This Thread Is For Indie/Pop'ers (soundtrack, dance, bass, funk)

[hookers with machineguns]

So I'm bored and decided I would talk about some of my favorite indie/pop acts out there at the moment. It's a great world we live in, b/c there are so many bands I want to talk about.

I guess I'll start out in no particular order with

Tilly and the Wall



The group consists of two female vocalists, a male vocalist, a keyboard player, and a tap dancer (not to mention an assortment of other instruments). They're an Omaha band, but surprisingly not on Saddle Creek Records. I guess the unique feature of this band is that their percussion parts are mostly taps and hand claps. I wasn't really a big fan when I first saw them live in a really small venue, but it was fun to see their energy and crazy tapping (and the whole band is just eye candy).

I'll be frank, they are not the best thing in the world. In fact, a lot of their songs thus far overdue it on the vocals (even if their main vocalist has a pretty good voice) and struggle to find a good melody. Despite that, Wild Like Children had enough good tracks on it to be worth your while.

I think they are one or two CDs away from putting out something really, really good. Their new album Bottoms of Barrels sounds much better than what they've put out thus far. The single "Bad Education" is definitely one of their best songs (if not the best) to date. I look forward to hearing more from them.

Favorite tracks: Bad Education, Black and Blue, Freest Man, You And I Misbehaving, Fell Down The Stairs, and Let It Rain.

http://www.myspace.com/tillyandthewall
http://www.tillyandthewall.com/tatw/index.html

[hookers with machineguns]

Mates of State



Wow. What a fun band. Another midwest group, this time it's a husband/wife duo whose voices really work well together. Well it's quite clear, their crazy electric organ keyboard gives the unique sound of the band. Not to mention, there is no need for a guitarist or bass player. Who needs them anyway? Everything on Team Boo is melodic, catchy, and has pretty clever hooks. I wish I had more insight on their earlier album and EPs...or even, their latest album, Bring It Back (which I HAVE listened to...well, mostly...and on first impression, it didn't seem as great as Team Boo).

It's dance music. It's sing-a-long. It's pop. You'll love it.

Favorite tracks: Abercrombie, Fluke, Open Book, Girls Singing (a nice change of pace), and Fraud in the 80s.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcFCd...s%20of%20State
http://www.matesofstate.com/
http://www.myspace.com/matesofstate

Eh, I'll be back later for more bands.

[adidasss]

i have bring it back from mates of state....a couple of good songs but nothing impressive...i should check out team boo...

by the way, i've read a fairly detrimental review of le sport...and i was thinkin of downloading the album, but the man in question says they only have two good songs...

[hookers with machineguns]

Originally Posted by adidasss

by the way, i've read a fairly detrimental review of le sport...and i was thinkin of downloading the album, but the man in question says they only have two good songs...

They have a couple of remixes on their homepage that i haven't yet listened to. I want to get my hands on the debut album regardless, but afterall it is their debut, so I think they'll have plenty more opportunities to make something better happen. And, I can think of at least three good songs so far [Your Brother Is My Only Hope, Business Girls, It's Not The End of the World]

Tegan and Sara


This is two Canadian 20-something twin sisters, who are just absolutely adorable. But, they weren't always at the top of their game. Their first several efforts were simple and hardly eye catching. It wasn't until the release of So Jealous, where even the two sisters admit that they're not sure how it turned out so well produced. Their singing improved exponentially, it's almost hard to believe that this is the same group.

According to my lastfm, I have listened to them quite often. First time I heard of them was actually in this indie forum, some random thread that didn't get much attention. I checked them out, and honestly I didn't see anything worth my time. It seemed too poppy and predictable with no substance. When I saw a flyer for their show last year, I thought "Hey I know who they are...they aren't that great...meh, I probably won't go." And I didn't...one of the biggest regrets I have.

Somewhere along the line, I revisited them and saw the appeal of So Jealous...simple pop melodies executed perfectly with two of the cutest voices you may ever hear. The album, from top to bottom, is filled with catchy sing-a-long pop tunes, with a slight rock attitude and edge (both sisters are apparently fans of punk music). Their claim to fame is the melodic song "Walking With A Ghost", but it's hardly the best song on the album.

To me, this is still one of those guilty pleasure bands. When I play them around friends (who would typically not like this style of music), I feel reluctant at first, but thus far, I hear the same response..."You know what? I actually like this stuff."

Favorite Tracks: I Know I Know I Know, Downtown, Take Me Anywhere, Walking With A Ghost, You Wouldn't Like Me, and Monday Monday Monday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnyA2...n%20and%20sara
http://www.myspace.com/teganandsara
http://www.teganandsara.com/index.php

[adidasss]

you know, it occured to me that this thread is essentially a conversation between you and me....so maybe i shouldn't reply but you're a sad frustrated man so i'll do it just to get a few replies to this thread.
i've listened to them once or twice maybe and they seemed ok, but i didn't get that instant catchy feel ( apart from the amazing "you wouldn't like me" )...maybe it's the lenght of the album ( a catchy pop album shouldn't have 14 songs...it gets a bit samey after a while and it's hard to maintain the same level of interest for this type of music for so long ).
but i AM listening to them again... it's very nice....maybe it was the latter part of the album that left me with the feeling of samey-ness...because the first 5 songs seem very catchy now...
you're right, it's amazingly produced, and i looked at that video you posted and amazingly enough, her vocals sound absolutely the same...i thought it was a bit tampered with on the album but nope..that's really how she sounds...( btw, are they twins or something, because i didn't know who i was looking at half the time in the video )

[hookers with machineguns]

Hehe, thanks buddy. But no seriously, this thread is really for my own enjoyment, and hopefully I can just compile a really good thread, and save the link for future use. I'm thinking about doing a similar thing for other types of music, once again, just for my own entertainment, and maybe the use of this messageboard can help me organize my thoughts. And besides, should I have expected a larger audience other than you?


Edit: Yeah, they are twins. I'm still not sure who is who. I know one of them carries a majority of the vocals in their songs, I'm not sure which one it is.

[hookers with machineguns]

Architecture in Helsinki



This is the Australian experimental avant garde eight-piece that has acquired a pretty strong following. Well, think about it. Eight members, and....god knows how many different instruments (although a lot of their songs still come off minimal)...including glockenspiel, trombone, trumpet, tuba, recorder, clarinet & finger clicks. I really like the clarinet in "Imaginary Ordinary" and "Scissor Paper Rock." Not all of their vocalists are favorable at times. But, the wide range of instrumentation and vocal options makes them very attractive to me. Note: Avant garde is usually the term they throw at bands like this...i.e., bands that can't be placed under one category and confuse the hell out of you.

They still have a very...mellow, if you can even call it that...pop sound. But, in songs like "Do The Whirlwind", they can be bouncy and fun (and really bubblegum-ish) if they wanted.

The debut album Fingers Crossed is a good start. It's fresh and very well produced. The next album In Case We Die is essentially the same album, which may not be a good thing. This is one of those bands you just want to see get better with each release. Just keep your eyes out for them.

Favorite tracks: Tiny Paintings, Scissor Paper Rock, Do The Whirlwind, In Case We Die (Parts 1-4), and One Heavy February.

http://www.architectureinhelsinki.com/ (sample In Case We Die!)
http://www.myspace.com/aihmusic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXIzy...0in%20Helsinki

[davidMC1982]

Tilly and the Wall are pretty good, they're just missing a little something that would make them a regular listen.

I really like Tegan & Sara. They're extremely catchy. A lot of people have trouble with the vocals (generally people who are only interested in a single genre) but I find the vocals to be one of the endearing qualities of the band.

Looking at the type of bands you've mentioned you'd probably also like:

Blonde Redhead
Smoosh
Joanna Newsome (can be hard to get into)
Piano Magic (all the albums are completely different, Disaffected is a good starter)

[hookers with machineguns]

Yeah dave, I was going to post about Blonde Redhead and Smoosh at some point in this thread. And, I've been trying to become a fan of Joanna for a while, but as you know, it is kind of hard (to say the least) to get into.

Edit: And great observations on Tilly and Tegan&Sara. I couldn't agree more!

[hookers with machineguns]

The Go! Team



After watching some of their live videos on YouTube, I’ve come to the conclusion that I really don’t like Ninja (the band leader-slash-main vocalist live). But thank god her vocal contribution to the production of the album Thunder, Lightning, Strike wasn’t so important.

This is the crazy U.K. six-piece, including several drummers and guitarists, who also use a wide range of other instruments. Essentially, their songs sound like a cheerleading rally, with a mixed hip-hop, rock, and funk vibe. Predominantly, the music’s appeal is the instrumentation, rather than the raps or chants. They’re a very popular and well-played group in dance clubs around the world, while some of their songs like “Ladyflash” and “Bottlerocket” have been used in various advertisements, soundtracks, and so on.

I’ve always been under the impression that this would be some sort of short-lived project that wouldn’t bother staying together for another album. Well, doing some research, I learned that they actually have a catalogue of E.P.’s released before TLS. I guess my thought process was, “how can this sort of gimmick last for more than just one album?” Still, a couple of fresh new dance numbers can’t be bad! They’re a hit or miss band…you either like their perky upbeat style or you loathe it. But, if you like to dance, then you must like the Go! Team…fo sho’.

Favorite Tracks: Huddle Formation, Ladyflash, Panther Dash, The Ice Storm, and Junior Kickstart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lT2T...arch=Ladyflash
http://www.thegoteam.co.uk/flash/GoKids.html
http://www.myspace.com/thegoteam