Bent Cousin?

My first and possibly upcoming words at the Cantina will go to almost unknown artists/bands that might deserve a bit more attention...Some of them also write funny things about themselves in their pages, wich happens to make things a lot more easy when it comes to describe a certain sonority. Just like bentcousin!
bentcousin are twins Pat and Whalesun and they make cutecore and acid punk, embracing charm, glamour, lies and magic..."'bentcousin want to play with your aunt, to try on her clothes, don’t say we can’t."
"Sexy", "classy", "Lily Allen" and "cute" are words used on the timeline comments, enjoy!

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/38866388" iframe="true" /]

Grouplove is MGMT getting it on with the Pixies

Words of Wisdom

Never trust a happy song, truer words have never been spoken. Are they from Los Angeles? Are they from Manhattan? Do I care? Grouplove has been described as folk rock and compared to Neutral Milk Hotel. I can hear a bit of that on the track 'Ichin on a photograph' which is like a more polished NMH but never abandoning the Kim Deal bass line. My ears hear some MGMT influence, a dash of The Cure, and a liberal dousing with Pixie dust. Colours reminds me of what the pixies might have sounded like if the Polyphonic Spree took a crack at singing duties. I don't mean to suggest Grouplove is a 'me too' band rather that they wear their musical influences on their shirt sleeve, and what a big shirt it is and with such a catchy slogan. 'Tongue Tied' has a nice MGMT feel to it but with the carefree sensibilities of a modern indie group like Dirty Projectors or the aforementioned Polyphonic Spree. By the time we arrive at 'Slow' we move somewhere south of Sigur Ros and the band begins to show some range with sweeping synth arpeggios that support rather than dominate the music, and a perfect hint of bell toned guitar. Originally a self released EP the band was signed and have since released a full album which includes the initial EP tracks. This is a pretty solid debut album and well worth your time. -Mik

The Shins return to form

A bit of old and a bit of new.

2008 saw a lot of changes for the Shins. They left their label SubPop and began work on their new album to be released on James Mercer's Aural Apothecary label. I personally worried for the future of the band. There was the Milquetoast "Wincing the night away" and several lineup changes including the departure of drummer Jesse Sandoval. I'm happy to say that in spite of all of the new, 'Port of Morrow' is a proper Shins album. Melodic vocal harmonies interweave wonderfully with complex but accessible guitar and drum work. It's hard to describe what makes The Shins sound like The Shins but it wasn't there on the last album and it's returned and made me a happy fan.  While some of their older work could be called melancholy this album has a positive and upbeat sound to it that responds well to repeat listening. It's the kind of album you would put on for a sunny day and picnics in the park with your sweetheart. 'Bait and switch' is an early stand out with a lively Beck type of groove and supported by clear and expressive guitar work and lilting backing vocals, it begs to move your body to it's rhythms. While 'For a Fool' elicits memories of 'Pink Bullets' and a pleasant diversion into alt country landscapes, the real gem here is 'Port of Morrow'. Mercer nearly finds a new voice for this song with it's falsetto Buckley like vocals and inspired chord arrangements. If this album were considered a bit of old and a bit of new, the title track is definitely a new sound for The Shins. - Mik

White Apple Tree does not disappoint

Young, smart, and full of art.

White Apple Tree is the pet project of brothers Ryan and Taylor Rawhon from San Diego, California. While there will be inevitable surf rock, ska, and punk, images when thinking of the southern CA music scene, this band is pure electro rock goodness. They are barely old enough to drink alcohol yet they already have a signature sound and a refined sense of tone, texture, and energy. Their music is like water, it can wash over you and refresh you yet it has the power to break stone and grind mountains into the sea. Their debut album is a clear winner in spite of their age and relative inexperience. You get lush synthscapes and velveteen lyrics cascading with the energy of youth and love and pain all wrapped up in a package you can dance to. There are obvious electropop influences but at it's core there are four on the floor beats and a rock bassline. Songs like 'Mr Sanity' reminds one of Franz Ferdinand, while killer tracks such as 'Youth' and 'Broken Bones' are so carefully mixed you will be hard pressed to pick any single influence. At times I am reminded of Interpol, She wants Revenge, VAST, and The Killers. The lyrics are often light and full of the promise of a narrative that can unfold only in your mind. Open with possibilities and evocative of passionate feelings, this is music to live by. I haven't heard such a polished debut album from such young artists since Muse. I can't wait to see what they bring us next because something tells me they didn't stumble into this sound on accident and their sophmore effort should be something to behold. - Mik

Mono

In the third video in the post rock series, Japanese band Mono (and the visual artist Acidman) provided me with 12 of the most beautiful minutes of my life.

Above is the video for Mono's 'Ashes in the Snow'.

maybeshewill

This is the second in the series of three post rock videos. My favourite part has to be at 2:50 when the heavily distorted guitar inserts itself into the quietly building song... only to fade away over the next 25 seconds.

Above is a fan video for maybeshewill's 'He Films The Clouds Pt.2'.

65daysofstatic

Post rock bands like 65daysofstatic, maybeshewill and Mono create incredible soundscapes in their music. When this is combined with the work of skilled visual artists, the result can be truly amazing. 

Above is the official video for 65daysofstatic's 'Drove through ghosts to get here'.