I've "discovered" some great indie bands before they broke into the limelight, but Spoon wasn't one of them. I'm a latecomer to this band, so I'm a little behind the curve, and have to depend on solid concert reviews like this one by Joe Day on Doxologist. Here's a taste of what Spoon does:
Their most recent release Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a strong album. It opens with a classic Spoon-ish chord progression on Don’t Make Me A Target, the type of 2-string, rhythmic strumming found on Pedro the Lion records, but with a bluesy twist. And from the beginning singer Brit Daniels had me hooked. The guitar tone, the understated instrumentation, his oddball take on soul, all come together right off the bat. After that, it took a few spins for the rest of the album to grow on me. The obvious highlights are the reverby Cherry Bomb, and The Underdog with it’s super-catchy horn melodies.
If you like indie rock, or simply enjoy insightful writing about music, check out the whole piece, which describes a Spoon concert in Seattle.
4 comments:
ever check out Kings of Leon or Mute Math? If you want some good new tunes check them out...
I'm kind of familiar with Mute Math, but not Kings of Leon... duly noted.
If you haven't, take a listen at The Weakerthans (an old favorite) and the New Pornographers (a new favorite).
I've been listening to the Weakerthans for a while and really like them, never checked out the New Pornographers--but now I'll give them a spin.
While we're on the topic, I guess I'll get my indie rock fix in. Some other can't-miss groups you probably already know about...
The Shins
Death Cab for Cutie
Pedro the Lion (David Bazan)
Sufjan Stevens
Belle and Sebastian (possibly an acquired taste)
Also, less "typically" indie--
Iron and Wine: one guy whispering lyrics with his acoustic instruments.
Over the Rhine: husband & wife team, soulful roots-blues melodies.
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