The Next Elvis

No More

2011-08-30T10:24:00.001-07:00

I'll be posting all my life on my Tumblr from now on, including any ramblings, ideas, and music loves I find along the way.

Next Elvis #14: LimaNaed

2010-12-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Info: DJ LimaNaed is an up-and-coming electronic artist that just released the new EP "December Snow" up on Soundcloud.

Sounds Kind of Like:
Owl City

Bio: LimaNaed sequences up his own tunes. His first release "Dream Like State" had more of a trance feel, but his new EP has a slightly more Owl City-esque vibe to it. It retains the cold feeling of winter with its fresh loops and beats, but hints at something more through some of the lyrics. Overall, his stuff is a good break from the typical, formulaic pop that constantly barrages us.

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: LimaNaed has the creative ability and the musical clout that it takes to make it big. He is original, but still very accessible and professional.

Links:
Website
SoundCloud
YouTube

Album Review: "Flight"

2010-11-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Minnesotan ambient instrumental group Windsor Airlift have released their latest album, and it is a beauty.

Flight is a great example of Windsor Airlift's versatility, as well as their high caliber of production value, especially for an independent band. The album features a healthy mix of instrumentation, and really speaks to the potential for the band's future. In Flight, Windsor Airlift finds the culmination of years of tinkering and experimentation, and it all is woven together into a magnificent fabric of sound.

Most of the tracks feature solid bass lines and guitar leads as a backbone for the framework that the rest of the piece is built upon. The band then fills the rest of the song with compelling fill from a variety of instruments, including synths, drums, and piano. They definitely blend elements well, producing an ethereal yet tangible sound that just works.

Listening to Flight is an adventure, and a treat. If you are in the mood for a very pleasing, very relaxing sonic experience, then Flight is probably the album for you. In it, Windsor Airlift does their best published work yet, and deserves every morsel of appreciation that's coming their way.

Here's a short preview:

Get it on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/dk/album/flight/id404360833

Check out their Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/windsorairlift

About dang time...

2010-11-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Frightened Rabbit has finally released a video for "The Loneliness and the Scream," one of my favorite songs ever.

Check it:

Album Review: "From Pelican Shores"

2010-09-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Review:

From Pelican Shores is the debut release from brand-spanking new synth-pop project Glacier Island. It was released independently on iTunes on August 17. It's got like 12 tracks and is slightly more than 44 minutes long.

Phew, now that the stats are out of the way, let's look at the actual tunes. Musically, the album is quite stunning. It's apparent that a lot of work has been put into the songwriting and organization. These songs just feel upbeat and happy, and sounds like Hellogoodbye meets Owl City. Memorable moments include "Airborne," "On the Moon," and "Scuba Dive." "Boat" especially is a powerhouse of a feel-good track and definitely starts the album out right.

Glacier Island has obviously spent a great deal of time and energy mixing their tracks into delectable sonic layercakes piled high with copious amounts of sweet smooth audible frosting. However, a slight problem with the recipe is apparent. It has to do with the baking process. I'm not sure if Glacier Island just wanted to get their music into fans' hands as soon as possible, or if they accidentally overlooked some parts, but there are some mastering problems. Occasionally a vocal or synth lead will peak, causing a slight rattle or buzz. This really is a definite shame, because this album has so much going for it that it absolutely deserves the purest, most clean representation available. These issues are probably not something the ordinary fan will take issue with or even notice, but I heard them and they unfortunately took away from the overall experience.

Those small criticisms aside, however, From Pelican Shores is simply a delight to listen to. The guys in Glacier Island have done a solid effort here, and deserve all the publicity they can get. Check it out.

Video:

Links:
MySpace
iTunes

5 Most Meaningful Music Videos

2010-07-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

As the title of this post obviously states, below are 5 videos that are very meaningful to me. They get me deep down, inspire me, and challenge me. I love music videos, and think they are a spectacular form of art that lets filmmakers express their ideas much the same way as a short film, but without the need for any messy dialog, sound effects, or even plot (at times). This isn't a comprehensive list by any means, nor will it stand the test of time, but these videos are the ones I could come up with now, and they are very very good. If you have any others to share, proclaim them in the comments below.

5. Stars: "Fixed"

This song is gripping and powerful, and even though the music video is only shots of the band interspersed with frantic, nearly imploding footage of graveyards and other depressing architecture, it is very well-done, and an impressive effort.

4. City and Colour: "The Girl"

This video seems to encompass all the emotion that the song is trying to convey, and does it quite admirably. And while watching people playing instruments doesn't normally make a good video for me, I appreciate the departure from the norm with the video's structure and methodology.

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: "Maps"

Seriously, this isn't typical. My favorite style of music video is narrative, but already three videos on this list have been principally performance-based. However, when it's as well thought out and executed as "Maps" is, videos like this can be fantastic. I mean, look at this video. It's magical.

2. Angels & Airwaves: "The Gift"

Now this my typical style of video. I love the story here, and combined with the song it makes for a simply transcendent experience. Somewhat bashfully, I'll admit that I think there's something hopelessly romantic about a girl saving a guy from certain imprisonment, death, or something worse. I think that's all encapsulated here.

1. Funeral for a Friend: "Into Oblivion"

Well, just to defy my own convention one final time, it turns out that my favorite, most personally moving music video is one with nearly only performance footage. I love the parallel between the emotional journey of a sailor and the storm he is sailing through, as well as the arresting way that the contained environment of the screen takes over the entire set, plunging the viewer in the midst of both the story and the storyteller's mind.

And now, to round out the experience, watch something less meaningful, but certainly not less epic. I give you Shrimp on a Treadmill.

I'm Seeing Stars

2010-07-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever showed up to a party extremely late, where everyone's already having a good time without you? That's how I feel about Montreal indie-pop band Stars. They've been at it for a good 9 years now, since the release of their first EP in 2001. They only reason I've heard about them even now is that a friend just told me to check out one of their tunes the other week, and since then I've been enraptured by two of their albums:

Sad Robots EP

The Five Ghosts

The first is a glorious EP that Stars released in 2008, and the second is a scintillating, gorgeous masterpiece that just dropped on June 22. I really love this band's deep, moving lyrics in conjunction with their groovy leads and hooks. At any rate, here's an outstanding music video:

Brand Who?

2010-07-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

I love the New York alt-rock band Brand New. The only thing is, I have no idea why anyone else does.

Brand New has been around for quite some time now. I think I probably first heard of them from a Thrice tour poster, as the two bands used to tour together a lot. I had always supposed that Brand New supported Thrice, or that the two were at the most on par in terms of popularity and prominence.

Then the Fall 2009 tour rolled around. The concert posters had shown BRAND NEW in massive letters with the minuscule text "with THRICE" hiding underneath. I was surprised, as both bands had just released new albums, and were both very prominent and respected. At any rate, I wanted to go to a show nearby, but an evening class conflicted with it, and my friends drove off without me.

When they got back, they gushed to me about a massive venue that was filled to the brim with restless, excited fans. They also told me that, while Thrice had performed a respectable (but short) set, Brand New had blown everyone away, performing their entire latest album, as well as several other fan favorites (all the while exhibiting nearly no band dynamics as they merely stood on stage looking depressed). Apparently, Brand New played for a good long time, and nobody was complaining.

Lest you accuse me of hating on Brand New, remember that I did say I love them. They have a remarkably unique, intriguing sound, and their music gets to me deep down inside. However, they do surprise me. Despite their most cacophonous and earth-shattering tendencies, the ladies fawn over them. Despite their most tender and sensitive moments, tough, masculine guys heartily rock out to them.

I guess it's safe to say that Brand New is one of the world's (or at least North America's) favorite niche bands. I always thought that Thrice was much more accessible to a much wider audience, but it turns out that Brand New is obscenely popular, even among many of those who wouldn't appreciate other bands in the genre. I don't know how they do it, I can't even guess, but one thing I do know is that I don't want them to stop.

Check out their diversity:

Heart-throb:

Heart-attack:

MicroKORG Madness

2010-07-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Like 100,000+ other people, I own a Korg MicroKORG analog modeling synthesizer, one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time. Among its owners are many bands and musical groups, both famous and unknown. I thought I would share my own unofficial list of notable MicroKORG owners and players. The list is comprised of my own personal research, as well as me simply noticing MicroKORGs in concerts, music videos, and pictures. I'm going to keep adding to this list as I learn of more. Feel free to tell me about bands I missed. Here's the list:

-The Album Leaf
-Amadeus
-Anthony Williams
-Argo Navis
-Arsonists Get All the Girls
-Atlas Sound
-Attack Attack!
-Beast
-Bloc Party
-Chrome Hoof
-Chromeo
-Cobra Starship
-Crystal Castles
-Cypress Hill
-Death Cab for Cutie
-Delays
-Devo
-Digitalism
-Duran Duran
-Editors
-Elbow
-Enter Shikari
-Four Year Strong
-Good Old War
-Goose
-Handsome Furs
-Justice
-Jean Michel Jarre
-The Killers
-Kings of Leon
-LCD Soundsystem
-Le Tigre
-LIGHTS
-Long Range Hustle
-Lymbyc Systym
-The Mae Shi
-Mates of State
-Metronomy
-Mohammad Pazhutan
-Mylo
-The Neptunes
-Owl City
-Polysics
-The Prodigy
-Rami Jaffe (Wallfowers, Foo Fighters)
-Röyksopp
-Soulwax
-Stars
-Switchfoot
-Unicorn Kid
-Underoath
-Wintersleep
-Xiu Xiu
-Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Next Elvis #13: Sky Sailing

2010-06-11T10:15:00.001-07:00

Info: Sky Sailing is one of the many side projects of Adam Young, the man behind Owl City. I came across Sky Sailing when I was perusing the web for content for another post. Sky Sailing is merely acoustic guitar, piano, and voicebox, and I have seen it described as simply "Owl City unplugged," but I think that there is a lot more promise here. Building off Owl City's massive success in the past year, yet developing a different style of expression, Sky Sailing will likely be able to cut out its own niche and remain uniquely independent. Right now, there are two demos up on Sky Sailing's MySpace page, and the record is scheduled to drop on July 13. Let's hope the rest of it is as good as what's up there now.

Sounds Kind of Like: The Send, The Postal Service, and of course, Owl City.

Bio: Check out this introductory blog on Sky Sailing's MySpace.

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: Sky Sailing seems to have some pretty nice, refreshing tunes. Plus, interest is almost guaranteed on the heels of Young's recent successes.

Video:

Links:
Website
MySpace
Facebook

The Proliferation of Adam Young

2010-06-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows about Owl City and the one-man band's first single "Fireflies," but did you know that Adam Young has seventeen (and a half) projects all told? Here they are:

1. Owl City
2. Port Blue
3. Swimming With Dolphins
4. Windsor Airlift
5. Insect Airport
6. Dolphin Park
7. Seagull Orchestra
8. Nuclear Suplex
9. The Grizzly
10. El Uno Clarence, The One Clarence
11. Basketball
12. Chester Mcwiggins and the Kowboy Kidz
13. Novel
14. Aquarium
15. Blue Dallas
16. Keehar
17. Sky Sailing
18. And, possibly in the future, Goodbye Dubai with Matthew Thiessen of Relient K.

And now, videos of the projects I couldn't find on MySpace.

Novel:

Aquarium:

The only project I could find absolutely nothing on was Blue Dallas. Thanks to this page for providing the list.

Favorite Song

2010-06-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

With 79 iTunes plays since I found it in late April, Lymbyc Systym's Processed Spirits is my most-played and favorite song in recent memory. It's from Field Studies, Lymbyc Systym's split EP with This Will Destroy You, another fantastic band. I'm really getting into alternative instrumental rock, and it is definitely rocking my socks off. And so, without further ado, Lymbyc Systym's Processed Spirits:

And now, a word about me!

2010-06-01T00:37:00.000-07:00

Hey not to push my own stuff unfairly or anything, but I thought you might be interested to know that, just tonight, I wrapped my third album, "Truths for the Jaded." I'm not calling it good or anything, but if you'd like, you can check it out and download it for free!

Truths for the Jaded by tdq11

It's Official!

2010-05-21T09:21:00.001-07:00

Seriously, this is it. I have found my favorite album of all time:

Earlier, I gave a head's-up that the Scottish indie band Frightened Rabbit's latest, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, was rocking my world, and couple months later, I can honestly say that, simply put, this is the best album I have ever heard, and I love every last thing about it. I have probably listened to it 30-40 times all the way through, and it's just ridiculous how it doesn't get old. Sure, the instrumentation and vocals are fairly simple, and it doesn't have the production values of Coldplay, but that is a fair deal of the charm for me. While it is certainly well-done and thoroughly thought out, the album doesn't get in the way of the subject matter, instead driving it to full realization. This is indie music as it should be: Beautiful, heartfelt, and moving. Frightened Rabbit blends lyrics and instrumentation seamlessly to create music that is almost tangible in this near-perfect beast of a record. Applause.

Next Elvis #12: The Send

2010-05-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Info: The Send is a creative side project by Joseph Kisselburgh, who used to play guitar for Falling Up I came across The Send a few years ago when Tooth & Nail sent me an email update on Cosmos, the first and only album The Send has released to date. Now, in spite of some ridiculously well-made and inspiring music, The Send remains dormant. While there was a post on The Send's MySpace page confirming rumors of a new album in the works, with songs already being recorded, that was more than two years ago. I don't know if good ol' Joey is intending to draw this out as long as possible, or if there is no hope of anything new from The Send, but I am thankful that Cosmos exists, because it is some seriously good stuff. Just the same, I've been placidly frothing at the mouth for new material from The Send for a good long time, and I would love to see some results. I'll keep you posted if anything happens..

Sounds Like: Hope.

Bio: From the iTunes product page: "After spending three years as the guitarist in the Christian rock band Falling Up, Oregon native Joseph Kisselburgh decided to strike out on his own. Taking bits and pieces of songs he had written while touring with his old group, Kisselburgh set out writing the pieces for his first solo album Cosmos, seizing upon the talents of producer Aaron Sprinkle to give him the sound he was envisioning. Though he compiled a five-piece band for his tour, Kisselburgh played most of the instruments on the record, which was released by Tooth & Nail records in the summer of 2007 under the Send's moniker."

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: Kisselburg's music is honest, beautiful, and moving. It is musically and thematically legitimate, and it makes me smile.

Video:

"An Epiphany"- The Send

The Send | MySpace Music Videos

Links:
MySpace
PureVolume
iTunes
Facebook
Virb
Shoutlife

Head's Up: Frightened Rabbit

2010-03-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

Frightened Rabbit is totally rocking my world right now. They're a Scottish indie band, and their tunes are just super legit and moving.

Next Elvis #11: Roger Miller

2010-03-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

Info: Roger Miller is a student musician. He received private funding to record his debut album "Crayons," and headed up the project himself. He comes from quite a musical family and also plays the piano and cello.

Sounds Like: Honest acoustic goodness.

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: Miller shows why independent artists are the future of the music industry: The music is made by them, performed by them, and, in many cases, produced by them. Thus, the finished project many times more closely represents what the artist truly wants in their work than if the music had been produced by a third party. Crayons truly exemplifies the success of this creative control.

Video:

Album Review: Check out my own review of Crayons here!

Links:
Website
MySpace
AmieStreet
Amazon
iTunes
Rhapsody

Next Elvis #10: Matt Kresling

2010-02-25T07:25:00.000-08:00

Info: Matt Kresling is a one-man show. He writes, plays, and produces his own music. He produces his own music videos. He also is an involved independent filmmaker. Kresling's music evokes feelings of calm, and his album serves as a commentary on several aspects of everyday North American life. If you like chill indie, you're in the right place.

Sounds Like: Uke, Accordion, Vocal goodness.

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: Kresling is mature enough to pull of meaningful and well-made content, and he's young enough to articulate what everyone else is feeling. Plus, his entire album is available for free right here!

Video:

Links:
Website
YouTube
Vimeo
Twitter
Free Album Download

Next Elvis #9: HeyHiHello!

2009-12-30T10:10:00.000-08:00

Info: Here's some more electronica. HeyHiHello! is a pretty sweet new act from Canton, Ohio. Their tunes are marked with catchy pop spiels and feel-good melodies. All in all, it's a pretty enjoyable easy-listening package.

Sounds Like: hellogoodbye, nickasaur!, and a bit like Owl City.

Bio: From their MySpace page: "HeyHiHello! is the alias of musician Jakub Andrew, who fronts the upcoming indie/pop solo act from Canton, Ohio. The live band consists on 3 total members; Jakub, along with bassist Evan Davis and drummer Josh Arnold. HeyHiHello! is currently unsigned and released their first debut EP on August 10, 2009."

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: Everyone loves some electronica, right? And with sounds akin to acts as successful as hellogoodbye and Owl City, HeyHiHello! will probably go far.

Links:
MySpace
PureVolume
last.fm
Twitter
Facebook
iTunes

Next Elvis #8: The Joy Formidable

2009-12-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

Info: These rockers hail from London. They lace their indie rock with some sweet synths and vocals, and pretty much just jam.

Sounds Like: Sky Larkin, The Answering Machine, and Johnny Foreigner.

Bio: From their last.fm page: "With Matt Thomas on drums, a conjoint surrealist and raw, forceful drummer The Joy Formidable have thrived on the live front. Soundscape layers are spiked by the nakedness of a 3-piece; gargantuan, clamorous bass and guitars come in waves, Ritzy seething and cooing in equal measure."

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: They just have super great vibes, and I think they have a winning touch. They have also garnered a fair amount of media attention around the UK, giving them a fairly good foundation, at least locally. We'll see what happens internationally.

Video:

Links:
Website
MySpace
last.fm
Facebook
YouTube
Music Glue
Twitter

Next Elvis #7: Explosions in the Sky

2009-12-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

Info: So they're been around for ten years, but they earned a spot on this blog because I had never heard of them before a few weeks ago, when a friend of mine mentioned that she was really into them. I checked them out, and they are incredible. EITS is from Austin, Texas, and they basically do an intriguing combination of experimental, almost ambient indie, and lyricless post-rock.

Sounds Like: Mogwai, Sigur Ros, and Dirty Three.

Bio: From their MySpace page: "In February 1999, three longtime friends from West Texas went to a pizza place in Austin, Texas, for a prearranged meeting with a young man from Illinois. The Illinoisan had just moved to Austin, and he had put up a flyer that caught the interest of the others. They ate pizza and discussed movies and arcana. They also decided to meet the next day with their various instruments (two guitars, bass, and drums). This happened, and over the coming months they picked a band name, then picked a better band name, then wrote and recorded an album. That album, called How Strange, Innocence, was largely out of tune, but the band members didn't really notice at the time. They optimistically printed 300 copies, and gave most of them away. It turned out they really liked playing together, so they kept doing so. A friend of theirs sent a recording of one of their live shows to a record label in Baltimore, and that label offered to put out albums for the band. The band agreed. A year later they put out a second album (Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever). They began to tour often, all over the world. In 2003 another album came (The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place), and in 2007 they put out their most recent, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone. They are shocked to see that their 10-year anniversary is on the horizon."

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: EITS is simply one of the best things I have ever heard, plus they have a huge base of connections, performances, albums, and just plain time together.

Video:

Links:
Website
Message Board
MySpace
Facebook
last.fm
Rectangular
Temporary Residence
Allmusic
eMusic
Amazon
iTunes

Album Review: "This Is War"

2009-12-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer:
I know that 30 Seconds to Mars is already very well established as a band, and they have many devoted fans and an absolute hurricane of money surrounding anything they do, but I recently purchased "This Is War," and I felt that this blog could use a post focusing on a successfully established band.

Review:
After nearly innumerable delays, disputes with EMI, and what must have been countless hundreds of hours of labor, this massive project is finally available for the world to hear, and with much less laud than I would have expected. I only knew it was released because I wondered how close 30STM was to release, and so I checked it out, only to find that it had already been released on December 8.

"This Is War" is an outstandingly good album. It combines deep, heavy, meaningful melodies with layer upon layer of sonic atmosphere. It is quite experimental as well, however, with an assembled crowd of fans singing or chanting on several tracks, and many other artistic elements and effects heavily layered throughout. If you haven't heard anything from this album yet, I implore you to check out the links below and give it a listen before you do anything else today. If progressive, alternative, or experimental is your thing, I assure you this will strike a chord.

Throughout the album, 30STM keeps changing their sound. From "Kings and Queens" (the first single from the album) to "Vox Populi" (an epic call to arms) to "Hurricane" (a complete re-inventing of the band's sound, with vintage synth leads and a hip-hop-esque beat) to the title track "This Is War" itself, this project keeps the listener on their toes by constantly bringing new formulae and epic motifs into the mix.

Now, the album isn't perfect by any means. I do think that there are quite a few "lost" moments, where it is difficult for the listener to grasp what is going on within the overarching thematic feel of the piece, and some of the aforementioned crowd participation segments get a bit away from themselves, and are used a bit too often.

Regardless of some minor flaws in thematic development and crowd participation, "This Is War" is a stunning album. It combines some of the greatest aspects of progressive 21st century rock into a hugely ambitious piece of audible goodness. 30 Seconds to Mars have reinvented themselves again, incorporating elements so vast and varied that the musical landscapes conveyed here can take a listener around the world.

Video:
Thirty Seconds To Mars - Kings + Queens - HD

30 Seconds to Mars | MySpace Music Videos

Links:
MySpace
Official Site
last.fm
Twitter
PureVolume
"This Is War" on iTunes

Next Elvis #6: Romance on a Rocketship

2009-12-18T14:48:00.000-08:00

Info: Romance on a Rocketship is Kasey Smith, who does electronic pop. It's pretty sweet, and he's been churning out singles and EPs here and there for a little while now. I really like what I've been hearing, so I hope he keeps making music. Plus, along with Owl City and Unicorn Kid, he uses the same synth as me!

Sounds Like: hellogoodbye and nickasaur!

Bio: From his last.fm page: "Romance On A Rocketship is a side-project by Kasey Smith, Based in Lebanon, Missouri, United States, who previously was a band member of Here I Come Falling but soon after it split up in 2008, he joined another band called Agraceful which he subsequently left in 2009. Kasey is currently focusing on his own solo electro-pop side project Romance On A Rocketship."

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: Smith's vocals and inventive style are refreshing to the genre, and, while not signed, he keeps churning out good material. Someone is bound to take notice sooner or later.

Video:

Links:
MySpace
PureVolume
last.fm
Facebook

Honorable Mention: Michael Gregory

2009-12-11T00:26:00.000-08:00

Info: While not the deepest of material, Michael Gregory's music is intensely catchy. At least the one good song I've heard by him: We Left the Atmosphere Behind.

Video:

Links:
MySpace

Honorable Mention: Scarzy

2009-12-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Info: Scarzy is a kid from England that does rap/hip-hop pretty cooly. I found about Scarzy from Unicorn Kid's MySpace page, because Unicorn Kid did a remix of Scarzy's song Johnny No Rhymes. In my opinion, this remix represents Scarzy's real strength: collaboration.

Video:

Links:
MySpace
Last.fm

Next Elvis #5: Versant

2009-11-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

Info: Shiny Toy Guns is an amazing band with some killer stuff off their debut album We Are Pilots. Carah Faye Charnow was the female lead singer, and did a great job in my opinion, which is saying a lot because I'm not very partial to female lead vocals. Well, there was a falling out, and now someone else is singing for STG, and, in my opinion, messing things up. So naturally I wanted to see what Carah Faye was up to, and found out that she has this other band Versant, which kinda really rocks.

Sounds Like: Shiny Toy Guns, an eclectic mix of pop, punk, and rock, citing Mew, Kent, Coldplay, The Cardigans, and Michael Jackson as inspirations.

Bio: From their MySpace page: "Versant is in the process of putting the final touches on their self-released EP, due out March 23rd, 2010. Reaction to demos posted on their MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/versantmusic) has been unanimous: Although only debuting, Versant exceeds high expectations, and introduces loyal fans to a bristling new musical collaboration."

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: Because Versant just sounds/feels right, and they have the background to kick it up a notch.

Video:

Links:
MySpace

Next Elvis #4: Great Bloomers

2009-11-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

Info: Great Bloomers are basically just a great representation of groovy indie music. They definitely have a warm Northern feel, and pretty much just groove around.

Sounds Like: From their website: "Revealing the melodic instincts of The Elephant 6 collective and Brian Wilson, twists of peppy honky-tonk build upon an effervescent indie-rock palette, dabbling in blissed-out UK pop and the psych-country leanings of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. They jump seamlessly from genre to genre, incorporating into their folk-rock core the playful stride of honky-tonk piano, the warm rootsy colour of lap steel or harmonium, the laid back sensibilities of 90's slacker rock and a serious dose of Phil Spector pop sheen."

Bio: From their MySpace page: "Playing rollickin' piano-based country-tinged college rock, Great Bloomers astound with subtlety - delicious hooks, stunning harmonies, expert musicianship and songwriting well beyond their years."

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: Great Bloomers are really just quite radically awesome and chill. And they're Canadian. I think that their groovy vibes will take them far.

Video:

Links:
Website
MySpace
Facebook
Twitter

Next Elvis #3: Noah and the Whale

2009-11-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

Info: Noah and the Whale is a 4-piece indie folk band out of London. Most recently, they released their album/film hybrid The First Days of Spring, and it is spectacular.

Sounds Like: A cool breeze on a warm day.

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: Noah and the Whale is just so absolutely chill, and so completely melodic that I can't help but be enraptured by their music. I really think they are going to go a great distance, as far as musical merits go.

Links:
MySpace
Blogspot
YouTube

Next Elvis #2: Unicorn Kid

2009-11-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

Info: Unicorn Kid is just Oliver Sabin of Edinburgh, UK, and his MicroKORG. He plays heavily sequenced chiptune/8-bit tracks, and they rule massively. I recently went to Atlanta for an Owl City concert, and Unicorn Kid opened. It was so amazing I bought his EP and listened to its 3 songs for the entire the two-hour drive home.

Sounds Like: 8-bit, chiptune.

Bio: From his MySpace page: "Unicorn Kid is a 17 year old producer from Edinburgh, Scotland. What had originally started out as a hobby for a 15 year old Oliver Sabin has quickly grown into to a unique music project with a dedicated worldwide fanbase. At age 16 he was the youngest person ever to perform a live session for BBC Radio 1 and has since remixed the likes of the Pet Shop Boys, sold out London shows and toured extensively throughout the UK."

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: "Taking the electronic worlds of 8-bit and chiptune and making the music stadium-sized, Unicorn Kid is a unique performer and producer with melodies to die for! He's also still only a teenager, so watch this space!"
- Vic Galloway, BBC Radio 1

Links:
MySpace
Facebook
Twitter
Bebo
YouTube
Last.fm

Next Elvis #1: The Grand Finale

2009-11-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Info: The Grand Finale is a one-man band of ever-changing musical tastes. According to his MySpace page, Patrick Wright and his laptop head up the Wheeling, West Virginia-based solo project.

Sounds like: Death Cab for Cutie, Copeland.

Bio: From his PureVolume page: "Formerly of As Patient Stars Align, the Grand Finale is an offshoot of a continual project specializing in the adaptability of new and innovative music. Heavily influenced by Death Cab for Cutie, Copeland, Reggie and the Full Effect, The Get Up Kids, and the Notwist, trace elements of each artist can be recognized. The purpose of this project is to write, record, and produce music that is constantly evolving. 'I think you're on to something.' - Aaron Marsh, of Copeland."

Why it's going to be the next Elvis: I think Wright's tunes are catchy and personal. Let's hope that's enough.

Links:
MySpace
PureVolume

The Next Elvis

2009-11-01T16:59:00.001-08:00

This is a blog about music. More accurately, this is a blog attempting to predict the next biggest music sensation. I will personally select, as often as I can, new obscure acts, bands, singers, and artists that I think have a chance of making it big. And that is that.