Alec and Kyle's Discovery of the year: 2007

We made it to 2008, and thus begins the annual review of the year past. I don't know why everyone else insists on posting their best of lists by late December, when albums are still coming out and more time is required to fully digest everything. In fact I'm still not ready, so instead I'm going to present the Discovery of the Year for 2007. This is something we've been doing for several years now, even before we ever starting writing online. The Discovery of the Year, least you forget, is the one band that neither one of us knew about at all before the year, but we have come to love over the course of the past year, and its a band that we think will be going on to bigger and better things. So far we've been pretty accurate looking at some of the past winners

2003: Armor for Sleep
2004: The Format
2005: Say Anything
2006: Westbound Train/Band of Annuals

Except for last year's winners, who aren't mainstream enough to ever get big, I think we've picked out some pretty good bands. And so I'm hoping the trend continues with 2007's winner: Dear And The Headlights. Now that we've been doing this blog for over a year, we've of course already written about them. I think Kyle's post does a good job of describing their blend of styles, which is really the reason that I enjoy them. Their ability to mix indie, pop, rock, maybe a little emo if you want to get into it, gives them a sound that catchy enough to make you want to sing along, but unique enough that it doesn't get lost in the noise of everything else.

There are two things that I first noticed when I heard these guys which I think they do particularly well. One is lyrical continuity, in a sense that all the lines that lead singer Ian Metzger sings seem to blend into one another very well, almost like the rock equivalent of a rapper whose style is very smooth. The other is the use of singular guitar lines to play melodies in the songs. They have written some beautiful guitar lines that add more dimension and melodies to their songs.

Here's a few of the songs from their 2007 release Small Steps, Heavy Hooves.

Dear and the Headlights - Run In The Front

Dear and the Headlights - I'm Bored, You're Amorous

Dear and the Headlights - Sweet Talk


Give these guys a listen if you haven't already. And go out and download or buy the album if you like what you hear. If any thing at least check out Run In The Front, which would probably be in my top 5 for favorite songs of the year if I were making that list. Just wait for it to die down near the end and then bust out again with the guitar line and you'll understand what I was talking about earlier.

-Alec