Today’s Music Discoveries

A few bands I discovered today while trolling 8tracks.com playlists.

Angus & Julia, details here:

“Siblings Julia and Angus Stone come from Newport, Australia. Angus and Julia’s decision to collaborate was taken at the beginning of 2006. Prior to that, both had performed as solo artists at open mic nights but utilised the other as a backing partner. Ultimately they came up with the same idea, “Why don’t we play together? It kind of made a lot of sense”. In terms of composing the material, they write on their own, then work together on structure and harmonies.”

The XX, details here:

“Formed in 2005, The xx are an alternative trio hailing from London, England, featuring the dual lead vocals of Romy Madley Croft (lead guitar) and Oliver Sim (bass guitar), and backed by Jamie Smith (beats, MPC sampler). Rounding out the group was keyboardist Baria Qureshi, who left the group because of the pressures of an intensive touring schedule.”

Julian Plenti, details here:

“Interpol’s lead singer and guitarist Paul Banks released a solo album under the name Julian Plenti, and has written and performed under the Plenti moniker for several years, according to a source close to the situation. While the album was recorded recently, some of the songs were written more than ten years ago. He’s done a lot of work with Niall Darcy, with whom there has been a long time mutual admiration.”

Beach House, details here:

“Beach House is a dream pop group which formed in 2005 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The group consists of Victoria Legrand (vocals, organ) and Alex Scally (guitar, keyboards). Legrand is the niece offrench composer Michel Legrand. The group has released three albums: 2006’s “Beach House”, 2008’s “Devotion” and “Teen Dream” in early 2010.”

Tujiko Noriko, details here:

“Osaka born Tujiko Noriko (辻子紀子) is a Japanese avant-pop, experimental musician, sometimes compared to múm, or Björk. Much of her music consists of repetitive layers of samples and electronic beats and melodies being gradually added on top of each other, with her singing on top of that. The lyrics are primarily in Japanese, with the occasional song in English.”

Metric, details here:

“Formed in Toronto in 1998 but, at various times, based in Montreal, London, New York and L.A., Metric is a band that has embraced an eclectic and adventurous outlook — the group’s music encompasses elements of synth pop, new wave, dance, rock, and electronic. Metric’s fourth studio album, “Fantasies”, has been shortlisted for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.”

The Knife, details here:

“A brother and sister duo hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, the Knife takes inspiration from vintage synth pop and forward-thinking electronic music, crafting a sound that is equally unsettling, playful, and beautiful. Olof and Karin Dreijer formed the Knife in 1999 and worked on their music in their home studios, releasing their first single, Afraid of You, in 2000 and their 2001 self-titled debut album on their own Rabid Records label. In 2003, the Knife was nominated for two Grammis, one for Best Pop Group of the Year and one for Best Pop Album for their second album, Deep Cuts. However, the Dreijers boycotted the ceremony, sending two people in gorilla costumes to protest the dominance of male acts in the music industry.”