D'oh! Apologies for the Christmas delays. Here's this week's Bands to Watch.
+/- www.plusmin.us
+/- {plus/minus} is an indie band out of New York, New York. They have a sound very similar to that of Death Cab for Cutie, but the lyrics contain a bit more mysticism and are not as direct as those of their west coast counterparts. Led by frontman James Baluyut, {plus/minus} creates beautifully original pop music. The guitar melodies, vocals, and drums all perfectly compliment one another, they even manage some really good vocal harmonies on the chorus of Steal the Blueprints. The only downside to {plus/minus} is that they are not an overly prolific outfit in that since their formation in 2001, they have only released two full-length albums and a handful of shorter EP's. In mid-2007 they released their first DVD which contains a number of videos (many directed by the drummer, Chris Dreaner), as well as many extras.
I can't wait for them to come out with something new. In the meantime, here's a youtube version of "steal the blueprints" directed by Chris Dreaner.
The Ponys - Ponys Myspace
Chicago's Ponys blend a number of different styles into catchy punk rock music. These boys have obviously been listening to London Calling on repeat for a long time, as the jangly guitars and 70s punk era vocals draw the listener back to that time, particularly on the track "little friends". While the lyrics are not very introspective nor necessarily even very poetic (i.e. "I was so sad thinking of the times we could have had, I wanna fuck you"), poetry has never been a calling card of punk. Now let's not get confused here either. Ponys are not anywhere close to what many people label "punk" in modern times. They sound nothing like Sum 41, Blink 182, or Green Day. This is not pop-punk with emo thrown in for good measure, this is the real deal. Lo-fi recordings, twangy guitars, thumping drums, vocals shouted above the din; add a soupcon of talent and you have Ponys. This is everything that punk should have led to.
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