Deep Cuts: Experimental

Woods is an interesting three piece band based in Brooklyn, New York since 2005. Their instrumentals are complex and rollicking and Woods even go so far as to have a "tape player" G. Lucas Crane who acts as a DJ, soundman and back up vocalist on stage.

The group's leader, guitarist and vocalist Jeremy Earl uses one style of vocals, an eerie falsetto, that is so close to the female register that a listener could swear to it being female. While this is great, in the tradition of Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins, to have a unusual vocal style - Earle's same falsettto is over used on each song on each album. To make matters worse the emotional effect of hearing the same worried falsetto voice creates a sense of impending failure that becomes hard to hear repeatedly.



References:

• The Woods, Official Site
• Wikipedia, Woods Band

Deep Cuts: Americana

The Felice Brothers are a folk/alt-country group formed in Upstate New York and are rumored to have been founded at performances in the NYC subways in 2006. They've released nine albums to date including their fifth album from 2008 the eponymous "The Felice Brothers". This record features two out-standing tracks: "Whiskey in my Whiskey" and "Frankies Gun".

This album easily earns our collective forgiveness for touring with the Dave Mathhews Band in 2010 with these incredibly effective approaches to song structure and story-telling through songs. This last part is important due to the fact that today a song is seen as a formula to connect to the shallowest and most uniformed portion of the music buying public. The importance of oral history is less emphasized and more lost each time a Rhianna, a Timberland, a Bieber, or the newest incarnation of New Kids On The Block releases an album full of meaningless garbage.

It's important to note that even substantial and culturally significant groups like the Beatles have sold less albums than Rhianna while groups like The Felice Brothers have barely cracked the Billboard 200.

The Felice Brothers - Frankie's Gun
References:

• Felice Brothers, Official Site
• Wikipedia, The Felice Brothers