Against Me! singer Tom Gabel will hit the road for a solo tour at the end of October accompanied by Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Ben Nichols (Lucero), and Tim Barry (Avail) on the Revival Tour.

MP3: "Thrash Unreal" by Against Me!

The frontmen will trade off playing solo sets of their own songs as well as collaborating on each others material, according to a press release from Earshot Media. Gabel is launching the tour in support of his upcoming seven-song solo EP, entitled Heart Burns (see track listing below), which will be released on CD, digitally and on vinyl by Sire Records on October 28th.

The centerpiece of the EP is "Anna Is A Stool Pigeon," which Gabel wrote after reading about environmental activist Eric McDavid who was convicted in 2007 of conspiring to use explosives to damage corporate and government property after being implicated by an undercover FBI informant who posed as an activist. McDavid's defense has argued that he was the victim of entrapment. He currently faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

"What struck me most about the story was a sense of familiarity," Gabel says. "I know the scene he was a part of, I used to be a part of it myself. I've thought the same thoughts, talked the same talk. I've hung out with the same people, gone to similar protests. If Eric could have become the target of an FBI sting operation, then so could I. This could have been me."



The EP was recorded late August in Los Angeles on a short two week break in between Against Me! tours. Gabel co-produced the EP along with Billy Bush, while Butch Vig executive produced. The EP contains several guest appearances including Chuck Ragan and Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio).

Gabel's solo tour will begin once Against Me! complete their upcoming U.S. tour with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, which begins on October 1st. Against Me! have been touring non-stop in support of their current album, the Butch Vig-produced New Wave, which was released by Sire Records in July 2007.

Called "the most invigorating, zeitgeist-capturing rock album in years" by Spin Magazine, New Wave was named the magazine's "Album of the Year," and also appeared in the Top 10 on Rolling Stone, Blender, and MTV.com's year-end "Best Album" lists. New Wave has spawned two singles, "White People for Peace" and "Thrash Unreal," which became the band's first single to chart in the U.S. when it climbed to No. 11 on the Modern Rock chart.

Gabel has announced plans to post every Wednesday on his MySpace page, a video for each song on Heart Burns. These videos will not feature the album audio, but rather exclusive live audio of Gabel singing on camera.

The first (for the song "100 Years of War") is already up. View it at http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=43422974.

He is also keeping a blog at http://www.ifeelsicktomystomach.blogspot.com where fans can check in to get the latest info about the upcoming tour and EP.

Track-listing for Heart Burns:

"Random Hearts"
"Conceptual Paths"
"Cowards Sing at Night"
"Amputations"
"Anna Is A Stool Pigeon"
"Harsh Realms"
"100 Years of War"

Tom Gabel's upcoming solo dates on the Revival Tour:

10/31 Pomona, CA, The Glass House
11/01 Hollywood, CA, The Knitting Factory
11/02 San Diego, CA, The Casbah
11/04 Las Vegas, NV, The Beauty Bar
11/05 Tempe, AZ, The Clubhouse
11/07 Lubbock, TX, Tequila Jungle
11/08 Dallas, TX, The Door - Prophet Bar
11/09 Austin, TX, Waterloo Park
11/10 Houston, TX, Walter's on Washington
11/13 Little Rock, AR, Juanita's
11/14 Memphis, TN, Hi Tone Café
11/15 Birmingham, AL, Workplay Theatre
11/16 W. Columbia, SC, New Brookland Tavern

Headlining:

11/20 NYC, NY - The Knitting Factory

Tom Gabel's MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/tomgabelmusic

Labels: Against Me, Going Solo

New Indie and Alternative Rock

The usual flurry of indie and alternative rock album and single releases for return to school and pre-Christmas season is in full swing.

This week IRC has assembled another eclectic collection of new MP3 releases from already released and forthcoming releases of some of the best indie rock albums and songs of 2008.

Featured artists and bands include Ed Laurie, Jeremy, The Harvey Girls, The Trophy Fire, The Doleful Lions, Awesome Color, The New Up and others.

Labels: 2008 Indie Rock, Best Indie Songs, MP3s

Labels: Festivals, Outside Lands Festival, Radiohead, San Francisco Concerts

The following is an indie mixed tape of new songs and releases that came out this summer. Since they have already been released this summer, it seems right to call this tape the Tarty Party mix.

Just click the button on the cassette image below to start the stream featuring songs from Amazing Baby, Ratatat, Beaujolais, Hacienda, Sam Champion, Kings of Leon, I Heart Hiroshima, Awesome Color, Rainbow Arabia and The French Semester.

Here are some free MP3s from the mixed tape above. Others are available from the MP3 tab above.

MP3: "Headdress" by Amazing Baby from Infinite Fking Cross EP released on August 29, 2008

MP3: "Mirando" by Ratatat (via Pitchfork Media)

MP3: "Friday, The Thirteenth: The Loft" by Beaujolais from the Parasol Records Release Love at Thirty

MP3: "Be Mine Everyone" by Sam Champion

Labels: Indie MP3s, Indie Rock Songs, MP3s

There is no shortage of exciting indie releases this September and the stack is already growing high for October.

Among the most talked about, and triumphant indie releases this September is Austin's indie sensations Okkervil River's The Stand Ins.

MP3: "Los Coastlines" from Okkervil River's newest release

Rock critic Will Sheff called The Stand Ins and its 2007 counterpart The Stage Names "essentially a fat-free double album. They're also striking in-progress documents of a band that continues to sharpen its bookish but brutally honest indie rock with every disc."

Other artists and bands releasing new work this month include The Broken West, Kings of Leon, Woodlands, I Heart Hiroshama, Broadfield Marchers and Mason Proper, among many others. (Check back as this page will be updated as new music arrives).

MP3: "Auctioneer" by Broken West from the forthcoming album Now or Heaven, released on September 9, 2008 via Merge Records.

MP3: "I Wasn't Made For Fighting" by Woodlands from their album Heart Attack on Paper Bag Records. This is a great song for those of you who enjoy trip-hop trance mixed with rock-like interludes and vocals.

MP3: "Punks" and "Surgery" by I Heart Hiroshama from the new album Tuff Teef

MP3: "Warchful Hill People" by Broadfield Marchers from album The Inevitable Continuing, released on September 2, 2008.

MP3: - "Lock and Key" by Mason Proper off the album Olly Oxen Free due out September 23, 2008 on Dovecote Records.

IRC actively supports aspiring, and established, indie and alternative rock musicians, bands, artists and labels that make great music worthy of highlighting.

More releases coming soon. Get the Feed Me Indie RSS or email feed.

Labels: 2008 Indie Songs, Kings of Leon

IRC connects talented artists with music lovers around the world by writing profiles, reviews and publishing great new songs in regular playlists and mixes, giving thousands of people per day one-click access to the best in new, and rarely heard, music. We are honored to be one of the most popular indie blogs that feature both well-known and rarely heard indie and alternative music. IRC is visited by over 150K people, and more than a quarter of a million page views, a month from all over the world.

- Music Submission Guidelines
- Band Promotion & Marketing
- Writers, Photographers and Illustrators
- Thank You Everyone
- Help Spread the Word!


New Submission Guidelines - Please read carefully

Update (Jan. 10, 2010): We are no longer accepting submissions of 2009 music unless it accompanies a 2010 single/EP/LP release.

Important: All submissions must be MP3 links that end with .mp3 or include attached MP3s, and follow the guidelines below completely - no exceptions. We simply have to streamline this process to keep it manageable.

The most common reason we cannot consider a submission is because it doesn't folllow our guidelines, especially when it comes to including a MP3 (either a link or attachment).

Due to the enormous number of submissions we receive, and the incredible amount of time it takes to go through all of submissions, we can only except MP3 links or attachments to current year/upcoming year songs.

All MP3 link submissions must end with .mp3 and play automatically in all web browsers when clicked on (please test before submitting).

Important: Include the album name, the song title (preferably the song title should be in your MP3 link itself) and the year of release (month, day, year) in your email (see below). Please also include your official website and/or MySpace link, and label name, if applicable.

Make sure that your MP3 links are functional for many months to come, or indefinitely because sometimes it takes a while before we can feature your music. It's best to include at least two MP3 links, but no more than four. Please only send ONE email with everything in it.

With each submission, you must type: "I, [Your Name, Position] give Indie Rock Cafe permission to post this music" at the end of your email. You must be an official representative of the band to submit.

Please don't forget to include "MP3 Submission: Song Title - Band Name" in the Subject of the email; if not, we'll never see your email, or hear your music. Please do not send fancy, extra small or large formatting (like HTML) in your email submission - only plain text (ASCII).

Email to indierockcafe at gmail (dot com)

Required: Copy and paste the following bolded text - with your answers - into your MP3 link(s) submission email:

Band Name:
Your Name/Title:
Location(s):
MP3 Link(s):
Song(s) Title (if not in the MP3 URL)
Album Title:
Album Release Date (Month/Day/Year):
Website Link:
MySpace Link:
Record Label:
Type of Music:
Who You've Opened For:
Where You Have Been Written About Previously:
A short bio (not more than 200 words please):

Finally: Please add a link to IndieRockCafe on your blog, website, social media page or wherever else. This helps us determine your popularity among Internet music fans.

That'll do it!

The following is an example of a perfect music submission

Email Subject "MP3 Submission: "Stop" - The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir

Band Name: The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
Your Name/Title: (removed for privacy)
Location: Chicago, IL
MP3 Link(s):
1. http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/files/mediakit/02%20Stop.mp3
2. http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/files/mediakit/14%20Tear%20Down%20The%20Opera%20House.mp3

Song(s) Title (if not in the MP3 URL):
Album Title: And The Horse You Rode In On
Album Release Date (Month/Day/Year): Sept. 16, 2009
Website Link: http://www.sygc.com
MySpace Link: http://www.myspace.com/scotlandyardgospelchoir
Record Label: N/A
Type of Music: Prog Rock/Pop
Who You've Opened For: Editors,
Where You Have Been Written About Previously: SPIN, IGuessImFloating, Stereogum, ConsequenceofSound.com, etc.

A short bio (not more than 200 words please):

With Welsh-born Elia as the ringleader, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir is a free-spirited collective of musical visionaries who turn out exuberant and rough-hewn chamber pop. Among the talent that performs and/or records with the Choir includes core players like bassist and recording engineer Mark Yoshizumi, guitarist and vocalist Mary Ralph, drummer Jay Santana, violin player Ethan Adelsman, keyboardist Alison Hinderliter (Le Concorde), and a brass section made up of Sam Johnson (Mucca Pazza, Hawk & a Hacksaw) and Matt Priest (Canasta).

Thanks again for your interest in IRC. Long live independent and alternative music!


Band Promotion & Marketing

If you or your band are interested in personalized band promotion to get word about your music to more people and increase your visibility, fan base, sales and numbers at your gigs, as well as other benefits, from a professional who knows how to do all that and more, please send an email to holdtheonion (at) gmail. com with the email subject line "Artist & Band Promotion".


Writers, Photographers and Illustrators

If you are a writer and would like to contribute album reviews, write up features about bands and artists or contribute your own concert and other photos, we'd love to hear from you. Please send an email to indierockcafe (at) gmail (dotcom) with the Subject as RE: Contributing to IRC. This is a perfect way for your work to get exposure to tens of thousands of people every month.


Thanks to Everyone

We just want to say to thank you to so many of you for sending your music, regularly visiting the blog and in general making it possible to do what we do; maybe someday soon, this can become a real job rather than a hobby (this is a very 'indie' operation). If that happens, the amount of coverage and cool indie things we can do will increase significantly. There's still a lot of great music we have all never heard, or have yet to hear, and it's our mission to bring as much of it to you as possible in an easy and concise way.

Help Spread the Word!

We appreciate your help in promoting the site on the web, sharing it with friends and whatever else you can think of. We don't make any money doing this, so your volunteerism, if you will - like adding any post from IRC to Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Stumbleupon, MySpace and linking to IRC from your own site, etc, is appreciated greatly. You're participation helps give us the juice needed to keep up our faith that this is all worthwhile.

You can also help by adding links from IRC to your favorite social networking sites (like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, etc.) and signing up for the “Feed Me Indie” RSS feed and sharing the site with friends.

Starting as a hobby in 2006 to share music with friends, IRC has grown to a worldwide audience of thousands of people every day. In fact, daily traffic to this site has tripled from the winter of 2008/9 to the summer/fall of 2009, with over 100,000 unique visitors a month. Thanks especially to the thousands of regular, loyal readers who appreciate what we are trying to do, and hope to do in the future.

If you'd like to add a link to us, or just bookmark the site with your favorite bookmarker, please do. Each time someone does this, it spreads the love and makes us want to post more. :)

If you're linking to a specific page, please use anchor text like "Animal Collective" or "Best New Indie", depending on what the content is. That helps everyone out a lot!

To leave a comment for a posting or a general comment, click on a post on the IRC website and then click on the Comments link. No login is required to leave a comment, but is encouraged.

Thanks for your support!

IRC on the Web and Top Links:

Follow IRC on Twitter
Add us on MySpace
Become a fan on Facebook
Get the feed and podstream

In Dee Mail playlist series
Best Indie of 2009
Artists and Groups
Songs/MP3s
New Releases
Best Indie of 2008
Best Indie of 2007

Labels: About IRC

Soon summer will pass the torch to autumn, leaves will deceive nature by coming alive as they die and people will plan holidays, take out sweaters and coats and harvest the last crops before winter ushers in its long chilly nights.

But let's not say goodbye to summer too fast; it's still with us, and in that spirit, Indie Rock Cafe
kicks off it's PlayThis! MP3 Playlist Series. The first installment is, you guessed it, songs about
summer. Here's a streaming version featuring ten songs, followed by an MP3 playlist. You can PlayThis Playlist now!


1. Summertime - Miles Davis

2. A Summer Wasting - Belle & Sebastian

3. A Sweet Summer's Night On Hammer Hill - Jens Lekman

4. Constructive Summer - The Hold Steady

5. Electric Music And The Summer People - Beck

6. Feel Good Hit Of The Summer - Queens of the Stone Age

7. It's Summertime - The Flaming Lips

8. Jogging Gorgeous Summer - Islands

9. My Summer Girl - The Rentals

10. Play In The Summer - Trans Am

11. Spring And By Summer Fall - Blonde Redhead

12. Summer Babe [Winter Version] - Pavement

13. Summer Days - Phoenix

14. Summer Dress (Live on KCRW) - Red House Painters

15. Summer Is Coming - Matt Pond PA

16. Summer Kids Go - Moonbabie

17. Summer On The Westhill - Kings of Convenience

18. Summer Party - Breakbot

19. Summer Seen - The High Llamas

20. Summer Skin - Death Cab For Cutie

21. Summer Snow - Fahrenheit

22. Summer Songs - Barcelona

23. Summer Wind Was Always Our Son - Ataris

24. Summer's Gone - The Kinks

25. Summer...It's Gone - Grandaddy

This is the first installment of the PlayThis! MP3 Playlist Series focused almost exclusively on indie and alternative rock.

Over the years, I have been sorting my favorites songs - thousands of them - into categorical and thematical playlists. During this time, a collection of more than 50 mostly indie rock, folk, pop playlists has been produced. Little by little, each playlist, in a trimmed down version of course, will be published on this blog.

Eardrums Music has a free 24-song compilation of summer songs available for download at:

http://eardrumsmusic.com/summershere_vol1/

Forthcoming PlayThis! Playlists

Autumn Fills The Air - Featuring songs about autumn time, fall and the change of seasons

Halloween Tracks and Treats - A playlist of Halloween-related songs. Think ghosts, ghouls and goblins.

Labels: Indie Songs, MP3s, PlayThis MP3 Playlist Series

A number of musicians and bands contributed to this free MP3 album download available from Asthmatic Kitty Records, a label that has produced favorite indie artists like Sufjan Stevens and Half Handed Cloud.

The album mainly consists of various remixes of the I Heart Lung's song "Interoceans" from artists like SugarLoaf, Strategy and Omid.

Download Interoceans from Asthmatic Kitty Records. You can also stream the album and buy the original from I Heart Lungs.

In case you missed...

IRC's first installment of the PlayThis! Indie MP3 Playlist series featuring MP3s with the word 'summer' in them from artists such as Death Cab for Cutie, Kings of Convenience, Belle & Sebastian, Pavement, Queens of the Stone Age, The Kinks, Grandaddy and Beck.

Labels: Asthmatic Kitty Records, Indie Record Labels, MP3 Indie Albums