# Best DIY & Indie Debuts of 2013, Vol. I – Great White Buffalo, Tournament of Hearts, Make Haste, Constant Supply, Will & the Indians

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2013/05/best-diy-small-label-debut-albums-of-2013-vol-i-great-white-buffalo-tournament-of-hearts-make-haste-constant-supply-will-and-the-indians/
- Published: 2013-05-21T06:57:48-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

There have been many albums released in the past few months that we either did not
have time to get to when they were initially released or that we only learned about
after they were initially released. Many of the albums highlighted in this new installment
of Recent Releases We Almost Missed are debut EPs and LPs from new bands and artists
to watch in 2013.

**Los Angeles** DIY indie rock quartet **Great White Buffalo** have been creating
a buzz in the LA scene since 2011 and are definitely a new band to watch for DIY
music lovers in the L.A. basin. GWB have been mentioned often in the past year or
so in the same sentence with other new artists emerging from the City of Angels,
including IRC favorites **Lord Huron** and **Father John Misty**.

Great White Buffalo’s self-titled debut EP, released on January 30th, was engineered
and co-produced by **Grammy** award-winning producer **Phil Allen** (Adele, Aerosmith).
The heavily layered six-track EP echoes influences like **The Strokes, Foo Fighters
and Kings of Leon**, while remaining true to their own unique style and sound that
has garnered the band so much attention in the past couple of years.

The band performed at San Francisco’s annual **Noise Pop Festival** in February 
and **Austin**‘s famous** SXSW**, where bands are made overnight every year. GWB
have opened for bands like **The Revivalists, Harriet, Oedipus, YLUV**, and their
musical influences include **The Strokes, The National, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of
Leon**, and **Queens of the Stone Age**.

“Thanks for Nothing” – **Great White Buffalo** from _Great White Buffalo_ – Jan.
30th

“Teeth” – **Great White Buffalo** from _Great White Buffalo_

[Great White Buffalo on Facebook](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/greatwb)

#### Tournament of Hearts – Los Angeles, California

**Tournament of Hearts** is a **Los Angeles** based indie pop rock band that has
made a name for itself creating well-produced, forward-driving, anthemic songs, 
featuring hi-fi vocals and choruses, guitar hooks of A-minors crashing up against
D-major resolutions and reverb-drenched snares that have captivated small and large
gatherings at guesthouses throughout Hollywood since their formation in 2011.

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Hour Special of Previously Unreleased Recordings

The five young men that make up Tournament of Hearts started out recording midnight
sessions with a like-minded engineer from **Interscope Records**, who encouraged
them to up their game by abandoning the lo-fi style they started out with and record
sprawling pop songs with R&B influences and hi-fi vocals. The result of these recording
sessions was the February debut of the album _Local Maximum_, seven songs about 
starting fires, peeping toms, and disposed lovers. The band has opened for artists
such as **Boyce Avenue, Clara C, Joseph Vincent, Jayesslee**, and **Satellite**,
and consider among their top musical influences **The Killers, Oasis**, and **Kasabian**.

Not long after creating a buzz in the LA scene, the band was invited to perform 
at **SXSW** festival in 2012, which was followed by a West coast tour of high energy
shows that continued to expand the band’s fan base. The blog, Local Music Nation,
picked the band as one of the ‘Top 10 Bands to See’ at SXSW. Currently, the band
is signed to the DIY label **Greenzone Records**.

“Shake It Off” – **Tournament of Hearts** from _Local Maximum_ – Feb. 14th

“Another Minute” – **Tournament of Hearts** from _Local Maximum_

Tournament of Hearts Official Website

_“Indie rock is something no one is told to listen to by anyone except yourself.
It’s the realest thing in music since Mozart played harpsichord with his tiny kid-
fingers.” – Bryan Morton of Tournet of Hearts_

![constant-supply-band-ireland](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/
04/constant-supply-500x334.jpg "constant-supply")

#### Constant Supply – County Donegal, Ireland

Originating from **County Donegal** in northwest **Ireland**, the alternative rock
duo **Constant Supply** features **James Gillen** (guitar, vocals, drum machine,
keys) and **Conal Sweeney** (bass, keys), who together write and record atmospheric
and melodic compositions marked by a pulsating drum machine beats. In 2011, Constant
Supply dropped their debut EP, _Alleviate_, to critical and fan acclaim in the DIY
scene, resulting in the EP being re-released by the U.K. indie label, **Takeaimfire
Records** later that summer. Leading up to their debut EP, the duo recorded an in-
studio session in **2FM**’s renowned **Studio 8**.

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As was the case with their debut EP, the duo recorded their debut LP, _The Coast
Ain’t Clear_, with **Villagers**‘ band member **Tommy McLaughlin** in his **Attica
Studio** in London. The LP, dropped in March, is a terrific accomplishment with 
heavily textured songs that feature layer upon layer of guitars and vocals, spectacular
bass tracking and catchy, metronomic drum beats. Their sound has often been compared
to a fusion of influences like **Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Pavement, Slint**, and**
Nirvana**. Gillen wrote that “hailing from the northwest of Ireland has its advantages
and disadvantages when you are in a band. On one hand, you are far from the vibrant
music scenes of the larger cities and their many venues. On the other, you have 
freedom to develop your own unique sound free from the distractions of what everyone
else is doing.”

“Capo” – **Constant Supply** from _The Coast Ain’t Clear_ – March 25th

“Requisite” – **Constant Supply** from _The Coast Ain’t Clear_

[ Constant Supply on Facebook](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/constantsupply)

![makehastemakehaste](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/makehastemakehaste.
jpg "makehastemakehaste")

#### Ontario Musician Make Haste’s Debut EP

**Make Haste** is the lo-fi, dance-driven synth pop moniker for **T.K. Dallman**,
a **Dundas**, Ontario musician and producer who dropped his self-titled, debut EP
in March. The songs on the EP focus on the deterioration of relationships and the
heartache that comes along with such human drama. While Make Haste is only a year
old, Dallman already shows great potential as an electro-pop force to be reckoned
with in Canada, as well as in the States. Like so many under-the-radar artists, 
he simply needs more exposure. From that point on, it’s only a matter of time before
a buzz is built around his music.

From the aggressive, haunting opening track, “Easier,” to the hazy, end-of-summer
anthem, “In A Daze” (featuring Lesley Davies of Bad Passion) to the dance beats 
and shimmering synths of “Should Have Left,” Dallman taps into a number of his personal
musical influences, from **Crystal Castles, Sufjan Stevens, Justice, Elliott Smith,
James Blake, Junior Boys** and **Passion Pit**, in addition to the more ambient 
sounds of **Evenings** and west coast producer **Teen Daze**. As the engine behind
Make Haste, Dallman has previously opened for artists like **Sexy Merlin, Reptile
Youth**, and **Vimes**.

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Dallman gave a very honest answer to the question – ‘what is indie rock?’ – that
we ask all artists on the IRC submission form. “Indie rock means a bunch of different
things to different people. Even my definition of it changes. Sorry.” No reason 
to be sorry, dude, that’s about as close to our own view of ‘what is indie rock’
that we’ve received since we started asking the question last year.

“Should Have Left” – **Make Haste** from _Make Haste_ EP – March 15th

“Easier” – **Make Haste** from _Make Haste_ EP

![will___indians3](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/will___indians3.
jpg "will___indians3")

#### Sydney Band Crosses Radar with Debut LP

**Will and The Indians** is a four-piece **Sydney**, Australia rock band formed 
in early 2009 and just released their debut album, _Wrong End of Town_, in March
via **Laughing Outlaw Records**. The band started out as a trio of high school buddies,
consisting of members **William Thackeray** (guitar/vocals), **Kabir Bhalla** (guitar/
vocals) and **Matin Gouniai** (drums). In 2010, the trio added bassist **Michael
Watson**. By 2011, the new quartet began to really hone their skills when they entered
the recording studio to begin laying down tracks for their debut album. Many months
were spent overdubbing and mixing their tracks, and after hearing some of the track,
the independent label Laughing Outlaw Records offered them a recording contract.
The band draw from **The Libertines** and The Strokes as well as the 1960’s British
Invasion bands like **The Kinks** and **The Beatles**. The band has opened for artists
like **SURES, Little Red**, and will open for **The Rubens** next month. The band’s
motto is “to relive the magic of the 60s in the modern world.”

“What If I Said” – **Will and The Indians** from _Wrong End of Town_ – March 1st

“Resignation”  – **Will and The Indians** from _Wrong End of Town_

Will and The Indians on Facebook