The Apple Orchard with Carson
1 year ago
So I have been writing a good bit lately. I currently have two other blogs in the works...not sure if either one will ever be published, but I need a break from serious thought for a time.
I am as most of you know a big fan of music. I can also be a bit over the top as a music critic also...but I'm okay with that. Lately I've been on the search for female artists I actually like listening to. For the longest time I just felt like there was nothing that really appealed to me. Also I find male vocals much more pleasant to the ear in a singing manner than females. But my efforts have not gone without some really cool discoveries along the way.
Before I pursued this, the only female artists I listened to were Dido, Holly Brook, and a little Bird York. I also enjoyed many male/female duet-esq groups like 1997, The Civil Wars, She & Him, The Swell Season, and a little bit of Lady Antebellum.
In Colorado a started picking up Regina Spektor...and as odd as it is, it can really grow on you (well, some of it anyway), I also discovered Florence + The Machine out there which is a little different also. So these last few weeks I've found several new female artists or female/male bands that I have really been enjoying -
The Bird and The Bee
Joy Williams (from the Civil Wars)
KaiserCartel
The Weepies
The Submarines
Elizabeth and the Catapult
Marina & The Diamonds
Inara George
Laura Marling
Jenny and Johnny
Now many of these artists sound similar to one another...and I don't doubt I'm a creature of habit when it comes to the sounds of music I dig.
I wanted to write the blog just to show some fun and interesting comparisons to bands I enjoy and see what you think...who knows maybe you'll hear something new you might like.
My first comparison is going to be about the power of the piano. Piano driven tunes has been so popular for decades, many artists have become huge because of this. Today it seems like it's such a rarity...possibly because the mainstream today is so drenched with hip-hop, country, and electronica....
Some bands break free of that and make it huge, for example The Fray -
Vienna by The Fray off the album How To Save A Life (2005)
The Fray utilizes the piano in virtually every song they play, typically it runs as filler but here in Vienna it's the driving throughout the piece. Another band that has piqued my interest bigger than any other band out now is Seabird, taking their piano driven songs to a new level in the rock genre -
Rocks Into Rivers by Seabird off the album Rocks Into Rivers (2009)
Now pretty well-known thanks to his chart topping single 100 Years...I give you John Ondrasik, also known as Five For Fighting.
The Riddle by Five For Fighting off the album Two Lights (2006)
Last but not least an artist that has the potential to be a break-out artist come his next album...Jack's Mannequin -
Resolution by Jack's Mannequin off the album The Glass Passenger (2008)
The Fray's debut album was excellent, while their sophomore album didn't quite live up to the first despite taking 4 years to put it all together. Seabird on the other hand had an excellent debut album in 2008 and followed it up with an even better sophomore album in 2009. Five For Fighting started out slow climbing a mountain progressing into better albums but then peaked at his 3rd album and descended into a relatively safe zone. Jack's Mannequin stepping onto the scene later in the game because of his prior time in his other band Something Corporate, came out on fire with an amazing debut album. His sophomore album wasn't quite up to pace, but definitely shows the potential he has for better releases in the future. All of these artists have been big influences as to finding an array of other bands for me. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the hammers and strings. Here's the scoreboard -
The Fray Seabird Five For Fighting Jack's Mannequin
Originality - X
Quantity - X
Quality - X
Lyrics - X
Instrumentals - X
Vocals - X
Complexity - X
Winner : Seabird
Next comparison is the weird women oversea. Florence + The Machine vs. Marina & The Diamonds vs. Regina Spektor. These artist have very similar feels vocally and musically...and weird music videos... Just take a look for yourself (if a video doesn't play click the youtube link at the bottom right corner of the video and watch it there) -
Better by Regina Spektor off the album Begin To Hope (2006)
Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine off the album Lungs (2009)
I Am Not A Robot by Marina & The Diamonds off the album The Family Jewels (2010)
Regina is from Russia, Marina is from Wales, and Florence is from England. All three of these women have very true alto voices and quite a range on them. Both Regina and Marina play the piano while Florence usually has a band that plays behind her. So you've listened to the music, let's move to the scoreboard.
Regina Spektor Marina & The Diamonds Florence + The Machine
Originality: X
Quantity: X
Quality: X
Lyrics: X
Weirdest Video: X
Most Attractive: X
Winner : Regina Spektor
Ok, that last one was fun...moving into one that is huge to me. I call this genre post-modern southern rock. Many bands fall in this category, it is close to Adult Contemporary, but due to the southern vibe it just doesn't fit very well. Here's a few that I won't be comparing that fall into the genre - Toad the Wet Sprocket, Soul Asylum, The Wallflowers, and Better Than Ezra. Instead of those bands being compared (although I like them all very much), I will be comparing 3 bands that sound very similar to one another, they are - Sister Hazel, Virginia Coalition, and Gin Blossoms. Most likely you've heard of 1 of 3 or 2 of 3...but that's okay because you are about to get a chance to hear all three -
Beautiful Thing by Sister Hazel off the album Fortress (2000)
Super Girl by The Gin Blossoms off the album Major Lodge Victory (2006)
Sing Along by Virginia Coalition off the album Home This Year (2008)
Good stuff right? Well, I like it anyway. Just seems to be just the right kind of music for cruising down the road with the windows rolled down on a hot summer day. Gin Blossoms has been around the longest forming in 1987, followed by Sister Hazel forming in 1993, and Virginia Coalition not long after that. Sister Hazel has had 7 singles make the charts and one album go platinum and another go gold. Gin blossoms on the other hand 10 singles make the charts, on album go platinum, and another album went platinum 4 times. Virginia Coalition has yet to make it into the charts. Knowing myself that Sister Hazel seems to be the best known band of the three, I was quite surprised to discover Gin Blossoms having better numbers on the hits and sales department. Well, with all that, here we go -
Sister Hazel Gin Blossoms Virginia Coalition
Originality: X
Quantity: X
Quality: X
Lyrics: X
Vocals: X
Tie Break - Quality has to take it here as the Gin Blossoms have complete albums that are good from beginning to end, while Sister Hazel does have more albums...many of their songs fall pretty flat.
Winner : Gin Blossoms
The next showdown will be a battle between the best lyricists. The competition is tough and even now I'm not sure if I have a lock on who the winner will be. So up for grabs will be four contenders and they are as followed - Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional, Nick Thomas of The Spill Canvas, John Vesely of Secondhand Serenade, and Anthony Raneri of Bayside. All of these artists are in my opinion the best lyricist in today's modern day music. Artists like John Vesely writing beautiful songs about love and being absent from his wife have some of the most heart melting words intertwined better than anyone else. While Anthony Raneri talks about broken relationships and bitter endings that make you truly feel his pain with great imagery throughout each piece. Chris Carrabba has a more poetic approach to sending out his messages with subtle meanings and a striking bit of personality in each line, take that and tie it to some incredible vocal talent and you've got a really special sound. Nick Thomas is the most honest writer you'll ever hear using his vast and unique vocabulary, he opens up on lust and love, pain and vengeance, and the "could have beens". Enough chatter, here's some music -
Your Call by Secondhand Serenade off the album Twist In My Story
A Synonym for Acquiesce by Bayside off the album Sirens and Condolences
The Secret's In The Telling by Dashboard Confessional off the album Dusk and Summer
Staplegunned by The Spill Canvas off the album One Fell Swoop
It's hard to pick one song for each band to give you an idea of their lyrical capabilities or their musical diversity, so maybe you'll check out more of their stuff on your own if any interested you. Well, I don't know what else to say, except let's go to the scoreboard.
Secondhand Serenade Dashboard Confessional Bayside The Spill Canvas
Originality - X
Quantity - X
Quality - X
Instrumentals - X
Vocals - X
Complexity - X
Lyrics - X
Winner - The Spill Canvas
That may be all the comparisons I'll do in this blog so I will leave you with a personal list of some random
music stuff -
Great covers done by modern day bands -
music stuff -
Great covers done by modern day bands -
Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd covered by Shinedown (acoustic version)
Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles covered by The Fray
Wonderwall by Oasis covered by Cartel
Bye, Bye, Bye by NSync covered by Further Seems Forever
I Can Hear Music by The Beach Boys covered by She & Him
Random Facts About My Musical Progression -
Though he may not know it...he will now, my friend Casey was the biggest influence in music in my life. Fifth grade it started with the Beach Boys which opened up the whole world of the oldies for me. Mostly late 50's, all the 60's, and the early 70's is where I stayed up until around the 11th grade. That is when Casey gave me a copy of Matchbox 20's album More Than You Think You Are. That sparked me into an exploration into the world of modern day music and I haven't really looked back ever since. Now I could talk about at what points in my life did I move into heavier darker stuff, or into the more folk style, or even the indie scene...but I'll save that for another time. Although if you ever strike up a conversation with me about music, you may have a hard time shutting me up about it.
So I will end here by asking - What are your top 5 curent bands/artists?
1 comments:
Well - it changes literally every few days. Yesterday it was.
1) The Civil Wars
2) Red
3) Regina Spektor
4) The Spill Canvas
5) John Mark Macmillan
Honorable mentions to Switchfoot and 10th Avenue North.
Individual songs not from those artists (just for fun)
1) Strip Me - Natasha Bedingfeld
2) Young Blood - The Naked and Famous
3) Kettering - The Antlers
4) Closer - Shawn Macdonald
5) I Don't Wanna Be - Gavin DeGraw
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