Indie Rock Cafe

Songs About New York City, Mix I: Lou Reed, Conor Oberst, Billy Joel, Jay Z, Cat Power, Stars and More

2009-07-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

New York City has been a mecca for popular music going all the way back to Harlem's Cotton Club and greats like Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, Elvis on The Ed Sullivan Show, the rise in popularity of rhythm and blues, the folk rock movement of the early 1960s, spurred largely by Bob Dylan, followed by The British Invasion (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Kinks) and Fillmore East and psychedelic rock, the advent of funk and soul, disco and Studio 54, and successive waves of the punk, pop, rock, rap, hip hop, indie and the list goes on and on. Whatever music genre you're looking for - from acid jazz to shoe gaze, Mississippi blues to garage rock, city-slicked bluegrass to Broadway musicals, New York, the world's music capital, has it all.

From The Velvet Underground to The Ramones, Billie Holiday to Simon and Garfunkel, The Strokes to Animal Collective the list of iconic New York musicians and bands is mind-boggling, but not more so then the sheer number of songs recorded in the past nearly 100 years that reference New York in some way, either in the track title or song lyrics.

In this first installment of three special playlist mixes, IRC features some of our favorite songs about NYC. This mix is an extension of the popular State of Music playlist mixes, an on-going series that has focused mostly on songs that are about the 50 states. In time, there will be more mixes of songs about cities around the U.S. and the world. But right now it's New York time.

"NYC, Gone, Gone" - Conor Oberst from Conor Oberst (2008)

"Walk On The Wild Side" - Lou Reed from Transformer (1972)

"New York State Of Mind" - Billy Joel from Turnstiles (1976)

"Hello Brooklyn" - Jay Z and Lil Wayne from American Gangster (2007)

"New York City Heat" - Dead Heart Bloom from Chelsea Diaries (2007)

"The Last Tango In Brooklyn" - Frightened Rabbit from TLB4 CD2 (2009)

"Piazza, New York Catcher" - Belle & Sebastian from Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003)

"Fairy Tale Of New York" (Pogues Cover) - Stars from Your Ex-Lover Is Dead (2005)

"Brooklyn" - Creaky Boards from Brooklyn is Love (2008)

"New York, New York" - Cat Power from Jukebox (2008)

"New York City" - They Might Be Giants from Factory Showdown (1996)

"Harlem Sunrise" - Rainbow Arabia from Kabukimono (2009)

"Chelsea Hotel" - Leonard Cohen from So Long, Marianne (1999)

"New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" - LCD Soundsystem from Sound of Silver (2007)

"Brooklyn" - Blue Train from No Free Lunch (2002)

Stay tuned for more New York and other geographic-specific playlist mixes.

Blind Man's Colour Release Summertime Single Ahead of Debut Album

2009-06-27T01:31:00.001-07:00

Since last winter when IRC named Florida indie band Blind Man Colour's a "band to watch" (and our post was linked to by Kayne West) BMC has had quite a trip. With Kayne's endorsement, the 19-year-old duo of Kyle Wyss and Orhan Chettri, quickly became a buzz band on the web and within weeks signed a record deal with Kanine Records.

The guys recently announced that they will release their debut album, Season Dreaming, August 18. The album title is the original title of BMC's self-produced and released demos that I had the pleasure to hear earlier this year. The song "Cloud Hustle" is a blast and perfect for a summertime playlist. Enjoy.

"Cloud Hustle" - Blind Man's Colour from Season Dreaming (2009)

Bonus Track: "Jimmy Dove"

A Tribute In Memory of Michael Jackson - Sunghu Jung's Cover of 'Billie Jean'

2009-06-26T03:39:00.000-07:00

There will be tens and hundreds of thousands of tributes worldwide to the memory of Micheal Jackson in the coming days and weeks. Whether you loved him, were not sure about him or plain hated him*, that's totally fine.

This video, featuring the You Tube semi-celebrity Sungha Jung, is a fitting tribute to the memory of The King of Pop. This is a live instrumental performance of "Billie Jean" recorded this past April at Church Glessen in Rodgen, Germany.

Also, check out Coverville - Podcast featuring Micheal Jackson cover songs

Video of Ambulance Taking Michael Jackson From His Bel Air Residence Today Hours Before Pronounced Dead; Last Photo of Jackson

2009-06-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

Just in: Photo of Michael Jackson apparently dead as paramedics try to revive him on ambulance stretcher

Michael Jackson is dead. Above is authentic video from Hollywood.TV of ambulance taking Michael Jackson from his Bel Air home today shortly before he was pronounced dead. Micheal Jackson entertained hundreds of millions of people around the world from Jackson 5 to the biggest selling album ever - Thriller. It sold more copies worldwide than any record in history.

Update (6/26/09 10:11 am PST): The 911 call that Michael Jackson was unconscious and not breathing.

Update: Watch A Tribute to The Memory of Michael Jackson by brilliant guitarist Sunghu Jung performing an acoustic instrumental cover of "Billie Jean".

Jackson was to start a sold out 50 show comeback in London on July 13. The special 25 year re-issue of Thriller by Michael Jackson, featuring remastered tracks and added other popular Jackson hits collection is #1 right now on Amazon.

How Michael Jackson died will not be official until the coroner and toxicology reports are released. Toxicology reports can take up to three weeks to complete. The address of where Jackson was living is 100 N. Carolwood Dr., Bel Air, Los Angeles, Ca. 90077.

Micheal Jackson's body has just been airlifted by helicopter (see video below) to the coroner's office for autopsy.

Check back later for updates. Wow, TMZ scooped the world media more than an hour before the official press - like Associated Press and LA Times - that Michael Jackson had died.

The UK Guardian has just published a 50 photo spread of Micheal Jackson featuring photos of the King of Pop from childhood to recent.

In Dee Mail: Montreal's Bad Flirt's 'Virgin Talk' is Among Top Canadian Albums of 2009

2009-06-25T01:35:00.000-07:00

Montreal's Bad Flirt play high-energy pop rock that some critics have said put them on track to challenge Metric's reign as the city's top female-vocalist fronted band.

Bad Flirt had some big-time help for their latest album, Virgin Talk, bringing on producer Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade) to help guide the band's sound and recording.

Armed with an acoustic guitar, some drum loops and a Greyhound bus pass, Bad Flirt was once just a solo project for singer/songwriter Jasamine White Gluz. She dove into the burgeoning Montreal scene in 2002 quickly, a then small but vibrant community. This was during the same embryonic period that yielded the scene's indie pop ambassadors Arcade Fire, The Unicorns and Stars.

Bad Flirt has opened for bands like The Thermals, Paramore and The Kills. Last year, the band headlined Toronto's Virgin Fest alongside MGMT and Foo Fighters. Bad Flirt will be performing at a number of festivals in July, including Rock The Coliseum Festival in Mississauga, Le Cercle (Festival D’Ete De Quebec) and Le Téléphone Rouge (off Fete Du Lac Festival).

Although Virgin Talk is a keeper LP, it's not the blockbuster release needed to truly threatened Metric's throne as Montreal's top female-vocalist fronted band. Still, the album contains some standout tracks such as "Hiroshima" and "Mad, Mad Madeleine World". The former song, with over 30K plays on the band's MySpace page, is the most requested song from Virgin Talk so far.

"Hiroshima, Mon Frere" - Bad Flirt from Virgin Talk (2009)

"Mad, Mad, Madeleine World" - Bad Flirt from Virgin Talk (2009)

Australia's Alternative Rockers Children Collide Nearing End of First U.S. Tour

2009-06-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

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

Children Collide - 'Social Currency'

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".

Band to Watch: Charlotte, NC's Indie Garage Rockers Coma League

2009-06-23T01:37:00.001-07:00

Coma League is a Charlotte indie band consisting of singer and guitarist Ben Gelnett and drummer Kevin Markie. The duo began playing together last year and the style that emerged is a metamorphosis of garage rock, blues, lo-fi, alternative and folk as evidenced by their debut EP, This Could Be The Night on Kinnikinnik Records. Bassist Blake Raynor of The Stone Figs recently joined the band to play live gigs and work on the band's first full-length album.

Coma League's sound reminds me of The Format and even Modest Mouse, which isn't much of a surprise since they list the latter as one of their main musical influences, in addition to Elliott Smith and Bug Hummer. When performing live, Gelnett likes to classify the band's genre of music as "crunk punk".

"Pros and Cons" - Coma League from This Could Be The Night EP (2009)

"Kiser Rolls" - Coma League from This Could Be The Night EP (2009)

Monday Music Mix: 2009 Indie Songs from Passion Pit, The Ravonettes, Fanfarlo, A Lull and More

2009-06-22T03:12:00.000-07:00

The popular indie band Passion Pit.

One of the most popular new indie albums out right now is Passion Pit's Manners. After the band's Bonnaroo performance, and helped along by positive press, YouTube videos and other social media channels, Passion Pit is on the crest of a wave in popularity.

Also included in today's Monday Music Mix is a new demo from mystic rock band The Ravonettes, plus select picks off new albums by London's wildly popular alt pop band Fanfarlo (get their new album for $1 until July 4), Chicago's new and alluring experimental indie pop band A Lull, and more from Idles of Space, Lost Into The Trees and Pretty Balanced.

"Moth's Wings" - Passion Pit from Manners

"Last Dance" (demo) - The Raveonettes, demo only

"Luna" - Fanfarlo from Reservior

"Skinny Fingers" - A Lull from Ice Cream Bones

"Black Ice" - Ohbijou from Beacon

"Past Midnight" - Idles of Space from Sleeping Fractures

"Fireplace" - Lost In The Trees from All Alone in An Empty House

"Prosthetic Face Mixdown" - Pretty Balanced from Scarlet Starlet

In Dee Mail: Ireland's Herm Releases Quirky, Dark Album 'Monsters'

2009-06-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

Herm might not be the best moniker for a relatively unknown but talented musician, but the one man band comprised of Dubliner Kevin Connolly has already made his mark with a debut album of contemporary, in-your-face indie pop that includes some sweet indie gems.

Herm's debut album, Monsters, features a collection of crafty songs that are as diverse in sound as they are brilliant in production. The opening track, "That Way", sounds like a song that belongs in a modern western film with its choruses of "bah-ooh" that sounds like Johnny Cash wrangling with Built To Spill.

Just when you think the cavalry might come galloping in to save the day, the next song, "Heads" the first UK radio single from the album, delivers a cheerful and bouncy contrast. But the bopping sound of "Heads" cleverly disguises its otherwise odd lyrics that seem to suggest cannibalism. It even seems as if the subject himself finds solace in his own demise, if that's what this is all about:

“Step one rub me down with grease
step two cook me in the fire
Step three; cut me into pieces
eat me when I’m done”

With its nearly irresistible charm enhanced by the music video (below), "Heads" manages to have a quirky appeal that makes it memorable and refreshing.

Monsters, which was recorded over several months in various abodes around Ireland, takes the listener on a journey through changing landscapes of styles, from quirky pop to saddle-slapping blues, and emotions, from anger to gloom.

In April, the track, "Year Of The Horse" received an honorable mention in the prestigious International Song Competition. That's an impressive accomplishment considering the judges themselves included rock legends Ray Davies of The Kinks, Robert Smith of The Cure and Tom Waits.

The track "Rosemary" is a bright, upbeat song, but like "Heads" apparently masks
a more disturbing and confused message. At once he's talking about some girl that "never looked so good" as when she is "screwing someone else" but it "makes me so mad." While Herm's music can be infectious at times, the content of his messages are dark. Other times it's hard to know what he's trying to say. Are these metaphors we have here or just muddled lyrics?

Some of the songs were recorded with The Hermanos, a band Connolly still performs with at live shows. Apparently, when Connolly went solo, he shortened Hermanos (which means brothers in Spanish) to Herm.

Monsters, while it has its faults (mostly a lack of an overall concept), is still an excellent debut album, especially considering it was written, performed and produced by a relatively new and unknown singer-songwriter. It'll be interesting to see where Herm's journey takes him next.

"Heads" - Herm from Monsters (2009)

"Year Of The Horse" - Herm (with Nina Hynes) from Monsters (2009)

"The Way" - Herm from Monsters (2009)

Influences: Tom Waits, Pavement, White Stripes, Beck, Radiohead
Favorite albums: Tom Waits' Bone Machine, The Beatles' Abbey Road, Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain.

Names in Songs Mix: Indie Tunes From AmAnSet, Wool Strings, M83, Ben Folds and More

2009-06-20T01:40:00.000-07:00

"Annie & Marie" - American Analog Set from Know By Heart (2001)

Free Zip of Demos from AAS

"Kim & Jessie" - M83 from Saturdays=Youth (2008)

"Shirley Poppy" - Wool Strings from A Good Crop compilation (2008)

"Omar K" - Rainbow Arabia from The Basta (2008)

"Michael, The Lone Archer Of The North Shore" - Deastro from Keepers (2008)

"Annie Waits" - Ben Folds from Rockin The Suburbs (2001)

"Lolita" - Throw Me The Statue from Moonbeams (2008)

"Oh Napoleon" (Live) - The Acorn from Glory Hope Mountain (2007)

"Mary Or Mephisto" - Andy Grooms Living Room from Grateful To Burn (2008)

"Jak" - The Throwing Muses from Firepile #2 (1992)

In Dee Mail: France's Garage Rock Band Kid Bombardos Are A Band to Watch

2009-06-19T04:37:00.000-07:00

Three young French brothers and a friend took their love of rock music and an ode to their boxing champion great grandfather to form the indie rock band Kid Bambardos in their hometown of Bordeaux in 2006. In no time, the band acquired an enthusiastic response from the local music scene.

The band is bassist Thomas Martinelli, 21, vocalist, keyboardist and guitarist Vincent Martinelli, 18, drummer Simon Martinelli, 16, and their childhood friend David Loridan, 19, on guitar, keyboards and vocals.

Kid Bombardos demonstrate a musical maturity beyond their years yet possess a refreshing, catchy sound that is hard to ignore. Plus, they sing in English, and very well at that. Yet they are practically unknown outside of France even though they opened for Vampire Weekend and Hushpuppies.

It's not surprising that Kid Bombardos music is repeatedly compared to The Strokes' early music. Afterall, it was The Strokes, the band says, as well as The White Stripes, The Velvet Underground, The Kinks, Brian Jonestown Massacre and other bands that drove their passion and commitment to make their own special brand of power pop garage rock.

The following music video "I Round The Bend" demonstrates Kid Bombardos' fascination with boxing (their MySpace page is full of boxing artwork) but it is also among their most popular songs. Call me crazy, but on this song Vincent's voice reminds me of Editors' singer Tom Smith. And check out the awesome alternative acoustic version of the song below.

"I Round The Bend" - Kid Bombardos from I Round The Bend (2009)

"I Round The Bend" (Tahiti acoustic version) - Kid Bombardos from I Round The Bend (2009)

Even though they call their music garage indie rock, the guys blend various influences including elements of gypsy, jazz, pop, rock and even punk. One good example of this blending is found on the song "I'm Gonna Try". The tune starts of with a modern twist on classical Spanish guitar and progressively accelerates into a spirited, raucous jam. All things considered, Kid Bombardos have already made their mark on indie rock. Few bands can do that with just an EP.

"I'm Gonna Try" - Kid Bombardos from I Round The Bend (2009)

Bonus Track: "Love Song For High Kids" - Kid Bombardos

Watch the band perform an acoustic version of the song "Turnin' Round".

Kid Bombardos MySpace page

New Indie Rock Songs from Foreign Born's Upcoming Sophomore LP 'Person To Person'

2009-06-18T01:58:00.000-07:00

LA indie rock band Foreign Born will release their sophomore album Person To Person next week on the Secretly Canadian record label. Here are two great songs from the album to add to your summer playlist mix. The LP could be one of the biggest indie releases of the year.

"Early Warnings" - Foreign Born from Person To Person (out June 23)

Bonus Track: "Vacationing People" - Foreign Born from Person To Person

New Indie Rock Release: The Legends' 'Over And Over'

2009-06-16T22:46:00.001-07:00

Last month IRC featured the Swedish indie label Labrador Records and one of the bands in the playlist mix was The Legends. Now the band is back with another great track titled "You Won" from their new album.

Listening to this song, there are elements of rock and pop, but as the band's Wikipedia entry states, they don't even know what genre their music belongs to, although they cite a strong influence from the C-86 post punk (one of the forerunners of indie) sound of the 1980s.

Philip Ekstroms of Mary Onettes helped produce "You Won", reportedly adding "deliciously doomy 80s-esque drum sounds to the song's anthemic qualities".

The Legends are well-known among rockers in Sweden and the UK; in fact, Swedish Pop Review tagged the band as "absolutely the best band to emerge from the Swedish indie scene since The Hives."

"You Won" - The Legends from Over and Over

The next song was an advance release from this archived post:

"Always The Same" - The Legends from Over and Over

The Legends on MySpace

In Dee Mail: Greek Singer in Nashville Turns Down Record Deal To Offer His Music For Free

2009-06-16T01:16:00.000-07:00

Niko is not your stereotypical Nashville recording artist. He's from Greece, doesn't really play country music and he recently rejected a major record label offer so that he could make his music available online for free.

"My vision has always been to make a positive difference in the world through music," Niko said. "I decided to remove the biggest obstacle that was keeping the world from hearing my songs - money."

The Greek artist, and Nashville resident, amassed a loyal following of fans over the past few years, mostly in Europe and Asia. Niko's sound is generally pop oriented infused with influences of rock, R&B, jazz and soul. But what stands out immediately, and with lasting effect, is his splendid - some say angelic - voice. While many of Niko's songs are well produced and executed, it is undoubtably his soothing, soulful voice that most people will remember.

Take as an example his current single, “Fly Away", with its seductive and breath-taking qualities or "The Sun The Moon The Stars", infused with all of the elements that make a pop hit. No wonder he was offered a major label deal. And the fact that he turned it down to instead distribute his music for free makes his music just that much more special. Most people would have taken the money and never looked back.

"Fly Away" - Niko

"The Sun The Moon The Stars" - Niko

Get 20 songs from Niko for free. Also check out his MySpace page.

More Indie Rock Songs of 2009: Burning Hearts, Tortured Soul, The Voyces and Bricolage

2009-06-15T01:10:00.000-07:00

The piles of CDs on my desk are taking on an ominous nature. How I am going to get through all of these? And all of the digital submissions that are backing up in my email box? In over my head...

There are a number of reviews and profiles in the pipeline featuring some exciting new artists and bands with some great new music that most people have never heard. So stay tuned for those in the coming weeks.

For this music playlist mix, check out new songs from Finnish duo Burning Hearts, the popular electro pop band Tortued Soul, New York rock band The Voyces and Glasgow, Scotland's lounge hipsters Bricolage.

"I Lost My Colour Vision" - Burning Hearts from Aboa Sleeping (2009)

Burning Hearts on MySpace

"Did You Miss Me" - Tortured Soul from Did You Miss Me (2009)

Tortured Soul on MySpace

"Let Me Die in Southern California" - The Voyces from Let Me Die In Southern California (2009)

The Voyces on MySpace

"Turn U Over" - Bricolage from LD1 (2009)
Bricolage on MySpace

Sunday Funnies: Road Crew Comic

2009-06-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

Road Crew Comic is a weekday web cartoon about the guys behind the scenes of a touring rock band. It follows the adventures of Jim Soundman (the soundman), Matt Mason (lighting) and Eric Newmann (roadie/slave) as they fall through the cracks of rock and roll excess.

Road Crew Comic is written and drawn by Irish creator Tommie Kelly and is available five times a week for free at http://www.roadcrewcomic.com.

Iron and Wine's 'Around The Well' Is A Must-Have for Sam Beam Followers

2009-06-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

Although Iron and Wine's extraordinary new double CD release, Around The Well, is not technically new - it's comprised of rare and unreleased songs - much of the material is new to fans of Sam Beam (the man behind Iron and Wine).

Around The Well may just be the best collection of songs in Beam's discography. It's hard to believe most of the songs (some tracks were simply re-mastered) were never released before. With his trademark delicate, whispery vocals accompanied by stunning acoustic guitar arrangements, Beam is the curator of some of the most beautifully haunting, and even hypnotic, Americana-style folk music of the past decade.

"Communion Cups And Someone's Coat" - Iron and Wine from Around The Well

The following You Tube video features Beam performing "Two Hungry Blackbirds" at Other Music in New York City last month promoting the release of Around The Well.

Stay tuned; coming up this week will be a lot of great new music from musicians and bands most people never heard of featuring special editions of the In Dee Mail series.

New Indie Songs from Birds of Avalon, ArtOfficial, Matthew Barber and More

2009-06-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

North Carolina indie band Birds of Avalon (photo by Justin Lyons)

After taking a few days to go through a huge backlog of music submissions from hundreds of musicians, bands, promoters and labels, there was so much great music that it is going to take some time and ingenuity to present it all. This means there will be special playlist mixes and band profiles all summer based on the In Dee Mail playlist series alone.

We are really excited to share with so many people some of the best songs of 2009 from largely unknown solo musicians and bands worldwide (and who followed our pesky submission guidelines to get our attention) who sent their music to be featured IRC. Hopefully, you'll learn about some great songs and bands you never heard of before.

This first mix is a sampling of the 'various artists' concept - songs spanning an eclectic mix of 2009 independent music from hip hop/jazz to pop and alternative rock to alt country.

"Your Down Time is Up" - Birds of Avalon from Uncanny Valley

"Big City Bright Lights" - ArtOfficial from Stranger EP (2009)

"Glasses On" - Schwervon from Low Blow (2009)

"Pick A Fight" - Shill from In There Somewhere (2009)

"Easily Bruised" - Matthew Barber from Ghost Notes (2009)

In Dee Mail: Canada's The Rest Release Spectacular New Album 'Everyone All At Once'

2009-06-07T20:10:00.001-07:00

One of Canada's secrets is out: The Rest. The band's new album, Everyone All At Once, features some of the best indie to cross the northern border so far this year.

The Rest successfully deliver on both ends of the spectrum of pop rock music - there are great songs that make you want to get up and move and others that are so beautiful you want to swoon. For example, "Walk On Water" has a driving, Arcade Fire-like march swirling around pop rock guitars and completed by one of Canada's best indie rock vocalists, Adam Bentley.

Then you take a song like "Apples & Allergies" - its odd name disguising the elegant and calming notes that match perfectly with the other side of Bentley's voice - rich, textured and soothing. The album is full of harmonies, melodies and day-dream symphonies. Other memorable songs include "Modern Time Travel", "Blossom Babies Part Two" and "Phonetically Phonetic".

"This is an album that we feel as strongly about each and every track," Bentley wrote on the Indiecater Records' web site. "In a world of expanding music more focused on the quick instant pleasures, we hope that you can completely fall into these pieces, finding new ways to listen, and varied interpretations around each word, tone, rhythm and melody."

After listening to Everyone All At Once a few times, Bentley's wish seems attainable, especially for fans of Canadian orchestrated indie pop, which has played a big role in fueling the popularity of indie music worldwide in recent years. The Rest can now put themselves in the forefront of the second wave of this phenomenon.

The talented young musicians who make up The Rest include Anna Jarvis, Blake Bowman, Dwayne Brydon, Jordan Mitchell, Matty Buzanko and Steve Jones. The only thing the band doesn't have going for it is the name; come on, The Rest?! With so much talent, why couldn't they have come up with a better, more unique name than that? Regardless, the bottom line is: Everyone All At Once is one of the best surprise indie albums of 2009.

"Walk On Water" - The Rest from Everyone All At Once (2009)

"Apples & Allergies" - The Rest from Everyone All At Once (2009)

Stream Everyone All At Once
The Rest Official Site
The Rest on MySpace

Band to Watch: Cleveland Alternative Rock Band This Is A Shakedown! Has Got It Down

2009-06-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

One reason Cleveland Rocks is because of the alternative rock band This Is A Shakedown! Clearly the band is one of Cleveland's best relatively new rock bands, and that's no short order in the home of the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame.

This Is A Shakedown! are on a tear thanks to the release of their debut full-length album, Love Kills, and and a hot new video (below) filmed using Photoboth on 21 Macbooks with built-in cameras positioned at various angles. The results are interesting.

After listening to Love Kills, jammed with excellent, blistering rock songs, a number of times and seeing the big thumbs-up from others, This Is A Shakedown! is a 'band to watch' for alternative rock fans.

This Is A Shakedown! sites musical influences as "anything that is dark and makes you shake your ass." But, more specially, lead singer and guitarist Brandon Zano names Soulwax, Brazilian Girls, The Presets and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

The band's talented line-up also includes bassist Daniel Lee, drummer Stephen Nicholsen and Justin Jyilas on synthesizers and 'programming'. These two other songs sound like alternative rock radio hits to me.

"Come And Cut My Heart Out" - This Is A Shakedown! from Love Kills (2009)

"Radio" - This Is A Shakedown! from Love Kills (2009)

Love Kills is available from Reversed Image Unlimited

This Is A Shakedown on MySpace

World Ocean Day Mix: The Black Keys, The Format, Dennis Wilson, Sonic Youth and More

2009-06-06T02:22:00.000-07:00

Orcas are just one of many threatened species in the world's oceans (photo: NWF.org)

The planet faces a number of dire environmental threats, not only the problem of global warming. The oceans of our good earth are threatened, from the Atlantic and Pacific to the Arctic and Indian oceans. The ridiculous theory that floated around for decades was that the oceans were too big and deep to be affected by man's polluting ways and from the pillage and plunder that has been wagged against them for the past century.

On Monday, June 8, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people worldwide, will honor, in various ways, World Ocean Day. Started in 1992, and given an official declaration this year by the United Nations, World Ocean Day is a symbolic gesture to raise awareness and encourage conservation and preservation of the oceans by governments and people everywhere. (See World Ocean Days by country)

In celebration of World Ocean Day, here's a little mix with the hopes of raising even just a little awareness about how we all can turn the tide back in the oceans' (and thus our own) favor.

"Oceans & Streams" - The Black Keys from Attack & Release (2008)

"Oceans" - The Format from Dog Problems (2006)

"Delicious Ocean" - Love and Rockets from Lift (1998)

"Diamond Sea" - Sonic Youth from Washing Machine (1995)

"Sailing Man" - Neil Halstead from Seasons (2002)

"Ocean" - Velvet Underground, unreleased (1969)

"Out At Sea" - Pete Kilpatrick from Yesterday Love (2005)

"Ocean Breathes Salty" - Sun Kil Moon from Tiny Cities (2005)

"Oil Sea" - Vampire Hands from Virgin Dust American Lips (2009)

"Pacific Ocean Blues" - Dennis Wilson from Pacific Ocean Blue (2008)

In Dee Mail: New Songs from Weapons, Kniife Prrty, Shine Hines and The Trance and The 66

2009-06-05T01:28:00.000-07:00

Weapons is one of Iceland's most popular new indie rock bands

Just in time for summer, the music submissions continue to come in and pile up. It's a daunting task to review all of this music. In recent months, the number of submissions has shot through the ceiling and I live in a place with 22-foot vaulted ceilings, so you get the idea.

Over the next few weeks, I will be clearing out the backlog of music submissions by publishing a number of playlist mixes with the goal of quickly catching up with all of the great new material that has been sent over the past couple of months. So, let's do this.

First up is the band Weapons - a power pop trio from Iceland whose latest single delivers melodic electro punk with drive and attitude that's hard to ignore. The band's 2008 full-length release, Ditch In Time, was produced by Gordon Raphael (The Strokes and Regina Spektor) and hailed by critics and music lovers alike. This next single, a RAC mix of "Mister Mister" was self-released by the band and sent to IRC a few days ago.

"Mister Mister" (RAC Mix) - Weapons

Ditch In Time is available from the band as a free download.

Kniife Prrty is a Chicago electro-pop duo featuring Steve Pahl and Eric Whitney. KP combines the sugar rush of 80's synth pop with the gritty realism of artists like Nine Inch Nails and EL-P. After listening to the emailed single "Change Your Mind", it didn't take long to realize the potential that Kniife Prrty has. "With the music we’re making now,” says singer and producer Steve Pahl, “I feel like we’re throwing the biggest thinking-man’s dance party around."
"Change Your Mind" - Kniife Prrty from new, self-titled debut LP
KniifePrrty on MySpace

There is nothing trance about D.C. area band Shane Hines and The Trance, but they do make accessible, groovy pop songs featuring aggressive arrangements with hook-filled melodies. The band's debut album, The Glory Journal, is out now, and was completely financed by donations from fans to the tune of more than $34,000. Songwriter Shane Hines also was a finalist in the 2008 John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

"I Promise Me" - Shane Hines and The Trance from The Glory Journal (2009)

"The Broken Breaking Down" - Shane Hines and The Trance from The Glory Journal (2009)
Shane Hines on MySpace

The 66 is a Manchester alternative rock band that have caught the attention of UK bloggers and music critics. Over the past 18 months, the band has been touring throughout the UK with headline slots in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, and receiving rapturous feedback in the Manchester rock scene.

The band members are Danny Rimmer on vocals, guitarist Mike Bee, bassist Craig Harman, drummer Ian Wilson and Paul Glover on keyboards. The 66 have opened or played with bands like Starsailor, Bonehead and Airborne Toxic Event.

"Shoot to Kill" - The 66, single release
The 66 on MySpace

New Indie Album Release: Grizzly Bear's 'Veckatimest' and Free MP3

2009-06-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

Last week, Grizzly Bear released Veckatimest, an album that offers an impressive compendium of songs featuring discordant arrangements flushed with acoustic and electric instrument experimentations, warm harmonic choruses. There are a few great, stand-out tracks that skittle along, curve, blend and swirl around wonderful story-telling; the most notable include "About Face", "All We Ask", "Cheerleader" and "Foreground".

Although I do think Grizzly Bear are over-hyped at times on some popular music sites, they are accomplished musicians, who create enchanting, intricate musical compositions. That said, some people may find Veckatimest a bit strong on the melancholy and experimentation; it's definitely not sun-drenched beach pop. However, there are a few bright spots, most notably on the minimalist Beach Boys-sounding track "Two Weeks", which is the most non-GB like song on the album.

"Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear from Veckatimest

Get the song "Cheerleader" free at the band's official website.

State of Music Playlist Mix, Vol II: The Low Anthem, Essex Green, The A-Sides and More

2009-06-02T01:27:00.000-07:00

Nonesuch Records will re-issue a remastered OMGCD this week

In April, a new playlist, "State of Music Playlist Mix," featuring great indie songs most people have never heard, kicked off featuring songs about towns, cities, landmarks and places unique to the United States.

As an avid consumer and collector of mostly independent and alternative music, there is nearly an endless supply of great songs related specifically to geographic history and culture. Later this summer, the first geo-mix about places around the world will be featured, so keep an ear out for that.

Remember you can play and stream all of the songs uninterrupted on any page of this site by simply using the no-frills embedded Yahoo media player (the best such player on the web).

So, to the music. The first song in this mix is from the accomplished Providence, Rhode Island indie folk-rock band The Low Anthem. The song "To Ohio" is one of those songs that gets your attention and stays with you; and it's sort of about Ohio. In March, the band signed with Nonesuch Records, which will reissue a remastered version of their 2008 album Charlie Darwin, Oh My God. This song is the album's opening track.

"To Ohio" - The Low Anthem from Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
The Low Anthem Official Site

Brooklyn's Jeff Baron, Sasha Bell and Chris Ziter are the members of the indie folk and pop band The Essex Green, one of the best underrated bands in recent years. The band's song "Sin City" interestingly contains mentions of Pittsburg and Ohio, but most people know Sin City as Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Sin City" - Essex Green from Cannibal Sea (2006)
Essex Green Official Site

Philly's indie band The A-Sides got off to a good start when they formed in 2002 as Rough Trade picked up their first 7" for a widely-circulated compilation. The band got the mojo they needed to work with producer Brian McTear (Matt Pond PA, Mazarin) on The A-Sides first full length debut in 2005, Hello, Hello, an album widely hailed by critics and music fans for its eclectic pop arrangements and catchy, memorable songs.

The pick for this mix, "A Florida Grove", is featured on the band's 2007 follow-up release, Silver Storms. In October of last year, fans learned via the band's MySpace page that The A-Sides were disbanding to create a new band called Sun Airway.

"A Florida Grove" - The A-Sides from Silver Storms (2007)
The A-Sides Official Site

Since it was Sufjan Stevens that kind of motivated me to begin publishing a 'state of music' playlist mix (I have been organizing related mixes for years), it only makes sense to feature another one of his songs in the State of Music Playlist Mix series, this time around the Motor City inspirational song "Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head".

"Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)" - Sufjan Stevens from Greetings From Michigan
Sufjan Steves MySpace Page

Minneapolis indie rock band Tapes N Tapes formed in 2003 and found success early on with the release of their self-titled EP in 2004. Soon they were opening gigs for bands like the Streets, Metric, and the Futureheads.

While a number of songs on the band debut full-length The Loon could be consider for this playlist mix ("Manitoba" and "Omaha" to be specific) it is the catchy tempo, spiffy keyboards and dramatic shifts on the track "In Houston" which best encapsulates Tapes N Tapes sound.

"In Houston" - Tapes N Tapes in The Loon (2005)
Tapes N Tapes on MySpace

Check back for more playlists, including new mixes for State of Music playlist series. Next up: A special indie rock mix dedicated to New York City.

Saturday's Live 105 BFD Line-Up: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Odawas, Airborne Toxic Event, Metric and Dozens More

2009-06-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Bay Area rock station Live 105 has announced the line-ups for the 2009 BFD Fest at the Shoreline in Mt. View, California, this Saturday, June 6. Bands such as Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Airborne Toxic Event, Odawas, Cage The Elephant, Metric, The Offspring, and Crystal Castles will be performing on various stages throughout the day and night-long music fest. But the awesome lineup of performances doesn't end there.

"The Boy in the Yard" - Odawas from The Blue Depths (2009)

"Little Shadow" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs from It's Blitz (2009)

"Help, I'm Alive" - Metric from Fantasies (2009)

The following is a video of Interpol performing at the 2007 BFD Fest.

Other great bands performing at BFD 09 include Crystal Castles, Music for Animals, Odawas, Taking Back Sunday, Alkaline Trio, Glasvegas, Dead Confederate and more. Altogether BFD has 36 bands lined up on four stages.

General admission tickets are only $25. Specially reserved seats are $49.50. Get them here

Get more information at the Live 105 BFD page.