Band of the Week: The Whitest Boy Alive

[21-27 April]
The Whitest Boy Alive
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Kings Of Convenience, Peter Bjorn & John, Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
Synopsis: Deutscher Tanz mit einem Gespür nur Erlend Øye kann zur Verfügung stellen.
Makes You Want To...: Tanz, Nut, singen.
[Myspace]



This month, Voilà! is covering foreign bands!
Eine Woche, eine Gruppe. Sie verstehen, daß die Weise Sachen sind.
This week, the featured artist is The Whitest Boy Alive.

The key with modern music is that it is new, hot off the experimental presses and ready to hit the ears of unsuspecting audiences everywhere. Now don't get me wrong, anyone can make modern music as long as they're living in present tense. The key with good modern music is that it pushes the boundaries of music as a whole. The idea of doing something new and inventive that no artist before you has every done, and that other artists will be emulating in the future.

That's where The Whitest Boy Alive. This quaint quartet spawning out of Berlin may sing in English, but they bring a sound that those Stateside have yet to dream up. Using constant, lively rhythm throughout each song with a steady beat, The Whitest Boy Alive makes positively danceable the entire way through.

You may notice the subtle tones of a farmiliar voice as you listen along to The Whitest Boy Alive. You aren't imagining things, or losing your mind; that sweet, hypnotic voice that's coming through your speakers also happens to be the dulcet tones of Erlend Øye, the Norwegian national who is also flaunts his musical credibility with his solo songwriting as well as with his folk-pop duo, Kings Of Convenience, with bandmate Eirik Glambek Bøe.

But I digress, The Whitest Boy Alive will have you dancing and dreaming to their mystifying music 'til the sun comes up. They presently have their only album, Dreams, which was released two years ago (which is excellent, mind you!). The Whitest Boy Alive is about to embark on a short European tour, and the sky is the limit once they finish! Of course, they have a Myspace, where they're featuring a nifty unreleased instrumental (which I probably have listened to way too much). They are also the final foreign band (officially), concluding the month of cultural differences and great music. I can only hope you have enjoyed, and that you have an excellent week!