Summer 2010 is here and so are the music trends:
Trend #1: Surf Rock
Artists-
Japandroids
Wavves
The Drums
The Soft Pack
Cloud Nothings
Male Bonding
Surfer Blood
The Young Veins
This list starts on the punk-ier side with Japandroids and Wavves, bands whose popularity among the likes of Pitchfork and Sterogum perplexes me; these are the same sites that utterly despise Blink-182. Wavves and Japandroids have a VERY Blink-esque sound so why are they exempt? My theory is that since garage-punk was so common and popular back in the 90s, it was easier to be "that guy" and rebel against it, listen to The White Stripes, and think you were cooler than everyone else. But now that garage-punk is almost extinct, hearing a band like Wavves or Japandroids sounds fresh and cool. But whatever, I've always been a Blink fan and as long as it isn't to emo-y I like the genre. More Kool-Aid!
After that we transition to the pop-y-er side of surf rock: The Drums, The Soft Pack, and Cloud Nothings. All three are very different. The Drums are super upbeat with lots of energy and songs about Summer and surfing. Soft Pack's strong suit is their simplicity; early on while listening I designated them the California-Strokes. Now obviously, they're not nearly as good as the Strokes (most of their lyrics fall pretty flat) but it has that kind untampered-with, raw guitar-bass-kickdrum style. It's quintessential "alternative." If The Strokes were from Cali playing out of a beach-garage in Santa Monica, this could be them. Cloud Nothings is classic modern/indie pop music with 90s-style punkwhine vocals and an organ player, which is a nice touch.
Male Bonding and Surfer Blood walk the line between the punky surf rock of Wavves and Japandroids and the ambient choruses of The Beach Boys. On their respective albums you'll find fist-pounder's like Male Bonding's "Year's Not Long" and Surfer Blood's "Swim," but also shimmery time reflections "Franklin" and "Catholic Pagans."
Lastly, we have the Beach Boys, I mean the Beatles, I mean the Kinks, I mean The Young Veins. They are comprised of the guitarist and bassist from Panic! at the Disco, which really threw me off and predisposed me to hate them but after giving 'em a fair listen I have to say, they're making some pretty good music. They go full Beach Boys on their solid summer jam "Take a Vacation!" Apparently, other times they're the Beatles or the Kinks, but really it just sounds like 60s pop... which in my opinion is a good thing.
Here are the killer tracks:
Post Acid-Wavves by TheBoyandColors
Younger Us-Japandroids by TheBoyandColors
Saddest Summer-The Drums by TheBoyandColors
C'Mon-The Soft Pack by TheBoyandColors
Didn't You-Cloud Nothings by TheBoyandColors
Floating Vibes-Surfer Blood by TheBoyandColors
Take A Vacation!-The Young Veins by TheBoyandColors
Here are the killer tracks:
Post Acid-Wavves by TheBoyandColors
Younger Us-Japandroids by TheBoyandColors
Saddest Summer-The Drums by TheBoyandColors
C'Mon-The Soft Pack by TheBoyandColors
Didn't You-Cloud Nothings by TheBoyandColors
Floating Vibes-Surfer Blood by TheBoyandColors
Take A Vacation!-The Young Veins by TheBoyandColors
So there you have it. Get ready for a summer of beach, sun, and surf (rock).
-TheBoyandColors
