Tag Archives: the black keys

Dudes Who Can SANG

12/10/2010

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Since I wrote a previous post about ladies who can SANG I thought it wouldn’t be fair if I left the boys out. So check out some of the craziest…most unique male vocals of our time.

Ray LaMontagne-God Willin’ And The Creek Don’t Rise. Who could deny the whisper-y folksy voice of Ray from this list? No one has a voice that comes even close to his. We’ve never heard anything like it.

Kings of Leon- Red Morning Light. Ok this is a RAD very early performance of theirs and you just can’t deny the talent. Singer, Caleb Followill leads the bad with his weird, unique mumbling lyrics. If you haven’t had the chance to see them live- DO IT.

Paolo Nutini- Pencil Full Of Lead. Just close your eyes and listen for a sec. Doesn’t he sound like an 80-year-old man that’s been in the biz for decades? Nope this guy is only 23! I think this has to be one of my all time favorite songs too. It just makes you happy listening to it!

Glen Hansard-Leave. You probably have heard of this guy if you’ve seen the movie “Once.” Glen Hansard and Markita Irglova (a.k.a Swell Season) won an Oscar for their song “Falling Slowly.” I had the pleasure of seeing Swell Season live and  his voice was just as loud as you’d expect. Honestly, in a theater that holds thousands he didn’t even NEED to have a mic in front of him. Such powerful, emotional vocals.

Keane- Bedshaped. At first when listening you might wonder why Tom Chaplin of Keane made this list. Well I must tell you, after seeing them live you would know why. This guy has PERFECT pitch. His voice is so piercing and perfect it leaves you in awe.

Cold War Kids- Hospital Beds. Nathan Willett has a voice you either love or hate. At first when I heard them I have to admit, I didn’t love it! But they grew on me and I began to realize how unique his vocals were. A little strange, but awesome.

Hawksley Workman-Don’t Be Crushed. I had such a hard time picking one song to feature. I have loved Hawksley for years and years and knew he needed to make this list! So I picked one of my favorites. He’s such a brilliant Canadian talent and if he ever comes to your city check it out! Such an entertaining show!

Elbow- The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver. If you know me personally you know that Elbow is one of my all time favorite bands. I can listen to them over and over and never get tired of them. They are super popular in the UK but not at all in North America- which I don’t get at all. Their music is so epic and Guy Garvy has such control over his vocals its quite breath-taking.

Dead Man’s Bones- In The Room Where You Sleep. I mostly just added this video in here for fun. Not many people know about Ryan Gosling’s side project and that’s whats so great about it. It’s not pretentious at all. I love the sound that they went with- nothing like you’ve ever heard before- that’s for sure! Plus his vocals are pretty interesting too. Kinda an Elvis meets Johnny Cash feel.

I feel like I could go on and on with this list, so I think now I will just give honorable mention to: Jack White, Joe Purdy, Bright Eyes, The Avett Brothers, Coldplay, The Black Keys, Rufus Wainwright, Mumford & Sons, Muse, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend….seriously I could go on and on. But let me know who your favorites are! Did I miss any major crazy vocalists of our time?

What I’m listening to right now.

10/30/2008

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If you’ve been in my car, you know that my music taste is VERY eclectic. I go from Indian music to pop to opera to blues to classical. You name it, I like almost all of it.

My IPod is a bit nostalgic these days. I have a few bands on their that bring me back to being an emo teenager like; Further Seems Forever, (which is now replaced with Dashboard Confessional) The Juliana Theory, (Which is now replaced with The Midway State) and Squad Five-O (Which has no replacement…except maybe Motley Crue).

I just got the new Keane CD and totally LOVE it. Its more electronic then their old stuff but is still consistent with great melodies. Ever since I saw them live I’ve loved them. They put on an amazing show!

I’ve also really gotten into the new Kings of Leon CD. A bit more mellow then their old stuff but I still think its brilliant. Another band that you might like, if you like Kings of Leon is The Black Keys. They are a but more blues-rock but have just as much distortion!

Gossip is also a brilliant band. I’m so jealous of Beth Ditto’s voice. So powerful!! If you like cowbell and you like the classic band Heart, you’ll love Gossip!

I also just saw Band of Horses when they opened for Beck and totally enjoyed them! Almost more the Beck! I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of them before the show. I mean, they are nothing you haven’t heard before, but if you like catchy melodies, soft guitar and a bit of country twang- they will be your new favorite band!

And, for your girlie girls out there, you should listen to Emily Rossum. She’s the actress from Phantom of the Opera. Her music sounds like a mix of Enya /Imogen Heap.

I’m also digging these other bands: She and Him, Devendra Banhard, Igrid Michaeldson, Creature, The Ting Tings, MGMT and Noah and the Whale…just to name a few!

I hope I introduced you to some new artists you have never heard of before. If not, now you know a little bit more about my music taste- for right now ;-)