Durham, North Carolina indie folk pop band Bombadil first got my attention last year with their stunning full-length debut A Buzz, A Buzz - making it one of my favorite indie albums of 2008. Bombadil's latest release, Tarpits and Canyonlands, is an impressive follow-up, full of rich pop heavy songs on Ramseur Records.

Formed March 2005 when guitarist Bryan Rahija and bassist Daniel Michalak were studying abroad in Bolivia. Drummer James Phillips joined Bombadil in 2007. The band described their latest album as "a joyful document that celebrates all the flaws and sorrows of the human condition while capturing the whimsy, spirit, and charm that has enabled the band to win over fan after fan on a relentless four-year tour."

Bombadil has open for bands like The Avett Brothers and Langhorne Slim and performed at Bonnaroo in addition to being featured in Paste Magazine, The Washington Post and New York Magazine.

"Honeymoon" - Bombadil from Tarpits and Canyonlands (2009)

"Kuala Lumpur" - Bombadil from Tarpits and Canyonlands (2009)

More About Bombadil

Biggest musical influences: Velvet Underground, Manu Chao, The Kinks, Elliott Smith.

Favorite albums: Led Zeppelin - III; James Brown - Live at the Apollo; Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die

Favorite songs ever: "Bring it On Home to Me" - Sam Cooke

Official website: www.bombadilmusic.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/bombadil

Chicago indie band Shadows On A River originally played together as college students at Milkin University in Decatur as The Infinity Room, and once opened for Pedro The Lion. Following graduation, the band split up but recently regrouped to record their new debut self-titled album featuring strange and earnest art rock.

Lead singer/songwriter and guitarist David Henson lists "self doubt" as his main musical influence and compares the band's sound to Elliott Smith, Radiohead and Mt Eerie. Henson's favorite song is "Unravel" by Bjork and his favorite albums are The Glow pt 2 by the Microphones and Kid A by Radiohead.

"In The Water" - Shadows On A River from s/t debut (2009)
"Hurricanes" - Shadows On A River from s/t debut (2009)

Labels: In Dee Mail, Indie Artist/Group Profiles