New Music Worth Checking Out

Posted by Sara in Entertainment and Pop Culture Music.

Discovering new music is one of my favorite pastimes—it seems that no matter how many bands I think I know, I end up stumbling upon dozens of groups that I’ve never heard of. Some of these bands have been together for years; some are fresh acts still making their way on the scene. Here are three of my most recent finds that are worth spending money for on iTunes.

Plushgun

This band from Brooklyn, New York and is comprised of Dan Ingala, Taylor Armstrong, and Matt Bogdanow. The trio fantastically creates ethereal indie rock with infectious riffs. Personal favorites include “Just Impolite,” “Maybe Tomorrow,” and “Dancing in a Minefield.” Fans of “The Office” will especially appreciate the video for “Just Impolite,” which features Rainn Wilson (most popularly known as Dwight on the show).

I’m From Barcelona

This group has a very whimsical sing-along feel to a lot of their tunes, and is fun to throw on as background music for a gathering or Sunday drive. Based out of Jönköping, Sweden, (the band’s name is actually reference to Fawlty Towers’ character, Manuel), this group, which boasts 30 members, started as friends gathering to sing some songs and became a fast sensation. “We’re from Barcelona” and “Treehouse” are great introductions to these guys. The group just released its first full-length CD “Who Killed Harry Houdini?” this past October.

DeVotchka

My husband sent me an email one day that had “Devotchka” as the subject, with a message the read: seeqpod this (note: if you haven’t discovered it yet, www.seeqpod.com is a great site if you want to listen to music at work but aren’t able to access your iTunes or download stuff… you can search audio and video and are able to create playlists which can be accessed if you login).

After hearing “How It Ends,” the first song that I threw on my makeshift playlist, I was hooked. They remind me of a mixture of Calexico, Roy Orbison, and Russian folk music and I find myself compelled to hit repeat at least twice on almost every song. It is clear that this group not only features a gifted songwriter, but also talented musicians—a combination that is often rare to find.

There are too many songs to mention, but definitely check out “Queen of the Surface Streets,” a well-versed love song, whose violin accompaniment is haunting, and “Undone,” a lingering ballad.

Entertainment and Pop Culture, Music |