Honestly, I don't really have many moments where music just ~clicks~ with me anymore. I found the genre and time period I liked and just stuck with it. The thing is, Hidden Gems don't have to stick to any time period or genre. They're just artists I think deserve more recognition. Hidden Gems are the artists who make me think "yeah, I like this, okay, more of this!!!" Cut Off Your Hands made me have that ~musical clicking~ moment. I watched the music video for their song Turn Cold and instantly fell in love. I mean, just TRY to watch this video without falling in love. Yeah. I know. You just clicked, didn't you? Another reason I love Cut Off Your Hands is because they are often compared to the Smiths, another band I've started listening to this year. Cut Off Your Hands have two full releases, titled You And I (2008) and Hollow (2011). They also have two EPs, titled Shaky Hands (2006) and Happy As Can Be (2008). (Shaky Hands was originally the name of the band, but they had to change it due to copyright. I like the new name better.) Another song I love by Cut Off Your Hands is Oh Girl, which was released on You And I. The music video for this song is linked above, so I highly suggest you give it a listen. This music video reminds me a lot of Ok Go, and I really love the sound of the song, too. Although many comparisons have been made to other bands, Cut Off Your Hands have a truly unique and energetic sound that can't be done justice by comparisons. The above link is their newest song, titled Hate Somebody. The vibes in this song have switched from the Smiths to Talking Heads and Franz Ferdinand, according to a few YouTube commenters. Cut Off Your Hands have recently informed us via Twitter that they are in the studio working on new material. Now is the perfect time to become a fan, so you can appreciate their new releases as soon as they come out. So, yeah. If you like any of the artists I've mentioned in this article, or even if you don't like any of them, I strongly encourage you to give Cut Off Your Hands a listen or two (or three, or four, or as many as your heart desires. My heart's at about nonstop repeat for eternity).
I just downloaded the rest of their discography because I had $25 in iTunes and I have no impulse control when it comes to music. Anyway... Give Cut Off Your Hands a listen. I'm sure you'll love them. Peace out and see you soon!
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Yeah, it's that time again, readers. It's time for the third installment of Hidden Gems, the other two being about Backseat Goodbye and The Magic Gang. This time, I'm discussing Magic City Hippies. Magic City Hippies are a Miami based indie funk band that we were lucky enough to see live opening for Hippo Campus. When I say these guys are good, I mean these guys are GOOD. I mean, seriously. With funky bass lines, chill, lighthearted guitar (John Coughlin), a charismatic frontman (Robby Hunter) and an energetic drummer who's pretty much front and center (Pat Howard), Magic City Hippies have a fun, beachy, summery vibe that will make absolutely anyone want to head down to Miami for a few days. I know I say this all the time, but this time I mean it: Magic City Hippies are one of those bands that you just know is going to blow up. Like, seriously, you'll be hearing them on Alt Nation by August, I'm telling you. They'll be your new summer bop band. They're the sort of band to play at a beach party or even just a pool party. My personal favorite song by them (that's currently out on the Internet, at least) is Fanfare. It has the beachy, dreamy vibes that I always love hearing. It's quite refreshing against all the heavy, blaring guitar riffs going on in everything I usually listen to (think the Strokes, Queens Of The Stone Age, CRX, etc). Another song by Magic City Hippies that I absolutely love is Limestone. Actually, that song is the reason I was inspired to write this article, because Alli included it in a playlist she made called 'Wii Music' and I just happened to be listening to it. The next song I'd like to go emotional jello over is Bull Ride. This song perfectly encompasses that beachy vibe I was talking about earlier. Honestly, Magic City Hippies make me want to move to Florida and start a new life as a beachside bubble tea store owner. Okay, I really want bubble tea now, but here's Bull Ride: Alright, I wish I could put their whole discography in this article, but that's not fair to everyone reading, because Magic City Hippies is something you need to experience on your own, or with your best friend at a concert in Philadelphia. (Thanks for the setlist, Robby!!)
Okay, I love Magic City Hippies so much and I can't wait for any new stuff they'll be releasing in the future! I'm off to go download their entire discography before my brother snitches and tells my dad and the iTunes password is changed. That's it for now! See you soon, readers of earth and anyone else happening to be surfing our internet wave. It's time for me to go get a bubble tea... In case you haven't realized by now, The Magic Gang are one of my all time favorite breakout bands. (If you're not keen on twicoll slang, a breakout band is a band that's been around for only a couple years and is extremely popular or rapidly gaining popularity.)
Winter of 2013 was overall a weird time for me. My music taste was a bit of a mess. I liked everything from Daft Punk to Red Hot Chili Peppers to One Direction to Train. We don't talk about 2013. Also in 2013, I loved the Warriors series. Of course, everyone in the fandom drew the cats or their own spinoff original characters. So when I wanted to develop my art skills, I didn't look up just 'how to draw a cat,' I looked up 'how to draw a Warrior cat.' I came across a video which is no longer on YouTube, in which someone drew a cat while an admirably charming song played in the background. The song was Technicolor Eyes by Backseat Goodbye. Even the video is adorable. There's no way you can't love it. The one surprising thing I figured out about Backseat Goodbye while looking up his songs is that he was apparently an underground emo staple, which is strange. His songs aren't emo at all, but the users posting them have total 2007 MySpace scene usernames. The wonderful man behind the name Backseat Goodbye is Chad Sugg, who has a YouTube channel where he posts covers, original songs, and an occasional vlog. He also writes poetry, and is quite excellent at it. I also had the chance to interview him last year for a school project (rip Rockies), and he was even nicer than I expected he would be. Seriously. Chad Sugg is amazing. My favorite Backseat Goodbye songs are: Cola - Not on YouTube, but on Spotify and iTunes (my favorite song) |
About The AuthorLiah is a high school senior who plays guitar and loves the color yellow. She doesn't post much, but when she does, it's awesome. We promise.
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