The Best Local Artists You Probably Wish You Knew Before They Got Huge
Well, I must preface this list by saying that "local" means the Oklahoma/Mid-America region, since that is where I lived for the majority of 2007. However, as fate would have it, one of my favorite bands of the year, local or not, also happens to be from Atlanta, so I'm gonna go ahead and sneak it into this list. So here goes:
Samantha Crain, "The Confiscation EP"
She achieved what I am always looking for in a song: layers. This is about the only thing that attracts me to a song. The are just lots of sounds buried underneath, so there is much more to discover after the cursory listen draws you in.
http://samanthajocrain.com
The Neighborhood, "Our Voices Choked With Fireworks"
The first time I heard this album I was literally gushing with pride. This is due in part to the fact that I was in a cabin with Phillip Rice and Eric Mai in the 7th grade, but due more in part to the fact that I found it hard to believe that this was their first full length record. This album has a maturity to it's sound unmatched by most bands that have several albums out.
http://www.theneighborhoodlovesyou.com/
Ben Rector, "Twenty Tomorrow"
Can you say good songwriter? Good songwriter. There is a reason this guy won the John Lennon Songwriting Award a couple of years ago, because he knows how to put lyrics on paper like we all wish we could. I am really looking forward to his second effort, because I think he will probably let loose on the piano, like I saw him hint at in concert.
Another reason this album is cool: Chris Wylie plays drums. He has a metronome for an internal clock, so he can move the rhythm however he feels like.
http://www.myspace.com/benrector
Lionhead, "The Small Station EP"
One day my friend Jacob Wright gave me his EP after class one day to listen to. I wish I could explain better why I find these songs so attractive, but I can't. All I know is a couple of them found their way into my "Most Listened To" list on Itunes. And thats a hard list to make.
http://myspace.com/lionheadmusic
Manchester Orchestra, "Like a Virgin Losing a Child"
This is the Atlanta band sneaking it way into my "local" list, which again, I don't feel bad putting here, since I live in Atlanta now.
Not only is this one of my favorite local albums of the year, it might even be my favorite all-encompassing album of the year. I probably listened the the song "Colly Strings" 1000 times over the course of the year, because it describes the entire gamut of the emotions involved in a relationship. So no matter where you are, you can relate.
http://www.themanchesterorchestra.com/
Okay, now briefly, The Other Albums That Dominated My Speakers This Year. Feel free to tell me I am wrong:
Andrew Bird, "Armchair Apocrypha": Sad fact: I didn't discover this album until November.
Iron & Wine, "The Shepherds Dog": Now people that hate lo-fi can enjoy the brilliance of Sam Beam.
Radiohead, "In Rainbows": Please stop comparing this to their other albums and take it as an individual entity.
Feist, "The Reminder": I played this album non-stop from May to September. Literally.
Up next: Top Movies of 2007
http://samanthajocrain.com
The Neighborhood, "Our Voices Choked With Fireworks"
The first time I heard this album I was literally gushing with pride. This is due in part to the fact that I was in a cabin with Phillip Rice and Eric Mai in the 7th grade, but due more in part to the fact that I found it hard to believe that this was their first full length record. This album has a maturity to it's sound unmatched by most bands that have several albums out.
http://www.theneighborhoodlovesyou.com/
Ben Rector, "Twenty Tomorrow"
Can you say good songwriter? Good songwriter. There is a reason this guy won the John Lennon Songwriting Award a couple of years ago, because he knows how to put lyrics on paper like we all wish we could. I am really looking forward to his second effort, because I think he will probably let loose on the piano, like I saw him hint at in concert.
Another reason this album is cool: Chris Wylie plays drums. He has a metronome for an internal clock, so he can move the rhythm however he feels like.
http://www.myspace.com/benrector
Lionhead, "The Small Station EP"
One day my friend Jacob Wright gave me his EP after class one day to listen to. I wish I could explain better why I find these songs so attractive, but I can't. All I know is a couple of them found their way into my "Most Listened To" list on Itunes. And thats a hard list to make.
http://myspace.com/lionheadmusic
Manchester Orchestra, "Like a Virgin Losing a Child"
This is the Atlanta band sneaking it way into my "local" list, which again, I don't feel bad putting here, since I live in Atlanta now.
Not only is this one of my favorite local albums of the year, it might even be my favorite all-encompassing album of the year. I probably listened the the song "Colly Strings" 1000 times over the course of the year, because it describes the entire gamut of the emotions involved in a relationship. So no matter where you are, you can relate.
http://www.themanchesterorchestra.com/
Okay, now briefly, The Other Albums That Dominated My Speakers This Year. Feel free to tell me I am wrong:
Andrew Bird, "Armchair Apocrypha": Sad fact: I didn't discover this album until November.
Iron & Wine, "The Shepherds Dog": Now people that hate lo-fi can enjoy the brilliance of Sam Beam.
Radiohead, "In Rainbows": Please stop comparing this to their other albums and take it as an individual entity.
Feist, "The Reminder": I played this album non-stop from May to September. Literally.
Up next: Top Movies of 2007
1 comment:
my readership increased also because I put a link to my mom blog in my status on facebook. all of the sudden my readership REALLY increased. i keep a blog tracker because I am that kind of person. i average about 10 - 15 hits a day. it dropped a lot during the last few weeks but since i put a link in my facebook status... it has increased a lot. and my parents help.
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