Or, at least catching up on a couple of 2007 releases that I hadn't gotten around to yet.
artist: Nicole Atkins
album: Neptune City
label: Columbia
sample: "Together We're Both Alone"
Quite possibly the first artist I've discovered solely thanks to a television commercial. The Nicole Atkins and the Sea American Express commercials had been piquing my interest for a couple months, but it wasn't until I read about two of her biggest inspirations being David Lynch (the eternally twisted director) and Angelo Badalamenti (frequent collaborator with said twisted director) that I decided she might be worth checking out. While she may not be quite as awe-inspiring as those two characters, she certainly has one hell of a set of pipes. She reminds me a little bit of Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, but with a jones for Brill Building 1950s pop instead of americana/country. The sample track above, "Together We're Both Alone", is a perfect example of what she's doing right.
artist: The Rumble Strips
album: Alarm Clock EP
label: Universal
sample: "High Street Heaven", "The Boys Are Back In Town"
Ready for that ska revival? If these Devon boys have anything to say about, we may need to start preparing for its return. But if you're thinking Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish, don't worry just yet. The Rumble Strips reach back a little further to the pop-infused ska of bands like Madness and English Beat. But you can also hear the resemblance to other pop bands of the era, Adam and the Ants or Dexys Midnight Runners to name a few. Sound fun? They really are, flavoring their blend of soulful pop with blasts of trumpet and saxophone. "High Street Heaven" represents the band at their zesty best, but its their cover of Thin Lizzy that's the real treat. I hope we see a stateside release of their full-length debut, Girls and Weather, sometime in 2008.
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