What happens to a young, talented musician when he breaks from a major record label contract after being in a semi-famous band? Well, in the case of San Diego area singer/songwriter Brent Nettles, he went completely DIY, and in the process, created a collection of mesmerizing, heartfelt solo recordings that we are grateful to be the first major blog to review.

After leaving Warner Brothers two years ago while a member of the band The Finalist, Nettles returned Houston from California, began putting his song lyrics to music. The results are nothing short of remarkable.

While in Houston, Nettles found himself in an unplanned, three-day confinement in a makeshift studio with producer and friend Tyler Halford, recording a handful of songs that he had been working on for many months. Another friend, Jay Snider, later added drum tracks to some of the songs, and Taylor Johnson sat in on one track to play electric guitar.

The result is an impressive two set EP of mostly acoustic, Americana songs about love, rivers, faith and soul-searching. Nettles' music is completely original, which, for him, was key after being exposed to the corporate side of the music world.

"I write songs that are not all that polished, but are honest, and I want people to hear them...I'm not really 'trying to make it,'" he told IRC, and referring to his former contract with Warner Brothers, "I don't really want to tango with the devil again."

"I'm not bitter or anything like that," he added. "I was young - 17 when we signed the deal. We made a record that was never put out, and they kept us under a contract for a while until we asked to be released because they didn't do anything for us."

At just 22 years old, Nettles' down-to-earth outlook demonstrates a maturity and self-awareness that much older, "established" singer/songwriters we come across all of the time simply lack. He is curiously humble, and low-key, about his musical talents.

"I have worked really hard, and been really honest with these tunes. I have never tried to do a big push, or done any marketing, not because I'm lazy, only because my music is so personal. I didn't know if anyone besides my friends would care to hear it. I have been, and I still am, a bit insecure about my music. There is a lot of fear that comes with being honest."

No reason to fear; we think people will love this music, and be happy that it made its way from relative obscurity to be shared with a wider audience.

The first song from Nettles that we heard was, "It Must Be Nice," a mellow, beautiful song that progresses along smoothly, marked by a simple acoustic guitar strum, well timed drum beats, piano and keyboard infusions, and touching vocals.

"It Must be Nice" - Brent Nettles from Houston, Do You Read Me?

In addition to delivering songs about love, Nettles also has an astonishing talent for writing authentic American songs, as evidenced on songs like "In The Garden" and "Back to the River."

"Back to the River" - Brent Nettles from Hot Shoe Shuffle

Remarkably, his first two DIY EPs - Houston, Do You Read Me? and Hot Shoe Shuffle - are available for free download via Bandcamp, and we strongly recommend downloading them, especially since there are great songs that we didn't include here (because we didn't think it was kosher to re-publish his entire existing discography).

"I am kind of considering the two EPs I have out now as demos. Pretty soon I am going to make a full length record, and spend more time on it. I may have to ask a small amount of money for those recordings, only so I can eat. But who knows...God may provide a way for me create a really good product for free. I am a firm believer that you should give freely as you have been given."

"Leave the Ground Dry" - Brent Nettles from Hot Shoe Shuffle

Nettles has only performed a couple of shows as a solo artist at the E Street Cafe in San Diego, but said he would eventually like to go on a tour. "I would love to tour, " Nettles said. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to afford it in the near future. But I hope to one day. I love touring."

Nettles lives with his wife in the San Diego suburb of Encinitas, and credits her with inspiring many of his songs. In our opinion, Brent Nettles is already well on his way - it's just a matter of more people hearing his music, and the inevitable progression that will come as he grows as a songwriter, vocalist and musician.

Brent Nettles on MySpace

Labels: Artist of the Week, Brent Nettles, Singers and Songwriters

Straight outta Nashville, The Vermicious K'nids, definitely do not come even close to fitting the stereotype of a Nashville band - there is no country in their music, and we're not complaining. Rather, the band delivers earnest, addictive pop woven with seductive indie rock.

The band's sound has received many labels: key-heavy circus-rock experimentalists, "if Pavement, the Pixies, and Mic Jagger all had a baby"; power-pop, post-rock indie and so on. You will quickly find this band's music hard to categorize, but you can't help but jump up and dance
along.

"Dynomania" - The Vermicious K'nids from s/t debut (2009)

"Away Oh Way Oh" - The Vermicious K'nids from s/t debut (2009)

"Snake Bite, Part 2" - The Vermicious K'nids from s/t debut (2009)

The Vermicious K'nids official website

The Vermicious K'nids on MySpace

Labels: Bands to Watch 2010, The Vermicious K'nids

Today we feature a number of relatively unknown bands from the Standard Recording label, a little known, small indie label with some big talent.

Up first is the band Everthus The Deadbeats, followed by the whistling, skipping melodies of Amo Joy; "King Basement" from Thunderhawk's upcoming release, VI; the alt country rock of Kentucky Nightmare; the White Stripes-sounding garage rockers, Big Big Car; and, Everything Now's semi-sordid story of life in a trailer park.

"Organic Mechanics" - Everthus The Deadbeats from John Kill & The Microscopic Lullaby

"A Regal Tomorrow" - Amo Joy from The Sane Design

"King Basement" - Thunderhawk from VI

"Caroline & I" - Kentucky Nightmare from Take Her Favour

"The Limestone Stomp" - Big Big Car from Limestone Throne/Kid Fight

"I Live in a Trailer Park" - Everything, Now! from Police! Police!

Get the Standard Recordings sampler in zip format for free, and check out the label's website.

Other Recent Posts You Might Enjoy:

Band of the Week: LA's Folk Popsters Family of the Year

Best New Releases of the Week: Midlake, The Album Leaf, King of Prussia, Seth Augustus, The Heligoats and More

IRC Month in Review: January 2010 - In Dee Mail, One Man Bands, Band of the Week, New Releases and More

Bands That Rock! Vol. II: Brooklyn's A Place to Bury Strangers and Stockholm's The Legends

Way Back Now, Vol. I: Trendmill Trackstar, Flipper and Ring of Truth

Labels: Indie Record Labels

Every once and a while we get word of an indie or alternative band that has returned to the studio following a long hiatus from recording. In some cases, they are reuniting to record a song, an album, perform a reunion show or go back on tour. Whether the motive to get back to the music is driven by money or art - or both - band reunions are something that always get people's attention.

This particular playlist mix, Way Back Now, is all about bands who've returned after many years apart to make music again.

After releasing their first indie album back in 1994, Columbia, South Carolinian band Treadmill Trackstar signed to Atlantic Records in 1996 only to be dropped following the release of one LP, Only This. The band toured the U.S. from 1991 until they lost their contract in 1998, at which time they went their separate ways to start families and pursue other interests.

Then, in 2008, after a ten-year hiatus, the band reunited to begin work on their latest LP, I Belong to Me, released on January 1, 2010 via their own label - Your Name (Here) Records, funded with money raised from fans and other contributors.

Trendmill Track Star has proven that a decade hiatus from recording together seems to have only enhanced their maturity and abilities as professional musicians, while still maintaining the edge and original sound that built their relatively small, but loyal, following from the early 1990's to their disbandment in 1998.

Angelo Gianni, singer, songwriter and guitarist for TMTS, wrote in a recent email:

"Some promotors asked us to get back together for a charity concert in 2007. After some serious grumbling... we did. We couldn't believe how fun it was to be playing music together again, so we thought it would be even more fun to make a new record! So we sent emails out to all of our old fans asking for money to record with, and suddenly we had 13 thousand dollars."

We think the results are something that people who have never heard of the band - and those that might remember them from long ago - would enjoy.

"I Belong To You" - Treadmill Trackstar from I Belong to Me (2010)

"Hands Off" - Treadmill Trackstar from I Belong to Me (2010)

Treadmill Trackstar official web site

Treadmill Trackstar on MySpace


The seminal punk/grunk 80's band Flipper returned in 2009 with their first new album - Love - in 16 years! Together with Love, the band also issued a live album, titled, Fight. Back in the early 1990's, Kurt Cobain was a Flipper fan, wearing a self-made Flipper T-shirt on the booklet photos of Nirvana's In Utero, and again during the band's first Saturday Night Live performance.

During all of these years, the band has gone through a number of line-up changes. Founding member and original vocalist Ricky Williams was ditched by the band before they recorded their first record. In 1987, vocalist Will Shatter overdosed, and bass player John Dougherty overdosed in 1992, not to mention a number of other band members who returned or were replaced over the years.

The track, "Good Child", features Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, who also briefly toured with the band in 2008. Domino Records reissued four of the band's early albums in 2009.

"Good Child" - Flipper from Love (2009)

"Scentless Apprentice" (Nirvana) - Flipper from Smells Like Bleach, A Punk Tribute (2001)

Flipper on MySpace


The story of the post punk band Ring of Truth began decades ago when the legendary UK DJ John Peel enthusiastically debuted the single, 'The Horse' - "a small-town documentary set to a rock and roll backdrop," in the words of Everett True.

Inextricably linked with Sound Archive Recordings, Ring of Truth returned all these years later with their 2009 debut album, Everything’s The Same But in a Different Place, a sonic journey from the fire of the Bowery and London art-punk though post-punk Manchester and Glasgow to post-millennial New York and Scottish angular diaspora.

Everything’s The Same But in a Different Place contains all of the trappings that any post punk, John Peel fan could possibly want on one record. Matt Shimmer of Indieville, wrote: "The entirety of Everything's the Same But in a Different Place is an exercise in exuberant Brit-pop, with a clear eye for music of yore."

"Well, I Walked" - Ring of Truth from Everything’s The Same But in a Different Place (2009)

"Smile" - Ring of Truth from Everything’s The Same But in a Different Place (2009)

"The Horse" - Ring of Truth, single release (1986)

Ring of Truth on MySpace

Labels: The Jealous Sound, Treadmill Trackstar, Way Back Now

The first installment of our new playlist series, Bands That Rock! was a huge success, introducing thousands of people worldwide to Lunaria and The Doups. There are many bands that we have lined up for this on-going series in the weeks and months to come, so if you are a rocker, you'll want to check back often.

Brooklyn's A Place to Bury Strangers deliver a wall of shoegaze noise, driven by big, aggressive guitar riffs, thunderous drumming and chunky bass playing, supported by the dark, loud vocals of singer and effects-pedal specialist, Oliver Ackermann.

Last spring, the band signed to Mute Records, who released their sophomore LP, Exploding Head, this past summer. The band has just wrapped up a successful tour of Europe where they dazzled fans with their unrepenting energy and killer light shows.

In Febuary, the band will play two shows in Australia before embarking on an extensive North American tour with fellow shoegaze rockers The Big Pink. The spring tour will kick off at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on March 10, 2010 and last through the end of April.

"In Your Heart" - A Place to Bury Strangers from Exploding Head (2009)

"To Fix The Gash in Your Head" - A Place to Bury Strangers from 10" single (2008)

A Place to Bury Strangers on MySpace


Back in June, we featured the Swedish band, The Legends. Since then, we've been listening to their other releases as well, including their break-through, widely-acclaimed debut LP, Up Against The Legends. and have some more songs from the band to share with you.

The Legends' 2009 LP, Over and Over, featured the mini-hit, "Always The Same," featuring Liane Moccia from Tralala on lead vocals. The nine members of The Legends, hastily formed in 2003, belt out melodic power-pop with guitar and percussion driven white noise that has an energy and confidence similar to A Place to Bury Strangers.

Although The Legends are difficult to place in one music genre, they readily admit to being strongly inspired by the Motown and C-86 genres, with a particular affinity for post punk trailblazers like Television Personalities and Comet Gain.

The Legends are signed with one of our favorite European labels, Labrador Records, and in the U.S., they are distributed via Lakeside Records. The song, "When The Day Is Done," was featured in the official soundtrack of the film, Wicker Park, and their track, "The Kids Just Wanna Have Fun," was used by Nike to promote the 2006 ASEAN Football Championship.

"Always The Same" - The Legends from Over and Over (2009)

"Seconds Away" - The Legends from Over and Over (2009)

"The Kids Just Wanna Have Fun" - The Legends from Up Against The Legends (2006)

The Legends on MySpace

Labels: A Place to Bury Strangers, Bands That Rock, The Legends

Bella Union recording artist Midlake officially release their long-awaited 2010 album today, The Courage of Others. The band kicked off a three-month tour last week, and played to a sold out crowd Saturday night at Liverpool's The Willamson Tunnels. Midlake's tour will take them from the UK and throughout Europe through Feb. 18th.

On March 1st, after a little more than a week off, the band will resume their 2010 winter tour in Tucson and jaunt up the west coast of the U.S. to Canada, then through the heartland with a final stop in their homebase of Denton, Texas on March 13th. After a month hiatus, Midlake will set out for a two-week long tour of Europe. No official word if the band will perform at SXSW, but it's possible, since they will not be out on tour during the south's biggest music event that takes place in Austin from March 17-21st.

"Acts of Man" - Midlake from The Courage of Others
Midlake official website

Brooklyn band Bottle Up & Go have been rising on the indie rock radars in recent months, and no wonder. The band's 2009 EP, These Bones, is magnificent, and we're thrilled to share a new single with you all, produced and engineered by Jake Aron (Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer) and mastered by Joe Lambert (Animal Collective, Black Dice, Obits) with Bear Hands' Val Loper on bass.

Other new releases this week include new albums from The Album Leaf, King of Prussia, Seth Augustus, The Heligoats, and tracks from January releases that we missed, including LPs from Los Campesinos, The Tenant, Worker Bee and Oh No Ono.

"Rather Be Dead" - Bottle Up & Go, single
Bottle Up & Go on MySpace

"Falling from the Sun" - The Album Leaf from A Chorus of Storytellers
The Album Leaf official website

"Waitin for Somethin'" - King of Prussia from The Time Of Great Forgetting
King of Prussia on MySpace

"Tiny Little Head" - Seth Augustus from To the Pouring Rain
Seth Augustus official website

"Fish Sticks" - The Heligoats from Goodness Gracious
The Heligoats on MySpace


January Releases We Missed:

"The Sea is a Good Place to Think about the Future" - Los Campesinos from Romance is Boring - Jan. 26, 2010
Los Campesinos official website

"The Stranger" - The Tenant from Listening/Visitors - Jan. 5, 2010
The Tenant on MySpace

"No Dreams" - Worker Bee from Tangler - DIY on Jan. 11, 2010
Worker Bee on MySpace

"Old Soul" - Giant Cloud from Old Books EP - Jan. 19, 2010
Giant Cloud on MySpace

"Internet Warrior" - Oh No Ono from Eggs - Jan. 15, 2010
Oh No Ono on MySpace

Labels: Midlake, New Releases

Los Angeles folk pop band Family of the Year appeared on our radar in December, thanks to a friend who turned us on to their brilliant, and addictive, 2009 release, Songbook.

The LP is one of those albums that you find yourself loving more and more with each spin, and that you go back to again and again. The band is now one of our favorite new bands, and definitely a band to watch in 2010.

Family of the Year, who hail from LA's Silverlake area, a hilly region east of Hollywood, are not completely unknown in the world of music. They played four shows at New York's CMJ last fall, and toured the U.S. in a RV that they lovingly call Rosie. But it was the release of Songbook that really put them into a new category of prominence.

Moreover, last September, conductor Keith Lockhart, and singer-songwriter Ben Folds, selected the LA folk pop band out of more than 650 applicants to open for Ben Folds’ performance with the Boston Pops on Friday, on October 2, 2009, at Symphony Hall in Boston.

"Let's Go Down" - Family of the Year from Songbook (2009)

There is some relevance to the band's name - it started as a project of brothers Joe Keefe (guitar and vocals) and Sebastian Keefe (drums and guitar), and Jamesy Buckey (guitar and engineer). The brothers, who grew up in Wales, first gained recognition on the local scene as part of the Martha’s Vineyard-based raw rock ensemble Unbusted. Not long after, they were featured in the Edgefest Cafe's broadcast on June 21 and 22, 2006, prior to the Boston Pops performances with My Morning Jacket.

Family of the Year's assemble expanded with the addition of singer Vanessa Long, an Orange County, California native, and actor, whose feature films include XII, I’m On Fire, and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan. Keyboardist Christina Schroeter, also from Orange County, is an entertainment public relations professional, and bassist Brent Freaney, hails from Long Beach, Mississippi. Contributing members include musicians Meredith Sheldon and Farley Glavin.


Family of the Year's original name was Bogie Ogreton, but, at the urging of friends, family and their manager, they changed their name. Sebastian Keefe recently told Blast Magazine about the name change.

"(Family of the Year) was nice-sounding, and we kind of evolved into a family, the six of us," Keefe explained. "We all live together in the same house and we all travel together … so it was kind of fitting."

Keefe said the band's main influences - which are apparent listening to Songbook - are The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, Crosy, Stills, Nash and Young, and Bob Dylan.

"Feel Good Track Of Rosemead" - Family of the Year from Songbook (2009)

Mixing upbeat rhythms, sunny folk ballads, rich melodies, uplifting choruses, sweet pop harmonies, impressive story-telling, and even some dance beats, it's no wonder Family of the Year were chosen to open for Ben Folds and the Boston Pops.

Because there are so many memorable, 'keeper' tracks on Songbook, it was quite a challenge to pick a few songs that stand out the most. We suspect that fans of the band who have listened to Songbook multiple times (and it's hard not to), face the same dilemma if asked to choose two or three favorite songs from the LP. Other standout tracks - and most songs on the LP are - include "Surprise," "No Good at Nothing," "Stupidland," and "Let's Be Honest."

Family of the Year are selling their debut LP using the Radiohead model - basically name your price (minimum of $1). The CD version is $15 via their record label, Washashore Records.

The band is performing tonight, February 1st, at the legendary Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles.

"Summer Girl" - Family of the Year from Songbook (2009)

Family of the Year on MySpace

Family of the Year on FaceBook

Family of the Year on Twitter

Here's a great interview with Sebastian from the blog, In Your Speakers.

Labels: Band of the Week, Family of the Year, Los Angeles Bands