10 Artists I Got Into in 2010

I know I'm a bit late with this, but if you actually read this blog you've put up with far worse.

1. Wavves
I know I should've already loved the music of Nathan Williams based on The Fader's recommendation, but it was a bit too experimental for me until he hooked up with members of Jay Reatard's band (may Jay rest in peace) and dropped King of the Beach, which I put on the playlist at WVMM and rocked regularly on The Fox and the Hound Show. Psychedelic surf punk never sounded so good.

2. Chiddy Bang
Another artist I probably should have been up on, considering their origins in Philly's college party scene and flair for indie-dance samples, Chiddy came into my life when I helped some friends push for his inclusion in this year's SAB concert schedule. Since then, I've seen him put on a great live show [review here], spun the crap out of The Preview EP on The Fox and the Hound, and been mildly obsessed with the way Air Swell helps recontextualize music I loved in England for American hip-hop heads.

3. Nicki Minaj
I am a converted hater. I used to think Nicki was just playing Kim to Wayne's Biggie, ghostwriting and all, and then I heard "Monster". One of two songs that redeemed the over-appreciated My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, it did so almost solely on the wings of a verse twice the length and twice the quality of any guest verse done all year. Fortunately, this conversion experience opened me up to exploring the depth of Nicki's schizophrenic output, a journey I have enjoyed immensely. Download Kingdom's "Nicki-centric" edit here.

4. The Dirty Heads
One of the first artists Jared introduced me to when we kicked off The Fox and the Hound Show this fall, The Dirty Heads became one of the most frequently played, both on the show and in our apartment. This is the sound of Sublime for a new generation, stamped with approval by an opening slot on the Sublime with Rome tour.

5. Paper Route
I've been hearing good things about Paper Route for a while, and finally caught them live at Purple Door, where they got the folk crowd at the Gallery Stage dancing to a compelling concoction of propulsive electronic beats, organic instrumentation, and dueling vocals. Hopefully the unfortunate departure of founding member Andy Smith will not hinder their Universal Motown follow-up too much.

6. The Wiyos
When I pulled the Wiyos' Broken Land Bell off the shelf in the studio at the V, Jared had no idea one of he and his dad's favorite bands was playing B-sides the next day. His enthusiasm was infectious, and for once a live act not only lived up to, but exceeded the hype. Their vaudevillian antics had me convinced I was hearing the best bits of my grandparents' record collection performed live [show review here].

7. Aaron Lee Martin
The soulful folk this singer-songwriter plays proved both a complement and a contrast to the mournful message that brought him to Messiah-mountaintop removal coal mining awareness. He was our first live performance on The Fox and the Hound [review here], and has been performing on record ever since.

8. Jamie Kent & the Options
A cheery blend of blues and pop that overcame circumstances and drew a decent crowd on a Tuesday night at Messiah [review here], Jamie Kent & the Options bring infectious hooks that match their infectious good humor. I'm trying to talk B-sides into bringing them back for a more official show next semester.

9. The New Division
Wearing their influences proudly on their sleeves, The New Division's nostalgic electronica has even been recognized by the snobs at Pitchfork. I will be seeing them live for the first time in the near future, and I'm pretty psyched about it. Look forward to the release of their EP The Rookie on the 11th. [edit: went to the release show, review here]

10. The Drastics
There is nothing like reggae to blast away the cold of winter with recorded summer warmth, and The Drastics play every variety of reggae very, very well. Since their phenomenal show at Messiah [review here], their endless free mixtapes and the inclusion of "Good Time Tonight" in DJ sets both on-air and at parties with The Fox and the Hound has not failed to warm my heart and loosen my limbs.

Show Reviews: December B-sides

Due to Christmas break, there were only two shows in Messiah's b-sides series this month, but lack of quantity was made up by quality. The first of these two trios was The Wiyos, a nostalgic-folk act that made me feel like I was seeing all the best bits of my grandparents' record collection performed live. Fresh off a national tour with Bob Dylan, who handpicked them to open, the tightly harmonizing multi-instrumentalists enthralled us with a ridiculously wide variety of original compositions ranging from bluegrass to polka, including a soon-to-be recorded suite based on The Wizard of Oz. Their impressive array of instrumentation included everything from upright bass to kazoo, the latter even managing not to come off kitschy; kitsch could hardly come from such impeccably dressed, consummate professionals.
As John Cleese was fond of saying, "And now for something completely different..." The Andreas Kapsalis Trio is an instrumental group centered on guitarist Andreas Kapsalis, who plays a percussive fingerstyle not far removed from that of Alex Brubaker, a friend of mine who has been covered here before and was influential in bringing him to Messiah. Not content to play solo, Kapsalis spices things up with a pair of percussionists, adding propulsive polyrhythms to his original film scores and interpretations of other improvisation-oriented musicians' work. A perfect close to the semester, the trio provided excellent background music for those studying for finals while captivating those who needed a break with an intense and technical performance.