Featured Artist: Wild Beasts

Wild Beasts

Wild Beasts is a new, innovative indie rock band from Kendal, England. The band consists of Ben Little on lead guitar, Tom Fleming on bass and vocals, Chris Talbot on drums and vocals, and Hayden Thorpe on guitar and lead vocals. Thorpe is simply the freshest most mind-altering singer I've heard since Thom Yorke on Pablo Honey. He basically changes his singing style, range, tone, and harmony countless times throughout their debut album. By the way their debut album which came out in 2008 and made it to #5 on my Albums of the Year list, is stacked with songs that are new even to my ears. They are operatic, original, and outstandingly well structured. The debut album is called Limbo, Panto and contains such great songs as Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants, Cheerio Chaps Cheerio Goodbye, and my song of the year, The Devil's Crayon (badass song name of the year as well). In May 2007 NME magazine named them one of the top 10 bands "tipped for the top" and I most certainly agree. Wild Beasts is really the only band I've ever heard that makes the type of music they do, however it seems as if the music is set to a story of some sort which makes the album very enjoying. If you are looking for some original music then go no further then Wild Beasts.

Songs to check out:

-The Devil's Crayon

-Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants

-The Old Dog

-She Prrred While I Grrred

Best Films and Awards for 2008

10. Burn After Reading

9. Pineapple Express

8. The Wrestler

7. WALL-E

6. Doubt

5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

4. The Reader

3. The Dark Knight

2. MILK

1. Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director - Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor - Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler

Best Actress - Kate Winslet for The Reader

Best Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress - Amy Adams for Doubt

Best Original Screenplay - Dustin Lance Black for MILK

Best Adapted Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire

Featured Artist: MGMT

MGMT

I plan on featuring some films and music that I like. I hope enjoy them too.

MGMT consists of the Brooklyn-based duo of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarde, who are both graduates of Wesleyan University where they originally formed a group called The Management. In 2005 this psychedelic pop duo put out the Time To Pretend EP and toured with Of Montreal, which is when they expanded the group to make the total to five members. They have such hits as Kids, Electric Feel, and the popular Time To Pretend, which was chosen for multiple shows, commercials and video game soundtracks. They worked with Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann put out there first LP in 2007 to rave reviews making a few Best Album lists. The title is Oracular Spectacular which I like, however they have a weird album cover that through me for a loop. I really like these guys and I find their unique funkiness intriguing. I can't help but move to the rhythm of their electronic funk. MGMT have also played Coachella, Glastonbury, The Late Show with David Letterman, and are going to be at Bonnaroo this summer. I recommend them for anybody who likes Of Montreal, Justice, or even The Doors, or if they are just looking to have a good time listening to music.  

Songs to check out:

-Kids

-Time to Pretend

-Electric Feel

-The Youth