2010: Top 10 Discoveries
by Dave Sharp on Dec 29th, 2010
2010: Top 10 Discoveries
Kindergarten Circus
I first saw them at Rock the Block on the Exit/In stage right after they released their No More Wizards seven inch. At first glance, I thought they it was a group of 14 year-old getting ready to play their first gig, but noticed their prowess when they melted by rough and raw punk rock heart with their jams. They glow with a terrorizing fun, three-chord sounding punk tracks that last upwards of three minutes. You’ll recognize their front man Dillon Watson, who sings for wild surf noise-makers D. Watusi.
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
Blues and soul has always been passionate, but no artist’s sound has ever been this forthright and uncontainable. They self-dubbed themselves a “Garage Soul”octet and they feature blunt, rough sounding tracks like “Bitch, I love you” and “Master Sold My Baby” all without pun and utilizing language for the masses. Here’s a live version of “Bitch, I Love You.”
What Laura Says
They’ve been rattling in my brain for ages. I even had a few drinks with them in Flagstaff, Ariz. a few years back when they were called “What Laura Says, Thinks and Feels.” But, until September of this year, I had never heard a note of their product. It’s good, man. It takes the piano rock sophistication that Ben Folds and Kweller made consumable and adds emphasis on the word “rock.” Check out their debut album from 2007 called, understandably, Thinks and Feels. It’s a bit psychedelic, too:
Evan P. Donohue
The Scene likes him and so does the social media music community in Nashville. That’s how I grasped hold of his name and immediately downloaded his 2010 debut full-length Rhythm and Amplitude. The album’s first lyric “I am under the spell of a melody, its an epidemic in the key of D” describes my literal infatuation with the record as I soaked in track after track.
Open Lot Dance Parties
In an effort to makeover the expected throbbing, flashy substance-less dance parties, Erik Walter Thompson, a local recording engineer and all-around music enthusiast and Jonathan Lisenby of The Open Lot decided to produce dance parties that are fueled by fun and a love for music and art. Each month they highlight a different musical style (October was a Sock Hop with tunes from the 50’s and 60’s; November was 80’s night) with live music and a late-night DJ. Meanwhile, drinks are served and Open Lot shows off local artists. Period/genre dress in encouraged and makes from some great fashion possibilities. Prepare for a funk dance party in January.
Ska-T’s Scene-ik Drive-Thru Podcast
New, old, over and underground, ska, reggae, dancehall – its all there and with shows themes, interviews, in-studio perfomances and a competent host (and quality fill-in hosts). The show is based out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada where is a has an FM frequency broadcast. The weekly show is a turnkey resource to keep your ska awareness sharpened and to discover some unheard talent. Oh, and Ska-T’s been on air for 15 years!
Here’s their episode dedicated to Ari Up of the Slits: http://www.musicaloccupation.com/2010/10/ska-ts-scene-ik-drive-podcast-216/
Wavves
Wavves hit me hard on the wire this year and I heard their tracks on the PA at seemingly every show I attended this summer. It took the fantastic software “Shazam” on Android to connect the two. I went old-school and picked up their debut album first and was rocked by their lo-fi, or as some have dubbed “no-fi” noise sound. It’s atmospheric and could hold up for a skate-session, art showcase or all-night-beer-a-thon. Their second release King of the Beach is much more versatile and holds some gems in “Green Eyes” and “Linus Spacehead” and this one:
Die Antwoord
Yeah, me and everybody else, right? Well, except the haters, but we gonna let ‘em hate. How can you ignore or, better yet, why would you want to ignore such a novel, face-planting, philosophizing, rare hip-hop outfit. Straight out of Cape Town in South Africa and featuring the lyrical and rapping talents of Ninja, the stylistic vocals and just-the-right-amount of awkward sexuality of Yo-Landi Vi$$er and the “phat beats” of DJ Hi-Tek (no, not that DJ Hi-Tek), the name means “The Answer” in their native tongue Afrikaan. Its refreshing, understated and phallically obsessed — I mean, the dude sings out of his junk! Read up on them and watch this video. They killed at the Cannery Ballroom in Nov. and at VooDoo Fest in New Orleans. Here’s what went viral:
Cheap Girls
At my desk, in my car, in bed and everywhere else, I’m rocking to these guys constantly. They have the pick-me-up of your favorite 90’s punk band and vocalist Ian Graham sounds similar to one of my favorite vocalist, Smoking Popes front man Josh Caterer. That was an appeal for me, but these guys offer much more than musical similes. Lyrical soundness and laid back tunes that make their records feel like one-on-one living room serenades. The best part though? They’re playing Exit/In on Jan. 18 with Against Me! and Fences. Here’s an acoustic version of “Hey, Hey, I’m Worn Out”:
Chicken Little
Thanks to my main men from my hometown of Phoenix, Ariz. Andrew Jackson Jihad, I was able to witness one of the more musically compelling and unique acts of 2010. Chicken Little had the smallest (no pun intended) crowd and reception as the opening act for AJJ in September, but their irresistible personalities, lifting vocal harmonies and guitar-accordion old-timey tunes were pure entertainment. The self-proclaimed “Tennessee half-pint folk punks” are new-age folk storytellers that will draw you in from the second you hear them.