In this – the age of the Coronavirus – many of us are stuck at home, isolated with only TV screens and the glow of laptops and phones to keep us connected. In other words, there isn’t much to do.
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However, one thing that is available to us all is the wide world of recorded music. And now is as good a time as ever to get to know some bands you may not have heard of but ones that you will assuredly enjoy, dear reader.
So, buckle up and get ready for a digital ride around the world with stops in Murray (Kentucky), Paris (France), New York City, Los Angeles and Denver.
NBHC, “rough angels for marty,” Murray (KY)
Essential link: https://nbhc.bandcamp.com/releases
It took a long time to find very little about this group, but each morsel was delightful to track down. The “collection of sweet and creepy sounds formed in Murray Ky.” is reminiscent of Depression-era bands (seems somehow appropriate!) that are part-human and part-ghost. Bands that shed souls into glass jugs. However, in its current incarnation, this Kentucky group has much life left to give, to be sure.
The Wave Chargers, “Dernier virage,” Paris
Essential link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pKfXMw5W24
Put your swim trunks on, jump on your couch, throw out your hands like you’re balancing on the world’s biggest wave and Hang 1,000,000 to this abundant-yet-somehow-only-2-minute-11-seoncd song. Look over there, it’s Tom Hanks and Wilson! And to your left, it’s Gilligan and the Professor! And just ahead, is that Leonardo DiCaprio on The Beach? The possibilities are endless with The Wave Chargers and a quarantine-inspired imagination!
Morgan Guerin, “But I (feat. Alyssa McDoom),” New York City
Essential link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xw88DPQ1qQ
The young-though-already-experienced musician, Morgan Guerin, has collaborated with artists like Esperanza Spalding and about a dozen other all-time greats. The New York City-based multi-instrumentalist is an accomplished composer and engineer, too, capable of spinning sonic webs from lampposts to the Empire State Building’s steeple to blue corner mailboxes. He’s a superhero of sound.
Alexander Jean, “For Anybody Wondering,” Los Angeles
Essential link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD822v3DB4g
Don’t be confused; though the band name sounds like a single person’s name, this group is comprised of duo, BC Jean and Mark Ballas. With roots in San Diego and Liverpool, respectively, Alexander Jean has a bright future. Fueled by passion, energy, sex and power, the group checks many of the necessary performance boxes. Not to mention, BC Jean is already an accomplished songwriter, having written the Beyoncé hit track, “If I Were A Boy.”
Dan Hilton, “Grandfather (3 Generations),” Denver
Essential link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8E2DvqqZ3A
Attending college in the early 2000’s, one often heard of bands like O.A.R., Guster and Dispatch. These fantastic acoustic guitar- and songwriter-driven groups that appealed to large groups of students who liked to commune and get drunk in the summer vacation nights. While there were tent pole bands like those mentioned above, there were others who entertained smaller groups, or as openers. Enter: Dan Hilton, whose talent is worth both remembering and sharing here and here.
