MYPHNH(BS) - The Vibrant Sound

Welcome to the first installment of my new sporadic installment (I promise I'll do this one more often), entitled Music You Have Probably Never Heard (But Should) -- or MYPHNH(BS) for short. This is my excuse to go all out fanboy for a singer or group making amazing music, but just not getting too much attention. It happens all the time. Unfortunately in today's world, talent doesn't always lead to success.

Now let me take a second to say, contrary to popular belief, I do listen to music other than pop music on occasion. I have my favorite metal bands and a few alternative or singer/songwriter people I follow, but this blog is all about pop music and (occasionally) drag queens. Let me prove this by introducing you to a band that I've come to love over the past few weeks. They are called The Vibrant Sound.

I'm not sure exactly how to describe these guys. The only group that even comes close is the pop/rap group The Gorillaz, but that doesn't even do them justice. The diverse group, residing in Utah, manages to mix pop, funk, soul, rap, and jazz all into one nice package. Their sound shifts from song to song, and yet they still have a distinct sound that you can always identify as The Vibrant Sound.

A big plus for this group is definitely their musical topics. Their debut album "Downtown", released in 2009, deals with everything from politics and racism, to growing up and finding love. As much as I like to party my ass off, I find it amazingly refreshing to hear a song with a serious message. The track "The Proletariat" explores poverty and inequality in a very frank and raw manner. It's a political statement -- a call for change. Similarly,  "Abolitionist Newspaper" features clips of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Had A Dream" speech spliced in between McKay flowing like a pro, spreading a message of racial equality.

The biggest part of the Vibrant Sound charm is their frankness. The music may be chill and relaxed, but the lyrics are very upfront. They know exactly what they want to say, and they are going to make you listen. The message for these tracks is very serious -- but that's not all that they offer.

These guys also have a very carefree side to them. "79th & Flight" is all about their lives growing up in the 80s. The video, a small party with close friends as they skate and dance together, may not be the most groundbreaking thing ever, but it really makes one miss the late 80s and early 90s. The title track "Downtown" is another one of the more lighthearted tracks on the album. It deals with the later days of a relationship, past the "honeymoon" portion of the relationship and straight to the part of the relationship that requires the real work.

And just when I had thought I had heard all the sides of this group, they came out with another big surprise. "Golddigger" is their newest single, and it is unlike anything I've heard from them so far. Heavy on the trumpets and 70s funk, this one sounds like the soundtrack to an exploitation film of the days gone. Even stranger, the song focuses a lot less on rapping, and a lot more on singing.

If any of this has caught your attention, check them out! They have less thank 1500 fans on Facebook right now! I find that insane. Why don't you fan them? All of their music is available on their fanpage, and you can even download two exclusive tracks there! You can buy their new single on iTunes here. Oh and they are totally on Twitter, too!