New York. Not only my hometown, but also the home of some of the finest music ever written. In this post I’m going to share some of this with you, just a tiny amount from a certain few bands. It’s by no means all the music worth hearing from New York and it might not even be the best. However, as a New Yorker these are the five artists who for me represent New York. And I’ve tried to keep it fairly modern, so that’s why certain old classics aren’t here. I’ve included a couple of tracks from each so you can get a flavor of what they’re about.
1. The Strokes
The Strokes need no introduction to any indie fan, or any music fan in general for that matter. Their garage rock is largely responsible for rescuing the genre when it was most in need of CPR. They may be a bunch of rich kids from Manhattan, but they still represent the cool side of New York in a way that is normally reserved for Brooklyn born hipsters. Recently I heard that there’s a new album due out in 2011, which is pretty damn exciting, I gotta say. My favorite songs are Take It Or Leave It & Reptilia, which you can grab below.
Some people would call them a budget version of The Strokes, but having recently had the privilege of seeing WAS live I totally disagree. Keith Murray is a true rockstar, and I urge you to catch these guys if you ever get the chance. While they aren’t from New York, they are now based here, and are in many ways the quintessential Brooklyn band, with their loud, fast, sexy indie rock. Their latest album, Barbara just dropped, but I’ve included a track from both their previous albums, because I think these are the best two. Stick these on and rock out!
The first guys truly from the best part of the Big Apple on my list, Brooklyn boys Vampire Weekend are the soundtrack to many a preppy party, but you can forgive them those sins, as they are one of the best indie bands out there. I kinda ignored Vampire Weekend at first, mainly due to their Twilightesque name I have to say. I’m glad I stumbled across them eventually. For those who are still uninformed, check out Giving Up The Gun & A-Punk, and you will understand the massive hype.
Karen O & Nick Zinner pretty much define cool. Their music is widely speaking indie, but it crosses over into art/dance punk. It’s up-beat and slightly poppy. Although their originals are generally good, they are also one of the best remixed bands out there. My personal favorite is A-Traks remake of Heads Will Roll, with it’s truly infectious piano riffs and thumping drums, it was one of the anthems of last year. I’ve also included Gold Lion, which I can’t not sing along to anymore. Karen O’s rasping vocals sound a bit better than mine though! Anyway, for the minority who’ve managed to escape YYY‘s, the tracks are below.
5. Jay-Z
Up til now, all the artists have been solid indie rockers. Taking a turn in the complete opposite direction is Jay-Z. It’s pretty much impossible to think of Jay-Z without thinking of New York, and musically speaking the opposite applies too. Many people, myself included, regard Hova as the greatest rapper of all time. I think the rap he makes is more accessible than any other, I mean everyone from the Ghetto kids to the prep school kids can see what he’s talking about. Choosing just two tracks is immensely hard, but after much consideration, I’ve gone with Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love) and Brooklyn (Go Hard), because not only are they superb tracks, but they also are about NYC itself, and they are typical Jay-Z tracks with hella tight bars and sick samples.
VITAMINS
- The Strokes - Take It Or Leave It
- The Strokes - Reptilia
- We Are Scientists - Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
- We Are Scientists - Chick Lit
- Vampire Weekend - A–Punk
- Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)
- Jay–Z - Ain't No Love (Heart of the City)
- Jay–Z - Brooklyn (Go Hard)
So what sums up the New York scene for you? Who/What would you include instead? Comment Away!
By: dwayne
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