Gossip Girl Bands

Speaking of Gossip Girl, it turns out that a few of the actors and actresses are also musicians.

Little J, otherwise known as Taylor Momsen, has a new band called The Pretty Reckless, and their first single is not half bad. The girl can even sing. And keep in mind she just turned 16.

Listen: Blender



In a similar jump-up-and-down vein, Ed Westwick sings in a band called The Filthy Youth with some of his buddies from merrie olde England. Nothing to write home about, but here it is.

Listen: Boy Don't Smoke


And finally Blair Waldorf, I mean Leighton Meester, has been trying to launch a singing career for a while now. She apparently now has a record deal, and a new single called Body Control that sounds a little like Heidi Montag, Paris Hilton, and Lindsey Lohan all rolled into one. I suppose it's sort of catchy, but there's no way the video will be nearly as entertaining as Heidi's. I like the song below, which she recorded with this band Awesome New Republic. Sadly the version they decided to use on their album does not include Leighton. Ouch.

Listen: Birthday

Chester French

I first heard about Chester French when they were making waves because Kanye was all about them. These two dudes went to Harvard and just released their first album this year. This song makes me think of Gossip Girl for some reason, probably because these guys look like they just stepped out of an episode. Upper East Side or not, this song is addicting.

Listen: C'mon (On My Own)

Mpho

When I first heard about Mpho, I thought she went by MPHO, and I wondered what in the world that stood for. Turns out I'm an idiot, and that's just her name (pronounced like Mmm-poh). If you know and like Santogold, you will like this track. If you like this track, you should check out Santogold.

Listen: Box N Locks

Lightning Dust

This duo is from Canada, but that's about all they have in common with Robin Sparkles. I can't figure out how to describe this tune without throwing out about six different genres, so just have a listen.

Listen: I Knew



You can download it here for free.

Miike Snow

Miike Snow is three guys who apparently named their band after a friend and then added an i "for extra flair." Who knows.

I like this song though. Think Vampire Weekend with a little less afro and a little more synth.

Listen: Animal

The Hot Melts

If I had to pick a favorite genre of music, it would most definitely be Brit pop. My love probably stems from my high-school obsession with the Beatles, but I'm always on the lookout for a new Brit band. These guys are from Liverpool, and this song is ridiculously catchy.

Listen: Edith

Delta Spirit

So this tune isn't exactly new per se (it's from last year), but it's fairly new to me, and really that's all I mean when I say new tunes. In my history of making new tunes mixes, I only successfully made an "Actually All New New Tunes Mix" once.

I only have one other Delta Spirit song besides this gem, so I can't say much for their repertoire, but this song kind of reminds me of Cold War Kids, and them I like.

Listen: People Turn Around

Marina & the Diamonds

Marina is the artist. The Diamonds are her fans.

I have a small obsession with Marina & the Diamonds, which is appropriate since she even has a song called Obsessions. I can't even remember where I first heard about her (probably from another blog), but I promptly listened to her song Seventeen about 20 times after I first heard it.

She seems like a unique one, and her songs are like a mix of Regina Spektor and Lily Allen or something else I can't quite put my finger on. She has plenty of other fantastic tunes to choose from, but I think this is my favorite. Enjoy!

Listen: Seventeen