“The present in New York is so powerful that the past is lost.”
So said John Jay Chapman, American author and native New Yorker. And he couldn't really be more spot on, especially considering the musical talent emerging from there just recently.
As you may have noticed by looking over to the right of this page, I have been indulging myself, nay, totally immersing myself in the joys of Twitter, the latest social networking/micro-blogging fad to grab us net geeks. Long story short, one of the people I follow on there is a gentleman by the name of Graham Linehan, writer, producer and director of some of the finest televisual comedy moments of recent years, such as the Emmy award winning "The IT Crowd" and the legendary Father Ted. He posted a tweet about a Brooklyn based band called French Horn Rebellion, with links to the two videos you can see in this post I made not long ago. So utterly blown away by these two songs was I that I immediately ordered the album, which arrived last week, as detailed here. Suffice to say, I wasn't disappointed and the album has been on non-stop ever since.
After making a comment about it on Twitter, another Twitterer turned me on to some more great Brooklyn/New York bands, and it certainly seems that the creative musical epicentre has focused on the state so good, they named it twice. Let me introduce you to what I have discovered.
First up, MGMT. Having released one album (2005's "Climbing To New Lows") under the moniker "The Management" (conjuring up disturbing images of Hale & Pace), they abbreviated their name and released "Oracular Spectacular" in 2007, which spawned such memorable tracks as "Kids", "Electric Feel" & "Time To Pretend". A new album is due this year, entitled "Congratulations". More psychedelic electronic than pop, MGMT are the Beatles to French Horn Rebellion's Stones.
Sadly, because MGMT are now signed to Columbia (part of Sony) they have disabled YouTube embedding, so here are the links...
Electric Feel
Time To Pretend
Next we have Chairlift. You may not have heard of Chairlift at all, but you will DEFINITELY know at least one of their songs, "Bruises", as it was used in the 4th Gen. iPod Nano advert recently. Like MGMT, they released an album themselves before signing a deal which spawned "Does You Inspire You" at the back end of 2008. More melodic and earthy, they combine subtle electronica with sweet vocals and gorgeous hooks.
And so to Menya. Not one to play your Granny, Menya are a trio (2 girls, one boy) who come up with unstoppable electro hip hop pop, littered with expletives but not gratuitously. In fact, it's incredibly endearing and funny! They have released two mini albums (not sure if they're technically EP's) called "The Ol' Reach Around" and "Puss Coital". Instantly likeable and amusing, Menya may not make it mainstream due to their "close to the bone" lyrics, but they will never be short of an avid following.
Finally, we come to Theophilus London. Try saying that whilst chewing a Fruit Pastille! Theo is a rapper/producer more in the vein of Kanye than Jay-Z, with the ability to rap insightfully over lush backing tracks of some ingenious sampling and some exquisite pad work. His album, "This Charming Mixdown" is a free download via his MySpace page and would still be an absolute must have, even if you had to pay £20 for it!
I absolutely love discovering new music, especially when I least expect to. It's the beauty of the internet that one person can big up an artist or band and the message can snowball so that millions can experience what is really happening outside of their own little bubbles. That near elusive spotlight that falls on a locale, illuminating the local talent for all to see and enjoy is a mysterious entity. No one quite knows who's steering it, or where it will shine next. It was on Liverpool in the early 60's, London in the late 60's, San Francisco and California too. In the 90's, Manchester bathed in its glow, as did Seattle. More recently it has picked out Iceland. But right now, it is pointed directly of New York, New York and my oh my, it is reflecting back some awesome talent.
Indulge and enjoy, my friends :o)
As you may have noticed by looking over to the right of this page, I have been indulging myself, nay, totally immersing myself in the joys of Twitter, the latest social networking/micro-blogging fad to grab us net geeks. Long story short, one of the people I follow on there is a gentleman by the name of Graham Linehan, writer, producer and director of some of the finest televisual comedy moments of recent years, such as the Emmy award winning "The IT Crowd" and the legendary Father Ted. He posted a tweet about a Brooklyn based band called French Horn Rebellion, with links to the two videos you can see in this post I made not long ago. So utterly blown away by these two songs was I that I immediately ordered the album, which arrived last week, as detailed here. Suffice to say, I wasn't disappointed and the album has been on non-stop ever since.
After making a comment about it on Twitter, another Twitterer turned me on to some more great Brooklyn/New York bands, and it certainly seems that the creative musical epicentre has focused on the state so good, they named it twice. Let me introduce you to what I have discovered.
First up, MGMT. Having released one album (2005's "Climbing To New Lows") under the moniker "The Management" (conjuring up disturbing images of Hale & Pace), they abbreviated their name and released "Oracular Spectacular" in 2007, which spawned such memorable tracks as "Kids", "Electric Feel" & "Time To Pretend". A new album is due this year, entitled "Congratulations". More psychedelic electronic than pop, MGMT are the Beatles to French Horn Rebellion's Stones.
Sadly, because MGMT are now signed to Columbia (part of Sony) they have disabled YouTube embedding, so here are the links...
Electric Feel
Time To Pretend
Next we have Chairlift. You may not have heard of Chairlift at all, but you will DEFINITELY know at least one of their songs, "Bruises", as it was used in the 4th Gen. iPod Nano advert recently. Like MGMT, they released an album themselves before signing a deal which spawned "Does You Inspire You" at the back end of 2008. More melodic and earthy, they combine subtle electronica with sweet vocals and gorgeous hooks.
And so to Menya. Not one to play your Granny, Menya are a trio (2 girls, one boy) who come up with unstoppable electro hip hop pop, littered with expletives but not gratuitously. In fact, it's incredibly endearing and funny! They have released two mini albums (not sure if they're technically EP's) called "The Ol' Reach Around" and "Puss Coital". Instantly likeable and amusing, Menya may not make it mainstream due to their "close to the bone" lyrics, but they will never be short of an avid following.
Finally, we come to Theophilus London. Try saying that whilst chewing a Fruit Pastille! Theo is a rapper/producer more in the vein of Kanye than Jay-Z, with the ability to rap insightfully over lush backing tracks of some ingenious sampling and some exquisite pad work. His album, "This Charming Mixdown" is a free download via his MySpace page and would still be an absolute must have, even if you had to pay £20 for it!
I absolutely love discovering new music, especially when I least expect to. It's the beauty of the internet that one person can big up an artist or band and the message can snowball so that millions can experience what is really happening outside of their own little bubbles. That near elusive spotlight that falls on a locale, illuminating the local talent for all to see and enjoy is a mysterious entity. No one quite knows who's steering it, or where it will shine next. It was on Liverpool in the early 60's, London in the late 60's, San Francisco and California too. In the 90's, Manchester bathed in its glow, as did Seattle. More recently it has picked out Iceland. But right now, it is pointed directly of New York, New York and my oh my, it is reflecting back some awesome talent.
Indulge and enjoy, my friends :o)
Labels: Brooklyn, Chairlift, French Horn Rebellion, Graham Linehan, Menya, MGMT, New York, Theophilus London
posted by Failed Muso at
7:55 pm
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