Over the past couple months, I have discovered some amazing bands while listening to All Songs Considered (one of the artists I will mention was through both my dad and this radio show almost simultaneously! 😮 They range from upbeat rock/dance to calmer tones. All of these groups grabbed my attention through the catchy or unique style of the lyrics.

This post will discuss the energy-building bands, and there will be another post focusing on the mellower artists. That’s enough background and getting your feet wet; time to JUMP IN!

Confidence Man

Inspired by Fatboy Slim, LCD Soundsystem as well as Talking Heads’ lyrics, this group has so much energy combined with hilarious verses about dating! The first song I heard, “Boyfriend Repeat,” drew me in instantly – your body just starts moving with the fast beats, and the call and response of the couple is priceless 🙂 As Janet Planet sings “my boyfriend talks too much…our love is not enough,” you can hear him saying “are you listening to me?” and “what do you mean?” Subtleties like this make the band into something more unique.

After listening to them on Spotify, I knew that I needed to own their album Confident Music for Confident People. To get a better feel of the music’s vibe, Janet has said, “the writing process is just us getting drunk and doing stupid s**t” (NME article) All around, Confidence Man is fun-filled and energetic, which always lifts my spirits!

Frankie Simone 

Sticking in the dance genre, this female artist who really knows how to express herself as a part of the queer community. Frankie’s message is crucial in the political climate today – in an article, she discussed how “things that have been really hurtful, we should be reclaiming those words and using them as fuel to fire us up in a positive way, and fuel us to be empowered in ourselves.” (Billboard Article)

The lyrics empower women to understand their worth, and come together as a united force. She has an short EP (four songs) out at the moment called Love/Warrior, but “War Paint” involves looping, her amazing voice, and a great beat! I look forward to new songs and her tour.

Fantastic Negrito 

WOW, the guitar riff in “Plastic Hamburgers” grabbed my attention and I knew that he was an artist I would love! The lyrics again are striking as well – he discusses freedom and being put down by the world today. The intensity of the guitar playing reminds me of Jack White. I haven’t heard many other songs, but have him set up as a station on Spotify to discover more 🙂