OFFICE

After reading last week's The Daily Graboid on The Yellow Stereo, I instantly fell in love with (and maybe became alittle obsessed) with the band, OFFICE.

Made up of five members, Scott Masson (vocals/guitar), Tom Smith (guitar), Erica Corniel (drums), Alissa Hacker (bass), and Jessica Gonyea (percussion/keyboards), these Chicago, Ill natives have been making regular appearances in music publications such as Filter and Spin and have been all the buzz on countless music blogs. They're music mixes 80s pop with today's indie pop and the end result is A Night At The Ritz, their first album with Scratchie/New Line Records, a 14 track album that is pure bliss. It's the kind of album you can listen to without touching the skip button. They're single Oh My has already jumped into my Top 25 Most Played on iTunes and it's my new ringtone. You may call it an obsession, but I call it love.

OFFICE - Oh My [MP3]
OFFICE - Dominoes [MP3]

Please enjoy their new video for Oh My. It's amazing!


Official Website
MySpace

The adventures of Via Audio in Lawrence, KS

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Via Audio, before and after their September 12th show in Lawrence, KS and it was quite the experience.

Around 5 pm, I headed over to my friend Lauren's house, where the band was staying. As I parked my car and checked my teeth for food, the nerves finally got to me. Was I seriously going to hang out with my favorite band? Yeah, yeah I was. When I walked through the door, Jessica and David were sitting on the couch petting Lauren's cat, J.T.T. (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) while Danny and Tom were at the park playing frisbee. We then decided to fill our empty stomachs with delicious Thai food. After dinner, some conversation, and taking a five minute walk around Mass. St, we headed over to the park for some pre-show jamming where we were eaten alive by mosquitos. Here are some pictures from the night:







The show was everything I expected and more. The band's energy radiated throughout the heavily wallpapered venue. Jessica's rendition of the running man dance and David's constant bouncy-ness added to their already lively show. One thing that really impressed me was the amount of talent the band had. It's hard to label each of the band members "the guitarist" or "the drummer" because each member knows how to play all of the instruments. Their performance of Presents was memorable, as was Oh Blah Wee, a song from Jessica's side project, The Stenographer's Alibi. If you missed this amazing show, here's a video of Presents:



Their new album, "SaySomething," comes out tomorrow, September 25 so please check it out! You can order one at
SideCho Records.

Via Audio

I know that I seem to praise every band for making awesome music but hear me out on this one. I'm going to explain to you the relationship I have with Via Audio.

About four years ago, while searching PureVolume.com for some punk/screamo bands (everyone goes through some kind of phase...), I came across a band that completely blew me away. Of course I didn't tell anyone that I had an indie pop band on repeat but they were the first band that I truly "discovered." After a while, I stopped playing them and sadly, I forgot about them too.

A few days ago, I was browsing my IndieFeed podcasts and stumbled upon them once again. I guess great music never lets you forget. 60,000 plays and 5,000 friends later, Via Audio is seriously making a name for themselves. Signed to SideCho records, they're releasing a full-length album entitled, SaySomething on September 25th.

Made up of Danny Molad (drums), Jessica Martins (vocals/guitar), Tom Deis (guitar), and David Lizmi (bass), Via Audio has been making music since 2003 when they were students at Boston's Berklee College of Music. They started playing local shows and were finally discovered at a Spoon show when Martins walked up to drummer, Jim Eno and handed him a CD. Eno took an interest in the band and together, they started recording in his Austin, TX studio.

Words can't even describe how much I love this band. Their music is completely flawless. With their brilliantly written lyrics, infectious melodies, and memorable style, it's easy to see why these Berklee grads are just so damn good. Martins' voice along with Molad, Deis, and Lizmi's make for the perfect combination.

I love each and every band that I feature on this blog but Via Audio will always be one of my favorites so please, when their album is released September 25, GO BUY IT!

Via Audio - Developing Active People [MP3]
Via Audio - Modern Day Saint [MP3]



Official Website
MySpace