Now back from Musicfest NW, it’s time to catch up on some bands that we’ve been wanting to tell you about. Today we want to tell you about five bands that you indie die-hards probably already know about, but many others don’t. These are five bands that made noise in the beginning of the year, but seem to have faded a bit. They are Airwaves, Dazzle Ships, Dana Falconberry, The Strange Boys and Dinosaur Bones.
Air Waves – Brooklyn, NY
Just days after returning from their debut European tour, Air Waves hit the road on a double-bill with Seattle’s Past Lives (featuring ex-members of The Blood Brothers). Earlier this year, when Pitchfork’s Guest List asked Dan Deacon what his favorite new band was; he said Air Waves: “Nicole Schneit is an amazing songwriter. The music she writes is like a favorite blanket wrapped around you. Drummer Dave Ferraro complements her songs well. “Shine On” is my current favorite song by them.”
Already in a short time span, Air Waves have not only made a name for themselves in Brooklyn, but elsewhere by touring extensively and sharing the stage with such notable acts like Cat Power, and The Rapture to name a few.
“Shine One” – Air Waves from Airwaves
“Sweetness” – Air Waves from Airwaves
Dazzle Ships – Los Angeles
Playing a sold out show in LA and sharing a stage with Memory Tapes is a pretty big deal for an up and coming indie band that no one has heard of. In fact, it is a fairly impressive accomplishment in the saturated market of indie rock – which is more popular now then ever before.
That’s exactly what happened with Dazzle Ships, a musical duo consisting of Tyler Haran and Haiti De Leon. The pair set out to make music that celebrates the artists who influence them the most – David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Cocteau Twins, to name a few. Dazzle Ships make what they label “experimental pop music”; out of a phobia of doing the same song twice, they try to radically shift roles and techniques during their song writing process.
In March, the duo released their debut, Least Resistance seven-inch that was premiered on Stereogum.
“Least Resistance” – Dazzle Ships from7″ single
“Paradise” – Dazzle Ships
Dana Falconberry – Austin, Texas
Austin’s hometown girl turned respected musician Dana Falconberry has been called by The Austin Chronicle as one of the music city’s “most arresting female vocalists” and “most promising singer-songwriters” following the release of her LP, Halletts, featuring a full band which she has toured with successfully this year, including five shows at South By Southwest.
“Nightingale” – Dana Falconberry from Halletts
The Strange Boys – Austin, TX
So, yes, Austin bands are a common thread in this post – but that’s because the home of SXSW and ACL, is full of great bands, like indie southern rock, R&B country band The Strange Boys. They’ve been on the radar since the early part of the past decade. Last year, however, the band underwent some line-up changes, including the addition of two former members of the disbanded group Mika Miko.
Earlier this year, the band released one of their best LPs, Be Brave.
“Be Brave” – The Strange Boys from Be Brave
“Night Might” – The Strange Boys from Be Brave
Dinosaur Bones – Toronto, Canada
The best for last: Dinosaur Bones are “Hawaiian” indie pop rock band from Toronto, Canada who have busted through in the past year to gain a fairly solid following. In 2008, the band released their debut, self-titled EP, and garnered critical acclaim from media outfits and blogs like Billboard, NOW magazine, CityTV, Chromewaves, HOUR Weekly and others.
In late 2009, Dinosaur Bones entered the studio with producer Jon Drew (F*cked Up, Tokyo Police Club, the Arkells) to lay down the foundation for their long-anticipated debut LP, which was released February 1, 2010 – consider it a preview of what is to come.
“Royalty” – Dinosaur Bones from s/t debut EP (2008)
“NYE” – Dinosaur Bones
