bands – Local Music Junkie

https://en.festileaks.com/wp-content/uploads//2016/09/49A4289.jpg

The epitome of French-American Electronic Pop. M83 was formed in 2001 by Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau in Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes but are currently in stationed in Los Angeles, US. It was originally supposed to be a duo but eventually members flowed in and out, with Gonzalez as a constant.

M83 is able to create certain emotions like no other band I know. When I listen to their music I feel like I’m being transported to a time machine of all my childhood memories. Sometimes it feels like a wave of emotions has just struck me and I’m falling into this gigantic sea of isolation, but this sea is not quite loneliness, it’s a much simpler feeling, of simpler times. The music itself is also very cinematic and dramatic. M83’s music would most definitely be played in the climax of an Avenger’s movie when the battle scenes begin. To summarize the vibe I would say it is:

finding a camera film of life’s most precious memories while simultaneously being in a cinematic thriller

https://nofilmschool.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_wide/public/uploads/2012/06/M83-Reunion-Music-Video.jpg?itok=Argg2vRS

If we begin to talk about M83’s composition style, I would say it has a very strong European influence. This is mainly due to the fact that, well, they’re from France. However, I wouldn’t call this rave music by any means. My idea of European music consists of heavy electronic synthesizers, ambient vocals, intense bass, spoken word, and a very underground rhythm, all of which M83 have. Within many of their songs you will begin to notice changes of voices and of who may be singing. This is because M83 is very experimental in their style of pitching voices, collaborating with other artists, and manipulating instruments to mimic the human voice. M83 also has a tendency to create what i would call epic endings. The songs usually start off soft and then build up to an enormous wave of instrumentals and vocals, which adds to the emotional factor of most of their songs.

To end this post off on an informative note, because M83 is such an abnormal band in terms of style, I will be giving my favorite song from each of their albums. Hopefully this will give you insight into the style of their work and the variety within their music as a whole.

*scroll to bottom to play songs*

My Face (M83)– No Vocals, pure instrumentals. This song will transport you to the feeling of being alone on a rocket ship in the loneliness of space. The structure of this song is that almost of a distant whistle.
Run Into Flowers (Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts)– This song starts of on the feeling of a rapid heart beat. It includes heavy synth and atmospheric vocals, that transport you to exactly where the album cover is; in a field of grass covered in snow with the pure euphoria of being with your people. This song will make you feel like you’re young again, whatever that may mean to you.
Moonchild (Before The Dawn Heals Us)– If you ever wondered how it felt like to ascend into the heavens, this is the song for you. I would call this a perfect example of the M83’s composition style. The song starts off very slow and fairly quiet with ambient vocals. However, towards the end it begins to evolve into a cluster of instruments and intense vocals that seem to be crying out from something unknown. The song is simply, emotional.
Midnight City (Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming)– The most popular song by M83, this song will take you to a city of lights in your head. This song is unlike many of theirs in the past as it includes more intense vocals and a happier, major, tone.
Go! (feat. Mai Lan) (Junk)– If you feel like you were born in the wrong generation, this is the song for you. Go! has a playful kid like feel, but in the 80’s! With an intense guitar solo, upbeat tempo, and major key, this song channels the 80’s like no other.

The Band: Grouplove

Alright, so let’s get the facts of the band out of the way. Grouplove is an Alternative Rock band, from Seattle (of course). It’s composed of five different people. To make this short and sweet so we can get to the juicy stuff, this band formed in 2009 because they became friends and hit it off, and cool friends make cool bands. From that, Grouplove was born.

Grouplove, to me, is the epitome of “coming of age” film music (imagine The Perks of Being a Wallflower). As soon as I begin listening to their music I can automatically envision myself throwing my hands and half my body out the window screaming “I LOVE LIFEEEE” while driving down a busy highway. I guess you could call it slap-happy music in a way too because I don’t think there’s a single Grouplove song that makes me sad. Instead of making me emotional, it has a way of pumping my blood up and getting my adrenaline going. This music also has a way of making me feel like I’m with a group of fun people, even if I’m alone, weird right? I think it has to do with the group singing within the band (as in its not just one person), it naturally feels more collective, almost like campfire singing. To summarize the vibe I would say it is:

slap-happy young spirited campfire-esque music

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15565f0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600×393+0+0/resize/840×550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd6%2Fb6%2Fa1154d48252e58c45689bae14b8b%2Fla-xpm-photo-2013-sep-17-la-et-ms-grouplove-20130917

Now, its time to get into some music technicality. A lot of Grouplove’s style comes from the fact that they don’t sound perfect. Their music has just enough grit to make it sound raw, relatable, and realistic to the listener, but clean enough that it won’t sound like trash coming out of speakers. It’s music that incorporates the human body like; clapping, harmonization, and screaming. It’s also music that incorporates parts of instruments we don’t always hear in modern music, like; the kick of a bass drum or the pure plucking of guitar strings. However, this doesn’t mean that they stray away from the electronic aspects of music. They are known to use heavy synth and vocal manipulators if it adds to the dynamic of the song itself, but I would in no way call their music electronic, more so experimental. That’s what makes Grouplove is so unique, they don’t really sound like anyone else, they have their own unique style.

When it comes to new bands, it can be hard to start finding songs that aren’t just their top 10, so I’m going to list some songs to help kick start anyone’s journey into falling in love with Grouplove.

Colours– This contains a lot of intense drumming and amazing background vocals and screaming. The main vocals in this song have a nice worn-out sound, making it more relaxed for the listener. The song in itself is a great way to summarize their kind of style.
Shark Attack– This song is definitely more electronic than rest but in the most intense and lovely way. Not to mention, this is literally about a shark attack and all the emotions that go along with it. It will automatically transport you to the beach and put you into the mind of the victim and… the shark.
Welcome To Your Life– That’s right, maybe you got it from the title of the song, but this is for their baby! The whole song is a giant rollercoaster of soft and loud, scared and happy, and most of all, excited to say hello. This is the perfect song to kickstart anyone’s day.

After all this, I hope that It’ll be more clear if Grouplove is the right fit for whoever desires to check them out. They really are different and will forever hold a special place in my heart. There’s no other band out there that can evoke the emotion of feeling like you just jumped out of a John Green novel. If you like Indie Alt-Rock happy music, this is the band for you.