As February fades away, the days begin to get longer little by little as the grip of winter weakens. Soon it will be April and spring will jump in winter's place. But until then, we still got winter. With that in mind, here's volume one of a three part series of wintry indie mixes.

"Angel In The Snow" - Elliott Smith from New Moon
Elliot Smith on MySpace

"White Winter Hymnal" - Fleet Foxes from s/t debut
Fleet Foxes on MySpace

"Winter's Love" - Animal Collective from Sung Tongs
Animal Collective on MySpace

"A Jagged Gorgeous Winter" - The Main Drag from Yours As Fast as Mine
The Main Drag on MySpace

"Deep Frieze" - Chris Letcher from Frieze
Christ Letcher on MySpace

"Breaking The Ice" - Mojave 3 from Breaking The Ice
Mojave 3 on MySpace

Stayed tuned or check back for volumes II and III of the Winter Time Fix Mix featuring wintry songs from The Dodos, The Main Drag, The Amazing Pilots, Belle and Sebastian, Sea Wolf and others.

Follow IRC on Twitter, grab the feed or become friends on MySpace

Other Posts This Week:

New Indie Songs of 2009 with The Thermals, Sweet Serenades and Faunts
The Cure's Robert Smith Blasts Radiohead For Set Your Price Model
The Great Unknowns, Vol I: Eric Bachman, Bill Ricchini, Aqueduct and Others

Labels: Elliott Smith, Fix Mix, Fleet Foxes, Mojave 3, Winter Playlist

Singer Mariam Doumbia and her husband guitarist/vocalist Amadou Bagayoko have been making music together since they first met three decades ago at the Institute for Young Blind People in Mail's capital city Bamako.

Since then the couple have receive remarkable critical and popular acclaim in Europe and North America. Amadou & Mariam are well-known for their live shows and recently performed in the BBC's Africa Express festival along with Johnny Marr, The Magic Numbers, Damon Albarn, and Hard-Fi. The duo are currently on tour and have a tour booked in July opening for Coldplay.

"Sabali" - Amadou & Mariam from upcoming re-release of 2008's Welcome to Mali (3/24) is available as a pre-order

MySpace: Amadou & Mariam

Labels: Amadou and Mariam, Coldplay

We covered Vampire Weekend quite a bit since they burst onto the indie scene last year at this time. So, in the on-going series, More Best Indie Albums of 2008, here's to Vampire Weekend's wildly, and sometimes over-hyped, debut album.

It is rare for a new band to get so much coverage - from Rolling Stone to New York Times - from a debut album. Vampire Weekend came up with a fresh sound, some call it gimmicky (not I), that caught on. Within a few months they were the buzz band of early 2008. They've even been on Saturday Night Live which just propelled VW into another sphere of musical success.

The band's album debut is full of fun, upbeat songs with an underlying swasi-indie pop sound they are so known for. Songs like "A Punk", "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" and "Oxford Comma" made the album a big hit in 2008.

There is no doubt that we loved this album and the band's sound - even went to one of their shows in San Francisco - but over the year it became mundane. Now the pressure is really on these fellows from Brooklyn to come out with a solid follow-up to their popular break through debut.

"Ottoman" - Vampire Weekend available as a single only while awaiting word on when a new album is set for release. Interesting single and definitely a new sound.

So far as we can tell, there is only one relatively new song called "Ottoman" and is available for streaming on Vampire Weekend's MySpace page.

Listen to Vampire Weekend's DayTrotter Session from as early as October 2007, just a few months before their name and music exploded on the college radio and indie blogs.

Labels: Best Indie Albums 2008, Indie Artist/Group Profiles, San Francisco, Vampire Weekend

We have a new musical journey to embark on. A common refrain on this blog is the fact there is a ton of amazing music out there that most people have never heard, or will never hear, if not for the miracles of the Internet. Sometimes it’s just one song by an obscure band. Other times it is an entire album full of amazing music that somehow slips under the radar.

In this new playlist series, "The Great Unknowns", you'll learn about musicians, bands, songs and albums that have gone largely unnoticed for whatever unfortunate reason 0r combination thereof - poor timing, bad management, band problems, lousy marketing, lack of focus and the list goes on.

During the past couple of decades, indie and alternative music have gained a wider audience. Much of this can be credited to the promotion of music by music lovers via music via the Internet. Songs featured in this series do not reflect new indie or alternative music (check the New Releases or MP3s sections of this site for those) but instead music released generally between the years 1990 to 2008.

One of the main purposes for this blog for more than two years has been to bring unknown or under appreciated music to the ears of more people, and to highlight the best of the best known indie and alternative artists and bands as well. If you know more than a couple songs on this list, then you must be a real indie die-hard. Enjoy the first installment of The Great Unknowns.

"Man 'O War" - Eric Bachman from To The Races (2006)

"Rain Parade" - Bill Ricchini from Ordinary Time (2002)


"Suggestion Box" - Aqueduct from I Sold Gold (2005)

"Alison" - Slowdive from Souvlaki (1993)

"Punk as Fuck" - American Analog Set from Know By Heart (2001)

Check back, grab the Feed Me Indie feed or follow IRC on Twitter to get the latest on new indie rock releases, bands and songs, plus the best of classic indie and alternative rock.

Labels: Best Indie Songs, Bill Richinni, Eric Bachmann, MP3s, Rare Classic Indie Songs, The Great Unknowns

Do you ever feel like you're in a tug-of-war with two of your favorite rock groups because one of them disses the other? What about if the "disser" also takes a shot at you and everyone you know in the same breath?

Well, leave it up to Robert Smith, everyone's favorite aging rocker, who had more than just his usually bad hair day today.

In an interview with Music Radar, The Cure's frontman lashed out at Radiohead, saying he "disagreed violently" with their pay-what-you want model for their 2007 blockbuster release, In Rainbows. Smith said allowing fans to determine their own price to download the album was an "idiot plan."

"You can't allow other people to put a price on what you do, " Smith said. "Otherwise you don't consider what you do to have any value at all and that's nonsense. If I put a value on my music and no one's prepared to pay that, then more fool me, but the idea that the value is created by the consumer is an idiot plan, it can't work."

Not only is it just stupid to attack Radiohead fans - many of whom are probably Cure fans as well - but it's also stupid to talk like a diva when you're an aging rocker. Never mind that Smith spit on a growing movement that will only do more to allow the best, and the least greedy, musicians and groups to flourish creativity while expanding their fan base by offering a fair price for music. The old models are gone and they might leave musicians like Smith with them. It's been happening for a decade now.
Listen to High-Quality 2008 Concert of Radiohead

If you are a RadioHead, listen to this transformational two-hour Radiohead concert broadcast recorded by NPR on August 28, 2008 at Santa Barbara Bowl. I was lucky enough to see Radiohead play in San Francisco during the Outside Lands Festival (in photo above, thanks to insdecelebs) two weeks after this featured show.

The SF show was the most amazing concert I've ever been to - well worth the chance I took to have my car towed to see Radiohead play in the fog drenched Golden Gate Park with tens of thousands of people.

Labels: NPR Music, Radiohead, Radiohead in Concert, Robert Smith, San Francisco, The Cure

Today's batch of new songs from current and up-coming releases includes a fresh pop tune from Portland's The Thermals, Stockholm's indie pop duo The Sweet Serenades, Edmonton's five-piece shoegaze Faunts, Finnish pop couple Burning Hearts and a hard-edge blaze from Akron's Dan Auerbach.

"Now We Can See" - The Thermals from Now We Can See
The Thermals on MySpace

"Mona Lee" - The Sweet Serenades from Balcony Cigarettes
The Sweet Serenades on MySpace

"Explain" - Faunts from Feel Love Thinking Of
Faunts on MySpace

"I Lost My Colour Vision" - Burning Hearts from Aboa Sleeping
Burning Hearts on MySpace

"I Want Some More" - Dan Auerbach from Keep It Hid
Dan Auerbach on MySpace

Labels: 2009 Indie Songs, Dan Auerbach, Faunts, MP3s, The Thermals

New music is here, there and everywhere, so please bare with me while I try to catch up.

Here are some other great indie songs that have come out in the past six weeks, including fresh tracks from San Francisco's Leopold and His Friction, Jason Zumpano, Iowa rock from Wolves in the Attic, LA's Go West Young Man and Henry's Funeral Shoe.

"Loss of God" - Wolves in the Attic from Electronic Hearts - Jan. 5
Bonus: "Electronic Hearts"

"Come Back (Now That I'm Here)" - Leopold and His Fiction from Ain't No Surprise - Jan. 14

"Beggars of Blue Sky" - Jason Zumpano from Roses $9.99 a Dozen - Jan 17

"Chinatown" - Go West Young Man from self-titled release - Feb. 17

"Henry's Funeral Shoe" - Henry's Funeral Shoe from Everything's for Sale - Feb. 17

Labels: 2009 Indie Songs, Go West Young Man, Leopold and His Fiction, New Releases

For garage rock lovers who dig 1970s classic guitar rock with plenty of slow jams - meaning longer songs - the brand new release from Weird Owl is worth checking out.

On the whole, there are some solid rock songs on this album, but Weird Owl would do even better to instill more variation in their songs. Hopefully the next release will see Weird Owl step it up and break out more. They have the elements to make more captivating rock like The White Stripes and The Strokes.

As one EMusic observer put it, there is "much needed personality to the sleepy locomotion of the songs." That quote hits it on the head. But still, this is a decent debut rock album for music lovers inclined to a chilled out experience heavy on electric ooze.

"Do What Th' Owl Wilt" - Weird Owl from self-titled debut
"Skeletelepathic" - Weird Owl from self-titled debut

Stream more songs at Weird Owl's MySpace page. *

* Just a minor note to the band: The page background color makes it really hard to read stuff.

Other posts this week:

New Indie Rock Songs from Throw Me The Statue and Papercuts - 2/20/09
More Best Indie Albums of 2008: Person Pitch by Panda Bear - 2/19/09
M. Ward's New Release 'Hold Time' - 2/18/09
Laura Gibson Artist Profile and Upcoming Release - 2/16/09...plus, new releases from Ben Kweller, Bishop Allen and The Decemberists (2/12/09).

Labels: 2009 Releases, Alternative Rock, Weird Owl

Seattle's Throw Me the Statue are back with a new EP on Secretly Canadian Records, the same label that is home to the wildly popular Anthony and The Johnsons (I don't care for his music; so kill me).

But, TMTS's new single "Ship" from the Purple Face EP is definitely worth a listen. It gets better with each listen, in my opinion. The entire album is worth a listen, but this is the stand-out track.

"Ship" - Throw Me The Statue from Purple Face
"Lolita" - Throw Me The Statue from Moonbeams, one of 2008's best surprise albums of the year.

"Future Primitive" - Papercuts from new release You Can Have What You Want

This is an excellent pop rock song, one of the best songs of 2009 so far, and perhaps one of the best albums of the new year as well from San Francisco's very own, Papercuts. Enjoy.

A new split single from pop master Cloudberry Records features London collective The Understudies and Chicago's Very Truly Yours delivers ambitious, rapid jangle pop.

"Flic Knives" - The Understudies
"Pop Song 91" - Very Truly Yours

More indie releases from 2009, including Beirut, Weird Owl, Appleseed Cast, Diplo, Loney Dear and more!

Labels: Best Indie Songs 2009, Cloudberry Records, MP3s, Papercuts, Throw Me The Statue

Album cover of Panda Bear's 2008 Person Pitch

(My bad: This album came out in 2007, not 2008. Oops).

One 2008 release that cannot be emphasized enough is the last release from Animal Collective's Noah Lennox. As one of the many characters that make up the wildly popular psychedelic pop rock outfit, Lennox, better known by his moniker Panda Bear, released his third solo album last year. The more I listen to it - even now - the more it becomes apparent just what an awesome release it was.

Combining the high chorus, echo pop sounds of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys with his own brand of songs lush with sampling and electro-pop influences, a significant departure from Lennox's previous acoustic-centric release Young Prayer.



His record label, Paw-Tracks Records, wrote of Lennox's 2008 release: "Person Pitch is suffused with the kind of feel good modern toe-tapping pop that seems harder and harder to find these days." Indeed.

"Comfy in Nautica" - Panda Bear from Person Pitch

For those of you who missed it, here's an amazing remix from Panda Bear of a great Notwist song. Enjoy.

"Boneless" (The Notwist) - Panda Bear Remix

MySpace: Panda Bear

Labels: Best Independent Music, Best Indie Rock Songs, Free Indie MP3s, Indie Artist/Group Profiles, The Great Unknowns

By the time the best indie albums of 2009 lists start coming out later this year, today, February 17th, will surely be a day to remember.

That is because today marks the official release of a number of high anticipated, and for the most part, rewarding albums by some of indie music's most popular artists, including M. Ward, Beirut, Morrissey, Robyn Hitchcock, Sing Fan Bous and Architecture in Helsinki, among many others. The most anticipated in my world was M. Ward's newest release.

Wow! Brilliant! Addictive! Those are my initial reactions after listening to M. Ward's new release (today, Feb. 17) Hold Time. If there is one album every music lover should hear in 2009, it is this one.

I'll hedge a bet and say right here, right now that Hold Time will be, as the months pass, considered one of the best, if not the best, album of the year. Tonight he also appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman.

M. Ward is a genius. His songs are masterfully composed and executed. He has splendid vocal capabilities and is clearly one of the best singer songwriters of the past decade. With Hold Time, Ward definitely locks in that honor.

One of the things I love about this album is that every song is brilliant and memorable, spanning an entire field of genres and styles that is a cornerstone of Ward's musical appeal.

Whether they are upbeat country rock songs or dreamy folk pop ballads, Ward's songs jump out and attach themselves to your ears, guiding you to turn up the volume, sit back and soak them up.
Rarely does an album come along in which every song on it is precious in it's own way. Hold Time does just that. It is simply a masterpiece.

From beautiful duets on songs like "Oh Lonesome Me" with Lucinda Williams to "Rave On" with Zooey Deschanel, and catchy pop songs like "Stars of Leo" to country rock songs like "One Hundred Million Years" to the magical and dreamy love song and title track of the album.

"Never Had Nobody Like You" - M. Ward from Hold Time (song Ward played on Lettermen tonight)

"Oh Lonesome Me" - M. Ward from Hold Time on Merge Records

Other songs that are infectious and get better with each listen include "Shangri-La", "Epistemology", "Jailbird" and "For Beginners", each of which could be a hit song on their own.

It's hard to imagine that enough mind-blowing albums will be released in the next 9 plus months that will keep Hold Time out of the majority of Top 5 and Top Ten albums of 2009 lists that come out later this year. I would not be surprised at all if Hold Time is widely considered the best album of 2009 months from now.

Labels: Best Albums 2009, Best Indie 2009, M. Ward, Merge Records, New Releases

In less than two weeks, The Noise Pop Festival will begin in San Francisco, and next month the famous South by Southwest Festival will kick-off in Austin.

Today, the spotlight turns to the amazingly gifted musician and Oregon native Laura Gibson, who is performing at both Noise Pop and SXSW. She first got noticed on a large scale with the 2006 debut album If You Come to Greet Me. Gibson followed up with the well received Six White Horses in 2008.

On February 24, Hush Records (The Decemberists' first label before they "crossed-over") will release Gibson's newest album Beasts of Seasons.

"Spirited" from Beasts of Seasons - Pre-order at Hush Records

Gibson's music is folksy, flowing, soothing and marked by her distinctively soft yet determined vocals. Her music has a majesty all of its own and the potential for a broader appeal than she currently enjoys (that can be good and bad).

Her music scales the confides of the common folk classification bestowed on her, displaying a creative knack to weave in elements of country, rock and pop. There are even elements of Spanish guitar such as in the song "Sweet Deception".

Listen to a full stream of Beasts of Seasons via NPR Music until February 24.

Gibson displays excellent craftsmanship with musical and lyrical progression, sophistication and range, as evidenced by songs like "Nightwatch" that drift like a raft on a quiet summer lake to tracks full of marching drives and orchestrated lifts found on songs like "Spirited".

Gibson will headline the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on Feb. 26 and play from March 18 to March 24 at SXSW. Check out Laura Gibson's MySpace page to get all her touring and performance information, listen to songs and more.

Related:
Listen or download a DayTrotter Sessions of Laura Gibson from 2007 featuring songs from If You Come to Greet Me.

Read about, and listen to San Francisco Noise Pop Festival Artist Showcase: Telekinesis

Labels: Laura Gibson, New Releases, Noise Pop Festival 2009, Singers and Songwriters, South by Southwest

Ben Kweller's new album is creating plenty of buzz even as the new resident of Austin adds country to his repertoire; indeed, changing horses.

On his blog, Kweller says about his newest album: "People are asking me, ‘why did you wake up and decide to make a country album?' To them I say, ‘I didn't. It's been in me the whole time, I just never put it on tape.'"

Also, the new album from Bishop Allen simply titled Grrr is receiving wide praise. The anticipation keeps building in lieu of the release of the new Decemberists' album Hazards of Love, due out at the end of March.

"Things That I Like To Do" - Ben Kweller from Changing Horses

- Buy the album from Ben's website
- Ben Kweller's MySpace page
- Download other Ben MP3s

"Dimmer" - Bishop Allen from Grrr...

"The Rake Song" - The Decemberists from upcoming release The Hazards of Love

Labels: 2009 Indie Rock Albums, 2009 Indie Songs, Ben Kweller, Bishop Allen, The Decemberists

He contacted IRC the other day to say that a record label called him after seeing his profile on IRC and listening to some of his songs. Many visitors to the site have been listening to Spirit Spine's songs since the Monday posting. You can be sure we'll be following up with Denney in the coming weeks.

Now, let's move on and give some well deserved exposure to some other great indie artists and bands that have sent us music recently.

Chelan is the musical project of Justin Hosford and Jennifer Grady who have a decade long collaboration under their belts. While they recently parted ways to pursue other artistic adventures, the duo continued to work on Chelan.

"No Better Than We" - Chelan from their debut album, Summer Machines, available now Origami Records.
MySpace: Chelan

"Voodoo Magic" - Bojibian from All Day, All Night
MySpace: Bojibian

"The Only Pretty Ring Time" - The Very Most from Spring on Indiecator Records
MySpace: The Very Most

If you would like to submit your own music for consideration, send an email to contact@indierockcafe.com or to POB 722 Redwood Estates, CA 95044.

You will then receive a verification email that will tell you exactly what you need to do to submit music to IRC. Because we get SO much music, we can only review music that follows the submission guidelines.

Labels: 2008 Indie Songs, Best New Indie, Bojibian, Chelan, In Dee Mail, The Very Most

IRC is launching a series of showcases featuring bands performing at the annual San Francisco Noise Pop Festival later this month, and South by Southwest in Austin next month.

First up, we want to let you know about this exciting pop band from Seattle called Telekinesis. They are set to play at the Noise Pop Festival on February 27 along with Ra Ra Riot and Cut Off Your Hands.

Telekinesis also has four sets scheduled at South by Southwest (SXSW) in March. After that, the band will tour with fellow Merge Records' artists Say Hi through the first week in April.

Telekinesis is Michael Benjamin Lerner (drums, guitar & vocals) with Chris Staples (guitar), David Broecker (electric, acoustic & bass guitar), and Jonie Broecker (bass guitar & keyboards) joining him on tour. Walla and Lerner mixed each song to analog tape a day at a time, "with the ambitious goal of never over-thinking or sabotaging the spontaneous enthusiasm of the music."

Even Ben Gibbard and the other Death Cabbies tagged Telekinesis as a "Band to Watch" in 2009 during a guest appearance on Stereogum. We second that, and for damn good reasons.

"Coast Carolina" - Telekinesis from their upcoming, self-title debut release

"February 5th 2008" - Telekinesis from their upcoming, self-title debut release


Telekinesis MySpace page

Labels: Bands to Watch 2009, Death Cab For Cutie, Indie Artist/Group Profiles, Merge Records, Noise Pop Festival 2009, SXSW 2009, Telekinesis

Whether you're already hitched, planning a date, have your eye on someone or don't have a date this Valentine's, there's nothing like a great playlist of indie songs related to love - with all its baggage.

This playlist features a range of artists and bands - including the opening 90s track from Extreme - with songs about that crazy little thing called love.

"More Than Words" - Extreme
"Night After Night" - The Sounds
"All My Love" - American Music Club
"Young Love" - Moto Boy
"Imaginary Girl" - Silver Seas
"Here's Lookin At You Kid" - The Gaslight Anthem
"A Teenager In Love" - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
"Immaculate Heart" - American Analog Set
"No Goodbyes" - The Subways
"No One's Gonna Love You" - Band of Horses
"So Sweetly Around Me" - Page France
"Why I Cry" - The Magnetic Fields

Recent popular posts you might have missed:

- IRC Artist of the Month: Spirit Spine
- Kanye West Links to IRC Artist Feature
- Coachella 2009 Line-up Announced with Playlist

Labels: Indie Valentines, Valentine's Day Songs, Valentine's Playlists

"Two" - The Antlers from upcoming release Hospice

"Bear" - The Antlers from Hospice

"November Was White, December Was Grey" - Say Hi from Oohs & Aahs

"Everything With You" - The Pains of Being Pure At Heart from their self-titled debut

Labels: 2009 Indie Songs, Barsuk Records, Merge Records, New Releases, The Antlers, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Spirit Spine self portrait
New musicians popping up in recent weeks are beginning to make 2009 look like a promising year for indie rock, electronica and pop.

Yet another relatively unknown talent has caught our attention, and we think his sound will appeal to many people who have reacted so positively to Blind Man's Colours' post a couple of weeks ago.

Joseph Denney, aka, Spirit Spine, is a freshmen at Indiana University in Bloomington, who began a "music project" last fall that friends encouraged. His friends were right to encourage him. The result is a collection of sprawling, dreamy, psychedelic and pop-oriented songs that we keep playing again and again.

"My new album," Denney wrote in an email to IRC, "is self-titled and has been compared to "Panda Bear + MGMT + New Order" and 'The Beach Boys fronted by Lou Reed high on Nyquil and Redbull' I was greatly influenced by Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" Technique as well as Surf Rock and 80's Pop."

That's an excellent comparison. You can hear more of his other influences - like Joy Division and Beck, in Denney's music as well, not to mention the obvious Animal Collective influences.

Denney says he created all of the music using the the computer software program Garageband on the Mac and some 8-tracking. This is an amazing example of how one talented young musician in the technological age can write, record, manufacture, distribute and market his own music for the rest of us to enjoy.

Highlights from Spirit Spine's debut include "Trickledown", "Crashers (Highs and Lows)", "Heart Races", "Raptures" and "Faustian Vice".

Spirit Spine is a force to be reckoned with in 2009, and hopefully many of you will agree. The album Spirit Spine is available on iTunes through Lovegiffrae Records.

"Trickledown" - Spirit Spine from s/t
"Crashers (Highs and Lows)" - Spirit Spine from s/t

Spirit Spine MySpace page

Check back for a follow-up review on this amazing indiest of indie releases for 2009.

Labels: Animal Collective, Artists to Watch, Indie Artist/Group Profiles, Joseph Denney, New Indie 2009, Spirit Spine

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

Almost two weeks ago we posted about Florida's electronic unsigned duo artists called Blind Man's Colour.

The posting received a lot of attention! So much so that even Kanye West posted a link on his blog to our review of Blind Man's Colour. Kinda cool, huh? In addition, indie blogs Gorilla Vs. Bear and I Guess I'm Floating wrote about Kayne's link to IRC. Kanye also posted a link to our announcement of the lineup for this year's Coachella fest.

Anyways, the latest word from Blind Man Colour's is that the guys have been getting calls from record labels and a huge number of new friend requests on MySpace since our review posted.

"Jimmy Dove" - Blind Man's Colour from Season Dreaming

We'll be posting more about BMC in a follow-up feature later this month.

Labels: Animal Collective, Blind Man's Colour, Kanye West, Spirit Spine

During the past year or so, CinCin City's indie pop band Pomegranates has crossed the radar of many music blogs and official publications, thanks most to their 2008 debut LP Everything is Alive on Lujo Records.

SPIN magazine says the "art pop" band "shows a youthful, open-eared quartet enlivened with a kick-ass record collection, ceiling-less imagination, ragged guitars, and songwriting chops for days."

"Whom Who" - Pomegranates from Everything is Alive
"Thunder Meadown" - Pomegranates from Everything is Alive

Check out Pomegranate's record label profile with free MP3s.

Here's a YouTube video from the band for the song "We Could Have Escaped".

Labels: Chad Van Gaalen, Michaela Birtic, New Indie 2009, Pomegranates

Today's new indie songs feature the latest from The New Pornographer's A.C. Newman, plus Peasant and Findlay Brown with advance songs from upcoming releases by Mazes and Broken Spindles.

"There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve" - A.C. Newman from Get Guilty

"Introvert" - Broken Spindles from Kiss/Kick out Feb 17

"I Have Laid in the Darkness of Doubt" - Mazes from s/t debut out March 3

"Exposure" - Peasant from On the Ground

"Holding Back the Night" - Findlay Brown from Love Will Find You

Labels: AC Newman, Indie Rock Songs 2009, New Releases

It's been a long time since we've heard anything new from the UK's smoking rockers Arctic Monkeys, so it should come as good news to fans that the band is recording a new album due out "later this year," according to their official website.

The band recently premiered four new songs at the Big Day Out Festival in New Zealand two weeks ago.

“Pretty Visitors”
“Crying Lightning”
“Dangerous Animals”
“Go-Kart”

Download a zip of the entire Wellington show.

Labels: Arctic Monkeys, Arctic Monkeys Live, Arctic Monkeys: Concerts

Suicide Squeeze Records

Fall Records

Michael Nau Interview - The Other Journal

Page France Interview - Tiny Mix Tapes

Page France Interview - Stage Hymns Music Blog

Daytrotter Session (Free Songs)

(above links compiled by Wikipedia)

Labels: Band Breakups, Cotton Jones, Michael Nau, Page France