5 Antifolk Artists of the Week by Conical Valves

I decided to have my inaugural playlist be of antifolk in honor of Regina Spektor's new album, Far, which was released on Tuesday.

1) Foundations - Kate Nash

2) Nothing Came Out - The Moldy Peaches

3) Novotel - Adam Green

4) Holland, 1945 - Neutral Milk Hotel

5) That Time - Regina Spektor

1 - If you do not like Lily Allen, you will not like Kate Nash. The two singers are similar in many ways, but as far as I know, Kate Nash is not as well-known. Foundations is an excellently realistic portrayal of a dying relationship, sung in an incredibly upbeat fashion. Nash's cheerful vocals are set to bright piano chords, which causes the song to be

so catchy that you almost miss the bittersweet lyrics. All in all, a fun catchy song.

2 - The Moldy Peaches have many completely ridiculous songs. They're a duo made up of Kimya Dawson (whose solo stuff is also excellent antifolk) and Adam Green (featured later on this playlist.) This song has a bittersweet tone and lyrics that manage to be simultaneously depressing and amusing (not in a schadenfreude kind of way.)  It's a nice mellow listen, perfect for the person in the midst of unrequited love.

3 - One of the main reasons I love this song is Adam Green's voice.  The song itself is quite short and insane. It's a song from the point of view of someone with severe paranoia, although no way of knowing if this is justified or not. Basically, this song is just fun.

4 - This song strikes me as somewhat Decemberists-esque, but I make weird associations sometimes so no promises there. Neutral Milk Hotel is a great, underrated band. This song in particular is about Anne Frank, World War II, and wars in general. It's a powerful song, with some cool accompanying brass.

5 - I couldn't have an antifolk post without including Regina 

Spektor, especially so soon after 

the new CD release. This song is not from the recent album, as I plan to post a full album review at a later date. It's a delightfully nostalgic song, each line begins "hey, remember that time..." and you feel as if you are journeying through this relationship with her. It also shows off her ridiculous vocal abilities and personally I love the guitars in the background. Most of her songs are accompanied by her piano playing, whereas this one is accompanied by distorted guitar which provides an excellent contrast to her voice.

On an unrelated note, R.I.P. Michael Jackson. He was one of the most influential rock/pop musicians of all time; there would be no MTV without him. While he may have had his issues while alive, hopefully, we can all respect his musical prowess enough to be respectful of him in his death.

Picture from http://www.reginaspektor.org/Photos