Artist: Passion Pit

Hails from: Cambridge, MA

Musical Style: Electronic, Pop, Rock

For Fans of: Human League, Pet Shop Boys, Hot Chip

Why you should check them out:

John Cusak would be proud.  Like a modern day Lloyd Dobler, Michael Angelakos uses song to swoon and (hopefully) get the girl of his dreams. Passion Pit is the proverbial stereo raised above shoulders, as you stare out the window in wonder.

Background check:

What began as a valentines day gift from one gushing romantic to his girlfriend has grown into Passion Pit. Michel Angelakos sought to share his love with his own personal muse but soon the synth ladden songs that Angelakos wrote and recorded found their way into the hands of friends, family and a budding bunch of starry eyed fans.

Angelakos fills his songs with tener, personal trinkets, like the little inside jokes reserved only for his special someone. His blend of engaging electronic indie pop and gushing gooey lyrics renders even the sternest listener a little weak in the knees. After word spread of the blissful, elated sounds of Passion Pit, even the amorous Frenchkiss records couldn’t resist their ode to love, re-releasing the album with added tracks in 2008. Heavy on handclaps, falsetto melodies and a generous heaping of enthusiastic beats, Passion Pit’s debut engaged the body as much as the heart.

The EP became know as Chunk of Change and Angelakos promptly enlisted four more hopeless romantics to support his electro pop sounds live as Passion Pit began selling out shows in NYC.  Passion Pit soon opened for the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Girl Talk and other high brow indie acts. Now as a five man romance machine, Passion Pit are striking out, touring and recording a new full length, sure to swoon the hearts of dreamers everywhere.

Where you can find them in Cyberspace:

Myspace

Frenchkiss Records

Wikipedia

On tour:

JamBase

Artist: No Age

Hails From: Los Angeles, CA

Musical Style: Post Punk Rock, Lo-fi, Experimental

For Fans of: Sonic Youth, Pavement, Sebadoh

Why you should check them out:

Drowning in distortion and crammed with fast paced energy, No Age built songs created from the punk ethics of the 80’s, the grunge rawness of the 90’s, and have successfully defined what it means to be timeless.

Background Check:

There’s something distinctly refreshing about an album packed tight with gritty and echoing lo-fi distortin. In an sea of overly mixed pop perfection, it’s become common place for a band to mark their sophmore release with the complete sterilization of their sound. Thankfully, the noise rock duo No Age, aren’t a band who merely follows the crowd.

Emerging from the independant scene centered around the all ages venue The Smell in L.A., No Age released several E.P.’s before signing with Fat Cat records for their career propelling debut Weirdo Rippers. With only Dean Spunt on drums and Randy Randall on guitars and vocals, word of the talented duo spread quickly, backed by notable fanfare from Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood & Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox.

In 2008 No Age returned with their highly anticipated follow up Nouns released on Sub Pop records.  While expanding their sound into a slightly more pop oriented direction on their latest, No Age have managed to retain the initial energy and lo-fi feel that has clearly defined them since their DIY beginning. While new influences develop and bands inevitably mature theres no doubt that for No Age, the future is certainly bright.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

MySpace

No Age Website

Wikipedia

On Tour:

JamBase

Artist: Goblin Cock

Hails from: San Diego, CA

Musical Style: Heavy Metal, Rock

For Fans of: Black Sabbath, MC5, Pinback

Why you should check them out:

A new era of metal has arrived, and it comes in the name of Goblin Cock. Whether it’s their long black robes or the severe guitars their message of metal sends through Goblin Cock is redefining what it means to rock.

Background Check:

Forged from the creative mind of Pinback’s Rob Crow, Goblin Cock emerged in 2005 with their debut, Bagged adn Boarded, full of heavy distortion, catchy hooks and Crow’s characteristic smooth vocals. This isn’t the metal of doomsayers and screamers, this is metal wrought from the likes of Black Sabbath and Judas Preist, and others who favor parties and power over the doom and gloom. Let’s face it, anyone with a guitar can write a song, but only a true metal master can write such devastatingly hard hitters as, “The Revenge of Snufalufagus” and ”Winky Dinky Donkey”.

While Goblin Cock may be metal purely for the fun of it, their album is nothing to take lightly.  Following up the success of their penetrating debut, the five piece have returned to the studio for the up and coming double disc adventure, Come with me if you want to Live, due out in 2009.  Don’t wait for their next album before delving into the depths of the Goblin Cock experience,  hear them now and your dark metal hearts will not be dissapointed.

Where you can find them in Cyberspace:

MySpace page

Absolutely Kosher

Wikipedia

On Tour

JamBase