Comebacks

Hello all!

I'm here to tell you about the grand return of Cold War Kids, Metronomy, Peter Bjorn and John, and (I daresay most importantly?) 2 GIRLS 1 KEYBOARD! We are going to stop being deadbeat 20-somethings and start writing more often. Starting now.

Cold War Kids: Mine is Yours


It's been 3 years since Loyalty to Loyalty, the most recent album from solid 2g1k favorites Cold War Kids, but it didn't make much of a splash back in '08. I've previously noted this lack of Cold War Kids goodness, but they have returned!

Mine is Yours is a new but really good sound for them. A little less Southern bluesy, a little more inspirational, a whole lotta catchy and pretty tunes! It's worked well for the band--they have gotten popular enough to make an appearance in little ol' Albany, NY at Tulipfest 2011, which I had the pleasure of attending. Look carefully below, and you'll see a great example of a native Albany college student in all his douchebaggery.



Here's a few of my favorite tracks, since oddly I've never loved the single which has made them so popular of late, "Louder than Ever."

"Finally Begin"


"Sensitive Kid"


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Metronomy: The English Riviera


Metronomy, how we have missed you! Thom and I are pretty big fans. Thus the three year wait since Nights Out has been sad, but The English Riviera has arrived...and it's magical.

As with Cold War Kids, this album represents a newer, more refined sound for the band, but with very good reason--the departure of one of the original three band members and addition of two new ones! Gabriel Stebbing, or as I sometimes call him, "The Hot One," amicably left Metronomy, then Gbenga Adelekan became the new bassist and Anna Prior the new drummer. (GIRL DRUMMER FUCK YEAH.) See them below in the music vid!

"The Look" (showcasing the quintessential adorable Metronomy music video style)


"Everything Goes My Way"


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Peter Bjorn and John: Gimme Some


Just like the sandwich, PB&J always satisfies. Though only two years after their great album Living Thing, Gimme Some is really refreshing. It brings back the upbeat, hypercatchy, quirky strangeness of their golden years, complete with endearingly imperfect English lyrics.

"All art has been contemporary, dig a little deeper"
...well said, young Swedes!

"Second Chance"


"Dig a Little Deeper"


Hopefully some of these songs strike your fancy! Stay tuned for a soon-to-come Favorite Things post from both of us.

Until next time,
Tilly

I miss you too!

Hi everybody!

Tilly here, just trying to keep up the 2g1k vibe. We are quite terrible at posting regularly, but we'd like you to know that we are always thinking about it! And here I go.

Over the last few weeks, I've run across a few musical gems that I've really enjoyed. First is the solo effort by Julian Casablancas, lead singer of The Strokes. His new album, Phrazes for the Young, has a more complex and electronic sound than the Strokes, but thankfully still with Casablancas' characteristic voice.

"11th Dimension" - Julian Casablancas

Also...Cold War Kids are back!! Hooray. Although they did have a sophomore album, it seems many people (unfortunately including myself) sort of let it go by relatively unnoticed and un-praised. The upcoming EP Behave Yourself, to be released in January, sounds like it will be just as great the original Cold War Kids blues-y, soulful, catchy indie goodness. Mmm.

"Audience of One" - Cold War Kids

Top 10 bass lines

Hello! Tilly here. I just wanted to get the word out there about the awesomeness that is the bass. Have you ever heard a song with a rockin' bass line that wasn't also a rockin' song? No. Bass is like the super power of a band...if they use it well, it leads to wonderful results. If they use it badly or not at all, thousands upon thousands of kittens are stuck in trees and the old ladies who own them cry for days. Who wants that?



It's not that a song is automatically bad if the base just melds quietly into the background, keeping the song going. But a song with a creative, interesting base line has so much more depth and coolness. Thankfully, there are quite a few bands out there who truly value their bassist. For reference, I provide a few exemplary songs of bands like this. Take a listen, and when you do, really listen to the bass. Oh yes. Sweet sweet bass.

Just for fun, these are in order of what I consider top 10 base lines. Social experiment! Leave a comment re-ordering them or adding new songs with fab bass.

10."Gamma Ray" - Beck
9."Faberge Falls for Shuggie" - Of Montreal
8."Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above" - CSS
7."A Million Ways" - OK GO
6."Stalemate" - Nada Surf
5."Black History Month" - Death From Above 1979 (who consist of only a bassist and a drummer!! Rad.)
4."Evil" - Interpol
3."Saint John" - Cold War Kids
2."The Lovecats" - The Cure
1."Only In Dreams" - Weezer (this is the true seven minutes in heaven, kids.)