Artists of the Summer

Photo+courtesy+to+Alternative+Press

Photo courtesy to Alternative Press

Emily Porat

After a long summer full of concerts, I have much wisdom to impart on my fellow music aficionados. So, I’ve assembled a list of my top four favorite artists of the summer.

 

1) Twenty One Pilots–With local appearances at BFD in Mountain View, at Outside Lands in San Francisco, and a VMA ‘Artist to Watch’ nomination, this duo is quickly gaining popularity and recognition.  After seeing them at both BFD and Outside Lands, I can definitively state that this band is one of my favorites. With Tyler Joseph on the keyboard (and sometimes Ukulele), and Josh Dun on the drums, they offer a new, dynamic, and amazing stage presence. Check out their video for ‘Holding On To You’ below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktBMxkLUIwY

Photo courtesy to Alternative Press

 

2) Finish Ticket–I discovered this local band (recent Alameda high graduates) upon going to Alice’s Summerthing.  They were the first band to go on at this event (Ed Sheeran was headlining.)  This group brings a sound similar to Young the Giant, but with fresh faces and a slightly more upbeat sound.  They also played at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, and are heading off on their first national tour this fall. You can catch them at the Bottom of the Hill in SF on September 27th. Here’s one of my favorites by them, ‘Doctor’ below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G01mzwXKZfo

Photo courtesy to finishticket.com

3) The Postal Service–This group is marked by their mellow-ness and electronic influences. They do a great cover of ‘Such Great Heights,’ originally by Iron and Wine. The Postal Service reappeared on my radar when I saw that they were playing in July at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, a concert that I unfortunately missed.  The Postal Service is an essential addition to your naptime playlist–a good example to of this is their song ‘Sleeping In,’ which can be accessed via the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv5lO-O8hRU

Photo courtesy to www.sterogum.com

 

4) Go Radio–I’ve been a fan of these guys for a while now, but the first time I got to hear them live was at Warped Tour this summer at Shoreline, in Mountain View. I got the fabulous chance to go to a small acoustic session with half the band– Alex (the guitarist) and Jason (leadsinger.) Warped is known for its punk-pop, alternative, and hardcore bands, but Go Radio is more on the alternative/rock side, which is what I tend to lean towards.  Their songs have a lot of passionate piano solos and deeper themes, which I always value in music. Here’s ‘Go to Hell,’ from their newest album, ‘Close the Distance,’:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcslYzqwdjg

Photo courtesy to www.homelesstracks.com