Hey all, I know it's been a very long while since I did an article on a new band for you guys, but it's truly been a busy couple of months. Fear not through, for I have found you all a slew of new groups that will make everything better. This new selection of bands will appeal to your senses for dance-punk as well as screamo-metal. One of the things I'm most excited about is how these new bands are tearing down the walls between the genres and having fun with their mixing and matching of new sounds. Chief among these new acts are a fearsome fivesome from just a couple hours away in the college town of Athens, GA. 
The Orkids are a band on a mission, and what a mission it seems to be. After forming in 2008, the band quickly released the Paper Dolls EP in 2009, containing six genre-busting tracks that are like sugar-coated bliss to my ears. Beyond that, The Orkids' debut music video premiered in the summer of last year, and their newest one came out a short three months ago. Out of Athens, The Orkids are a dynamic mix of talent from Sandra Gallardo (lead vocals), Adam Monica (lead vocals and guitar), Joshua Schwaber (keys), Sheldon Wolfe (bass and vocals), and Brad Lee Zimmerman (drums). It becomes more and more clear the more I listen these guys (and girl), that I'm becoming addicted not only to their particular songs, but also to the sound that they've introduced to me. I don't know if The Orkids are the first to experiment with this sort of electro/dance-punk sound (and as a Robots in Disguise and Shiny Toy Guns fun, I'd wager not), but one thing I'm sure of after thirty seconds listening to their EP is that I'm absolutely hooked.
Track one from the Paper Dolls EP is the title track, and what a trip it is. From the start, Gallardo's voice is creepy and sexy in the best of ways: it's intriguing and surreal sound meshes perfectly with the keys put down by Schwaber. Balancing on the chord interplay between Monica's lead guitar and Wolfe's basslines, "Paper Dolls" sits halfway between Motion City Soundtrack and Shiny Toy Guns. Zimmerman's drums, meanwhile, provide a punk backdrop that the track benefits greatly from, and listening to this song, the only thing I can wonder is what kind of crazy show this is when it's played live. Following the first part of the bridge, Monica takes off on a blistering guitar solo that augments Schwaber's key selection, and at just over 3:30 minutes, "Paper Dolls" is one of the strongest tracks on the EP by far. No wonder The Orkids chose this as the track for their first music video release last year. The video, too, is powerful and catchy in all the best ways.
Yet The Orkids are far from finished when "Paper Dolls" drains out. Track two on the EP is as edgy and punk-driven as the first, if not more. "What Is It with Me" pushes the boundaries in ways that thrill me, and from the second this song starts, I know it's going to be stuck in my head all week. Taking its cue from Schwaber's keystrokes and Zimmerman's easy punk beat, "What Is It with Me" is half dance-punk and half electro-pop. One of the things that sets this track apart from others is the curiously brilliant split of lead vocals between Monica and Gallardo. The shared vocal responsibility most evident on this song is one of the shining examples of what sets The Orkids apart from all the other electro-punk bands I've heard. Rounding off the track with great guitar chords by Monica and pumping basslines from Wolfe, The Orkids make "What Is It with Me" one of the stand-out tracks on their EP. Aside from a stellar song, the music video for this song, released this past February, is killer, and mingles with the song's chords and keys in ways that are clever as well as addictive. If The Orkids are the same live as they appear to be in their videos, then it's clear that this band has it made.
Along with other great tracks like "Rain on Me" and the acoustically-driven "Gold," The Orkids' Paper Dolls EP is a masterful mix of new-wave techno-punk and electro-pop that makes me even more excited to hear what's coming next from this band. Their new releases have consisted of two songs: "Impetus" and "Told You So," which tear it up as hard as the tracks on their debut EP. "Impetus" is one of the best examples of The Orkids embracing their split genre influences and making good use of them. Set in the median between Gallardo's electronica-driven voice and Monica's pop-rock chords and notes, "Impetus" is a new triumph for The Orkids if one ever did exist. Followed by "Told You So," a rhythmically and electronically-driven song nipping at the heals of Gallardo's siren-esque voice and Wolfe's biting basslines, "Impetus" if proof that The Orkids are here to stay, if only long enough to shake things up.
Making their home in clever musical dynamics and creative takes on new ideas, The Orkids are a brilliant example of what to do for new bands: be creative, be unique, be different, and have the drive to keep redefining yourself as many times as you like. As evidenced by their acoustic song "Gold," The Orkids bend only to their own will, and that's certainly something that will serve this band well in the future. If you're looking for a new sound to move to this summer, The Orkids have provided the soundtrack to "new and edgy," and it's a sound I highly recommend checking out.
Sounds Like: Shiny Toy Guns, The Sounds, Motion City Soundtrack
Key Tracks from the Paper Dolls EP: "Paper Dolls," "What Is It with Me," "Rain on Me," "I Just Want Yesterday"
Check out The Orkids more at: http://www.theorkids.com/, http://www.myspace.com/theorkids and http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Orkids/151495871555?sk=wall
The Orkids are a band on a mission, and what a mission it seems to be. After forming in 2008, the band quickly released the Paper Dolls EP in 2009, containing six genre-busting tracks that are like sugar-coated bliss to my ears. Beyond that, The Orkids' debut music video premiered in the summer of last year, and their newest one came out a short three months ago. Out of Athens, The Orkids are a dynamic mix of talent from Sandra Gallardo (lead vocals), Adam Monica (lead vocals and guitar), Joshua Schwaber (keys), Sheldon Wolfe (bass and vocals), and Brad Lee Zimmerman (drums). It becomes more and more clear the more I listen these guys (and girl), that I'm becoming addicted not only to their particular songs, but also to the sound that they've introduced to me. I don't know if The Orkids are the first to experiment with this sort of electro/dance-punk sound (and as a Robots in Disguise and Shiny Toy Guns fun, I'd wager not), but one thing I'm sure of after thirty seconds listening to their EP is that I'm absolutely hooked.
Track one from the Paper Dolls EP is the title track, and what a trip it is. From the start, Gallardo's voice is creepy and sexy in the best of ways: it's intriguing and surreal sound meshes perfectly with the keys put down by Schwaber. Balancing on the chord interplay between Monica's lead guitar and Wolfe's basslines, "Paper Dolls" sits halfway between Motion City Soundtrack and Shiny Toy Guns. Zimmerman's drums, meanwhile, provide a punk backdrop that the track benefits greatly from, and listening to this song, the only thing I can wonder is what kind of crazy show this is when it's played live. Following the first part of the bridge, Monica takes off on a blistering guitar solo that augments Schwaber's key selection, and at just over 3:30 minutes, "Paper Dolls" is one of the strongest tracks on the EP by far. No wonder The Orkids chose this as the track for their first music video release last year. The video, too, is powerful and catchy in all the best ways.
Yet The Orkids are far from finished when "Paper Dolls" drains out. Track two on the EP is as edgy and punk-driven as the first, if not more. "What Is It with Me" pushes the boundaries in ways that thrill me, and from the second this song starts, I know it's going to be stuck in my head all week. Taking its cue from Schwaber's keystrokes and Zimmerman's easy punk beat, "What Is It with Me" is half dance-punk and half electro-pop. One of the things that sets this track apart from others is the curiously brilliant split of lead vocals between Monica and Gallardo. The shared vocal responsibility most evident on this song is one of the shining examples of what sets The Orkids apart from all the other electro-punk bands I've heard. Rounding off the track with great guitar chords by Monica and pumping basslines from Wolfe, The Orkids make "What Is It with Me" one of the stand-out tracks on their EP. Aside from a stellar song, the music video for this song, released this past February, is killer, and mingles with the song's chords and keys in ways that are clever as well as addictive. If The Orkids are the same live as they appear to be in their videos, then it's clear that this band has it made.
Along with other great tracks like "Rain on Me" and the acoustically-driven "Gold," The Orkids' Paper Dolls EP is a masterful mix of new-wave techno-punk and electro-pop that makes me even more excited to hear what's coming next from this band. Their new releases have consisted of two songs: "Impetus" and "Told You So," which tear it up as hard as the tracks on their debut EP. "Impetus" is one of the best examples of The Orkids embracing their split genre influences and making good use of them. Set in the median between Gallardo's electronica-driven voice and Monica's pop-rock chords and notes, "Impetus" is a new triumph for The Orkids if one ever did exist. Followed by "Told You So," a rhythmically and electronically-driven song nipping at the heals of Gallardo's siren-esque voice and Wolfe's biting basslines, "Impetus" if proof that The Orkids are here to stay, if only long enough to shake things up.
Making their home in clever musical dynamics and creative takes on new ideas, The Orkids are a brilliant example of what to do for new bands: be creative, be unique, be different, and have the drive to keep redefining yourself as many times as you like. As evidenced by their acoustic song "Gold," The Orkids bend only to their own will, and that's certainly something that will serve this band well in the future. If you're looking for a new sound to move to this summer, The Orkids have provided the soundtrack to "new and edgy," and it's a sound I highly recommend checking out.
Sounds Like: Shiny Toy Guns, The Sounds, Motion City Soundtrack
Key Tracks from the Paper Dolls EP: "Paper Dolls," "What Is It with Me," "Rain on Me," "I Just Want Yesterday"
Check out The Orkids more at: http://www.theorkids.com/, http://www.myspace.com/theorkids and http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Orkids/151495871555?sk=wall
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