Vibrations 14.4

Aw man -- it has been a long time. My apologies. I'll kick off my return to the blog with a simple Vibrations post, as these tend to be rather self-explanatory.
There's this band, Bronx Cheerleader, that is getting a reasonable amount of underground hype. They're being described as Canada's version of the Shins. Really crafty songwriting, especially memorable melodies, and for some reason, very familiar. Familiar in a distant way -- it sounds like something I like and that I know, but I don't know why or where it's from. They're cool ...

Bronx Cheerleader - The Assault
Bronx Cheerleader - Racing Time
Bronx Cheerleader - So Nice To See You (Fall)
Bronx Cheerleader - Unseen Hands
Bronx Cheerleader - Crapshooter's Blues
Bronx Cheerleader - Hollywood Ending

I have not heard a whole lot of stuff by Drew Danburry yet, so forgive me for not being able to comment too much on his style. He does this folky sort of stuff, which isn't usually "my bag," but he adds a bit of indie flavor to it all, which makes me like him a bit more.

Drew Danburry - At A Stop In St. Regis
Drew Danburry - I'll Only Believe I ...
Drew Danburry - Red Rock Virgin's Encounter With Winter Nights
Drew Danburry - Tree On Wheels

When I first got to the Apparitions' website, I assumed that the group would be all spacey and weird and electronic or something. They ain't ... that glossy edge they've added to their album art and website design is misleading. They play this really accessible rock 'n' roll. Like old-fashioned sort of blues-inspired stuff. They seem to have lots of fun playing their music, so I have fun listening to it.

the Apparitions - Electricity + Drums
the Apparitions - God Monkey Robot

Moving on to something completely different ... Shit Robot -- the DFA's latest signing! They're from Stuttgart, which is really cool to me. I don't know why. I usually associate German music with metal and techno. And both of those styles seem to be examples of why German engineering should not be extended to the realm of music production. So often, this German techno sounds too slick and sharp and too riddled with club drugs. It makes me uncomfortable. But Shit Robot isn't like that, as their name should imply. Listen to the stuff on their MySpace page ... I've again taken way too much time making this post. Ugh.