A Very She & Him Christmas

One of my favorite Christmas albums (or, rather, the only Christmas album I listen to) is A Very She & Him Christmas by the pair She & Him.  She & Him are named after exactly what they are.  "She" is Zooey Deschanel, a very famous actress and quirky TV star.  "He" is M. Ward, a talented solo-musician and leader of the group Monsters of Folk.  Together, they make a modern music duo that hits home to the indie crowd with a unique and raw sound.

Deschanel and Ward met on the set of a movie called The Go-Getter where Deschanel was starring.  They were asked to sing a duet for the credits.  They bonded over their favorite music producers like Phil Spector and George Martin.  Ward had seen Zooey in her movie Elf, where she sings in the shower.  He then learned she sometimes wrote songs, but had never done anything with them in the music world.  Their duet was a cover of "When I Get to the Border" by Richard and Linda Thompson.  Deschanel said "[when] I met Matt, then everything seemed to fall into place."  She had made many home-demos, which she then sent to Ward.  In March 18, 2008, the couple was officially formed in music with the release of the album Volume One.  They took only three sessions to actually make Volume One, the was done by collaboration through email.  In 2010, after a break for their own respective careers, they released Volume Two.

After another break, they finally made the Christmas album.  It was much awaited and was one of the top-three best-selling mp3 Christmas albums on Amazon.com.  Earlier this year, Volume 3 was released.  The title of Volume 3 does not contain a spelled-out numerical, marking a change in their music.  It will be interesting to see what comes next from She & Him and their growing popularity.

Sources:
Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_%26_Him
<12/06/13, wikipedia.org>

Picture:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/she-and-him-albums-list.html
<12/06/13, metrolyrics.com>

Kangaroo Court

Indie Pop is the only genre that could apply to Capital Cities.  This group is taking the radio waves by storm with their popular song "Safe and Sound." Based out of Los Angeles, they are a fairly new band; they emerged in the summer of 2011.  The debut self-titled EP led them to being signed by a record label.  Together they have made two pop hits that show they will soon be a sensation.

This all began when Sebu Simonian posted a craigslist.com ad offering his production skills.  Ryan Merchant responded and a musical match was made.  For the first three years they wrote jingles, which were altogether successful.  Due to this, they decided to form a band called Capital Cities (a name they chose to represent the worldly sophistication they hoped to give electronic music).  They have gained popularity through their videos for two singles which have gone viral.  "Safe and Sound"'s video features them doing an intricate dance number that details the last 100 years of dance styles.  "Kangaroo Court" is their second single, the video of which has a cameo by Glee star Darren Criss.  It tells the story of a parahuman world and a Zebra who tries to sneak into a club.  Some of the characters are played by Simonian and Merchant themselves.  I highly recommend watching it.

Though on stage they are aided by session musicians, Merchant and Simonian record for their album as a duo.  They have been touring Europe since April, which is their second European tour.  You can check out their debut album A Tidal Wave of Mystery on iTunes.com.  They are also continuing to write music while on tour for another album.  However, right now, they are enjoying the success of their singles and exploring the world.


Sources:
Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Cities_(band)
<wikipedia.org, 12/01/13>

http://kroq.cbslocal.com/video/8597535-capital-cities-interview/
<kroq.cbslocal.com, 12/01/13>

http://www.campuscircle.com/review.cfm?r=17451
<campuscircle.com, 12/01/13>

Pictures:
http://uk.omg.yahoo.com/gossip/110--pop/capital-cities-and-claire---berlin--yahoo--on-the-road-065853189.html
<yahoo.com, 12/01/13>

http://cityneversleeps.com/2013/11/24/spotlight-capital-cities/
<cityneversleeps.com 12/01/13>

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

In 1992, a French rock band named after the Beach Boys' song "Darlin'" was formed.  They were short lived, making only two tracks before disbanding.  These tracks were reviewed and called "a daft punky thrash" by the magazine Melody Maker.  From this, the two former members of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter formed an electronic project called Daft Punk.

As of 1993, this "project" has become an international sensation.  Daft Punk has become famous around the world for their technologically experimental pop and exciting live shows.  They're also popular because they are always in disguise when appearing in public.  They don helmets and gloves with robot-like appearances in order to protect themselves from fame.  Without their helmets, they are just anonymous hairy guys from Paris.  They are most famous for their song "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," which came out in 2001 and was sampled by Kanye West later.  Part of what I like most about Daft Punk is the experimental side to their music.  They are not afraid of producing a sound people may not like or understand.

Daft Punk is currently writing their fifth album while the wildly popular fourth one, Random Access Memories, continues to sell.  You may've also heard their collaboration with Pharrell on the wildly popular hit "Get Lucky." Interestingly enough, Daft Punk also completely created the Tron: Legacy soundtrack.  It's just another example of how daring they are with music.    

Fun Fact: According to Wikipedia.com "In 2010 Daft Punk were admitted into the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, an order of merit of France. Bangalter and de Homem-Christo were individually awarded the rank of Chevalier (knight)."

Sources:

Information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daft_Punk <11/01/13, Wikipedia.com>

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/daft-punk-all-hail-our-robot-overlords-20130521 <11/01/13 www.rollingstone.com>

Pictures:

http://www.mixmag.net/words/news/david-guetta-i-took-daft-punk-to-ibiza-for-the-first-time  11/01/13, mixmag.com>

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/music/201305/daft-punk-random-access-memories-profile-gq-may-2013 <11/01/13, gq.com>

The Scream Team

Possibly the most likable couple in music is Matt and Kim.  You may know them from their various licensed songs on commercials and shows like Community.  Matt and Kim are the least well-known pair I will write about.  They are an actual couple, they began dating around 2002, and since then they've learned to play their respective instruments and risen to relative fame in the indie genre.

When Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino met, they began to date and learn how to play instruments.  They wanted to learn purely for knowledge.  Their friends then forced them to play a live show and they loved it.  They found their sound and began to play anywhere they would be accepted: basements, garages, small venues, just for the thrill of playing.  While gaining fans, they were pressed to record their first EP, called To/From.  This led to the full album Matt and Kim, which lead to moderate fame.  They released another album, Grand, which was recorded completely in Matt's bedroom from childhood.  To promo this, they made a video for "Lessons Learned" by filming it naked in Times Square.  They have released two more albums since the exposure gained from the "Lessons Learned" video.  They have headlined three full US tours and supported many others.

As a kingpin of high profile music festivals, Matt and Kim have come a long way from people who had never played music or been interested in it.  You can keep up with them by joining the online Scream Team.  Matt and Kim are known for their party atmosphere live-shows, and, if you ever get the chance, you should experience it.  If you're not buying their albums, you can also hear them in Mars Bars commercials and on numerous video game soundtracks.  

 And they're just. So. Cute. 

Sources:


Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_&_Kim
<10/18/13 www.wikipedia.com>

Pictures:
1st Left:
http://www.stereogum.com/1173432/matt-kim-lets-go-video/video/
<10/18/13 www.stereogum.com>
1st Right:
http://www.last.fm/music/Matt+&+Kim/+images/33698431
<10/18/13 www.last.fm.com>
1st Center:
http://www.mtv.com/artists/matt-kim/photos/
<10/18/13 mtv.com>
2nd Center:
http://www.heyreverb.com/blog/2010/09/25/live-review-matt-and-kim-the-ogden-theatre/21458/
<10/18/13 heyreverb.com>

Garage Warz

Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin are sisters from Canada.  They're identical twins.  They're both openly gay.  They both have short brown haircuts.  They also both make indie pop together under the stage name Tegan and Sara.  Both sisters write their songs, play piano, and can play guitar.  Since their beginning in 1995, their music has led them on tours and appearances that have made them famous.

Tegan and Sara started making music at 15 years old by forming a band (of just them) called Plunk.  In Plunk, they won a competition called Calgary's Garage Warz and used the money to record their first demo, Yellow  Tape.  After Yellow Tape came Orange Tape and Red Tape.  When they first made independent albums, they were named "Sara and Tegan."  However, they made the change to Tegan and Sara to separate themselves from other "Sarah" artists like Sarah McLaughlin.  Their fame really picked up after fourth album So Jealous in 2004.  From that album came the song "Walking With a Ghost," which was covered by The White Stripes.  While working on their sixth album, Sainthood, they spent a week writing songs together and produced their first song as a collaborative team.  During this period they also released a three-book set called ON, IN, AT containing photos of them in New Orleans and Australia. 

The group of Tegan and Sara has worked with many big names in the industry, such as Weezer, Bryan Adams, Jack Johnson, The Black Keys, Cake, City and Colour, Death Cab for Cutie, The Killers, New Found Glory, and Paramore.  They are currently on top with the song "Closer" and have been featured touring with the band fun.

Sources:

Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegan_and_Sara <wikipedia.com 10/07/13>

Pictures:
Left Picture http://saraandtegan.com/viewtopic.php?p=943132 < saraandtegan.com 10/07/13>
Right Picture http://www.metrolyrics.com/tegan-and-sara-lyrics.html <metrolyrics.com 10/07/13>

L-o-v-e's Just Another Word I Never Learned to Pronounce

Nathaniel Motte and Sean Foreman are possibly the most famous duo I could think of for this blog.  They're the members of 3OH!3 (pronounced "three, oh! three"), a group from Boulder, Colorado.  They really love their hometown; they've written many songs about it and their name is a reference for the Boulder area code, 303.  3OH!3 gained popularity as an electropop pair when their single, "Don't Trust Me," reached number seven on Billboard Hot 100.  This song was everywhere for a while.  3OH!3 often raps and sings about their hometown, drinking, partying, and getting girls, but the pair has much more to them than that.

Nat and Sean met in college, at a physics class.  Nat was pre-medicine and Sean was an English major.  They both went on to finish college before creating their first, self-titled album.  The album gave way to a mildly successful single, "Electroshock," causing them to sign to Photo Finish Records (there's a song on the next album entitled Photo Finish).  Their second album, Want, sent them on a variety of tours and spawned the hit singles of "Don't Trust Me" and "Starstruckk" (which was later remixed with Katy Perry).  Two individual singles-- "Follow Me Down" with Neon Hitch and "Hey" with Lil' John-- kept them on the radio between Want and the next album, Streets of Gold.  Their latest album, Omens, was released on June 18th, 2013.

3OH!3's handsign, seen below, is the defining symbol for the group.

Diamond Dallas Page filed a lawsuit against the group for this sign, saying it violated his copyright hand symbol, but no news has been released about this since.  In fact, 3OH!3 has no significant news about new music after the release of Omens.  They haven't disappeared from music, however, as their singles are still on the radio and the billboard and they continue to tour.

Fun Fact: Sean Foreman is a vegetarian.



My sister, myself, and my friend
Haylee with Sean Foreman.
Sources:
Information:
http://punkmusic.about.com/od/warpedtour/a/3oh3seaninterview.htm
<09/23/13 punkmusic.about.com>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3OH!3
<09/23/13 wikipedia.org>
Pictures:
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/katy-perry/images/9281251/title/3oh-3-starstrukk-featuring-katy-perry-screencap
<09/23/13 fanpop.com>
http://www.ishootshows.com/2009/04/19/portraits-3oh3/
<09/23/13 ishootshows.com>

House of Gold... Records?

Imagine you’re in a huge crowd of people, staring up from the second row at a small stage.  Two people emerge from backstage and the crowd urges forward.  The two people are skinny men clad in skeleton zip-up hoodies.  They unzip their hoodies.  One settles at the drums while the other takes the mike without greeting the crowd and immediately delves into a drum-filled, crowd-pleasing song.  You have been imagining the best opening act in the altrock genre, twenty one pilots. 

Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun recently gained popularity since their start in music during 2009.  There is a lot that is unknown about twenty one pilots because they are a fairly new duo, but they have taken the concert world by storm.  Joseph and Dun have opened for bands with quality live shows: Walk the Moon and Neon Trees.  Recently, twenty one pilots signed on to open for Fall Out Boy on the Save Rock and Roll Arena Tour.  But they proved in 2011 that they are not just an opening act by playing a sold out show in Newport Music Hall, causing record labels to compete for their signature. They settled with Fueled by Ramen, a subset of Atlantic Records.  With this they created their third and full-length album Vessel. 

As you can see, the rap-rock style has elicited a newer and bigger fanbase through these tours.  Together they make an up and coming music pairing.  The fact that they make an impressive live show that can hype a crowd and make a name for themselves is worth note in the modern musical world.  They performed a song called "House of Gold" on Conan, but maybe they're headed toward a gold record. 

Please note: twenty one pilots is a stylized band name containing no capitals. 

Fact: the name twenty one pilots is an allusion to the Arthur Miller play All My Sons, in which a man kills himself because he had sent twenty one pilots faulty parts and knew it would kill them.  

Fun Fact: Tyler Joseph plays the ukulele.

Sources:

Information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty_One_Pilots <wikipedia.com 09/11/13>

Pictures:

Picture left

http://www.pollstar.com/photo_details.aspx?ID=807166 <pollstar.com 09/11/13>

Picture right

http://kroq.cbslocal.com/twenty-one-pilots-discuss-their-rising-popularity-and-grassroots-approach-to-music/  <cbslocal.com 09/11/13>