Blog: The Dumbing of America

And so it begins. Every year, we bring you our picks for the best of the South By Southwest festival. This year, we will be presenting you with a series containing fifty bands, that will run right up to the beginning of SXSW. We selected bands that we think the average TDOA reader will adore. With each entry, we've listed like-minded bands as a reference point, but we recommend listening to each no matter what. As always, it's difficult to put some of these bands in a neat tidy, descriptive box. Your ears will [...]

While all the talk of South By Southwest has us excited (our preview begins on Friday!), those living in the Dallas area are fortunate to have an amazing festival of their own. 35 Conferette runs from March 10-13 in Denton, TX and features over 100 bands spanning a zillion genres. Frankly, not only are many bands passing through this event on their way to SXSW, but many music industry and music lovers are also stopping in Denton to check out the amazing lineup. Do yourself a favor and get a wristband! Contest! You [...]

Sometimes it's best if I can't come up with a band that I can compare you to. The Lysergic Suite use the common configuration of guitar/bass/drums and hail from Leicester. But it's their use of synths and a sound that relies heavily on psychedelic rock that starts you on a fresh path. Rather than sounding formulaic or overdone, they create a sound that mixes everything we love about rock. Tom Meighan from Kasabian contributed to their most recent EP and they seem certain to become another great British band. Vocalist/guitarist Gren Spencer spoke to TDOA writer [...]

Melissa Auf der Maur was 22 when she became the bassist for Hole in 1994, after Kristen Pfaff died of a heroin overdose. She was with the band for five years before going on to pursue other music collaborations and releasing her debut album, Auf der Maur, in 2004. She released her second full-length album, Out Of Our Minds, in conjunction with a comic book and a short film last year. The album ranges from haunting to pretty, from angry to serene. Auf der Maur’s vocals are at times a tough mistress telling you to “come [...]

There was a time when Simple Minds were one of the biggest bands on the planet. When John Hughes used their song Don't You (Forget About Me) in his film, The Breakfast Club, they were embraced by MTV and the mainstream. I remember their amazing live shows and considering them to be on the same level as their comrades U2. Their early albums were a fascinating study that took them from minimalism to kraut-rock tinged masterpieces. And at the height of their fame, they suddenly appeared to implode, disappearing from mainstream view. Did video kill [...]

The point of this website is to provide you with interviews. Frankly, I tire of reading 2000 word essays from Joe in Poughkeepsie giving you his view of the inside of Thom Yorke's head. To that end, must I write a flowery into to every interview we do?! Obviously, we think each band is good. That's why they're here. No corporate sponsorship= no bands that we don't stand behind. So, here's my new standard introduction: Flats: band. Good. Loud. England. Punk. Drummer Samir Eskanda talked. We listened. [...]

• flatsofcourse - FLATS - BIG SOULS
• One Little Indian Records - Never Again

A songwriter from Dublin, McMorrow’s vocal talent and songwriting has resulted in invites from some of the worlds’ most influential artists to play alongside them including the legendary Al Green, Tracy Chapman, Bon Iver, Mark Ronson, and Iron and Wine. His literary references, coupled with his appreciation and embracing of the styles that influenced him, make him one of the more compelling singer/songwriters of our time. TDOA writer Amy talked to James about the art of his music. TDOA: We're fascinated by your interest in American writers like Steinbeck and Fitzgerald. [...]

By Linn Branson Chapel Club: dark, brooding, intense, enigmatic; lyrically intriguing and enticing; musically captivating. Currently one of the most talked about bands in the UK, they have not just brought the guitar sound back to the fore, but heralded - what may well be the start of an avalanche – a new form of poetry and lyrical imagery set to music. The Chapel Club inception took place in late 2007 when guitarist Michael Hibbert (formerly with indie rock outfit Hope of the States) met the then 17-year-old Liam Arklie (bassist), later to be joined [...]

Hailing from San Francisco, Weekend's first album Sports was many a top ten list at the end of 2010. The comparisons are a who's-who of the bands that anyone would want to be placed next to (Wire, Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride, etc.). But the hype surrounding this band evolves from their ability to take their influences and make them seem fresh. Dark, loud and noisy isn't a sound that's going to give me goosebumps filled with surprise. But Weekend's success comes from their ability to take layer upon layer of instrumentation and melody, melding it [...]

Photo by Jay McLaughlin Growing up in a quiet part of north London in the 90’s, Daughter (Elena Tonra) spent her days listening to her parent’s vinyl collections and older brother’s rock CDs. She later discovered the beauty of acoustic and folk inspired music and started to create stories and poems which formed the skeletons of her songs. Wearing clothes that old people may well have died in, and a bowl-cut the Beatles would be proud of, Daughter tells tales of ghosts, drowning lovers and setting fire to her insides for fun. Daughter’s haunting voice [...]

Here's the tricky part. With the demise of The White Stripes, the inevitable search will begin for the next band to fill their shoes. Frankly, we'd prefer a band that shares that same love of blues-tinged rock and roll, but finds their own way to win our hearts. It's been a long time since a new band has blown me away with their passion, songwriting and musicianship. Black Pistol Fire are one of the most exciting bands I've heard since the inception of this website. The two-piece from Austin's soon-to-be-released debut, fills the speakers with [...]

Insect Guide are that guilty pleasure that are impossible to feel guilty about. To quote the band themselves, they are “unashamedly pop” and rightfully so - there’s very little to be ashamed about when a band draws their influences from such greats as Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, and Slowdive. One can even hear a dash of 60s girl group pop when they listen closely. Adhere this atmospheric sound to a dark, visual aesthetic found in both videos and live performances and any resistance to becoming a fan is futile. Originally formed in 2006 as an [...]

Our second interview with The Boxer Rebellion in one week ( check the first here ) shouldn't surprise anyone that follows us faithfully. From the release of Exits to the present, this has been one of our favorite bands. When Union was released and promptly topped the iTunes charts in the US and UK, we felt vindicated. With the announcement that they will be appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight, we feel triumph. The newest album, The Cold Still merits the attention and should become a name you'll be seeing on most of [...]

In March of 2009, we brought you an interview with The Boxer Rebellion , who'd just released their second album, Union. It was the beginning of a fondness for the band, that has grown over the next two years. We were fortunate enough to receive a copy of their newest record, " The Cold Still " and were amazed to find that it surpassed the excellence of their previous two records. Far more introspective and shimmering with its' quiet beauty, this is the Joshua Tree of the new millenium. Lead singer Nathan Nicholson from [...]

As guitarist for the brilliant Remy Zero, Jeffrey Cain established a reputation as a creator of sparse, yet beautiful instrumentation. Upon the messy dissolution of the band, he set out on a journey to create music without allowing his heralded past to his advantage. Sending out anonymous demo tapes to radio stations, he created a buzz purely based on the music. Whether it's using Tobias Stretch as a video director or reacquainting himself with the works of Bukowski, Jeffrey Cain strives to challenge while entertaining. Sania talked to him about his latest project, Dead [...]

• thedumbingofamerica - City Sparks

A London, UK based female fronted indie-pop band, with Laura McMahon (voice & guitar), Helen Short (bass, voice & keyboards), Emily Bennet (guitar & voice) & Doug McFarlane (drums). Formed in 2007, they are three girls & one boy (from London & Cambridge). They take their inspiration from classic romantic literature & old “Look-In” annuals. Whooping & howling through the night as their sweetly sung melodies collide with glitter-struck punk guitars. From Virginia Woolf & Grandma Wolf - they sing ditties about falling in love with David Cassidy & strange encounters on night buses, shouting all the while and scuffing [...]

In 2007, I had the opportunity to see Pela perform at South By Southwest in Austin. Their performance spurred be to hunt down their terrific record, Anytown Graffiti. Records like this are the reason this website exists. While I thought it was one of the best records I heard that year, I rarely heard reference to it in the music magazines or in the blogosphere. It spurred me to start a website where I could highlight these gems that seemed to escape notice. Much to my chagrin, Pela broke up and I lost track of [...]

• thedumbingofamerica - Chapel Song
• We Are Augustines - Book Of James

Once upon a time, I went on a blind date. Despite my trepidation at being set up, I agreed to meet this mystery women in hopes of finding my "soul mate". When she walked in, I was overwhelmed by her beauty. You can imagine my disappointment when she opened her mouth to reveal a vast space of emptiness. There was nothing beneath the surface of this beauty. As much as I tried to draw her out and get her to prove that there was substance beneath the tenderness of her smile, it was of no [...]

It's been nearly a year since the much-beloved singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt tragically took his own life. Now the band Cowboy Junkies is remembering the late artist with a new tribute album of his songs. It's called Demons

When Knickerbocker, by Fujiya & Miyagi first broke on the scene in 2006, they briefly indulged the media's assumption that this was the greatest indie Japanese band of all-time. In fact, the Brighton, UK band had been together since 2000 and Transparent Things was just the latest of their great releases. The hype was so immense that their absence since then led to fears that the band wouldn't survive it. With the release of Ventriloquizzing today in the UK and next week in the U.S., they careen back into our consciousness with the first great album of [...]