Welcome to the Jukebox. This is where we share the music of artists who have peaked our interest on both the local and international scene but are not yet household names.

Today’s Band: The Submarines

How I Found Them:

For an ‘underground’ band you’ve probably heard The Submarines a lot more than you think. Two of their songs have been featured in Apple’s iPhone campaigns and their songs have also been used in television programs such Nip/Tuck, Weeds, Greys Anatomy and Gossip Girl. Like many musical gems that have become part of my collection, I learnt about them via Gnoosic (a free music recommender that I adore!)

My Thoughts/Initial Impression:

From the first moments of Submarine Symphonika I was taken back to my college days back in the gay ol’ 90’s. The hazy, sunny pop arrangement, and languid airy vocals seem tailor-made for college radio. Just one listen and your surroundings instantly relax into a lazy Sunday afternoon. I’ve heard other critics describe their sound as “timeless”, and though I think that moniker may be a bit premature, it is to their credit that their music follows no particular trend. Indeed, even though their sound reminds me of the 90’s, their styling and art direction is straight out of a 1970’s McCall’s catalog (which I adore!)

Reminds Me Of:

Liz Phair, the Brady Bunch

From their Wikipedia Entry:

Working as solo artists in Boston, the two members of the band, John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard, were introduced through a mutual friend. Dragonetti and Hazard soon became romantically involved, and toured Europe together as members of each others band. The relationship lasted for four years, but ended in the fall of 2004 when the pair moved to L.A.[1] After the break-up, both Hazard and Dragonetti continued writing songs, and because Hazard still recorded her music in Dragonetti’s home studio, the pair quickly discovered the songs they had written were about each other and their sadness in having broken up. Knowing this, the duo decided to work on a few songs together and eventually got back together. The songs that they had worked on together were mastered for the couple as a wedding present, and those tracks eventually became their first album.[2]

Band Members:

John Dragonetti & Blake Hazard
(J Stare plays the drums live)

Favorite Vid of Theirs @ The Moment:

Releases To Date:

• Declare a New State! (Nettwerk, 2006)
• Live Session (iTunes Exclusive, 2006)
• Remix EP (Nettwerk, 2006)
• For the Kids Three! Compilation (Nettwerk, 2007)
• Honeysuckle Weeks (Nettwerk, 2008)

To Learn More:

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thesubmarinesmusic
Official Site: http://www.thesubmarines.com/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Submarines