Alec and Kyle's Discoveries of the Year

First of all I would like to wish all of our readers (you 4 rock) a Happy New Year, and I hope that you all wear red underwear tonight (for good luck) and eat lots of lentil beans (for getting rich) up through the stroke of midnight. Since it is the end of the calendar year, some prestigious year end awards can be handed out. For this first award Alec and I sit down at the end of every year and ask ourselves....what band did we not know about before this year that kicks serious ass. We rank our top 5 favs with an inverted point system, and the winner gets the high distinction of Alec and Kyle's discovery of the year.

Past winners are:
2003: Armor for Sleep
2004: The Format
2005: Say Anything

This year...as you may have noticed in the title...we have 2. This is the first ever split decision, but I honestly think it's a good decision...because both of these bands shred.

The early favorite to take the award were these guys...Westbound Train. Alec wrote about them earler here, check that out. Westbound creates a fun blend of ska, reggae, soul, and dub which is perfect for almost any chill party. They are incredibly talented musicians, which makes their live show absolutely incredible with the members soloing off of each other and grooving like no other. Alec posted a tune off their old album Five to Two, so I'll give you a couple off of their 2006 release, Transitions.

Westbound Train - Please Forgive Me
Westbound Train - I'm no Different


The second winner is an alt-country band called the Band of Annuals out of Salt Lake City. When you listen to them it feels like they should be from the plains of Oklahoma rather than the mountains of Salt Lake. They manage to write absolutely beautiful songs, some of which incorporate guy/girl harmonies that get your heart beating. Some of the songs are very relaxed with some acoustic and slide guitars or harmonicas, and others throw in a drumset and pick up the tempo a bit. When I listen to the Band of Annuals, I want to grab a rocking chair, some whiskey, a cigar, a good old dog, and a sweet ranch-style home and chill.

The three songs below show some of the various styles that the Band of Annuals really shine at creating. "Lower" is a song that carries you with a soft singing voice, and then lifts you up with some emotional harmonies and poignant lyrics. "Something True" is a song off of their Live EP that was just released, and it also makes use of the harmonies with some slide guitar thrown in there. I don't exactly know why, but this song always makes me pause for a minute every time I hear it. The last selection "Constant Stride" is a short tune that makes one long for the countryside. It drives a little bit more than the other tunes, and definitely keeps the alt-country feel which I love so much.

Band of Annuals - Lower
Band of Annuals - Something True
Band of Annuals - Constant Stride

Enjoy!

-Kyle