Young Man

Sorry, this is yet another electropop band...I promise I'm into other types of music, I've just been listening to a lot of this recently.  I figure I should post about stuff while it's still fresh.  This group is very mellow, and slightly atmospheric (aimless, you could even argue).  Most of their songs are a bit too meandering for my taste, without a compelling melody or chorus.  But this song is undeniably catchy and cool, and might get stuck in your head.  I really like the intricate layering of the various instruments, and the drum beat.  It reminds me a little bit of recent Beach House.  Here's another song more typical of their style.  Apparently they have a new album that came out this month, but I haven't had a chance to hear it yet.  They are also performing in Salt Lake City and Denver on 6 and 7 May, if you want to check them out live.  Apparently they are really good live...

London Grammar

I recently came across this mellow, almost classical-sounding electropop group a few days ago, and I really like their stuff.  Here's a representative song.  The instrumentation is very tight and clean, and the lead singer has a ridiculously powerful voice.  I like the dark tone of this song a lot.  The group (two dudes and a girl) seems to be getting some traction in the UK, and they have been playing at some larger venues in London.  Currently they only have an EP out, called Metal & Dust: this is the title track.  I look forward to hearing more music from them soon.

Mates of State

This band consists of an American husband-wife duo.  They play all kinds of instruments, and have a lot of other instrumental support in much of their music, too.  The style is very melodic pop-rock, with a focus on very clean vocals and awesome harmonies.  Here is a weird music video for a typical one of their songs.  They apparently have tons of albums out and have been around since the late 1990s, but I never came across them until the last few months.  Some of their albums are better than others.  Many of their earlier songs have slightly weird transitions in the middle, which I don't particularly enjoy.  But on the whole, their songs are creative, quite catchy, and extremely well-executed.  This is another one worth checking out. And here's my personal favourite, which happens to be from their most recent (2011) album.  Give them a listen and see what you think.

The Cave Singers

This ban, from Seattle, is pretty hard to describe, and quite unlike anything I've previously enjoyed.  Here is one of their first songs I heard.  I was initially drawn to the understated and simple acoustic guitar riffs, with creative peripheral instrumentation.  I didn't know what to think about the vocals at first, since they are quite bluesy.  After multiple listens to their most recent album, I decided I really liked it.  The instrumentation is so simple and folky, and the lead singer's voice gives it a unique nineteenth-century feel.  Here's another great song.  You should listen to some of their stuff if you like this style of music.

Marble Sounds

This band is a relatively new group.  It's the project of a Belgian singer-songwriter, Pieter Van Dessel.  It is relatively soft, melodic rock music, a bit melancholy at times.  Their initial full-length album, "Nice is Good", came out in 2010.  I liked the tone and the instrumentation a lot, although the lead singers' voice took some getting used to...it's all in English.  Here is a video for one of the songs from that album, pretty representative of the style.  The group recently released a new album, "Dear Me, Look Up"...you can actually stream it in its entirety at this Belgian magazine site.  Some songs are better than others, but on the whole I think it's really good.