Broken Bells

Broken Bells is a collaboration by Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) and James Mercer (of the Shins). This indie rock duo began recording together back in 2008 - four years after meeting. I was initially drawn to the band based on the vocals of Mercer (I've been a gigantic Shins fan since high school).

On Monday, March 3rd, Broken Bells played a high-energy, sold-out show at The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. I actually found out about the show after googling to see if the openers (all-girl, New York based Au Revoir Simone) were playing any shows in the area (awesome!). The setlist was perfect, starting the night off with Perfect World and ending the night with encore song October. The galaxy theme was a trip on its own. I frequently found my eyes locked on the psychadelic backdrop and engaged by the light show.

I left the show with a smile on my face and a new band to add to my top 10.

Here's a few of my favourites:

And don't forget about Au Revoir Simone:

UPDATE!

Check out the new Indie & Folk Facebook and Twitter pages (linked above) and be sure to follow for new music posted regularly. Time to share the love in a few more places.

And now I leave you with this:

“Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here!” 

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 

Wise words indeed.

Baths

Will Wiesenfeld is Baths. Baths is an Experimental/Electronic artist based out of California. He is currently signed with the independent record label Anticon in Los Angeles. I heard the song Lovely Bloodflow three or four years ago and instantly fell in love with the exotic collage-type of sounds all put together to create this cool song about intense love. Cerulean, his first album (released in 2010), features songs such as ♥ which are almost eerie in sound, yet so captivating. I relate his work to abstract art, in that the sounds don't always make sense but when you really take the time to listen, you understand why it is what it is. 

Boy & Bear

I go to Boy & Bear's Facebook page to do a bit of research and under biography, I read this:
Boy & Bear is happy.
Boy & Bear is Tambourine.
Boy & Bear is good for you.
If you haven't heard them before, these three short statements sum up exactly how I feel about them. They're an Australian Rock-Folk band made up of five awesome guys. They've so far released one EP and two full-length albums and I have to say that I still can't pick a favorite song. Every single song is my favorite song. So I'll just leave you with a few hand-clapping and foot-stopping initiators.

Hudson Taylor

I don't fully remember what brought me to discover my first Hudson Taylor video on YouTube. I think I was just clicking through videos on the sidebar, looking for new music. I clicked on a video by two Irish brothers named Harry & Alfie and I've been avidly following the sounds of these very brothers ever since. They're now signed to Polydor Records in the UK under the name Hudson Taylor. Because I've been following their music from the beginning, I feel as proud of them for making it this far in their career as their own mother probably does. I appreciate them so much and get all warm and fuzzy every time I see a new video posted on their website or YouTube page.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia is a gem that has been hiding from me until about three months ago. I thought it was a band, but it's actually the stage name for South African born, Brooklyn based musician Jean-Philip Grobler. I know he has a great voice, but had no idea that he used to tour internationally as part of the Drakensber Boys' Choir. Killer pipes! His first EP was released in 2012 and his first full length album, When the Night, was released last year. Every track is upbeat and dance-worthy, but check these ones out first.

Oh, and the his album art for When the Night was most definitely the inspiration for my blog layout. Tropical!

Johnny Flynn

Johnny Flynn is the face and front-man of the band Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit. He's South African born, England raised and is one of my favorite people on this earth. I've been listening to Johnny for a little over five years now and just saw him for the first last night at Lee's Palace in Toronto. He's classified as 'folk-rock' and that is exactly what you should expect. He has a powerful voice that was at its best in a live atmosphere.
I only found out today that he's also an actor! Starred in a movie called 'Song One' alongside Anne Hathaway and will also be in Sils Maria opening this year. Man of many talents.

Check out a couple of my favorites!

I ALSO need to mention that band that opened for him. They're called The Melodic and they're from South London. I hadn't heard them before last night but wow...I downloaded their new album and EP today on iTunes and have had them on repeat all day. Folk/roots/latin is what they describe their sound as. They're super quirky and energetic and I was smiling the entire time they were performing. There's nothing better than discovering an amazing new band when you're already there to see someone quite amazing.

Sir Sly

Oh hi there. Congratulations. You've decided to take a step in the right direction toward gaining a respected knowledge in good music.

This blog will be updated with songs of the present and past that have taken a part in shaping me into who I am today. I am a firm believer that good music deserves to be passed along to everyone and anyone who will listen.

So on the very first day of this blog, I'll post a song that I haven't been able to get out of my head for several weeks. Sir Sly is a band out of LA, California and defines their genre as 'sly-fi'. Definitely something different than what's been playing over the past couple of years. These guys are a fairly new band (formed in 2012) and I'm absolutely stoked to hear what they'll come out with next. Hope you like it.