Best of Myspace Music
It’s Sunday and therefore time for the second installment of Best of Myspace, where I take all of the myspace links friends have sent me and all of the requests I’ve received from bands themselves and I choose my top five for the week.
1. Melon Galia
Melon Galia from Belgium is a band that I wouldn’t know about had it not been for Matthew (who I’ve seen at over half of the shows I’ve gone to in Chicago in the last couple of years). Unfortunately for me and the rest of the world, they are now a defunct band (since 2004). I am so sad this is the case because I really like their songs. Self described as “a sunny day you long for,” their soft sweet French makes up for half of the world’s problems.
2. Sandbox
okay this one is from France. There was this one day about a month ago that I spent three hours just listening to different French bands on myspace and so now I think other French bands are finding me more easily now, which I love This one is upbeat and fun, actually. Sort of like a French surf version of Beulah at times. Their songs are sung in English and they clarify on their myspace page: “Sandbox influences are numerous (Oh Surprise!) and various, musical as well as human.” I liked the emphasis of the human bit because it prevents people from getting them mixed up with all of those musical human-imposters. Check out “Summerization” and “Myths and Realities” especially for some nice catchy harmonizing.
3. Et Gregor
Friends of the brilliant Le Husky (note: I was able to pick up their brilliant ep through cd baby and let me tell you I haven’t stopped listening to it since, especially “Mourir Comme un Chien” whose lyrics I cried after I read them. Yannick Duguay is somehow managed to engage the despair of humanity like no one can.)
Et Gregor is also from Montreal, Canada and while most of the songs are much slower than Le Husky’s, there is one more upbeat song they have posted that I’m finding slightly addictive, which is the last one down “Le Travesti Incompris.” There’s a real touch of sadness with this musician as well. Gosh, do I love my French Canadians.
This is haunting and reflective stuff from Norway. I am always really glad when these kinds of bands find and request me as their friend because I may not have known or come across them otherwise. The White Birch has four albums and an ep out and under the about section, write:
“The White Birch believes in music that is made like diamonds putting time and endurance into the pressing of mountains of coal into intensely focused drops of honest nature, and then polishing it with handicraft and love into a human expression of beauty to produce something that will last. ”
I would add that they are haunting and melodic. Perhaps even a little ghostly.
5. Jasmine Star
This is delicate stuff with vocals that are just a touch reminiscent of Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval. It has the reflectiveness of Throwing Muses and the depressed sadness of Low. These are melancholy numbers that almost drift in and out of consciousness with the aching chords of a pedal steel sighing in the background. Jasmine Star is from Austin, Texas.