B-Side Guys

*This first paragraph is a copy of a previously written synopsis of the point behind the new section, The Flock.*

We have two goals here with our blog and our podcast; we want to help you find a bunch of new artists that you love, and we also want to support those artists. We came up with a new idea for a post where we take a genre, and give you a few artists within that genre. That way, it helps everyone. If you come here because you love one artist, you’ve got five more that you’re probably going to love now. That helps you load up your playlist with tracks that will impress your friends, and it also helps the artists hit untapped markets and possibly network with likeminded artists they didn’t know existed. Without further ado, I present “The Flock.”

ARTISTS LOOK HERE: Caleb and I have started a Facebook group that we want to turn into a place for artists from around the country to find likeminded bands to fill shows out, find shows, and really just a community made by artists to talk about the industry. If you’re interested in joining that, CLICK HERE.

Bears in Hazenmore – Wedding Season

When I saw that this music video was 3 minutes and 23 seconds of making and eating eggs, I wasn’t sure how I felt at first. Then, I decided how much I love it all. It’s a perfect example of how sometimes the most mundane times with your best friends are the times that stick out in your mind forever. In the words of the band, “The video is entirely unrelated — a sneak-peek into the life and times of five best friends and their mere interactions with one man’s obsession with eggs.”

With ethereal vocals and synths,  perfectly stated brass, and offbeat drums, this track is one that has made it onto all of my summer playlists.

 

The Brothers Moore – Moves

No strangers to the website, The Brothers Moore come through again with their unique brand of almost familiar indie rock. If you haven’t been hanging out on the blog long, check out their previous post here. It’s easy to pull the similarities between them and early Kings of Leon, but they seem to go beyond that for me personally. I think the main reason that they hold a higher spot for me than Kings of Leon (send the hate mail to bsideguys@gmail.com) is because of how much fun these guys always seem to be having. These guys are getting some rightfully deserved recognition, getting to open for bands like Ra Ra Riot, Nada Surf, and my favorite band of all time, Manchester Orchestra. That’s something these guys couldn’t be more stoked about, and it shows through the video and the tunes.

 

State of Nature – Two Weeks Notice

If you’ve been around any amount of time, you know that any song that talks about quitting a soul-crushing job to pursue your passion is a soft spot for me. Anything that promotes getting out of the grind of the 9-5 holds a special place in my heart. A lot of times I project that sentiment into a song, but in Two Weeks Notice, this band leaves nothing to the imagination. This Third Eye Blind reincarnate group from New York will have you ready to turn in your letter of resignation, and I’m always cool with that.

 

Hannah’s Little Sister – 20

“Creeping out from the pot holes and the storm drains, these four are about to take over your local cul-de-sac. With their offbeat humour, untamed manners and trashy tunes, these terrible tikes sound truly delightful.”

Hannah’s Little Sister has a wild reformed grit that isn’t quite like anything out there, and it is absolutely refreshing. This is raw roots rock at its finest. They prescribe to the genre of “alternative,” and they are definitely an alternative to anything else I’m listening to right now. They take emotive vocals and witty lyrics, and they pair that with beveled edge guitar hooks and an unrepentant snare/kick combo.

 

Vern Matz – Shelby Park

This is the kind of complex track that only a band from the likes of Harvard could create. I guess these Yale students have exceeded their surrounding threshold then. I jest. The only Ivy League school I have allegiance to is the one that accepts me. I don’t see that happening anytime soon, so for now my only allegiance is to Vern Matz… so I guess my allegiance is to Yale. Man, what a rollercoaster! It’s kind of like their song, Shelby Park, or as the band affectionately calls it, Shelby. When asked about the track, the band has a very articulate response (I would hope so from Ivy League students):

“Perhaps we are on a first name basis with the song because of how close we have grown to it; Shelby’s a big part of our lives now. But this wasn’t always the case. Shelby Park didn’t have it’s identity until it was done. It was only until after the song was complete that it really grew on all of us. With Shelby, we got to put on a lot of different hats and play something vaguely aggressive. There’s some focus on aging, and losing identities, but it’s not an overly serious song – there’s blue hearts, and martians moons, and dropped phone calls, and leaving Shelby. It’s a childish piece a lot of ways; in some ways we were sort of pretending to be 16 year-olds in a rock band from 1993.”

They perfectly encapsulated everything that made rock bands from the early 90’s popular: the Pixies progression in the intro, the ritardando in the chorus, and the cacophonous dissonance in the buildup that flirts with the line of being too much. I am absolutely in love with this song from my favorite Brown students.

 

Somehow – While the Days Go By

The wrap-up for this edition of The Flock is held by a French multi-instrumentalist, Erwan Pépiot. The first thing that got my attention about this track is Erwan’s Matt Berringer-esque timbre with his lower register ringing clearly. It’s the kind of voice that makes you feel loved. His voice could wrap its arms around you and let you know that everything will be okay. When Erwan takes the stage, he strips his performances down and delivers intimate acoustic sets. Next time I’m in the Paris area, I have to check out one of those performances.

Check out these artists, and all of our other June artists, on our Spotify playlist of the month here. 

The new episode of the podcast is live here.