Dance in perfect time

Once in a blue moon, you come across a band that actually make you believe in blue moons.

Deas Vail is one of them.

This very beautiful band is made up of husband and wife Wes and Laura Blaylock (him on vocals, her on piano/keyboard/synths), Andy Moore on guitar, Justin Froning on bass and Wes Saunders on percussion. The band was formed in 2003 and began working with Mark Lee Townsend in 2005 (renowned music producer and member of dc Talk). They released their first EP under Townsend, Collapse, in 2006 and released their first LP in 2007, titled All the Houses Look the Same. However, it was their second full-length, Birds and Cages, that got them recognized, as they toured the album with popular bands such as Mae, Relient K and musicians Owl City and Lights. 

I first heard about Deas Vail back when I went through a phase of being obsessed with Christian music. Relient K was one of my favourite bands, and when I heard that Matt Thiessen had done a track with this up and coming band called Deas Vail, I knew I had to listen to it. Their music is incredibly soothing and therapeutic - spiritual yet not preachy, like what would happen if the Fray and Sleeping At Last had a love child. There is a playful nature to their music though, one that is somewhat innocent, almost child-like. It is by no means juvenile and immature though, as the band do tackle philosophical ideas in their lyrics that are very poetic and symbolic. It is this jolie raison d'être in their melodic style that makes their music accessible, even when the lyrics aren't meant to be understood upon first listen. 

Here's their video for "Summer Forgets Me", from their self-titled third full length, released October 11th, 2011.

Check them out at http://www.deasvail.com/

Lived by the sea

I must admit, I started listening to this band because I liked their name. And to my surprise, I found out that I actually really liked their music too.

They're called IMAGINE DRAGONS.

Formed in 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Imagine Dragons started out in Sin City's various battle of the band competitions before hitting the studio to record two EPs, titled Imagine Dragons and Hell and Silence, respectively. When they finally signed to Interscope in 2011, Imagine Dragons had already become a house hold name in Las Vegas' music scene. Their newest release, the EP Continued Silence, is filled with inspirational songs with catchy hooks, infectious dance beats and cute melodies that make this band poised for radio stardom. 

So what's the moral of the story? Judge a band by its name. It works, it really does.

Check them out at http://imaginedragonsfans.com/

Twinkle twinkle piano

Hello.


Meet        AGNES OBEL

Né Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel in Gentofte, Denmark on October 28th, 1980, this gem of a composer is destined for greatness (I call it!) Raised in a musical family, Obel began performing at a young age, joining her first band by the time she was seven years old. She attended an alternative education school that gave her room to develop her craft, after which she formed the band Sohio. She turned solo and released the album Philharmonics in 2010, in which she wrote, played and recorded all of the twelve tracks. Currently living in Berlin, Germany, Obel is working on her second album, which she has hinted will be more instrumental-based than her debut. Citing figures such as Claude Debussy and Alfred Hitchcock as her influences, Obel's music is best described as simple. That's not to say that her music is uncomplicated or shallow, it is anything but. I mean to say that her songs come off as pure and effortless. Her music focuses first and foremost on sounds and moods. It doesn't insist upon itself, unlike a lot of popular music right now. It is poetic, like the lightness of a musical box melody. It is comparable to touching the surface of still water, and hearing it move beneath your hands.

In other words, I love her to pieces and though she is still fairly new to the music scene, I think she creates some of the most beautiful music in the world. Agnes Obel is a composer at heart, and a magical one at that.

 

Visit her at http://www.agnesobel.com/

Not your typical ABBA

It's been a tough day, let's listen to The Sweet Serenades

Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, The Sweet Serenades consist of Martin Nordvall and Mathias Näslund, childhood friends who formed the band in 2002. Interestingly enough, The Sweet Serenades began their career performing original music in Swedish prisons to entertain the inmates. It was through these gigs that they molded their sound - poppy and dreamy yet upbeat tunes that hook you at first listen. I've always been a fan of Swedish music. It's the one country that consistently produces amazing art and literature, in my opinion. The Sweet Serenades released their album, "Balcony Cigarettes," in 2009. Their second album, entitled "Help Me" is slated for release in 2012.


Here is a video of their single, "Die Young," featuring Karina Komstedt of Club 8 (for another post!)

Visit them at http://thesweetserenades.com/

Midnight symphony

RON RON happy hour.


This time, I'm presenting              HER NAME IS CALLA

Her Name Is Calla was formed in Leicester, Leeds and York. They released their first album, The Heritage, in 2008. Their latest album from 2010, The Quiet Lamb, has been met with critical acclaim. Though they have seen multiple lineup changes over the years, they are currently made up of Sophie Green on violin and vocals, Tom Morris on vocals, piano, banjo, guitar, Adam Weikert on drums, organ, banjo, mandolin, piano, double bass, John Helps on bass and Nicole Robson on cello and vocals. Judging by the instruments alone, you an definitely count on complex and interwoven sounds that will cause ear drum orgasms. They are what I like to call an atmospheric band. Their music is like air personified, old storybooks brought to life in sound, the soundtrack of dark and moody oil paintings. Their music is rain in an old, haunted city at night.


I can't describe it. They just need to be listened:

Visit them at hernameiscalla.com

French bandit

Let's talk about good music.


Let's talk about good music no one's heard of.


Let's talk about good music that doesn't need to wear a meat dress to be meaningful.


Radio of Organized Noise (or RON for short) is where I will be introducing new music that isn't well known but has the potential to be. In a world where Chris Brown is selling albums and winning awards, I can imagine a lot of us want to expose ourselves to other, perhaps richer forms of art. What I find so reassuring is the fact that some of the best music in the world is music that doesn't win the awards, that doesn't sell the albums. The best music in the world is hidden, waiting to be found instead of blowing up in your face and insisting to be liked and worshipped.


Good music waits in the wings to be discovered by people who listen.

The first artist I'm going to feature is a French musician by the name of       PAMELA HUTE 

Pamela Hute was born in Paris, France on April 17th, 1982. She got her first guitar at the age of 12 and later formed her first band called Les Mashed Potatoes when she was 15. Today she performs her music with fellow bandmates Ernest Lo on drums and Igor Bolender on synths. She released her first EP in 2006 and a second one in 2008 before recording a full-length in 2009 titled Turtle Tales From Overseas, which she produced herself. Her new EP, titled Bandit, will be released in the spring of 2012. She plays a unique brand of rock mixed with pop, an aggressive sound that is as strong as it is melodic and attitude-driven. There is still a softness to her music though, with instrumental sections that are reminiscent of film scores.


Check her out in an acoustic session here:

Visit her at www.pamelahute.com