A lot of people will probably try to tell you that Straylight Run is an alternative band, but this label is much too broad to give anyone an idea of what a band sounds like. At the heart of their music, Straylight is an electronica experiment with vocals that channel a range of artists from Terry Jacks to Fred Durst.
The New York band is currently looking for a label to sign with, having ended their stint with Victory Records, with whom they released three different albums; Straylight Run, Prepare to Be Wrong (an EP), and a live album. The band has reported that a new album is finished, slated for release in the spring of 2007.
Anytime you include siblings in a band, you can be sure that an interesting dynamic will be created and projected into the work and on stage. In the case of Straylight, the tension is even more unique as the brother and sister team of Michelle and John Nolan tag team the duties of vocals and piano work. The result is an eclectic range, running from the melodious (if pretentiously titled) “Existentialism on Prom Night” (probably the best sample of the two putting out a track and matching their voices), the hoarse shouts of “Hands in the Sky (Big Shot)” (which features John), and the brand new “The Miracle That Never Happened” (Michelle, singing over instrumentals that are just a little too close to “Seasons in the Sun” for enjoyment).
If Straylight can stick to the formula which helped them sell albums with “Existentialism..” then they should have no problem expanding their audience. There is such a thing as experimenting too much, however.
In the proud tradition of two-man electronica comes experienced duo The Postal Service. The group is comprised of two guys who usually spend their time on other projects, with singer Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) and producer Jimmy Tamborello (several indie projects). The first album from the band includes several songs with guest singers who are also well-traveled along the indie circuit.
And into that scene stepped the band known as the Velvet Underground. This is one of the most obvious examples of a band that was way ahead of its time. The main members of the band, in fact, are still regarded as some of the most influential artists by musicians today (think Lou Reed). The music of the Velvet Underground was markedly different in message and in structure than that being produced by studios at the time; their songs varied from fast to slow, pulsating to melodic. Their messages switched from songs about drug use to individual takes on law enforcement. In short, they sang about everything everyone else did not. The band sold very few records, but a movement was under way. If you listen to a Velvet Underground song, you might be surprised that it was created in the era of the Beatles instead of the era of Cobain, and that is what indie music is all about; the pioneers.
The Pixies are back. That’s right, the indie band that can be credited with influencing some of the greatest bands to come out of the early 1990s (including Nirvana, Radiohead, and Weezer) and with being personal faves of legends like U2 and David Bowie, got back together in 2004 after a long break involving some serious fighting.
What do you get when you throw a circus, some emo music, heavy electronica, punk, and laternative together? You might get one of the most successful indie bands ever, and certainly the most successful of 2005.
