Video: Kindness “Gee Up”
I enjoy music that is shrouded in mystery and for whatever reason the majority of it seems to come from Britain. Perhaps there’s a sense of privacy that still exists in the old homeland that doesn’t here. Or maybe it’s because we’re an ocean apart and things tend to trickle slower here from there. Or perhaps is just because the Brits make damn good music and don’t care very much for the American appeal to it. I don’t know what it is, but I know when I like something I hear.
Kindness is the latest Brit act to catch my ear. Maybe a one-man band ala Porcelain Raft, maybe not at all…this is a question even the Internet can’t seem to answer. All I know for sure is that it’s the project of Adam Bainbridge, and it’s some new disco funk. A few days ago he dropped a new video for his single “Gee Up”, a short but ridiculously good track that will leave you yearning for more. The video features an extremely awkward, yet hilariously funny, two-minute ending so be sure to stick around after the song ends for subtitles, shameless plugs, and witty one liners.
The debut album from Kindness is entitled World, You Need a Change of Mind and is due out on 3-19-12 courtesy of his own label Female Energy. Enjoy the weekend friends.
Connect with Kindness via MySpace
Written by Greg Dahman
Band to Watch: Jonquil
Jonquil make the type of music you wish was playing the soundtrack of your life. And honestly, that’s maybe the best compliment I can give these guys. Because if their songs did indeed play as you made your way through each day, chances are your days would be pretty fantastic. Full of catchy high-pitched guitar riffs, tropical beats, and soulful falsetto vocals, these cats roll up multiple genres and decades of music into a giant spliff of happiness.
A quartet from Oxford, England, the band’s previous record, One Hundred Suns, was released in 2010 and is still to this day underrated. Featuring solid singles “It Never Rains” and “I Know I Don’t Know”, it’s really surprising to me that you don’t see/hear more of these guys in the US. Perhaps that will change with the upcoming release of their second record, Point of Go, later this spring. Check out a live performance of the first single released from the album, “It’s my Part” and interview with the band.
So as you wake up today and get ready to step out into the world full of potential, take a second and sit down, drink a cup of coffee (or do whatever it is you do to wake up) and enjoy a few new songs from Jonquil. If you’re going to be alive, you might as well carpe diem.
Jonquil will release Point of Go on Blessing Force/Cooperative Music on 3-5-12. You can check out the second single from the album, “Mexico” below.
Connect with Jonquil via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Greg Dahman
Fresh Track: Bear Cavalry “Roman Summer”
In November, UK-band Bear Cavalry released their debut Maple Trails EP. The release is chocked full of danceable, intricate rhythms on guitars and percussion. For me, the band feels like the red-headed stepchild of Vampire Weekend and Arctic Monkeys. The upbeat Afro-Caribbean rhythms paired with punk-infused vocals creates a sound that is unique, albeit ethnically confused. Stream “Roman Summer” below. This track is guaranteed to get your feet shuffling.
Connect with Bear Cavalry via Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp
Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 