Two Indie Bands You Should be Listening To (if you haven't already)

I'm rather ashamed to admit that I've never been a big fan of the local music scene. I know that there are good bands whose good songs get aired on the radio - the problem with me is that I've never really been hooked.

But one day my friends informed me of two local bands named Moscow Olympics and Taken by Cars, and once I listened to them, my life was never the same again.

First things first, though: Who are Moscow Olympics and Taken by Cars?

Moscow Olympics is composed of 5 members: AJ (guitar/vocals), Dino (drums), Jojo (keyboards), Melanie (bass) and Richard (guitar). The band is currently under the Swedish label Lavender Recordings, and cite bands like New Order and My Bloody Valentine as their influences. Currently they have one album out, entitled "Cut the World," which is apparently good enough that labels in the USA, Japan and Germany have released it in their respective countries as well. The band has been featured on the music blog The Yellow Stereo, and are currently in the process of recording their second album (according to a status update on their Facebook page)

Taken by Cars is composed of Sarah Marco (vocals), Bryce Zialcita (lead guitar), Derek "Siopao" Chua (rhythm guitar), Isa garcia (bass guitar), and Bryan Kong (drums/sampler). The band was named as one of Time's Five New Bands to Watch in 2011. They cite New Order and Deerhunter as their influences, as well as singers like Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. Taken by Cars has just released their much-anticipated sophomore effort, entitled Dualist.

So what do they sound like?

Both of them fall somewhere between electro, new wave and shoegaze, but that's where the similarities end. Moscow Olympics' sound is smooth, dreamy pop accompanied by hushed vocals. Taken by Cars, on the other hand, has a more energetic sound; the kind of music that would bring people to their feet and dance around. All the same, these bands are slowly getting some well-deserved attention - internationally, as well as locally.

So why did I choose to write about these two bands in particular?

The less important reason was that I knew that if I blogged about already popular bands like Up Dharma Down, this blog post would be boring. I mean, everyone knows who Up Dharma Down is already. It would be like telling the same story over and over again.

The main reason was that I realized there was no sense in being a big fan of foreign bands like Switchfoot (who I love very much) when I wasn't even aware of how good a lot of the local music actually is. I should have realized that earlier; there is much to appreciate, and everyone who doesn't know that yet should know as soon as possible. These two bands are a good way to start.  

And anyway, everyone deserves to listen to something new and fresh every now and then.

written by Corinne Syquia