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More Great Indie Albums of 2008: Former Happy Mondays' Guitarist KAV and His 'Band of Pirates'

It's been some time since I've had a fix of new indie and alternative rock from the UK. Here is what I have been listening to lately, most of it sent directly to me, even though the official release was in 2008.

A London band, KAV, creates blistering indie rock but their EP last spring, Blaggers and Liars, slipped under the radar in the U.S, but the UK coverage has been a virtual love affair: The UK Guardian said of KAV: "This Blagger is A Latterday Jagger." That's a bit of an over-statement, but if you like rock with attitude, you'll probably like KAV.

KAV was a guitarist and songwriter for The Happy Mondays (2004 to 2007) and wrote the title track "Playground Superstar" for Hollywood film Goal. KAV is also the man credited with creating the UK rock fest Get Loaded in The Park. This is his first solo effort backed by his 'band of pirates' that includes Dan Gulino (bass), Bobby Angels (guitar) and Jim Portas (drums). What do you think?

"Get It Done" - KAV from Blaggers and Liars EP

KAV on MySpace

Labels: Best Indie 2008

9:41 AM April 14, 2009 1 Comments

More Great Indie Albums of 2008: The Hush Now's Free Debut Album

Because so many of you demand it, I am resuming the on-going playlist/profile series, More Great Indie Albums of 2008. You can get a good sense of a band's popularity by searching its name on Google, checking their plays on music sites like MySpace and LastFM and so on. But this is no measure of so many talented artists that have yet to be discovered by the mass of indie and alternative rock music lovers.

So here's a nod to another promising band I didn't know about until they sent me a link to download their debut released last October.

Boston indie-pop quintet The Hush Now have made an indelible impression on music critics and fans with their “lush sugar-spun melodies of shoegaze’s dreamy heyday”.

The band’s self-titled debut quickly climbed the independent radio charts and drew comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, Poole and The Ocean Blue, among others.

The Hush Now's magical debut record is a boost for any band. After listening to the album more than a few times, it's hard not to appreciate its rich, layered pop songs opulent with waves of melodies and harmonies accented by memorable keyboard riffs and catchy beats.

Can't wait to hear their next release. The following songs are from their self-titled debut in October 2008. The first track, "Vancouver", is my personal favorite. If you like the band, add them on MySpace.

"Vancouver" - The Hush Now
"Traditions" - The Hush Now
"Subtle Like Bombs" - The Hush Now

Get The Hush Now's debut album for free

Labels: Best Indie 2008, The Hush Now

2:49 AM March 30, 2009 0 Comments

More Best Indie of 2008 - Born Ruffians, Annuals, Travel By Sea and More

Woahhh. Page traffic shows a good chunk of people are still very interested in hearing more great indie music from 2008. Okie dokie.

The following is a playlist of 08 indie songs featuring Born Ruffians, Annuals, Travel by Sea, Annuals, Pete and the Pirates and The Sound of Arrows.

"Badonkadonkey" - Born Ruffians from Red, Yellow and Blue (EP)

"Around Your Neck" - Annuals from Wet Zoo (EP)

"Truth Was" - Travel by Sea from Days of My Escape

"Eyes Like Tar" - Pete And The Pirates from Little Death

"A Very Sad Song" - The Sound of Arrows from Danger! (EP)

Labels: Annuals, Best Indie 2008, Born Ruffians, Pete and the Pirates, The Sound of Arrows, Travel By Sea

5:44 PM February 6, 2009 0 Comments

More '08 Indie Songs: The Very Most, Xylos, Netherfriends and more

Seems like a lot of people are still interested in collecting great songs from 2008. Therefore, here's a quick playlist featuring some of my favorite songs from 2008. Enjoy.

"Good Fight Fighting" - The Very Most from Congratulations Forever

"In The Bedroom" - Xylos from Bedrooms

"Stop Smoking Asshole Cigarettes" - Netherfriends from Feathers & Dots E.P

"Bag of Hammers" - Thao from We Brave Bee Stings and All

"Ordinary Song" - The Little Ones from Morning Tide

Check out more great indie songs from 2008

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Songs

8:18 AM January 27, 2009 2 Comments

Better Late Than Never: Cut Off Your Hand's 08 Release You and I

Alright, so I always hated the name of this band.

That said, Cut Off Your Hands makes some great music and they've really gained a following of loyal fans. Like many others, I completely missed their 2008 release, You and I, which is strangely similar to one of the most acclaimed albums, You and Me by The Walkmen.

So if you missed it to, it's definitely worth checking out. A late recommendation yes, but if you like their previous releases, you're almost sure to like You and I.

"Happy As Can Be" has a driving new wave type of beat rounded out with soaring choruses and shimmering keyboards. The band's sound is definitely pop rock that is somewhat reminiscent of Kaiser Chiefs, especially on the song "Expectations", which also has a mean electronica riff and definitely a song to get the girls dancing. Yet it also has a predominant rock feel to it. Check out the music video.

One of the album's best tracks "Oh Girl" has a catchy, jangle pop sound around a story about a guy obviously in love with a girl. I must be getting in the Valentine's spirit.

"Oh Girl" - Cut Off Your Hands from You and I

"Happy As Can Be" - Cut Off Your Hands from You and I

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Labels: Best Indie 2008, Cut Off Your Hands, Indie Artist/Group Profiles

10:58 AM January 25, 2009 0 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. XV

Wow, we made it to volume No. 15 in the Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008. No matter what, it'll never be a full sampling of what's out there. A few months ago we said that we were a bit disappointed by the indie releases of 2008 compared to 2007.

In a way that's still true, but the point is 2008 is turning out to be another stellar year for new indie rock albums and artists (or at least artists that somehow got under our radar in previous years).

Albums of 2008 that rise in the top echelon of our playlists include The Walkmen's You & Me (absolutely freaking amazing), The Little Ones' Morning Tide, White Denim's Workout Holiday, TV on the Radio's Dear Science and Plants and Animals Parc Avenue.

"In The New Year" by The Walkmen from You & Me

"Morning Tide" by The Little Ones from Morning Tide

"Golden Age" by TV on the Radio from Dear Science

"Sitting" by White Denim from Workout Holiday

"New Kind of Love" by Plants and Animals from Parc Avenue

Well, the holidays are upon us and folks at the cafe are busy with festivities and family and everything else that clobbers us during this time of year. This, Vol. 15, of the Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008 playlist series, may just be the last for this topic.

But check back in case we decide to belt out a couple more of these lists. If you've missed any of the previous playlists, check out the series while all the songs are still available for sampling. And if you really like something buy it as a gift for someone special or just for yourself (you're special too!).

Peace on earth (better chance once the Bush regime finally leaves) and happy holidays everyone.
Cannot resist: "Hey Bush, we've got shoes for you."

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Albums 2008, The Little Ones, The Walkmen, TV on the Radio, White Denim

6:36 PM December 17, 2008 5 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol XIV

One of our favorite indie duos that we don't write enough about is San Francisco's Mates of State. The husband and wife team of Kori Gardner (keyboard/vocals) and Jason Hammel (drums/vocals) have put out some awesome music in during the past decade and were presented to a much larger audience in recent years, especially following a 2007 feature in an AT & T commercial (ugh, we know) for their song "For The Actor".

But reaching that level of commercialism hasn't put a damper on their musical creativity as evidenced by their latest release, Re-Arrange Us, which officially came out earlier this year on Barsuk Records. The album is making many best of 2008 album lists on the web and in print. It's a great record, perhaps one of their best, which is saying a lot.

"My Only Offer" by Mates of State from Re-Arrange Us

"Our Darkest Days and Nights" by Love is Chemicals from Song of the Summer Youth Brigade

"Half Japaneez Girl" by Wild Years from Wild Yearz

"I Never Want To Go Home" by The Whigs from Mission Control

"Prickly Pear" by Woven from Designer Codes

Bonus: "No Hiding Place" by Elvis Costello from Momfuku

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Elvis Costello, Love is Chemicals, Mates of State, The Whigs

9:54 AM December 14, 2008 0 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol XIII

Yesterday we double posted some of the 'best indie songs' of 2008 that came from the first installment of this series. Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing that out. Today we promise there are no duplicates in this list, but there are more songs featured from some of our favorite indie albums of 2008.

Take British Sea Power for example. The band's album, Do You Like Rock Music?, is on the shortlist of many blogs for one of the best albums of 2008. And, it's no wonder - it's fantastic!

In an early installment of the best indie songs of 2008, we posted a song from The Ruby Suns. The album, Sea Lion, we likes so much that we're featuring another track here - "Oh, Mojave."

Sea Lion, we thinks, is one of the most overlooked best indie albums of 2008. Also featured are songs from Air France, Beach House, British Sea Power and Headlights. Enjoy and visit the bands' websites and MySpace pages for more.

"Waving Flags" by British Sea Power from Do You Like Rock Music? (sign up on BSP website for two free MP3s)

"Get Your Head Around It" by Headlights from Some Racing, Some Stopping

"Gila" by Beach House from Devotion

"Oh, Mojave" by The Ruby Suns from Sea Lion

"Collapsing At Your Doorstep" by Air France from No Way Down

Labels: Beach House, Best Indie 2008, British Sea Power

12:23 PM December 9, 2008 2 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. XII

Toronto's indie rockers Tokyo Police Club have hacked their way into the indie rock arena with stylistic chord chunks that emulate the edginess of The Strokes and the story-telling appeal of bands like The Decemberists. While their 2006 EP Lesson in Crime put Tokyo Police Club on the indie rock map, it was their 2008 album Elephant Shell that caught the attention of many fans, bloggers and the established rock media.

Apart from being featured in an Apple commercial, The Submarines released a wonderfully ambitious and enjoyable album this year, as did fellow indie artists like San Francisco's The Botticellis, Swedish indie pop sensation Lykke Li and Syracuse, New York's exuberant pop masters Ra Ra Riot.

"In A Cave" by The Tokyo Police Club from Elephant Shell

"I'm Good, I'm Gone" by Lykke Li from Youth Novel

"Old Home Movies" by The Botticellis from Old Home Movies

"You, Me & The Bourgeoisie" by The Submarines from You Me & The Bourgeoisie

"Dying Is Fine" by Ra Ra Riot from The Rhumb Line

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Indie Lists 2008, Lykke Li, Ra Ra Riot, The Submarines, Tokyo Police Club

10:58 AM December 7, 2008 3 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. XI

illustration by Sam Harang

As you read this post, IRC is putting together a playlist of some of the greatest songs of 2008 from albums that were just recently released, and a few that took some time to "come around" to. We are also starting to feature artist web links (by default to MySpace) so you can get more from your favorites.

In this installment, Volume XI of the Best Indie Songs of 2008 playlist series, we bring you stellar songs from recent releases by better known indie and alternative bands like San Francisco's The Dodos, Germany's The Notwist and Minneapolis' Cloud Cult. Also featured in this mix are songs from 2008 releases by lesser known artists such as Sweden's Moto Boy and LA's You Me & Iowa.

"Tommy Hall" by You Me & Iowa from The Adventures of You Me & Iowa - You Me & Iowa - MySpace. Another fabulous song by the band, "Dress The Stage" was featured in Vol. 5 of The Best Indie Songs of 2008 (so you know we like this band a lot!)

"Everybody Here Is A Cloud" by Cloud Cult from Feel Good Ghosts - Cloud Cult - MySpace

"Young Love" by Moto Boy from Young Love - Moto Boy - MySpace

"Good Lies" by The Notwist from The Devil, You and Me - The Notwist - MySpace

"Walking" by The Dodos (photo, right) from Visiter - The Dodos - MySpace

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Rock Songs 2008, Moto Boy, The Dodos, The Notwist, You Me and Iowa

10:48 PM December 3, 2008 0 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. X

There are so many great songs that we keep discovering from 2008 that we could do this almost continuously until the end of the year. In playlists to come we will feature Portishead, Cut Copy, M83, Secret Machines, Sigur Ros, Vampire Weekend, Girl Talk, Travis, Tilly and the Wall, Headlights, Okkervil River, British Sea Power, Lykke Li and many others.

Today's playlist of the best indie songs (in our humble opinion, of course) of 2008 features indie and alternative artists like Throw Me The Statue, The M's, Why?, Weezer, Sprengjuhollin and The Week That Was.

"The Airport Line"- The Week That Was from The Week That Was
"Lolita"- Throw Me The Statue from Moonbeams
"Big Sound" - The M's from Real Close Ones
"The Vowels, Pt. 2" - Why? from Alopecia
"The Greatest Man That Ever Lived"- Weezer from The Red Album
"Sumar i Mula"- Sprengjuhollin (photo, right) from Sprengjuhollin

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Rock Songs 2008

4:08 PM November 28, 2008 0 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. IX

Some people have asked if this series of best songs is also a representation of the best indie albums as well. The answer is yes. The songs are in no particular order, but they are favorite songs selected from each of this year's best albums. At the end of the series, we'll publish the entire list of IRC's favorite album releases of 2008.

For those of you wondering why we present only six songs at a time, it's just a format we contribute to six-packs; yup, corny, but hey, it's the music that counts.

Today's best of 2008 indie includes artists The Hush Now, Unicycle Loves You, No Age, Santogold, The Magnetic Fields and Rainbow Arabia.

"Traditions"- The Hush Now from The Hush Now
"Dangerous Decade"- Unicycle Loves You from Unicycle Loves You
"Eraser"- No Age (photo, right) from Nouns
"Starstruck"- Santogold from Santogold
"Till the Bittend"- The Magnetic Fields from Distortion
"Watchout"- Rainbow Arabia from KVRX 3x5 2008

Bonus Track: "All of My Love" American Music Club from The Golden Age

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Rock Songs 2008

11:43 AM November 24, 2008 1 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. VIII

Proving to be one of the best indie-electronica albums of 2008, Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours has received lots of praise from fans in the states and overseas, as has the band's increased visibility at various music festivals during the past two years.

The Ravonettes' 2008 album Lust, Lust, Lust from Vice Records is a big improvement over their last release in 2005, Pretty in Black.

Lust helps recreate some of the band's brilliant and brassy garage rock-pop sound from their 2003 sophomore release, The Chain Gang of Love.

Other artists featured here include The Ruby Suns, Titus Andronicus, Wool Strings and Final Fantasy.

"Feel The Love" - Cut Copy from In Ghost Colours
"No Future Part One" - Titus Andronicus (photo, right) from The Airing of Grievances
"Aly,Walk With Me" - The Ravonettes from Lust Lust Lust
"Shirley Poppy" - Wool Strings from Eardrums Autumn Compilation
"Tane Mahuta" - The Ruby Suns from Sea Lion
"The Butcher" - Final Fantasy from Spectrum, 14th Century

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Albums, Cut Copy, The Ravonettes

6:39 PM November 20, 2008 2 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. VII

Admittedly, this next installment of the Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008 contains more songs from so-called 'mainstream indie' artists. Some are indie and alternative music artists that broke through in 2008, like The Dodos and Firewater, and others, such as The Stills and The Black Keys are no strangers to the 'scene', if you will.

Even more, including Wolf Parade and Secret Machines, have gained a solid following in the more mainstream indie channels. So far, we've featured dozens of artists and bands in this series, from Ra Ra Riot and Radiohead to Hospital Ships and Fleet Foxes, to name a few.

Of course, not everyone will always like our music picks, but we try to keep it as eclectic as possible, picking up on the 'blogger buzz' as well as being uniquely independent in featuring great indie artists that are so good it's hard to believe we are one of the few indie-focused blogs that strive to be a conduit between the artist and the indie/alternative music fans. As we like to say, "awesome music rarely heard".

It's awesome when you all participate and say what you think about the choices and ones we should have included. There's still time to influence what is spun on these playlists :)

To leave any kind of feedback, click on the Comments link below (doesn't require logging in to anything and has fields to put in a name or mark anonymous).

Today's installment of the year in indie rock music features Wolf Parade, Firewater, The Stills, Secret Machines, The Dodos and The Black Keys. Enjoy.

"Soldier's Grin" - Wolf Parade from At Mount Zoomer

"Some Kind of Kindness" - Firewater from The Golden Hour

"Being Here" - The Stills from Oceans Will Rise

"Strange Times" - The Black Keys (photo, middle right) from Attack & Release

"Now You're Gone" - Secret Machines from Secret Machines

"Jodi" - The Dodos from Visiter

Most Popular Posts on IRC:

- Best Indie Rock Songs 2008 - Full series

- Indie and Alternative Christmas Songs

- Shearwater Releases New EP, Snow Leopard

- Artist of the Month: Goh Nakamura

Note: To everyone who has sent music to us recently, we do our best to listen to it all, especially when it is sent meeting the guidelines/requirements. :)

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Rock Songs 2008, Best Music 2008, Secret Machines, The Black Keys, The Dodos, Wolf Parade

3:12 PM November 19, 2008 1 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol, VI

Today's six-pack of the best indie songs of 2008 includes great tunes from artists and bands like PlusMinus, Port O'Brien, Sunfold, Hooray for Earth, The War on Drugs and MGMT (formerly Management).

If you missed any of the previous installments, check out the previous five editions.

"I Woke Up Today" - Port O'Brien (pictured above) from All We Could Do Was Sing

"Sara The American Winter" - Sunfold from Toy Tugboats

"Snowblind" - PlusMinus from Xs on Your Eyes

"Take Care" - Hooray for Earth from Hooray for Earth

"Taking The Farm" - The War on Drugs from Wagonwheel Blues

"Weekend Wars" - MGMT (pictured top right) from Oracular Spectacular

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Rock Songs 2008

9:29 AM November 18, 2008 2 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. V

Athens, Georgia eccentric indie pop band, Of Montreal

Many music sites, blogs, newspapers and magazines are publishing their best albums and songs of 2008. In all, there is a pretty good consensus on what are some of the greatest indie albums of the past year. They include releases from Radiohead, Conor Oberst, Fleet Foxes, Portishead, Okkervil River, REM and Vampire Weekend, among many others.

During IRC's Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008 on-going playlist series, we've made a deliberate effort to include songs from releases by lesser known, but equally as note-worthy, bands and artists like Goh Nakamura, The Dodos, Titus Andronicus, Mates of State, Ra Ra Riot, Magnetic Fields,The Annuals, Goh Nakamura Unicycle Love You and Afternoon Naps.

Today's Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008 - volume no. 5 - features You Me & Iowa, The Very Most, Of Montreal, Afternoon Naps, Crystal Stilts and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

"Dress The Stage" - You Me & Iowa
"Good Fight Fighting" - The Very Most
"Id Engager" - Of Montreal
"Postcard" - Afternoon Naps
"Shattered Shine" - Crystal Stilts
"Think I wanna Die" - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (photo: right)

Up Next: Port O'Brien, The War on Drugs, Hooray for Earth, Sunfold and PlusMinus. Check out the complete series of The Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008.

Labels: Afternoon Naps, Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Artists, Best Indie Rock Songs 2008, Of Montreal, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

2:13 PM November 13, 2008 0 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. IV

If you've been following this series, you know that the playlists feature an eclectic mix of artists and sounds. This next installment for our favorite indie music songs of 2008 features more 'popular' indie artists and those who remain famously yet-to-be-discovered.

You never know when you'll find you favorite new artist or song. Hopefully, you've agreed with many of our choices through this series.

"Heads Roll Off" - Frightened Rabbit from The Midnight Organ Fight

"White Winter Hymnal" - Fleet Foxes from Fleet Foxes

"Empty House" - Paper Route from Paper Route

"Lost Coastlines" - Okkervil River from The Stand Ins

"Year of the Dog" - The Lovely Sprarrows from Bury The Cynics

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Songs, Firewater, Frightened Rabbit, Okkervil River

1:34 AM November 10, 2008 4 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol III

Today's playlist featuring the best indie rock songs of 2008 arguably includes a couple of bands that are more 'mainstream'.

It's impossible not to feature Radiohead's In Rainbows. The veteran alt indie rockers' latest release has quickly become one of the most popular alternative/indie rock albums ever, and perhaps even more so because it was initially available as a free download worldwide.

Along with Radiohead, here is the latest playlist of the best indie songs of 2008 by less-known independent artists like Goh Nakamura, White Denim, Cassandra Castaway, Annuals and Love is Chemicals.

Listen to the songs by clicking on the titles. IRC supports and promotes great music by highlighting it for tens of thousands of people each month.

Please click on the link below to see IRC's MP3 policy.

"Tell Me Why" - Radiohead
"Suitcase" - Goh Nakamura
"Sitting" - White Denim
"Our Darkest Days and Nights" - Love is Chemicals
"Confessor" - Annuals
"Clytamnestra" - Cassandra Castaway

Check back for more playlists featuring the best indie rock songs of 2008 from now until the end of the year.

Related posts: Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. I and Vol. II.

Labels: Albums: In Rainbows, Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Rock Songs 2008, Radiohead

4:20 PM November 6, 2008 0 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol II

Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, nymag.com

Nowadays a lot of people think of indie rock as more mainstream that what it actually is. Hopefully, this blog does a good job in representing artists and bands that make great music.

Yet we're also suckers for great music from well known artists like Radiohead and Death Cab for Cutie, to name a couple. But most of the time, you'll find music on IRC that reflects the 'more indie' side of indie rock music.

In featuring the 'best indie rock songs' of 2008, let's be real; this is not an actual accounting of the 'best indie songs', but instead our list of the best 'indie' and alternative rock music of 2008.
IRC seeks to be an outlet for mainly unknown music that deserves to be heard by a larger audience.

There is no methodology or ranking in these best of 2008 playlists; they are simply songs released in 2008 that we think rise above the rest of the 'indie' indie music scene.

"Cape Canaveral" - Conor Oberst
"Broken Calculator" - Royal Bangs
"Can You Tell" - Ra Ra Riot
"Hawaii!" - Unicycle Loves You
"Honor Amongst Thieves" - These United States
"Sleepyhead" - Passion Pit
"Stumble In" - Sleepercar

In case you missed it, here's volume one of the Best Indie Rock of 2008. Stayed tuned, there's much more indie and alternative songs from 2008 coming up.

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Rock Songs 2008, Conor Oberst

5:54 PM November 4, 2008 0 Comments

Best Indie Rock Songs of 2008, Vol. I

We had a blast near the end of 2007 putting together the best indie rock music of the year, and from the reaction, many of IRC's regular and new visitors enjoyed the series.

This year will hopefully be no different, except there is more of an emphasis on band's whose labels are more friendly, or straight up encouraging, to offering some free music to their fans from the label sites or the artists' official websites.

Overall, 2008 didn't offer the volume and breadth that 2007 had. Nevertheless, there are plenty of album releases, and memorable songs, that emerged during the year, and worth noting.

To kick off the series, here are six songs from Tilly and the Wall, Wild Years, Tokyo Police Club, The Botticellis, Goh Nakamura and Hospital Ships.

The Best Indie 2008 series will run continuously until the end of this year, which is, as hard as it is to believe, two months shy of a new year. Let's just hope it's a better year than most of 2008 has been.

Best 2008 Indie MP3s:

"The Shots I Drank" - Hospital Ships
"Section of the Sky" - Goh Nakamura
"Old Home Movies" - The Botticellis
"In A Cave" - Tokyo Police Club
"Half Japanese Girl" - Wild Years
"Cacophony" - Tilly and the Wall

Next installment features bands and artists such as Ra Ra Riot, Unicycle Loves You, These United States, Passion Pit, Sleepercar and The Royal Bangs.

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Rock Songs 2008, Top Songs 2008

4:50 PM November 3, 2008 0 Comments

New Release: Hooray for Earth's Self-Titled Debut

Boston's Hooray for Earth is one of the most exciting breakthrough indie bands of 2008, but have yet to receive the name recognition that they very well could get in 2009.

Since their debut album in 2006, it's clear that the band's music appeals to indie fans who like like poppy, keyboard and vocal driven music. The song "Take Care" from the band's debut album is the type of songs you listen to when you're in a good mood, or want to be in a good mood.

From their newest release the song "Want Want Want" is yet another memorable song that helps solidify the band's talent and promise. There are other tracks on the band's EP Cellphone, including "Warm Out", that make us think they could be a band to watch in 2009.

MP3: "Take Care" - Hooray for Earth from
MP3: "Want Want Want" - Hooray for Earth

While the band may be labeled as a pop band, some of their songs have a clear influence of 80's style rock and new wave. To hear more, check out two additional free downloadable tracks from the band's official website and purchase the album to get all of the songs from Hooray for Earth.

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Goh Nakamura, Hooray for Earth, Hospital Ships, New Releases

9:08 PM November 1, 2008 1 Comments

New Indie Rock Songs, June 2008: The Fleet Foxes, Celestial, The Afternoons, The Mars Volta, Destroyer, The Jukebox Ghost, Tyler Ramsey and More

Summer brings the heat and long days, and with that the music industry shifts into full throttle - music concerts, tours, festivals and new releases.

It is literally impossible for any one blogger - much less a staffed music publication - to seek, listen to, review, write and post all of the great music that comes from the 'indie' music world.

So, in the spirit of supporting indie music, here is a collection of recent free MP3 songs from indie artists, including one of this year's new 'buzz' bands (and well deserved at all), The Fleet Foxes, plus Celestial, The Afternoons, The Mars Volta, Destroyer, The Jukebox Ghost, The April Skies and Band of Horses guitarist Tyler Ramsey.

MP3: "White Winter Hymnal" by The Fleet Foxes from Emerald City, Washington off the self-title debut album. Perhaps a strange title for a song premiering in the summer. Yet it is also odd to hear a song about winter time from a band that is so strongly influenced by The Beach Boys.

Of course, The Beach Boys are famous for creating some of the biggest summer time hit songs in rock history. Nevertheless, Fleet Foxes has carved out its own piece of the musical landscape, and were a favorite at this year's South by Southwest festival in Austin.

MP3: "Say Yes" by The Afternoons from Los Angeles, CA

MP3: "Wax Simulacra" by The Mars Volta from Los Angeles, CA from the album Bedlam in the Goliath

MP3: "Hope, You Know" by Celestial from Orebro, Sweden off self-titled debut

MP3: "Hold It In" by Jukebox The Ghost from Washington, DC off their debut album Let Live and Let Ghosts

MP3: "When The Leaf is Not Green" by Astrolab from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

MP3: "Madame Butterflies" by Destroyer from Vancouver, Canada. You'll need to be logged in or register to download the song.

Other 2008 Indie MP3s

MP3: "How It All Played Out" by The April Skies from Hershey, Pennsylvania off the album How It All Played Out

MP3: "Ships" by Tyler Ramsey (guitarist for Band of Horses) from Asheville, North Carolina off the album A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Ocean (Echo Mountain Records)

Note: MP3 links may expire or be removed. A label or artist who wants an MP3 link removed, see IRC's MP3 policy below. IRC encourages listeners to buy music, and attend concerts, from artists and bands they enjoy.

Increasingly, rock radio stations play 'indie rock' and more so-called indie bands and artists are getting mainstream press as the popularity of indie grows. One sign of the explosion of indie rock is the number of rock festivals that are overwhelming packed with what are mostly indie music artists and musicians.

The definition of what constitutes indie music is definitely not set in stone, and it means different things to different people, but it's generally accepted that indie music is created by bands and artists who are signed, or not signed at all, with an independent record labels.

Stay tuned to the best indie music and events by subscribing to the Feed Me Indie RSS feed.

Labels: Best Indie 2008, Fleet Foxes, MP3s, New Releases

9:25 AM June 19, 2008 1 Comments

Vampire Weekend's Free 40 Minute Studio Session on KCRW

(photo, courtesy of CrackersUnited)

Even before their 'big time' appearance on Saturday Night Live earlier this month, Vampire Weekend was one of the biggest new bands of 2008, if not the biggest new band of the year, at least as far as the 'buzz factor' goes.

Weeks leading up to the February release of their debut self-titled album on Beggar's Banquet, VW had captured the attention of bloggers, music critics and 'indie' fans, mostly due to their performances last year in concert, at music festivals and their Feb. 1st U.S. network debut on the David Letterman Show.

Vampire Weekend - Boston

Vampire Weekend - Walcott

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

(Watch and listen to Vampire Weekend play a 40-minute session clicking the video further down the page)

Many fans were disappointed by VW's performance on SNL (the string section wasn't synced with the band). Even the full-length clips of Vampire Weekend performing on SNL have been removed from YouTube; however, they have reappeared on Stereogum.

But, really, you can forget about the SNL show. Without question, it is the band's 40-minute studio session on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic this past Valentine's Day that shows Vampire Weekend at their best. Not only that, but everyone watch it. This is one of the best things about the Internet.

Die-hard fans all around the world who have been unable to see Vampire Weekend in concert should really enjoy this session. It may be the closest many come to see the band in concert, and in some cases, even better.

During the 40-minute studio performance, Vampire Weekend's band members play almost every song from their debut album. The video and audio quality, and camera work, are superb (unlike most videos on YouTube) - no screaming, background noise or shakiness. See the set list below and some lyrics.

The first set of VW's KCRW February 14, 2008 studio session features, in order played, Mansun Roof, Oxford Comma, A-Punk, Cape Cod Kawassa Kawassa and Boston

Following the first set, there is a brief and wonderfully conducted interview with the band.

During the second set the guys play Bryn, Campus, I Stand Corrected, The Kids Don't Stand and M79.

View more Vampire Weekend lyrics at their official website.

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Labels: 2008 Indie Releases, Best Indie 2008, Best Indie Artists, Indie Artist/Group Profiles, Music Sessions, Vampire Weekend