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The Cheatsheet - 5 New Musical Artists That Matter

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking today’s music is second rate. There’s a great deal of important music being made today, and whatever you were into years ago there’s a good chance that one of today’s artists is carrying on with the same theme. 

by eHarmony Staff

Each edition of The Cheatsheet is designed to help bring you up to speed on one tiny part of our popular culture - Books, Film, Music, Web, Television, and the general Zeitgeist.

Today we’re looking at pop music. MOST people over the age of 30 tend to like the music that was popular when they were 18-25 years old. It’s an interesting phenomenon that probably has more to do with the pace of our lives than the quality of the music. We just get busier and busier as the years roll by.

And really getting to know new music takes time. Unlike movies or TV which are “one and done” type entertainment, music can take several listens to assess and even enjoy. This takes the kind of time that gets scare as careers and children require more and more attention.

But don’t fall into the trap of thinking today’s music is second rate. There’s a great deal of important music being made today, and whatever you were into years ago there’s a good chance that one of today’s artists is carrying on with the same theme.

Contributing to the problem is the staggering volume of music being released. On average over 100 albums are released each week. Knowing the good from the bad from the god-awful is extremely difficult, and unlike movies, there are very few good mainstream music reviewers helping guide the public through the music maze.

To help you separate the wheat from the chaff, here are our suggestions for new artists that can bring you back to the music world.


ARCTIC MONKEYS

One of the first bands to come to prominence via their MySpace page, England’s Arctic Monkeys are an indie rock four-piece whose roots stretch back to 80s legends like The Smiths, The Clash and XTC. Formed in 2002, their first two singles – I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor and When the Sun Came Down - were both number one hits in their native UK, and with the release of their debut album in 2006, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, they picked up a Brit Award, England’s answer to the Grammy. Notably, the album also became the fastest-selling record debut in British history.

One bass player and a year later, their second album, Favorite Worst Nightmare, continued to put themes of social realism to a jagged guitar pop backing and sold nearly quarter of a million copies in its first week of release. Generally described as ‘heavier’ than their debut, Favorite… consolidated the band’s position as a serious talent in it for the long haul.
 
If you download one track: I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor.

You’ll like this if you like… XTC, The Kinks, The Clash, The Smiths.


THE SHINS

Happily crafting their unique blend of indie guitar pop, folk and alternative country to a small but loyal audience since 1977, New Mexico natives The Shins struck gold when their music was featured prominently in 2004’s Natalie Portman/Zach Braff movie Garden State, in which Portman’s character told Braff’s that The Shins would "change your life". As a result, the band’s two albums – Oh, Inverted World and Chutes Too Narrow - shot to a million worldwide sales.

All they needed to consolidate their position was a follow-up, and they didn’t disappoint with 2007’s Wincing The Night Away, which sold over 100,000 copies in its first week, grabbing them a number two position on the Billboard charts. Despite their success, Wincing… remains lo-fi, with a hint of technical wizardry complimenting the rich, lush and melodic arrangements and cryptic lyrics. What’s refreshing is the band has managed to keep their music relatively small despite their audience getting notably large.

If you download one track: Phantom Limb.

You’ll like this if you like… The Byrds, Donovan, Morrissey, Brian Wilson.
 
 
AMY WINEHOUSE

While Amy Winehouse continues to drown in her own public image, regularly pictured in the tabloids bloodied and bruised on the streets of her native London, or more than a little worse for wear in various nightclubs, it will always be a distraction from her music.

Which is a shame, because beneath the beehive is a very unique and talented artist, blessed with a naturally-smoked jazzy vocal tone, an ear for a timeless melody and a knack for penning interesting lyrics ripe with contemporary observations.

Winehouse Version 1 wasn’t quite the headline grabber she later became, a solid singer with a pretty face and a penchant for a jazz classic. But after teaming up with hip producer Mark Ronson, loosing some pounds, gaining some tattoos and teasing her hair into a gravity-defying hot mess, her sophomore album Back To Black put her centre stage. With its musical focus shifting from jazz to the girl groups of the fifties and sixties, it was a number one hit, and Brit Awards, Mercury Prize nominations and an Ivor Novello Award followed.
 
Ronson and Winehouse are rumored to be returning to the studio to produce a ‘wall of sound’-type album, but no release date is set. Whether she continues to break down musical barriers and produce provocative material may be down to her ability to tackle her demons.
 
If you download one track: Rehab.

You’ll like this if you like… Billie Holiday, Macy Gray, Mary J Blige, Jamie Cullum, Norah Jones.

 

IRON AND WINE

Not unlike The Shins, Iron And Wine – the moniker for Florida-based singer/songwriter Samuel Beam – releases records through legendary indie label Sub Pop (former home of Nirvana) and got a burst of extra fans through inclusion on the Garden State soundtrack. He also made his mark with some standout songs on the soundtrack for In Good Company, starring Dennis Quaid and Scarlett Johansson, and like The Shins has a knack for producing a gently melancholic and highly melodic tune.

After releasing lo-fi tapes in Miami, Sup Pop picked him up and released his debut album The Creek Drank The Cradle in 2002, in which he wrote, performed, recorded and produced the entire CD. The following year he released an EP, The Sea and The Rhythm, of more home recordings, but was coerced into the studio for his sophomore full-length album, Our Endless Numbered Days.

A number of EPs followed, and recently Iron & Wine released The Shepherd’s Dog, their lushest album yet, featuring more diverse and complete instrumental arrangements than its predecessors.
 
If you download one track: The Trapeze Swinger.

You’ll like this if you like… Nick Drake, Neil Young, Simon and Garfunkel, Elliott Smith.


RILO KILEY

Being a former child star isn’t exactly a tried and tested route to credibility in the indie-rock world; the fact that Rilo Kiley has two and still crossed over is little short of a miracle.
 
Lewis (Troop Beverly Hills, The Wizard) and Blake Sennett (Salute Your Shorts, Boy Meets World) made the move with a curious mix of pop, country, torch song and folk, and gained credibility the old way; building a live following. Rilo Kiley’s two former stars traded vocals, but it was Lewis’ star power that attracted Warner Bros, who set up major distribution for the band’s indie offerings.

Lewis briefly went solo in 2006, recording a solo album and touring three times, but the recently reformed four-piece have released their first major-label CD, Under The Backlight. Gone are the indie and country sounds of yore, and in its place ironic 80s new wave disco, with Lewis dominating vocal duties throughout.
 
If you download one track: Portions For Foxes.

You’ll like this if you like… Fleetwood Mac, The Motels, Aimee Mann