5) Dragonette - Okay I'm struggling how to describe Dragonette. Let me just tell you how I feel: I feel like the next FIFA needs to feature their song "I Get Around" (which is definitely their best track overall) and I feel like they have a similar sound to The Sounds with big guitar driven choruses and beat-driven synthesizer-filled verses, although the vocalist sounds much more like Zooey Deeschanel in some songs. They're very cool though and when I played their album Galore all the way through while driving, I was consistently entertained. They tell great stories and do a great job of creating the perfect modern blend of authentic and synthesized instruments. You'll also find that the lead-singer grows on you and becomes your friend - she isn't afraid to sing about her sexuality which is refreshing from a female point of view and some times takes the listener by surprise. What I also like is that they have some Lily Allen singer-songwriter type songs such as "Get Lucky" (which is also tongue-in-cheek) and really show overall musical versatility. I would suggest Dragonette a million times over. Check them out.
Listen to "I Get Around" and "Jesus Doesn't Love Me Anymore" but also check the rest of their stuff out on myspace.
4) The Gossip - The Gossip are a mad cool band from Portland fronted by an unconventional Beth Ditto. I'll leave her politics and controversy out of this but disregarding that the three piece has some sick songs such as "Dimestore Diamond" (amazing song - like classic status... would be a very cool Rock Band extra or something). They've got a message to all of their songs so while you're dancing and rocking out they actually get you to think. Imagine that. The album is called Music for Men and really is a great complete album. Definitely worth a thorough rotation.
Also listen to "Heavy Crosses" and try to find "Pop Goes the World" on their myspace. If you search them on myspace you'll see that there are a couple remixes to this. Its got such a sick guitar riff - imagine if U2 had a disco phase haha.
3) The Sounds - I just realized I completely forgot the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on this countdown but ya know what, they're too mainstream haha. Just kidding but It's Blitz was so boring except for "Zero" (probably one of my most played songs of the year) and a couple other tracks. Completely on the other side of things are the Sounds who put out an album recently called Crossing the Rubicon (a saying I just looked up - it means to cross into the point of no return, look it up on Wikipedia). It's an amazing album with a title track that marks a new experimentalism for the band into the concept song. My favorite track is "Beatbox" which features a reference to "Tony the Beat" a character from their previous album. This track will help you in your rocking out needs many times over.
If you are one of those people who likes to be ahead of the curve buy the Sounds new album because they have potential to be huge. Actually if you're one of those people you've probably known about them for years. If not, step up your game man you're slacking.
2) Janelle Monae - This girl is a star. That's all there is to it. Obviously by the picture you can tell she has a very unique and interesting style - retro 50s or something not too sure. Her sound reflects this also. She has a big band behind her yet she is an R&B/ Hip-hop artist. I guess think Mary J. Blige meets Gnarles Barkley meets Outkast meets Amy Winehouse. Actually she's worked with Outkast on Idlewild and has become very noticed by the hip-hop community. In addition she toured with one of this blogs favorite bands: Of Montreal. She is the past meets future with an album with some futuristic robot concept that I can't really fully grasp but its still there.
Listen to her song "Sincerely, Jane" as well as "Many Moons" to get an idea of this genre-forging new starlet. She really is great and I forsee great things coming from her in the future. The CD is called Metropolis: The Chase Suite. http://www.myspace.com/janellemonae
Please watch her short film "Many Moons" on YouTube or her Myspace I just came across this and think it will both entertain you and give you a good taste of her originality and bona fide stardom.
1) The Dead Weather.
My God I love the Dead Weather. They are a perfect soundtrack to anything - I have listened to them when I am happy, sad, working out, or driving and they really just have some primal quality that energizes me every time. I am a very big Jack White fan just because I love his persona. He is a complete mystery and I love that. Their album Horehound, however, is I think Jack White's best work yet. Adjectives: again primal, raw, bluesy, unadulterated rock and roll. Not rock and roll like Chickenfoot is packaging but rock & roll as it should be, like a Bob Dylan throw back. Rock & Roll like the 26th minute of Stairway to Heaven. Rock & Roll like Pete Townshend smashing his guitar through his amp for the very first time. Rock & Roll like the Beatles sweating their asses off for 8 hours playing in Hamburg. Thats what I hear when I listen to the Dead Weather.
Their sound is amazing. Allison Mosshart (cool name right? she's normally the frontwoman for The Kills) is the delightful female who fronts this band while Jack pounds away on the drums however it is the tracks that they collaborate on that are the true diamonds of the album.
Here are two tracks that are my favorites but have only received light mention: "I Cut Like a Buffalo" and "New Pony" (Jack White original and Bob Dylan cover).
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