Act II: Danger Radio

Pop, rock and funk. Yes, these are very large and broad genres. Although I wanted to chose genres that were not as well known as pop and rock, I picked the band I am about to introduce you to because of their ability to maintain a unique sound while falling into two very mainstream categories.

Danger Radio is a band of six guys from Edmonds, Washington. Andrew de Torres (who also sings with Eric Bowley in The Scene Aesthetic), Nico Hartikainen, Andy Brookins, Spencer Phillips, Elan Wright, and Robbie Cochrane.

Andrew and Nico met in middle school and performed some talent shows and small gigs together. From there, the band was slowly formed and recorded two EP’s and then their most recent album, Used and Abused. Their newest album combines upbeat, energetic music (a funk/disco/rock-pop sound), distinct vocals and lyrics that offset their quirky, fun music style with weighted meaning.

Danger Radio has been one of my favorites since I found them featured in a magazine a few years ago. I love how they incorporate tons of different instruments and really try to be original. I've also liked Andrew de Torres since I heard him in The Scene Aesthetic so, they were an awesome find for me.

This video is an acoustic version of their song “Your Kind (Speak to Me)”

The song opens up with a shot of the band and Elan on guitar. He starts playing and sets the mood for the whole song. The short, low notes are predicting the serious, somewhat melancholy first verse. After lead guitar opens, bass, drums and tambourine are added shortly followed by Andrew singing. As they build up to the chorus, the keyboard is incorporated creating a lighter mood to go along with the slightly more upbeat lyrics and vocals. This pattern is repeated for the next verse and chorus. The first part of the bridge included the keyboard’s light, airy tones but, the second part (where they whisper “speak to me”) uses the vocals, guitars, bass, tambourine and drums to build suspense for the chorus and final finish. The dynamic vocals throughout the song help to build and relieve anticipation. I liked this video because of the way that the music and vocals accompanied the story of the lyrics.

sources:

http://www.redefinemag.com/music/interviews_music_2.php?artist=Danger-Radio&id=105

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_Radio

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38520072@N02/3543436443/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rC5XE-NLQk&feature=channel

Act I: Hadouken!

Hadouken! is a band from London. (Just knowing this makes me love them automatically.) It’s hard to classify them under one genre because their music is a mix of a few different genres. When I was looking up how to classify them I found that the best genre to put them under was grime.

Grime is a genre that developed in London in the late 2000s. It’s a mix of garage and electronic music that uses synthesizers and MCs instead of singers. Grime has an aggressive, fast beat with lyrics to match. Most bands that make grime have their own labels or work promoting themselves independently.

Hadouken! consists of five members. James Smith on vocals, Daniel Rice playing guitar and assisting in backup vocals, Alice Spooner on synths, Chris Purcell playing bass and Nick Rice on the drums. James Smith and Daniel Rice meet while in college and started their own label, Surface Noise Records. The name Hadouken comes from an attack move in the “Street Fighter” video game. Their most recent album For the Masses came out on January 25, 2010.

Now I realize not everyone is going to like them but this blog is about exploring different genres of music and keeping an open mind. It is different from the average American dance/pop music but I think it’s fun and I love their accents :)

Watch the video below before you decide to write them off. If all else fails and you hate it, hopefully you’ll get a laugh from the video.

sources:

http://www.last.fm/music/Hadouken!/+wiki

http://www.myspace.com/ukgrimemusic

http://www.myspace.com/hadouken