Happy New Year guys!!! I hope everyone’s recovered from their New Year’s hangovers; you had a week to do so!
Since we’re getting back into the swing of things I figured I’d give you guys some musical acts (five to be exact) so without further ado…
1) Only Real
“Slacker rap at its blatant best” is a term that comes to mind when I think of this West London native. Equipped with his rhyming ability and his laptop, Niall Galvin does an amazing job of bringing you into the world of a 20 something year old Londoner with an affinity for breakfast cereal.
His laid back sounding vocals and relaxed melodies have gotten the attention of VICE along with many of England’s publications and with influences such as Hieroglyphics, Outkast and J. Cole it’s really no surprise. He’s also good friends with the boys of Childhood (see 5 Musical Acts April 2012) and I see a co-headlining tour imminent.
2) Drugmother
Drugmother are an indie rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band members include Jeremy James on guitar and vocals, Drew G. on bass, and Bob Ferrari (Pink Spiders) on Drums.
Formally known as Dungeon Honey, Drugmother blends elements of ska, garage and grunge into their music creating something original with a sense of familiarity to it. The band is getting ready to release their debut LP entitled All Our Pretty Songs and from the demos I’ve heard they’re definitely starting 2013 off strong.
3) Desert Sharks
Desert Sharks are an all-girl indie rock group from New York. The four-piece ensemble consists of Stephanie Gunther on vocals and bass, Stefania Rovera on guitar, Rebecca Rose on drums and Sunny Veniero on guitar.
They combine the aggressiveness of punk with elements of surf and garage rock to create something you can bang your head OR Dance to. The girls are set to release their new EP entitled Sister Cousins on the 8th and will be performing at Shea Stadium on the 10th. If you’re in New York be sure to catch them live.
4) Yung Life
Gabriel, Elliot and Judah White, along with Will Farner make up Yung Life, an electro/synth band hailing from
Knoxville, Tennessee.
The boys have a HEAVILY 80’s influenced sound and handle production themselves. Heavy synths? “Once in a lifetime” feeling? Yung Life brings it all to the table. If you’re wondering about the lyrics, they only add to the nostalgia. One listen and these songs are going to be stuck in your head for a while. You’ve been warned.
What makes this a little more interesting is that none of the band members look no older than 20 and yet I can’t listen to their music without thinking about how perfectly it would fit in a John Hughes movie…any John Hughes movie.
5) Twerps
TWERPS is an acronym for “The World’s Easiest Role-Playing System” but that’s another subject for another day. Twerps’ music is pretty easy to get into so I suppose it’s a pretty nice segue.
Much like a role-playing game, a lot of the Twerps songs are about trying to reclaim love and the self-discovery one goes through in the process. These indie pop rockers call Melbourne, Australia home but that hasn’t stopped them from playing notable festivals like CMJ and many others all over the world. They have been compared to The Clean, Dead Milkmen and Real Estate and they seem to only get better with each new track.
The band members are Marty Frawley on Guitar/Vocals, Rick Milovanovic on bass, Julia MacFarlane on guitar (sometimes vocals) and Patrick O’Neill on drums. They have been featured on Impose Magazine, Pitchfork, Stereogum plus with many more for their amazing melodies, simple guitar lines and simple lyrics with such deep meaning.
In case you didn’t get it by now…yes, these guys are a BIG deal.
BOOM! There you have it! New month, new music, that’s the way it works around here…except for next month.
I’ll be celebrating the 1 year anniversary of “5 Musical Acts” and that means I’ll highlight some of my favorites, some of YOUR favorites too; as well as what they are up to now.
I’ve also had the privilege to meet and hang out with some of these amazing musicians so maybe I’ll pull out some old photos…who knows!!
Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. PLUS! Be sure to like the LifeofLito Facebook page. Let me know who you’d like to see featured in next month’s anniversary edition and I’ll be sure to feature them.
Until next time guys! Be good!
Lito
Lito's Life 