5 Artists You Should Know: November

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That’s it I’m taking over.

For the month of November I will be doing the 5 artists you should know. My name is Joe Mueller and I live in NYC. So, in celebration of my relocation, all of this month’s featured artists will be from the NYC.

LCD Sound System

LCD Sound System is a musical project of James Murphy, with a musical style that has been defined as “dance punk.” For me dance punk translates to edgy vocals, and a fusion of house and dance beats that are sure to keep any party dancing. The band isn’t afraid to mix abstract sounds, and humor to keep there music interesting giving listeners many different layers to appreciate. The band has some accolades under their belt including two Grammy nominations for Grammy’s, a featured song in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV, and making it twice into Britain’s top 40 charts. Check out their music on myspace and keep an eye out for their next album that will be released on November 24th.

Au Revoir Simone is a group of incredibly polite young women with a smooth sound. Au Revoir Simone hails from Brooklyn, NY. I would describe them as: synth-pop, with a Casio that they are not afraid to use. I stumbled across the band when watching 50 people one question and immediately went out and bought their music. The band has been together since late 2003 and is currently made up of Annie Hart, Erika Forster and Heather D’Angelo. The band’s name references the scene in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure when Pee Wee is saying goodbye to the waitress Simone at the Alamo, “Au Revoir Simone!” Don’t See the Sorrow is one of my favorite songs by them.

Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear is a band that I can really get behind. If you don’t know who they are you will start to hear their songs played in the background of “hip commercials” very, very soon. I came across the new album pretty randomly – thank you twitter – and it has grown on me with every listen. The band is comprised of Daniel Rossen, Ed Droste, Chris Taylor, and Christopher Bear. Classified as “psychedelic pop,” I think they sound like a fusion of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and Radiohead. The band opened for Radiohead on tour in 2008 and was asked to play with Paul Simon when he did a retrospective of his music in Brooklyn (both of those are a big deal my friends). My personal favorite song from these guys is: “two weeks.” It’s a tough one not to tap your toe too.

GoGol Bordello

GoGol Bordello is a very eclectic band classified as “gypsy punk”. It’s been a long time since I’ve given GoGol Bordello a good listen but for me they have overcome the test of time and proved that they are not just a gimmick band. The lead singer, Eugene Hütz is one of the biggest badasses alive. He is a rock star, D.J., and a movie star. He starred in Everything is Illuminated with the main little guy from Lord of the Rings, Elijah Wood. Made up of guitars, fire buckets, violins, accordions, drums, and dancers GoGol Bordello’s main goal is to introduce East-European culture to English speaking countries. Axis Mundi; the bands latest album is out, so head on over to their myspace page and give it a listen.

Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killah, from the legendary rap group Wu-Tang Clan, has just recently released a new album: Ghostdini Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City.  He never ceases to amaze me with the titles of his albums. The newest release mixes soulful sounds with great lyrics, and quality beats. The CD is peppered with all sorts cultural references. A relatively short cd with only 5 songs but worth a listen.

So this is what I’m listening to this month. Check out the bands and let me know what you think of them in the comments section below, and don’t worry, daddy will do the dishes.

Related posts:

1. 5 Artists You Should Know: January
2. 5 Artists You Should Know: September
3. 5 Artists You Should Know: December
4. The Peace Corps Files: November 8, 2007
5. 5 Bands You Should Know: June
6. 5 Bands You Should Know: May
7. 5 Bands You Should Know: July
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