Amiina - Sexfaldur from the album Kurr:

[See post to listen to audio]

I’ve said before that Sigur Ros was the best show I’ve ever seen. When I saw them a few years ago, Amiina was their opening act and they were gorgeous. Four girls, also from Iceland, who make such pretty music. When I saw them, they only had their EP out, so I’ve been waiting anxiously for a few years for their first full length, and I finally picked it up the other day. You should download it for $7.99.

At their live show, they added layer upon layer as they each walked from one instrument to another and built music in front of my eyes. It’s absolutely captivating to watch them work together. They play everything from the xylophone, to violins and cellos, to glasses, to the saw.

I had seen a band play the saw before I saw Amiina, but not like this. Amiina actually made it add something to the music, rather than playing the saw just to play the saw.

One of my favorite parts of their show, was when they came on stage with Sigur Ros and played a quartet of strings through one song after another. It was just amazing!

I you like the sounds of the song above, and you’re not sure what it means to “play the saw,” check out this video of their song “Seoul.”

Hailing from Nashville, TN (which automatically creates suspicion in my mind), they just put out a six track disc in 2006, and I can’t find anything newer.

To me, all six tracks are just a refreshing take on the Indie genre. They’re not not super weird & they don’t try and incorporate a banjo into every other track for the sake of authenticity. They’re perhaps a bit more poppy than your average Indie band; but they frequently surprise me with their melodies. They’ll start off with what I think will be a predictive chord progression, and then they’ll end up somewhere completely different.

They’re relaxing–but not necessarily chill. They’re smooth.

This track is probably my favorite of theirs. The song is best played loud with your bass turned up, and no interruptions. The end of the song is classic, ’song within a song,’ which I’m not sure if I like. I think I do.

Check out, “I Like You I Do” off “Come Back to Aria” by Brenn:

[See post to listen to audio]

Sam is a good friend of mine, and he knows music. Every now and again he gets really pissed off at something and he turns into Sambo. I wonder what Sambo listens to?

Anyhow, not-Sambo-Sam has been listening to The National - Boxer, and I am stoked he told me about them. I realize they’ve been around for awhile; but I’m glad to have discovered them recently. They have a slight Interpol feel to them (who by the way, has a whacked website); but The National is a bit more accessible.

These days, good deep voices are rare. You mostly only hear them when your local restaurant forces alternative garbage down your eardrums. Lead singer Matt Berninger rocks the deep baritone and completely changes the face of the music–in a good way.

My favorite track so far has to be number one: Fake Empire (although, Green Gloves is pretty rad). With an upbeat piano starting things off, Berninger’s baritone is the second sound on the track. The song keeps moving and then another piano enters, followed closely by an offbeat drum you wouldn’t quite expect. The song chill’s out again for a second then pickups into the full beat. At this point, I realized this song could really stick with me.

So far, it won’t be the album I play every day; but Boxer by The National has been growing on me. It wasn’t my favorite tunage right off the bat; but as I said, it keeps growing on me. The track “Mistaken For Strangers” just keeps getting better and better…I keep going back to it. If you find yourself thinking they’re a bit too indie for your liking; give them another chance–my experience has been that the best discs take time to learn.