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Staff Picks – Lesser known bands

Lasso staffers recommend their favorite budding bands

Image courtesy of facebook.com/fallsofficial
Image courtesy of facebook.com/fallsofficial

Emily Nickles, Editor-in-Chief 

My sophomore year at TWU, I had a phase of musical exploration. I grabbed every album that looked appealing and listened to them for a week. During one of these stages, I found a band that captured the essence of the soul for me. The Falls is an Australian duo, a couple that broke up and decided to make music together. Their music is haunting, lilting and filled with reminiscences of the past. They maintain a folksy feel, using string instruments primarily and focus on the female singers voice. One of my favorite songs of their first album is “Into the Fire,” a song about regret and rash mistakes. The Falls just released their second album and will be playing at SXSW March 14. My advice: go to the Denton Public Library and dig-in to their music collection, you never know what you may find.

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Image courtesy of djbooth.net

Sierra Taylor, Managing Editor 

Recently I have been listening to a R&B Soul artist that goes by the name Blackbear. The artist released an album in 2015 titled “Deadroses,” which I have not stopped listening to. The rhythm of his songs catches your attention paired with the smooth, witty lyrics creates a great album. Blackbear is a great artist to listen to when you are trying to focus on something in a relaxed situation.

Flatland Calvary
Image courtesy of itunes.apple.com

Johnna Headley, Copy Editor

Recently, my friend who has similar tastes in music introduced me to Flatland Calvary. Their country-folk Americana sound stays true to their slogan; Easy on the ears, Heavy on the heart. In May of 2015, Flatland Calvary released their first 5-song EP, which consists of stories of life, love and loss. Vocals and lead guitarist, Cleto Cordero’s voice is just as unique as his name. Laura Jane is phenomenal on the fiddle. Bassist Jonathan Saenz, drummer Jason Albers and electric guitarist Reid Dillion perfectly complete this 5-piece band. I don’t like to play favorites, but I have to say that I am most partial to the song Summertime Love due it the relatable lyrics and awesome tune – but then again, all of the songs have that in common. Flatland Calvary will play at Rockin’ Rodeo in Denton on March 25 — just in time to memorize their songs.

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Image courtesy of mergerecords.com

Matt Olson, Copy Editor

One of my favorite bands of all time is Destroyer, a solo project headed by Dan Bejar. Bejar’s velvet-soft vocals and smooth instrumentation complement his complex arrangements and literate lyrics – no other singer I can think of can fit a line like “Where did you get that penchant for destruction in the way you talk?” into a song without sounding full of him- or herself, but Bejar pulls it off. Equally influenced by Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Lou Reed, among countless other ‘60s and ‘70s artists, Bejar is unafraid of old cheesy rock moves, and his 2011 album “Kaputt” succeeded in making the saxophone sexy. Bejar is one of the only musicians around who can be called a capital-“A” Artist.

Image courtesy of benikarigraphics.blogspot.com
Image courtesy of benikarigraphics.blogspot.com

Nadiyah Suleiman, Page Editor

I often shy away from talking about music because it is – I feel – very personal. I’m a firm believer that different music speaks to different people. I love to privately enjoy exploring different kinds of music not only from various genres but also in different languages. One of my favorite artists is Alexander Rybak a singer, violinist, pianist, composer and songwriter from Norway. He became very popular in his native country after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in Russia, which is their equivalent to “American Idol.” Rybak has songs in Norwegian, Russian, and English, and in 2014 he expanded his music career to the United States. I discovered his music while listening to Russian artists and searching for new music with my sister. My favorite pieces by him are in Norwegian and Russian; although, if I want to sing along, I’ll put on his English versions of my favorite songs. What really draws me into his music is the amazing work he does with the violin. The music itself is so breathtaking that you don’t have to understand the language to be swept away. The lyrics incorporate a lot of nature and fantasy imagery complementing the violin beautifully. His music evokes a swirl of emotions making me want to dance in a field of flowers one minute and isolate myself in a dark room the next. I highly recommend you at the very least give him a try. I feel I must warn you though – you may just fall in love.

Image courtesy of coverdude.com
Image courtesy of coverdude.com

Amber Robertson, Social Media Editor/Designer

One of my favorite bands is not very well known, but has an incredible sound. They’re called the Local Natives. They’re kind of a mix between Of Monsters and Men and Kings of Leon, and it works so well. Their mixture of percussion and acoustic is so well balanced, it’s like chocolate for your ears. Best song to start with is called World News. It’s the kind of song that puts everything into perspective.

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Image courtesy of wearebiographies.com

Heather Hines, Reporter

A lesser known band I have enjoyed listening to, called The Biographies, is a Denton based band. Having just played at Jagoe Fest, Dentonites may be familiar with this band and their stirring performances. The group is composed of talented musicians whose songs I happily recommend to friends. I appreciate listening to their songs because of the meaningful lyrics and carefully constructed rhythms.

Image courtesy of 40.media.tumblr.com
Image courtesy of 40.media.tumblr.com

Amanda Hall, Reporter

An upcoming band I enjoy listening to is an electro-pop artist Halsey. Aug. 28, 2015 marked her first album of “Badlands.” In “Badlands,” Halsey captures some of the struggles she’s had with bipolar disorder through her deep, emotional music. I’m kind of nerdy and really enjoy looking up her lyrics and the meaning behind her songs. They help tell the story of who’s behind the voice. If you’re looking for a different type of pop music, check out Halsey on Spotify and Youtube, she won’t disappoint.

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