I have a theory that this whole new subfield of music is fueled by indecision; artists can’t quite decide what genre they fit into so they just sprawl all the way across the board of genres. A prominent face of this hypothetic “genre” if you will is Philadelphia native Evan Voytas. Voytas, to put it simply, loves music and has pursued obsessions with genres ranging from acid jazz,‘70s funk to newage soul. This overwhelming range of influence leads to a sound that is generally difficult to pinpoint; it’s like he’s created a new sound entirely. What we’re left with a funky vigor that you might want to get used to…this could very well be the wave of the future.

-Witler

Evan Voytas (Samples from various EPs, Listed With Track Names)

1.Tomorrow Night We’ll Go Anywhere-Tomorrow Night We’ll Go Anywhere
2. The New Dynamic Sound of Evan Voytas-Getting Higher
3. The New Dynamic Sound of Evan Voytas-Give It Back
4. Introducing Evan Voytas-Bad Attitude
5.Tomorrow Night We’ll Go Anywhere-We’ll Go Far
6.I Run With You Spirit Animal-I Run With You, Spirit Animal

I recently caught wind of a little English comedy called “Submarine” about a kid desperately trying to lose his virginity. It wasn’t the plot or anything cinematic for that matter that caught my attention, but rather that Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys had a prominent role in the soundtrack.

Turner’s development as a musician has been very interesting to me for some reason. When he first hit the scene, he was scruffy kid from Sheffield who sang infectious songs about getting kicked out of clubs and moody girlfriends; amongst pummeling drums and heavy guitar riffs, the sound and affect they delivered was chockfull of youthful observation, but seldom more.

Favourite Worst Nightmare offered a degree of maturity with its slower, moodier songs like “Do Me A Favour” and “Only Ones Who Know” that put on display Turner’s ability to write not only pop jams but captivatingly depressing ballads as well. These proved to be the strength of the album, a strong suit for Turner. There was something desolately beautiful that made us think, “hey, maybe there’s more to these guys.”

Turner eventually teamed up briefly with Miles Kane of The Rascals for a Beatles-esque side-project called The Last Shadow Puppets. While they definitely put out a good track or two, most songs blurred together and sounded for the most part like it belonged in the end credits of a Bond film.

When Arctics released Humbug in 2009, fans were disappointed for the most part. Definitely an acquired taste, the album channeled something much more foreboding, yearning to be darkly philosophical. For the most part, it missed its mark because it wasn’t overtly relatable. In its defense (I actually rather enjoyed the album), it did prove that Arctics were growing up; a band can only sing about being young for so long.

Back to Submarine. This EP is proof of the songwriting talent Turner possess. It’s beautiful in all aspects; melodically understated yet solid and lyrically flawless. Turner can write. And he’s good.

Arctics are scheduled to drop their fourth album Suck It and See this summer. It will be interesting to see how the band redeems itself after a largely ill-received third album. Yet I have faith.

-Witler

Alex Turner

1. Arctic Moneys-The Bakery
2. Arctic Monkeys-Too Much To Ask
3. Arctic Monkeys-Only Ones Who Know
4. Arctic Monkeys-Cornerstone
5. The Last Shadow Puppets-My Mistakes Were Made For You
6. Alex Turner-Stuck On the Puzzle
7. Alex Turner-Piledriver Walz
8. Arctic Monkeys-Brick By Brick

It’s a story sappier than a Turkish soap opera but realer than Jersey Shore: messy breakup leads to heartbreak, leads to drinking binge, leads to epiphany. In the case of Capulets frontman Stuart McLamb, such an epiphany lead to the formation of a kickass band. The agonizing honesty of McLamb’s lyrics is probably how The Love Language managed to avoid the sophomore slump with “Libraries”, the followup of their 2009 debut “The Love Language.” Despite the heartbreak of McLamb’s lyrics, The Love Language offers a of 1960s-eque sort of energy you can’t help but wiggle to.
Ch-ch-check it out.

Appeals to fans of: Dinosaur Feathers, Arcade Fire, Surfer Blood , Small Black, Harlem

-Witler

Tracklist

1. Pedals
2. Brittany’s Back
3. This Blood Is Our Own
4. Summer Dust
5. Blue Angle
6. Heart to Tell
7. Anthophobia
8. Horophones
9. Willmont
10. This Room

Free Candy

Lalita

Were there a melody for every beautifully solitary moment in your life that you wished you could slip into a jar and come back to someday, it is Sean Carey (S. Carey) of Bon Iver side project album “All We Grow”. Tucked inside nine delicately woven tracks are the snap shots from life that mostly go by unnoticed and without meditation. It’s a rain-streaked window, a footprint in the forest and a splinter of blue sky through the trees. The album is earthy and raw; it’s music stripped to its most basic elements—ghostlike vocals accompanied by piano. Though many comparisons will be (and have been) made between this and Bon Iver’s “For Emma Forever Ago,” “All We Grow” manages to develop wings of its own. While this isn’t music for every day, it is the perfect accompaniment for solitude or just a melancholy afternoon.

Appeals to fans of: Bon Iver, Iron and Wine, Fleet Foxes

-Witler

Tracklist

1. Move
2. We Fell
3. In The Dirt
4. Rothko Fields
5. Mothers
6. Action
7. In The Stream
8. All We Grow
9. Broken

Fresh on the scene from the UK, British Rock four piece The Vaccines are hardly reinventing the wheel. Basically, they’re taking the sounds from your long-time favorite bands and putting them in a blender to create a delicious smoothie of pop rock jams. They released their first EP last month, and in just three short tracks they’ve managed to hook listeners with an intensity that channels Arctic Monkeys with an old school rock twist and an energy reminiscent of Cut Copy. The songs may be a tad short, but if anything they’ve hooked us with just a small taste of what’s to come.

-Witler

Tracklist

1. Post Break-Up Sex
2. Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)
3. Blow It Up

Free Candy

4. If You Wanna

Perhaps the first thing to come out of New Zealand since The Lord of the Rings films, The Naked and Famous are likely to be the next big thing not only in their native country, but in the UK and US as well. Their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You has yet to release in the US, though when it does you won’t want to miss it. The album delivers a sound fresh to the music scene—a marriage of lo-fi synth and poppy rock; it may sound like an awkward mix but they’re able to pull it off with a kickass vocal duo, Alisa Xaylaith and Thom Powers. And their teamwork is powerful. The Naked and Famous brings to the scene a sound full of freedom and energy like a youthful summer’s day, but not the kind of day you simply lounge in. This is life and life is awesome. Keep on the look out for this album. In the meantime, indulge in some free samples.

-Witler

Tracklist

1. All of This
2. Punching in a Dream
3. Frayed
4. The Source
5. The Sun
6. Eyes
7. Young Blood
8. No Way
9. Spank
10. Jilted Lover
11. A Wolf in Geek’s Clothing
12. The Ends
13. Girls Like You

Free Candy

Bells

Frontman of Mason Proper, Jonathan Visger has been producing music on his own in a side project called Absofacto, releasing singles and EPs since late 2008. Recently, he released his first 7″ vinyl with 10k Cities. His sound as a whole is difficult to sum up—it’s different with every bite. It’s experimental, it’s edgy, it’s rebellious and it’s worth your time. Check it out.

Appeals to fans of: Yeasayer, Coconut Records, Ra Ra Riot, The xx

-Witler

Samples

1. Kiko (103 Words)
2. 80844264@81 (Love Song)
3. No Power
4. Safari
5. Pigeon Toes
6. Synthesocietal