all the answers. If that’s true, maybe you should be writing for us.
But I’m all maybe’d out, and today’s featured throwback, Welsh singer-songwriter Jem, is a hell of lot more than maybe. She’s hip-hop. She’s trance. She’s electronica.
She’s most definitely.
Her 2004 album “Finally Woken” featured the huge European single of the same name, but it was “24” that first put me on. “They” was the first official single of the album, and all three of the tracks use a crafty mix of sampling, soft vocals, and up-tempo beats to make the compositions all come together. Really the entire album struck me as being pretty unique and innovative at the time, and listening to it six years it still holds up.
She’s put out another album since then, 2008’s “Down to Earth,” and has had songs appear on the “Eragon,” “Sex and the City,” and “Down to Earth” soundtracks, as well as plenty of TV cameos—everything from “The O.C.” to “Grey’s Anatomy” to “Desperate Housewives.”
So Jem has stayed busy since I lost track of her a few years ago, but it looks like the new stuff is along the same lines of what I fell in love with on the first album. And you know, maybe you’re not into Jem. Maybe she just doesn’t do it for you. If that’s the case, maybe—just maybe—it’s time for you to leave…
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