Howdy y'all!
(I'm still in my Texas mode from SXSW, apparently, see that?!)
I'm going to try and start posting little snippets every Tuesday about the new music I'm currently loving. In the music world, Tuesday is the day for new releases, but rather than just focusing my attention on what's new, I'm gonna tell you all hopefully about artists/albums that I've been listening to as well, new releases or not. This week, I'm picking two artists: Twin Forks, and KONGOS.
TWIN FORKS
Twin Forks is a relatively new project, started by Chris Carrabba, the lead singer of Dashboard Confessional. I love Dashboard's music, and wholeheartedly believe that Chris Carrabba is one of the most underrated lyricists and musicians of our generation. It pains me to admit that I was never able to see him perform live with Dashboard Confessional, but i'm beyond excited to see Twin Forks when they come to Denver this May. They were supposed to be at SXSW a few weeks ago, but had to cancel their appearance to hit the road with Phillip Phillips - not a bad trade if i do say so!
Different from his work in the past, Twin Forks fits into the "pop folk/country" genre that's been picking up so much steam over the past few years. While it's still certainly Chris Carrabba lyrically, I feel like this departure from more alternative music has really given his lyrics the room they need to properly resonate; not to mention his continual harmonies with bandmate Suzie Zeldin are just lovely. If you've been loving The Civil Wars, Mumford & Sons, or anything else banjo-ladden, this is for you. Their newly released album aptly named "LP" has tons of great tracks on it. My personal favorites are "Back To You", Scrapping Up The Pieces", and "Plans".
KONGOS
What do you get when you take four musically talented siblings who's father is a chart-topping artist himself, raise them on three different continents, and put them in a band? Answer: KONGOS. Johnny, Jesse, Dylan and Daniel Kongos are the sons of South African singer-songwriter John Kongos. Naming the band for their last name, they've been making waves across the world since 2011. Only now releasing their album Lunatic in the United States, the band has been quickly climbing the alternative charts. To be honest? I just think their single "Come With Me Now" is catch as can be. They made their first appearance in Denver at KTCL's "Keggs and Eggs" in March, and i'll be covering their upcoming show on Friday, April 4th for Ultra5280.