2G1K Reunion - Deep Dish style

A little over a year ago, the 2G1K gurlz traveled across the East coast for a long-awaited rendez-vous in New York City. From there we headed to DC for the Rally to Restore Sanity (or Keep Fear Alive, depending on which side of the aisle you stand). Despite getting to the rally late, not actually being able to see/hear a thing in the crowd, and eventually taking refuge in the Museum of Natural History's food court, it was a jolly good time.

FLASH FORWARD a year later - 2G1K reunion in Chicago!



We wined, we dined, we...wined again. Tilly saw Thom's new life in the Windy City; and what a life it is! L trains are pretty neat. You know what else is neat?

ADORKABLE ENGLISH BANDS. Like Metronomy. Yeah, we saw them in Chi-town. It was awesome. Even more awesome than our initial discovery of this English gem at SXSW back in 2007 (seriously, 2007!!), where we saw the original all-synth, three-man band make a push-button light show.

[Archival photo-documentation.]

Nowadays, with a new lineup (and more instruments!), Metronomy puts on a great show - lights included!



Tired of 2g1k's permanent Metronomy-gasm? Well, then HOW DARE YOU.

...I suppose we could compromise by recommending Metronomy's opening act to you: Class Actress. Hailing from Brooklyn (don't they all?), this duo puts out dreamy, sultry synthpop that's definitely worth a listen.

Class Actress - "Journal of Ardency"


Class Actress - "Keep You"


Experiencing life in a new city, seeing the sites and going to a good show.

Now that's classic 2G1K.

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"


***

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"


***

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

NXNE

Living in the frigid north instead of my sweet, hipstamatic hometown of ATX has a few hidden benefits. Oddly enough, a really good radio station is one of them.

Don't get me wrong, 102.7 WEQX FM is not perfect, but good LORD is it great. Austin is somehow both overrun with musically talented hipsterfolk AND lacking in a single, all-purpose radio station which caters to them (within which I humbly count Thomas and myself). Ridic!

So today I bring you a few gems which this rad upstate NY station has played in the last week (FYI: "rad upstate NY"? generally an oxymoron). My douchey alter ego would also like me to point out that I discovered these songs before I heard them on the radio. OK guys? I found them first.




Fitz & the Tantrums - "Moneygrabber"
A super stylin' motown-revival soul band. I'm including their performance on Conan's new show so you can see singer Noelle Scaggs' TOTALLY RADICAL DRESS. I want to go to there.




Puscifer - "The Mission"
Milla Jovovich, whatchoo doin' gurl? Oh, being a super badass singer? OK then. Proceed.






Two Door Cinema Club - "What You Know"
These electro-indie Irishmen are absolutely presh. I want to squeeze the singer's rosy little manchild cheeks, don't you? (The bassist is another story altogether. I'll have one of those to go, please. Mmm!) Anyway, TDCC is getting a lot of attention right now, especially having just rounded out their tour with the glory of Austin that is SXSW. Join the [dance] party!




*BONUS VIDEO! After watching "What You Know," notice anything similar to Metronomy's "Radio Ladio" video?! I did! In both vids: awkward Great Britons awkwardly playing music while being awkwardly surrounded by primary-color-clad hipster-chic girl(s). In terms of suaveness, the winner of this bout must be Metronomy, alas - TDCC, next time, avoid the contrived kiss on the cheek from the music video dancers, eh?

Enjoy whatever you're listening to these days, my friends. Hopefully some of these great bands will make it into the rotation.

Tootles,
Tilly

Welcome! Tilly and Thom share their favorites this week.

Hello! Welcome to 2 Girls 1 Keyboard, which you appear to have stumbled upon. Oh, fate! What has brought us here to this moment, this time, this...blog?

We girls would like to give you some music goodness, be it in the form of youtube video, mp3 download, or beautiful prose. We have two editors, the lovely Tilly and the charming Thom. Two native Austinites, Tilly and Thom have been going to shows together since their senior year of high school. (Awwr!) To continue this glorious tradition, they will keep you loyal readers up to date and entertained about all of Austin's best shows!

From Tilly, you can expect self-indulgent feminist rants, musical infatuations of often frightening proportions, and various neuroses which may amuse others. Thom plans to blog about the bands that would form within dystopian societies and other subjects that she finds delightfully absurd, but will probably get distracted and just post random youtube videos.

And now, our favorite things for this week! We hope to make this a 2g1k tradition.

Tilly:
I love two things in particular: Metronomy, an adorable, danceable band from Devon, England (and especially their newest music video), and She & Him, a sweet, nostalgic duo including actress Zooey Deschanel. Metronomy's latest album, Nights Out, is pretty amazing...the standout song would have to be "A Thing For Me," the music video for which is brand new and absolutely wonderful. Check it out below! Also, Zooey Deschanel's voice in She & Him is quite impressive. Her music seems vintage and romantic, but she's such a modern hipster (though one of those rare, nice hipsters). I hope you enjoy discovering these cute bands as much as I did.


Thom:
I recently stumbled upon Jason Schwartzman's solo project Coconut Records.

Poppy, catchy, I'm satisfied. There's not much to not like. My only fear is that his acting schedule will make it hard for him to tour. It's ok, I'll be waiting.

"Summer Day" - Coconut Records