myspace music monday: Past Artist Update

No, that's not the name of an artist. You see, I logged onto myspace today, fully prepared to find the next big thing in music. Lo and behold, I am treated to a big helping of suck. Unable to find a single artist of note after about an hour of browsing, I decided to call it quits and instead revisit some past artists that I've featured. We'll see who has updated their page with new songs, and I'll rank them according to my own personal tastes. Sounds fun right?

Who's Updated?

Well, The Beams were the last band I featured before breaking for the holidays and they have since added two new songs to their page. Neither of them deviate from their "Hey, we're kind of like The Killers" approach to music-making. "Chemical Wisdom" is an unrelenting and upbeat dance rock/new wave track with group vocals and a really nice groove. The vocals are a little "meh" in my opinion and the song does go on for far too long, but if you're in the mood for a pure rock out session, it should be a good fit. Their second new song, "Watch" is just a mess. The guitars are way too prominent in the mix and far too skittery to feel infectious. The lyrics can be a bit humorous, but the song itself is completely uncatchy and borderline unlistenable. Skip it.

Of course, the group I most wanted an update from was Teacups. Alas, they have failed me. They did, however, get to open for Jose Gonazalez in New Zealand, which I'm sure was a great honor for them. I just hope that turns into some added exposure for them, because they need to be heard. Check out this sweet picture.

Swede-supreme, Sebastian Orre added two new songs to his page. The first, "Koschka" is a simple, but charming song. Staying true to his past music, his lyrics are very simple yet somehow poignant. He sings, "You saw me walking. Not much for talking, no." Clearly Sebastian. Clearly. The second song is called "Walking" and features some really excellent production. His accent adds a certain amount of innocence to the already childhood memory-inducing song. Again, the lyrics are simple but still effective. It may be the best song of his that I've yet to hear, which is a great thing. Both of these new songs show more depth from his songs that I previously reviewed, especially when it comes to adding layers on top of one another.

Ranking Them

So who do I like best out of all the artists I've featured on myspace band monday. Well if you read last week's feature the answer would be pretty clear. But to see where all the other artists stack up, just cast your gaze downward.

8. Thomas Dybdahl
7. Bicycles and Gravel
6. The Beams
5. Sebastian Orre
4. Teacups
3. The Eastern Sea
2. ContraNova
1. Hanne Kolstö

I know that you're a lazy bum and all, but you should really consider checking out all of the above mentioned artists. They are all pretty diverse and unless you only consider Linkin Park, 50 Cent, and Nickelback to be valid musicians, you should find something to your liking.

And hey, make my job easier by recommending a myspace artist for me to feature for next week. Otherwise, I'm not entirely sure what I'll come up with.