As someone who enjoys building on my music taste pretty consistently, here are some of the bands I have found over the past couple of years that I believe are notable mentions and worth giving a listen.
1. The Strokes:
- Favorite Album(s): Room On Fire
- Favorite Song: “You Only Live Once“
The Strokes are a rock band formed in 1998, and have been putting out new music ever since. They have a very contemporary rock sound and their music reminds me personally of Weezer’s newer works like their Pacific Daydream or White Album. They’re great for driving around with the windows down!
2. The Kooks:
- Favorite Album(s): Konk
- Favorite Song: “Always Where I Need To Be“
The Kooks are one of my favorite bands I have found within the past few months actually. They are also a rock band but tend to gear themselves more towards a heavier downbeat. My favorite song by them is actually one of my all-time favorite songs, and after listening to it once it was hard not to hum along to it even when it wasn’t playing. They’re great to listen to when you are working on homework (if you’re someone that can listen to music while doing work).
3. The Growlers:
- Favorite Album(s): City Club, Chinese Fountain or Hung at Heart
- Favorite Song: “Night Ride“
The Growlers are hard to categorize, as their music can be a little folksy in its composition, but they also have some more heavy rock-like songs like “Dope on a Rope,” or my favorite, “Night Ride.” Listening to the Growlers is great for traveling as they have a lot of music, and every song is unique in its individuality!
4. Anarbor:
- Favorite Album(s): Burnout and Free Your Mind
- Favorite Song: “18“
Anarbor is one of the more low-key bands that I like to listen to because they do tend to lean more into the classic punk-rock genre of music—music I grew up listening to. They don’t have much music, but the music they do have is very upbeat for rock, and very easy to get stuck between the ears! They’re great for dancing around while cleaning (this is not an admission of doing so…).
5. Glass Animals
- Favorite Album(s): How To Be A Human Being
- Favorite Song: “Youth“
Now I know you have probably heard of Glass Animals, but just in case you haven’t, they’re an alternative band that has a lot of more techy background music, which is great for all kinds of things in one’s day-to-day life. I typically listen to them when I am doing something with my hands like painting, drawing or writing!
6. Saint Motel
- Favorite Album(s): saintmotelevision
- Favorite Song: “Born Again“
Saint Motel is also a lesser-known band with more upbeat music, categorizing them as pop music. Now normally I don’t really listen to pop, but there is something about Saint Motel that feels retro and nostalgic. This makes them particularly good to listen to in the car as well—when traffic seems especially insufferable, Saint Motel not only makes it tolerable but kind of fun! Also, side note: if you have the chance to hear them live—TAKE IT.
7. The Kinks
- Favorite Album(s): Something Else and Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneyground
- Favorite Song: “Waterloo Sunset“
You have probably heard music by The Kinks and just not have known it was them! Also a rock band, it is a little surprising because a lot of their music doesn’t sound like what one may think rock sounds like. They are one of my favorite bands, and particularly fun to listen to at your favorite thinking spot.
If all of these are bands you have already tried listening to, some other specific songs, bands or albums are:
- Paramore—band
- The Rocker (Music From The Motion Picture)—album by Teddy Geiger
- Where is my Mind—Pixies
- Alt-J—band
- The Wombats—band
- “Chocolate“—cover by Knuckle Puck
- “Ain’t It Fun“—cover by Tyler Carter
- JAWS—band
- Shawcross—album by Good Morning
- Oh Wonder—self-named album by Oh Wonder
- “Sucked Out“—song by Superdrag
- Closer to the Sun—album by Slightly Stoopid
- “A-Punk“—song by Vampire Weekend
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