knocked off my feet

the spinto band – nice and nicely done

it's rare nowadays that i'm caught off guard when it comes to awesome bands, but that's exactly what happend when i first heard the spinto band. they kinda sound like a poppy we might be giants, without the insanely jerky vocals. i should be studying calculus, so i'll just a hijack a review from amazon. he probably says it better than i could anyways.

"Nice and Nicely done is that perfect mid ninties indie album you never heard because it came out ten years later. Catchy hooks, smart choruses and a marching rhythm section lead you through a world of backyard gnomes, WB reruns, and of course, Atari. Utilizing two main singers, Nick Krill and Thomas Hiughes (who play guitar and bass respectivly), and led by Krill's Stephen Malkumus style vocals, the Spinto Band deftly manuever the indie rock totem pole without ever getting stuck in the same place. Oh Mandy, a beautiful mandolin driven tribute perfectly captures the bands irresitably poppy sound, while current single "Direct to Helmet" jitters its way into your brain thanks to Jeff Hobsons impecable marching drum beat, Hughes' matching bassline, and group harmonys that would make even Brian Wilson crack a smile. Forget Pavement reissues, catch it before the hype and see a band that is right now making music to live by. Nice and Nicely done does not disappoint."

sample track below. check it out.

the spinto band – oh mandy

i’ve got a hole in my pocket

hard-fi – stars of the cctv

so i was flipping through channels last night and i caught hard-fi playing on jimmy kimmel. i’m seriously impressed with the music on late night shows now. i remember discovering death from above 1979 and kaiser chiefs on late night tv too. anyways, hard-fi has been a band i’ve wanted to check out for a while now. they were a finalist on the mercury prize shortlist, and after listening to stars of the cctv, it’s obvious that the nomination was well deserved. they are easily one of the most energetic bands i have heard this year. with smart lyrics and heavy synth, they will probably attract many comparisons to the kaiser chiefs and kasabian, both of which are not without merit. they’re already huge in england, and judging by the kasier chiefs’ sucess last year, i won’t be suprised if they start making waves on this side of the pond as well.

hard-fi – cash machine
hard-fi – hard to beat

i need a time machine

so school is getting pretty hectic with graduation around the corner. i’m thinking about getting a job as a deejay for the college radio station next year. we’ll see how that goes. for those who may have the time to go, SWSX (south by southwest) is being hosted in austin this year. i think it’s the 20th anniversary and there’s something like 1600 bands playing. once again, i am stuck here. PISD always manages to have spring break the week before SWSX. mark my words, i will be going to ACL this year! it will happen! anyways, i promise i’ll leave a full post soon. in the meantime, i’ll just leave a little playlist of what i’m listening to this month.

doves – the last broadcast
beck – sea change
hard-fi – stars of the cctv
maximo park – a certain trigger
antony and the johnsons – i am a bird now
the magic numbers – self titled album
death from above 1979 – romance bloody romance