It’s often said that the true test of an artist’s worth arrives on their second album, when they have to prove that their first was no fluke. By that measure, Natalie Walker has succeeded wildly with her sophomore effort With You, a startling maturation from the former lead singer of Daughter Darling.
Expanding the strengths of [...]
Mansions is a rock band based out of Louisville, KY. On record it has consisted solely of Christopher Browder, but live he is joined by Sal Cassato on drums and Ryan Davis on bass.
Mansions plays indie-pop-rock sometimes described as The Get Up Kids meets Ryan Adams meets Dinosaur Jr.
A full-length album entitled New Best Friends [...]
IAMX is the solo project of Sneaker Pimps singer/instrumentalist Chris Corner.
The man behind IAMX, Chris Corner, has repeatedly said that the IAMX project is very different to his actual, real-life personality and is a kind of quasi “act”.
Whether an act or not, IAMX’s music is primarily concerned with subjects such as outlandish sex, death, narcotic [...]
Peephole is a Brooklyn-based project founded in the Spring of ‘07 by Kent Odessa, its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. It initially began as an electro-pop collaboration between Odessa and producer Jeremy Jonas Cox, the results of which are included on the recently released “Strawberry Told Me” EP.
In the Summer of ‘08, Odessa began [...]
Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Tally Hall feature vocalist/guitarist Rob Cantor, guitarist Joe Hawley, bassist Zubin Sedghi, keyboardist Andrew Horowitz, and drummer Ross Federman. Most will know them by the color of their ties; however, their infectious blend of ’60s pop harmonies, garage rock work ethic, playful sense of humor, and indie rock sensibilities make Tally [...]
Our sound has been compared to the Bangles and the Cranberries and our musical influences range from the Beatles, R.E.M., Indigo Girls, Abba, to traditional Irish music.
The Screaming Orphans are four funny, high-spirited, musically-obsessed sisters with the good fortune to have been raised in the magic of Bundoran in County Donegal Ireland.
There is a great [...]
Blondfire is an indie pop band from New York City composed of the brother-and-sister duo Bruce and Erica Driscoll. The band was formed in October 2002 as Astaire, changing the name to Blondfire in July of 2005 after legal threats from the estate of Fred Astaire.
Childhood
The Driscolls were born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to an [...]
The Action Design is a rock band from California (US) which was formed after the breakup of the former punk band Tsunami Bomb. Emily Whitehurst and Matt McKenzie came together to produce a new band, self-described as “a refreshing mix of the band’s punk rock roots infused with hard hitting dance rhythms and catchy bass [...]
Brazil’s garotas suecas mixes 60’s and 70’s garage psychedelia, fuzz guitar, organ grooves and heavy freak beat funk from all over the world with brazilian movements such as “jovem guarda” and “tropicalia”. garotas suecas recently played at sxsw and toured the us receiving great response from both public and press such as ny times, spin [...]
IAMX (also referred to incorrectly on some websites as “I AM X”) is the solo musical project of Chris Corner. Corner has repeatedly said that IAMX is very different from his actual, real-life personality and is a kind of quasi “act”. Whether an act or not, IAMX’s music is primarily concerned with subjects such as [...]
The Gay Blades are a two piece from New York City who play an acerbic brand of Trash Pop. What is Trash Pop, you ask? Trash pop is what happens when two keenly observant wanna-be hipsters write and record songs the same pair couldn’t possibly pull off live, and make up for their missing bass [...]
Sounding like a Tarantino film in stereo, BLACK TAXI seduces with the seediness of a pulp fiction novel; a decaying sideshow that’s as sexy as it is punk rock. Lyrics paint woozy pictures of Kerouac-ian misadventures, featuring a rotating cast of transvestites, bible-thumpers and corrupt cops. A cavalier concoction of carnival trumpets, swaggering bass lines [...]
Astronautalis (born Andy Bothwell) is an American hip hop artist based out of Seattle, Washington.
After gaining some renown in local circles in Jacksonville and competing at Scribble Jam, Astronautalis self-released his debut album, You and Yer Good Ideas, in 2003. After signing with Fighting Records, it was re-released on July 12, 2005, followed by his [...]
Brokencyde (often typeset as brokeNCYDE) is a band from Albuquerque, New Mexico. It consists of four members: Se7en, Phat J, Mikl, and Antz.
Beginning (2006–2007)
BrokeNCYDE was the brainchild of vocalists Se7en (David) and Mikl (Mike). According to them, the etymology of the band name comes from the idea of their music being fundamentally broken or “broken [...]
Head Automatica is a powerpop band, formed by Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo.
History
The beginnings of the band stemmed from singer Daryl Palumbo’s interests in the hip hop and Britpop genres. Palumbo felt that the material that was inspired by these genres did not fit into Glassjaw’s spectrum and so Head Automatica was created to showcase this.
The [...]
Juno Reactor are a musical and performing act known for the cinematic fusion of electronic, orchestral and global music. Central to the project is Ben Watkins, and his collaborations with a constantly changing ensemble of musicians from across the world, including percussionist Mabi Thobejane from South Africa along with countrymen Amampondo, Eduardo Niebla, Steve Stevens, [...]
Black Kids is an American indie pop band from Jacksonville, Florida. The band’s debut EP, Wizard of Ahhhs, was released to critical acclaim in 2007 and was followed by the Partie Traumatic album, which debuted at #5 on the UK Albums Chart in July 2008.
Black Kids, consisting of Reggie Youngblood (vocals and guitar), Owen Holmes [...]
Kate Victoria “KT” Tunstall (born 23 June 1975 in St Andrews, Scotland) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. She broke into the public eye with a live solo performance of her song “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” on Later… with Jools Holland. She has enjoyed commercial and critical success since, picking up three nominations [...]
White Lies (formed 2005)
White Lies are an English alternative rock band from London. The lineup of the band consists of Harry McVeigh on vocals and rhythm guitar, Jack Lawrence-Brown on drums and Charles Cave on bass guitar and backing vocals.
White Lies: Starting Out
Charles Cave and Jack Lawrence-Brown met at North Ealing Primary School, where they [...]
Silversun Pickups is an American indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, comprising Brian Aubert (lead vocals, guitar), Nikki Monninger (bass, vocals), Christopher Guanlao (drums) and Joe Lester (keyboards).
The band released their debut EP, Pikul, in July 2005, and their debut full-length album, Carnavas, on July 26, 2006. Their second full length album, Swoon, was [...]
Imogen Heap (born 9 December 1977 in the London Borough of Havering)[1] is a Grammy nominated English singer and songwriter from Romford, Essex, known for her work as part of Frou Frou and for her 2005 solo record Speak for Yourself, which she wrote, produced and mixed. In 2006, she was nominated for two Grammy [...]
Never Shout Never is the alias of eighteen year old American acoustic pop musician, Christofer Ingle.
Career
Ingle began making music as NeverShoutNever! in September 2007. His first exposure came through the internet, where he achieved success on MySpace before issuing the Yippee! EP on July 29, 2008. On July 30, 2008, he was featured on TRL, [...]
Paramore (pronounced /ˈpærəmɔr/) is a Grammy-nominated American rock band that formed in Franklin, Tennessee in 2004 consisting of Hayley Williams (lead vocals/keyboard), Josh Farro (lead guitar/backing vocals), Jeremy Davis (bass guitar), Zac Farro (drums), and Taylor York (rhythm guitar). The group released their debut album All We Know Is Falling in 2005, second album, Riot! [...]
The Red Romance is a critically lauded, independently released act, that has earned critical praise for their unique blend of Motown-oriented grooves and a literate and lyrical moodiness.
Formerly of New York based indie-rock group Ambulance LTD, Matthew Dublin and Darren Beckett formed The Red Romance using a song catalog Dublin had assembled while one tour [...]
It’s often said that the true test of an artist’s worth arrives on their second album, when they have to prove that their first was no fluke. By that measure, Natalie Walker has succeeded wildly with her sophomore effort With You, a startling maturation from the former lead singer of Daughter Darling.
Expanding the strengths of her first solo album, 2006’s Urban Angel, With You is a cool, elegant collection of ethereal songs with a warm beating heart, music that retains the stylish, spacey vibe of her debut while revealing an accentuated pop flavor. This is music that’s insinuating and alluring, seductive yet sweet, an album that is poised to make Natalie Walker a breakout star, the kind of electronica singer/songwriter whose music is inescapable. Of course, Walker already has been hard to ignore, as Urban Angel penetrated the mass consciousness, earning strong reviews from Billboard, Urb, Trace and All Music Guide, as such singles as “No One Else” and “Quicksand” received heavy rotation. Another sign of how Urban Angel struck a universal chord is how its songs kept popping up in films and movies, starting with Sofia Coppola’s use of a Thievery Corporation remix of “Quicksand” in Marie Antoinette, then spreading to the television hits Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy.
All this acclaim and exposure raised the stakes for With You, and Natalie Walker responded by deepening her music, expanding her horizons while digging deep into her soul. Once again, she teamed with the Brooklyn-based Stuhr – the same duo that produced her debut – which gives With You a sonic throughline with Urban Angel, but Natalie and Stuhr were not complacent, they opened up new sonic vistas on this second record.
Alternately introspective and sleekly stylish, With You is a subtly adventurous album, one that is immediately appealing yet reveals more with each listen. Such complex, intertwined textures are surely a progression from Urban Angel but moving forward was not necessarily easy. “A sophomore record is really tough,” Walker admits. “I had no idea how difficult it would be. I know I wanted give myself some room to experiment with a lighter and more upbeat sound, but it was really challenging for me to keep things simple. I wanted to force myself to get out of my comfort zone – and I did.”
Indeed, some of the best moments on With You find Natalie stepping out of her comfort zone, weaving gently insistent pop hooks into her graceful electronica, as on “Ordinary,” which has a nearly New Wave sparkle, or on “Over and Under,” a melodic, rhythmic chill-out track that’s rightly the album’s first single.
With You is graced with poppy singles – songs that can pull in a broader audience without alienating her devoted fans — but it hardly stays in one spot. Natalie agrees “the first half of the album is pretty upbeat but as you listen, it brings you back to the soft and serious side of my first album.” With their graceful, meditative lilt – equal parts folky dream-pop and electronic elegance — “Monarch” and “By and By” are reminiscent of her debut but like everything here, the music and the emotions are heightened, which may be why “With You” is the title track, as it has a real emotional pull: “’With You’ is about real love – a love that gets stronger with patience and working through life together.”
That genuine emotional connection is what drives Natalie Walker to make music. “I want to write songs that stick with people. It’s incredible to receive emails from people telling me that a certain song moved them or really connected to their life at the time they heard it. It’s why artists write. We want to feel like what we’re doing means something.” It’s hard not to listen to With You and not feel that Natalie Walker is indeed making music that means something.
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