Faded Paper Figures

Faded Paper Figures began, like all great endeavors, as a side-project. Writing songs between dissertation chapters and frenetic bouts of southern California traffic, John (vocals/guitars) and Kael (guitars/keys/machines) were simply looking for an aesthetic and rigorous diversion. Two or three songs into the process, however, things started sounding incredible--much too good to have come from Kael's apartment bedroom. Eventually Heather (additional vocals/keys) began adding some beautiful harmonies, and FPF became the brilliant blend of indie-tronic pop that dazzles on every track in their debut album, "Dynamo."

                       

The Lumineers

The Denver folk group The Lumineers was founded in 2002 by Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, who grew up together in the New Jersey suburb of Ramsey. In its early days, the band had its sights on nearby New York as the gateway to success.

"I remember one of our friends and musical acquaintances on the East Coast said the first rule of being a band is, you make the nearest, largest city your mecca," Fraites tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz. "We took that as gospel: 'Let's go to New York City every other week, time and time again, and things will get going for us.' "

That momentum never quite came. As grateful as Schultz was to the band's few New York fans, he grew frustrated promoting shows only to have the same handful of people come out each time. "I think we just thought that if we could go somewhere where we could afford to work on music and tour, that's probably the solution — and don't worry about all the other details," he says. "And that's why Denver made sense."

The band released its self-titled debut in April. In press for the album, the band has referenced a quote from a 1992 New York Times article: "I spend a lot of time on my drawings, and it turns out real good 'cause I've been practicing a lot." The speaker is a 9-year-old Schultz, quoted in a piece about a Beethoven impersonator visiting his school. Schultz says that when a friend dug up the article a few years ago and sent it to him, it reminded him how long he'd wanted to be an artist.

"That was pretty surreal to read that, because I kind of felt crazy at the time pursuing music, kind of questioning whether or not I was just doing it out of being stubborn," Schultz says. "It was kind of reassuring to see that I did have some intention with that, even at an early age."

Of Monsters and Men

There are too few words to adequately describe how much excellence and joy flows through every track of “My Head Is an Animal,” the debut album released by the band Of Monsters and Men earlier this month.

The Icelandic indie-folk sextet, while still gaining popularity here in the United States, grew to considerable prominence internationally with the release of its single, “Little Talks.” ITunes offered the single as a free download for a brief period of time, which largely helped both the track and the band gain exposure.

The band is headed by male vocalist Ragnar Porhallsson and female vocalist Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir, both of whom jointly provide a refreshing sound. The two of them are accompanied by a colorful arrangement of instrumentalists that undeniably facilitate the musical strength of the entire group.

The countless comparisons being made between Of Monsters and Men and British group Mumford & Sons really only serve to compliment both parties. Just as Mumford easily managed to pave its way into American hearts and record stores, especially following its performance at the Grammys in 2011, this up-and-coming Icelandic band will likely do the same.

What sets Of Monsters and Men apart from contemporaries such as Mumford & Sons, however, can almost be boiled down to the simple fact that it provides not just a melodious male vocal talent, but also a female counterpart that produces the fantastic harmonies that the band will surely become known for in the near future. 

Each song on “My Head Is an Animal” provides enough melodic harmony and scenic imagery to fill two entire albums. The strength of the group’s debut album is on par with the first Mumford & Sons release two years prior—if the latter was any barometer for success, then Of Monsters and Men seems to be on the right track.

Early on in “King and Lionheart,” Nanna sings, “We’re here to stay, we’re here to stay, we’re here to stay.” Based on the largely flawless debut album that Of Monsters and Men just released, there appears to be no need to question this statement.

Burning Hotels

On the new album (Burning Hotels), Chance Morgan and Matt Mooty wrote every song together. Recorded earlier this year in Fort Worth, TX at Spaceway Studios, and mixed at Blackwatch Studios in Norman, OK, the self-titled Burning Hotels album shines through with a Texas flare that fuses new wave pop with dance aesthetics. Burning Hotels have created their own distinctively pop and oblique brand of music, that Mark Schectman from KDGE rightfully dubbed as Sex Wave.

Make no mistake about it; this is not a stab at a trend. This is pop music. And the songs sound exactly as the band wants them to: full of energy with electronic textures, danceable rhythms and catchy hooks. Internally, the excitement and emotion has never been greater for Burning Hotels than it is right now.

Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind of Fix

Bombay Bicycle Club currently find themselves in the very common position of being liked and respected, but not quite shifting a proportionate amount of records. Their third album since they left school as many years ago feels like a confident effort to redress the balance. OpenerHow Can You Swallow So Much Sleep, their Bright Eyesish Twilight soundtrack contribution, sets the template for the finer tracks here – a lilting repetition slowly builds, all bouncy sensitivity and earnest determination. Singer Jack Steadman's distinctive voice still sounds like he's had the corners of his mouth taped to his ears, but it's boosted by an elegant palate of guitar layers and stadium-friendly drums, and is now more muscular than weedy. There are occasional lapses into epic-indie-lite – Beggars is Keep the Car Running Jr – but this is a strong, forward-looking record that delights in its own ambition.

Soley - We Sink

"Sóley returns with her first full-length, an album full of rhythmic makeshift creatures, of handclaps hidden in the undergrowth, tempting us to join in. The 13 tracks are sometimes incredibly catchy; amazingly quirky at other times: think cardigan-folk from the northern hemisphere, an ocean of stained glasses bopping up and down in the shared apartment's dishwater, leeward in limbo. The result is refreshing in its lack of edginess; think Joanna Newsom minus her harp, or the Casady sisters circa 2004, but then clearly better trained, less crooked. In other words: her voice, those loops moving around like wooden toys, and finally the piano – that's the backbone, the essence of her compositions; at least until some unexpected element appears elsewhere, a rhythmic creaking or the lack thereof, like a hidden Rube Goldberg machine, setting off yet another component, thus paving the way across the threshold and on into the next realm of sound. And thus we keep on sinking, deeper and deeper, until we stand on terra firma once again, realizing that somehow, next to us, above us, around us, a beat is laid out, hesitantly moving along at first, then careering…"

M83, "Midnight City"

A day where I can post new music from M83 is a good day.  Here’s a taste of whats to come off the upcoming Oct. 18th double-album (Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming) release from French artist Anthony Gonzales (aka M83).  ”Midnight City” is a “humid, adrenaline-drive dreamlike track” featuring a sample which upon 2nd and 3rd listens, melds better into the song.  There also might be a saxophone solo in there.  Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is about awakening, craving, and conquering, and pushes into new vocal territory for M83.  The new record promises experiments in different ways of singing, ranging from a spectral breathy whispers to a howling screams. Gonzalez describes the record.  “I think it is a reflection of my 30 years of being a human being.  It’s a compilation of all my previous music together.  It’s a retrospective of myself.”  -Anthony Gonzalez

The album was produced by Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, NIN, The Mars Volta, Goldfrapp) and features Brad Laner (from 90’s band Medicine) on guitar, Morgan Kibby (White Sea) on vocals again (like on Saturdays=Youth) and guest vocals from Zola Jesus.

Beirut - Rip Tide

Zach Condon and his experimental baroque wonder Beirut are back with a new album “Rip Tide”, and you can stream it in its entirety now. Head on over to NPR right here to check the album out. An early listen brings the verdict that Condon and crew have applied quite a bit of restraint with the new LP. While the classic horn accompaniments and old-world fascination still ring through on the album, Condon seems to have simplified things and kept the mix a bit simpler. Give her a listen!

Grouplove - Never Trust A Happy Song

I can't seem to get enough of this catchy little band, Grouplove!  Grouplove's full length debut album 'Never Trust a Happy Song' will be released on September 13th via Canvasback Music/Atlantic.  The song from the video above "Itchin on a Photograph" is the first track off the upcoming cd and I can't stop "itchin" for more of these guys!!!  Check them out and below you will find upcoming tour dates as well!  I'll be catchin or itchin something when they get to Dallas!!!  Enjoy!!

Grouplove Tour Dates:
7/31, Woodford, Australia (Splendour in the Grass)
8/2, Melbourne, Australia (Corner Hotel)
8/3, Sydney, Australia (Oxford Art Factory)
8/6, Chicago, IL (Lollapalooza)
8/14, San Francisco, CA (Outside Lands)
8/26-28, Reading, England/Leeds, England (Reading and Leeds)
9/5, London, England (XOYO)
9/9, Washington, DC (Black Cat)**
9/10, Philadelphia, PA (North Star)**
9/13, Boston, MA (Brighton Music Hall)**
9/14, New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom)** Record Release
9/16, Chicago, IL (Subterranean)**
9/19, Denver, CO (Larimer Lounge)
9/22, Los Angeles, CA (Wiltern Theatre) supporting Two Door Cinema Club
9/23, San Francisco, CA (Warfield) supporting Two Door Cinema Club
9/24, San Diego, CA (House of Blues) supporting Two Door Cinema Club
9/28, Portland, OR (Peter's Room)
9/30, Seattle, WA (Vera Project)
10/1, Vancouver, BC (Electric Owl)
10/5, Minneapolis, MN (The Varsity)*
10/6, Madison, WI (The Frequency)*
10/11, Nashville, TN (Mercy Lounge)*
10/13, Atlanta, GA (Masquerade)*
10/15, Pensacola, FL (DeLuna Fest)*
10/17, New Orleans, LA (One Eyed Jacks)*
10/20, Austin, TX (Emo's)*
10/21, Dallas, TX (Prophet Bar)*
10/22, Houston, TX (Fitzgerald's)*
10/25, Tucson, AZ (Congress)
10/26, Los Angeles, CA (El Rey Theatre)

* w/ special guests Belle Brigade
** w/ special guests Young Man

Manchester Orchestra

Only have time to throw a wiki in on this one but I highly recommend checking them out!  The new video to "Simple Math" is brilliant and beautifully shot!  


Manchester Orchestra is an American indie rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2005. The group is currently composed of rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, keyboardist and percussionist Chris Freeman, bassist Jonathan Corley and drummer Tim Very. Former drummer Jeremiah Edmond parted ways with the band in January 2010 to focus on his family as well as running the band's record label, Favorite Gentlemen.  To date they have released several extended plays and three studio albums: I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child (2006), Mean Everything to Nothing (2009) and Simple Math (2011). They are currently signed to independent record label Favorite Gentlemen Recordings, which is distributed through Sony Music Entertainment.

William Fitzsimmons

William Fitzsimmons is a talented gentleman who blends folk and electronic music in a way that no other artist can match. His melodies are sweetly charming, beautifully emotive, and in his lyrics lie true brilliance of his craft. Perhaps it's his background as a therapist and mental health worker, or maybe it's because he writes directly from the viscera of his experiences, but it is undeniable that William Fitzsimmons is an artist who reaches people.  Where Goodnight and The Sparrow And The Crow were essentially about divorce (his parents' and his own, respectively), his latest endeavor, Gold In The Shadow, is an exploration of mental illness and healing; as Fitzsimmons puts it, "it's about sickness and it's about wellness". Recorded in an old, worn-down house in Charleston, South Carolina, the record is a rebirth of sorts, a collection of stories born as Fitzsimmons began to shed the darkness of the past several years.

Grouplove

GROUPLOVE is the new indie rock band that you want to know. You have seen them creeping up the charts on hypem.com. You have perused the pictures on their MySpace page, and may have felt a hint of jealousy at the ever-so-apparent camaraderie of the five-piece crew. The heart-touching story of their first encounters (legitimately, group love at first sight, on the beautiful island of Crete no less) brings an ever so genuine tear to your eye. What’s more? Their first single “Colours” has weaved itself in and out of your recent playlists, and damn are you hooked. GROUPLOVE, the collaborative effort of Hannah Hopper and Christian Zucconi, the resident New Yorkers, Andrew Wessen and Ryan Rabin from LA, and Sean Gadd from London, have recently set up camp in LA to work on their music. Their first EP comes out today. Keep an eye and an ear out for live performances scheduled for this summer in LA.