Boy Bands

No, not a post reflecting back on the era of the Backstreet Boys. Instead, three interesting band recommendations you may or may not have heard of (don't you know, themed lists and posts are all the rage in the blogging world at the moment...) :

1) Boy Kill Boy - Their music as is good as their band name is violent. Boy Kill Boy is a high energy, pop-done-right, East London quartet. Two singles so far. "Back Again" is instantly catchy, I mean how can you not take to a song with lyrics like "Can I find some more misery?" "Suzie", to be released in the coming weeks, is another gem. Boy Kill Boy are good for their dramatic production and delivery, and almost Depeche Mode-esqe synthrock sounds. I am confident this band is going places. Their first album is set to be released in May!



2) The Boy Least Likely To - Changing pace, The Boy Least Likely To is the band most likely to have a lot of Belle & Sebastian aficionados among its fans. Another "twee" band, The Boy Least Likely To's childlike innocence and sweetness makes even Belle and Sebastian seem like a group of thugs. Their album, "The Best Party Ever" was released last year. The two tracks I've posted are "Be Gentle With Me" and "Monsters." "Be Gentle With Me" has tinges of Arcade Fire, going into a catchy upbeat chorus. "Monsters" sees friends and loved ones terrifying the narrator by "getting married, having babies" - and suggesting he'd be happier if he did, too. He bemoans the gradual shift of old friends and acquaintances to "monsters" with kids, families, and normal jobs. With its meticulous pop sounds, you really can't help but be charmed.



3) The Beach Boys - I'm aware this looks out of place. But where would we be without them? While more often than not laughed at for their over-the-top lighthearted songs about girls, surfin', and cars - they had their serious side too. Therefore, I am including "Tears in the Morning" and "Heroes and Villains" - two widely unknown and underappreciated gems in todays free downloads (plus I needed a third "boy" band.) "Tears in the Morning" off of the 1970 album "Sunflower" is a heartbreaker - "Gone, gone, you're gone forever - hope you love the baby I'll never see" - with a lovely strings arrangement as well. "Heroes and Villains" off of Brian Wilson's album "Smiley Smile" is classic Beach Boys harmonies. While the beginning is more typical, the middle section sounds like a song that should have appeared on "Pet Sounds" (and if you don't own the album "Pet Sounds" you have no idea what you're missing out on!)



Download:

Back Again - Boy Kill Boy
Suzie - Boy Kill Boy
Be Gentle With Me - The Boy Least Likely To
Monsters - The Boy Least Likely To
Tears in the Morning - The Beach Boys
Heroes and Villains - The Beach Boys

Buy:

Civilian - Boy Kill Boy (Pre-order) (Amazon)
The Best Party Ever - The Boy Least Likely To (Amazon)
Sunflower/Surf's Up - The Beach Boys (Amazon)
Smiley Smile/Wild Honey - The Beach Boys (Amazon)