Author Archives: soulrocks
Chester French
07th Aug 2010
Named for Lincoln Memorial sculptor Daniel Chester French, the L.A. via Boston duo Chester French — consisting of vocalist/songwriterD.A. Wallach and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Maxwell Drummey– mix classic songcraft and power pop hooks with arrangements and beats that nod to synth pop and rap. Originally from Boston, Drummey began music lessons when he was three, moving from classical piano
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Tagged Chester French, indie, indie-rock, LA Rock, N*E*R*D, n.e.r.d, pharrell williams, Rock
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The Chemical Brothers
The act with the first arena-sized sound in the electronica movement, the Chemical Brothers united such varying influences asPublic Enemy, Cabaret Voltaire, and My Bloody Valentine to create a dance-rock-rap fusion which rivaled the best old-school DJs on their own terms — keeping a crowd of people on the floor by working through any number of groove-oriented
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Chairlift
Hailing from Brooklyn, NY (by way of Boulder, CO, where the trio originally came together in 2006), the avant-pop outfit Chairlift formed for the unusual purpose of crafting music for haunted houses. After finding that their work transcended its original purpose, bandmates Aaron Pfenning, Caroline Polachek, and Patrick Wimberlypulled up stakes and headed east, eventually settling in that
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Cee Lo Green
Multi-talented and flamboyant, Cee-Lo initially made a name for himself and his trademark crooning as part of pioneering Dirty South rappers Goodie Mob before he broke away in the early 2000s for a colorful solo route. Along with fellow Atlanta rappers OutKast, Goodie Mob laid out the blueprint for the Dirty South style during the mid-’90s, making serious
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Tagged Cee Lo, Cee Lo Green, Danger Mouse, gnarls barkley, Goodie Mob, Outkast
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The Cardigans
One of the most pleasing pop groups of the ’90s, the Cardigans specialized in sugary confections that would grow annoying very quickly if they weren’t backed by solid musicianship and clever arrangements. The band’s 1995 breakout album, Life, reflected the Cardigans at their most saccharine — the sunny disposition of vocalist Nina Persson being the major argument
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Brandon Flowers
Brandon Flowers was the most popular frontman of the new wave revival, which swept through America and England during the early 2000s. As frontman of the Killers, he helped popularize a genre that hadn’t been fashionable for nearly two decades, drawing influence from a number of ’80s synth pop bands — including New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen,
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Blur
Initially, Blur were one of the multitude of British bands that appeared in the wake of the Stone Roses, mining the same swirling, pseudo-psychedelic guitar pop, only with louder guitars. Following an image makeover in the mid-’90s, the group emerged as the most popular band in the U.K., establishing itself as heir to the English guitar
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Tagged Blur, Brit-pop, britpop, Damon Albarn, Gorillaz, indie, indie-rock
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The Bird And The Bee
Multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin and doe-eyed vocalist Inara George draw upon a fondness for jazz standards and ’60s tropicalia to deliver the stylish tones of the Bird and the Bee. The two musicians were introduced in 2004 by mutual friend Mike Andrews, whom George had enlisted to produce her solo debut, All Rise. Needing someone to contribute piano to several tracks, Andrewscalled
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Biffy Clyro
Assembling in the late ’90s, in the town of Kilmarnock, near Glasgow, in Scotland, Biffy Clyro comprises a three-piece lineup, fronted by vocalist and guitarist Simon Neil along with James Johnston (bass) and drummer Ben Johnston. Playing loud combinations of pop/rock, inspired by the music of bands like Weezer, Biffy Clyro first started by playing their aggressive pop tunes
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Ben Folds
Singer/pianist Ben Folds (born September 12, 1966, in Winston-Salem, NC) is best known as the leader of the power pop trio Ben Folds Five, but has also struck out on his own as a solo artist. Despite playing in bands in high school, his musical career didn’t really get off the ground until the late ’80s,
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Beck
Initially pegged as something as a voice of a generation when “Loser” turned into a smash crossover success, Beck did wind up crystallizing much of the post-modern ruckus of the ‘90s alternative explosion, but in unexpected ways. Based in the underground anti-folk and noise-rock worlds, Beck encompassed all manners of modern music, drawing in hip-hop,
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Bat for Lashes
Brighton, [UK] band Bat for Lashes is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Natasha Khan. The Pakistan-born Khan pulls from her art school education and her experience producing multimedia installations when it comes to writing songs. She also cites Steve Reich and Susan Hiller as influences, while echoes of Björk andSiouxsie Sioux are heard throughout Bat for Lashes’ mystical indie rock
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