Year: 2015

The first batch of new DIY releases for 2015 is here, and there are some terrific singles from noteworthy new albums released by DIY bands across the U.S. and around the world. You can listen to singles singularly or use the streaming player below so that the 23 songs on this page will stream automatically and uninterrupted.

We’ll also be publishing the fifth volume of the Best DIY Releases of 2014, since there are still some not-to-miss EPs and LPs from last year, and a new Artist of the Week. Recently we have also posted the top non-DIY releases for January from well-known and small label indie artists and bands, featuring new material from Ty Seagall, Guster, The Decemberists, Panda Bear, California X, Belle & Sebastian and many others – see and stream it here.

And, if that’s not enough – the famed Top Ten Songs playlists for January will be out later in the week. The following are the bands highlighted in this first volume of 2015 DIY releases. Don’t miss any of it – follow IRC on Twitter and add us on Facebook.

In This Issue:

Steels – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Her Magic Wand – Paris, France
Columbia – Melbourne, Australia
Valley Shine – Los Angeles, California
DAVID – Southampton, U.K.
Kat and the Canaries – Culver City, California
Radiolab – Alexandria, Virginia
Shibuya Terminal – Denver, Colorado
Benskuba – Regina, Saskatewhen, Canada
Hilldale – Dijon, France
Helen Mystic – El Cerrito, California
Hydrogen Skyline – Denver, Colorado
Action Jets – Phoenix, Arizona
Sun Cut Flat – Brooklyn, New York

Steels is a DIY indie rock band forged in 2013 by musicians from ‘two glorious Southern cities’ – Tuscaloosa and Atlanta. Now based in Tuscaloosa, the band’s goal, according to frontman D. Charles Robinson was, and remains, “rock vengeance.”

The information we can find on this band (which is difficult because of their common name) is thin. The reason we want to know more is because we are smitten by the angling guitar riffs, horns and harmonic choruses on singles like “True Romance” and the splintering rock of “Be Around,” from the band’s debut EP, On the Other Side. Steels features Robinson, along with bassist Justin Ray-West, guitarist Brett Mitchell and a drummer known only as ‘Gunner.’ Each member, ex-pats from a variety of hardcore bands, bring to the table their aggressive passion to make love with the soul of rock.

“True Romance“ – (video) Steels from On the Other Side

“Be Around“ – Steels from On the Other Side

Opened For: “We play in crap hole venues. We open up for everyone.” – Robinson

Musical Influences: Led Zepplin, Riff Raff, As Cities Burn, James Brown, Chon, Zac Brown

Steels on Facebook

Her Magic Wand – Everything At Once

Her Magic Wand is the creation of Parisian songwriter, vocalist and musician Charles Braud. Creating his own brand of French-inspired indie pop/rock, Braud’s impressive debut single, “Everything At Once,” from his forthcoming debut LP, is enough to make us take notice and await the rest of the album, which should be released in the next couple of months. According to Braud, the album was written and recorded over a period of nearly a year. Braud landed some terrific, grade A help with the album, scoring Stephane ‘Alf’ Briat (Phoenix, Air) to mix it and Chab (Daft Punk, Sebastien Tellier) to master. The results of such prestigious guidance and assistance are apparent on the new single. But Braud is also no stranger to the indie scene in Paris; he’s previously shared the stage with bands like Cloud Control and The Hundred In The Hands and artists such as Kyp Malone of TV On The Radio.

As far back as 2010, Braud released Her Magic Wand’s debut ‘demo’ EP, Catch A Rainbow, which sold out, even on Bandcamp, but is still available for streaming. If the new single, and the demo EP, are any indication of what Her Magic Wand’s debut LP will sound like, then we’re definitely keeping our ears and eyes open for its official release.

“Everything At Once“ – Her Magic Wand from Everything At Once

“Mistakes“ – Her Magic Wand from Catch A Rainbow EP (2010)

Opened For: The Hundred In The Hands, Team Ghost, Summer Camp, Cloud Control, Birdpen, Kyp Malone (TV On The Radio)

Musical Influences: The Notwist, Slowdive, The Flaming Lips, Lali Puna, My Bloody Valentine, The Delgados

Her Magic Wand on Facebook

Columbia – Columbia EP

From the rock and roll city of Melbourne, Australia, the post-punk band Columbia crafts dark, mysterious and forbidding songs on their self-titled debut EP. Their sound reminds some of a mix between The National and Joy Division. Frontman Michael Magee‘s brooding, passionate vocals are at the heart of the band’s music, as evidenced on tracks like “One of These Days” and “Brother.” The other members of the band, including guitarists and keyboardists Simon Spratling and Vincent Freeny, and drummer Michael Blancato, round out Columbia’s reputation as a band to watch. The members hail from cities like New York and Belfast. According to Magee, the band’s music aims to “burn with desperate energy” and “confront classical themes of love, faith and work.”

For their debut EP, the band teamed up with reputed producer Anna Laverty, who is known for her work with Cut Copy, Nick Cave and Temper Trap, to record the EP at Melbourne’s Sing-Sing Studios. There’s no question when you listen to the two tracks below that Laverty helped enormously in fostering the raw and deep sound the band strived to create. “It’s the sound of people trying to break through,” Magee said. “We associate indie rock with honesty, integrity and a yearning for truth.”

“One Of These Days“ – Columbia from Columbia – Jan. 10th

“Brother“ – Columbia from Columbia

Opened For: None Indicated

Musical Influences: U2, Joy Division, R.E.M., Oasis, The National, Broken Social Scene

Columbia on Facebook

Valley Shine – LOCA

Los Angeles songwriter, vocalist and strings musician Sam Sobelman, of the band, Lipstick Lumberjack, met his soon-to-be Valley Shine bandmate Jenna Blake of Xu Xu Fang, after she had posted a comment about Sobelman’s cat on Instagram. After some enlightening discussions, the two have been “writing and recording foot-stomping music non-stop” ever since, Sobelman told IRC.

Perhaps foot-stomping isn’t exactly the right description, but the duo sure do create cheery folk pop. Sobelman said they piece together influences such as the piano and guitar arrangements of The Head and The Heart, sing-a-long choruses of The Oh Hellos and Angus and Julia’s “male-female vocal harmonies” to create their decidedly pop folk charm. Their new single, “Bop Bah,” released on January 31st, is an uptempo pop gem that you might think you’ve heard somewhere before, but you probably haven’t). The duo will release their debut EP LOCA in the spring.

“Bop Bah“ – Valley Shine from LOCA – Jan. 31st

“If I Was a Bird“ – Valley Shine from LOCA

Opened For: None

Musical Influences: The Head and the Heart, Angus and Julia, The Oh Hellos, Rilo Kiley, Bon Iver, Mates of State

Valley Shine on Facebook

“Indie Rock is DIY!,” Sobelman wrote. ” It’s keeping the process personal: making everything true to the artistic vision of the creators, and rocking the folk out of music.”

DAVID – Impulses

Based in the U.K. town of Southampton in Hampshire, musician and vocalist David Blackbourn creates what he calls “raw, passionate, weird” acoustic sounds accompanied by lyrics that are “chaotic and confused and full of venom and anger and hope.” These self-professed traits and feelings are not necessarily funneled into the songs featured here; in fact, we don’t hear any anger or chaos on songs like the bright, uptempo, “Keep Smiling,” and the more tame, somewhat melancholy, “Pleasure Seekers.”

“My aim is to make you feel something and to connect,” Blackbourn writes, “…to share joy and pain and to highlight the illogical and the strange.” Using the moniker DAVID (which makes it difficult for people to find him on web searches), Blackbourn contends that his musical influences are “a mess,” including artists that range from polar ends of the music spectrum, such as Aimee Mann to Eminem, Kings of Leon to Frank Ocean, and Fiona Apple to Nick Drake.

He may call his diverse musical influences a ‘mess,’ but the results sound pretty good to our ears. “People say I sound like Jeff Buckley, Paolo Nutini and Tom Waits’ strange love child.” On January 1st, DAVID self-released his debut EP, Impulses.

“Keep Smiling“ – DAVID from Impulses – Jan. 1st

“Pleasure Seekers“ – DAVID from Impulses

Opened For: Habitats, Dave McPherson, Lotte Mullan, Boz

Musical Influences: Jeff Buckley, Fiona Apple, Frank Ocean, Aesop Rock, Nick Drake, King Krule

David Blackbourn on Facebook

Kat & The Canaries – Kat & The Canaries EP

Based in Culver City, a city that borders Los Angeles, the quintet DIY band, Kat & The Canaries, released its self-titled debut EP on January 1st, featuring catchy singles like “Dead Canary” and “Close The Blinds.” Formed last year, this new alternative/punk rock band features lead vocalist Kat Grant, guitarists Mikey Flores and Adam Joe, bassist Nate Waxler, and drummer Terry Barajas.

“Indie rock to me is rock in its freest form,” Grant told IRC. “When I think of indie rock, I think of rock with no boundaries, traveling down an array of avenues of influence. New sounds mixed with old familiar favorites seems to be the epitome of the indie rock experience.”

“Dead Canary“ – Kat and The Canaries from Kat and The Canaries – Jan. 1st

“Close The Blinds“– Kat and The Canaries from Kat and The Canaries

Opened For: The Milky Way, Surgeon Marta, The Decorators

Musical Influences: Pixies, Johnny Cash,The Ramones, Radiohead, Bjork

Kat and The Canaries on Reverbnation

Kat and The Canaries on Facebook

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Radiolab – Dreamless

Radiolab is the musical moniker of Alexandria, Virginia multi-instrumentalist Dane Di Pierro, who crafts breezy, dreamy tracks like the standout song, “Sail to the Stars,” from Radiolab’s third album, Dreamless, released on January 5th. In addition to writing all of the songs, Di Pierro plays the guitar, bass, keys, synths and programs the drum beats. Occasionally adding samples from obscure films and movies, Di Pierro mixes all of the elements together and layers them with dense overlays, particularly for guitars and keys. Vocalist Meghan Redding joined the Radiolab project in 2009 and recorded two albums with Di Pierro before departing for other endeavors before the recording for Dreamless began.

<a rel="nofollow" href="https://indierockcafe.comwp-content/uploads/05%20sail%20to%20the%20stars.mp3">“Sail to the Stars“</a> - <strong>Radiolab</strong> from <em>Dreamless</em> - Jan. 5th

<a rel="nofollow" href="https://indierockcafe.comwp-content/uploads/04%20after%20the%20rain.mp3">“After the Rain“</a> - <strong>Radiolab</strong> from <em>Dreamless</em> 

Opened For: Time Colulmns, The Floor is Hot Lava, Ghost Hotel, Seaknuckle, Chainsaws, Heavy Lights

Musical Influences: Voyager One, Ride, Mogwai, Bark Psychosis, Efterklang

Shibuya Terminal – The Javelin Set EP

During the long, warm Denver summer of 2014, Shibuya Terminal was a newly formed indie rock trio performing gigs at clubs and festivals, and gaining a following in the local music scene. However, when frontman guitarist and vocalist Pierce Murphy sojourned to Japan last September, he decided to morph Shibuya Terminal into a solo project. Drawing from a variety of genres, including garage rock, post punk and indie, as well as from artists and bands like Elvis Costello, The Thermals, and The Strokes, Murphy wrote and sang each song, as well as played all the instruments, recorded and mixed the DIY EP, The Javelin Set, entirely by himself.

“Javelin“ – Shibuya Terminal from The Javelin Set EP – Jan. 5th

“We’re Not Getting Any Younger“ – Shibuya Terminal from The Javelin Set EP – Jan. 5th

Opened For: None Indicated

Musical Influences: Elvis Costello, The Thermals, The Strokes, Mose Allison, The Modern Lovers

Shibuya Terminal on Facebook

Benskuba – Celebration

The Canadian outfit Benskuba started out in 2005 as a trio featuring former members of the band Mad Shadows; they were Kevin Cholerton, Blair Polischuk, and Randy Reibling. As Mad Shadows, the Regina based trio recorded and toured together for eight years playing from a discography of punk, ska and pop tracks. The band transitioned into a new band called Benskuba. But the trials of change that the years bring dealt the trio a number of blows, the most tragic of which was the death of Polischuk, the band’s veracious drummer. Polischuk (or “Spike”) was diagnosed with ALS and passed away only months later. Reibling decided to return to Dubai, where he performs in a few bands.

That left Cholerton to set out on his own; pulling himself together on the heels of losing his best friend in such a tragic and sudden (when compared to all of the years they were together) way, Cholerton decided to keep Benskuba going as a solo project. He wrote and recorded Celebration as a tribute to his long-time childhood friend. “I ended up playing all the instruments,” Cholerton said. “The CD is somewhat of a tribute to Spike as we were best friends, and had played together in bands since we were 10 years old. The music can best be described as an alternative rock/pop sound with an emphasis on groove and melody – a blend of big electric guitar, acoustic, big drum sound, introspective lyrics.”

“Indie music is independent, unfiltered music played and written without the constraints of commercial or corporate interests, allowing the artist full control over his art, career, and anything music related.”

“Just a Dream“ – Benskuba from Celebration – Jan. 10th

“Ease the Line“ – Benskuba from Celebration

Opened For: ‘None so far’

Musical Influences: U2, Kings of Leon, Beck, Teenage Head, Black Keys, The Clash

Benskuba official website

Benskuba Music on Facebook

Hilldale – Hilldale EP

Hilldale is a DIY indie pop band based in Dijon, France. The four band mates – Christelle Armenio (lead vocals, guitar, bass), Lucas Auroy Lopez (drums, backup vocals), Charlie Suchaut (guitar, bass) and Julien Rouche (guitar, backup vocals) – formed the band last year in a mutual quest to write and record songs with sunny, glimmering guitars, mid and uptempo percussions and dreamy melodies, as evidenced on songs like “Day Off” and “Curtis.” Hilldale released a self-titled EP on January 6th.

“Day Off“ – Hilldale from Hilldale EP

“Curtis“ – Hilldale from Hilldale EP

Opened For: Son Lux, White Hinterland, Love Inks

Musical Influences: Real Estate, Real Lies, Future Islands, Beach Fossils, Mac Demarco, Warpaint

Helen Mystic – Sistine Candles

Helen Mystic is an alternative folk rock trio based in the Bay Area town of El Cerrito. All three of the band members – Tennessee Mowrey, Tobias Butler and Isaac Silk – studied music at Wesleyan University and moved to the Bay Area after graduation. They describe their music as “slow, melody-based electronica, influenced by artists like Beach House and James Blake,” as well as the band members’ “various studies of world music and experimental music at Wesleyan.” The following two tracks are from their debut EP, Sistine Candles, released on January 1st, and available via Bandcamp.

“This Whale“ – Helen Mystic from Sistine Candles – Jan. 1st

“Josef“ – Helen Mystic from Sistine Candles

Opened For: None

Musical Influences: James Blake, Beach House, Alt-J, Novelty Daughter

Helen Mystic on Facebook

Hydrogen Skyline – Hey Sly King Drone

The Denver alternative electro rock band Hydrogen Skyline comprises a husband and wife team that reunited after years of being separate following an intense high school romance. In 2012, Norman Skyline, his real name, graduated from university and pursued a career in music by starting a solo project which “absorbed other artists as the evolution of its existence began.” He found it difficult, however, to find local talent to work with. “Years later,” Skyline says, he crossed paths with Asher, his former high school sweetheart and their love was rekindled; as Skyline says, it never burned out (“there was an old love still there”), and in less than a year, the two were married and Hydrogen Skyline was launched.

“Initially, it was never our intention to work on music together,” he wrote. “She came down to rehearsal one day asking about singing to one of the established songs, and without much preamble showed me why she belonged in this project.” A few months ago the band was featured on Reverbnation and on January 16th, they dropped the album, Hey Sly King Drone.

“Over Tonight (Paradise Remix)“ – Hydrogen Skyline from Hey Sly King Drone

“Shadows” – Hydrogen Skyline from Hey Sly King Drone

Opened For: Civil Twilight, Atlas Genius, Abney Park, Saving Abel

Musical Influences: Metric, Sia, Panic at the Disco, Nine Inch Nails, Thrice

Hydrogen Skyline on Facebook

Action Jets – Action Girl on Instagram

Action Jets is an indie rock/power pop band from Phoenix that grind out hook-laden rock fused with elements of power pop, punk and new wave to create an original sound on their debut 7″ single, “Action Girl on Instagram,” with the B-side, “Action Party Epic Fun!” Action Jets is appropriately a phoenix-rising band that formed from the ashes of the pop punk band, Dfactor, that disbanded in 2013. The band is currently recording an EP for release this spring. In the meantime, they’ve released the EP’s first double-single.

“Indie rock is a movement that brings together fans, musicians, promoters and publishers in a spirit of DIY creation-making for bringing sounds to the street without the interference of corporate interests.” – ‘Action Dan’

“Action Girl on Instagram“ – Action Jets from Action Jets Single – Jan. 15th

“Action Party Epic Fun!“ – Action Jets from Action Jets Single

Opened For: Warm Soda, The Everymen, Field Tripp

Musical Influences: The Hives, Teenage Bottlerocket, Tinted Windows, Cheap Trick, Guided by Voices, The Replacements

Action Jets on Facebook

Sun Cut Flat – Copy Machine Dream

DIY band Sun Cut Flat was originally formed as a live band in Boston during 2009. Nick Lattanzi (vocals, guitar, synth), then a freshman at Boston University, began collaborating with Erik Kramer (bass) and later Chris Pegram (keys, synths, percussion), both freshman at Berklee College of Music. The group bonded over their similar taste in music and appreciation of everything from jazz to electronic. It was only last year that the trio began writing and recording. They decided to use the same name that they had originally performed under because “we want the energy of our music to be as powerful and bright as the sun being split in half.” Sun Cut Flat completed the recording of the 14-track debut album,Copy Machine Dream, relocated to Brooklyn, and welcomed a new member to the band, drummer Angelo Spampinato.

“Love In Spiritual“ – Sun Cut Flat from Copy Machine Dream

“Salty Sea Intro“ – Sun Cut Flat from Copy Machine Dream

Opened For: None

Musical Influences: Gorillas, Radiohead, Little Dragon

First up, in Vol. IV of this series (which will run for some weeks), are artists and bands whose 2014 releases were big hits with IRC listeners and readers around the U.S. and the world. Also, we’re getting closer to finding a player to use to replace the Yahoo Media Player (Yahoo stopped supporting it in 2014) so that you can stream all of the songs in this post. You can also download and stream them one by one by clicking through the player or as you read the entries below.

Bat Zuppel – Brain Eater

From small basements throughout Pittsburg, PA, the DIY garage rock band Bat Zuppel knock out aggressive teen angst with a well honed style they’ve been working on since forming in 2013. The sound is raw and gritty, drawn from their favorite ‘old punk and garage rock bands,’ all in an effort to ‘recreate that chaotic atmosphere’ bands from those days funneled into their music.

Last March, the band released their debut album, Brain Eater, featuring tracks like the crunchy “Under My Bed” and the Sonic Youth-inspired, “Apparition Girl.” Bat Zuppel’s sound and style is also informed from bands like The Damned, Metz, Nirvana, Ty Segall and Wavves. The trio features Matt Ruppel on bass, Zach Bronder on guitar and vocals and Gordy Brash on drums. “We play a lot of basement shows, those are the most fun for us and I feel like the fans have the most fun at these shows.” Bronder said. “We recorded and mixed this album entirely by ourselves, a lot of work was put into this one.”

Under My Bed – Bat Zuppel from Brain Eater

Apparition Girl – Bat Zuppel from Brain Eater

Young Creatures – Fear All Things EP

Los Angeles indie rock band Young Creatures has been competing for a piece of the LA music scene – the most saturated and competitive music scene int he world – since 2011. Over the past couple of years, they’ve managed to attract a small following. Julie Slater chose the band as her ‘Local Anesthetic’ on 88.5 KCSN in Los Angeles last year. We think the following two tracks exemplify the band’s sound perfectly – Young Creatures draw on heavy classic rock riffs peppered with indie rock hooks from guitarists Mike Post and Andrew Gleason, bassist Spender King and drummer Mikey Escalante. Post’s effortlessly terrific vocal melodies line up nicely with the band’s riff-oriented rock sound that honors musical influences such as Led Zeppelin, Delta Spirit, Dawes and Local Natives. The band’s latest EP, Fear All The Things, includes the standout track, “Lionheart,” which enjoyed frequent plays in the cafe, and the sunny pop of “Foreigner.” They’ve opened for bands like Burning Jet Black, The Sixth Son, Argentine, and The Podunk Poets.

Lionheart – Young Creatures from Fear All The Things EP

Foreigner – Young Creatures from Fear All Things

The Holy Ghost Electric Show – The Great American

Based in the town of Oxford, in northeast Mississippi, The Holy Ghost Electric Show started out in an abandoned cabin a couple of years ago when songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Cody Rodgers began tirelessly working on songs for the eventual band’s 2014 release, The Great American. Together with other band members – including his brother Jake Rodgers on banjo and guitar, plus Austin Wheeler (drums), Connor Wroten (bass), and Will Shirley (chord organ) – Rodgers channeled his life experiences and thoughts into loosely arrange tracks that were honed over and over during performances at bars, house parties, in parking lots and even for “policemen in a park late at night,” with each member, Rodgers said, adding their own special touch to the songs.
“To me, indie rock isn’t a specific sound a band may have, but instead just simply an independent band,” Rodgers said, “that is willing to pay out of pocket, without the help of a label, to record the music they’ve made with care.”

Let The Waters Rise – The Holy Ghost Electric Show from The Great American

Phantom Engineer – The Holy Ghost Electric Show from The Great American

Tupelo Honey – Brave New World

Edmonton rock band, Tupelo Honey, has become one of Canada’s top DIY rock acts over the past decade . On their 2014 album, Brave New World (which debuted at No. 7 on the Canadian iTunes Rock chart), the band has built on their popularity in the region and acquired fans across Canada, and increasingly in the U.S. The past few years have been a ride for the band; in fact, they were picked to share the stage with Bon Jovi for two shows at Rexall Place in Edmonton and The Saddledome in Calgary. They’ve also shared the stage with Billy Talent, Everclear, Three Days Grace, Thornley, and Metric. The band picked up even more interest after one of their tracks was used for a Sunkist commercial that aired during the televised Billboard Music Awards in 2012. While that may not sound very DIY, most bands nowadays have to rely on licensing their music to commercials, TV and cable shows, and other opportunities just to pay their basic costs because they simply don’t make money, or enough money, from singles and album sales.

Singer Dan Davidson, echoing this fact, told IRC that “indie rock isn’t a genre to us, it’s the DIY way to make our style of music and get it to the fans on our own terms.” We happen to dig their singles “Halo” and “Lifetime.” The other band members include Steve Vincent on bass; Tyler Dianocky on guitar; Brad Simons on guitar, and Greg Williamson on drums.

Halo – Tupelo Honey from Brave New World – Feb. 6th

Lifetime – Tupelo Honey from Brave New World

Justin DiFebbo – Turn Out The Light, Turn On The Stereo

Mixing acoustic and electric guitars with bass, piano, organs, ukelele and mandolin, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalis Justin DiFebbo from Philadelphia crafts intricate, lush songs that draw from an eclectic background of church music, love for bands like the Beach Boys, The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel, and years of music lessons from the time he was nine years old. During his early 20s, DiFebbo played the Hammond organ for the blues rock band K-Floor and toured extensively, performing live for more than 500. During this time, he honed his skills and developed a strong love of vintage keyboards, including the Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes and Wurltizer 200A.

In 2011, DiFebbo decided to strike out on his own. In 2014, he quietly released his debut album, Turn Out The Light, Turn On The Stereo, an homage to his keys fascination and a commendable exercise in recording and mixing all of the instruments, percussion and vocal tracks. His sound is a swirl of pop and harmonies, folk roots and bluesy rock with overtures of psych all supported by deep keys infusions. Tracks like the appropriately upbeat and melodic, “Coffee,” and the swaggering, reggae-like, “Play It Slow,” are two of the EP’s tracks that stand out particularly well.

Coffee – Justin DiFebbo from Turn Out The Light, Turn On The Stereo

Play It Slow – Justin DiFebbo from Turn Out The Light, Turn On The Stereo

Pyrrhura – Off The Big Road

Not often do we receive music from Slovakia, but Milan Tarina Jr. is a 17-year-old experimental indie folk musician from the former Soviet satellite town of Nitra whose been playing keys for eight years now. Together with a passion for indie music, piano and synths, he decided to write and record some of his own songs. And we’re glad he did because we’ve listened to tracks like “Spring Is Coming” and “Clouds of Thoughts” again and again. While his raw, under-produced sound and nasally vocals may not be the typical fare that one assumes rises to the level of being featured on an indie blog, we still like his DIY style. The sound overall is hard to define. His father, Milan Tarina senior, who plays guitar and sings in a band called Bearish Dream, also contributed

In March of last year, using the moniker Pyrrhura, he self-released his sophomore EP, Off The Big Road. That EP was proceeded by his 2012 debut EP, Try To Think,. In 2013, he released his debut LP, In The Middle of The Forest, which you can stream on Bandcamp (and we highly recommend you do). Oh, and the band name? According to Wikipedia, Pyrrhura is a genus of parrots in South America. Tarina’s musical influences include a diverse collection of bands and artists, like Julian Plenti, Death Cab for Cutie, Borko, Woods, Fossil Collective, The National, Noah and the Whale, and Great Lake Swimmers.

Spring is Coming– Pyrrhura from Off The Big Road

Clouds Of Thoughts – Pyrrhura from Off The Big Road

Fallen Among Thieves – Honey Mouth

We don’t know much about the unsigned Lancaster, PA indie rock trio Fallen Among Thieves other than to say they rock in the tradition of 90’s alternative rock and indie rock, with influences from bands like Surfer Blood and Cloud Nothings. Their songs are hard and crunchy as well as upbeat with ringing guitars as evidenced by two tracks from their Honey MouthEP. There’s no mistaking as well that the band members draw from Nirvana and Weezer in constructing and executing their own sound and style. The band members, formed in 2013, include Ian Anderson (drums); Joshua Buckwalter (vocals/guitar); Kurt Demarra (guitar); Carolyn Leber-Eyrich (vocals); and Sean Hillard (bass).

Down – Fallen Among Thieves from Honey Mouth

Mateo – Fallen Among Thieves from Honey Mouth

She The Monster – Pacific EP

Drawing from influences that include Sufjan Stevens, Coldplay, Relient K and others, the multi-continental indie rock band She The Monster dropped their debut EP, Pacific, last March, featuring exceptional tracks like “I Like You The Way You Are” and “Dream.” Fronted by Green Bay signer/songwriter Andi Peot, whose sassy, soft vocals are endearing, and so far, underrated, the band formed in 2011 when Peot met guitarist Darren Oosthuizen and bassist James Lennox at university in Sydney, Australia.

Peot was impressed with their existing band Nova Sky, and in return, they where taken by her songwriting and vocal skills. And thus, the groundwork for She The Monster was laid. Teaming up with Nova Sky, Peot and the guys launched a series of successful shows in Sydney and then took a break. Months later, in December of 2012, they decided to get back together, but instead reformed as She The Monster, a new band with a sound that would be “a lot different to the alternative rock style of Nova Sky.” Former Nova Sky drummer Kyle Rutten from Canada also joined the new outfit. Sometimes it’s very smart for bands to make such changes early on when they realize they want, or need, to go in a different direction. For She The Monster, it worked out on Magical Goodness for the Soul. In June, the band released another EP, Wayfarer, featuring the track, “Hey.” Update: Right before publishing this post we heard the band has broken up. Oh well, the music they did make together is now officially part of the History of DIY Archives.

I Like You The Way You Are – She The Monster from Pacific EP

Dream – She The Monster from Pacific EP

Cousin Dud – The Faded

With their upbeat, catchy track, “Illinois,” the Chicago band Cousin Dud are not duds at all. They remind us of The Proclaimers; they rock with a pop groove and some accordion riffs; they’re witty and like choruses that make you want to join in. “Illinois” is a good track when you just want to be mindlessly gleeful, and would fit in nicely with IRC’s next installment of the State of Music playlist series – which we really need to catch up with; it’s been a while.

A decidedly countryish-rock love song, “(Wilco) By The River,” harkens back to the soft Southern rock sound that was so big in the early to mid 70s. It’s really a very well written, executed and produced song from a band that deserves more attention. The members of Cousin Dud are Matt Carmichael (guitar, vocals), Josh Burns (guitar, vocals), Pete Geraci (saxophone), Dan Schuld (bass) and Ben Sams (drums). Their musical influences include The Hold Steady, The Grateful Dead, Oingo Boingo, Wilco, and The National. Their latest album dropped in March of 2014.

Illinois – Cousin Dud from The Faded

Wilco (By The River) – Cousin Dud from The Faded

The Whistles and the Bells – The Whistles and The Bells

During a 2010 tour, in which Nashville band, Cadillac Sky, was opening up for the Grammy-winning band Mumford and Sons, lead singer Bryan Simpson, a Nashville local, hit a wall – spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. In distress, Simpson made the incredible decision to leave the tour and his band right at the time when they had seemingly achieved the kind of success that just about any other band would give just about everything they had for. Supporting one of the hottest bands in the world is not a minor thing. But Simpson simply could not continue the rigorous tour. He battled demons and went to a very dark place, he told IRC.

He left it all behind to strike out on his own, and formed The Whistles and the Bells, making peace with himself and his former band mates. The entire experience, from the highs of a national spotlight, to the lows of his darkest moments on the road, provided plenty of material for the young songwriter. The result is his new band project’s self-titled debut album, described by his publicist as “the dark, and at times musically twisted, autobiographical snapshot of Bryan’s personal earthquake surrounding the education of studying his maker.” Obviously, he was particularly struggling with his faith. The debut album encompasses “all [of] the modern southern gothic swirl of sounds from blues, to Americana, to New Orleans-style horns and darkness of the [sic] self-exploration,” the type of material, he contends, that creates a “personal soundtrack of a character from a Faulkner novel.” The first single, “Mercy Please” was a Rolling Stone magazine daily download.

Mercy Please – The Whistles and the Bells from The Whistles and the Bells

Transistor Radio – The Whistles and the Bells from The Whistles and the Bells

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As with every year in the past, there were thousands of amazing, must-hear and under-the-radar indie music releases in 2014. If you’ve been following IRC, you’ve heard some of the most promising and unique, many that were not featured anywhere else online before being profiled on IRC. And, in the coming weeks, we’re going to be posting more great releases from 2014 that are worthy of your time from bands you’ve probably never heard of before. We also hope to put together a posting of the bands and songs in 2014 that all of you liked the most.

Also, don’t miss Vol. I and Vol. II of the Top DIY of 2014 series; there’s plenty of great bands to watch and amazing tracks to listen to.

Throughout the year, we post obscure but talented artists and bands in series like DIY Bands to Watch, 5 Bands That Rock; 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear; In Dee Mail and Artist of the Week, to name just a few of our long-running, popular playlist series. Many of you have asked what happened to the Top Ten Songs playlists – we’ll do our best to revive them in 2015.

North By North – Something Wicked

Chicago’s North By North rock it out on their 2014, 18-track LP debut, Something Wicked, channeling the magnetically electric ferocity of Jack White’s guitar playing, and mixing it with the shadowy dark pop influences in the vein of Queens of the Stone Age to create their own mysterious, raucous hard rock sound.

The trio’s mix of thrashing garage rock with 70’s-styled psych and 80’s arena rock on songs like “Burn It Down,” “Blood & Glitter,” and “Her Name Was Vengeance” set them apart from many of their DIY contemporaries. And yet to see them walking down the street you’d never guess they were the musicians behind such awesome, riff-heavy rock. In fact, the album is so good, it was hard to pick just a couple of songs to highlight. It’s too bad that – even after this posting – so many people will never know about one of the best under-the-radar rock albums of 2014.

“Burn it Down” – North By North from Something Wicked

Lurching into the cafe speakers with ringing, blazing guitar work by Nate Girard, the unforgettable and passionate vocals of Kendra Blank (who also plays keyboards) and the energetic and ferocious drum work of Dylan Andrews, this Windy City band has managed to release one of the best, yet largely overlooked, debut rock albums of 2014. And that’s not just the consensus in the cafe; check out what others are saying about North By North and Something Wicked.

Once you’ve listened to this double album a couple of times, you’re likely to see why it has garnered such praise with rock and rollers. And some of you will be as baffled as we are about why this band hasn’t broken through as one of the best new rock bands of the year. Not surprisingly, the band’s top musical influences are The White Stripes, Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, Black Keys, and The Kills. North By North have shared the stage with alternative and DIY bands such as The Ivorys, Swimsuit Addition, The Cunning, Inspector Owl, and All Eyes West.

“Her Name Was Vengeance” – North By North from Something Wicked

In May, the band released a double single, “Mama Gold/Break Some Bones,” that offers more hard-hitting rock and roll for, as the band says, “the intellectual,” or, “the thoughtful individual whose ears require more than four chords and a chorus to get them off. ” For those who bemoan the alleged decline of rock, North By North are one of many bands we’ve feature since 2007 that demonstrates that under-the-radar, DIY indie rock is alive and well. That’s what Indie Rock Cafe is all about; we don’t just regurgitate what dozens and dozens of other blogs are posting every week. Instead, we’re committed to documenting the rarely heard, but amazingly good, music that would otherwise go unnoticed, and unrecorded, in the annals of DIY rock history.

Visit North By North on Facebook

FEiN – FEiN Times

Hailing from Los Angeles, the DIY alternative rock band, FEiN, are not your run-of-the-mill LA rock outfit. In fact, the band’s debut EP, Fein Times, released in August, features songs like “#Grownupz,” which the band calls “a tongue-in-cheek tune about trust-fund babies, mad stacks, Buddhism, bass drops, and memorizing the days of the week.” Together with other tracks like “Monay Grabba,” the EP has been gaining ground throughout the second half of the year. In fact, “#Grownupz” with it’s sick melodic allure, was featured as the opening track on Tunecore’s Summer Songs compilation. Their sound has been called “Vampire Weekend’s bitter cousin and “Grizzly Bear meets a more electronic Arctic Monkeys.” However one wants to label their sound, the duo dabble nicely with integrating pop and electronic elements.

The unsigned duo of former session guitarist Luke Walton and Brandon Woodward (drums, guitar, keys, vocals) have been gaining ground in the ball-busting world of LA’s underground scene, including a well receive show at the Troubadour, the iconic LA club that helped launch famous bands and artists like Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Eagles, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Both Walton and Woodward have also played separately with The Beach Boys, and Walton toured with The Doobie Brothers as a session guitarist. Imagine that for young musicians? The duo’s wide musical influences include Mother Mother, St. Vincent, Portugal. The Man, Saint Motel, Belle Brigade, and Everything Everything .

“#Grownupz” – FEiN from FEiN Times

“Monay Grabba” – FEiN from FEiN Times

FEiN on Facebook

Wrong Body – BIG

From the city of Boston, home of dirty water, baseball and clam chowdah, the DIY band Wrong Body delivers tightly structured post-rock inspired by the ‘D.C. sound’ (but which is not, they proclaim, ’90’s revival’ rock) on their debut album, BIG. The title track single drives hard with chunky guitars and raw riffs, raucous drumming and the high-pitched, sort-of-Ozzy-but-not-really vocals of guitarist Andy Szymcik, creating a ‘big’ rock sound that deserves a spot headlining a hot Boston club. The second track, “Medal of Honor,” starts out slow with jangling guitar licks and subtle beats and then builds and blasts into a full throttle rocker with an interestingly ghostly chorus.

Wrong Body formed in August 2010 when Syzmcik met guitarist Bryan Mastergeorge while working at an electronics store. The two bonded over the first Rival Schools‘ album, and set out to emulate it along with their other big influences like Fugazi, Jawbox, Nada Surf and Burning Airlines.

The rare common link of musical inspirations propelled the duo to get serious about jamming together and putting together a sick rhythm section to form an official rock band. Not long after, drummer Steve Delany and bassist Jonathan Hislop joined, marking the creation of one of Boston’s best DIY bands you’ve never heard of. If you have, chances are you caught them opening for Therefore I Am, The Bynars, Ghost Thrower, or Foreign Tongues.

“Big” – Wrong Body from Big

“Medal of Merit” – Wrong Body from Big

Wrong Body on Bandcamp

The Electric West – Dusty Trails

There are probably more bands in the Los Angeles area than any other one region in the world. So, you could say, they’re a dime a dozen. But then there are bands that stand out from the blur of all the others, like DIY post punk psych outfit The Electric West. Formed in 2012, the band released their self-produced debut album, Dusty Trails last year featuring tracks like the riff-heavy, dark “Who’s Big Enough” and “Devil Horse.”

The band members include Lee Lewallen on bass and vocals; Chandler Sterling on guitar and keys, and Byron Pagdilao on drums. The Electric West counts among their biggest musical influences Interpol, Sunset Rubdown, Wolf Parade, Interpol, Arctic Monkeys, Bad Brains and Prince. Around the megalopolis of LA, the band has opened for groups like Owenstone, The Shivas, Gravy’s Drop, The Black Heartthrobs, Ghost Noise, and Hex Horizontal.

“Who’s Big Enough” – The Electric West from Dusty Trails

“Devil Horse” – The Electric West from Dusty Trails

The Electric West on Facebook

Rhino House Band – Golden Summer EP

Straight outta Brooklyn, indie pop rock band Rhino House Band serve up some stellar melodies, harmonies and pop-inspired guitar riffs on their 2014 Golden Summer EP thanks to songs like “Little Things” and “James’ Song.” The band first formed in the college town of New Paltz, New York, comprised of students from the local SUNY campus. The band’s first public performance was at the town’s Rhino Records shop, and it went off so well that they decided to name their band after the shop. As the band played more shows around town, their crowds became larger, and soon, they were a buzz band on campus, drawing attention of the local press thanks to songs like “Wallkill River Demo.”

By the time graduation came, the band’s farewell concert at Snug Harbor turned out to be the second best-selling show of all time at the venue. Golden Summer is the reconfigured band’s first release since relocating to Brooklyn. The new trio includes Ricky Demetro on vocals and guitar; Steven Bartashev on drums and background vocals and Joey Vergara on bass. The band’s top musical influences are The Beatles, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Paul Simon, and Best Coast.

“Little Things” – Rhino House Band from Golden Summer EP

“James’ Song” – Rhino House Band from Golden Summer EP

Ontologics – Something to Needle Over

The Providence, Rhode Island DIY band, Ontologics‘, debut album, Something to Needle Over, showcases their own brand of jam-tronica, trip hop, and post and prog rock fusion, sprinkled with psychedelic prose and melodies. The band members spent a year writing, rehearsing, recording and mixing before releasing their debut.

Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ian C. (short for Campopiano) has an unconventional and experimental love for the fusion of genres and unique prose as well as “various forms of string and percussive instrumentation and sampling.” The other pivotal member is drummer Matt Walshe who approaches percussions with the world of possibilities and forms that he selects from to make it fit the intent of the song, covering the range from rock to hip hop and with complex time signatures and dual drum arrangements in the mix.

Ontologics have previously opened for artists like Godsmack, Michelle Branch, and Gruvis Malt, and they count among their biggest musical influences King Crimson, Beck, Peter Gabriel, Beastie Boys and The Noise.

“Something To Needle Over” – Ontologics from Something to Needle Over – Jan. 10th

Something To Needle Over – Ontologics from Something to Needle Over

Hemmit – Antimatter

From Portland, Oregon, the garage rock duo, Hemmit, featuring Adam Rohosy and Keith Fleming, belts out high-energy, melodic rock complete with vicious guitar riffs and even howling on songs like the short, rapid fire DIY hit-worthy track, “Everything Is Fine.”

That song, and the second recent single, “15 Minutes,” were released on the duo’s 2014 release, Antimatter, the follow up to their marginally successful 2008 debut, Rocketride, an album that received regular college radio airplay. In fact, the single “Yeah, Right Now” was featured on MTV‘s Shreducation Season 2 and became a No. 1 hit on the rock charts at Our Stage. A second single, “Hold Out,” was selected for Dirtbag Music’s Navy Seals Tribute Vol. 2, and the band was featured on Diesel U Music’s Emerging Artists Show on Boston’s WFNX FM. Ronosy and Fleming list among their top musical influences Motorhead, The Ramones, The Pixies, The Posies and Bob Mould.

“Everything Is Fine” – Hemmit from Antimatter

“15 Minutes” – Hemmit from Antimatter

Hemmit’s Official Website

Sam Burchfield – Where To Run

Atlanta DIY singer and songwriter Sam Burchfield blends a unique mixture of funk, blues, rock and R&B in standout songs like the soulful “Monopoly” and the upbeat and romantic, “Here Tonight.” How has a talent like this remained under cover? Well, as anyone who has followed IRC for long knows, we feature incredibly talented, under-the-radar artists year round. Yet Burchfield is one of the best ‘unknown’ vocalists we’ve heard in some time; his vocal abilities and range are apparent in his passionate and sultry vocals you can hear for yourself on the songs below.

He was raised in South Carolina where he had an immersed exposure to different styles of music and began playing the guitar at a young age and discovered his vocal abilities which were honed as he maneuvered through the awkwardness of adolescence. His musical influences are not the typical names we see for artists featured on IRC – ZZ Ward, James Morrison, Ray LaMontagne, and Joe Bonamassa. His accomplished band members and contributors include Spencer Smith on drums; Phil Scheidt on bass, Zach Wells on guitar and banjo, and a trio of horn players – Richard Sherrington, Dashill Smith, and Will Scruggs. The group’s 2014 release is Where To Run.

“Monopoly” – Sam Burchfield from Where To Run

“Here Tonight” – Sam Burchfield from Where To Run

Sam Burchfield Official Website

The Hickory Town Ruckus – Old City Night

The raspy vocals of Lancaster, Pennsylvania folk singer/songwriter Gordon Smoker, aka, The Hickory Town Ruckus rise up to a melodic chorus “some day before I die, I’d like to see Holland in the spring time” on the track of the same name, “Holland in the Springtime,” from his sophomore DIY LP, Old City Night. The album also contains the song “I Held You Close.” Smoker, who is an RN by professional, is truly a dedicated unsigned artist – he has no backing, label or publicity budget, but writes and records music simply to “make it available and visible.” His musical influences include Counting Crows, Joshua Radin, Blackhawk and Switchfoot.

“Holland in the Springtime” – The Hickory Town Ruckus from Old City Night

“I Held You Close”– The Hickory Town Ruckus from Old City Night

By Philip E. Daoust