It is time for another installment in the newly developed “Eight Songs That I Am Into Right Now” saga. I have brought eight new tracks around this round.
Hey, look at that! It’s an eightball! How original, eh? Check out eight songs that I have been into lately below. There are four videos and four mp3s.
1. The Happy Hollows, “High Wire”
The Happy Hollows is a rock band based out of California. Their new album is called Spells and it was released earlier this year. The trio features some good straight forward rock music with cheeky playful vocals from the female vocalist, Sarah Negahdari. The three talented musicians are worth listening to and apparently put on a pretty great live set too. Check out their remaining tour dates over on thier MySpace. In the meantime, check out this track from the new disc. It is called “High Wire”.
2. Meat Loaf, “Los Angeloser”
Okay, so I know I just posted this song the other day. Last night I happened to catch Meat Loaf performing the song on Huckabee, the show hosted by former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Now I’m not going to get into a politics discussion… but Mike Huckabee is a cool dude. Watch him play along with Meat Loaf in this clip. The Hang Cool Teddy Bear single features some pretty good bass riffs and Huckabee definitely keeps up. The dude’s got skills.
Direct link to the video
3. Bob Marley and The Wailers, “Punky Reggae Party”
This track is a classic from the reggae legend Bob Marley and his band at the time The Wailers. It has graced many different discs since its recording in 1977 but the first time I heard it was on the essential album Legend. The lyrics are referencing the intermingling and compatibility of reggae musicians and the punk scene of the time. It was not uncommon for the two genres to tour together and combine sounds, much of which is owed to a certain herb and a common acceptance among the communities.
4. Tetrastar, “Rainbow In The Dark”
Tetrastar is an electronic two piece band comprised of Oliver Hindle and Jaylyn Coffin based out of Leeds. Their sound borrows heavily on 8-bit music from video games of the past. With their recent forming at the beginning of the year they have not released any albums, though they do have some videos in production. This video was put together as tribute to the legend Ronnie James Dio, pound for pound the biggest voice in metal. This cover of “Rainbow In The Dark” is pretty different from the original, but not really in a bad way at all.
Direct link to the video
5. Jonathan Coulton, “Re: Your Brains”
This song is about zombies. Jonathon Coulton has pursued his musical career since leaving his programming job in 2005. Since then he has gained a large amount of attention through the internet and being featured in different video games, all without the aid of a record label. Heck, you can pick this song up in the Rock Band Marketplace for 80 Xbox Gamerpoints! It really is a good track and one of his more popular pieces.
6. The Like, “He’s Not A Boy”
The Like is an all female arrangement of four talented and fabulous musicians. Clearly born in the wrong decade, they borrow much of their persona from the sounds of the 1960′s. This is clearly evident in the video for the latest single “He’s Not A Boy”. They are on preparing for the release of their sophomore album, Release Me. The disc, due out in August, promises to present a very different band than what you may be familiar with.
Direct link to the video
7. mc chris, “drinkin’ blunts”
The last two musicians featured on this post are actually rounding up a tour across the States. I will luckily be able to catch them this Friday in Atlanta, GA at the Drunken Unicorn. I’ve been a follower of mc chris for many years now. This track is one of my favorites from the newest release from the freshly bearded hip-hopper, mc chris goes to hell. The funky ska influenced track called “drinkin’ blunts” tells a tale of drinking blunts and smoking 40s. Good stuff.
8. MC Lars, “Twenty-Three”
MC Lars is someone who I’ve been a fan of for a long time and have wished to see live, but to no avail. Until Friday, that is. This song is from his newest album, This Gigantic Robot Kills. The video was recently recorded and released with the help of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It tells the story of a friend of Lars lost at the tender age of twenty-three through suicide. Anyone who has lost a close friend or relative this way can definitely relate to the song. My friend David, he too was about twenty-three when he took his own life. Suicide may be an answer, but it isn’t the solution.
Direct link to the video
