7th Jukebox--IMF Edition
Posted by jader on July 20, 2005

Welcome to a long overdue installment of 7th Jukebox. I am your host, Jader. I am about to take you around the world thanks new my newest discovery, IMF.
A few months ago a new channel appeared on my Dish Network reciever. It was called the International Music Feed, and after a few minutes I was addicted. The channel plays videos by bands from all over the world. Some better than others, but my horizons have been expanded nonetheless. There are several bands that have earned permanent places in my current favs list, and those are the groups I will be presenting to you in this special IMF edition of the Jukebox.

The Bravery-
First up is the first band I saw on IMF that made me want to go get the album. I have seen a few articles about them since, including one about how hated they are. They seem to be despised for two main reasons.
1) They sound similar to The Killers, and are on the same label.
2) The lead singer was previously in a failed ska band.
I personally don't care about either of the reasons, because the album is great. The sound is a mixture of rock and new wave-ish synth, and the members all look like they should be in different bands. I'll let you judge for yourself. Here is "An Honest Mistake" by The Bravery.

Bravery - An Honest Mistake.mp3

The Decemberists-
Here is a band that I wasn't instantly in love with when I first heard them, but they have since grown on me. The sound is hard to put you finger on but is definitely original. It has a very sea-faring, almost medieval sound; with lyrics to match. They hail from Portland, Oregan, but you would never guess they were from the states based on the music you hear. They will be touring this fall, and I highly recommend checking them out...I will be. For you listening pleasure I present "The Infanta" by The Decemberists.

The Decemberists - The Infanta.mp3

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead-
Longest band name EVAR!!!! I like this song because of the power that the music conveys. It is a bit on the emo side, but this track is the least emo on the album. A band from Austin, Texas, (for international there are a lot of US bands in here) Trail of Dead has been playing as such since 1994. "The Rest will Follow" was one of the first videos I watched on IMF and I liked the song and video enough to put it on this list. So here it is.

You Will Know us by the Trail of Dead - The Rest Will Follow.mp3

Kaiser Chiefs-
Next up is a post punk/art rock band from the UK, The Kaiser Chiefs. I was instantly attracted to the sound, and the almost cheery darkness in the tone and lyrics. This is quite possibly the happiest group of angry Brits I have ever heard. But I dig them, and this album is definitely worth a listen. Some tracks remind me of the Clash, others feel more like The Vines. Either way...good stuff. So here is "I Predict a Riot" by Kaiser Chiefs.

Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot.mp3

Don Johnson Big Band-
Time to switch gears a bit. We have rocked out a bit, so it's time to lighten things up a bit with some fun jazzy hip hop, from the home of hip hop...Finland. No, you read that right...a hip hop band from Finland. And this song is catchy as hell. Don Johnson Big Band are a bona fide phenomenon in Finland, a true crossover artist breaking radio and genre barriers while receiving rave reviews from the press. This is the first and only video I have seen from them, but I am searching for the album each day. So here is "One MC, One Delay" by Don Johnson Big Band.

Don Johnson Big Band - One MC, One Delay.mp3

Kasabian-
I actually originally heard this song as part of the soundtrack for Need for Speed Underground 2. It was ok then, but after seeing the video on IMF, I have new respect for the group from the UK. On further research, this is a band that is all about individuality. To the end that they have a manifesto on thier website, which states, "To bring about change you must change yourself first." Interesting...but I have heard it before. Let's see if Kasabian's revolution will be televised. Here is "Club Foot".

Kasabian - Club Foot.mp3

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant-
A hard rocking quartet from Japan is something unusual to those of us here in the states. Not so in Japan, where the country has been rocking to TMGE for a few years. The band got it's name when one of the members mispronounced the title of a Damned album. Nope I'm not gonna tell you the real title...look it up. But the fact that 4 dudes from Japan are into the Damned should give you an idea of the sound. Although the words are entirely in Japanese, you can hear how passionate about the music these guys are. So without further ado, I give you "Margaret" by Thee Michelle Gun Elephant.

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant - Margaret.mp3

Keane-
I could write about 30 pages on this band. I have listened to this album non-stop for about a week. A band from the UK, I would explain them as a cross between the Beatles and Coldplay, with a little something else mixed in. The composition of every song is beautiful, the lyrics are thought provoking, and in some cases extremely sad. Yet it puts me in a great mood everytime I listen to it. I had a hard time picking a song to post for you to listen to, but I finally decided on "This is the Last Time" for some reason it is my current favorite. Here it is.

Keane - This Is the Last Time.mp3

There you have it, eight great bands from a channel that I have been watching for only four months or so. There were many more that I couldn't find. If anyone out there has Dish Network, I highly suggest putting on channel 157 and watching for a few hours. You will find new groups to like. That is a jader guarantee.

Remember these songs are only around for a week, so get them now. If you find something you like, go buy it. Supporting these artists means that more kickass music from other countries gets brought here.

Time for me to watch some more IMF, enjoy the tunes...and keep an eye out for more musical innovation from jader.