With so much new music coming at us from all directions all the time, there are going to be those that slip through the cracks. The fact that these tracks are part of an 'almost missed' mix does not in anyway diminish what we think about the songs themselves (thus the reason for this series). So, without reviewing the tracks individually - which we'd love to do but there simply isn't time - we hope the music speaks for itself.

Not many people, even those who follow "indie" music, know who Sam Billen is. And for those that do, they might say you've been missing out. Irregardless, we have been really digging Billen's cover songs and remixes lately, including his repurposing of songs from - Removers - Sufjan Stevens, Postal Service, Deastro, and Capybara. We've included two of our favorites here. Enjoy.

"Spirtle" (Deastro) - Sam Billen from Removers - March 9th

"Borderline" (Sufjan Stevens) - Sam Billen from Removers - March 9th

Sam Billen's Removers EP is available as a free download.
Sam Billen on MySpaceIf you haven't already heard of the band The Press (making it hard to Google their name), now is your chance. The Brooklyn band brilliantly produces songs that are melodic and dreamy, "Jellyfish Wrangler," as well as raw and in-your-face guitar rock, "Master," as well as other styles. Put them down as a Band to Watch. Following The Press is Makaras Pen, whose songs hover somewhere between shoegaze, pop and indie rock.

"Master" - The Press from INTEOTWIJTEOAE - April 6th

"Jellyfish Wrangler" - The Press from INTEOTWIJTEOAE - April 6th

"Falling Deeper" - Makaras Pen from Makaras Pen - April 1st


Blind Man Colour's Other Half Releases More Solo Work

Kyle Wess of Blind Man's Colour, a band that received a lot of attention in the second half of 2009, just released his second DIY EP under his moniker Chromatic Flights. The EP is pretty much an extension of the type of the electronic experimental 'surf' sounds and styles he's recorded in the past, and with BMC; so there are no real standout tracks, except for the title track, which will quite possibly make it on to one of our summer playlist mixtapes.

"Too Beautiful for Smiles" - Chromatic Flights from Too Beautiful for Smiles - April 19th

Download the EP for free


Artist on the Radar: New York's Boy Without God

Ridgewood, New York's Boy Without God has proven to be a promising one man band who has collaborated with dozens of artists, including members of Slaraffenland. BWG is recommended if you like Beirut, Neutral Milk Hotel, Stephin Merritt, and Sufjan Stevens. The album art above is from the first BWG LP released last summer.

"City Kids" - Boy Without God - single - Jan. 18th

Boy Without God on MySpace


On The Rise: New Orlean's Sun Hotel

Sun Hotel started as a two-piece folk act when Tyler Scurlock and Alex Hertz moved to New Orleans for college. After writing and recording "spooky" songs in their college dorm room, the duo released the lo-fi EP, Oh N.O! to great fan and critic response. Since then, the six-piece post-gospel family band has released their 2009 debut LP, Halloween Mean, and their follow-up LP, Team Spirit, in January 2010.

"Plantation Land" - Sun Hotel from Team Spirit - Jan. 15th

"All Ways" - Sun Hotel from Team Spirit - Jan. 15th

Sun Hotel on MySpace


Lastest Release from Peasant Reaffirms Remarkable Talent

When Damien DeRose turned 18, he dropped out of school, packed up his guitar, and bought a sailboat in California with a friend. A few years later, DeRose released his home recorded debut, Fear Not Distant Lover, and penned the moniker Peasant. The DIY release is full of lo-fi folk pop songs that caught the attention of some influential bloggers. In 2008, Peasant signed with Paper Garden Records, which released Peasant's first studio LP, On The Gound.

Last year, one of the songs from the album was included on the season premier of the TV show, Bones. During his tour of 2008-09, Peasant recorded live sessions for Daytrotter and WOXY radio (RIP), and shared the stage with Cursive, Delta Spirit and Deer Tick, including shows at South By Southwest and the Montreal Pop Fest. His newest album, Shady Retreat, was recorded in the attic of a 200-year-old farmhouse.

"Well Alright" - Peasant from Shady Retreat - March 2nd


...And So We Listened Really Closely

We don't usually publish instrumentals here - mainly because there are already so many great songs with vocals(gotta draw the line somewhere). Plus, most people find instrumentals boring. But ...And So I Watched You From Afar instrumental "The Voiceless" lights up with ambient guitar licks, chord progressions and a calm to climatic interludes, making it well worth a listen.

"The Voiceless" - ...And So I Watched You From Afar from s/t debut - April 6th


VoicesVoices Make Their Voices Heard

The final song in this mix straddles the line between instrumental and vocal, layering smooth sounds with choruses to create a truly inspirational, relaxing and memorable track from a band no one has heard of - Voicesvoices. Check 'em out.

"Out From Under" - Voicesvoices from Origin - Jan. 25th

This week's Best New Releases includes new tracks from a bunch of artists and bands that we think more people need to hear. Long Beach, California band Avi Buffalo - one of our bands to watch late last year - drop their self-titled, debut album today after a long build up - the band has been rising on the blogger radars and on the mainstream music websites as well over the past six months.

Next, the Alcoholic Faith Mission have released their terrific new LP, Let This Be The Last Night We Care. Common Prayer drop their new LP, There Is A Mountain, today, and if the single, "Us vs. Them" is any indication of the album, than it's one to jot down on the "to get" list.

Even though we've already featured a number of Ariel Pink's new music during the past couple of months, his latest LP officially drops today. Drew Danburry sent us this fantastic country-folk-rock (best way can think to describe it) song, "Nirvana, by Kurt Cobain," that we've played multiple times.

Plus, check out sweet new tracks from The Lights, Sonoi, The Mynabirds, Sonoi, Ceremony, Polock, Frog Eyes, The Pack A.D., Unnatural Helpers, Gogol Bordello, and The Whiskers. We wrap with a new album from Princeton frontman Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson as the duo Kisses. By the way, we could give a rats ass that Hole (Courtney Love) has a new album out today.

"Remember Last Time" - Avi Buffalo from s/t debut
Avi Buffalo official website
Stream Avi Buffalo's debut here

"My Eyes to See" - Alcoholic Faith Mission from Let This Be the Last Night We Care - Alcoholic Faith Mission on Myspace

"Us vs. Them" - Common Prayer from There Is A Mountain
Common Prayer on MySpace


"Round and Round" - Ariel Pink Haunted Graffiti from Round and Round 7"
Ariel Pink on MySpace

"Nirvana, by Kurt Cobain" - Drew Danburry, single
Drew Danburry on MySpace


"Someday" - Ceremony from Rocket Fire
Ceremony on MySpace

"Puerto Escondido" - The Lights from Failed Graves
The Lights on MySpace


"Numbers Don't Lie" - The Mynabirds from What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood
The Mynabirds on MySpace

"Sherry Fall" - Sonoi from s/t debut
Sonoi on MySpace


"Fireworks" - Polock from Getting Down From The Trees
Polock on MySpace

"Lear in Love" - Frog Eyes from Paul's Tomb: A Triumph
Frog Eyes on MySpace

"Crazy" - The Pack A.D. from We Kill Computers
The Pack A.D. official website


"Pala Tute" - Gogol Bordello from Transcontenential Hustle
Gogol Bordello on MySpace

"Sunshine/Pretty Girls" - Unnatural Helpers from Cracked Love & Other Drugs
Unnatural Helpers on MySpace


"Cameras" - The Whiskers from War of Currents
The Whiskers on MySpace

"Bermuda" - Kisses from Bermuda
Kisses on MySpace

Other Releases This Week (compiled by Pitchfork)

David Holmes: The Dogs Are Parading [Best Of] [Universal]
Various Artists: Kitsune Maison 9: The Petit Bateau Edition or The Cotton Issue [Kitsune]
Team Ghost: You Never Did Anything Wrong To Me [Sonic Cathedral]
Acid Mothers Temple: From 0 to Infinity [Important]
B.o.B.: B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray [Rebel Rock Entertainment/Grand Hustle/Atlantic]
The Black Swans: Words Are Stupid [St. Ives]
Blunt Mechanic: World Record [Barsuk]
Chin-Chin: Sound of the Westerway [Slumberland]
Eric Copeland: XXXX 7" [PPM]
Frightened Rabbit: Nothing Like You 7" [FatCat]
Iggy and the Stooges: Raw Power: Deluxe Edition [Columbia/Legacy]
Juan MacLean: DJ-Kicks [!K7]
The Lodger: Flashbacks [Slumberland]
Mono: Holy Ground: NYC Live With the Wordless Music Orchestra [Wordless/Temporary Residence]
Mount Carmel: Mount Carmel [Siltbreeze]
The Mynabirds: What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood [Saddle Creek]
Naked on the Vague: Heaps of Nothing [Siltbreeze]
Paul Flaherty & Randall Colbourne: A Distant Roar [Family Vineyard]
Brian Posehn: Fart and Wiener Jokes [Relapse]
Terry Riley: In C (GVSUNME, Live at Le Poisson Rouge, NYC) [Wordless/Ghostly International]
The Sadies: Darker Circles [Yep Roc]
Various Artists: We Are One, In the Sun: A Tribute to Robbie Basho [Important]
The Wave Pictures: If You Leave It Alone [Moshi Moshi] [U.S. release]
The Wave Pictures: Instant Coffee Baby [Moshi Moshi] [U.S. release]
White Fence: White Fence [Woodsist]
Wounded Lion: Wounded Lion [In The Red]

The Rassle is a recently-formed New York City rock/post-punk band composed of former band members from two other great NYC rock bands, The Virgins and the The Young Lords.

So naturally, when The Rassle's Erik Ratensperger (and ex-Virgins member) sent us a couple of songs, we had hightened expectations, and what we heard in those two songs, and a couple of other tracks via the band's MySpace page, were enough to make it clear to us that we were hearing a terrific new band.

Ratsenperger joined with Mark Solomich and two brothers, Blair and Reed Van Nort, of the now-defunct band The Young Lords in January to form The Rassle. The guys must have had some idea that their new band would be something special, after all they had pretty much known each other for a couple of years from playing shows at various New York rock clubs.

The band's disciplined, yet adventurous, rock sound is edgy and catchy at the same time, and has somewhat of a post punk-pop rock revivalist charm heard clearly on songs like "Celebrate The Days" and "Wild Ones," conjuring up comparisons to legendary bands like Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy and Big Star. But more people are likely to compare The Rassle with one of the biggest "indie" bands of the past year, Philadelphia's Free Energy.

"Celebrate The Days" - The Rassle

Since we've been playing these songs from The Rassle over and over again, it wasn't a stretch to put them near the top of the Bands to Watch in 2010 list. It wouldn't be a surprise to us one bit if you're reading about The Rassle on Pitchfork, and even The New York Times, in the next few weeks. The band's unofficial EP has summer time written all over it.

Ratensperger told IRC that the band have been offered residency at New York's Pianos next month, are talking to some labels, planning to tour and working on material for a debut LP that is expected to drop later this year. We say that if they're ready to do Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, or any other big best fest this summer, organizers might just want to give the band a call. That's a bit ballsy with only four songs to go on, but we just have a good feeling about this band.

"Wild Ones" - The Rassle

"Born Free" - The Rassle

The Rassle on MySpace, TheRassle.com, Twitter and Facebook

A little background: The Virgins formed in 2006 and within a matter of a year opened for Sonic Youth and Patti Smith, performed at big music festivals, and even made it on to Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008 for the track, "Rich Girls." Although things have been pretty quiet for the band since their widely acclaimed debut, self-titled EP (2007) and LP (2008), The Virgins have not announced any plans for a new album.

Labels: Bands to Watch 2010, Indie Artist/Group Profiles, New York City Bands, The Rassle

The New York Times Magazine will stream The National's new album, High Violet, in it entirety, and exclusively on the web, beginning tomorrow, April 23rd at 8:30 a.m. EST until April 27th. The event marks the historic newspaper's entry into the full album stream market on the web, along with popular sites like Spinner, NPR and AOL.

The National's May 11 release of High Violet is one of the most anticipated "indie" rock albums of 2010. As happens so often nowadays, the album has already leaked online, which prompted the band to reveal the album artwork and track-listing, a free MP3 single, and now a free stream of their first album in three years with the New York Times. (See below to read excerpts from the New York Times Magazine's Sunday feature of The National.)

The National's MySpace page featured the following note:

“Hi everyone! As you may have heard, there is a low quality leak of our new album, High Violet, spreading across the internet as we speak. We wanted to let you know the New York Times will be streaming the real thing starting Friday April 23rd. We hope you’ll take the time to hear the album at its intended level of quality.”

Since the release of their widely acclaimed debut album, Alligator, and their amazing 2007 LP, Boxer, The National's popularity has grown tremendously. Many of the band's biggest fans have been messaging in forums about when a follow up LP would be available. So one can assume that there will be lots of people listening to the album stream on Friday and throughout the weekend, and into next week.


If all, or most, of High Violet is anything like a few of the songs we've already heard - including the single, "Bloodbuzz Ohio", it is very possible High Violet would be one of the top indie albums of 2010. However, the album cover art (above) leaves much to be desired. We don't know why there have been so many ugly album covers in the past few years, maybe it's simply because so few people actually see, or care to see, the album art work.

"Bloodbuzz Ohio" - The National from High Violet

Download this MP3 here

No doubt that many music lovers are waiting to here it. Here is the web address for the New York Times Magazine's feature page that won't be available, again, until 8:30 am ET on April 23rd. Come back here and stream The National's High Violet in its entirety.


Excerpts from the New York Times' Feature Story about The National

In addition to the free album stream of High Violet, the iconic magazine will publish an in-depth profile of the band in the Sunday print and web editions. IRC was granted special permission from the New York Times to publish excerpts from article that will be published this Sunday.

The National is a Brooklyn group originally from Cincinnati that formed in 1999, featuring identical-twin brothers, Aaron (guitar, bass, piano) and Bryce Dessner (guitar), plus another pair of non-identical brothers, Scott (bass, guitar) and Bryan Devedorf on drums. The band is fronted by vocalist Matt Berninger. The band hit the big-time in the mid 2000s with the release of their magnificent debut album, Alligator, followed in 2007 with the release of Boxer, Paste Magazine's No. 1 album of the year and Stereogum's pick for No. 2.

"Mistaken for Strangers" - The National from Boxer (2007)
(official Mineo Records free MP3)

In the Times' feature on The National, contributing writer Nicholas Dawidoff, writes about his experiences hanging out with the band this past winter as they mixed their fifth album in their producer Peter Katis' recording studio in Bridgeport, Conn. The article notes the band was under tremendous pressure to deliver the final masters - which were weeks late - to their record label, 4AD; to come up with a name for the album; and to complete songs that were not ready for release.


"Several of the songs had no lyrics," Dawidoff reports. "Those that did were otherwise askew. Four weeks into the mix the band was, as Aaron [Dessner] put it, 'kind of in a circling-the-vortex mode.'"

Dawidoff's accounts of the winter mixing sessions are especially detailed and revealing as the band faced difficulties in finding a satisfactory sound for some songs, in particular "Lemondworld," a track the band struggled with for months.

In addition to the drama surrounding the track, "Lemonworld," Dawidoff provides an astute examination of "Sorrow," which the band describes as a "dark" song.

"I thought we were making a pop record," Aaron Dessner told Dawidoff, "but it's turning out to be extremely dark lyrically."

Dawidoff also describes the band's "rigor" for creating, destructing and rebuilding five minute songs, adding: "Their process often seems like a musical parlor trick since they delight in belittling their own work and can seem happier about rejecting another successful reinvention than actually completing anything."

You can bet there will be tens of thousands of people streaming The National's new album over the next week. If you want to bookmark the URL, or simply come back here, this is the link to the stream provided to us by the New York Times: Stream The National's High Violet.

The prolific and eccentric songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and musical collaborator, Owen Pallett - who's something of a super star in the world of indie pop - released his third, and last, album as Final Fantasy. The brilliant LP, Heartland, is wonderfully arranged, featuring one finely crafted song after another, his magificent songwriting, and orchestration, including the regular employment of looped violin and vocals have spurred comparisons ranging from Andrew Bird to Brian Eno.

With the release of Heartland, an album that is meant to be played from beginning to end, Pallett has put the Final Fantasy project to behind him, and thankfully left us with a trio of terrific albums.

In February, Pallett reportedly entered the studio to collaborate on the long-awaited third album from Arcade Fire, which is expected to drop this summer. Pallett previously co-wrote the string arrangements on Arcade Fire's celebrated albums, Funeral and Neon Bible. Pallett has also worked with Pet Shop Boys, The Mountain Goats and Fu*cked Up, among others.

Make sure not to miss out on the Best New Releases mix for this week published on Monday.


"Keep The Dog Quiet" - Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy from Heartland

"Tryst With Mephistopheles" - Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy from Heartland

"Lewis Takes His Shirt Off" - Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy from Lewis Takes His Shirt Off EP


Glasgow, Scotland musician Gareth Dickson, who has been increasingly garnering favor for this music in recent years, is definitely channeling Nick Drake - intentionally or not - in this lazy, stoner melody, "Noon". Dickson once worked on a Nick Drake tribute album - not a big surprise.

"Noon" - Gareth Dickson, single - April 18th
Song is CC license (BY-NC-SA) and Bad Panda Records.
Other recent releases we almost missed include Monster Movie, ARMS (formerly of the awesome start-up band, Harlem Shakes), The Silver Seas, and Talking To Walls.

"Silver Knife" - Monster Movie from Everyone is a Ghost - April 6th

"Emily Sue, Part 2" - ARMS from s/t EP - March 12th
Get the EP for free

"The Best Things in Life" - The Silver Seas from Chateau Revenge - April 8th

"Came To You" - Talking To Walls from We Were Not So Tall - April 15th


Recent Posts, Playlists and Mixes You Might Enjoy:

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. V: The Library Is On Fire, Son Lux, The Ambience Affair, Japanther, Yawn, Kikipau

Best New Releases of the Week: Radio Dept., Rory Erickson & Okkervil River, Hot Chip, Caribou, Wye Oak, Jordan Galland

Record Store Day: The Importance of Record Stores, Special Indie Documentary, April 17th Releases and Video Shout Outs

Songs About Spring, Vol. II: Deerhunter, A Boy Least Likely To, Akron/Family, Fruit Bats, The Very Most, and Atlas Sound

What's Hot Right Now, Vol. II: Suckers, Polock, Band of Horses, Dr. Dog, Tokyo Police Club, The Crookes, Atmosphere & More

Feetz to Da Beatz, Vol. II - Bands That Get You Moving: Delorean, Caribou, Future Trends, Neon Indian, Secret Cities and More

Whether you were at Coachella this weekend or got a bunch of limited edition vinyls for Record Store Day, a blast of new music might seem a bit much right now. But there are some great releases this week worth checking out, including new material from Radio Dept., Hot Chip, Roky Erickson and Okkervil River, Wesley Wolfe, Open Hand, Caribou, Horse Feathers, Prizzy Prizzy Please, Wye Oak, Bridges and Powerlines, Turin Brakes, Survive, Sparrow and The Workshop, Demander, Trans Am, Automata, Jordan Galland, Inlets, Night Driving in Small Towns, Cuff The Duke. Phew! Fire up this mix!

"Heaven's on Fire" - Radio Dept. from Clinging to a Scheme

"Never Follow Suit" - Radio Dept. from Clinging to a Scheme
- The Radio Dept. official website

"I Feel Better" (Adam Smith bootlet) - Hot Chip single release
- Hot Chip on MySpace

"Be And Bring Me Home" - Roky Erickson and Okkervil River from True Love Cast Out All Evil

"Gone for Good" - Wesley Wolfe from Storage

"Honey" - Open Hand from Honey


"Leave House" - Caribou from Swim

"Belly of June" - Horse Feathers from Thistled Spring

"I Hope You Die" - Wye Oak from My Neighbor / My Creator
- Wye Oak official website

"Large Hadron Collider" - Prizzy Prizzy Please from Chroma Cannon

"Lost" - Prizzy Prizzy Please from Chroma Cannon
- Prizzy Prizzy Please on MySpace

"You Were" - Bridges and Powerlines from Ghost Types


"New Star" - Turin Brakes from Dark on Fire

"Lunar Eclipse" - Survive from 10" EP

"The Gun" - Sparrow and The Workshop from Crystals Fall

"Math" - Demander from Future Brite
- Demander official website

"Apparent Horizon" - Trans Am from Thing
- Trans Am on MySpace


Burlesque pop/indie rocker Jordan Galland's second album, Search Party, available today, features two of the songs featured below, "Search Party" and "Football and Strippers."

Galland has opened for artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Cibo Matto, Phantom Planet, Adam Green, Rooney, and Ween. Jordan Galland is a musician, filmmaker and writer living in New York City. Best known for his songwriting collaborations with Mark Ronson, Sean Lennon and Daniel Merriweather, Galland released his debut solo album, Airbrush, in 2009.

The release of Search Party coincides with Galland's debut feature film, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Undead, an independent romantic-comedy about vampires and out of work actors starring Jake Hoffman, Davon Aoki and Ralph Macchio.

"Search Party" - Jordan Galland from Search Party

"Football and Strippers"- Jordan Galland from Search Party
- Jordan Galland on MySpace

"In Which I, Robert" - Inlets from Inter Arbiter
- Inlets on MySpace

"Come & Tell Me"- Night Driving in Small Towns from Serial Killer
- Night Driving in Small Towns

"It's All a Blur" - Cuff the Duke from Way Down Here
- Cuff the Duke official website


Other Releases This Week We Haven't Heard, But Might At Some Point (list via Pitchfork)

The Apples in Stereo: Travellers in Time and Space [Yep Roc/Simian/Elephant 6]
Cornershop: Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast [Ample Play] [U.S. release]
Cults: "Go Outside" b/w "Most Wanted" [Forest Family]
Cypress Hill: Rise Up [Priority/EMI]
The Delta Mirror: Machines That Listen [Lefse]
Doves: The Places Between: The Best of Doves [Astralwerks/Heavenly]
The Grateful Dead: Crimson White and Indigo [Grateful Dead/Rhino] [CD/DVD]
Kurupt: Streetlights [Penagon Entertainment]
Willie Nelson: Country Music [Rounder]
Ozomatli: Fire Away [Mercer Street/Downtown]
Plants and Animals: La La Land [Secret City]
The Ponys: Deathbed + 4 EP [Matador] [digital release]
Solvent: Loss For Words [Ghostly International]

Vinyl Reissues

The Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs [Merge] [deluxe vinyl box set reissue]
Deerhoof: Apple O' [Kill Rock Stars] [vinyl reissue]
Deerhoof: Green Cosmos [Kill Rock Stars] [vinyl reissue]

Reissues

Destroyer: City of Daughters [Merge] [reissue]
Destroyer: Thief [Merge] [reissue]
Destroyer: Streethawk: A Seduction [Merge] [reissue]

Blur’s new song Fool’s Day recorded especially for Record Store Day has sold out on limited edition 7 inch vinyl record of 1,000 pressings.

"Zebra (UK edit)" - Beach House from Zebra RSD 7-inch single

"Night Before The Funeral" - The Mary Onettes from RSD 7-inch

Labels: New Releases, Radio Dept

Nearly 30 years after the world mourned the death of her husband, one of the most beloved musicians of all time, John Lennon, Yoko Ono has danced her way to the top of the dance club charts for the fourth straight year. Ono's hit single, a remix of "Give Me Something", peaked at No. 1 on the dance charts last week, and is still going strong.

In an interview with Indie Rock Cafe, the avant-garde icon, artist and philantropist said she is "excited and amazed" by the success of her remix series, and gave credit to the many "talented musicians", including her son, Sean Lennon, who has been been working with his mother for nearly ten years on various remixes. Ono said that she is grateful to be exposed to a "whole new generation".

The latest Billboard topper, "Give Me Something", is a remixed version of a song that originally appeared on John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Grammy-winning, landmark LP, Double Fantasy, released in the spring of 1980, only months before his tragic murder by a deranged fan, Michael David Chapman.

Ono's latest remix series includes a number of individual remixes from Junior Boys, Morel, Dave Aude, Stonebridge, the alternative rock band Sparks, and many others. We choose the Junior Boy's version, which RCRDLBL.com called "thoroughly modernized, suffused with a steadier, slinkier tempo, a stronger bassline, and clusters of modular synth."

"Give Me Something" (Junior Boys Remix) - Yoko Ono

Along with her son, and a number of other musicians, such as Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Bette Midler, Cornelius, producer Mark Ronson and ex-Cibo Matto member Yuka Hondainc, among others, Ono performed a number of big shows in February, including sold out appearances at the Academy of Music's Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, and at the San Francisco Bay Area's historic Fox Theater in Oakland during the annual Noise Pop musical festival.


"Sean and I have such a wonderful time working together", Ono said. "I was lucky to work with so many great musicians in my life, and to meet Eric Clapton again, who I worked with many years ago with John (Lennon)".

Clapton, the legendary guitarist known best for his work as a solo artist and prolific collaborator, is often credited for his ground-breaking work in classic 1960's rock bands like The Yardbirds, Cream and Derek and the Dominios, and is the only musician to be inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times. He was also one of the original band members of the Plastic Ono Band back in 1969.

Asked what she liked about dance music, Ono said that dance music is "like holding up the world", adding, "don't march through life, dance through life".

Through Ono's widely acclaimed remix series that started in 2001, she has also collaborated with the Flaming Lips, Pet Shop Boys, Basement Jaxx, The Polyphonic Spree, and many others.

When asked about the indie rock genre, Ono replied enthusiastically: "I think indie rock is great; it's a cutting-edge in music like punk was. Indie music is so incredible and strong now that the big companies want to be involved with it."

Ono's biography is nothing short of amazing, and her credentials as an artist and activist are extensive and impressive. As one of the most well-known women in the world, Ono is widely respected as a Japanese-American artist, author, musician, activist, and philanthropist, as well as for her work with gay rights issues and AIDS awareness, and of course, a 15-year relationship/marriage to Lennon.

Over the years since Lennon's death, Ono has released a number of albums, and is widely considered a pioneer of the 1970's and 80's new wave music craze.

As a musician, Ono's original sound, an avant garde style of experimental music, is credited with influencing the sound of new wave. In a 1980 Rolling Stone magazine review of John Lennon's last album, Final Fantasy, a story is told about Lennon hearing the B-52s' song, "Rock Lobster," in a club, and which he remarked that her sound had gone mainstream.


John and Yoko Love Story from Allan Tannenbaum
Since then, her influence in the world of dance music is unquestionable. Ono had her first dance hit in 1981 with "Walking on Thin Ice/It Happened", followed by another dance hit in 1985, "Hell in Paradise", that peaked at No. 12 on the U.S. dance charts. In 2003, Ono returned to the dance charts with a No. 1 remix of "Walking on Thin Ice". From 2007 to just last week, Ono has had a No.1 dance hit every year since.

"Walking on Thin Ice" (Felix Da Housecat Remix) - Yoko Ono

Ono's musical experience began as a young girl growing up in Japan. "I love most instruments including Japanese instruments", she told IRC. "My mother had seven or eight instruments. As a girl, I played piano and my father wanted me to play western music, but I didn't enjoy practicing. I was also encouraged to practice singing, but I can only remember practicing the piano".


As for her mother, a professional artist, Ono said, "she never played [music] professionally because she put most of her time into painting". Unfortunately, Ono said, she doesn't have any of her mother's paintings because they were all destroyed in the bombing of Japan during World War II.

Asked if she ever planned to repurpose one of her late husband's songs as a duet with her voice added to Lennon's, Yoko said: "No, no, I respect too much John's music to do something like that."

Regarding the song-writing process, Ono said, "my songs are connected with my emotion", explaining that she doesn't have a real process to writing. "I get upset or excited about something, and a song comes to my mind and I write it down; it just comes to me. John (Lennon) had a similar approach".

Like dance hits? Check out our What's Hot Right Now and Feetz to Da Beatz playlist mix series.

We thought it would be cool to include this relatively new song from the band Stereo Total:

"I Love You, Ono" - Stereo Total

There is also an indie band called Oh No Ono who have been increasingly on the music radars of blogger's around the world.
"Helplessly Young" - Oh No Ono

For trivia lovers: Sean Lennon was born on his father's 35th birthday, October 9, 1975.

We'd like to thank Yoko Ono and Tell All Your Friends PR for setting up this interview.

Labels: John Lennon, Yoko Ono

Record Store Day is like Easter, Christmas and Valentine's Day wrapped up into one day for people who love independent music and the experience of hanging out in an indie record store, meeting people, getting advice from the staff, discovering new music, and tripping down memory lane while flipping through record collections of almost every genre ever created.

For these folks, the hard-core loyalists of indie music culture, visits to the decreasing number of indie record stores are still an integral part of their lives, but the experience is simply not the same as it was years ago when towns and cities all across America has a multitude of locally-owned record stores, before the Walmarts, the Best Buys, and the Borders came in and slaughtered the soul, culture, landscape and local businesses of thousands of communities from Oregon to Florida, Kansas to Maine, and everywhere in between.

The documentary I Need That Record, from Unsatisfied Films (watch it below) is the best film we've ever seen about how the music culture and business, and the music itself, changed so radically in the past two to three decades.

Independent record stores, a symbol of American culture like baseball and apple pie, are an endangered institution across the United States. In I Need That Record, the producers do a terrific job of investigating, writing, interviewing and editing one chapter after another.

Record Store Day has become both a celebration of those largely bygone days, and a day to raise awareness and send out a call to action to music lovers to support the remaining indie record stores in a battle to keep these important landmarks of the American cultural landscape intact for years to come, and overseas as well. Record Store Day is also the one day of the year that collectors and fans can get releases never previously available on vinyl. (see the list below)


Thankfully, and yet ironically, the web has made it possible to spread information about the dirty deeds of the corporate record industry, and connect like-minded people who understand the importance of keeping the record industry in check, not to mention share music easily in an interactive forum. The web allows indie artists to easily distribute their music online themselves with little or no money required, thereby, actually allowing more artists to be truly independent than ever before.

The web has also permitted artists to instantly send news to their fans and provide new music, videos, tour schedules, personal information, updates and so on - a kind of engagement with their audience that was unheard of only 15 years ago. So, there are many good things about the web that benefit both the fans and the artists, including the ability to bypass the company or corporation that used to stay in the way, and unfortunately, part of the plague independent record stores have had to come to terms with, especially over the past decade.



"Zebra (UK edit)" - Beach House from Zebra Record Store Day 7-inch single

The web has made it possible for legit music downloaders to use a vast number of online stores to purchase music they want, eliminating the need to visit their local record store. The same phenomenon has affected small businesses from book stores to printing shops. For illegitimate downloaders of music, especially those people who pretty much get all of the music they want online through various pirate resources, they are one of the biggest enemy of indie record stores, and also make it more difficult for the artists they enjoy the most to make a decent living as musicians.

That is not to say that acquiring some music online free isn't cool - especially when it is being given away by its creators - but there has to be some fair arrangement by which music lovers can buy music at a reasonable price, and hopefully do so more than a couple of times a year. Often without knowing it, frequent downloaders of illegit music who think they are "getting back" at the big, bad record corporations are actually hurting artists and indie record stores more than anyone else.


The documentary (above) is a must-see for devoted music lovers. Chapter by chapter, the film makers, in an informative and entertaining way, take you on a journey of the major shifts and changes in the music industry, the affect on indie record stores; pitting art vs. commerce; the corporate take-over of music distribution and indie radio stations; the bastardization of MTV; the vastly inflated and ridiculous cost of plastic discs (even at $9.99, the record companies would still make a killing on CDs); the 'mall-ification' of America; the negative, and slightly positive, effects of technology and the Internet on music; and the resurgence of vinyl.

The following is a list of each chapter in I Need That Music:
1) Intro 2) Opening Animation, 3) Art v. Commerce, 4) Radio Playola, 5) Telecom '96, 6) MTV Blues, 7) Schnaat House Records, 8) Big Box, 9) CD Prices, 10) The Internet, 11) iPod Blues, 12)
Vinyl, 13) Ride into the Sun, End Credits

We strongly recommend watching this documentary from start to finish. By the time it's over, you will know more about what has happened to music as an art form and as a business in the past three decades than some music writers. And to finish on a perfect note, the documentary's end credits are set to The Kinks' classic song, "I'm Not Like Everybody Else," which was a brilliant choice by the producers because the lyrics and the intensity of the song, the declaration of personal choice, and so on, reflect the overall tone of the documentary itself.


"I'm Not Like Everybody Else" - The Kinks (1966)

The decision of where the music art form and business will go in the years to come is ultimately up to you. The record industry is focused on short-term goals to satisfy investors, and instead of cultivating talented bands, being more user-friendly with their customers (or potential customers) and being less fixated on an outdated profit scheme, they remain unwilling to change. Even with the incredible drop of record (mostly CD) sales in the past decade, the industry still has the system rigged, promotes a bunch of crap music, and insists on selling a CD for $14-$18.

It appears the major record corporations strategy is basically kill, control, over-run, squeeze, seize and swindle any threat to their profit margins, without consideration to music as an art form. And that's where they've screwed themselves, and many other people in the process. In the meantime, they are counting on millions of people "out there" to keep buying and consuming the constant flow of templated crap fed to them via the same corporations' monopolized networks of radio, television, cable, and film.

For those reasons, and others, we rarely profile artists and bands from the Big Five (Sony, Universal, EMI, BMG, Capitol) major labels, instead preferring to stick mostly with artists from indie labels, and the hundreds of DIY and completely independent, unsigned artists that we love for who they are, and the what they create, and why they are regularly featured on IRC. The problem there, as Yoko Ono revealed in our interview with her on Thursday, is that "now they want a piece" of the indie movement, and have already created numerous "small" labels as shills because they know there is so much backlash against the corporate record labels by many music consumers.



Gogol Bordello's one minute promo for Record Store Day 2010
- Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore talks about his first experiences with records as a teen, from I Need That Record documentary (watch above).

- Two Door Cinema Club talk about indie record stores and vinyl, among other things.

"Something Good Can Work" (The Twelves Remix) - Two Door Cinema Club

- The Smashing Pumpkin's frontman Billy Corgan plays a rough home version of "Today" (interrupted by silly kids) in support of Record Store Day 2010.

- The legendary Solomon Burke gives a shout out to support indie record stores.

- The Whigs talk about the first albums they bought in a video short for Record Store Day 2010.

- Of Montreal talks last week with audience (1:05 to 1:45) in Tampa about supporting "dying breed" of indie stores by "buying some sh*t" from the Vinyl Fever record shop in Tampa after announcing the Tallahassee store had recently closed.

- Here's another great video from the same show:


"Kill Me Carolyne" - The Whigs, new 2010 single

- Members of Valencia talk about their independent record store experiences as teens.

- Devo's performance at 11:45pm PDT at Coachella will be webcasted live via Facebook

- Dead Confederate take viewers on a tour of indie record stores in Athens, GA

"Free The Rat" - Dead Confederate

- Mason Jennings gives props to independent record stores and Record Store Day and announces some limited editions of his own avaiable on April 17th.

- Dubmaster at Horizon Records gives a tour of the store as they celebrate 35 years in business; features music from Galactic and Albert King, plus many album covers.

- Check out RockItOutBlog coverage of Record Store Day.

- Paste Magazine's selection of The 17 Coolest Record Stores in America

- A one-minute animated short about indie record stores and the iPod.

- Main Man Records is giving away a free compilation of 33 songs from each CD in their catalog, plus a sneak preview of Devo tribute LP.

- David Schools of Widespread Panic gives views a tour of the last independent record store in Santa Rosa, California.

- Will Sheff of Okkervil River, and Roky Erickson, plug their To Cast Out All Evil on Record Store Day.

- Carly Simon talks about the importance of independent record stores and sings a few verses.

Find your local indie record store using this map.


Music Releases especially geared for Record Store Day: Built to Spill, The Doors, The Flaming Lips, Devo, Phoenix and more

- The legendary Built to Spill will release a limited (2,500) 7-inch edition of the previously unreleased track "Watersleepers" with a live B-side.

- Holiday Shores release a split 7-inch vinyl with Surfer Blood. Also view Holiday Shores, an IRC Band to Watch, official video for "Phones Don't Feud" from their terrific 2009 debut LP, Columbus'd The Whim.

"Phones Don't Feud" - Holiday Shores
"Swim" - Surfer Blood

- The Doors' remaining members will release 2,500 copies of a special 7-inch vinyl of "People Are Strange" and "The Crystal Ship" to help promote their film biopic out now, When You Are Strange. See the trailer.

- The Deftones release exclusive, limited 7-inch of "Rocket Skates" and a M83 remix.

- The band fun release a limited edition deluxe double vinyl of Aim and Ignite, with embossed metallic gatefold jacket, etched picture disc plus the album CD.

"All The Pretty Girls" - fun from Aim and Ignite

- Devo will release Duty Now For the Future reissue on vinyl with a new 12-inch of their track "Fresh"

- The popular indie French band Phoenix (who we are seeing tonight in Santa Cruz, CA) talk about the importance of indie record stores.

In this video, a guy wearing a blue bowl on his head, reviews some of the 150 special releases targeted only for Record Store Day, including limited editions of John Lennon, The Beastie Boys, Bouncing Soul, Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Elvis Costello, and many more.


The following is a list of all of special vinyl and other releases, re-issues and more (compiled by Pitchfork) on Record Store Day, Saturday, April 17, 2010

The Album Leaf: There Is a Wind [Sub Pop]
Beach House: Zebra 12" [Sub Pop]
Bloc Party: Silent Alarm [Wichita]
Bon Iver/Peter Gabriel: Split 7" [Jagjaguwar]
Bright Eyes: Fevers and Mirrors [Wichita]
CocoRosie: "Lemonade" b/w "Surfer Girl" [Sub Pop]
Crystal Castles: "Doe Deer" 12" [Fiction/Lies]
Deerhoof: Apple O' [Kill Rock Stars] [vinyl reissue]
Deerhoof: Green Cosmos [Kill Rock Stars] [vinyl reissue]
Dum Dum Girls/Male Bonding: Split 7" [Sub Pop]
Fela Kuti and His Africa 70: 10" EP [Knitting Factory Records]
First Aid Kit/Peggy Sue: Split 7" [Wichita]
The Flaming Lips/Stardeath and White Dwarfs: The Dark Side of the Moon [limited edition vinyl release]
Fucked Up: "Magic Word", "Come to Life" and "Crooked Head" 7" [Matador] [11 variant covers]
Happy Birthday: TBA 7" [Sub Pop]
Modest Mouse: The Moon and Antarctica [Sony] [10th anniversary vinyl reissue]
The Mountain Goats: The Life of the World to Come [4AD] [DVD]
Pavement: Quarantine the Past [Matador] [Record Store Day exclusive track list]
Simian Mobile Disco: Attack Decay Sustain Release [Wichita]
Soundgarden: "Hunted Down" b/w "Nothing to Say" [Sub Pop]
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: "The Oldest House"/"North Coast" 7" [Matador]
The Thermals/Cribs: Split 7" [Kill Rock Stars]
Various Artists: Casual Nostalgia Fest [Sub Pop]
Various Artists: Fragments From a Work in Progress [4AD]
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP [Wichita]

Today we are excited to add three additional, and very talented musicians, to IRC's on-going One Man Band series. The three artists - Canada's Ben's Imaginary Band, Cologne, Germany's 200 Lurkers, and Davis, California's Brad P and the Son of Sam - each have a unique style and sound, and they've also pretty much done everything that resulted in the songs below by themselves. We hope you agree with these picks. You can also browse all our past One Man Band features, with MP3s that are still working (we try to make sure all year-plus old MP3 links are still active).

Benjamin Romvari is one of the most talented one-man band artists we have heard in the past year. His one-man music project, ironically named Ben's Imaginary Band, sets the tone for songs that are lyrically ironic, morbid and hopeful, but musically soft, dreamy and mellow.

"The band, not being a real band, consequently never formed," Romvari said. "And so, there is little to tell about its history. I’ll say I came up with the name...after going through many other names."

At the age of six, Romvari's parent bought him a violin from a thrift store and enrolled him in lessons. But Romvari stopped taking lessons after a year. Years later, at the age of 15, he rediscovered his musical interests by practicing on an acoustic guitar "with the same intention any 15-year-old boy [who] picks up a guitar [has]...to impress a girl."

Eventually, Romvari began singing and playing an electric guitar as a teen and was encouraged by friends and family. He began to acquire "low-end" recording equipment and writing songs.

In 2007, Romvari selected some of his favorite songs and put them on his DIY LP debut, Nocturnal Fables and Illusions. Last, year he followed up Nocturnal with a debut EP, where his music really stood out, especially after listening to the EP a number of times. And of course, the credits for achieving such a memorable set of songs goes up when you consider that one person did all of the writing, singing, playing of instruments, recording, mixing and promotion himself.

"The Magical Floating Bed" - Ben's Imaginary Band from Trust EP (2009)

Romvari's talent is undeniable, even eye-opening. His songs are lush with dreamy melodies, mellowed out, sluggish glaze, heart-felt lyrics, and even melancholy (on the song "Emerald Dream Thief," which somehow reminds us a bit of Melpo Mene), but in a beautiful way, like artists such as Nick Drake and Elliott Smith were so good at.

The artists that influenced Romvari's music the most are diverse from Frank Sinatra to Harry Nilsson, The Beach Boys and The Beatles to The Pixies, Radiohead, Nirvana and Aphex Twin.

"Emerald Dream Thief" - Ben's Imaginary Band from Trust EP (2009)

Some of the lyrics are light, and some are head-scratchers (or just ironic?): - "I'm in love/with a girl/Who sometimes leaves this world/Cause I can't find her some days" (from the song "Emerald Dream Thief") - and some songs are fairly gruesome: "When I was four years old/We had a burnt black pellet stove/And one day I found a frail female mosquito/And I don't know if she knew but I thought/she could do with a little more warmth/So I let her go on top that old black stove/And I watched her dance her life away" (from the song "Perspective of a Mosquito").

"Perspective of a Mosquito" - Ben's Imaginary Band from Trust EP (2009)

"Slapback" - Ben's Imaginary Band from Trust EP (2009)

Here is a pair of two of our favorite songs from Ben's debut DIY LP, Nocturnal Fables and Illusions.

"Underwater Waltz" - Ben's Imaginary Band from Nocturnal Fables and Illusions (2007)

"The Last Living Man" - Ben's Imaginary Band from Nocturnal Fables and Illusions (2007)

Ben's Imaginary Band on MySpace


The 200 Lurkers is the moniker of Cologne, Germany musician Philip Hoffman. His music has a wistful, melancholy feel, but is buoyed by an innate sense of whimsicality that is reflected in the delicate instrumentation and Hofmann's unique voice.

Charmingly off-kilter melodies carry along lyrics full of exceptional imagery: with all manner of references to exploding beehives, celestial bodies, and birds with nacreous wings, they often depict a duality of the ordinary miraculousness of life wrapping around a pearl of bitterness and loss.

Hoffman, who records in his home studio, counts among his musical influences Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Leonard Cohen, Loney Dear, Phoenix, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Laura Veirs, James Yorkston, among others.


He has garnered a small, but dedicated, fan base worldwide in the past three years. Musically, the 200 lurkers straddle several genres from twee pop to new folk to alt-country; Hofmann is fond of incorporating unconventional musical instruments and technologies (such as water glasses, children's toys, distorted recordings of his or his friends' voices, or archaic drum machines), and each song is of its own character and temperament, defying easy classification. We are really loving his music; check out the free tracks below, and tell your friends.

"The Last Guest" - 200 Lurkers from s/t debut

"Dialogues" - 200 Lurkers from s/t debut

"Spacewalk (Live)" - 200 Lurkers from live show

200 Lurkers official website


We're going to go back to late last summer to tell you about a musician, who at that time released a batch of songs with the moniker Brad P and the Son of Sam. We were really impressed with the songs, but just never got around to featuring his music. He is Brad Petering, a college student and musician from Davis, California.

After the dissolution of The Gingersnaps in 2009, Petering sent out on his own and to create and produce a number of songs he had worked on personally. And like most one-man (or woman) 'bands,' Petering played all of the instruments, including guitar, bass, keys, drums, in addition to programming, editing and mastering the tracks.

Because of the reaction from many people, including his parents, to the "Son of Sam" (a notorious New York City serial killer in the 1970s) aspect of his band name, Petering told IRC that he will retire the name. However, what came from that lo-fi experimental period last year were a few terrific tracks, even though they are somewhat thematically morbid.

"Girl in a Box", the album's lead single, is a first-person account of a man who, keeps his girlfriend in a box. That's definitely not going to go over well with some people, but let's not try to be too serious here; it's just a song, and it's meant to be tongue-in-cheek.

According to Petering's own bio, he realizes some people will be offended by this material:
"Despite the grim subject matter, don't expect any existential naval-gazing - Brad P and the Son of Sam oozes with Petering's trademarked deadpan irony."

Interestingly enough, Petering has opened for artists and bands like Citay, Calvin Johnson, Drew Danburry, Da Bears, and his former band, The Movers and the Shakers. The later band, which made some great music, are now disbanded.

According to Petering, some of his biggest influences include the Velvet Underground, Fiery Furnaces, Elvis Costello, Leonard Cohen, Adam Green, Beat Happening, Elf Power and others.

Download the album for free on the Brad P and the Son of Sam MySpace page.

"Girl in a Box" - Brad P and the Son of Sam from s/t EP

"Nothing" - Brad P and the Son of Sam from s/t EP

"Crazy Weekend" - Brad P and the Son of Sam from s/t EP

Labels: Indie Artist/Group Profiles, One Man Bands

When we first heard this track, who do you think we thought of right away?

"Vanessa's Theater of Peace" - The Library is on Fire from Magic Windows, Magic Nights

Yes! And so we Google'd and everything else to see if it was possible that Doug Martsch had formed a new band project, or perhaps was singing lead vocals on The Library Is On Fire's track, "Vanessa's Theater of Peace." But, it's not him.

The Martsch and BTS aspects of The Library Is On Fire do crop up from time to time on Magic Windows, Magic Nights. The 15-track album, produced by Todd Tobias, the producer for Guided By Voices, has a good handful of strong tracks, including the songs featured here, but the LP's high points are somewhat dragged down by the number of so-so and not-so-good tracks. They could have easily cut out more than a few of the 15 songs to make the album more streamlined and stronger. At least that's how we would have done it - nevertheless, promising band; good album.

"Magic Bumrush" - The Library Is On Fire from Magic Windows, Magic Nights
The Library Is on Fire on MySpace


Next up are familiar bands like such as Son Lux, The Ambience Affair, and Japanther, plus a selected assortment of new-to-me artists and bands like Yawn, Awesome, Daisy Cutter, Cruel Black Dove, Julian Barwick, Voicesvoices, Kikipau, Germany Germany, Tenlons Fort, and Happy Ending.

"Weapons V" - Son Lux from Weapons EP - Feb. 16th
Son Lux on MySpace

"None’s Listening" - Japanther from Rock N Roll Ice Cream - March 2nd
Japanther on MySpace


"Lost at the Start" - The Ambience Affair from Patterns EP - Feb. 26th

"Devil in the Detail" - The Ambience Affair from PatternsThe Ambience Affair on MySpace

"Sore Knees" - Daisy Cutter from M.O.A.B. - Feb 12th
Daisy Cutter on MySpace

"Isolation" - Cruel Black Dove from The Myth and the Sum EP - Jan. 12th
Cruel Black Dove on MySpace

"You're A Vision" - Gold Sounds from Home Schooled EP - March 2rd


"Kind of Guy" - Yawn from Yawn EP - March 30th

"Monsters Lair" - In Tall Buildings from s/t debut - April 6th

"Electro Love" - Germany, Germany from Electrolove - March 28th

"Out From Under" - Voicesvoices from Origins - Jan. 25th

"An Old Song" - Kikipau from White Mountain - March 22nd

"You Won't Be With Me" - Tenlons Fort from Shelters - March 3rd

"It Barely Makes a Sound" - Happy Ending from Turn It On - March 23rd

Other Posts You Might Like:

Best New Releases of The Week: Golden Triangle, MGMT, Tallest Man on Earth, Dosh, Freelance Whales, Earl Greyhound & More

Songs About Spring, Vol. II: Deerhunter, A Boy Least Likely To, Akron/Family, Fruit Bats, The Very Most, and Atlas Sound

What's Hot Right Now, Vol. II: Suckers, Polock, Band of Horses, Dr. Dog, Tokyo Police Club, The Crookes, Atmosphere & More

Feetz to Da Beatz, Vol. II - Bands That Get You Moving: Delorean, Caribou, Future Trends, Neon Indian, Secret Cities and More

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. III: Archeology, Rocky Votolato, The White White Lights, Schooner and More

Calling their music jungle garage rock, Brooklyn's Golden Triangle officially dropped their split-single 7" with The Fresh Onlys today via Hardly Art. We think the track, "Cold Bones," is a great way to kick off this week's installment of Best New Release. Also included is "Neon Noose," a song from the band's excellent debut, Double Jointer, released last month.

"Cold Bones" - Golden Triangle from Golden Triangle/Fresh and Onlys split 7"

"Neon Noose" - Golden Triangle from Double Jointer
Golden Triangle on MySpace



MGMT's new album, Congratulations, has been one of the most anticipated releases of 2010. Although it has been leaked online for about a month or so early, the LP is expected to do well, and it should. We've listened to it a number of times, and it's top list material; the only hesitation that some folks may have is that the band is becoming too popular and too fast, and perhaps their sound on Congratulations is a bit too polished.

In addition, signing to a big label puts an artist at a bit of a conflict of interest, and in some people's eyes, disqualifies them from further residency in their music collection. All of that is totally understandable, but at the end of the day, great music will stand on its own merit.

"Flash Delirium" - MGMT from Congratulations

"Congratulations" - MGMT from Congratulations


The first time we heard The Tallest Man on Earth last year, we were blown away. The man behind the moniker, Swedish folk singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson, of Dalarna, Sweden, has an undeniable Dylanesque nasal yowl and acoustic song crafting that has made him fairly popular in Europe, United States and Canada. The Tallest Man on Earth wrapped up a tour of Europe last month. Tomorrow, Matsson launches a 30-city North American tour.

"Burden of Tomorrow" - The Tallest Man on the Earth from The Wild Hunt

This is just the tip of the iceberg of songs we like a lot from this week's new albums. Plus, they are all free and legal MP3s for you to keep as well. Hopefully you'll find some songs that you really like - or love - to add to your iTunes, iPod, Blackberry, or whatever you use to play MP3s.

Continuing on, today marks the release of the new album from Dosh, aka Martin Dosh. The popular Minnepolis experimental electronica and folk rock singer collaborated with a number of musicians on his new album, Tommy. Andrew Bird sang vocals on the single from the album, "Number 41." Dosh launches a two-month, 25-city North American tour tomorrow in Milwaukee.

"Number 41 (featuring Andrew Bird)" - Dosh from Tommy
Dosh official website

The Freelance Whales finally release their debut album after a year of courting buzz on the blogs and music websites, playing something like seven shows at SXSW 2010, not to mention a lengthy tour schedule. Pitchfork pretty much slammed the band's debut, giving it a 4.4 rating. Sure, they are not a sensation, but they do show promise for such young musicians. We enjoyed two of their shows at SXSW, but there's definitely room for improvement and growth.

"Generator First Floor" - Freelance Whales from Weathervanes


We've listened to the latest album, Suspicious Package, from the fantastic rock band Earl Greyhound, and it's an album worth your investment, especially if you are already a EG fan. Following "The Ghost and the Witness," is a track from the Arizona band Black Market, who sent us this track from their new album, which we have yet to hear. Depending on how good it is overall, Black Market may be one of IRC's Bands to Watch in 2010.

Based on the song featured here, and a couple others we've heard, the band has a well honed guitar riff heavy and pounding drum sound delivered with the kind of angst and energy that is further evidence that raw rock will always be around no matter how many relatively new and popular bands employ synthesizers, drum sampling and reverb.

"The Ghost and the Witness" - Earl Greyhound from Suspicious Package

"Tongue Twister Typo" - Black Market from St. Vincent Decor

"Tea and Thunderstorms" is a stunning orchestral piece from Olney Clark's debut self-titled album, which dropped today. Olney Clark is lead by duo Grant Olney and Barry DeBakey. Written during Olney's Ph.D. in algorithmic algebraic geometry (say that five times fast) in Edinburgh, Scotland. Also from Scotland, is the band Palace Ballet who dropped their double single, "Gabriel/City Lights" officially yesterday. Plus, you won't want to miss the double-shot of psychedelic rock from Indianapolis band Burnt Ones.

"Tea and Thunderstorms" - Olney Clark from s/t debut

"Josefin the Writer" - Olney Clark from s/t debut

Olney Clark on MySpace

"City of Lights" - Palace Ballet from City of Lights/Gabriel 7"

Gonna Listen To T-Rex (All Night Long)" - Burnt Ones from All Night Long

"All Right (Sha-La-La)" - Burnt Ones from All Night Long

Burnt Ones on MySpace


The Senryu song, "Inklings," is a great track that really only gets rolling three minutes in (of a five minute track). It's too bad they didn't think of unleashing the chorus, and the meat of the song, earlier on and for a longer period of time because it's really catchy. Plushgun, on the other hand, gets things going right from the start, with the lead track, "Mixtapes," from their new album. Even though it's more dreamy, melodic and ambient, it's more inviting, especially for impatient folks.

"Inklings" - Senryu from Inklings
Senryu on MySpace

"Mixtapes" - Plushgun from Peace
Plushgun on MySpace

The mellow, dreamy theme continues on the ironically titled, "Retaliate," from the relatively unknown Benni Hemm Hemm. The track from electro-pop dance band Curry and CoCo should get you moving; Legendary Shack Shakers rock it with "Sin Eater"; Chin-Chin chew bubblegum pop on "Dark Days"; Nick Jaina employs catchy rhythms and pure melodies on "Sleep Child"; the band Endtables mix garage rock and punk with lo-fi and The Roans close out with an alternative folk that appears to have Neil Young and Built to Spill influences.

"Retaliate" - Benni Hemm Hemm from Retaliate EP
Benni Hemm Hemm official website

"Sex is Fashion" - Curry & Coco from We Are Beauty

"Sin Eater" - Legendary Shack Shakers from Agridustrial
Legendary Shack Shakers official website

"Dark Days" - Chin-Chin from Sound of the Westway
Chin-Chin artist page

"Sleep Child" - Nick Jaina from A Bird in the Opera House
Nick Jaina official website

"Process of Elimination" - The Endtables from The Endtables
The Endtables on MySpace

"Fireside" - The Roans

"Ambitions & War" - JBM from Not Even in July
JBM official website

To borrow an old phrase, it's that time of year again. Warmer, longer days are replacing the colder, shorter days of winter. Trees and flowers are blooming like crazy (as folks with allergies will tell you). People are out of the house, more active and definitely in better spirits. Baseball bats are cracking. Students are cracking the books for finals. Travelers are planning their summer getaways. It's spring. And after a particularly challenging winter, especially for folks from Virginia to Maine (where snowfall amounts shattered all the records), you can just feel people's appreciation that the winter of 2010 is over.

A great way to celebrate spring is a playlist mix about spring, and the things we associate with spring. This mix includes tracks from Deerhunter, A Boy Least Likely To, Akron/Family, Fruit Bats, The Very Most, Atlas Sound, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Grand Hallway, The Catholic Comb, and to close out, a classic spring-themed song from The Beatles, "Rain".

"Rainwater Cassette Exchange" - Deerhunter from Rainwater Cassette Exchange (2009)

"I Box Up All The Butterflies" - Boy Least Likely To from The Law Of The Playground (2009)

"River" - Akron/Family from Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free (2009)

"Beautiful Morning Light"- Fruit Bats from The Ruminant Band (2009)

"Raindrops" - Grand Hallway from Promenade (2009)

"A Two Week, Springtime, 7th Grade "Romance" - The Very Most from Spring from Spring EP (2009)

"Frisbee In The Rain" - The Catholic Comb from Ghost Stories (2005)

"Spring Break" - Atlas Sound from Another Bedroom EP (2008)

"Cold Spring" - Cymbals Eat Guitars from Why There Are Mountains (2009)

"Rain - The Beatles from B-side to "Paperback Writer" (1966)

Bonus: "This Time Tomorrow" - The Kinks from Lola vs. Powerman and the Money Go-Round (1970)

Get a zip of this mix

If you liked that mix, you can also see the first mix of Songs About Spring, posted a year ago, with songs from Annuals, Spinning Wheels, The Fancy Dress Party, The Postmarks, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The Flaming Lips.

Labels: Indie Playlists

Two weeks ago, we launched a mix, What's Hot Right Now, which turned out to be a huge success. We used a combination of metrics, including our own site stats, as well as lists from sources such as The Hype Machine and Elbo.ws, to determine the songs included in the playlist below. Because you asked for more, we're bringing it. Ray Davies (The Kinks) said it the best: "Give the people what they want."

Some artists and bands that would otherwise be in this mix are not because we already featured them in Recent Releases We Almost Missed, the Feetz To Da Beatz playlist, and this week's Best New Releases mix. This mix starts off with a new track from the increasingly popular band Suckers, followed by a fantastic song from Polock, a band from Valencia, Spain, that are definitely one of our IRC Bands to Watch in 2010. On the spin after Polock is a brand new, somewhat infectuous, tune, "Drunk Girls," from LCD Soundsystem's rumored "last" album, which is yet untitled - as far as we know.

This mix also includes fresh tracks from Dr. Dog, Band of Horses, Tokyo Police Club, and the UK buzz band The Crookes, who also performed three shows at last month's South By Southwest festival in Austin. Waiting for word from the band on a full length. The song featured here, "Back Street Lovers," was a fairly popular track in the UK in recent months.

Don't miss the mashup of Mos Dub by Mos Def with Desmond Dekker & The Aces, a ripping rocker from the relatively unknown band Earl Greyhound, and new music from Blitzen Trapper, brother/sister duo, Angus and Julia Stone and a remastered track from one of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time, Elliott Smith (RIP).

"Black Sheep" - Suckers from Wild Smile (drops June 8th)

"Fireworks" - Polock from Getting Down From The Trees (drops April 26th)

"Drunk Girls" - LCD Soundsystem from untitled LP

"Compliments" - Band of Horses from Infinite Arms (drops May 18th)

"Ghost And The Witness" - Earl Greyhound from Suspicious Package (out April 13th)

"History Town" - Mos Def with Desmond Dekker & The Aces (Mos Dub Mashup)

"Jackie Wants a Black Eye" - Dr. Dog from Shame, Shame (out now)

"Back Street Lovers" - The Crookes

"Breakneck Speed" - Tokyo Police Club from Champ (drops June 7th)

"Shoulda Known" - Atmosphere

"Heaven and Earth" - Blitzen Trapper from Destroyer of the Void (drops June 8th)

"Big Jet Plane" - Angus and Julia Stone from Down The Way

"Angeles" - Elliott Smith from Roman Candles (reissue)

If you liked this mix, you can show us some love by spreading this around using the ShareThis! button below to Digg, Stumble, bookmark, Tweet, FaceBook, etc. this mix so others can enjoy all - or some - of these tracks too.

Recent Posts and Playlists You Might Like:

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. IV: Holly Golightly, Motion Turns It On, Ruby Suns, Josiah Wolf, Happy Birthday and More

Best New Releases of the Week: Dr. Dog, Hacienda, Harlem, Codeine Velvet Club, Jonsi, Javelin, Matt Pond PA and More

Feetz to Da Beatz, Vol. II - Bands That Get You Moving: Delorean, Caribou, Future Trends, Neon Indian, Secret Cities and More

Music Month in Review, March 2010: Top 20, SXSW, Best Releases, RIP Alex Chilton & Mark Linkous & Special Playlists

Labels: What's Hot Right Now

Every week, via the regular Best New Releases series, we do our best to make it easy, reliable and convenient to listen to, and download, songs from the best new releases. That's why we thought it would be cool to also launch a regular playlist mix series that features great music that was - for one reason or another - not included in the regular best new releases playlist series.

Today's installment starts with Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs' new album, Medicine County, and the track, "Forget It," which sounds like a perfect lead song for a Quentin Tarantino movie soundtrack. The album cover doesn't match the song's (nevermind the album's) haunting, bluesy sound. Also, Motion Turns It On's new album, Kaleidoscopic Equinox, available via Chocolate Lab Records in late 2009, was officially released in February. Plus, check out songs you might have missed from The Ruby Suns, Josiah Wolf, Dinosaur Feathers, Giant Cloud, Happy Birthday, Bradley, and Saintseneca.

"Forget It" - Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs from Medicine County - March 14th

"Give Up The Ghosts" - Motion Turns it On from Kaleidoscopic Equinox - Feb. 16th
Motion Turns It On on MySpace

"Closet Astrologer" - The Ruby Suns from Flight Softly - March 2nd
The Ruby Suns on MySpace

"Master Cleanse (California)" - Josiah Wolf from Jet Lag - March 2rd
Josiah Wolf on MySpace


"History Lessons" - Dinosaur Feathers from Fantasy Memorial - Feb. 19th
Dinosaur Feathers on MySpace

"Old Soul" - Giant Cloud from Old Books EP - January 19th
Giant Cloud on MySpace

"Subliminal Message" - Happy Birthday from Happy Birthday - March 19th
Happy Birthday on MySpace

"Your Money" - Bradley from Mountain Tiger Wolf - March 2nd
Bradley's official website

"Grey Flag" Saintseneca from Grey Flag EP - March 30th
Saintseneca on MySpace


Official video for "Flash Delirium" from MGMT's Congratulations LP, out next week
So Much Great Music in the Pipeline: Stay Tuned to IRC

Stay tuned, we still have bunches and bunches of new songs and mixes coming soon, including amazing tracks from artists and bands most people have never heard of - but we promise, that is not a reflection of the music itself. In fact, a lot of the best music that comes out every year is rarely heard by 'the public at-large,' if you will. We'll never know why that's the case, but we know we'd like to keep it that way. Why? Because once "everyone" else knows about a band - i.e., Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, etc. - it somehow makes the music itself less special.

Coming up: Bands to Watch, One Man Bands, Best New Releases (week of April 12), In Dee Mail songs, Guide to Music Festivals of 2010, Coachella 2010 Preview, Singer and Songwriter Spotlight Series, Record Store Day mix, and a new installment of Ears To The Music (one of 2009's most popular playlist series on IRC). You can view any of the regular series - containing hundreds of awesome MP3s, by clicking on the highlighted playlist mixes above.

This is a big, big week for new releases that we've been listening to and preparing for the past month. All of songs featured in this mega-playlist mix are choice tracks off of new releases that officially drop this week, including Dr. Dog, Hacienda, Harlem, Javelin, Codeine Velvet Club, Jonsi, Matt Pond PA, Pepper Rabbit, Tung, Mi Ami, The Kissaway Trail, Red Sparowes, Rob Laufer and more. Many of the artists and bands in today's playlist mix were big draws at last month's South By Southwest in Austin. Following today's new releases, there is also a mix of MP3s of songs from re-issues of Elliott Smith, Cheap Trick, The Doves, and Ray Charles.

First up is the popular Philadelphia rock band, Dr. Dog, who have consistently put out one solid release after another during the past decade. As well, Dr. Dog has gained a strong reputation for their energetic and well executed live performances. Absent of writing a more thorough review (sorry, time squeeze here), we can tell you that Dr. Dog's latest release demonstrates the band at their best, and indeed has an aspect of their live sound throughout. "Stranger," is the lead single. Shame, Shame is already #31 of Amazon's best-selling albums.

"Stranger" - Dr. Dog from Shame, Shame
Dr. Dog official website


San Antonio band Hacienda dropped their sophomore album, Big Red & Barbacoa, today. Like the band's debut album, Loud Is The Night, Hacienda's new LP was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. Big Red & Barbacoa throws down heavy grooves, 1960's style harmonies, and a blend of Tex-Mex roots rock, retro-pop and rhythm and blues, a formula that some call "South Texas soul music." In 2009, the band gained national recognition for their sets at popular music festivals and on tour opening for Dan Auerbach, Dr. Dog and Alberta Cross.

"I Keep Waiting" - Hacienda from Big Red and Barbacoa
Hacienda on MySpace


The roughly recorded guitars, drums and vocals on Harlem's Hippies may sound like they're coming from the neighbor's garage down the street, but the lo-fidelity rock that the Austin trio wields spills over with pop ambition and exuberance. Snappy rhythms, simple song structures and interesting lyrics may seem ordinary at first, but with each subsequent spin, reveal the album's brilliance, and elevate the band's position as one of Austin's hottest bands of the past year or so.

"Cloud Pleaser"- Harlem from Hippies

"Friendly Ghost" - Harlem from Hippies

Bonus: "Gay Human Bones" - Harlem from Hippies
Hacienda official website


Another much talked about SXSW band, Codeine Velvet Club, are Scottish alternative rockers featuring founding member John Lawler (aka, Jon Fratelli) of The Fratellis. While on break from The Fratellis, Lawler and the band released their debut album in December in the UK to wide acclaim. Today marks the official U.S. release of Codeine Velvet Club's debut via Dangerbird Records. We've listened to the self-titled LP enough now to say it is definitely one of the best debuts of 2010. If you like these two songs, you'll love the album. Highly recommended.

"Hollywood" - Codeine Velvet Club from Codeine Velvet Club
"Vanity Kills" - Codeine Velvet Club from Codeine Velvet Club
Codeine Velvet Club

"Vibrationz" - Javelin from No Mas
"Oh Centra" - Javelin from No Mas
Javelin on MySpace

"Transparent" - Awesome Color from Massa Hypnos
Awesome Color on MySpace


What else can we say about Sigur Ros' frontman Jonsi's new solo album, Go, that we haven't already said? If you are a Sigur Ros fan, you'll want to add Go to your 'music to get' list for spring of 2010. The project was recorded with help from Jonsi's partner. Also, we have a new track from Matt Pond PA's latest album and a Mojib mash-up/cover of UNKLE's 2007, "May Day Revisited," featuring The Radio Dept.

"Boy Lilikoi" - Jonsi Birgisson from Go (currently #17 on Amazon)

"Starting" - Matt Pond PA from The Dark Leaves

"May Day Revisited" - Mojib and The Radio Dept.

"Sea Waves" - Nice Nice from Extra Wow

"On Giving Up" - High Places from High Places vs. Mankind

"I Learned The Hard Way" - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings from I Learned the Hard Way (currently #2 on Amazon)

"Killing Kind" - Shark Speed from Education EP
Shark Speed on MySpace


In the follow-up to their triumphant debut, The Kissaway Trail's new album, Sleep Mountain, has it's strong points, but the Arcade Fire rip-off is a huge disappointment, and somewhat baffling. Afterall, one of Sleep Mountain's new tracks, "Don't Wake Up," has the muted vocals, accordion waves and choruses of some of AF's biggest songs, including, oddly enough, their very popular track, "Wake Up."

Whether Sleep Mountain is some misguided attempt to parody AF, or pay honor to the Montreal band's unique style and sound, The Kissaway Trail, their management and label have done themselves, and TKT fans, a disservice. As well, producer Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Jonsi), should have known better as well to ditch the Arcade Fire copy-cat, and focus on TKT's strengths, not to mention provided his expertise to ensure this album demonstrated the band's growth and progression.

Here's what Pitchfork, which gave Sleep Mountain a 4.4, said: "From the palm-muted chords and chiming bells that open it, this album is stained to the point of unintentional parody by the Arcade Fire's influence." And, as the PF review points out, this is unfortunate because the album has some strong songs, yet most are on the second half of the LP.

"Beat Your Heartbeat" - The Kissaway Trail from Sleep Mountain
The Kissaway Trail on MySpace

"Red Wine" - Pepper Rabbit from Shakes + Clicks
Pepper Rabbit on MySpace

"Giving Birth to Imagined Saviors" - Red Sparowes from Fear Is Excruciating But Therein Lies the Answer
Red Sparowes official website

"Latin Lover" - Mi Ami from Stealing Your Face
Mi Ami on MySpace

"Don't Look Down of Back" - Tunng from ...And Then We Saw Land
Tunng official website


We really love these two Rob Laufer songs that were sent to us by his manager. Laufer has a brilliantly melodic, soft voice, a penchant for creating memorable songs and lyrics, and an overall musicianship that is impressive. His new release, Excruciating Bliss, is out today.

"Mary Entertaining" - Rob Laufer from Excruciating Bliss

"Birds" - Rob Laufer from Excruciating Bliss


Reissues and Compilations We Like: Elliott Smith, The Doves, Cheap Trick, Ray Charles and Solomon Burke

"Angel in the Snow" - Elliott Smith from Roman Candle

"Twilight" - Elliott Smith from Basement on a Hill

"Sea Song" - The Doves from The Places Between: The Best of Doves

"Surrender" - Cheap Trick from One on One/Next Position Please

"Cry To Me/Take Me As I Am" - Solomon Burke from Nothing's Impossible

"I've Got News for You" - Ray Charles from Genius + Soul = Jazz

Labels: New Releases

Since the launch of the first installment of the Feetz To Da Beatz playlist mix, a number of you have emailed or commented asking when the next Feetz mix would be coming out. Here's your answer: get ready to move to Spain's hot electro-pop band Delorean; the wildly popular Caribou; one of the biggest buzz bands of South By Southwest 2010, Brooklyn's Neon Indian; Holy Fu*k's "Latin America," and dance/electro-pop tracks from Future Trends, Two Door Cinema Club, The Golden Filter, Secret Cities, HEALTH, Kisses, Blasfemea, Bradley, and Rafter. All of the songs are from recent or upcoming releases. Put on your dancing shoes and enjoy.

"Stay Close" - Delorean

Delorean Shows We Plan to See:

04/15 – San Francisco @ The Independent
04/16 – San Francisco @ The Independent

"Leave House" - Caribou

"Latin America" - Holy Fu*k

"Sleep Paralysist" - Neon Indian

"Sometimes Things Don't Add Up" - Future Trends

"Something Good Can Work" (The Twelves Remix) - Two Door Cinema Club

"Hide Me" - The Golden Filter

"Pink Graffiti Part 1" - Secret Cities

"In Heat" (Javelin Remix) - HEALTH

"Bermuda" - Kisses

"Maria" - Blasfemea

"Paper" - Rafter

"Your Money" - Bradley

Labels: Feetz To Da Beatz

For a couple of years now, and especially since the release of three EPs last year, Portland, Oregon's indie rock folk band Archeology has become one of the city's most popular bands, and that's saying a lot in a city brimming with talented artists and bands. Archeology, which includes two band members that met at an archeological dig, has previously opened for Frightened Rabbit and Ruth. Their debut album, Memorial, was released on March 13 via River Seine Records.

"White Walls" - Archeology from Memorial - March 16th
Archeology on MySpace


Born in Frost, Texas and relocated to the Seattle area as a teen, folk/alt. country rocker Rocky Votolato, and former member of Waxwing (a hard-core band), has become one of Seattle's most well-known and admired singer and songwriters over the past decade. Votolato broke out nationally when his song, "White Daisy Passing" (see above) was featured on the TV series, OC. That song was a single from his fantastic 2006 record, Makers. In February, he released the terrific LP, True Devotion, his second release on Barsuk Records, and his tenth studio album since his 1999 self-titled debut.

"Red River" - Rocky Votolato from True Devotion - February 23rd
Rocky Votolato official website


The next song is a kick-back to the B52's in a tumbler with shots of Sonic Youth and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The White White Lights' new single, "Space Invaders," is a rocking and thumbing rip complete with sci-fi guitar licks of Deluxe Peroux and the raw lead vocals of Jenny Gacy. Last month, the band put packed in shows at SXSW and were recently named "Best New Austin Band" by The Austin Chronicle. The band's debut EP, Medium Head Boy, is out now on Indierect Records.

"Space Invaders" - The White White Lights from Medium Head Boy - February 27th


Another release that came out in February that you might want to check out is North Carolina folk minimalist band Schooner's new EP, Duck Kee Sessions. The song featured here, the EP's opening track, "Feel Better," is like a mix of surfer rock and candy pop with a twist of country stomp, complete with catchy chord progressions, dynamic harmonies and perfect backing vocals. All of the proceeds from the sales of the EP are going to fight cancer, according to the band's MySpace page.

"Feel Better" - Schooner from Duck Kee Sessions EP - February 9th
Schooner on MySpace

The following two songs include the shoegaze rock of the Thrushes and the harmony pop of Ghosty. We really hope you enjoyed this playlist mix and we don't mind if you spread it around for others to enjoy.

"Trees" - Thrushes from Night Falls - March 23nd
Thrushes official website

"Secret Language" - Ghosty from A Mystic's Robe EP - March 3rd
Ghosty official website

Other Posts and Playlist Mixes You Might Like:

One Man Bands to Watch in 2010, Vol. I: Richmond's Battle Flags and Brooklyn's Alex Walker

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. I: Boy Eats Drum Machine, Phantogram, ArpLine, BlueBrain, Wakey! Wakey!

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. II: Screaming Females, Prizzy Prizzy Please, Fictionist, Fresh & Onlys, Adam Green, Roadside Graves & more

The Latest Buzz: Hot New Songs from The Black Keys, Delorean, Ariel Pink, MGMT, Caribou, She & Him, The National, Jonsi & More

Band of the Week: Austin's Wiretree Release One of the Best Under-the-Radar Albums of 2009, 'Luck'

As we continue on with various Bands to Watch posts, today we are featuring two "new" fascinating one man bands, Richmond, Virginia's Battle Flags and Brooklyn's Alex Walker.

On a regular basis, we receive in the mail surprisingly fantastic music from completely DIY, independent, artists and bands that just about no one has ever heard of, and in many cases, who have hardly, if ever, been written about on a music blog or online magazine.

In fact, we have featured probably hundreds (at this point) of such artists and bands, many of them reviewed in playlist mixes like Music In Dee Mail, Singer and Songwriter Spotlight Series, and Band of the Week profiles.


Official video for Battle Flags' new track, "Siren Songs"

With 2010 nearly at full throttle, the music is piling up. But some of the submissions we've received already stand out from the rest - as of this date, perhaps a dozen or so that we will be featuring in the coming weeks here on IRC, and others that we've already featured (there are many MP3 nugs in our archive posts if you don't mind clicking around a little).

Today we present two one-man bands from two completely different places and circumstances. Yet they both have a couple of things in common, the most notable being that they do it all - from writing and recording music, to playing all of the instruments, mixing and producing the songs, to distributing and marketing their albums. When you think about it, there is no way to not be in awe of someone who goes totally DIY - no band, producer, engineer; little to no financial backing; no fancy recording studio full of expensive equipment, and so on.

One of the finest examples of this type of totally DIY artist that has really wow'd us is the one man band, Battle Flags. Based in Richmond, Virginia, Battle Flags crafts semi-psychedelic electro-pop sounds and harmonies reminiscent of the so-called "surf-rock" resurgence that has risen to prominence in the past year or so.

With that context, it must be noted that Battle Flags really stands out as an Artist to Watch in 2010, particularly within that loosely defined genre that many trace back to bands like Animal Collective, and further back than that to the Beach Boys records of the late 1960s.

Listening to Battle Flags' songs, you'd think this was an established synth-drum band who are already known to thousands, or millions, of music lovers, have been featured prominently on all the big blogs and music sites, toured to packed venues and so on. Not in this case; the relatively unknown Battle Flags is entirely the work of college music major Jack Budd.

While Battle Flags is not completely obscure - there have been some mentions and reviews in publications like DrownedInSound and Brick magazine - his name recognition has yet to catch up with his talent. Battle Flags' biggest exposure to date has been opening for The Walkmen and Lake Trout.

After Budd sent us a few tracks via email from his debut LP, Color Engine, we have literally been playing thesongs again and again for the past week or so. The first track, "Siren Songs," (watch official video above) could easily be an "indie" spring/summer hit on The Hype Machine, and the song that puts Battle Flags on the map. "Siren Songs" is one of the stand-out, surprise DIY tracks of the year. It entices the casual listener to soak in its hazy, warm sun-drenched synth pop sounds, raspsy, reverb-heavy vocals and dubbed choruses. Don't be surprised if you end up playing this track again and again.

"Siren Songs" - Battle Flags from Color Engine (2010)

On "We Don't Operate," Budd employs his genius yet again with electro pop rhythms, hand-clapping, layered and looped vocal harmonies and chants, raw drum beats, and even referee whistles. The result is an amazing and irresistible affect, that like its predecessor, "Siren Songs," is instantly enjoyable and memorable; another fantastic addition to the coolest summer mixtapes of 2010.

The seed for Battle Flags was sowed while Budd was crafting stencil graffiti in a small bedroom in Richmond in 2007. Eventually he began constructing rhythms and samples using pots, pans, shovels, living room chairs and even empty beer kegs. Budd added his high pitch, but captivating, vocals, samples and effects and other elements until he had enough tracks that he was comfortable to send them to us to share with all of you.

"We Don't Operate" - Battle Flags from Color Engine (2010)

If there is an album that you should hear this month that you would have otherwise probably never known about, it's Color Engine. You can listen to short samples of all the songs on Battle Flags' official website, and buy the full album (officially released on March 8) as well.

Battle Flags on MySpace


Next up, Brooklyn's Alex Walker is a composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist who creates layers of sounds, campfire singalong choruses, doubled-up samples and strong back beats with injections of quirky synth notes, as evidenced on the song, "Trust The Fire." Guest vocalists include Matt Whyte (Earl Greyhound), Brian Grosz (Dogs of Winter), Anthony Yacobellis (Nice New Outfit), Shelly Watson and Alyson Greenfield. This track has an uncanny resemblance to the sound of Iceland's popular one-man band, Sin Fang Bous.

Walker's experience as a writer, producer and accomplished guitarist for NYC rock band, Aloke, and bassist for chamber group, Electric Kompany, demonstrates the breath of talent and skill, not to mention his reptuation for hours and hours of practicing.

"Trust the Fire" - Alex Walker from Trust The Fire (2010)



And yet another side of Alex Walker - classical guitar
On the heavy grooves of "Caught Starin," the listener is exposed to a different side of Walker, where his work, as he describes, "exists as an alchemic distillation of the classical guitar repetoire, the rock n' roll cannon, a childhood in the 80s and 90s (and all the trappings of that era), a love of hip-hop, jazz and other American improvisational trends." This song is darker, haunting, and even somewhat mechanical. The album, Trust The Fire, was officially released on March 2nd. Download Walker's other work at Lapdance Academy.

"Caught Starin" - Alex Walker from Trust The Fire (2010)

Alex Walker on MySpace

Other Playlist Mix Series You Might Like:

- Bands to Watch (2009)
- One Man Bands
- Best New Releases
- 2009 Indie Rock Songs
- 2008 Indie Rock Songs
- Songs About New York City
- Dream Playlist
- Songs for Mom
- The Great Unknowns
- Quickies
- State of Music
- Best Rarely Heard Indie Songs
- Summer Indie Rock Mixes
- Songs of Winter
- Songs of Spring
- Songs About The Moon

Labels: Alex Winter, Battle Flags, Indie Artist/Group Profiles, One Man Bands