# Best Singles & Albums of July 2013, Vol. II – Smallpools, Soft Metals, Fairchild, D. Lynch & Lykke Li, Love Language, Kid Karate

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2013/08/best-singles-albums-of-july-2013-vol-ii-smallpools-soft-metals-fairchild-feral-children-david-lynch-lykke-li-the-love-language-kid-karate/
- Published: 2013-08-29T17:53:27-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

The Cairo Gang's "Tiny Rebels" was one of 35 top singles for the second half of 
July

With festivals and other events ruling the schedule during July and August, we’re
still catching up with releases dropped in the six weeks. A couple of weeks ago,
volume one of the [Best Singles & Albums of July 2013](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/07/best-singles-albums-july-2013-vol-i-robert-pollard-editors-whirr-twin-peaks-the-march-divide-thundercat/)
was posted, but the aforementioned fests – and other exciting posts were working
on that we think you’ll appreciate – have delayed volume 2.

 

Now that the summer fest season is coming to a close with fests like last weekend’s
inaugural [First City Festival](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/08/modest-mouse-passion-pit-mgmt-beach-house-and-other-artists-headline-the-first-annual-first-city-festival-in-monterey/)
in Monterey, California, we’ll be getting back to regular posting of indie and DIY
singles, playlists and band profiles (and there’s a lot in the pipeline), and in
a couple of months, the first ‘Best of 2013’ posts will be coming out. Regardless
that it is a bit late, there were terrific releases from the second half of July
that could be categorized as “can’t miss,” including underground indie DIY bands
and artists that are among some of the best of the year, as well as top-notch new
releases. This post features a couple dozen of them.

Listeners responded enthusiastically to Volume One of the [Best Singles & Albums of July 2013](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/07/best-singles-albums-july-2013-vol-i-robert-pollard-editors-whirr-twin-peaks-the-march-divide-thundercat/),
streaming and downloading tens of thousands of times 27 top singles from albums 
dropped in the first half of July, featuring dozens of artists, including rock veterans
like **Robert Pollard** (Guided By Voices) to fairly popular indie bands like **
Maps**; small label artists like **Little Legend**, who like other terrific, new-
to-us bands – **Twin Peaks, Royal Forest ** and **Sensual Harassment** (all who 
dropped albums in early July) – are now a band to watch into the coming year. Plus,
new material from solo artists like **Gregory Alan Isakov** and the songwriter/singer
and musician known as **Thundercat** also stand out as artists to watch in 2014.

![smallpools-ep](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/smallpools-
ep-584x584.jpg "smallpools-ep")

The debut, self-titled EP from a new band to watch, Smallpools

As stated above, Volume One featured many DIY, obscure artists and bands, who have
had practically no coverage on the web, including bands like **Grids, Driftwood 
Miracle, Futurist, Drops, Animals in Cars, Lions For Real, Ladada, Horsha On The
Moon**, among others, who had excellent singles from their new releases that needed
to be posted. It’s a shame that so many terrific artists go largely unnoticed each
month – we do our best with limited resources to highlight as many as possible, 
even if it simply means adding one of their songs to a playlist without providing
very much additional information.  Altogether, there are more than two dozen MP3
singles to stream or download in the first volume, and plenty of new artists and
bands to explore. And if you want to hear even more amazing music and fill up your
iTunes library, browse through popular playlist series like 5 DIY Bands to Watch;
Best New Music Releases of 2013; Artist of the Week; 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear; 
Top 10 Songs playlists, among others.

 

And now, the second and final volume of singles from new releases dropped between
July 16th and July 29th. We’re working diligently to catch up with August, which
will also be divided into two volumes, and will include, as all the reviews of new
releases do, songs from the popular ‘indie’ artists and bands, as well as the unsigned,
obscure and under the radar bands that many times you’ll only hear on Indie Rock
Cafe.

#### First Half of the Second Half of July’s Top Singles –  Smallpools and Soft Metals

The following playlist represents singles from new releases dropped during the third
week of July from indie artists that are more likely to be known among indie rock
enthusiasts. However, there are also plenty of DIY artists and bands in this playlist(
as with many IRC playlists)  that even the most avid indie music consumers have 
never heard before – at least until today.

**Smallpools** is a new IRC indie band to watch in 2013-14 thanks to their self-
titled debut EP that includes the incredibly catchy, upbeat single, “Mason Jar,”
driven by thundering beats, a fast-paced rhythm with a blistering bass line, oh-
ah choruses, and lightning speed synth and guitar jams.  Plus, another track that
has helped increase the popularity of Smallpools in recent months is “Dreaming,”
and the music video (above) that was released just six weeks ago and already has
over a quarter of a million views. It’s not hard to see why this band is blowing
up.

Next, check out the dark electro pop track, “Tell Me,” from the album _Lenses._ 
by DIY band **Soft Metals’** .The track also has a pronounced industrial techno 
aspect to it. But what stands out most about this song is the the main riff on “
Tell Me” – it’s somewhat reminiscent (although it’s a bit of a stretch) of the ominous
riff from the _Kill Bill_ movies that was used  as a warning that some serious mayhem
was about to go down.  The riff from _Kill Bill_ is actually **Quincy Jones**‘ original
riff, with a modern spin, used in the 1960’s TV series, _Ironside. _However, while
the riff had a similarly dark intent on the old TV show, it was nothing even close
to the scale of violence and bloodshed that **Quentin Tarantino** unleashed in the
_Kill Bill _series. In fact, the “Ironside excerpt” remains one of the scariest 
sound bites in popular culture to this day, right up there with the screeching violin
of the shower scene in **Alfred Hitchcock**‘s classic horror thriller, _Psycho_.

[“Mason Jar”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Smallpools___-_Mason_Jar.mp3)–**
Smallpools** from _Smallpools_ EP – July 16th

Related Post:  Best New Music Releases, Week of March 19th - Low, Black Rebel Motorcycle
Club, Suede, Fol Chin, Boy + Kite

[“Tell Me”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/SOFT-METALS-Tell-Me.mp3)–**
Soft Metals** from _Lenses – _July 16th

_⌊fairchildband⌉⌊fairchildband⌉

#### Oz Band on the Radar: Fairchild

First up, is a DIY indie pop band from Oz that music lovers in the United States
need to hear because we think they’re pretty amazing, and so far, have remarkably
received almost no coverage from the tens of thousands of indie music blogs on the
web. The band is **Fairchild**, formerly Fairchild Republic, from the Gold Coast
of **Australia**. Fairchild is one the most popular new indie pop bands in the cafe
right now, thanks largely to the incredibly catchy retro-pop hooks and dance grooves
of the masterfully produced single, “Burning Feet,” from the band’s self-titled 
debut EP released on July 24th.

The band scored a huge victory when the respected producer and mixing engineer, **
Catherine Marks,** signed on to produce the band’s debut EP. Marks has produced 
and mixed for talented bands like **Foals, Death Cab For Cutie, The Killers, Interpol**,
and **White Lies**. Based on her accomplishments, Marks clearly knows how to pick
talented artists that she wants to work with in the studio.  Plus, she usually works
with signed bands, so the fact that Marks choose to work with Fairchild also says
a lot about the band. “Burning Feet” will ultimately be a top DIY track of 2013,
and their self-titled debut EP is one of the best debuts of the second half of 2013.
It’s time for this band to break out in the U.S.

[“Burning Feet”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/FAIRCHILD%20-%20Burning%20Feet.mp3)–**
Fairchild** from _Fairchild _– July 24th

We’ll be writing more about this band in the coming weeks. Fairchild has previously
opened for artists like **Neon Indian, Parachute Youth, Kids of 88, Cub Scouts, 
Last Dinosaurs, The Medics, Battleships**, and **The Cairos**.

![feralchildren](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/feralchildren-
584x584.jpg "feralchildren")

#### Latest Singles from Feral Children, BEACH, A Grave With No Name, David Lynch and Lykke Li, and Others

**Seattle** band **Feral Children** self-released their latest album, _Too Much,
Too Late_, that features a more finely-tuned expression of the band’s sound of buzzing
guitars, thumping bass and punk-rock tendencies, as the fast-moving, blazing track,“
Rewind The Rerun,” demonstrates. Other top tracks for July include unforgettable
singles like **A Grave With No Name**‘s song “Aurora,” with it’s heavy-hitting beat,
grinding synths and jangly guitar strums; the haunting beauty of “I’m Waiting Here,”
a musical collaboration between **David Lynch** and **Lykke Li**, and “While The
World Burns,” a magnificent composition from the promising and talented singer/songwriter**
Svavar Knútur. **There are also a some good singles from the first half of July 
off new albums by **La Luz, White Dove, WL, Gauntlet Hair** and **BEACH.**

[“Rewind The Rerun”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Feral%20Children%20-%20Rewind%20the%20Rerun.mp3)–**
Feral Children** from _Too Much, Too Late_ (self-released)

“Aurora“** – ****A Grave With No Name **from _Whirlpool_ on Lefse Records

[“Bad Apple”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Gauntlet-Hair-Bad-Apple.mp3)–**
Gauntlet Hair** from _Stills_ on Dead Oceans

![David-Lynch-The-Big-Dream](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/
David-Lynch-The-Big-Dream-584x584.jpg "David-Lynch-The-Big-Dream")

[“I’m Waiting Here”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/David-Lynch-I39m-Waiting-Here-feat-Lykke-Li.mp3)–**
David Lynch ****feat. Lykke Li **from _The Big Dream_ on Sacred Bones ([music video](https://youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SumAmEi87gI))

“While the World Burns” – **Svavar Knútur **from _Ölduslóð_ (Way of Waves) on Red
Eyed Transit

[“Brainwash”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/La-Luz-Brainwash.mp3)**–****
La Luz **from _Brainwash_ 7″ on Suicide Squeeze

⌊wl_1⌉⌊wl_1⌉
 [“You’re Not Really Here” ](https://indierockcafe.com/music/2013/julytracks2/10%20You're%20Not%20Really%20Here.mp3)–**
WL** from _Hold_ on Prospect & Refuge

“Love Was A River” – **BEACH** from _In Us We Trust_ on Short Story Records

[“Cold Mountain”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/cold-mountain) – **
White Dove** from _The Hoss, The Candle_ on RSRCH+DVLP

![SongsCycled-cover](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SongsCycled-
cover-1010x1024-576x584.jpg "SongsCycled-cover-1010x1024")

#### Last Week of July Music, July 23rd – July 30th: The Love Language, Van Dyke Parks, Weekend

The last week of new releases for the month of July spawned a number of standout
singles from artists and bands that we’ve enjoyed in the past – such as **Merge**
recording artist, **The Love Language**, or the popular indie rock band **Edward
Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros** (who just released their self-titled debut on **
Vagrant**; even though it’s not their debut album) – and new, promising DIY and 
under-the-radar bands that we had never heard of before until recently, like **The
Cairo Gang** or **Dizzy Bats**.

Sharpe sheds some old skin and doubles-down on influences like gospel and blues 
on the new, self-titled LP, featuring the lead single, “This Life,” in which Sharpe
sounds like he is channeling **Ray Charles**. Next, the popular **San Francisco**
indie band, **Weekend**, return with a trippy psych rock track, “It’s Alright,” 
that is also available as a music video, which contains a series of black and white
photographs of everyday (and some not so everyday; i.e., bondage items and gator
skulls; the latter of which adorns the cover of the album, _Jinx_) items like a 
skate, a cross, flowers, a whistle, figurines and a switchblade.

Related Post:  Album of the Week: Youth Lagoon's 'Wondrous Bughouse'

 

#### Temples’ Fully ‘Hippiefried’ Retro Psychedelic Pop

The hot UK band, **Temples**, tears a page from the psychedelic era (the trend is
real), stepping into a time machine of sorts, and traveling back to sometime in 
1967 or ’68, with the single, “Shelter Song,” from their debut double seven-inch
on **Fat Possum**. The “Shelter Song” music video (above) includes the psychedelic
era kaleidoscope and lava lamp visual effects, flashing colors, faded, overly-contrasted
and overlapping photographs, and even some of the hippie attire. “Shelter Song” 
has a fairly constant, big drum beat that is the backdrop for wave after wave of
distorted electric guitar riffs, R&B bass hooks, joyful tambourines, trippy keyboards,
and layers and layers of reverb-heavy vocals and choruses – all wrapped up in even
more reverb.

Overall, it’s a wonderfully produced song, and includes lyrics like “/Take me away
to the Twilight Zone/” and “/We stayed up late in a dream/.” Had this song actually
come out in 1968, 45 years ago, it likely would have been a hit record. Back then,
however, you would have to go to a cool and funky local record store and buy the
45 vinyl or the vinyl album (we’re glad to be old enough to have been at the tail
end of the ‘age of the record store’; it was _the _place to hang out on weekends
and nights during the high school and college years. But the record store was killed
by iTunes.)

![temples](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/tmples.jpg "tmples")

The UK band Temples

The single, “Hold Back Time,” by the **Van Dyke Parks** does just that. In fact,
this song appropriately follows Temples’ retro psych pop because it too has a retro
feel to it. “Hold Back Time” actually holds back time as far as to the 1960’s, which
is evident in any aspect of the single. You could have fooled us if you said “Here’s
this song from 1969, do you know who it is?” and we would have thought of every 
60’s band and artist before thinking it was actually from an indie band and released
in 2013. And that’s part of the magnificence of the broad net of music we generally
call ‘indie.’ Whatever it really is, it certainly is whatever kind of music someone
wants to make without a huge budget or a label – and the freedom to create results
in so much amazing music. The whole purpose of IRC is to capture as much of this
amazing music that most people are missing out on before it disappears forever. 
No one is going to like every song we post, but hopefully, everyone hears music 
that they enjoy either for the moment or for repeat plays.

 

[“Hold Back Time”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Van-Dyke-Parks-Hold-Back-Time.mp3)–**
Van Dyke Parks** from _Songs Cycled_ on Bella Union

“Calm Down” – **The Love Language** from _Ruby Red_ on Merge Records

[“This Life”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Edward-Sharpe-and-the-Magnetic-Zeros-This-Life.mp3)–**
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros** from _Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros_
on Vagrant

![Slow-Focus-fb](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Slow-Focus-
fb-584x584.jpg "Slow-Focus-fb")

#### Fu*k Buttons and Gogol Bordello

Up next is the latest track from **Fu\*k Buttons** off the band’s fifth album, _Slow
Focus_ (of the alternate, ‘_Slow Fuckus_‘). Next, **Gogol** (no relation to Google)**
Bordello** returns with the spaghetti western-style single, “Lost Innocent World,”
from the album, _Pura Vida Conspiracy. _Truth be told: we don’t like the single 
all that much, but we included it anyway since we know there are some hard core 
Bordello fans among you. The song is a bit flat; Bordello’s singing sounds a bit
amateurish.

“The Red Wing”** – ****Fu\*k Buttons **from _Slow Focus_ on ATP Recordings

[“Lost Innocent World”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Gogol-Bordello-Lost-Innocent-World.mp3)**–****
Gogol Bordello **from _Pura Vida Conspiracy_ on ATO Records

 

![cokeweedband](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cokeweed-500x332.
jpg "cokeweed")

The band Coke Weed

#### Radar Bands The Cairo Gang, Coke Weed, and Musician Grant Hart

**The Cairo Gang** sound nothing like the imagery their band name might suggest.
Their newest single, “Tiny Rebels,” is a slow, melancholy tune that sounds like 
it could have come right out of San Francisco in 1967. (We’ve been noticing an uptick
in psychedelic influences in the music of many indie rock bands in 2013, which was
evident by performances from bands like Deerhunter at last weekend’s first annual**
[First City Festival](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/08/modest-mouse-passion-pit-mgmt-beach-house-and-other-artists-headline-the-first-annual-first-city-festival-in-monterey/)**
in **Monterey**, California. And yet what was also impossible to miss was the number
of young people, particularly, teenage and young adult women, who were dressed basically
like hippies, although they refer to it as “hipster style.” You can read more about
it in our First City Debuts post.)

[“Tiny Rebels”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/cairogang-tinyrebels.mp3)–**
The Cairo Gang** from _Tiny Rebels_ on Empty Cellar Records

[“Sunseekers”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Coke-Weed-Sunseekers.mp3)**–****
Coke Weed **from _Back To Soft_ on Heavy Friends

Following the Cairo Gang is **Coke Weed**‘s latest track, “Sunseekers,” which would
have been such a better song if they sped it up and gave it more of a punch. After
all, the title of the song is “Sunseekers,”  of course are known for being sunny,
upbeat and pop oriented. Following Coke Weed is a new single, “Is The Sky The Limit?”
from **Grant Hart**. The multilayered track includes dreary organ and dulcimer playing
which makes it sound like a sad carnival of gypsies performing an interpretation
of a haunting song from _The Phantom of the Opera_ soundtrack.

Related Post:  Best New Releases, Week of Jan. 15th - Yo La Tengo, Virals, Free 
Energy, Christopher Owens, Pickwick & Sharon Van Etten

[“Is The Sky The Limit?”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Grant-Hart-Is-The-Sky-The-Limit.mp3)**–****
Grant Hart **from _The Argument_ on Domino Recording Co.

![kid-karate-black-and-white-640x423](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/
2013/08/kid-karate-black-and-white-640x4231-624x412.jpg "kid-karate-black-and-white-
640x423")

#### Hunx and His Punx, Kid Karate and Mean Lady

Turn up the amps and get ready to punk out with a band that is from our backyard–**
San Francisco** street punk quartet **Hunx and His Punx**. The front man, Hunx, 
aka **Seth Bogart**, started Punx back in 2008 after years in a gay pop band called**
Gravy Train**.  Bogart wanted to rock harder, and since then, he and his punx have
been doing just that. Following Hunx and His Punx is another loud band, the garage
rock band **Kid Karate**, whose new single, “Two Times,” has been making the rounds
on the web. For a perfect contrast, we posted new Mean Lady, who doesn’t sound mean
at all on her new single, “Far Away.” After the Mean Lady, the indie pop band, **
The Memories**, deliver a soft, lazy summer afternoon love song, “I Remember You.”

”Bad Skin” **– ****Hunx and His Punx **from _Street Punk_ on Hardly Art

[“Two Times”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Kid-Karate-Two-Times.mp3)–**
Kid Karate** from _Lights Out_ EP (self-released)

[“Far Away”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Mean-Lady-Far-Away.mp3)–**
Mean Lady** from _Love Now_ on Fat Possum

[“I Remember You”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Memories-I-Remember-You.mp3)–**
The Memories** from _Love Is The Law_ on Burger Records

 

#### Self Releases From Filigar, Dizzy Bats, Fialta, Kid Karate

There were a number of self releases that had a fair amount of publicity behind 
them. First up is the band **Filigar**, which we’ve posted about in recent years,
and who now have a terrific new single, “New Local,” that starts out with a piano
introduction, and is followed by an immediate launch into a full-fledged power pop
track with heavily melodic hooks, harmonica infusions and an excellent interplay
between the bass and drums.   **Dizzy Bats** presents the single “Batman and the
Joker” and “Photographs,” from the band **Fialta**, is one of the best singles for
the final week of July. Plus, listen to the garage rock of **Kid Karate,**. Diggin’
that.

“New Local”** – ****Filligar **from _Hexagon_ (self-released) – July 23rd

“Batman and the Joker” – **Dizzy Bats** from single only (self-released) – July 
21st

[“Photographs”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Fialta-Photographs.mp3)**–****
Fialta **from _Summer Winter_ (self-released) – July 23rd

![colours](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/colours-597x584.
jpg "colours")

#### Top Singles from Promising DIY and Under The Radar Bands: Colours, Alex Riggen, Wind Up Rabbit, Tikkle Me

The following section of the best singles for the second half of July include – 
as so many IRC posts do – songs from DIY and small label releases by artists and
bands that have had little to no coverage within the indie music blogosphere. First
up is “The Illusionist,” from the band  **Colours**; a sullen song from **Iowa**
lo-fi indie pop artist **Alex Riggen**;  the spooky pop of “Hearts On Ice” from **
New York** indie quartet **Wind Up Rabbit**; the hip-shaking song from Orlando’s
indie dance/pop outfit, **Stockholm**; the chunky single from New Orleans power 
pop/garage rock band **Missing Monuments**; the sprawling, suspenseful, near-epic
single, “Niagara,” from **Stockholm** girl duo, **Tikkle Me**; Edinburgh band The
Phantoms add some spook to their rock on the new single, “Coming For You.”

Most of the bands in this final section of the singles playlist for the second half
of July 2013 have not been featured in a playlist of new singles anywhere else on
the web – this is it. Hopefully, you’ll find some new artists to add to your like
list and some new songs that you’ll be listening to in the coming days, weeks or
maybe even months. What is always special about this part of the new releases series
is the exclusivity of great music it provides for the tens of thousands around the
world who follow IRC regularly for music they often will not find anywhere else 
on the web available in MP3 format.

“The Illusionist” – **Colours** from _Skin & Bones_ – July 23rd

“Milk Milk” – **Alex Riggen** from _Milk_ – July 23rd

“Hearts On Ice” –** Wind Up Rabbit** from _Wind Up Rabbit_ – July 23rd

[“That’s Not Your Girlfriend”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Girlfriend.mp3)–**
Stockholm** from _Emerald City_ – July 23rd

“She Keeps Me Warm” – **Mary Lambert** from single – July 29th

“Wastin’ Time” –** Lights At Night **from _Lights At Night_ – July 30th

“Answer the Call” – **Missing Monuments** from _Missing Monuments _ – July 30th

[“Niagara”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Tikkle%20Me%20-%20Niagara.mp3)–**
Tikkle Me** from _Niagara_ – July 31st