Grouplove

Grouplove
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[Left to right: Sean Gadd (Bass), Andrew Wessen (Guitar), Hannah Hooper (Vocals / Keyboards), Christian Zucconi (Vocals/ Guitar), and Ryan Rabin (Drums)]

-Formed in Los Angeles, California.

-Toured with Florence & The Machine, and Foster the People.

-Played SXSW and are scheduled to play Lollapalooza.
-Played Bands in Transit session, KEXP (SXSW performance), and Rooftop Session.
-Ryan Rabin is the son of former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin. The group recorded their first EP in Ryan's home studio.
-Hannah met Christian after getting dragged to his show by a friend. They began hanging out shortly after and sporadically decided to venture Greece together. There they met Ryan, Shawn and Andrew and just like that Grouplove was born! (Crazy, huh?)

Songs to listen to: Ichin on a Photograph (below) , Colours, & Don't say Oh Well




Conclusion: I saw them play at Lee's Palace not too long ago with Foster the People and I left incredibly impressed. They were a lot of fun, great to listen to, and amusing to look at. Christians vocals were amazing and left me speechless, especially after they played "Ichin on a Photograph." Their music is the perfect playlist of summer picnics and ice-cream. If you're ever looking for something fun to listen to, Grouplove should be your go to band this summer. Won't regret it, enjoy!

Top 5 Albums of 2011 so far!

___Here are some of the albums that have been on heavy rotation for me this year. You will notice that the greater majority of these are folk related, that's because I've been addicted to nothing else. However, since my recent Pains of Being Pure at Heart addiction, I have good reason to believe my horizons will expands. Hurray for good music!

The Middle Brother - The Middle Brother
Released: March 1, 2011

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Released: May 3, 2011

Cults - Cults
Released: June 7, 2011

The Head & The Heart - The Head & The Heart
Released: April 19, 2011

Dawes - Nothing is Wrong

Released: June 7, 2011

I wasn't able to include my fave Dawes tracks due to the fact they got wiped off Groove Shark, but click here for a Dawes Youtube playlist that showcases some of the new tracks.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
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[Kip Berman (vocals/ guitar), Alex Naidus (bass), Peggy Wang (keyboard/ vocals), Kurt Feldman (drums)]
-Formed in New York
-The band name comes from an unpublished children's story of the same title that a friend of singer Kip Berman wrote.
-Their CD "Belong" was produced by Flood. In case you didn't know, he is also recognized for working with U2, New Order, Smashing Pumpkins, and The Killers.
-Performed their first show ever with Titus Andronicus.
-Toured with Suferblood, Twin Shadow & Weekend.
-This year they've played Coachella and SXSW. They are also schedule to play Lollapalooza!
-Appeared on the David Letterman show, click here.

Songs to listen to: Heart in your Heartbreak, Even in Dreams, Teenager in Love.



Conclusion: Half way through the year, I can honestly say that the Pains are the first non folk band I’ve fallen in love with all year! After watching and reading numerous interviews, it’s refreshing to see how much this quartet loves music within and outside their own. They’re just so corky and down to earth it’s impossible not to fall in love with them. In terms of their music, it's obvious to me why they’re the first band outside of folk to catch my attention… it’s their familiar sound! They kind of sound like The Smashing Pumpkins with hints of Cut Copy’s “In Ghost Colours” layered with the fuzziness of Grizzly Bear (see what I did there? Haha). There’s just something about them that really gets to me. This band is definitely worth checking out. For those who live in Toronto, hear them play at the Opera House August 2! Buy your tickets here. Enjoy.