LAMINATED CAT
A band from Maine! This quartet from the Augusta area changed their name from Interobang to Laminated Cat and moved to Boston, where they’ve recently opened for Apples In Stereo. They even played 2007’s Athens PopFest in Georgia, with the likes of Ted Leo & The Pharmacists and Daniel Johnston. Laminated Cat has a knack for warped melodies and obscure chord changes, but at the end of the day, their love for the Beatles, Wilco, and Elliott Smith come through the strongest of all.
Cool Songs: “Sweet 16,” “Follow Me Around,” “Death To Mobile”
EEF BARZELAY
Eef Barzelay has the honor of owning one of the weirdest names in music, though his sound is relaxed and polished. The former lead singer of the band Clem Snide, Eef recently caught my attention opening for Ben Folds in 2007. He plays a left-handed acoustic, and has a delivery and style all his own. Shades of Buddy Holly, Jeff Mangum, and Bob Dylan shine through, but Eef is a unique performer.
Cool Songs: “Well,” “Ballad of Bitter Honey”
OF MONTREAL
I sincerely believe that Of Montreal is one of the greatest bands to come out over the past 10 years. Never has a band reinvented its sound so often, and never has a band succeeded with each changing style. Kevin Barnes is the brainchild behind the band, and is one of the outstanding songwriters of our generation. Since 1997, the band has mastered jangly acoustic pop (Cherry Peel), extreme Beatle-esque psychedelia (Aldhils Aboretrum), modern new-wave synth funk (Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?) and all points in between. Through it all, the band remains fresh, and the songs remain incredibly catchy. Check them out.
Cool Songs: “Penelope,” “We Are Destroying The Song,” “Suffer For Fashion”
OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL
This strange band formed in the early 1990’s, and was co-founded by Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum. Olivia Tremor Control is relatively unknown in the commercial world, but are strongly embraced under the surface. They combine classic 60’s psychedelic pop with an array of oddball noises and sound collages, masked together with thick production. Some of their material may not be for everyone, but the catchiness of their songs is simply undeniable.
Cool Songs: “I Have Been Floated,” “A Place We Have Been To,” “The Giant Day”
THE ADVANTAGE
This band plays electric full-band version of (regular) Nintendo songs. It’s so cool. Enough said.