Radical Face

Hello world.

Radical Face is the solo project of Florida based Ben Cooper and his music is 100% delightful. The music elegantly balances its levels of folksyosity and experimentalism without overdoing either, resulting an airy, majestic, and uniquely haunting feel. Think the Shins get super friendly with The Postal Service, except less electric. (If you want to hear a band that largely resembles Radical Face, but is extremely electric, check out one of Ben Cooper's other projects, Electric President.)

Songs to start with:

• Welcome Home, Son (Ghost -2007)
• Wrapped In Piano Strings (Ghost -2007)
• Glory (Ghost -2007)

"Welcome Home, Son" should leave you with the sensation that your life has become the intro to the movie "Garden State"

...In a good way.

Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/radicalface

He doesn't have all the songs up but you can find the rest on Lala.com

David

P.S.

Words in bold may OR may not exist.

Song: Carrying You (from Laputa: Castle in the Sky)

When watching the movie Princess Mononoke two weeks ago, I was reminded of the existence of this wonderful song. More specifically, a beautiful cover of this song by a violin and piano. It is part of the album World of Hayao Miyazaki (Piano and Violin Duo) by Yuka. As far as I know, it is only sold in Japan and iTunes Australia, but another great cover of this song is part of the album Piano de Ghibli which has a slightly jazzy feel and is offered in iTunes US (and probably other places if you look for it).

That being said, you can listen to the original song here on Youtube.

Artist: bikelock

Jay McMillan and Bob Anderson may or may not be known more for their contributions to Andrew McMahon's solo project, Jack's Mannequin; their duo project, bikelock, brings their musical talents to the foreground. Bobby's notable vocals and guitar playing combined with Jay's smooth drumming makes bikelock a pleasure to listen to.

Here are several songs to get started with:
1. Jennifer, I'm Going to Kill You (don't get fooled by the title; steady, percussive guitar and flowing drums and vocals)
2. Olive (beautiful, yearning sounds)
3. Low Wound (one of their more punk sounding songs)

Currently, their songs are available for purchase on only their website, but most of their songs are available for listening on their myspace.

Artist: Say Hi

Say Hi (formerly known as Say Hi to Your Mom) is probably one of the most underrated bands of all time. Eric Elbogen, the founder of Say Hi, writes songs that have a quirky feel, but not the "I just want to be different" kind of quirky; his songs have a playful yet consistent feel with conscious musicality. The songs have similar personalities, in the sense that you can tell what a Say Hi song sounds like, but they're different enough to make you keep going back for more.

Get prepared for instant addiction:
1. Sweet Sweet Heartkiller (insanely catchy, but not in cheesy way)
"and everything's good, and everything's fine, and everything's bitter like sweet things should be." [one of my favorite lines]
2. Hooplas Involving Circus Tracks (nice contrast of distorted guitars and pure electronic drumbeats)
3. Oboes Bleet And Triangles Tink (great use of muted strings and soft drums throughout)

You can listen to some of Say Hi's songs on his myspace.

Artist: Stars

Adorned in an atmosphere reminiscent of black and white photographs, Stars' style is elegant and soothing, while musically captivating. Their songs are composed of a delicate balance of electric and acoustic, giving their melodies a contemporary texture while inducing a feeling of lingering nostalgia.

Three songs to start with:

1. Your Ex Lover is Dead (listen for the beautiful blend of various instruments throughout)

2. Midnight Coward (fast paced and soothingly invigorating)

3. In Our Bedroom After The War (flowing piano, smooth and sometimes percussive strings, soft drums)

You can listen to them on their myspace page.