2013 – Page 5 – INDIE ROCK CAFE

2013 Sasquatch Music Festival Line-Up and Schedule of Artists & Bands, Playlists and Sasquatch Tips

Posted on 05/23/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The 2013 music festival season officially launched with Coachella last month. You might think the music fest season kicks off with South By Southwest, but SXSW is not really a music fest as much as it is a music free-for-all, sort of like New York’s CMJ Music Marathon that happens each October is. In the past few weeks, there has been a stream of music festival news, line-up announcements and plans. It’s always stunning how fast it comes around and then goes away as the summer wanes. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here; summer hasn’t even officially started yet.

The big music festival news this week is all about the Sasquatch Music Festival that is held each year at The Gorge out in the badlands of central Washington state near the town of Murray. Over the past few years, Sasquatch has really become one of the premier festivals in the U.S., not only for the expansive beauty of the surrounding area, but most notably for the amazing line-up (and the very interesting characters that show up – especially from cities like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Vancouver; Canadians can be very rowdy, believe it or not). The promoters have managed to put together one amazing line-up after another since the festival’s inception in 2001, but most especially over the past four to five years.

Just take the headliners for starters. Slated to perform on the huge Sasquatch main stage on Sasquatch 2013 Day One (Friday, May 24th) are Arctic Monkeys (pictured above), Built to Spill, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Schoolboy Q & AB-Soul, Reignwolf and ZZ Ward. Other artists set to perform Friday on one of the other four stages/tents are Vampire Weekend, Father John Misty, Japandroids, Red Fang, Seawolf, Matthew Dear, Youth Lagoon, Telekinesis, and others. See the full Sasquatch 2013 schedule for Friday and listen to IRC’s Sasquatch Day One playlist via Spotify.

Sasquatch 2013 Day Two (Saturday, May 25th) headliners scheduled to perform on the main Sasquatch stage include Sigur Ros, The xx, Bloc Party, Andrew Bird, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, among others. Performing on other stages around the festival grounds on Saturday will be artists like Empire of the Sun, Tame Impala, Devendra Banhart, Divine Fits, Atlas Genius, Laidback Luke, Totally Enormous Extinct, Porcelain Raft, Surfer Blood, Akron/Family, and Suuns. See the full Sasquatch Saturday schedule and listen to our Sasquatch 2013 Day Two playlist via Spotify.

Sasquatch 2013 Day Three (Sunday, May 26th) headliners include Mumford & Sons, Elvis Costello, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Dropkick Murphys, The Tallest Man on Earth, Danny Brown and others. Scheduled to perform on other stages Sunday include artists such as Primus 3D, Grimes, Shout Out Louds, DIIV, Fang Island, Baths, Azari & III, The Presets, Shad, Hundred Waters, and Wake Owl. View the full Sunday schedule for Sasquatch and listen to our Sasquatch 2013 Day Three playlist.

Sasquatch 2013 Day Four (Monday, May 27th) headliners to close out Sasquatch 2013 include The Lumineers (pictured above), The Postal Service, Cake, Imagine Dragons, Ryan Bingham. Set to perform on other stages on closing day include artists such as Alt-J, P.O.S., Twin Shadow, Dirty Projectors, Gold Fields, Chvrches, Steve Aoki, Toro Y Moi, Ariel Pink, Beachwood Sparks, Menomena and Grieves. See the full schedule for Monday and our playlist for Sasquatch 2013 Day Four.

Preparing For Sasquatch

If this is your first journey to Sasquatch, there are a few things you’ll need to know. First, make sure to bring enough blankets, a good sleeping bag, plenty of warm clothes and socks and rain gear. It can get damn cold out in the big open spaces at night and it can also be chilly during the day as well. The extended weather forecast for the festival this year predicts a 30% chance of showers on Friday and a 20% chances of showers on Sunday. The daytime temps this year, unlike previous years, is forecasted to only be in the low 60s and the mid to high 40s at night. Add the wind into the equation, and it can literally feel like near freezing temperatures (particularly of note to festival goers from California making the 1,000+ mile trek to The Gorge ). One of the things that can easily ruin your experience is to be cold or chilly all night. Plus, if it is going to be damp, that will make it feel even colder. The biggest factor in that is the winds; there are like three trees in the entire area, so there’s not much protection from the winds. We found out the hard way our first time out.

Bring plenty of sunscreen too. We’ve seen many red baked people on Day Two who were obviously suffering. The winds, and often times the clouds, can really be deceiving – you can get just as much of a sunburn even with cloud cover at this time of year. One of the worst things, especially before the summer has started, is to get burnt and have to suffer for the final three days of the fest. Baseball caps, long pants and comfortable shoes are good too. Oh yeah, and the always useful ear plugs, plus sunglasses. It can also get really dusty so sunglasses and hats are not only useful for the sun, or the glare of the sun through the clouds, but also for the dust. As with all outdoor spaces where festivals are held, please respect the land. The Gorge is a beautiful, ancient place, and there is nothing worse then seeing a beautiful place get trashed. The same goes for the local people. Every festival goer makes an impression and represents the festival itself, and everyone is a better person for showing the utmost respect to the local people and the land.

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

Posted on 05/21/201312/18/2019 by 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

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.

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 – 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.

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

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.

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

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

Almost Missed: San Francisco’s Cool Ghouls’ Debut Album

Posted on 05/20/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

cool-ghouls_michael_bordelon — San Francisco band Cool Ghouls - photo by Michael Bordelon

On April 23rd, the San Francisco band Cool Ghouls released their self-titled debut album, featuring stand-out tracks like “Ballin,” and “Natural Life” and “In The Morning,” and we almost missed it. Even though they have a decidedly ’60’s psychedelic rock/country guitar twang sound, mixed with unmistakable hippie pop infusions and funky rhythms, Cool Ghouls don’t like to be called ‘retro.’

To this day, many bands that sprout from San Francisco, especially those that embrace the “San Francisco sound” – that made the city ground zero of the 60’s music scene thanks to bands like Santana, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Starship, Janis Joplin, Quicksilver Messenger Service – are bound to be tagged with the ‘retro’ label at some point. The San Francisco Sound is embedded in the fiber of the city’s musical aura, and probably always will be. That said, we don’t think there’s anything wrong with being retro if it’s good stuff.

But Tim Cohen, frontman of the Fresh and Onlys and Magic Trick, challenges the retro label of the Cool Ghouls and their flashback sound: “First things first: Cool Ghouls are not a retro act. If you seek musical salvation in the form of mop-topped mannequins with vintage riffs and hand-me-down rags, please stop reading. Yes, the Cool Ghouls borrowed their name from George Clinton’s Funkadelic-era pre-show banter. Yes, they dwell penniless in the storied hills of culturally resurgent San Francisco. But these boys have their feet firmly planted in the soil of the now. They look not backwards for approving nods of hipster forebears, but rather skyward, hoping that the ‘supernatural forces’ they yodel for, guide them to all corners of a half-deserving world. Truth be told, this being their first official release, they may even be a bit naïve in their dogged pursuit of the true-blue, home-spun, rock and roll lifestyle.”

But, Cohen observed, if there was to be a 60’s-reverent comparison that fit the band, one would most likely find an artistic kinship with some the most inimitable, idiosyncratic, yet unmistakably influential bands of the retro-fitting oeuvre. The Troggs, The Monks, Sir Douglas Quintet come to mind immediately. (Save your Kinks and Rolling Stones references.) Like the aforementioned, the Ghouls are natural heirs to the folkloric lineage which precedes them, adding dashes of weirdness where needed. And despite their mid-fi leanings and natural fit within the current pantheon of San Francisco rock ‘n’ roll bands (Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin), theirs is a timeless record, which will hopefully transcend the descriptors (garage, psych, etc.) that will undoubtedly plague it in the blogosfear. The reason being – they write good SONGS.’

Hence, the debut record, an adventurous, colorful romp seen through the eyes of old-souled youths, feels wholly coherent and intentional. The self-assuredness of their songwriting is evident. And no, the Ghouls are not afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves; this is partly what makes the record so digestible. It doesn’t claim to be anything other than what it is; a record for now, a record for then, and a record for forever.

The band has been getting some serious love from the blogosphere and the music press so far this year, and will set out on a West coast tour in June (see the tour dates on their official web page). The Bay Bridged wrote: “[The band’s debut] is uncontrived and unapologetically filled with joy in the most refreshing way.”

“Natural Life” – Cool Ghouls from Cool Ghouls

Best New Music Releases, Week of May 14th – Vampire Weekend, Wild Nothing, Small Black, Pure X, Classixx

Posted on 05/18/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

We surveyed IRC readers asking what’s their favorite album of the week, and not surprisingly, the vast majority picked Vampire Weekend‘s first album in three years, the just dropped Modern Vampires of the City. By the time Contra, the band’s sophomore album, was released in 2010, a backlash was already building up against the wildly popular outfit from New York by some of indie rock’s most righteous and cynical bloggers, writers and fans. The backlash, which had been brewing for at least a year by that point, was no doubt fueled largely by the over exposure of the band and their highly-acclaimed 2008 self-titled debut album that spawned a number of hit singles, like “A-Punk” and “Oxford Comma.” In a matter of months in 2008, which spilled over into 2009, it was almost impossible to escape the Vampire Weekend frenzy. And in 2010, they released Contra, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – and effectively propelled the band out of ‘indie’ status to the world stage.

Whether you love Vampire Weekend, love to hate them (there are plenty of both just by the fact that they’ve been one of the most popular bands of the past five years), or you’re essentially indifferent, the fact is Modern Vampires of the City is a contemporary gem, if not a masterpiece, and will surely be at the top, or near the top, of dozens of ‘best albums of 2013’ lists that will start being published only a few months from now (usually by October and November, ‘best of’ lists start being pumped out). It shot up to No. 1 right away on the Amazon music chart. The new album is the band’s most progressive, mature work to date, offering wonderfully crafted songs with colorful and adventurous arrangements and instrumentation, and lyrical themes about the gloomy aspects of love and mortality that are expressed by strange and provocative vocal effects backed by beautiful choruses.

Our only concern about the huge splash that the official release of Modern Vampires has created in the musical world is the overshadowing of many other spectacular releases this week. Plus, listen to new singles from just dropped albums by three artists we’ve been fans of for some time now – Small Black and Wild Nothing, plus 2013 band to watch, Wampire, and The Phoenix Foundation, Pure X, and of course, post-punk legends, The Fall.

“Diane Young” – Vampire Weekend from Modern Vampires of the City [CD version] on XL Recordings

“A Dancing Shell” – Wild Nothing from Empty Estate [CD version] on Captured Tracks

“Free At Dawn” – Small Black from Limits of Desire [CD version] on Jagjaguwar

“Trains” – Wampire from Curiosity on Polyvinyl Records

“The Captain” – The Phoenix Foundation from Fandango on Memphis Industries

“Things in My Head” – Pure X from Crawling Up the Stairs [CD version] on Acephale Records

“Sir William Wray” – The Fall from Re-Mit on Cherry Red Records

Classixx, Dungeonesse, Kisses, The Features, Eluvium, Bibio and More

Put on your dancing shoes for the electro-pop single, “Holding On,” from Los Angeles duo Classixx, who mix elements of disco, funk and house, punctuated by cool grooves, breezy melodies and hi decipal synths on the lead track from their debut album, Hanging Gardens. Dungeonesse keep the beats, grooves and shimmering synths going on their new single, “Shucks.” Another debut album out this week is the self-titled album from The Features, lead by the mellow single, “With Every Beat.” The track goes along at a slow clip with a heavy bass line, airy, melodic synths, sporadic guitar notes, looping vocal repetition of ‘every beat of the heart,’ and a kind of spooky, yet dreamy, ‘oooh oooh oohh’ background vocal dubbing.

For those who enjoy instrumental, atmospheric and dreamy arrangements, check out the stunningly beautiful new single from Eluvium that, to our surprise, in a way, got more thumbs up on Soundcloud than recent singles by fairly well-known artists. Warped Records recording artist Bibio dropped a new album this week, featuring the single, “A Tout A L’Heure,” that has an electro pop charm with programmed effects (there’s only so far you can go with computer generated beats and other sounds). Other tracks include new singles from MS MR and Kisses.

“Holding On” – Classixx from Hanging Gardens on Innovative Leisure

“With Every Beat” – The Features from The Features on Serpents and Snakes/BMG

“Shucks” – Dungeonesse from Dungeonesse on Secretly Canadian

“The Hardest Part” – Kisses from Kids in LA on Cascine

“Envenom Mettle” – Eluvium from Nightmare Ending on Temporary Residence Ltd.

“A Tout A L’Heure” – Bibio from Silver Wilkinson on Warp Records

“Hurricane” – MS MR from Secondhand Rapture on Columbia Records

Churches Remix: “Hurricane” – MS MR

“Magic Look” – Marques Toliver from Land of CanAan on Bella Union

Sam Amidon, The Quick and Easy Boys, The Blank Tapes

If you’re an indie folk fan, chances are you’ll enjoy the new album by Sam Amidon, lead by the single “My Old Friend.” We also have included the lead singles from new albums by The Handsome Family, and The Quick & Easy Boys. The Blank Tapes return with the band’s sophomore album this week. The single, “Coast to Coast,” is OK, but not what we expected from the band. The is indescridably flat and falls short of expectations, and likely even more disappointing to more die-hard fans of the band. When listening to the song, we kept waiting for it to break out, liven up and , but it never does. Almost any listener can hear that there is no meat on the bone with this song.

“My Old Friend” – Sam Amidon from Bright Sunny South on Nonesuch Records

“Hey Hey Hey” – The Quick & Easy Boys from Make It Easy (self-released)

“Coast to Coast” – The Blank Tapes from Vacation on Antenna Farm Records

2013 BFD Live 105 – Passion Pit, 30 Seconds to Mars, Awolnation, Diplo, Of Monsters and Men

Posted on 05/17/201312/18/2019 by Kate Stevens

Tomorrow the BFD LIve 105 mini-music fest gets underway at the Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mt. View, California. This year’s line-up features bands like 30 Seconds to Mars, Passion Pit, Of Monsters and Men, Silversun Pickups, Wavves, The Airborne Toxic Event, Atlas Genius, Capital Cities, Diplo, The Crystal Method, DJ Shadow, Fits and the Tantrums and many others. The Shoreline is located adjacent to Google headquarters, aka, the GooglePlex. Check out our BFD 2013 Spotify playlist below or click here to open it in Spotify.

Main Stage

Thirty Seconds to Mars
Passion Pit
Of Monsters and Men
Silversun Pickups
Awolnation

Bud Festival Stage

Jimmy Eat World
The Airborne Toxic Event
Fitz and the Tantrums
Capital Cities
Atlas Genius
Youngblood Hawke
Twenty One Pilots
The Neighbourhood
Wavves
The Mowgli’s
New Politics
Gold Fields

Subsonic Tent

Diplo
The Crystal Method
DJ Shadow
Wallpaper
Justin Martin/Dirtybird
Robert DeLong
K Theorty
Aaron Axelsen

Soundcheck Local Band Stage – Tumbleweed Wanderers, Picture Atlantic, Finish Ticket, Anya & The Get Down, Mister Loveless, Doe Eye, The Trims, Rin Tin Tiger, and Bonnie and the Bang Bang.

Artist of the Week: New York City Band The Rotaries

Posted on 05/16/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

When a band has so many ace songs that it’s a real challenge to pick just a few of them to include in an Artist of the Week profile, that’s when you know that you’ve come upon something special. That’s the case with New York City indie rock DIY band, The Rotaries. Last August, the band released a spectacular debut LP, Before Leaving, that somehow flew under the radar. While it is some nine months since its release, we hope that enough listeners will hear the genius in the tracks featured below and help push the band into the spotlight – because you guys can do that (you’ve done it before), and this band belongs there.

It’s not often that we come across a DIY band’s rather small discography that is so full of gems. The Rotaries formed in 2010 and they’ve already put together a stunning collection of 15 terrific songs, including the tracks from their self-titled 2010 debut EP. As already mentioned, we struggled to pick just a few songs to represent the band’s captivating, hook-heavy and lively Caribbean-meets-indie-pop-rock sound. The Rotaries constantly surprise the listener with a consistent song craft that also happens to include a wide range of styles in composition, instrumentation and vocals that it is truly mind-boggling. We, as instant fans, can only hope that they stay together and keep putting out music that can be played over and over again without losing its luster. Our first introduction was via the title track to the album, which was sent over to us by the band only a couple of weeks ago.

“Before Leaving” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

Just how The Rotaries have largely flown under the radar of indie rock bloggers, never mind the more mainstream music press, is beyond our comprehension. The only explanation can be is that they just haven’t been heard, and it’s a shame that music lovers have so far been mostly deprived of a great talent. For New Yorkers who closely follow local indie pop rock bands, The Rotaries may already be on their radar. In fact, The Rotaries shared the stage with another amazing, under-rated band we featured a couple of years ago, The Dig, during a performance last August at Webster Hall Studio.

Some bloggers have found out about The Rotaries, but they’re still largely under the radar with the larger blogs (in fact, IRC is probably their first big blog exposure, if you will). The blog Brooklyn Daily Eagle, stated: “Upbeat, danceable, and infectious, The Rotaries debut record Before Leaving sustains the indie-rock sound for a new generation.” In a review from the blog, Sweet Nothings, the writer states: “Compared to most indie-rock out there, The Rotaries definitely take the cake. Indie-rock is a genre that has greatly unraveled since its inception, and this band is what it has been missing for years.”

The Sound of Confusion blog recently added: “These guys have been described as a cross between The Strokes and The Killers, although we’re not hearing much Killer’s going on in the new single, ‘Before Leaving’…so maybe they are more Killers-like moments on [the debut album], but we kind of hope not, because [The Rotaries] sound pretty good just as they are.”

Here we have a band that is already established themselves as not only a band to watch, but one of IRC’s favorite DIY band ‘discoveries’ of 2013. Combining pure pop-rock guitar riffs, a perfectly in sync and fine percussion and rhythm section, featuring Bernard Casserly on bass and Danny Nosonowitz on drums, and the remarkable, emotive and versatile vocals of guitarist James Rapp, The Rotaries have an addictive, seducing, catchy and enjoyable style and sound. As already pointed out, it’s incredibly difficult to pick out just a few standout songs from their debut album, because they’re nearly all standout.

Just for starters, the album’s first three tracks, included below sequentially, all sound to us like hit songs. The best that we can tell is that we picked six (about three song over the usual number of songs presented in an Artist of the Week profile) of the best songs from the album, but listeners, especially fans of The Strokes and The Walkmen (two bands The Rotaries state are musical influences) , and even The Kooks and Vampire Weekend, are strongly encouraged to listen to all of the tracks from the album more than a couple of times. Chances are, you’ll be hooked.

There are few albums that we can play back-to-back half a dozen times and still enjoy with each subsequent spin. That is the other litmus test for a truly fantastic band, and if The Rotaries don’t break out and become hugely popular, then there is something really wrong going on that can’t be easily explained. Before Leaving is easily one of the best DIY albums of 2012, albeit, we only got to hear it many months following the original release date. The Rotaries are the perfect example of why it’s so important to highlight talented, under rated bands. They’ve previously opened for artists like Ellis Ashbrook, Two States, Blue Panel, and The Rochambros, among others.

The opening track, “Tomorrow’s Game,” is a rich, mesmerizing song with sweet, melodic guitar riffs and a catchy, rhythmic drum beat that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The second track, “Of Age,” is an especially upbeat song, with hints of Caribbean-like riffs and rhythms, coupled with angling, sharp electric guitar playing and a flourishing chorus. “So To Speak,” the LP’s third track, has an understated, semi-tropical feel, that breaks out at different intervals into a full engagement, driven by heavy doses of melodically inspired instrumentation, bumbling bass notes, forceful drumming and crashing cymbals, and Rapp’s Julian Casablancas-like vocals, in as far as a similar kind of lazy, drawn out delivery that Casablancas is known for.

“Tomorrow’s Game” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

“Of Age” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

“So To Speak” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

therotaries-line — Fans of The Rotaries line up outside a venue in New York before a show

We can’t think of a time in recent memory that we’ve heard a vocalist whose singing is so reminiscent to Casablancas, but, at the same time, not exactly – at least not in a cheap, rip-off kind of way that is only truly comprehended by listening to the band’s debut album. In fact, after listening to the album numerous times in the cafe, it’s clear that it’s Rapp’s natural singing voice, but surely there is some influence of Casablancas, since Rapp does cite The Strokes as a musical influence in his submission to IRC. Some die-hard Strokes’ fans may snicker at such a comparison, but it seems fairly unmistakable to everyone here. There is also a likeness to another band we love, The Postelles. As mentioned earlier, we could have featured almost all of the songs from this shockingly-overlooked DIY masterpiece, but that would be a bit overboard. Still, we’ve included six tracks altogether, which is a few more songs than we normally include in most Artist of the Week profiles.

“Red Letter Day” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

“Temporary End” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

Listen to the entire LP (and their debut EP) at The Rotaries’ Bandcamp page, and if you enjoy it as much as we do, please show some love and contribute at least a few dollars so that this band can come out of relative obscurity and get the kind of notice they deserve, and that indie pop-rock lovers deserve to hear.

The Rotaries on Facebook

Around The World Playlist – The Strokes, The Shins, Akron/Family, Sufjan Stevens, The Clash, Calexico, Beach House

Posted on 05/13/201312/18/2019 by indierocker

We are, collectively, playlist fanatics. That includes you and probably your friends and family members. We love to take songs we dig and organize and label them. It allows everyone to be a deejay in their own way, for real.

Inside the cafe, and for more than two decades – since the late 80’s – we’ve created cassette mixtapes featuring all kinds of genres and styles, from radio hits by big name bands to totally under-the-radar should-be hits from bands very few people have ever heard of.

As the years zinged by, those cassette mixtapes went to CDs and then to iTunes and now to Spotify because it is the one platform that finally made sharing music, and therefore playlists that so many long hours were dedicated to, are now being converted to Spotify to share with our viewers. We try to make sure the music is related to a theme. However, the first criteria is the song itself must be really good to legendary.

We encourage you to review Indie Rock Cafe’s Spotify page where you can follow us for more playlists. You are sure to hear a lot of great music you either already love or much more that you are sure to enjoy, including playlists about looks of different things – including this new playlist, called Around The World, with great songs from alternative, classic and indie rock bands about places around the world.

The fifteen tracks in this playlist highlight favorite songs of ours from a variety of genres and artists, including well-known bands, and others that are more obscure. Enjoy.

You can open the playlist to the IRC channel on Spotify or stream in on the site with the embed included below. Enjoy and share with friends.

Sonny & The Sunsets Change Course Again on New LP; Release New Tracks and Tour Dates

Posted on 05/12/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

We’ve been fans of the San Francisco band Sonny & The Sunsets since hearing their splendid single, “Too Young To Burn,” in 2010. That song, and the album it appeared on, Tomorrow is Alright, catapulted the band to indie stardom, and they’ve been riding high on that wave ever since with each recording or video they release, and each new gig or festival they appear at.

Last week, Sonny & The Sunsets dropped the new single, “Green Blood,” which features dreamy, spatial new wave synth notes, understated Joy Division-like beats (albeit with a drum machine), and the whispery, haunting singing from female vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kelly Stolz.

The restless, somewhat risky, trend of changing gears so dramatically over the past few years continues on Antenna to the Afterworld, which is based on Smith’s alleged contacts with loved ones who are no longer of this physical world, a stark departure from last year’s Longtime Companion, a country-centric album, and stylistically Smith-sonian, that chronicles the end of a ten-year relationship.

“Green Blood” – Sonny & The Sunsets from Antenna to the Afterworld

As a writer of songs, plays, and short stories, Smith has never limited himself to one style or theme as his songwriting over the past three years so wonderfully demonstrates. Antenna to the Afterworld will be officially released on June 11th in the U.S..

Another single, “Dark Corners,” that we got a hold of from the upcoming album, demonstrates how the band’s use of synths fits perfectly, and sonically, with the sci-fi narrative: “I come from the planet of dogs… / And I walk on your streets… / and I can’t wait to find / My little place in your weird world.”

“Dark Corners” – Sonny & The Sunsets from Antenna to the Afterworld

New Sonny and the Sunsets June 2013 Tour Dates

06/13 Hamden, CT The Outer Space *
06/14 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory / Northside Fest
06/16 Pittsburgh, PA The Smiling Moose *
06/17 Lakewood, OH Mahalls 20 Lanes
06/19 Indianapolis, IN Radio Radio *
06/20 Detroit, MI The Lager House *
06/21 Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen *

* = w/ Little Wings

Best New Music Releases, Week of May 7th – AM & Shawn Lee, She & Him, Deerhunter, Mikal Cronin, Savages, Fitz and The Tantrums

Posted on 05/11/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

As summer approaches, the number of new releases from a variety of well-known, and some lesser-known, bands and artists, will begin to increase. This week is sort of one of those weeks because it’s still early enough in the spring to get a good roll started and ride it through the summer. IRC’s top releases this week include new albums, and the singles that accompany them, from the funky, genre-bending Los Angeles singer/songwriter and British producer/multi-instrumentalist duo, AM & Shawn Lee, and another highly regarded duo, actress Zooey Deschanel and Portland singer-songwriter M. Ward with She & Him‘s third installment of the Volume series; plus, dig the raw, psychedelic garage rock forays of Deerhunter, and the crunchy, melodic power-pop of Ty Segall collaborator and San Francisco Bay Area musician, Mikal Cronin.

“Two Times” – AM & Shawn Lee from La Musique Numerique on Park the Van

“I Could’ve Been Your Girl” – She & Him from Volume 3 on Merge Records

“Shout It Out” – Mikal Cronin from MCII on Merge Records

“Monomania” – Deerhunter from Monomania on 4AD

Lead Singles from Savages, Mother Falcon, Way Yes, Fitz and Tatrums

The rising UK buzz band, Savages dropped one of the most anticipated debut albums of 2013 this week, Silence Yourself, via Matador, fronted by the single, “Shut Up.” Interest in the debut by many music lovers was fueled by Savages appearance at Coachella last month.

Following Savages is the new track from Mother Falcon, who are, it’s fair to say, one of the buzz bands (more like collectives) of 2013, thanks to three widely praised appearances at SXSW in March. The fact that the band is based in Austin made it much easier to transport their 21 member troupe to their shows at SXSW. Mother Falcon relies solely on acoustic instrumentation – from the guitar and vocals to drums and the violin – to produce their enticing sounds. During SXSW, the band test-piloted some of the material from their sophomore album, You Knew, and launched a triumphant IndieGoGo fund-raising campaign to fund the production of the LP. And there’s more: stream new songs from freshly-dropped albums by Noah and the Whale, Fitz and Tatrums, Way Yes, Kid Congo & the Pink Monkeybirds, The Child of Lov, Lana Del Rey and Kid Congo & the Pink Monkeybirds.

“Shut Up” – Savages from Silence Yourself on Matador Records

“Dirty Summer” – Mother Falcon from You Knew

“Heart of Nowhere” – Noah and the Whale, featuring Anna Calvi from Heart of Nowhere on Mercury

“Out Of My League” – Fitz And The Tantrums from More Than Just a Dream on Elektra

“Broken Record” – Little Boots from Nocturnes on On Repeat Records

“Give Me” – The Child of Lov from The Child of Lov on Domino Records

“Young and Beautiful”– Lana Del Rey from The Great Gatsby soundtrack on Interscope

“Get Healed” – Way Yes from Tog Pebbles on Lefse Records

“Western Town” – We Are Loud Whispers from Suchness on Hardly Art

“Conjure Man” – Kid Congo & the Pink Monkeybirds from Haunted Head on In The Red

“The Road” – A Tribe Called Red from Nation II Nation on Tribal Spirit Music

“The Caustic Light” – Shannon Wright from In Film Sound on Ernest Jenning Record Co

7 Overseas Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, Vol. III – The Naturals, Echoic, Lausch, AppleTree, Bearskin, Captain Dangerous and The Shy Lips

Posted on 05/07/201301/09/2020 by Max Hammer

One thing is for sure about the regular readers and listeners of IRC: you want to hear more underground, DIY, new and under-the-radar bands and artists. Over the past couple of years, the posts that usually get the most love, if you will, are often profiles and playlists that highlight DIY and small label bands that are pretty much unknown by the vast majority of indie and alternative rock music lovers.

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In recent months, there has been a flurry of DIY and Small Label Bands to Watch posts, including 5 DIY Bands to Watch, 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, Artist of the Week and many others. The major difference between the 5 DIY Bands and 7 Bands features is that the former profiles only DIY, unsigned bands, while the ‘7’ series also includes bands that are signed with a record label.

This latest edition of 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear highlights overseas bands that sent their music in via the submission box, and who were hand-picked from hundreds of other submissions following a careful review. The bands include The Naturals (Bristol, England); Echoic (Helsinki, Finland & London); Lausch (Vienna, Austria); AppleTree (Bogota, Colombia); Bearskin (London, England); Captain Dangerous (Nottingham, England); The Shy Lips (Gothenburg, Sweden).

The Naturals – Bristol, England

From Bristol, England, The Naturals spent their adolescent years steadily maturing into a band that sculpts their own unique spin on influences like Foals, The Cure, Idlewild, The Chameleons and Neu!. “Concrete Sea” is the band’s debut single released via Howling Owl Records (Towns, United Fruit, The Concubines) last June. The BCC program, BCC Introducing, said of the band: “The Naturals have matured and ripened delightfully into a distinguished and beautiful post-rock band.”

Approaching a decade of making music together, the band have honed their artistic din in damp basements, church crypts, art spaces, venues, festivals and even Olympic Park, growing into a live monolith of controlled and explosive sound. While the band members have been individually pursuing interests in music, visual arts and film, The Naturals’ share a love of stark melody, sculpted noise and artful sonic contrast.

The Naturals are not completely off the radar – they have opened for bands such as Noah and the Whale, Trans Am, Bombay Bicycle Club, This Will Destroy You, and Johnny Foreigner. We obviously detect the exciting promise in the band’s sound, and hope to hear an album from them at some point. What we’re not clear on is why, after nearly nine years together, the band has never dropped an EP or a full-length album. Only recently did they release their debut double single 7″, which is included here for IRC listeners to make their own determination of. According to the band, they plan to release their debut album sometime this summer via Howling Owl. You can bet we’ll keep you posted when more information becomes available.

“Concrete Sea” – The Naturals from Concrete Sea 7″

“Finishing Moves” – The Naturals from Concrete Sea 7″

The Naturals on Tumblr

Echoic – Helsinki, Finland

Echoic is a Helsinki/London DIY alternative rock duo formed by two musicians barely out of their teens: Otto Nuoranne and Markus Vuoristo. While Nuoranne is based in Helsinki, Finland, and Vuoristo in London, the two began collaborating via the web in 2011. Last year, they began recording sessions in a Helsinki studio apartment, which resulted in the duo’s debut album, Springbook, released just a couple of weeks ago.

Echoic’s music is rich and layered art rock, a product of a clash of two musicians with a classical training in cello, and a passion for electronic music, rhythm, and rock. The young musicians have diverted from the traditional classical path and now explore their own musical endeavors: Echoic’s music is written and performed by Nuoranne and produced and programmed by Vuoristo. Electronic and acoustic elements interact seamlessly, and are topped with lyrics about expectations, disappointment and hope. Their classical training is audible in the frequent use of the cello throughout Springhook.

In response to ‘what is indie rock,’ the duo replied: “Indie rock is music in the limitless ocean of music. To us, indie still means independent – to make independent music is to work hard to be able to hold on to one’s vision of what the music consists of and what it sounds like, not taking orders from the markets.” The duo’s main musical influences include Radiohead, Battles, Liars, The Knife, and Tool.

“This Roof – Echoic from Springbook – April 15th

“Unicorn” – Echoic from Springbook

Echoic Official Website

Bearskin – London, England

London indie rockers Bearskin is the brain-child of George Hudson and Michael Pumo. Hudson and Pumo began Bearskin in 2011 by writing and recording demos in their lo-fi home studio, until eventually crafting something worthy of listening to. In early 2012, drummer Josef Emmet and bassist Paul Braker were added to complete the band’s maturation to full band status. Meanwhile, they continued to play gigs throughout London, gradually growing their following. In December, the band’s EP, A Light That Finally Shines, containing the pensive and upbeat track, “Volcanoes,” went viral on the social networking website Reddit. That, in turn, resulted in the band being profiled by the NME, the UK’s most important music publication.

“Volcanoes” – Bearskin from A Light That Finally Shines

“Dreams of Waking Up” – Bearskin from A Light That Finally Shines

The Shy Lips – Gothenburg, Sweden

The first twenty seconds of The Shy Lips‘ track, “In Your House,” sounds like they’re channeling Vampire Weekend the morning after a night of boozing. But soon, the song breaks out into a straight-away mix of semi-quirky UK-style guitar rock mixed with punk elements. The Shy Lips originated during vocalist Adam ben Rahmoun‘s travels around Latin America, where he first met bassist Victor Pettersson. Upon realizing that they had a mutual love of indie and alternative rock, they settled in Gothenburg, Sweden, where they were joined by Adam’s brother, Jonas ben Rahmoun, on guitar, and soon after, Alexander Lisinski on guitar and Anton Ekedahl on drums.

The Shy Lips released their self-titled debut EP after only two months of playing together as a quartet. The band quickly went on to play some of the most famous venues in Gothenburg, including club Woody West, which has hosted acts such as The Vaccines and Destroyer. Last fall, the band released the sophomore EP, Nowadays, showcasing a blend of musical influences, and quickly gaining some buzz and some radio play on Sweden’s national radio. Not surprisingly, Shy Lips musical influences include The Strokes, The Vaccines, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Libertines, and Babyshambles.

“In Your House” – The Shy Lips from Nowadays

“Nowadays” – The Shy Lips from Nowadays

AppleTree – Bogota, Colombia

Elpatron Records recording artist AppleTree, the moniker of the new Colombian recording duo comprised of Bogota musicians Andrés Cárdenas and Alex González, recorded an EP titled Draft in various bedrooms and living rooms with the intent, despite an apparent access to a recording studio, of producing a lo-fi record that has the feel of a DIY project.

The resulting EP was well-received in the Bogota rock circuit; so much so that the pair decided to recruit two friends – Cristian Galeano on drums and Felipe Merchán on guitar – to complete a four-piece band. According to Cardenas, the band’s top musical influences include Sebadoh, Pavement, Guided by Voices, The Pixies, The Ramones, and Nirvana. AppleTree’s first show as a full band was an opening gig for the British rockers The Palace of Justice. Due to the success of Draft, and their electrifying live shows, the band has been invited to record their debut full-length album in Turnpike Lane Studios in London this spring.

“Waiting for Nothing” – AppleTree from Draft

“Mary” – AppleTree from Draft

Lausch – Vienna, Austria

Lausch is a Vienna, Austria alternative math rock/post-core band that got our attention after sending in a few tracks for review. The songs included below are from their third album, Canada Is Falling, which features the tracks “Endgame” and “Candyman.” As part of their submission, the band stated that their goal as a musical endeavor is to “carry the alternative rock heritage of the 1990’s” forward and to contribute post-modern tracks full of “well structured, tight and powerful music.” In addition to fans of post-modern alt. rockers, we think other music lovers, based on reactions of patrons of the cafe, will also dig the band’s sound. While they haven’t opened for any well-known bands that we know of (yet), their major influences include the Deftones, 65 Days of Static, And So I Watch You From Afar, and Circa Survive.

“Endgame” – Lausch from Canada Is Falling

“Candyman” – Lausch from Canada Is Falling

Captain Dangerous – Nottingham, England

Hailing from Nottingham, England, Captain Dangerous perform wonky-pop music with heartbreaking stories, drawing off influences from bands like Pavement, Pulp and Blur, all tied together with bombastic orchestral arrangements. The band has toured extensively since forming in 2010, including a recent tour that included a 20-piece orchestra, and have become known in the U.K. for their rich and thrilling live shows. Captain Dangerous have previously opened for bands such as Marina & The Diamonds, Ash and The Holloways.

“Heather and Tommy” – Captain Dangerous from The Empire Never Ended – Jan. 14th

“Merrow Song” – Captain Dangerous from The Empire Never Ended

Captain Dangerous on Bandcamp

Best New Music Releases, Week of April 30th – Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Guided By Voices, Akron/Family, Daughter, Wolf People

Posted on 05/04/201305/17/2019 by Max Hammer

Leading of this week’s new releases are two blockbuster albums from veterans of rock and roll, two bands that no doubt have been, and continue to be, an inspiration to countless popular and obscure alternative and indie rock artists. First up, is the latest album from Iggy Pop and The Stooges, and it sounds excellent. As life-long fans of The Stooges, we’ve been impressed with their comeback since 2005. At first, like any die-hard fans of an aging rock band, we feared the band just could not possibly sound as great as they did during their hey days four decades ago – a time in which they were known as the crazy punk rock band with a skinny, shirtless Iggy Pop at the helm, belting out songs like, “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Lust For Life.” Nowadays, Iggy is not only an iconic figure in the world of rock, and in the culture as a whole, but he is often referred to as the “godfather of punk,” a title he definitely earned.

And yet all these years later, with most of the band members well into their 60’s (Iggy is 66), they’ve only gotten better as punk rock musicians. Iggy has always been in amazing shape and a ball of energy on stage, and still kicks it out on stage. The Stooges new single, “Burn,” sounds like a track that could have appeared on one of their three classic albums released between 1969 and 1973. The band never reached the level of success they deserved during that time span because the uptight music industry of those days thought they were too weird and dangerous to put serious money behind to promote. History now shows what a poor decision that was; Iggy Pop and The Stooges have been more popular and successful in the past 20 years than they were in their first 20 years, albeit they were not actively a band from 1973 to 2005.

“Burn” – Iggy and the Stooges from Ready To Die on Fat Possum Records

Despite that, The Stooges were an underground punk-rock sensation whose music over time is as much a part of the story of punk rock in America as any other band; in a way, Iggy and his bandmates practically invented punk. Unfortunately for the band’s die-hard fans at the time, The Stooges called it quits in 1973, oddly enough following the release of their most critically-acclaimed album, Raw Power, and one of the most important albums in the history of punk music, if not rock music as a whole. Over the ensuing decades since their disbanding, their music became more popular as time moved on, which was in part why they decided to regroup and release a new album in 2005. The album cover for Ready To Die is bound to be problematic for some people, especially considering the timing of it.

In addition to Iggy Pop and The Stooges, there were two other big-name, highly anticipated new albums dropped this week – veteran post-punk band Guided By Voices‘ new album, English Little League, led by the single, “Noble Insect,” and Akron/Family‘s Sub Verses, featuring the spectacular track, “Until The Morning.”

“Noble Insect” – Guided By Voices from English Little League on GBV, Inc.

“Until The Morning” – Akron/Family from Sub Verses [includes digital book] on Dead Oceans

Daughter’s Debut Plus Cayucas, El Khatib, Wolf People and Hands

With Iggy Pop and The Stooges proving once again their never-ending lust for punk rock, the pioneering GBV’s post-reunion wellspring of terrific songs resulting in another terrific album, and indie rock/experimental pop band, Akron/Family‘s latest collection of superbly crafted and executed songs, attention now turns to the exciting and impressive debut from buzz band Daughter, followed up by standout singles from new albums by Cayucas, Hanni El Khatib, Wolf People and Hands. A couple of days ago we asked all of you to name the best album for the month of April, and while Kurt Vile ultimately took the No. 1 prize for his amazing LP, Walkin’ On A Pretty Daze, right on his heels was Daughter’s If You Leave.

The trio actually began as the solo project of musician Elena Tonra, until guitarist Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi Aguilella jumped aboard in 2010. In 2010 and 2011, the trio dropped three well-regarded EPs before being signed by the top-notch record label 4AD, whose roster includes a stunning line-up of some of the best indie and alt. rock artists and bands of recent years, including Bon Iver, Ariel Pink, The National, St. Vincent, Purity Ring, Deerhunter, Camera Obscura, Iron & Wine, Grimes, Twin Shadow and Grimes, among others. Now 4AD can boast about the newest member of their musical family, Daughter. Here’s the lead single, “Smother,” from the band’s new debut. The album, easily one of the best debuts of 2013, is available as an MP3 download for only $6.99 or $7.99 for the CD version.

“Smother” – Daughter from If You Leave on Glassnote Records

“East Coast Girl” – Cayucas from Bigfoot on Secretly Canadian

“Family” – Hanni El Khatib from Head In The Dirt on Innovative Leisure

“All Returns” – Wolf People from Fain {+digital booklet} on Jagjaguwar

“Sun Medallion” – King Tuff from Was Dead (reissue) on Burger Records

“Trouble” – Hands from Synethesia on Kill Rock Stars

“Happiness” – Adventure from Weird Work on Carpark Records

“Staying In” – Ola Podrida from Ghosts Go Blind on Western Vinyl

“Brother in the Night” – The Weeks from Dear Bo Jackson on Serpents and Snakes Records

“Twin Peaks” – Alice Russell from To Dust on Tru Thoughts

Artist of the Week: Joshua Hanson

Posted on 05/02/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The International Songwriting Competition, widely recognized as the world’s premier songwriting event, today announced its 2012 winners.

ISC’s Grand Prize has been awarded to Joshua Hanson of Irvine, California, for his song, “Monsters With Misdemeanors,” which he entered in the folk singer-songwriter category.

Therefore, it only made sense to name Hanson as IRC’s Artist of the Week.

Hanson is the lead singer and songwriter of the award-winning indie folk-rock trio, Yellow Red Sparks, and the son of a lounge-singing mother and a theatrically trained father. From a young age, Hanson was always fascinated with words and how the stories would unfold through the liner notes of some of his favorite songwriters.

His own ability of expression is eloquent and effortless, crafting and delivering candid and poetic lyrics that elicit the slightest hint of bittersweet heartache. “The judges loved the song for its sparse honesty and achingly tender lyrics,” Avery said.

Yellow Red Sparks released their debut self-titled full-length album at the end of January, winning glowing reviews and the attention of music taste makers.

The band was also a buzz band at SXSW 2013 in March, thanks in part to their debut album. In addition to the recognition that comes with the award, Hanson will receive $25,000 and an additional $40,000 in merchandise and services.

The band kick-off a two-week national tour tonight at The Griffin in San Diego. The tour will wind through Colorado, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, and commence on May 18th in Massachusetts. Needless to say, with the release of their beautifully rich debut, a successful appearance at SXSW, and now the award to Hanson, the band has a promising road ahead of them, and based on their talent, dedication and original approach to songwriting and performance, Yellow Red Sparks are a band that you shouldn’t miss if they’re stopping by your city during their two-week tour.

Robin Hilton of NPR’s All Songs Considered commented on April 22nd:

“The songs of Yellow Red Sparks… are twisted tales told through cinematic, often epic orchestrations. In the group’s spectacular and creepy new video, for the song “A Play To End All Plays,” a couple’s failed relationship is acted out like an old circus sideshow before a finger-wagging audience.
Frontman Joshua Hanson, who appears as the play’s host, indicts the lovers with a surprisingly infectious melody and old-timey instrumentation.”

Listen to the ISC grand prize-winning song, “Monsters With Misdemeanors,” via the Soundcloud embed below. Also, if you let the stream run longer, you can hear other amazing songs from this promising Band to Watch, and talented singer-songwriter. The ISC really hit the bulls-eye this year by awarding the grand prize to Hanson in recognition of his songwriting talents. Scroll down to see the award-winning lyrics.

“ISC’s mission is to inspire and promote greatness in the field of songwriting,” says Candace Avery, director of ISC. “It is humbling to hear so many talented songwriters, and it is gratifying to play a part in the growth of the winners’ careers.” Established in 2002, ISC awards more than $150,000 in cash and prizes to amateur and professional songwriters around the world.

A total of 68 winners from 119 countries worldwide were selected from over 20,000 entries, and for the first time ever, more than half of the winners are from outside the United States. Past ISC winners include Gotye, The Band Perry, Kasey Chambers, Amanda Palmer, Gin Wigmore, King Charles, Kimbra, Passenger, Andrew Bird, to name just a few.

tom-waits-judge-isc — Tom Waits was one of the VIMs (Very Important Musicians) judging the ISC's

ISC Judges Include Tom Waits, Jeff Beck, Nas, Robert Smith and Black Francis

The 2012 judges included iconic artists such as Tom Waits; Jeff Beck; Nas; Suzanne Vega; Bernie Taupin; Keane, Tegan and Sara, Robert Smith (The Cure); Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Mark Foster (Foster The People); Alejandro Sanz; Gerald Casale (Devo); Tegan & SaraBlack Francis (The Pixies), Basement Jaxx, and many more. In addition to celebrity artists, judges also included seven record label presidents, as well as other industry leaders, offering songwriters the unprecedented opportunity to have their music heard by influential decision-makers.

We strongly believe that it’s time for the competition to include influential bloggers as judges too; afterall, bloggers have their fingers on the pulse of talented, and under-the-radar, singers and songwriters, and many work very hard, with little reward; it’s nearly impossible to make a viable living by blogging alone, despite the true value that good blogs provide to the music-loving culture and community. For example, as many of you know, on Indie Rock Cafe, we feature dozens and dozens of such artists every year, which you can read about, and listen to, via the Artist of the Week series, as well as DIY Bands to Watch and the Singer/Songwriter Spotlight Series, all of which we have many posts in the pipeline that will be posted in coming weeks.

As mentioned above, on April 22nd, Yellow Red Sparks dropped a new music video for the song, “A Play To End All Plays,” which was just featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered, and now on Indie Rock Cafe.

“A Play To End All Plays” – Yellow Red Sparks

Lyrics for “Monsters With Misdemeanors”
Written by Joshua Hanson and performed by Yellow Red Sparks

There’s a chance we could meet
Under the likeness of summer
And there’s a chance we could fall
Under the highlight of winter
There’s a parked car that won’t let me over
And there’s one thing I’ll regret, but you’d be the last

I’m just sick of the monsters that we chase everyday
I’m just sick of the monsters that we chase everyday
Yeah you know, you know

There’s a wonderful plan
I hope to God we’re in it (ready)
And I’ll steer you one more time
Just to show the way
Well there’s passing cars
That love to see me stranded…try it again
And there are four things I’ll forget
But you’d be the last

I’m just sick of the monsters that we chase everyday
I’m just so sick of these monsters that we chase everyday
Yeah you know, you know

And it goes to show
That darling you’ve known
And if I would, I could
But I’ve been there (here) before
And just like Rome
Darling we fall

I’m just sick, I’m just sick

You have lovely eyes and a lovely face
A cold embrace
We have lovely eyes and a lovely faith
A cold embrace

Other ISC Winners in Various Genres and Categories

In addition to the grand prize winner, many other deserving songwriters, ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans, also share the 2012 spotlight for winning in their respective genres and categories, including prizes for Americana, blues, rock, pop, dance, country, DIY-only, among others. Check out the complete list of the International Songwriting Competition winners for the 2012 competition.

Already the process for the 2013 ISC is underway; get more details by visiting the ISC’s website.

Record Industry Judges

In addition to the artists who served as judges, a number of record label industry folks, from the big labels to smaller labels, also participated in the judging, including Dan McCarroll (President, Capitol/Virgin Label Group); Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); Alison Donald (Co-President, Columbia Records UK); Ed Vetri (President, Wind-Up Records); Richard Stumpf (President, Imagem Music US); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Albert Schilcher (VP Music & Music Mktg, MTV International); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony/BMG); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo Kids); Steve Smith (VP of A&R, Aware Records); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Lori Tieg (VP of Talent, VEVO); Dr. Demento (Radio Host, The Dr. Demento Show); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Kim Buie (Head of A&R, Thirty Tigers); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Allison B. Jones (VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group); Jack Vaughn (VP, Comedy Central Records); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People); and Jamie Masada (Owner, Laugh Factory).