So far, 2010 is looking like a great year for indie and alternative rock.
New Posts and Playlists
Best New Releases of the Week: Drive By Truckers, ...SXSW 2010 Bands to See, Vol. I: Black Rebel Motorc...
Best New Releases of the Week, Part Two: Broken Be...
Best New Releases of the Week, Part One: The Morni...
RIP: Artists Remember Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse...
Band of the Week: Dark Dark Dark Has New EP, Sopho...
New Music from The Pass, Secret Cities, City Light...
Singer and Songwriter Spotlight Series Vol. V - Ic...
Best New Releases of the Week, Part II: Twin Tiger...
Best New Releases of the Week, Part I: Rogue Wave,...
Dig The Music Archives
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
- September 2008
- October 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- April 2009
- May 2009
- June 2009
- July 2009
- August 2009
- September 2009
- October 2009
- November 2009
- December 2009
- January 2010
- February 2010
- March 2010
Recent Comments
indie music news //
8:02 AM kimberlee morrison //
11:27 AM
Hoshi //
12:46 AM Erin //
11:59 AM
Australian rock band Children Collide. (photo from LifeLounge)Every once and a while a band blasts out of Australia and lands on U.S. soil to make their mark on the rock scene. Melbourne's Children Collide first blazed a smoking trail on rock radio Down Under that is still smoldering. Now, as they wrap up their first-ever, and from all accounts, successful, U.S. tour this month, the band is gearing up for next month's Australian tour with Jane's Addiction.
The band's new album, The Long Way, was released last month in the U.S. Children Collide got their first real exposure in the U.S. at 2007's South By Southwest conference in Austin. The band has been compared to Nirvana, Fugazi, Sonic Youth and The Vines, among other popular rock bands.
The Long Way was produced by Dave Sardy (Dandy Warhols, Oasis, Wolfmother, Jet) and so far its lead single, "Social Currency", has been played more than 125,000 times on the band's MySpace page. Children Collide's publicist describes the "disco-political" track as "a slap in the face to the pseudo-cool club kids with a dose of rock-n-roll reality." Other notable songs on the album include the riveting "Chosen Armies", the catchy "Brave Robot" and the dark appeal of "Skeleton Dance". The album was originally released in Australia last fall.
While alternative rock has suffered a setback in recent years - partly due to the saturation of indie pop - band members Johnny MacKay (vocals/guitar), Heath Crawley (bass) and Ryan Caesar (drums) are doing their part to keep it alive and kicking.
"Social Currency" - Children Collide from The Long Way (2009)
"Chosen Armies" - Children Collide from The Long Way (2009)
Check out Children Collide on MySpace and a new 'how-you-want-to-see-it' video of "Chosen Armies" from the official website for Children Collide.
The band's upcoming shows:
June 26 - Philadelphia, PA - Khyber
June 27 - Allston, MA - Harpers Ferry
June 28 - New York, NY - Mercury Bar
June 29 - Washington, DC - DC9
Note: Yes, it is true, according to the band's MySpace page, that they are signed with a major label. As I have made clear in the past, sometimes there are great bands and musicians who are a product of, or a purchase of, a major label. It is not logical to simply toss away a great band for that reason alone (yet it's still like 'ah, duuuuuude.'). Now that the major label's are creating or funding dozens of smaller, "independent" labels, it will become harder and harder to make this distinction.
That said, at the end of the day, the best music, in my opinion, is created by independent labels and unsigned musicians and bands. Rarely do they does it stay that way once outsiders start meddling and dictating. Part of this blame goes to the bands and artists themselves; for example, The Decemberists. So, again, it's a complicated issue all around. Few things in life are ever "all good".
Submit Your Music Get the IRC Feed IRC on WeAreHunted
For garage rock lovers who dig 1970s classic guitar rock with plenty of slow jams - meaning longer songs - the brand new release from Weird Owl is worth checking out.On the whole, there are some solid rock songs on this album, but Weird Owl would do even better to instill more variation in their songs. Hopefully the next release will see Weird Owl step it up and break out more. They have the elements to make more captivating rock like The White Stripes and The Strokes.
As one EMusic observer put it, there is "much needed personality to the sleepy locomotion of the songs." That quote hits it on the head. But still, this is a decent debut rock album for music lovers inclined to a chilled out experience heavy on electric ooze.
"Do What Th' Owl Wilt" - Weird Owl from self-titled debut
"Skeletelepathic" - Weird Owl from self-titled debut
Stream more songs at Weird Owl's MySpace page. *
* Just a minor note to the band: The page background color makes it really hard to read stuff.
Other posts this week:
New Indie Rock Songs from Throw Me The Statue and Papercuts - 2/20/09
More Best Indie Albums of 2008: Person Pitch by Panda Bear - 2/19/09
M. Ward's New Release 'Hold Time' - 2/18/09
Laura Gibson Artist Profile and Upcoming Release - 2/16/09...plus, new releases from Ben Kweller, Bishop Allen and The Decemberists (2/12/09).
Labels: 2009 Releases, Alternative Rock, Weird Owl
Submit Your Music Get the IRC Feed IRC on WeAreHunted
five million times on YouTube alone in just one week!
Few bands were as successful and influential during the post-grunge explosion of alternative rock during the mid-1990's as was Weezer.
The band's eponymous self-titled "Blue Album" debut in 1994 made them a near-overnight sensation, helped along by a series of enormously popular MTV music videos. Critics and fans were instantly attracted to Weezer's refreshing, yet somewhat geeky and poppy brand of alternative rock music.
Soon after the release of the "Blue Album", Hollywood legend Spike Jonze directed the group's first hit video, "Undone (The Sweater Song)", featuring films of the band spliced with scenes from the generational hit TV series Happy Days. The "Undone" music video put the band on a nearly endless rotation on MTV for months.
Other songs from the debut album, including hits like "Buddy Holly" and "Say It Ain't So", dominated college radio station playlists, and even seeped into the otherwise "cookie-cutter" rock radio markets from Los Angeles to London and New York to Melbourne.
Now, 14 years since their historic "Blue Album" debut, Weezer - with only a couple of original band members remaining and large gaps in the creation of new material - have released their long awaited new release.
The self-titled "Red Album" (aka, #6) was officially released this week. Already, "Red" has received largely positive reviews from the music press, bloggers and fans, following months of anticipation, rumors, leaks and wild speculation.
The following are new MP3s from "Red".
MP3: "Pork & Beans" by Weezer from the new "Red Album"
MP3: "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" by Weezer from "Red Album"
MP3s are not guaranteed to work and have been provided by the blog Quick Before it Melts - the hint is in the name. If you enjoy these songs, definitely show your love and purchase the band's albums whichever way you obtain your music - whether via an online music service or by visiting your local record shop.
The limited Deluxe Edition of "Red" contains four bonus tracks with a special digipak featuring a deluxe booklet of lyrics, photos, liner notes and the band members' thoughts about the new songs.
Red Album Track Listing (from Geffen Records):
1 - Troublemaker 2:45
2 - The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn) 5:52
3 - Pork And Beans [Album Version] 3:11
4 - Heart Songs 4:06
5 - Everybody Get Dangerous 4:03
6 - Dreamin' 5:12
7 - Thought I Knew 3:02
8 - Cold Dark World 3:51
9 - Automatic 3:08
10 - The Angel And The One/Non Musical Silence 6:46
11 - Miss Sweeney [Bonus Track] 4:02
12 - Pig [Bonus Track] 4:03
13 - The Spider [Bonus Track] 4:43
14 - King [Bonus Track] 5:11
Interestingly enough, MTV has named Weezer the "Buzzworthy Artist of the Week" (for June 2, 2008) and produced a series of video clips (see below) to celebrate the band's new release.
Yet, in 1997, MTV pretty much abandoned the "Weezer sound" after years of a mutually rewarding relationship by changing its format to embrace the emerging popularity of hip-hop.
The legendary AllMusic Guide summed it up by describing how Weezer's sophomore album, Pinkerton, failed to generate the enthusiastic response that "Blue" had, and "MTV and modern rock radio had withdrawn their support not only to Weezer, but their style of guitar-driven punk-pop in general."
Years after its release, Pinkerton - now considered a classic by some hardcore Weezer fans - was unearthed by a new generation of so-called 'emo' lovers, and "their audience grew despite not having a new album in the stores" for five long years (until 2001's "Green Album" and the 2002 release of Maladroit).
Following Maladroit, the band set off for another hiatus (releasing only one mediocre album Make Believe in 2005 that contained the mainstream radio single "Beverly Hills") consumed by side projects. The temporary parting of ways by the band members fueled speculation that the band had broken up.
Weezer has certainly gone through a metamorphosis since 1994, yet the release of the "Red Album" is proof that the band can still deliver a quirky and unique brand of alternative rock to the pleasure of long-time fans while also appealing to a new generation of media saturated music lovers.
Here are some more great Weezer links:
- Watch the official Making of the "Pork & Beans" Video on MySpace
- MTV's collection of 13 Weezer video and music clips
- AllMusic Guide's in-depth Weezer biography
- YouTube video of "Island in the Sun", directed by Spike Jonez
- Weezer.com
- Weezer's official MySpace page
Labels: 2008 Releases, Alternative Rock, New Releases, Red Album, Weezer
Submit Your Music Get the IRC Feed IRC on WeAreHunted
With the #1 album in the U.S. and other markets around the globe, Radiohead has probably received more attention from the mainstream music press and the music blogs worldwide than any other band in the past six months. And it was no accident.Radiohead broke out and totally embraced rock fans in a revolutionary way, initially having released their classic album In Rainbows on the Internet last fall and allowing fans to decide how much they were willing to pay for and download it. (However, now you have to buy the album, but it is arguably worth it.)
Through such innovative marketing and distribution techniques, like free and name-your-price offerings of its music, specially packaged disc sets by the band members (and not a major label) and live webcasts (such as last evening's London webcast at radiohead.tv).
In addition, by setting up and regularly updating pages on various social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, Radiohead has made In Rainbows not just one of the most important albums of 2007 and 2008, but perhaps one of the decade's best albums of all.
Not only is the band remaining relevant 15 or so years after rising to fame with releases like Creep, The Bends and OK Computer, band members Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar), Ed O'Brien (guitar, vocals), Jonny Greenwood (guitar), Colin Greenwood (bass), and Phil Selway (drums) are pursuing all kinds of multimedia projects using the Internet and pushing the envelope in ways to reach fans and attract new fans as well.
But at the end of the day, the evidence is in the music. If In Rainbows sucked, it wouldn't have mattered how much the band and their two new labels promoted it. The band decided to sign on with TBD and XL Records, ditching EMI after a failed reunion with their former label.
Thom was so enraged by "lies" about what went on 'behind the scenes' that led to the rift with Radiohead and EMI, and wrote this semi-rant on the band's blog right after Christmas (left all of Thom's own writing style):
we did not ask for a load of cash from our old record label EMI to re- sign. that is a L I E.However, the release is historic - on the level that The Bends was - and not only put Radiohead back on the rock map, it also has made their music available to a new generation of fans around the world.
The Times in the UK should check its facts before it prints such dirt.
whAT we WANTED WAS some control over OUR WOrK and how it was used in the future by them-that seemed REASONAblE to us, as we cared about it a great deal.
Mr Hands was not interested. So neither were we.
We made the sign of the cross and walked away. Sadly.
We are extremely upset that this crap is being spread about.
To bedigging up such bullshit, or more politely airing yer dirty laundry in public,
seems a very strange way for the head of an international record label to be proceeding.
On a happier note we took no 'BRead-HEAd' advances at all from both independent labels XL and TBD for our new record.
So judge for yourself.
AND we are really excited to be working with them. SHock!
AT least they do not behave like confused bulls in a china shop.
much love - Thom
It seems like every other day the band is releasing some new material, reworked and remastered recordings, announcements of concerts, alerts of new videos and live webcasts, such as the one the band performed last evening.There was some confusion from fans in London who showed up at the Liverpool area Rough Trade shop for live, first-come, first-serve performance only to find that the location had been moved next door to the venue 93 Feet East.
Here's what Thom wrote on the RH blog about the change:
On the advice of the police and the local council, it was decided to change the venue to the larger one in the interests of public safety and due to the size of the crowd that turned up for the event. Rough Trade and the band apologise for any inconvenience caused.
While there is no official word yet on whether the webcast from last evening will be replayed, or available in full anywhere on the web, here are some great links to RH music, videos, news and more. As soon as we find the webcast, you will too. If you're not subscribed via a feed reader, choose one now or pick the ATOM or RSS plain feed.
Also, news is coming up soon about Radiohead's 2008 concert and festival tours. While no specific dates have been set, some of the 20 or so U.S. cities include Chicago, Boston and New York and San Francisco. (really!?!)
More Radiohead Links:
Contest: Contribute to Radiohead's BuzzNet rainbow and enter to win a special edition of In Rainbows.
Watch: Radiohead play In Rainbows via the AT&T BlueRoom concert and festival series.
Visit: In Rainbows website put together by Radiohead and their new official TBD Records label
Coming Soon: Music Choice will be airing the Best of Radiohead on cable from January 21 to February 3, 2008 in a tribute to the band. For more information on how to tune in, check out the Music Choice website.
Watch: Check out this YouTube clip of "Videotape" from the recent Scotch Mist performances.
Subscribe to this feed to stay updated on the latest and greatest in indie and alternative rock.
Labels: Albums: In Rainbows, Alternative Rock, ATT Webcasts, Best Alternative 2007, Best Indie 2007, Online Music, Radiohead
Submit Your Music Get the IRC Feed IRC on WeAreHunted
Older Posts
