indie rock pop with a male vocalist-shouldn't be that hard

March 29, 2014 6:42 PM

Help me ID this indie-ish song that I heard on the radio this morning. I remember nearly nothing, though.

Ok, you've helped me do it before, so I'm coming to you again!

I heard a song on this radio station earlier today. It had an overall indie vibe. The guitar was plucky, kind of like vampire weekend. Drums in the same vein too, a bit like tUnE-yArDs. Male vocals, a bit overlaid at times so it sounded like multiple people singing. Chorus was a bunch of "aa-ooos", 2 distinct syllables. After a sort of "breakdown" with rhythmic drums, a bunch of repeating "here we go again" or "here it goes" or something vague like that.

((I checked the radio website's track list as soon as I had access to internet, but I was too late. Then I emailed the station, with no help. Please help me!))

posted by FirstMateKate to Media & Arts (17 answers total)

Maybe Bastille?
posted by threeants at 6:45 PM on March 29, 2014

Response by poster: Good guess, especially with the vocals, but not Bastille (I may or may not already love them). Sorry, it was less of an A-O, and more of an aaa-ooo, like a werewolf.

The music was less .... produced? Big? Echo-y? sounding than bastille, and more basic. Less layered.
posted by FirstMateKate at 6:56 PM on March 29, 2014

American Authors?

"Best Day of My Life"
posted by 1066 at 7:25 PM on March 29, 2014

OK Go - Here It Goes Again
posted by dgeiser13 at 7:27 PM on March 29, 2014 [1 favorite]

Phillip Phillips – Raging Fire?
posted by wemayfreeze at 8:59 PM on March 29, 2014

The Decemberists - Calamity Song?
posted by sigmagalator at 9:02 PM on March 29, 2014

The Hidden Cameras - Awoo? Lyrics don't seem to match, but hey, it's a great song (and a great band).
posted by maudlin at 9:36 PM on March 29, 2014

Riptide by Vance Joy?
posted by fearthehat at 9:37 PM on March 29, 2014 [2 favorites]

Calamity Song is what I first thought of, too.

The ah-ooos are in the bridge/ending, not the chorus, and there's not much of a breakdown, but otherwise it sounds exactly like your description. Does "the arms of the angels" ring a bell?
posted by mekily at 9:52 PM on March 29, 2014

Was it Jookabox - You Cried Me?
posted by carsonb at 10:43 PM on March 29, 2014

Royal Teeth - Wild hits a lot of your criteria: ooh-ooh-ooh type chorus, male vocals, some plucky guitar, there's a drum breakdown thing.
posted by yasaman at 12:14 AM on March 30, 2014

What about KONGOS? Maybe "I want to know" or "Come with me now"? Those don't fit exactly, but the overlaid voices comment reminded me of them.
posted by axs221 at 5:39 AM on March 30, 2014

Neon Trees' Animal?
posted by juliplease at 2:31 PM on March 30, 2014

Mason Jar by Smallpools?
posted by gemmy at 8:18 PM on March 30, 2014

Response by poster: So, none of these are it. But I'm only slightly disappointed because a lot of these I really like anway!

For the record, in case it helps further searching, Riptide by Vance Joy has been the closest so far.

Thanks for all the great new tunes!
posted by FirstMateKate at 9:30 PM on April 2, 2014

I think I know this!

Another Story by the Head and the Heart? The aaa-ooos are near the end.

Other ideas:
The Only One by John Butler Trio?

Wild shot in the dark: Wild Country by Wake Owl.
posted by peep at 10:47 AM on April 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

Could it be Wild Child by Brett Dennen?
posted by jouir at 5:59 PM on April 3, 2014