One of the best parts of music is discovering new stuff. Whether it be your parents’ records, the first CD(or cassette?) you ever bought, the complete 180 you did in high school, or opening acts from concerts, your taste has grown and changed since your first exposure. No point in stopping now, so we’d like to show you a couple bands from our friends that we think are pretty good.
Parks brings us “Sweater Weather”. A highly infectious pop-rock song, it comes complete with appropriately catchy vocals(that are a tad tricky to get down). The harmonies mostly sing their own lines, staying independent of the lead. Within a couple listens, you’re bound to hum along with the harmonies. Drums open the song with a tom beat, maintaining the tom focus through the whole song. They’ve even got a roll near the end that slowly melts into an electronic-sounding snare. The guitar keeps up a chordy riff reminiscent of your favorite classic, staying nice and high among the lower sounds of the other instruments. The bass has as many moments in the spotlight as everything else, having a bunch of quick riffs that are lifted high in the mix. Though don’t think of it as highs within lows, as it maintains a groovy bassline the whole song. You can check out their music on their BandCamp.
Steve Pardo’s Take:
Steve Pardo, Audio Lead
“Melody is the essence of music. I compare a good melodist to a fine racer, and counterpointists to hack post-horses; therefore be advised, let well alone and remember the old Italian proverb: Chi sa più, meno sa—Who knows most, knows least.” - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Parks’ hit “Sweater Weather” is immediate, confident, and unashamedly poppy. And if you’ve seen them live, you’d know that their catalogue is rich with bubbly guitar punches, driving floor tom rock beats, and tight cluster vocal harmonies. But if there is one thing you need to know about these guys, it’s that they are masters of the hook. And the craft of the perfect singable melody is on full display here. No opportunity to weave the song’s contour is left to the birds.
Of course, Parks’s influences are clear, with a chord progression and bridge that rival the best of the early Beatles. Yet, surprisingly, they manage to transcend these echoes and deliver a message, through song, straight to the heart: “Beautiful you are.”
Spirit Kid’s “To My Romeo” is in much the same vein. Emeen Zarookian heads up songwriting with instrument support from members of local Boston bands Babydriver and Bent Shapes. “To My Romeo” is another great summer jam, with a rising guitar riff at the beginning and a guitar solo near the end that drops down into a sparse bit before the whole band comes back in. Another strong bassline appears in this song, rarely sticking on the same note and preferring to travel the whole song. The vocals swing high regularly and the harmonies lift it further, making for a perfect sing-along song. Drums keep at a clapping beat, and as we all know, the double-clap is the best musical tool ever crafted. Head over to Spirit Kid’s BandCamp to hear more of their work.
Spirit Kid Band Bio, from Emeen Zarookian
Spirit Kid is the musical moniker of Los Angeles-based songwriter Emeen Zarookian.
When not busy writing music for TV/video games or performing with bands such as Badfinger, Bebopalula, or Tampa, Emeen holes up in his home studio to create music influenced by the classic song craft of artists like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Kinks, blended with modern day production techniques. The result is the psych/pop/garage/indie blend known as Spirit Kid.
“To My Romeo” evokes the swagger of T. Rex topped off with a healthy dose of ear candy, wrapped up in a tidy, love song bow.
Both songs are free exclusively to Rivals owners. Users without Rivals cannot download these tracks.
We’ll be showing off this week’s newest DLC on our Twitch stream today starting at 5PM ET. Tune in here!
* Please note that this week’s DLC tracks will be available for purchase on Thursday, August 10th.