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