In our never-ending quest to dig up some great bands that cost less than a corned beef sandwich at Katz’s Deli, we bring you another round of Blips. Blips highlights some great bands that are largely still in their larvae stage, but will soon morph into their beautiful butterfly. In this edition, we have some really cool new music, so take a sec, poke around the bands’ various websites, and see what you think of these three under the radar acts…

We Were Promised Jetpacks

MySpace / Website

Not only do We Were Promised Jetpacks boast one of the finest aeronautical band names since Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, but they share a very similar sound with Frightened Rabbit – albeit on overdrive – as a) they possess the requisite Scottish accents and b) often construct their songs similarly by building progressions via scalar chord combinations. In other words, they’ll start with a chord and structure a progression by adding and subtracting notes within that same scale. The result translates to unique and peaceful indie pop.

If there’s anyone besides me out there counting the days down to the release of Frightened Rabbit’s third full-length as your most anticipated of the year, these guys ought to buy you some time. The comparisons should come as no surprise as the two bands are label mates, thereby officially making Fat Cat Records of the most promising indie labels today. That makes two terrific Scottish bands without ceilings in as many years (three if you count the Twilight Sad, but I’m not quite sold on them yet).

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READ ON for more Blips-worthy bands – Lubriphonic & Head For The Hills…

Lubriphonic

MySpace / Website

Anyone who pays attention to the jamband radio charts over at either jambands.com or the Homegrown Music Network surely already knows about Lubriphonic, but since most folks probably do not, here they are. Behind Giles Corey’s muscle-bound guitar work, Joewaun Scott’s Spanx factory bass-lines, and classy accents from the horn section, Lubriphonic shot their way all the way from relative obscurity to #2 and earned themselves the attention of anybody looking to cut up a rug.

In fact, Lubriphonic may well cause a run on Minwax, because their fans keep scuffing up floors all over the Midwest courtesy of about the meatiest blues-funk music since James Brown. We don’t just throw out nods to late great “Soul Brother Number One” on an everyday basis, so you know we mean business. Get a load of this opening riff and you’ll get the idea.

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Head for the Hills

MySpace / Website

The last band today paid me a nice compliment the other day by asking me to write their band bio, which was pretty flattering given that they tear it up. So, here’s a snippet. What do ya think?

When folks think of Colorado, the obvious bullet points typically come up: the awe-inspiring backdrop of Rocky Mountains, the sporty vibe of the gear-obsessed natives, and of course worm-burnin’ bluegrass. But don’t forget that other lesser-known signature constituent, the green chile burrito — preferably Benny‘s.

Much like this culinary crown of Colorado, which takes the classic ingredients and transforms them into something exquisite, Fort Collins’ Head for the Hills blends the basics that make up a bluegrass band, but combines them into a true one-of-a-kind with just the right amount of flavor, spice, originality, and of course, similar to some melted jack, ability to stretch out. The gifted four-piece follows in the tradition of Colorado Bluegrass in that they split time between paying their dues as purists and tossing that old rulebook in the mountain campfire, as they are no less likely to tear through a Bill Monroe traditional number as they are to launch into an extended minor key improvisational trail blazer.

Like many a group that begins in those formative college years, Head for the Hills blossomed into more than a just band, but a group of indivisible friends with a whimsical spirit about them. Head for the Hills has performed, supported and shared the stage with such notable acts as David Grisman, Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, The Flaming Lips and Bruce Hornsby. This list speaks volumes by association, but what speaks far louder is the band’s music. Like that green chile burrito we mentioned up top, blending together to form a whole that far exceeds the sum of its parts, Head for the Hills possesses that secret ingredient that puts them above the rest: heart.

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