When they originally formed as a house band for a monthly party in Brooklyn, the members of Chin Chin had no intentions of ever creating an album together. After the release of their self-titled debut last year, the boys continue to gain momentum for their combination of 70s funk and more current inclusion of synth-beats. Led by the falsetto of singer Stephen Kilroy, Middle Distance Runner hails from Washington DC. After two years in the industry, the group has gained major recognition for their layered indie rock with the release of singles such as “The Sun and the Earth” and this week’s Freshmen entry “The Unbeliever.” Never Yet Contested is another artist emerging from the Brooklyn scene; an emcee who is dedicated to an old school hip-hop style on his first album In Retrospect. Originally members of other groups, Telepathe started as a side project for members Melissa Livaudis and Busy Gangnes. They bring along guitarist Ryan Licero on their heavy synth-laden album Dance Mother. With a voice that speaks of a weariness beyond his years, William Elliot Whitmore continues to champion the bluegrass sound with his fifth LP Animals in the Dark.

Chin Chin

“Go There With You”

What I enjoy about this group most of all is the way they really embody a wide variety of inspiration, anything from big band to funkadelic soul, and mesh them all together in a unique cohesive way that works. The video is essentially reflective of this as well. The Ginger Rodgers/Fred Astaire vibe set against a modern animation-type background (which seems to be popular in indie videos these days), reflects the group’s multi-inspirational dynamic. Plus, anyone who can include a horn section in anything deserves a check plus in my book. There are not enough horn sections these days. I do wish the video was more reminiscent of the very lively song however. After a bit, it felt like it was kind of dragging on. But overall Wilder Zoby’s soft, soothing soprano made me hang in there for the long-haul. It’s a solid base hit but I’m not sure it’s a home run. (Sorry baseball season just started. Bear with the metaphors for a hot second.)

Middle Distance Runner

“The Unbeliever”

CLAYMATION!!! As a child of the 80s, I’m a sucker for it. And Claymation that is knocking the stereotypes of the music industry is even better! Band members swigging beers, a guitarist that looks like Keith Richards, cigar-smoking producers and short-skirted girl in the booth? Classic. I’m not entirely sure why it descends into some sort of Satanic ritual but who cares cause it’s CLAYMATION! (I’m easily distracted. Also it probably has something to do with the title of the song.) Did you see the keyboard eat that guy?! Insane! Okay but in all seriousness. Excellent example of how a video can elevate a song. It’s not that the song is bad. Quite the contrary. It’s a pretty standard rock song, although it’s pretty catchy. But the video kept me highly entertained so now I will put it on my iPod. Oh that’s right. It’s that simple. And don’t pretend you didn’t fall for it either. It’s CLAYMATION.

Never Yet Contested

“I Can’t Take It/True Statement”

I think N.Y.C. has amazing potential; I’m just not sure if he’s reached his maximum strength just yet. He definitely has a way with lyrical wordplay, which I am overjoyed to see. I feel like a lot of hip-hop artists I am forced to listen to today abandon free-style for the more cookie-cutter “money, bitches, hos” nonsense and this is NOT the case here at all. You can tell he is attempting to return to a more old-school form of rap and stay true to what I believe is a purer show of its art form. None the less, this song is a little repetitive and I also feel as if the beat is drowning out the words. I want to hear more of this artist’s voice and not the extensively heavy background noise he’s got going on here. And I actually do think that it’s a compliment to say to an artist, “I want to hear more of you!” so I hope it’s taken as such. I’m excited to see more of this guy in the future and I hope he grows from the release of this album.

Telepathe

“So Fine”

I am so happy to see more indie music represented here on the Freshmen. We’re getting a pretty decent variety this week aren’t we? I kind of had a little chuckle when I watched this video. It’s another Brooklyn based band, but if you live here in New York City ten to one you would have been able to tell that already based solely on the outfits alone. It’s not a slight, merely an observation. There’s no doubt this band is super hipster (and I’m no longer sure if it’s cool to like what’s “hipster” or not) but by now you should know that I always enjoy harmonized vocalizing and I am especially digging on this ethereal-like turn female singers seem to be taking lately. Voices are softer, higher, blending in seamlessly with the instrumentation. This video is super-quirky and while I may not understand it (The beginning has this Dadaism ring to it eh? Google it.) at least it’s not boring to watch. I think it would be really interesting to see this group perform live. And THAT is definitely a hallmark of fairly solid music.

William Elliott Whitmore

“Hell or High Water”

Is that a BLUES SINGER on the Freshmen countdown?! Why yes, yes it is. I’m drawn to Whitmore because… well first off he sort of sounds like Tom Waits. Number two, I love how his gravely I-drank-too-much-whiskey-and-smoked-a-couple-packs-of-cigarettes voice is such a contrast to his appearance. If you hear the music without knowing who is singing, you sort of expect an older gentleman, bushy beard with a wise look in his eye. Right? Then, SURPRISE! There’s no doubt that this guy is one hell of a guitar player so I think the video is done right to simplify and showcase this talent. And although I am excited to see a little variety on the Freshmen and I like a little bluegrass, I’m not sure this is unique enough to sway me for pick-of-the-week.

And my pick of the week… you know what? I think the Freshmen did a pretty good job this week of representing solid musical effort and variety. So I’m not going to choose a favorite. YOU let ME know this week. How does that sound? Comments section is below. Voting is up and running. Talk to me.