Jacob Vanags

Jacob Vanags

Lets take a trip to New York.  One of the hardest places to make it in music.  If you're a native of the New York land, then you've probably heard of an artist by the name of Jacob Vanags.  Jacob Vanags is one of the results of the revolutionary pop piano style created by Ben Folds.  The only difference about Jacob Vanags is the elimination of jazz in his style.  Being that Jacob Vanags is based soley on the pop genre in his piano style makes him a much more popular choice in New York.

Why do we, the Indie Team, like Jacob Vanags?  What makes him stand out from other musicians.  Well to be quite honest, Jacob Vanags isn't a super popular artist.  He's basically a local New York musician.  He doesn't compete in the music industry with mainstream artists yet, but we feel that he has the potential to do so.  It's just a matter of time.  But to answer the previous question, we would have to say his offstage actions do the trick for standing out from other musicians.

Of course Jacob Vanags is a good musican.  Of course he has a good live show.  And of course he has great original music.  That's a given.  Why else would he be on our blog?  The reason he stands out is because he makes people feel great.  His live show isn't just entertainment, it's involvement.  I actually produced a show with Jacob Vanags.  The whole experience was great.  He ended up driving from New York to Pennsylvania just to play for a small crowd.  As he set up his equipment, he interacted with local fans who showed up early.  He stayed after the show to talk with some new fans he made.  And most importantly he worked well with all of the employees at the venue.  It was like everyone was already friends with Jacob Vanags.

Why Jacob Vanags?  I've never heard of this guy in my life!  These are typical things that you might be saying to yourself right now.  The man is phenomenol.  That's all we can say to get across the great quality of his music.  Go check it out for yourself.  Are there any local bands that are similar to what we've provided?

Website: http://www.reverbnation.com/jacobvanags
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jacobvanags
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jacobvanagsmusic

Ben Folds

Ben Folds

We're going to change things up today.  Did you ever enjoy jazz music?  How about swing?  Some of us here on the indie team do, but still, others feel the styles a little outdated.  What about Pop Jazz/Pop Piano?  Oh yes.  We love Ben Folds.  He exemplifies the idea of Pop Piano with his newer music by using three simple instruments.  Four piece bands dominate the industry.  Sometimes people try and get out of that by having five guitar players, three lead singers, and two drummers.  We find that stupid.  But when you take three musicians, give them simple instruments, and they make an awesome sound, you know for a fact that that band is talented.

Lets start things with the bass guitar.  This instrument doesn't get as much credit as it deserves.  But when Ben Folds uses it to give his listeners some low tones, people always want more.  In the songs of Ben Folds, the bass guitar doesn't really have leads, but it provides the song with great tones.  As Benny Boy plays the high tones of the piano, the bass player evens out the sound with bass slides and distortion.  It sounds awesome.  One song that we really love the bass in is called "Brainwascht" from the Way to Normal album.  There are tons of bass runs in this song and these parts really set the mood for the song.

Lets move on to the drums.  There is only one word that can describe the new sound of Ben Folds.  Simple!  Simple is what we love as the Indie Team.  The drummer isn't trying to stand out from the other musicians by playing crazy grooves or playing too loud.  He's just back there setting the foundation for the song.  And we're not saying that his beats are easy either.  A simple sound is much different from an easy sound.  The drummer provides the listener with ghost notes and cool open high hat hits.  These beats are not easy to play, but they're easy to listen to and comprehend.  We love the drums in any Ben Folds Song.  To hear some cool drums, check out the song "Hiroshima" from the Way to Normal album.

We saved the best for last.  The piano.  We love the way Ben Folds plays, but the more we listen, the more we love his chord progressions.  They have a different sound to them.  And we can't describe it.  Ben Folds can base his chord progressions around any feeling that he wants to project.  Whether it's an upbeat song, or a slow ballad, Ben Folds emmits those emotions through the chords.  They sound so good.  One of the many songs that show this, would be "Underground," one of Ben Folds's earlier tunes. 

Ben Folds is a great musician.  We're almost positive that you'll be listening to his music for weeks and weeks after hearing him for the first time.  What are some of your favorite Ben Folds songs?  Post some comments so that we can talk!

Official Website: www.benfolds.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/benfolds
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BenFolds

Like Ben folds? Be sure to check out the pop piano awesomeness of Jacob Vanags

Mumford and Sons

Mumford & Sons

Folk music doesn't sound fun in todays music scene (though you have to love Bob Dylan back during the Civil Rights Movement)  Just about everyone can agree with the Indie Team on that note.  But there's a band out there that knows how to mask it.  Mumford & Sons has taken the genre of folk music and masked it with the cool sounds of Indie and modern alternative rock.  This band has become one of the most fantastic bands in the Indie music industry becoming famous with their unique style.  There are a few things that make this British band really stand out...

First and foremost, Mumford and Sons uses one key concept throughout their music.  "Four on the Floor," kick drum.  This gives their songs a simplicity that anyone can pick up on, making it easier for the listener to comprehend the talent.  In other words, it's easy to listen to.  Their not on stage ripping out massive tap solos on their guitars or kicking sick drum beats that mask the downbeat.  Their just playing music.  Mumford and Sons has a way of relaying awesome music in a simple way.

The next thing that makes this band amazing the acoustic feel.  Acoustic in our day and age is usually associated with the whiney alternative music that guys play to get girls.  Well not in this case.  The acoustic feel with Mumford and Sons is powerful.  They have soft verses with a drive, and huge choruses that show massive sound.  All of this is accomplished with their acoustic instruments.  It's amazing how Mumford and Sons can match the intensity of any rock band playing music.  The difference is that Mumford and Sons  are once again making things simple instead of using crazy effects and pedals to go for a unique sound.

If there's anything that we would like you to learn from this, it's that this band is something new.  The word "new" is key to making it in the music industry these days.  Mumford and Sons stand out from the rest of the crowd, and they know how to rock with acoustic tones.  Check out this great band from the links provided.

Official website- www.mumfordandsons.com
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/mumfordandsons
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/mumfordandsons

 

Crash Kings

Crash Kings

You're about to take a crash course into the kings of piano rock n' roll.  What's that?  You don't know what that is?  I'll tell you right now that the definition of piano rock is the band by the name of Crash Kings.  They take the sweet delicacy out of piano and replace it with killer chords.  They take the distortion from guitar and give it to their bass.  They take the amazing style of Chris Cornell's voice (lead singer of Audioslave) and turn it into their own.  They take the rules of rock, and they break them over their instruments.  This band is sweet.

Lets analyze how this concoction works.  What gives this band originality?  What's the icing on the cake?  The thing that makes this band amazing is their lead singer Tony Beliveau.  He's got it all.  He plays amazing piano, he plays guitar solos on his organ, and he sings like an outcasted angel.

The piano in the music of Crash Kings isn't like anything you've ever heard.  It's blunt.  It's in your face.  And most importantly, it's unpredictable.  In their song "Mountain Man" there are random upper range chords that are played on random beats.  The idea sounds chaotic, but the music sounds great.  The lead singer even has different tones in his keyboard.  He goes from electric piano to regular piano constantly.  This variety really brings good music to the table.

The craziest thing about the lead singer's piano is his guitar tone.  What?  A guitar tone on a keyboard?  You're probably thinking that guitar tones sound crappy on a keyboard.  Not on this one.  It sounds exactly like a guitar.  There's no telling the difference.  He even has a bar on the side of his keyboard that bends the pitch of each note depending on how much he pushes on it.  Crazy.  Different.  Amazing.


The most important aspect of the music of Crash Kings is the lead singer's voice.  It's so good!  He hits notes higher on the scale than anyone we know.  The Indie Team is in awe.  Literally.  I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that some whiney bands have singers who hit high notes, and they sound really bad.  The lead singer from Crash Kings is far from that.  He has it all.  He has volume.  He has talent.  And he has an amazing range.

Seriously.  If you're not freaking out about this band yet, you need to listen to their music.  And if you are freaking out...calm down and put those headphones in.  It's time for some Crash Kings.

Myspace- http://www.myspace.com/crashkings
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/crashkingsmusic
Youtube- http://www.youtube.com/user/CrashKingsVEVO

Linkin Park

Linkin Park

We all remember Linkin Park as one of those bands who was overplayed on just about every radio station years and years ago.  People got tired of the rap/rock music that changed the game of music.  So a couple of years later, they came out with a single called "What I've Done," one of the more popular tunes in their career.  Once again, this was another overplayed song on the radio which was forgotten by most music listeners.  So they tried again with a song that sounded similar.  "Across the New Divide" was their next single that shot up the music charts, but was unfortunately forgotten yet again.  Why was Linkin Park always fed the short end of the stick?  Because they were saving their massive hits for today.  The future of music was given to us by Linkin Park in the form of their new album, "A Thousand Suns."



What happened?  They had such a set style!  It didn't seem like Linkin Park was ever going to change from their sound.  Well they decided to give their songs variety by effecting their guitars, trying new weird melodies, and dropping even more sick beats, one of the great things that their good at.



Don't believe me?  Go listen to them!  One of their songs has grown to be one of the most popular indie songs in the business.  "Waiting for the End," is a mixture of solid beats, empty verses, and crazy choruses.  The cool thing is...it's so simple!  The verse alone is just a drum beat with a synth tone.  Another crazy thing is that the guitar solo is literally just two notes.  What makes it good is that it's played over the hip hop drum beat while effected through a pedal.  Years ago, Linkin Park was all about the essence of "hardcore."  It seemed like that had the hardest vocals, and the hardest rap tracks.  They even had some pretty intense guitar riffs.  Basically they were doing their best to be a really hard rock band.  Not anymore.  Linkin Park has really stepped outside of their comfort zone with some of the new stuff that they released, and it's proving to be relentless in the music industry.



The Indie Team officially loves Linkin Park.  We love their new style.  We love their new tones.  We love their new songwriting techniques.  We might even be starting to obsess over them a little (just kidding).  But in all seriousness, this is a band that you should take the time to listen to.  Even if it is some of their older stuff.  Go ahead! Go listen to the great sounds of Linkin Park.

Question of the Day

What kind of emotions are you feeling during the end of "Waiting for the End?"

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/linkinpark

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/linkinPark