What The Hell Am I Listening To?!?
Two albums from artists I just saw at SXSW:
DM Stith
David Michael Stith was discovered by Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) and signed to Asthmatic Kitty, and he fits right into what you would expect from an artist on this label. It is lovely music utilizing modern pop sensibilities with a more classical ethos, and a slight touch of psychedelia. While I enjoy listening to modern singer/songwriters like M Ward and Andrew Bird, I always feel like their stuff is just a little too vanilla and plain to really dig into. DM Stith adds just enough spice to make this sort of thing alluring to me:
DM Stith : Morning Glory Cloud
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
This band is an interesting test case in an attempt to find something new that can be both successful in mainstream radioland and everyone-is-a-critic blogland. It straddles the line between the two well, relying on a heavy dose of steady driving, upbeat melodies broken up by some weirder, riskier moments to catch your breath, like ending the record with their longest, quietest, slowest piece. It’s sort of like if The Strokes didn’t suck or Bloc Party before they sucked. Of course, this exercise in trying to make everyone happy will probably result in more backlash than hype in this day and age, as evidenced by P4K’s thumbs down earlier this week, but regardless, I think it is a great record, and their live show was just as striking. Bonus, the drummer is like 13 years old or something:
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band : Albatross, Albatross, Albatross
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band : En Fuego
Buy Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band myspace
- Posted by Davy Minor on March 26, 2009 at 4:28 am
2 Responses to “What The Hell Am I Listening To?!?”
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Anonymous Says:
March 26th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Mt. St. Helens actually reminds me of a more indie pop version of the band Sparta and not the Strokes.
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CJB Says:
April 25th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
That’s funny – I just picked up this record today in London, never having heard of the band, and it’s funny that you mention an indie pop Sparta, as I was thinking they reminded me of a sort of indie pop At the Drive-In. Bit of a chilled out Cedric Bixler-Zavala thing going on.
Post a comment.
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Anonymous Says:
March 26th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Mt. St. Helens actually reminds me of a more indie pop version of the band Sparta and not the Strokes.
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CJB Says:
April 25th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
That’s funny – I just picked up this record today in London, never having heard of the band, and it’s funny that you mention an indie pop Sparta, as I was thinking they reminded me of a sort of indie pop At the Drive-In. Bit of a chilled out Cedric Bixler-Zavala thing going on.
