There are so many bands in the music industry that fail to get the adequate recognition they deserve. Thanks to Web sites like Pandora.com and Finetune.com, talented bands do not get swept under the rug as much as they did in the early ’90s when record stores thrived.
With Spring Break’s arrival, many students road trip to the beach and various locations, all requiring long lists of good music to listen to while driving. Luckily for readers, I have compiled a list of musicians (and picked out a few songs from each) that will suffice as perfect music during Spring Break no matter how or where you travel.
These bands are not up and coming nor have all of them recently released albums, but they are all worthy of exposure outside of my “gnaw on that jam” Pandora playlist and probably will not be found flipping through radio stations, unless it is a really cool radio station.
Even if you are not a fan of most independently signed musicians, use the break from school as a time to wander into different genres of music; as far as I know, it never killed anybody.
I cannot think of a better way to die than from hearing new music.
1. Drug Rug – The boyfriend/girlfriend duo from Boston has received high praise from Spin Magazine and The New Yorker with its beautiful mixture of ’60s pop, garage grunge and folk-rock inspired tunes. And do not let the band name deter you from listening, Tommy Allen and Sarah Cronin are not a reincarnation of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. As a side note of interest, I suggest researching the identity of an actual drug rug.
The duo released a self-titled full-length album in 2007 through independent record company Black and Greene, ultimately adding to the intrinsic sound B & G already supported.
Cronin has an unusual voice for most standards and Allen keeps it mellow with his woodsy tone, but the two come together like chicken and waffles; it sounds so bad but it is oh so good.
“For the Rest of your Life” is a personal favorite of mine even with its sappy-love-song facade of a song title and “Winter Time” never loses its lovable appeal. And look no further for a band that makes death sound like a good thing.Drug Rug is your best bet with its song “Day I Die.”
If you want something to keep you and your crew happy while driving and you want to support Drug Rug, grab the duo’s self-titled album or The Kitchen Tapes for $4.99, only available through blackandgreenerecords.com.
2. The 1900’s – The Chicago-based seven-piece psychedelic pop spawned from ancient friendships within the group. With its creation, it became a widespread musical pandemic throughout The Windy City and the band was soon scooped up by Parasol Records.
Plume Delivery was recorded before the band ever appeared on stage showing its dedication to music, even though venues are not calling, begging for an appearance. But that is not the case with The 1900’s anymore – in its career, it has toured with the likes of Iron & Wine and performed at SXSW, giving one Spin reporter the confidence to call the band Artist of the Day after attending the performance.
3.The Briefs – By no means is this a new band, but those unaware of The Briefs need to be properly exposed.
The band formed in Seattle during former President Clinton’s last year in the office, rapidly gaining acknowledgment in the Pacific Northwest independent punk/new wave scene. The band released its first full-length album, Hit After Hit, in October 2000 under Dirtnap Records, making its mark in the punk rock industry.
By releasing Steal Yer Heart in 2005, The Briefs introduced me to my favorite song “I Got Hit on at the Bank.” Funny lyrics and a never-depressing punk rhythm, the song holds the energy of bleach-blond punks from California and not the guys from a city so boring it is known for rain.
If you are a fan of punk rock, you will kick yourself for not including this band in an iPod playlist or CD rotation during Spring Break.
4. Silver Jews – Until recently, I thought this band busted through the glass ceiling of indie bands since its debut in 1989, but I stand corrected.
Silver Jews was an indie rock band from New York City formed by Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich along with David Berman, the only original member of the band that stayed constant throughout the years with Silver Jews.
If you are asking yourself why I used “was” instead of “is,” the reasoning occurred Jan. 22 when Berman announced through the official Drag City message board he was retiring from music and the Silver Jews’ final show would be at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, Tenn. The death of this band is a sad loss for the music industry.
“How Can I Love You If You Won’t Lie Down” and “Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed” both come from Silver Jews’ 2005 album Tanglewood Numbers and should both have a permanent spot in music libraries of young people everywhere.
Even with the small selection of music provided, you and your Spring Break crew members should have a plethora of tunes to keep you alive and kicking, or at least tapping your toes.

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Drug Rug