On the Turntable: Laura Stevenson and the Cans
Genre: Folk Rock
My Rating: Refreshing beats and ingenious lyrics coalesce to soothe your music soul.
Before I get down to business, I just want to ask: did you watch the Grammys?! Kudos to Bon Iver for winning “Best New Artist” and “Best Alternative Album;” although, you’ve probably been listening to them since 2008, so this all comes as no surprise, amirite?
Anyway, getting back on track. I don’t want to take the spotlight away from the incredible talent that is Laura Stevenson and the Cans. I heard about this group from an indie-music savvy coworker, #thanksKellyVanClief, and I’m so stoked to pass this band on to you!
Laura Stevenson, a native of Nassau County, N.Y., grew up loving music, but didn’t realize she would be as successful at creating it until she began playing guitar and writing her own songs when she went off to college. In 2005, while performing as a keyboardist with indie band Bomb the Music Industry!, Stevenson began piecing together her own band, and formed Laura Stevenson and the Cans.
This band creates their unique niche in the music world in part by the number of unusual instruments they combine, including an accordion and a trumpet. More frequently, Stevenson’s vocals are accompanied by the thoughtful strumming of an acoustic guitar. Songs “Master of Art” and “The Pretty One” are so inexplicably refreshing and beautiful; they make me want to sing along, even though I don’t know all the words and I’m certifiably tone-deaf.
Anyone who can write a lyric like “meet me at the pretty lights time of day” has earned a spot in my iTunes library. Laura Stevenson and the Cans released their first album, “A Record,” back in 2008, and are currently plugging their 2011 release, “Sit Resist.”
With over 25,000 downloads and growing since they first hit the scene, Laura Stevenson and the Cans are best served shaken, not stirred.
“Master of Art” – Laura Stevenson and the Cans
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