Every so often, we get into ruts. I personally find myself in musical ruts all of the time, and yet I go back to the same favorites and rediscover why I love them over and over and over. If you are seeking some musical inspiration, here is a comprehensive list of artists/songs I either keep rediscovering, or groups fairly new to me. Enjoy!
1. The Front Bottoms
If you know me or knew me in upper high school you know I kind of have a thing for these guys. Their genre is typically classified as indie rock, folk punk and a little bordering on lo-fi. They're great in concert and were fairly recently signed by Fueled by Ramen which is pretty sweet. If you're going to check them out, I personally love:
Twin Size Mattress
Cough it Out
Lonely Eyes
2. Lilac Lungs
Fresh on the scene and releasing their first full length album, Eventide, this May, Lilac Lungs is a group of super cool Michigan natives. Their vibe is pop punk/alternative rock, and the sound is reminiscent of Paramore. Another group extremely fun to see live (and a show coming to the Crofoot in Pontiac pretty soon) they are definitely worth checking out.
Next to Nothing
Cynical Bliss
3. colours
I love this group. Originally I saw them live as an opener for a different show, but man do they perform. Not to sound like that person but this group is significantly better live than on recording, and on recording they are phenomenal. Their sound is focused more on music than lyrics or vocal components, which can make for good background if you're driving, or ear-buds in jams.
Mind Games
Slow
4. The Kenneths
I was first introduced to this group at a small stage at Warped Tour. Take that as you will. A song of theirs got stuck in my head and I'm not sure if it ever left. They are an indie or alternative rock group (are you noticing a trend yet?) and there was just something appealing about a lead singer who took breaks in between the set to teach his American audience "British swears". Imagine a group of sweaty punk rockers all saying pleasantly "wanker" in butchered accents before continuing to jump around to the catchy tones.
What Happened to the Radio
This is the one that is still stuck in my head
I Can't Focus
5. Ed Sheeran
But like, the old Ed. Not that I am not absolutely in love with some of his stuff on ÷, but it is not nearly the same sound as he had way back before A Team became popular. Did you know he had albums out before +? Yes way. Take a peep at some classic Ed acoustic goodness:
Cold Coffee
One Night
Firefly
6. Modern Baseball
Sorry for those of you who aren't as into lo-fi and alt rock. Modern Baseball fits snugly into these categories. So if you listened to The Front Bottoms above and didn't like them (unimaginable but possible) I wouldn't recommend seeking out this group. To those out there who do like the genre, you have probably already heard Modern Baseball and already have an opinion. To potential new fans, check out some of these from their most recent album, Holy Ghost:
