The music you are probably not listening to

…But you probably should be

By: Erin Edwards

Posted: 7/23/08

You may have heard of them, or you may not have. Perhaps you hate the genre or maybe you just listen to top 40 bands. Either way, here are a few (of many) music suggestions that you should definitely sample and grow to love.

Mew

The self-proclaimed "world's only indie stadium band," Mew embraces a huge following across Europe, but not so much in the States. Think of dark, atmospheric, almost dream-like music blended with indie rock, along with the buoyant vocals of lead singer Jonas Bjerre, who playfully calls Mew's music "pretentious art rock." With four albums and a fifth in the works, the Danish band has toured with R.E.M. and also won numerous Danish Music Awards (similar to the Grammys) since 2003.

Operator Please

After meeting and forming in order to compete in a high school battle of the bands, Operator Please has gained massive attention in their native Queensland, Australia, along with a following in Europe. Notable hits include "Two for My Seconds," and "Just a Song about Ping Pong," with the latter featured on an episode of CSI: NY. Boasting a mixture of pop, punk, indie and perhaps a little of what you might find on the next Kidz Bop, Operator Please recently opened for Arctic Monkey and Kaiser Chiefs during Australian tours. Their new album Yes Yes Vindictive was recently released in the UK in March and the band is currently touring around UK, Europe and Asia.

Parker House and Theory

Boston natives Parker House and Theory (PHT for short) have taken their hometown by storm, but are still working on the rest of the U.S. After winning a Boston Music Award for best live band in 2006, Parker House and Theory were to embark on a tour with legendary singer James Brown, until his untimely death only months before. Think of a cross between Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, mixed in with bluesy rock and poignant jamming, and you have Parker House and Theory. Their full-length debut album was released in April, along with an opening stint with O.A.R. this past summer.

Eisley

If girl power were to cross over to the indie rock scene, then Eisley would be the outcome. Comprised of three sisters, one brother and a closely related cousin, the Texas natives have toured with such bands as Mute Math, Coldplay, Snow Patrol and The Fray along with numerous headlining tours. Blending rock and pop, their music will put a smile on your face, with clean-cut harmonies over smooth guitar riffs. Although they have only released two full-length albums, Eisley has achieved steady growth and a cult following through constant touring and heavy online publicity.

The Secret Handshake

This one-man band fuses pop rock and electronica together to form a type of music rarely heard in the mainstream today. Almost like the soundtrack to a video game, The Secret Handshake's hip hop beats and electric pop storm sound has been deemed suitable to perform with artists such as Jonezetta and Family Force 5. A refreshing genre for some, singer Luis Dubuc uses piano, drums, synthesizers and an array of computer-generated technology to sing about life, love, and the summer is '98, a year that most of us were 12 or younger. The electro-emo project of The Secret Handshake is currently touring around the U.S. with the Vans Warped Tour.

Gogol Bordello

With instruments ranging from guitars to accordions and fiddles, Gogol Bordello combines a hippie style with Gypsy funk that spans across any culture, along with a name that tends to puzzle most fans. Comprised of Eastern Europe immigrants, Gogol Bordello formed in the Lower East Side of New York City in 1999 and has since enjoyed appearances on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "The Late Show with David Letterman." Gogol Bordello has performed with Madonna, as well as back-to-back stints at Bonnaroo in 2007 and 2008,

MGMT

They have already been named by Rolling Stone as one of the top 10 "Artists to Watch" in 2008 and Spin Magazine calls their music "the current brand of shape-shifting psychedelic pop." MGMT, previously known as The Management, recently released their first full-length album titled Oracular Spectacular, with what they call "an enigmatic and prophetic collection of hallucinatory sounds and hook-riddled pop tones for the new millennium." Along with a brief gig as the opening act for Radiohead in the UK, MGMT has also played Bonnaroo and will be featured at this year's Lollapalooza.

This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.