Artist: A Place to Bury Strangers

Hails from:  Brooklyn, NY

Musical Style:  New Wave, Alternative Indie Rock

For Fans of:  Joy Division, My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain

Why you should check them out:

“Total Sonic Annihilation” is what they promise, and you better beleive that this Brooklyn based trio delivers it.  After all, they are not called New York’s loudest band for nothing.

Background Check:

Imagine My Bloody Valentine distortion with the raw sound and monotone vocals of Joy Division, and you might have some insight as to what to expect from these up-and-coming rockers.  Armed with guitarist Oliver Akerman’s self made effects pedals (through his company Death By Audio) and a talent for voluminous melodics, A Place to Bury Strangers have been attacking eardrums all over the country for nearly three years since their first EP in 2006.

Maintaining relative success with shows alongside The Jesus and Mary Chain and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the trio’s biggest breakthrough came from a highly positive Pitchfork review of their debut full-length album in 2007, resulting in the first 500 albums selling out instantly.  Featuring machine like percision from drummer Jono Mofo and the fierce rhythms of bassist Jay Space, A Place to Bury Strangers are a band continually accelerating through their atmospheric sounds and fierce dance inducing beats.  While listening to their self-titled debut on full blast might give you somewhat of an idea what A Place to Bury Strangers are capable of, their live performances are truly a force to be reckond with, just don’t forget the ear plugs.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

Myspace page

A Place to Bury Stranges website

Wikipedia

Where you can find them on tour: 

Jambase 

Artist: Grand Ole Party

Hails from: San Diego, CA

Musical Styles: Alternative, Funk, Rock, Gypsy

For Fans of: The Pretenders, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Janis Joplin

Why you should check them out:
This San Diego trio’s blues driven rock packs a punch with influences that range from gypsy music to club funk, all interwoven with storytelling lyrics delivered by boisterous frontwoman Kristin Gundred.

Background check:
I like the loud. I will not go gently into that Easy Listening night. In preparation for rocking out all the way into my twilight years, I’ve never been ashamed to rip up napkins or stick nubs of toilet paper in my ears and let a crushing wave of guitars slam me in the face, over and over and over again.

Enter Grand Ole Party to fill the void. This young pop-rock n’ blues trio from San Diego revolves around singer-drummer Kristin Gundred who leads her bandmates (John Paul Labno on guitar and Mike Krechnyak on bass) with her passionate and powerful vocals. The band deftly combines ferocious songwriting with a raucous and electric sound. Their live shows are notoriously rocking.

The band put out their debut album, Humanimals, which was produced by Blake Sennett of Rilo Kiley and was released on DH Records in January 2007, and has been receiving accolades ever since.

It may be the end of an era for the GOP, but just the beginning for this Grand Ole Party. Go vote with your ears. Don’t forget the toilet paper.

More links:
http://www.myspace.com/grandoleparty
http://www.jambase.com