February 2013 – INDIE ROCK CAFE

Album of the Week: My Bloody Valentine’s First Album in Over 20 Years Is An Immediate Classic

Posted on 02/28/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

mybloodyvalentinereview — The simplistic, icy dark cover to My Bloody Valentine's self-released album 'MBV'

For a band that only released two albums, Ireland’s My Bloody Valentine made a huge impact on alternative and indie rock, so much so, that the band has been forever immortalized as trailblazers, and often cited by other musicians as a major musical influence. Now, after two decades of near silence from the band, MBV are back in a big way.

They were pioneers of the shoegaze movement in the late 1980s through the early-to-mid 1990s, and their influence on alternative and indie rock since then has only grown. Although it failed commercially, the band’s 1991 sophomore album, Loveless, is considered by critics and fans alike to be a classic album and a milestone achievement of rock history. (Plus, they have one of the most memorable, and provocative, band names ever). And yet the captivating, thrilling and droning soundscapes of Loveless, which popularized the shoegaze genre worldwide, still sounds as epic and fresh as it did two decades ago. But who was to know that Loveless would have a true contender for shoegaze legacy, and that the competition would be from the same band, 22 years later?

Earlier this month, MBV fans were treated to a big surprise when the band suddenly announced via their Facebook page that the new self-released, and somewhat self-titled album, MBV, was released via the band’s official website. Within an hour of the news, there was so much web traffic going to the site all at the same time that it crashed the site completely. And for a good week or more, it was touch and go as far as being able to make it all the way through a successful purchase of the album – because it was the only place to get a copy.

The band did, however, ease the pain at least for many fans by also putting up a full stream of the album via their official My Bloody Valentine YouTube channel. While the album is not yet (or perhaps never will be, since it’s self-released) on Spotify, you can still listen to Loveless and other singles and EPs via the My Bloody Valentine Spotify playlists.

On song after song, the band have reignited the flame they lit all those years ago; in fact, MBV may be even better than Loveless – the more we listen to it, the more we’re convinced. Songs like “In Another Way,” the rumbling guitar rock instrumental of “Nothing Is,” the lo-fi guitar noise and soaring notes of “Who Sees You,” the dreamy, fuzzy psych rock of “She Found Now,” the long and winding progression of distorted guitars and haunting vocals on “Only Tomorrow.”

“Only Tomorrow” – My Bloody Valentine from MBV

On the first couple of spins of MBV, we were simply blown away. Afterall, with nearly 22 years of lost time since the release of Loveless, we were expecting a mediocre album with a couple good songs, or a totally flop, since many bands that come back with a new album after that many years (and even less), don’t usually fair that well. But MBV blew all expectations out of the water, made pretentious fools out of us for assuming prematurely that it would be less than the astonishing work of noise rock that it is, and reaffirmed the band’s legendary status as the pioneers of shoegaze, and now, as middle-aged folks, as once again the indisputable gods of shoegaze rock. Roll out that bloody valentine colored red carpet.

mybloodvalentine — My Bloody Valentine band portrait from 1992

Immediately, fans (those who were able to get through and purchase it) started posting about how fantastic the album sounded. In the ensuing days, the praised spread to music critics – who did not have an advanced copy (which is so DIY and cool) – as well, who almost overwhelmingly have applauded the band’s third, and comeback (way back), album as everything from a DIY masterpiece to a triumphant return to the spotlight to a renewal of the power of the electric guitar. Life’s little and welcoming surprises are the best surprises of all. MBV is easily in the running for best DIY album of 2013 even though the year is only 7 weeks old, and hopefully will be in the running for one of the best albums of the year, DIY or not.

“In Another Way” – My Bloody Valentine from MBV

One fan of MBV, known only as TagoMagoTexas wrote this: “The music is dynamic, some songs are forceful and ferocious, others are smooth, gentle, romantic – they all intertwine, they build on one another. It’s a welcome resurgence of the beauty of the electric guitar.” Indie’d.

Fact Magazine wrote: “It’s as if they’ve recaptured innocence. It’s the only way to describe what you feel had to have happened in order for the band to preserve the very essence of what was the music of their youth, in such a way that goes beyond replication.”

Overwhelming, the reception from all sides has been big thumbs way up. CMJ wrote of m b v: “You’ll be hard pressed to find another album that’s this much fun to crawl inside,” Paste Magazine added: “My Bloody Valentine successfully followed up a decades-old classic with m b v, an album that stands as confidently, beautifully and masterfully composed as its predecessor.

One exception to just about every other review by fans, blogs and the mainstream music press, was PopMatters‘ (which isn’t exactly known for having great taste in music) lukewarm review.

In a rather snarky and misguided review, the editors at PopMatters, concluded:”It’s a good album, but not a great one, and though the long tail of history will eventually render such a long production time moot, it’s certainly not a record justifying the ludicrous wait.” Yeah, so the part about the length of time it took for this record to come out is valid, but only for a minute. So, the short tail of history has already rendered that criticism moot and inconsequential.

“Wonder 2” – My Bloody Valentine from MBV

Lighten up guys; the band members were obviously doing other things during the past 20 years – like raising families and living their lives. We certainly don’t think a band has an obligation to put out another album (especially as a follow-up to a classic album) until they’re ready to do so, and the folks at PM certainly are being petty by giving it only a 6 out of 10. And for diehard MBV fans, and the new fans they’ve now brought on board with this release, the “ludicrous (wrong usage of the word, by the way) wait” was well worth it.

If one were to make a rock music time capsule and bury it to be opened one hundred years from now, it would have to contain Loveless or mbv, or both, along with Sgt. Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, The Kinks Kronikles, Astral Weeks (Van Morrison), Land of Gypsies (Hendrix), Led Zeppelin I or II, Steely Dan’s Greatest Hits, Blonde On Blonde (Bob Dylan), and Nevermind (Nirvana), to name just a few.

As the Los Angeles Times wrote: “It’s everything its fans have been pining for the past two decades.” That’s all that matters. Nothing is achieved by holding the band up to some ridiculous, petty standard. All we would add to what the Times wrote is, MBV is ‘everything and more.’

Singer-Songwriter Spotlight Series, Vol. VI: Washington Musician Blake Cowan, aka, Wickerbird

Posted on 02/26/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

After returning to Mt. Rainier, Washington from New York City, where he earned a biology degree at Columbia University, dream-folk musician, singer-songwriter Blake Cowan retreated to the wooded hills at the foot of Mt. Rainier to record a new LP, and this week’s release of a new EP, in a borrowed trailer where “he commenced a pivotal expedition into his own mortality and ephemerality” to form the musical project, Wickerbird, which is “composed of mountainside reveries rendered forth in bare guitar, cavernous harmonies, Gregorian drones and bird song.” The title track, “The Westering,” is an experimentation in acoustic, natural sounds, feedback and chants, followed by the similarly sounding track, “Hollow.”

Cowan wrote that “Indie rock is a strangely inviting umbrella term that has, at least for me, managed to become one intrinsic to, and rapturously embracing of, all things eclectic, experimental and liberating in music. The term provides a haven for the innovators and the quirky, expanding and transcending their musical mode of expression, unyoked from a need to be defined or derivative.”

“The Westering” – Wickerbird from The Westering – March 1st

“Hollow” – Wickerbird from The Westering

Listen to more Wickerbird via Spotify, including this September 2012 debut. A new message on his Facebook page says that his songs have had more than 60,000 plays on Spotify, which is completely believable.

5 DIY Bands To Watch, Vol. II – Umbrella Cult, Roadkill Ghost Choir, No Shoes, Hints, The Hoot Hoots

Posted on 02/24/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Based on a number of recent, popular DIY posts, it’s clear that many people who dig indie and alternative music particularly like to read about and listen to music from talented, under-the-radar bands they’ve never heard of before.

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Each week, we feature DIY and ‘underground’ bands and artists that are making music just as good (and sometimes better) than artists and bands who receive plenty of blog love, praise from the mainstream press, fan adulation and financial success.

We’ve reviewed and listened to music from hundreds of submissions in recent months, and narrowed down our favorites into a number of posts recently, such as the 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, DIY Bands to Watch, and the Artist of the Week series, in addition to Best New Releases and a variety of other posts featuring DIY and signed indie artists.

It’s still always amazing to us, after all of these years of reviewing under-the-radar bands, just how many excellent bands we profile who are largely unknown. That fact makes them, in our view, even more special (as long as they don’t go the way of a band like fun. where everyone knows that one way overplayed song), which is clearly why people come back to IRC – for great music the rest of the blogsophere is missing out on.

Umbrella Cult – Sarasota, Florida

In December, the Sarasota, Florida DIY band Umbrella Cult released their debut album. However, the fact that it came out only four days before Christmas means that it basically got lost in the crush of the holidays, when people are not really paying attention to new releases. In 2011 and 2012, the band’s gritty production style and high energy concerts quickly garnered them a strong and loyal fan base in their hometown and the surrounding region. The band purposely embraces the “raw and reverb-y production of the 60’s and 70’s,” to create a sound that is balanced by modern and vintages aesthetics.

In 2012, the band began work on an entirely self-produced album in Lee’s foreclosed childhood home (long ago nicknamed the “Umbrella Cult”, which seemed the appropriate name when the band formed). Recording nearly 30 songs during the home sessions, the band members eventually narrowed it down to the 14 tracks on their debut LP, Apocalove.

“Another One Goes” – Umbrella Cult from Apocalove

“New Mistakes” – Umbrella Cult from Apocalove

Umbrella Cult covers all kinds of genres from alt. pop and indie rock to garage rock and psychedelic. Originally formed in 2011, Umbrella Cult counts among their top musical influences excellent bands such as Guided By Voices, The Kinks, The Smiths, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Magnetic Fields, and Neutral Milk Hotel.

In response to a question included on the IRC submission form (“What is indie rock?”), band member Promise Hope (yup, that’s his name), replied: “indie rock is spirited and thoughtful music that has the freedom to operate independently of the well-worn style and genre constrictions. Indefinable perhaps, its sounds are as varied as it’s purveyors.” We like that take on the subject – well put.

Umbrella Cult on Bandcamp

Roadkill Ghost Choir – Deland, Florida

From the Florida swamp lands filled with alligators and cypress trees covered with Spanish moss, has emerged the relatively new ambient folk band, Roadkill Ghost Choir. In recent months, the band of brothers – quite literally – have exploded in popularity, selling out gigs up and down the east coast, and landing spots in the lineups for various festivals, including South by Southwest (SXSW) and other musical events. The ball got rolling for RKGC last year when Andy Shepard (vocals, guitar) was invited to perform a gig at a local club. Not wanting to perform solo because he feared it would be boring, Andy recruited his brothers – and brothers Maxx Shepard (drums) and Zach Shepard (bass) to join him on stage. And that was the planting of the seed.

Soon after, the band was completed with the addition of Kiffy Meyers (pedal steel, banjo, guitar), Joey Davoli (keys, trumpet) and Stephen Garza (lead guitar). Indie music lovers have clearly shown over the years that they love indie folk music, as evidenced by the success of bands like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Avett Brothers, among others. The bands debut EP, Quiet Light, was released in September of last year, produced by David Plakon and mastered by Doug Van Sloun (Bright Eyes, She & Him).

“Beggar’s Guild” – Roadkill Ghost Choir from Quiet Light

“Bird in the Window” – Roadkill Ghost Choir from Quiet Light

Roadkill Ghost Choir Official Site

No Shoes – Brooklyn, New York

No Shoes is a Brooklyn prog-punk quartet consisting of Fabian Kaupert and Arcody Ruin, both guitarists and vocalists, plus, bassist Dan Kunkel and drummer Emilio Herce. Since launching the band a year and a half ago, No Shoes has formed a underground following, including plenty of women, which is inspiration to the band members, on more than one level. Herce told IRC: “We are known for our high energy show and eclectic time signatures. A surprising number of faces in the crowd during our sets are young and attractive females.”

The band’s new EP, Mingling, was released last September by Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen. No Shoes have opened for bands like Viva Mayday, Jangula, Osekre and The Lucky Bastards, and named some of their major musical influences as Banzai, Fall of Troy, The Mars Volta, and The Dillinger Escape Plan.

“Honeycomb Mirrors” – No Shoes from Mingling EP

“Raindrops” – No Shoes from Mingling EP

Hints – Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn unsigned new wave/post punk band Hints sent in a couple of tracks recently from their fresh release, Vol. I. Since forming as a musical project in the summer of 2011, the line-up has solidified with Garrett Morin on vocals and guitar, Matthew Fisher on drums, Collin Lewis on lead guitar and Wyeth Hansen on bass. Honing in on their individual, diverse talents, Hints set out to forge something entirely unique from the get-go. “Our goal has been to make something both fun and earnest that honors influences without becoming derivative,” according to Lewis. Among the band’s top musical influences are bands like Orange Juice, The Church, The Cure, and Echo & The Bunnymen. They’ve recently shared the stage with bands like Menahan Street Band, Owen & The Eyeballs, Rifle Recoil, Relations, Ash Reiter and Jenny Besetzt. On January 29th, the band released a new double single available via the Hints Bandcamp page.

“Ritual” – Hints from Vol. I

“Built A Church” – Hints from Vol. I

Hints on Tumblr

The Hoot Hoots – Seattle, Washington

The Hoot Hoots, hailing from the beautiful city of Seattle, have been dishing their brand of fuzzy power pop to local admirers for the last three years. Their latest LP, Appetite for Distraction, gained critical praise that paved the way for the band’s latest release, an EP titled, Feel the Cosmos. The Hoot Hoots fun, whimsical songs have been compared to artists like The Flaming Lips, The Unicorns, and The Shins. Such comparisons to legendary artists for a largely unknown, DIY band is no doubt a risky assertion, but The Hoot Hoots meet the requirements in this case. The band was founded by brothers Adam Prairie (lead vocals/guitar) and Chris Prairie (drums), and was completed when they recruited musicians Geoff Brown to play bass and Christina Ellis as the resident synth master.

“Home” – The Hoot Hoots from Feel The Cosmos

“Empty Hands” – The Hoot Hoots from Feel The Cosmos

The Hoot Hoots Official Website

Best New Music Releases, Week of Feb. 19th – Nick Cave, Atlas Genius, Beach Fossils, Iceage, Apparat

Posted on 02/22/201301/09/2020 by Max Hammer

The breadth of new 2013 music releases – albums, EPs and singles – that have been coming out in recent weeks, and those set to drop in the ensuing months, have been keeping us very busy, especially when you factor in all of the DIY releases that we receive on a weekly basis, which are not usually posted in the weekly Best New Music Releases (listen to top releases posts for 2013 and 2012) because this series focuses on more well-known and signed artists’ newest drops.

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The first album that caught our attention this week is the new release from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, followed by fresh albums from Atlas Genius, Beach Fossils, Iceage, Apparat, STRFKR, Flume, Mitzi, Matmos and many others. This week there is a lot of synthesizers and dance singles.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Atlas Genius, Beach Fossils, Iceage

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds return with album No. 15, Push The Sky Away, a brilliant experimental album of heady themes that is dark and eerily beautiful, and displays some of Cave’s finest song-writing and the Bad Seeds’ remarkable instrumentation, even though it’s the band’s first album without Cave’s long-time colleague Mick Harvey, who left the band in 2009.

“Jubilee Street” – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds from Push The Sky Away

Another indie artist, Atlas Genius, has signed to a major label for his latest release, When It Was Now. While it’s always difficult to stomach an originally ‘indie’ favorite abandoning the DIY or small label world to play in the majors, it happens so frequently nowadays that people have seemed to stop noticing. It appears that as long as the music itself remains unscathed by the label execs, and sometimes even when it’s manipulated by commercial pressures, that most music fans don’t notice or don’t care. But it’s always a risk too though, especially to the artists’ ‘street cred’ within the alternative and underground music scenes. Check out the lead track from When It Was Now, the dance-tinged, “Trojans.” If you dig da beats, you should find some keeper tracks in this playlist of singles from new albums out this week.

“Trojans” – Atlas Genius from When It Was Now (deluxe version) on Warner Bros.

“Careless” – Beach Fossils from Clash The Truth

“Coalition” – Iceage from You’re Nothing on Matador

“A Violent Sky” – Apparat from Krieg und Frieden (Music for Theatre) on Mute

“While I’m Alive” – STRFKR from Miracle Mile on Polyvinyl

“Chasing The Light” – Lust for Youth from Chasing The Light 12″ on Sacred Bones

“Evil Man” – Destruction Unit from Void on Jolly Dream Records

“Because I Care” – Pony Time from Go Find Your Own on Per Se Records

“Space Academy” – Eat Skull from III on Woodist

“Holdin On” – Flume from Flume on Mom + Pop

“Valleys” – Misfit Mod from Islands & Islands on Stars & Letters Records

“All I Heard” – Mitzi from Truly Alive on Future Classic

“Hurricanes, XO” – Beat Radio from Hard Times, Go! on Awkward For Life Records

“Fortune Teller” – Campfires from Tomorrow, Tomorrow on Fire Talk Records

“Primetime Clown” – The Howling Hex from The Best of the Howling Hex on Drag City

“Teen Paranormal Romance” – Matmos from The Marriage of True Minds on Thrill Jockey Records

“Dirty Mind Melt” – Natasha Kmeto from Dirty Mind Melt EP on Dropping Gems

“Devil Moon” – Bobby Long from Wishbone on ATO Records

Band Alert: San Diego Experimental Electro Psych-Pop Band The Glass Canoe

Posted on 02/20/201304/18/2018 by Max Hammer

San Diego experimental psychedelic pop band, The Glass Canoe, released their widely praised album, Through Lianas, earlier this month, featuring dreamy, smooth electro pop songs with Beach Boys-like harmonies, guitar and synth interplay and fusions of various sound samples. Musician friends David Korrigan and Max O’Reilly began working together as a duo after discovering they had common musical interests. Both had played in rock bands as teenagers, and equally inspired by the experimental, neo-psychedelic movements that have taken root during the past few years thanks to artists like Toro Y Moi, Neon Indian and Tame Impala, to name just a few.

Confined to a small upstairs bedroom, Korrigan and O’Reilly began to find their unique sound creating experimental songs through buzzy synthesizers, manipulated samples, the clicks and cracks of drum machines, and the whirling spin of guitars. All of the songs on their debut were recorded/mixed in this noisy little room, eventually adding additional band members Blake La Grange and Drew Galindo. The band’s name was originally created simply scrolling through a playlist; a mix up of words from other songs and artists. As the style of the band progressed, however, the name grew deeper meaning through the thick woodsy tones and clear water-like textures. Spark FM aptly described their sound as a swirled mix of “[Brian] Eno/Bowie, Phillip Glass and some High Lamas” while Rock Revolt added: “The album is essentially a sonic masterpiece.” The band are signed to the small indie label Korora Records.

“Paradise” – The Glass Canoe from Through Lianas – Feb. 5th

“Miss That Love” – The Glass Canoe from Through Lianas

The Glass Canoe Official Website

2013 DIY Releases – The Stone Foxes, Wild Wants, Brave Baby, Giuseppe Andrews

Posted on 02/18/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The Best New Releases post from this week featured lead tracks from highly anticipated 2013 albums by Foals, The Little Ones, Veronica Falls, among others, including a dozen more singles from a variety of artists and bands.

In addition to the official release this week of new albums, EPs and singles from indie and alternative artists signed to record labels both large and small, there has also been a huge number of excellent, even out-of-this-world, new releases in the past week from talented and promising DIY bands that most people have never heard of before. In fact, many of the unsigned and talented artists who DIY drop new material each week do not even appear on the radars of high profile indie blogs and music sites, and are often either brand new or simply unknown by even the most intrepid indie music enthusiasts.

That’s why IRC has become a top web destination for music lovers that are hungry for new, exciting, original and talented artists and bands, most of whom have not been profiled on a major music blog before, and for some. We are constantly amazed and thrilled by how much fantastic, totally under-the-radar music is sent to us directly by DIYers that we’d otherwise never hear. For the tens of thousands of music lovers that have been regularly visiting IRC for months and years, we salute you, because you favorite so many of the songs and bands we feature on a regular basis, as evidenced by the weekly Top 10 Songs playlists – which are a reflection of the most popular songs posted in a given week.

Band (Still) to Watch: SF’s The Stone Foxes

San Francisco rock band The Stone Foxes have opened for bands like The Black Keys and Cage The Elephant at San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival and New Orleans’ Voodoo Music Experience. They’re also no strangers to these pages with a number of profiles on IRC over the years. And yet for all of their talent, the band is still under-appreciated in the larger arena of well-known alternative garage rock and indie rock bands, which we still find to be a head-scratcher.

The first single from Small Fires, “Everybody Knows,” has been making the rounds in the past couple of months on a number of blogs and mainstream press websites thanks to the song’s standout rock sting. In fact, the track is a modern representation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “A Tell Tale Hear.” The second single, Psycho, is gritty, hard edge garage rock that serves as yet another example of the band’s truly remarkable talents. The track has more of a bluesy rock feel to it than “Everybody Knows,” and includes a Jack White type of harmonica jamming that beckons the memory of classic rock blues bands like the Yardbirds and newer bands like Wolfmother, Dead Weather and The Black Keys. In fact, as mentioned earlier in this post, The Stone Foxes are often compared to Keys – and there are few higher compliments than that nowadays.

“Everybody Knows” – The Stone Foxes from Small Fires – Feb. 12th

“Psycho” – The Stone Foxes from Small Fires

The Stone Foxes Official Website

Hearts & Plugs’ New Sampler Features Brave Baby Single

First up, here are a couple of tracks from a recent Hearts & Plugs Records‘ sampler, including a track from one of our (and based on the statistics, many of you as well) favorite ‘new’ bands of 2013 – Brave Baby – and another from the artist Mr. Jenkins. The sampler also includes tracks from ELIM BOLT, The Lovely Few, and Run Dan Run.

“Lakeside Trust” – Brave Baby from Hearts & Plugs Sampler, Volume 2 – Feb. 1st

“You’re Free” – Mr. Jenkins from Hearts & Plugs Sampler, Volume 2

Seattle Musician Drops Debut Solo Album

Unsigned Seattle musician D.A. Wright, who performs solo as the force behind the new project, Wild Wants, released his debut album, We Are Committed To Excellence!. The album, according to Wright, was “sporadically self-recorded and mixed in various bedrooms, bathrooms, and bandrooms, between day-naps and nights out from July 2011 to December 2012.” Except for the drums, every instrumentation and vocal is Wright’s work, and his penchant for melody, layering and utilization of the full stereo spectrum add a special flare to the album’s overall production, as the two signals here demonstrate. It’s no surprise that his major musical influences include Guided By Voices, The Magnetic Fields, Dr. Dog, The Beatles and The Smiths.

“All Your Answers Will Be Questioned” – Wild Wants from We Are Committed To Excellence! – Feb. 13th

“Twirl My Curls” – Wild Wants from We Are Committed To Excellence!

Netherlands Band April Release Debut Single

Formed in 2011, Utrecht, Netherlands duo APRIL have a sound that has been called “a muscular, Baroque approach to boy-girl guitar pop” supported by the rich and melodic vocals of the Julia Hendriks as well as the growling croon in the lower registers of the band’s frontman, Jorn Mathijssen on new tracks from their new Subroutine Records 7″ single release, including the upbeat, joyous lead track, “The Rise And Fall Of A Beautiful Bird.” Think of a European Matt & Kim. The band has previously opened for artists like The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Rats On Rafts, and Daily Bread.

“The Rise And Fall Of A Beautiful Bird” – APRIL from The Rise and Fall Of A Beautiful Bird 7″ – Feb. 12th

APRIL Official Band Website

Austin’s Giuseppe Andrews Drops New LP

Austin artist Giuseppe Andrews is a prolific musician, filmmaker, and writer who has completed 37 records, 37 films, and seven novels to date. As a teen, Andrews and his father moved to Hollywood and lived in a van before landing roles in movies like Independence Day, Detroit Rock City, American History X, Never Been Kissed and Pleasantville. In 2002, he left Hollywood and acting to move to Austin to pursue music full-time. Giuseppe’s music includes experimental avant garde, pop, rock, comedy, and rap. Here are two top singles from his newest album release, Rubber Duck. This is a case where you cannot judge an album by the cover art (even though people do; and it does make a difference), which itself leaves a lot to be desired.

“Welcome to Air” – Giuseppe Andrews from Rubber Duck – Feb. 12th

“White Mind” – Giuseppe Andrews from Rubber Duck

Orlando Band Stiletto Red Release Debut LP

Orlando alternative rock band Stiletto Red dropped their debut album, Her Love Is A Lie, on Feb. 17th, featuring punchy, rhythmic grooves, sharp, melodic hooks and an artistically-driven, yet classic rock sound. Thrust together by a unified vision that drove them through thick and thin, the band members took leave from different bands and worked around hectic schedules to record their debut album. With songs you can hear and feel loudly, the album handles topics like angst, rage, rites of passage, and finding hope.

“Her Love Is A Lie” – Stiletto Red from Her Love Is A Lie – Feb. 17th

“Further Addiction” – Stiletto Red from Her Love Is A Lie

Stiletto Red Official Website

Way Back Now: Old UK Boy Band Regroups

They were first featured by the legendary John Peel on his popular BBC radio show in the mid 1980’s, but the oddly named ‘boy band’ The Passmore Sisters from Manchester, soon fizzled out and disbanded. Now, all these years later, some of the original members have regrouped to create a new band, Fever Hut, and just released a new album, Segovia. The album was written in Spain and recorded in the U.K. and includes the two singles below, “Ropewalking” and “Love Like A Car Crash.” Contributers to the album included renowned artists like drummer Jonny Cragg, violin virtuoso Davide Rossi (Goldfrapp & Coldplay) and members of the English electro band Zoot Woman on keyboards. The album was dropped on the small indie label, Vegetable Records.

“Ropewalking” – Fever Hut from Segovia – Feb. 14th

“Love Like A Car Crash” – Fever Hut from Segovia

Best New Releases, Week of Feb. 12th – Foals, The Little Ones, Veronica Falls, March Divide, Millionyoung, Pissed Jeans

Posted on 02/15/201301/09/2020 by Max Hammer

There has already been dozens of great 2013 new albums released over the past six weeks, that you can read about, and listen to, or download, the lead track from by browsing the best albums of 2013 posts. This week’s Best New Releases includes a collection of lead singles from new albums out this week from Foals, The Little Ones, Veronica Falls, The March Divide, Millionyoung, Pissed Jeans, The VirginMarys and others.

Foals Release Anticipated LP, Holy Fire

by Ed Biggs
It almost goes without saying that the Album of the Week honors goes to Holy Fire, the third album from one of our favorite bands in recent years, Foals. The quintet has progressed in many ways since their 2010 LP, Total Life Forever. The track, “Inhaler,” released months ago, is a perfect microcosm of Holy Fire – bold, challenging, intelligent and yet utterly accessible.

Tracks like “Bad Habit,” and the newest single, “My Number,” are indicative of Foals’ dynamic post-punk style, this time around mixed with the expansiveness of Joshua Tree-era U2.

Overall, the band’s new album delivers a bigger, fuller sound, which one could attribute to their move to Warner Brothers – a move that some die-hard fans are not happy with, but only time will tell if the move was a wise one. Does signing to Warner mean Foals is no longer an ‘indie’ band?

Some say yes, others say no, and apparently, just from what we’ve been hearing and reading, many others don’t care because the music is what really matters to them most, which is simply logical. So far, the praise of Holy Fire has been fairly universal. And yet lead vocalist Yannis Philippakis and the band, who are extremely ambitious and talented, are also modest about their success in recent years.

“My Number” – Foalsfrom Holy Fire on Warner Bros

Double-shot: “Inhaler” – Foalsfrom Holy Fire on Warner Bros

The Little Ones Finally Release Sophomore LP

The second best album of the week at IRC is The Little Ones‘ long-awaited sophomore LP, The Dawn Sang Along, which is packed with infectious, uptempo twee-pop songs like the bright, melodic lead single, “Forro,” with its glistening guitars, sunny synthesizers, harmony-packed choruses and tropical rhythms. “Forro” is the kind of song that beckons the warmth of springtime, and reminds us that more of winter has passed at this point then is still to remain. It’s a fantastic, upbeat song, and there are other great songs from the LP as well that you can listen to here.

“Forro” – The Little Ones from The Dawn Sang Along on Branches Recording Collective
Listen to “Forro,” or all of The Dawn Sang Along on Spotify.

New Releases from Veronica Falls, The March Divide

Next up is the new single, “Teenage,” from the London indie pop band Veronica Falls‘ sophomore album, Waiting for Something to Happen. The March Divide‘s lead single, “Jose Cuervo,” is one of the more interesting drinking songs we’ve heard in a while set to nothing else but an acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals (almost sounds a little like the Plain White T’s – not sure if that’s a good or bad thing?). Millionyoung kick out a smooth, tropical groove on the track “Lovin’,” followed by the punk rocker, “Cathouse,” by Subpop band Pissed Jeans.

“Teenage” – Veronica Falls from Waiting for Something to Happen on Slumberland Records

“Jose Cuervo” – The March Divide from Music for Film on Dead Letter Records

“Lovin'” – Millionyoung from Variable on Old Flame / Rix Records

“Cathouse” – Pissed Jeans from Honeys on Sub Pop

“Blue Gums Calling Me Back Home” (feat. Kelly Hogan) – Roger Knox from Stranger in My Land on Bloodshot Records

“I Wouldn’t Let Me In If I Were You” – Aina Haina from Aina Haina EP on Badman Recording Co.

“Dressed To Kill” – The Virginmarys from King of Conflict on Wind Up Records

“Seer” – Fear of Men from Early Fragments on Kanine Records

“Shiver” – PVT from Homosapien on Felte

Hit Band Cultfever Drop New Single

Cultfever‘s debut album exploded onto the indie pop scene in 2012, earning praise from MTV Soundtracks, Stereogum, and The Guardian. Their unique sound and captivating live show won them hometown distinction as The Deli Magazine‘s #1 NYC Indie Pop band in 2012. Singles such as “Knewyouwell” and “Collector” propelled them into the CMJ Radio Top 200 charts. Plus, their song, “Strangenecks,” made its prime time debut on MTV’s hit series Awkward. The band are confirmed to play at this year’s SXSW festival next month. Also, the band Powers That Be have dropped their self-titled debut this week, featuring the lead single, “Valencia.”

“Animals” – Cultfever from Animals 7″ single

“Valencia” – Powers that Be from Powers That Be on Don’t Be a Lout Music

Bryan Ferry Releases ‘The Jazz Age’ to Critical Praise

We never want to limit ourselves to one type of music. As lovers of all kinds of music, we can appreciate almost any genre of music. But appreciating a genre of music doesn’t mean that it’s something you listen to regularly, or at all. In that case, there are probably millions of people that have never listened to an entire jazz album of any kind. Still, it is interesting that jazz has been more popular in past years with young people under the age of 35. Bryan Ferry, the legendary 70’s band Roxy Music, has continued to write and record over the decades since Roxy Music disbanded.

Ferry’s latest album, The Jazz Age, is the result of his life-long love for jazz music and his determination to record a jazz album featuring renditions of 13 songs from his extensive rock and roll discography through the prism of a jazz orchestra. The reviews, from The New York Times to Spin, have been overwhelmingly positive and generous in their praise for Ferry’s overall production of The Jazz Age. The following is the official video for the composition, “This Island Earth,” which also has lots of plays and up votes on Soundcloud, where the entire album is streaming.

“This Island Earth” – The Bryan Ferry Orchestra from The Jazz Age on BMG

Band of the Week – Scotland’s PAWS

Posted on 02/14/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The Glasgow lo-fi garage/punk pop trio PAWS gun it on their latest single, “Miss American Bookworm,” blasting out from the starting gate with a fast-driving, rhythmic, and vibrantly melodic romp. PAWS’ new album, Cokefloat!, released by Fat Cat Records, captures the energy and rawness (or ‘pawness’) of the band’s live shows, and per the title, is, as the band said, “like a sugar high,” adding “all of the lyrics are pretty much a documentation of the past two years. A lot of crazy things have happened in our lives – some good, some horrific…there is a strong feeling of positivity and hope running throughout this record [like] light piercing through some distinctly dark times. We’re playing in this band to keep going and stay alive.”

“Miss American Bookworm” – PAWS from Cokefloat! on FatCat Records

The album cover art for Cokefloat! (below) is somewhat misleading. It features a drawing of a wide-eyed young girl encircled by hearts and flowers, which, at a glance, implies the songs within would be something along the lines of light love tracks or teenie bopper pop of the 1960’s. In fact, it’s much more aggressive and rebellious than that, yet the overall sound is brimming with fun, jubilant, enthusiastic romps, Violent Femmes-like rhythms and punchy melodies. The band has an amazing range of genres and sounds they cover from acoustic ballads and screaming punk bashers to catchy indie rockers and indie pop songs.

Band members Phillip Taylor, Josh Swinney, and Matt Scott create fusions of catchy, fuzzy power pop with dynamic, energized, Violent Femmes-like indie rock that is thrilling to listen to. Part of the credit also needs to go to Rory Atwell of Test Icicles for his input as the LP’s producer. Cokefloat!, in our view, is one of the best debut albums of the year, and PAWS is one of the breakout bands of 2012.

The band’s name makes it more challenging to find information about them in search engines; one, because ‘paws’ is a fairly common word, although most associated, not surprisingly, with all things related to man’s best friend. Secondly, the band’s name has a similar construction of many other band names (The Big Paws; Paw Paws; Monster Paws, among many others). It will become easier over time to find links about the band if they continue to keep the momentum they’ve built over the past two years, albeit, mostly in the U.K. and Europe, and hopefully, poised to get more love from here in the States.

“Homecoming” – PAWS from Cokefloat

“Bloodline” – PAWS from Cokefloat

New DIY Releases from The Ivory Elephant, The Diigz, Weepikes, Youngblood, Electric Kazoo, Animal Games, Fonda

Posted on 02/12/201307/22/2021 by Max Hammer

There’s been a flood of new DIY singles and albums gushing in during recent weeks, including quite a few that that really stand out, and others that demonstrate promise. So far this year, there have been dozens and dozens of 2013 DIY singles from new LPs and EPs that have been popular with listeners and which are accessible by browsing Best New Releases of 2013 posts.

Melbourne Band Spearheads ‘Blues Rock Renaissance’

The Ivory Elephant is a DIY blues rock trio from Melbourne, Australia, pursuing the perfection of what they affectionately dub the “Blues Rock Renaissance.” Schooled musically by their idols like Jimi Hendrix and Muddy Waters, the band mates aim to advance blues rock for a new generation while preserving “the gritty, rootsy feel” that makes the music so appealing to millions of people worldwide for the past half century. According to band member Trent Sterling to achieve that careful balance “means riff based rock’n’roll, lots of guitar solos with an emphasis on the actual tone, and gritty vocals that focus on getting a feeling across rather than being auto-tuned and emotionless.” We think they do a good job of it.

Sterling said “indie rock is not having to conform to what a corporation says you have to sound like. Not having to always have a catchy pop line or synth harmony. It means we can sing how we like, play how we like, and put in as many guitar solos as we want.” “Taxi Driver” is a captivating rocker characterized by the impressive electric guitar playing of Sterling, as well as a thumping bass and complex, but steady drum playing. The second track, “Like A Dog,” has a woozy, bluesy feel to it that is occasionally interrupted by all-out jams. The band consider among their musical influences to be artists like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Black Keys, White Stripes, and Dead Weather.

“Taxi Driver “ – The Ivory Elephant from The Ivory Elephant – Jan. 30th

“Like a Dog” – The Ivory Elephant from The Ivory Elephant

The Ivory Elephant Official Website

Finnish Band Weepikes Drop Debut EP

Weepikes are an alternative punk rock pop band from Helsinki, Finland that emerged in the 1990’s, built a sizable following in Europe and North America before running out of steam in 1997 after only three years together. In January, the band dropped their Weepikes EP (mixed and mastered by Kramer), and will be followed on Friday with the release of their new CD, We Are Weepikes. The band has previously opened for groups like fun. and consider their musical influences to be Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Fall, Ennio Morricone and Angelo Badalamenti.

“Nothing But A Soar” – Weepikes from We Are Weepikes – Feb. 15th

“Bad Valentine” – Weepikes from We Are Weepikes

Belgian Battle of the Bands Winners Youngblood

Youngblood is a five-piece DIY alternative rock band from Limburg, Belgium that formed in 2010, and less than two years later, voted ‘Best Band’ by the jury and the audience at the Hagelandse Rocktrofee battle of the bands. In 2012, they also shared the stage with Dog Eat Dog at the Boerenrock Music Festival. Youngblood’s sound and style fall somewhere in the middle of Foo Fighters and Jimmy Eat World.

“Beautiful Failures” – Youngblood from Youngblood EP – Jan. 22nd

“Science My Son” – Youngblood from Youngblood EP

Youngblood Official Website

Calgary Band Drop New Album

Calgary contemporary folk band Electric Kazoo‘s track “Ambiance”, the album’s kick-off track, is quintessentially Electric Kazoo: a gently infectious melody, an elliptical, engrossing electric guitar riff, atmospheric accordion, strong vocal harmonies, and the band’s customary philosophical lyrics. Here are two tracks from the band’s new album, Into the Great White Open.

“Ambiance” – Electric Kazoo from Into the Great White Open – Jan. 22nd

“Ceiling” – Electric Kazoo from Into the Great White Open

LA’s Animal Games Drops Debut Album

Animal Games is a Los Angeles sextet that blends various genres like indie rock, world music, pop, new wave and post punk into their sound in an effort to “achieve a brand of sonic catharsis that encompassed no rules and paid tribute to a plethora of influences and sounds.” It look the band a number of years from their start in 2007 to settle on a final lineup that was not fully realized until the summer of 2010 when lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Buxton-Smith joined.

In late January, Animal Games released their debut, self-titled album. In the years leading up to the album’s release, the band toured and opened for a number of bands, including St. Motel, Hellogoodbye and Lovers Drugs, and count among their biggest musical influences The National, The Smiths, Talking Heads, Interpol, U2 and The Clash. In reply to a question we ask on the music submission form, the band answered the ‘what is indie rock’ question this way: “Indie rock is more than a genre, it is the freedom to sonically express your emotions and beliefs in one of the most artistic formats. It is an independence from the historical standards of our industry and an opportunity to create our art our way.”

“Lily” – Animal Games from Animal Games – Jan. 21st

“Radiator” – Animal Games from Animal Games

Philly’s The Diigz Rock Fusion Grooves

The Diigz are a Philadelphia-based rock fusion with a new DIY released full length album called Mind F*!!k out now. “A lot of our songwriting is channeled as energy from the cosmos, the Akasha.” OK then. The first single, “Electric Eyes,” is a pop rock fusion track about surveillance.

Lead songwriter, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Bob Venuto, recorded an album with Grammy-winning producer Phil Nicolo of Ruff House Records a few years ago, writing and playing all of the instruments himself. Now, with The Diigz, he collaborates with brother Mike Venuto (drums) and Darrien Kennedy (bass), Harvey Mason, who was the drummer on Herbie Hancock‘s Head Hunters album, and producer Darren Morze, who was lead production engineer at Union Transfer in Philadelphia. Venuto wrote that indie rock is “an organic hotbed group of people who look for art and music, not dollars.”

“Electric Eyes” – The Diigz from Mind F*!!k – Feb. 5th

“Saw My Baby/American Hat Dance” – The Diigz from Mind F*!!k

More Recent Singles Worth A Spin

Stream or download more recently released singles off new albums by both signed and unsigned indie bands that most people never heard of before, such as Elephant Stone, Fonda, The Shilos and Low Culture.

“Heavy Moon” – Elephant Stone from Elephant Stone – Feb. 5th

“Seeing Stars” – Fonda from Sell Your Memories – Feb. 5th

“Lapsarian” – Lady Lazarus from All My Love in Half Light Jan. 29th

“The Place Where Nobody Knows I Go” – The Shilos from So Wild – Feb. 5th

“Screens” – Low Culture from Screens – Jan. 15th

No. 1 Songs for January 2013 – Pere Ubu, The Capsules, Gliss and Lost Animal

Posted on 02/10/201307/22/2021 by Max Hammer

Hopes that 2013 will be a great year for independent and alternative rock music, with a wide variety of amazing albums and singles by well known, DIY and breakout bands were bolstered significantly by what turned out to be a strong January for music releases, offering music lovers plenty to listen to in the past few weeks.

The response from IRC listeners has been strong, especially in regards to DIY releases, including many truly talented unsigned artists and bands, as evident by the response to recent posts and the results of the Top 10 Songs weekly playlists for January.

And yet it was the 40-year running experimental, underground rock/jazz/pop veterans, Cleveland band, Pere Ubu, that took the honors of having the first No. 1 song of 2013 on IRC – as determined by which singles listeners streamed and downloaded the most during the week of January 8th to January 14th (since there were no significant number of releases for the first week of the year due to the holidays). There were many terrific small label and DIY artists’ songs that made the Top 10 for the week of Jan. 8th , including fresh tracks from Wooden Wand, Alex Vans, The Agreeables, Youthband, We’re No Heroes and Luck & Senses, among others.

“Free White” – Pere Ubu from Lady From Shangai on Fire Records

Week of January 15th

The week of January 15th (since Tuesdays are when most albums are released) was an encouraging one because of the quantity and quality of anticipated, and surprise, singles and albums, that came out. The relatively unknown band, The Capsules, blew past the competition – that included Yo La Tengo, Virals, Free Energy, The Head and the Heart and many others – to capture the No. 1 spot of the week.

“Across The Sky” – The Capsules from Northern Lights and Southern Skies on Vespera Records

Listen to the entire Top 10 Songs for the Week of Jan. 15th.

Week of January 22nd

For the last full week of January, the No. 1 song according to listeners was Los Angeles indie rock veterans Gliss, who many people never heard of before until their newest release, and the most popular song of the week, “Weight of Love.”

“Weight of Love” – Gliss from Langsom on Modern Outsider Records

Listen to all of the top songs for the week of January 22nd.

Week of January 29th

January has been characterized by surprise No. 1 songs, starting with Pere Ubu, right through to the end of the month with indie artist Lost Animal, who captured the No. 1 spot with his new single, “Say No To Thugs” from the album Ex-Tropical.

“Say No to Thugs” – Lost Animal from Ex Tropical on Hardly Art

Stream and download all of the Top 10 Songs for the week of Jan. 29th

Best New Releases, Week of Feb. 5th – Frightened Rabbit, Eels, Jim James, Guards, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down

Posted on 02/06/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

For indie music lovers, it’s a big, big week for top new releases from a variety of popular artists and bands, including the Eels, Frightened Rabbit, Jim James, Guards, My Bloody Valentine, Grouper, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Matt Pond, The Spinto Band, and others. The year in music for 2013 is starting to look really promising, as the past few weeks have shown, including the Best New Releases for the weeks of January 29th, January 22nd and January 15th, as well as Top New DIY Releases, 5 DIY Bands to Watch, DIY and Indie Artists Releases and Recent DIY Releases playlists.

The awesomeness begins with the newest album release by Frightened Rabbit, titled Pedestrian Verse. The Scottish band, led by Scott Hutchinson‘s dark lyrics and touching vocals, presents a personal and emotional masterpiece on their fourth release, drawing on the anthemic folk pop mix they’ve branded so well and accompanied by deep, touching sonics of reverb-heavy guitar work and frenetic rhythms, as displayed on the lead single (and the accompanying video) titled, “The Woodpile.” Another folk-pop-heavy album out this week, We The Common, from Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, demonstrates the artist’s increasingly political messaging while integrating more crisp acoustic instrumentation, followed by the Eels – easily one of the best bands of the past two decades – release of their tenth album, Wonderful, Glorious, along with the lead single, “New Alphabet.”

“The Woodpile” – Frightened Rabbit from Pedestrian Verse

“Holy Roller” – Thao and the Get Down Stay Down from We The Common
via TheDadada

“New Alphabet” – Eels from Wonderful, Glorious

Top Singles from Jim James, Guards, Matt Pond, My Bloody Valentine and Others

My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James (or Yim Yames), and member of supergroup Of Monsters and Men, dropped his third solo album this week, featuring the spectacular song, “A New Life,” easily one of the best new songs of 2013. Perhaps the most sunny, upbeat and catchy single from a new release this week is “Silver Lining” from the indie band Guards. They released their newest album, In Guards We Trust, this week. New-to-us band Airstrip rock out on the impressive surprise single, “Pleasure Center.” Plus, the latest from Ron Sexsmith, Darkstar, and Night Beds.

“A New Life” – Jim James from Regions of Light and Sound of God on ATO Records

“Silver Lining” – Guards from In Guards We Trust on Black Bell Records

“Pleasure Center” – Airstrip from Willing on Holidays on Quince Records

“Sneak Out the Back Door” – Ron Sexsmith from Forever Endeavour

“Amplified Ease” – Darkstar from News From Nowhere on Warp Records

“Wanted You in August” – Night Beds from Country Sleep on Dead Oceans

Jenny O Barters; Matt Pond Loves and The Spinto Band Shakes

Artist Jenny O., of Where The Wild Things Are fame, has a new album featuring title track, “Automechanic.” The song has a spaghetti western undercurrent yet is dominated by O.’s emotive vocals and lyrics that include; “I’ll trade you a tune for some gasoline.” With the way gas prices are going in the past couple of weeks (will be $7/gal. in two years), you can imagine how hard it is on bands that have little cash but need to tour to make money since it’s not coming from album sales, but we digress; the song itself is OK, but nothing you’ll remember a month from now.

Still, we felt compelled to include it for the Jenny O fans. First off, we did not know until this release that Matt Pond signed to BMG. Now, that’s interesting, and surely some of his early, hard-core fans may not be too happy with that arrangement; thankfully, it doesn’t seem to have had a negative effect on his music – an example eing his new single “Love To Get Used,”

“Automechanic” – Jenny O. from Automechanic on Holy Trinity Records/Thirty Tigers

“Love To Get Used” – Matt Pond from The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand on BMG

“Shake It Off” – The Spinto Band from Cool Cocoon on Spintonic Recordings

“One Thing” – Pascal Pinon from Twosomeness on Morr Music

Grouper‘s new single, “Vital,” is a dream pop track that is great if you’re in a melancholy mood, or just day-dreaming, but if you need stimulation, there are much more suited tracks earlier in this playlist of the week’s top new releases. In fact, one of the antidote’s for the sleepy feeling “Vital” conveys is the Guards‘ “Silver Lining.” In keeping with the chilled, mellow feel, the lead single, “Old Dreams,” from veteran singer/songwriter Hayden streams soft piano keys and acoustic guitar to set the mood.

“Vital” – Grouper from The Man Who Died in His Boat on Kranky

“Old Dreams” – Hayden from Us Alone on Arts & Crafts

Best New DIY Releases – Is Paris Burning, Heyrocco, Matt Churchill, The Hyper Actives, No TV Tonight!, Rounds

Posted on 02/03/201307/22/2021 by Max Hammer

This past week’s top DIY album releases mix includes new singles, EPs and LPs from artists and bands from Kansas City, Brooklyn, Stockholm, and two artists and bands each from London and South Carolina.

Embracing the C-86 music style of jangle pop fused with post-punk (even if they don’t realize it), Kansas City, Missouri indie rock band, Is Paris Burning, hits the mark on the catchy new single, “Wild,” from the band’s self-released double single that was released DIY style on Wednesday. The B-side track, “The City,” is just as enjoyable as the A-side, and there are bound to be folks who cannot decide which of the two they like the most. That’s always a good sign for a new band.

Is Paris Burning got together in 2012, and already they’re starting to make inroads on the DIY indie circuits. This is apparently the first time the band has been featured on a major indie site. In addition to having opened for bands like The Features, Rags & Ribbons, and Gold Fields, the band consider among their top musical influences U2, The Smiths and The Maccabees, to name a few.

“Wild” – Is Paris Burning from Wild – Jan. 30th

“This City” – Is Paris Burning from Wild

DIY Radar Band HeyRocco Drop New Single

Heyrocco is a Charleston, South Carolina based group made up of three best friends who decided to delay their college education to pursue their passion for music. Since forming in 2010, Nathan Jake Merli (vocals, guitar), Christopher Cool (bass, korg) and Tanner Cooper (drums, mandolin), Heyrocco has been gradually building a fan base thanks to their unique dark, nostalgic pop songs, and energetic and compelling live performances, opening for popular indie bands like Mutemath, Surfer Blood, Miniature Tigers and The Whigs, among others.

Heyrocco’s sound is often compared stylistically to bands such as The Cure, Nada Surf, and early Strokes, and, according to their bio, “spiked with an experimental blend of Broken Social Scene meets On A Friday.” In April of 2012, they dropped their debut LP, Comfort, followed this week by the release of a new single, “Elsewhere,” from a yet to be announced album supposedly planned for release this coming spring. “Elsewhere” is upbeat, catchy, and bursting with indie pop energy – the kind of song you want to play on a cold, dreary winter day because it sounds like a track for a springtime MP3 mix. Also check out the track, “Rave Monks,” from Comfort. Lastly, Merli’s answer to the ‘What is indie rock?’ question was: “Indie rock is a community of bands and labels that put out honest music. And goddamn does the world need it.”

“Elsewhere” – Heyrocco from Elsewhere single

“Rave Monks” – Heyrocco from Comfort (April 2012)

Stockholm Rock Trio The Hyper Actives

After gaining success in Sweden and across Europe, DIY rockers, The Hyper Actives, released their debut album, Rock ‘n’ Roll Lives Again, this past week in the U.S., following the official European release in November of 2012. After having played in different rock and metal bands in Stockholm, musicians Jens Holst (bass, lead vocals) and Jonte Skogsbrand (guitars, backing vocals) began work on The Hyper Actives in April 2008, with a concentration on traditional rock with strong melodies, memorable hooks, speed, intensity and groove. The following year, the duo discovered drummer Danne Berg, and the rock trio was complete.

The band’s fast-driving, energetic, blazing 70s-ish arena hard rock sound is molded in the tradition of bands like Black Sabbath, Johnny Winter, ZZ Top and AC/DC. In the summer of 2011, the band broke out with their first single, “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” which put them on the map in Sweden thanks to generous airplay by radio DJs, that eventually caught on outside of the country’s borders. The band is also planning to release a couple of EPs, and their sophomore full-length album, Top of the World in 2013. Here’s the band’s take on ‘what is indie rock’: “Indie rock is a creative explosion and a celebration of everyone’s possibilities [to] speak up and be heard in this new world, breaking down old hierarchical systems that have existed for many centuries.” Interesting.

“The Promised Land” – The Hyper Actives from Rock ‘n’ Roll Lives Again – Jan. 28th

“Rock ‘n’ Roller Man” – The Hyper Actives from Rock ‘n’ Roll Lives Again

Lawdan Mazloom’s New Band Drops Self-Titled Album

The Mazloom Empire is a pop-rock outfit from Columbia, South Carolina, headed by the 21-year-old musician Lawdan Mazloom. She started out not long ago playing acoustic solo shows before recruiting guitarist Zac Thomas to found TME. Eventually a full band was put together, featuring respected local musicians like Brett Kent (bass), Marshall Brown (piano), and Steve Sancho (drums). Kyle Petersen of the Free Times recently wrote that The Mazloom Empire is “one of the most talent-heavy lineups in the city.”

Mazloom’s smooth, yet powerful, vocals rise above the edgy, melodic grooves on the standout track, “Crystal Chandelier,” and as well on the more personal, emotive track, “Alison.” Mazloom’s main musical influences include Wilco, Ingrid Michaelson, The Kooks, and Tegan and Sara.

“Crystal Chandelier” – The Mazloom Empire from The Mazloom Empire – Jan. 29th

“Alison” – The Mazloom Empire from The Mazloom Empire

The Mazloom Empire Official Website

In response to the question (“What is indie rock”) on the submission form, Mazloom answered: “Indie rock is what keeps the world going round. It keeps things interesting. It keeps things different. Indie rock is the soul of music.”

DIY Brooklyn Outfit No TV Tonight! Debuts Split Single

Brooklyn based punk rock duo No TV Tonight! dropped a 7-inch split single on Saturday with fellow Brooklyn band Tin Vulva. Formed a year ago by guitarist and vocalist Jaime Marcelo and drummer Matt Storm, Tearing a page from the DIY principles of punk’s forefathers, NTVT!! does it all themselves with a focus on the music, first and foremost. Their energetic and passionate live shows have already garnered a local following in just a few months following the band’s first show last September. Among other things, an east coast tour in March and the release of their debut full length in the summer are in the band’s future for 2013.

“The Great Panic” – No TV Tonight!! from Split 7″ (with Tin Vulva) – Feb. 2nd

“Murder House” – No TV Tonight!! from Split 7″ (with Tin Vulva) – Feb. 2nd

Indie rock is “music for the love of the music. Independent of ulterior corporate motives. Passionate and honest.” – Jaime Marcelo / Guitar + Vocals

CA-Via-CT Artist Paul Hull Drops New LP

Pat Hull is a soul/singer-songwriter from Connecticut currently based in Chico, CA. His music intertwines melodic vocals and finger picked guitar notes to create a dreamy landscape with unpredictable hooks and interesting turns. Hull’s newest release, Shed Skin, was recorded in Bennington, Vermont, and produced by J.J. Beck and Michael Chinworth, aka, ‘The Mothers,’ who recruited an instrumental ensemble to support Hull’s vocally and lyrically charged performances. His musical inspirations include Radiohead, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, M. Ward and D’ Angelo. Hull will be touring the east coast for the next two months in support of Shed Skin.

“Full Parade” – Pat Hull from Shed Skin – Jan. 26th

“Shed Skin” – Pat Hull from Shed Skin

Pat Hull’s Official Website

Denver’s Eye and the Arrow Embrace Genre Change

A little more than a year old, Denver band Eye and the Arrow is a DIY indie outfit that incorporates a number of genres into their music, without limiting themselves to one or two genres. The band’s new EP, If By Fire, is an amalgamation of musical styles created by long-time friends and collaborators.

“This is our first real release,” says guitarist and vocalist Paul DeHaven, who describes the band as “built on the interplay of the trio, tireless syncopation, and songwriting.” There are odd time changes and witty plays on words. On the single, “Prophet’s Hometown,” folksy earnestness abounds, which percolates with viola and cello arrangements. On the track, “LSD Western,” Mark Anderson’s drumming leads a growing psych-rock war cry that is engaging and compelling.

“This album is an exploration of our potential as a three piece band, of style and song structure through the lens of our collected creativity,” adds bassist Jason Hecker. “It’s derived from the spirit of punk bands that shaped us all in high school, while keeping in step with the emotional and musical complexities that we’ve found in artists like Sufjan Stevens and Wilco.” Eye and the Arrow will be touring in this spring and summer in support of If By Fire.

“Prophet’s Hometown” – Eye & the Arrow by If By Fire – Jan. 26th

“LSD Western” – Eye & the Arrow by If By Fire

Eye and the Arrow on Facebook

London Acoustic Artist Matt Churchill Drops 7″

Matt Churchill is a DIY acoustic singer/songwriter from London who takes inspiration from “the way that people communicate and interact, turning these every day actions into stories.” We don’t know very much about Churchill, but his new self-released double-single, “Radar” displays his fondness for a mix of styles, including acoustic, indie folk, and shoegaze, as evidenced by the title track and the B-side, “Not Enough Feet.”

About playing live, he wrote: “Each set is never the same, with the audience dictating the mood and ambience.” Churchill’s musical influences include Neil Young, Idlewild, Nick Drake, Noel Gallagher, Band of Horses and Buffalo Springfield.

“Radar” – Matt Churchill from Radar – Jan. 28th

“Not Enough Feet” – Matt Churchill from Radar

London Electronic Artist Rounds Releases Debut EP

Rounds is a London-based alternative electronic trio that is not exactly DIY (they are signed with a small indie label, Blind Colour) and has grown a fan base in the U.K. and Austria. Their debut EP, Falter, includes five tracks of richly textured and layered experimental electronic music that is more revealing after repeated plays. Rounds doesn’t opt for gloomy sounds, as much U.K. electronic does, but instead, as the band wrote: “a fusion of The Cure and Radiohead-esque melodic pop and alternative rock; the experimental bass music of bands like Burial or Mount Kimbie, and ambient and deep house laced with glitch, Warp-inspired electronic soul born from a huge range of influences.”

The band consists of Robert Cooper (vocals, synths), Andrew Chapman (guitar, synths), and Ashley Kemp (drums, sampler). Falter is the band’s follow-up to the July 2012 debut EP drop, Escapist, the latter which received positive reviews among British music sites and blogs.

“Falter” – Rounds from Falter – Jan. 28th