Good Peoples

I was in Washington D.C. recently and felt like going to a show on a random Thursday night. Not having done my homework, I jumped online to see who was in town. After a quick sweep of the venues I am familiar with (Black Cat, 9:30 Club, Rock & Roll Hotel), I made the decision to see Hurricane Bells - a band I previously knew nothing about - at the Black Cat Backstage.

Hurricane Bells hit the stage a little after 9p and I was quickly happy - extremely happy - with my choice. Their bass, guitar/vox, drums, female-backups lineup was sonically full, and each player was clearly skilled. The melodies were smooth and unassuming, and each song was just different enough to keep me engaged for the entire 40 minute set. Plus, the two singers did the two-singers-on-one-mic thing a few times, which is kind of adorable when it's a guy and a girl...just sayin.



Once they were through I noticed a lack of merchandise, so I tracked down the singer, Steve Schiltz. The gin & tonics may have helped in the decision making, but I gave him $20 and my home address and said, "I want everything Hurricane Bells has released. Is this enough?" "Yes" came the response. Perfect.

Lo and behold, about a week later I received a package with a nice note from Steve. He included Hurricane Bells' EP, LP and an extra full-length CD from Scout, his female singer's other band.



I guess the point here is that you can still trust people these days. Steve's simple follow-through and added personal touch put a stamp on my already enthusiastic attitude toward his band, and I eagerly await their forthcoming LP.

Steve Schiltz and Hurricane Bells are good peoples. I support them and so should you.

http://www.hurricanebells.com/
http://www.scoutscoutscout.com/

New (To Me) Music

2011 has so far been an impressive year of new releases. New records from old favorites Radiohead, R.E.M., The Dears and Elbow have been solid, and I've discovered a few new groups along the way.

Here are some groups I've discovered so far in 2011:

Archers
Their debut 7" is a raucous explosion of energy and sound, and they have the live show to back it up. The group recently recorded a session at OPB, and I had the pleasure of interviewing them. Look for that interview at opbmusic.org in the coming weeks.

Hurricane Bells
While in D.C. in April I decided to check out a random show. I had never heard of Hurricane Bells until that night, and I was truly impressed. (Later I discovered that lead singer Steve Schiltz was also the singer for Longwave, a group I also enjoy very much.) Schlitz uses guitar effects to create an atmosphere of sound, backed by a steady drummer, bass player and female vocalist. He tells me there is a new album on the way, and I am looking forward to it.

Land of Talk
My friend Rian gave me the latest Land of Talk release - Cloak & Cipher - and told me I would dig it. He was right. It is a female-led group with loud guitars and killer melodies. Rian and I both agree the songs could use a liiiittle editing time-wise, but other than that it is a stunning album.

Apex Manor
Earlier in the year I discovered Apex Manor, the new project from The Broken West singer Ross Flournoy. I lucked into catching their set at Mississippi Studios, and the band blasted through the new album while sneaking in a few Broken West tunes along the way. The album plays like a classic good ol' American rock record in the best way possible and is among my favorites of the year so far.

There are always more, but those are the groups that have stood out so far this year. And there are still plenty of new releases to come this year...Fleet Foxes, Beastie Boys, They Might Be Giants, Dawes, Other Lives and on and on.

What are some of your favorites of 2011 so far?