Month: March 2021

U.K. Indie Band to Watch: MOSES

Posted on by IRC Staff

mosesthebandLast spring, the exciting London indie rock band MOSES released their debut album, Almost Everything is Bullshit. Unfortunately, the pandemic lockdown hit at just the wrong time in as far as doing shows to support the drop. But the band members didn’t let that stop them from getting it out and spreading it around.

In fact, the album was preceded by a series of singles that made the rounds on the blogs and that the band did get to perform live. So they were fortunate in that respect. Fast forward to 2021, the band is hoping to hit the road this August and September.

Now they’ve returned with a new booming new single, “Move On” (At the moment, the track is only available via Spotify ). The song overflows with powerful chords and percussions backed by soaring vocals.

MOSES says about the new single: “When you are being dumped, just move on. When someone is quitting on you, move on. When someone is telling you that it’s over and they say sorry just tell them “why are you sorry? I got no worries. I still believe, I still believe in me-and move on.”

The track, and the approach to the recording, make us think a bit of Phil Spector’s ‘wall of sound’ approach to producing – just put all the instruments and effects in that you possibly can so that the listener is saturated with sound reaching a point of auditory orgasm. The band knows how to evoke feelings through songs; that is a gift as much as it is a talent.

MOSES’ Break-Through Single, “Cause You Got Me”

We thought we should include the music video that really got things rolling for MOSES – the impossibly good “Cause You Got Me.” Some of you may recognize the track from the Tomb Raider soundtrack. Also, check out the track “Findings” below.


 

Top 10 Indie Songs, Jan. 2021 – Grouplove, Tearjerker, PEEL, Wilderado

Posted on by IRC Staff
top10indiesongs
Indie rock band Tearjerker is a band to watch in 2021. Photo by X.D. Aniel

We are late to get the first couple of 2021 Top 10 Indie Songs playlists together – mostly to pick the best indie songs from a flood of solid singles and albums dropped in the first couple of months of the new year.

The IRC team is glad that we took extra time to really whittle down hundreds of indie rock songs to come out with only the best of the best.

There is also a fair amount of tracks that we classify as more alternative rock than indie rock. You can probably figure out which are which – but to us, they are closely-aligned genres in many ways.

This Top 10 playlist is filled with powerful, intriguing, different, and must-hear indie songs and bands – some of which will be familiar and others new to many of you.  We are really excited to share these top indie songs of 2021 in the playlist below.

*February and March 2021 Top 10 Indie Songs playlists are coming out this week!  Please share and like. 

 

January 2021 Top 10 Indie Songs

By the way, we have a ton of interesting playlists on Spotify, but we prefer not to point you there. Spotify is not fair to artists and bands so we don’t encourage using it.

Plus, it’s a pain in the ass as a free user, and not too much better as a paid user.  We are Soundcloud, YouTube, and Bandcamp fans here – the platforms that are good for and to independent musicians and bands.

Just click once and let it roll through all ten tracks uninterrupted and commercial-free.  Below you’ll hear fresh tracks from bands (including indie bands that are now, for all intent nad purposes, mainstream indie) like Grouplove, Tearjerker, PEEL, and Wilderado as well as tunes from lesser-known and DIY artists and bands like Alex Walton, O Cerne, Sonar Red, Jimso Slim, NXTIME, and Up! Way Up!  Enjoy and please like and share. We appreciate you.

Stream commercial-free from 12 Top 10 2020 Indie Songs playlists – gooood stuff.

5 New 2021 Indie Music Videos We Dig, Vol. II

Posted on by IRC Staff

This is the second volume of our favorite 2021 indie music video series from artists and bands across the globe. Not by design, there are two videos below that have seizure warnings for people who react to strobes and blinking lights.

Don’t miss the first volume of 2021’s best new indie music videos.

Arctic Lights – Cork, Ireland
The Melting Minds – Jakarta, Indonesia
Saint Vice – Raubling, Germany
Bradley Coomes – Louisville, Kentucky
Orion Vincent & Danny Schultz– Vancouver, British Columbia

Arctic Lights: “King of America”

Released: 1/15/2021
CORK, Ireland
Genre(s): Indie rock

SEIZURE WARNING: This video contains STROBE LIGHTING effects

Arctic Lights is a new music project by Liam O’Callaghan (Bulkhead) and Edward Butt (Emperor of Ice Cream), two Cork, Ireland who once opened for Manic Street Preachers. The duo’s debut EP, Tabula Rasa was released in January along with the ragging single cut, “King of America.” Butt is a bassist while O’Callaghan handles vocals, guitar and drums.

 

The Melting Minds – “The Snake”

Released: 1/28/2021
JAKARTA, Indonesia
Genre(s): Psychedelic Rock
Influences: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

SEIZURE WARNING: This video contains STROBE LIGHTING effects

Indonesia-based indie band The Melting Minds creates “musical experiments of imagination” by a guy known only as Slinky Bones. The musical project, formed in the ‘the apocalyptic year of 2020’, was spawned on the initiation of his long-term friend, Dhandy Satria (a.k.a Aamaga), through a long-distance connection between two major cities in Indonesia: Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Later guitarist Ahmad Tubagus joined along with bassist Restu Prabawa; synth/singer Yafet Yerubyan, and dual drummers Christian Gratia and Wawa Kzk to fulfill the “fractal-chaotic and sonic-synergies” aspirations of the Slinky Bones guy.

 

Saint Vice – “Calling For Backup”

Released: 02/03/2021
RAUBLING, Germany
Genre(s): Indie Pop
Influences: Justin Timberlake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Keys

The fresh single, “Calling For Backup”, is the debut single from the German band Saint Vice. Spearheaded by guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Nick Reitmeier, the band also includes musicians Tim Buchanan (drums), Elias Herb (bass), and Phil Maze (guitar).

Reitmeier’s background includes solo albums that made the German album charts as well as his songs that appeared in television and film. He sang with Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), supported inter alia Thees Uhlmann, The BossHoss, and worked with U.S. producer Damien Lewis (Katy Perry, Rihanna).

 

Bradley Coomes – “Are We Fast Enough?”

Released: 01/29/2021
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky
Genre(s): Instrumental, shoe gaze, post-rock
Influences: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, Michael Rother, Dino Jr.

Solo songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bradley Coomes is a veteran of the Louisville music scene. During the past two decades, he has opened for bands like Spoon, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and My Morning Jacket. His terrific debut single as a solo artist, “Are We Fast Enough?” is from his debut album The Work. Coomes played, recorded, and mixed all of the guitar, bass, synths, and vocals.

 

Orion Vincent ;amp Danny Schultz

Released: 2/7/2021
VANCOUVER, British Columbia
Genre(s): rap, rock, ska, hiphop
Influences: Linkin Park, Fort Minor, Limp Bizkit

Long-time Vancouver musicians Orion Vincent and Danny Schultz met on a gig and realized their similar tastes and goals with music. Vincent, a 20-year rapper, and Schultz, a vocalist in ska and rock bands for a decade, each grew up heavily into bands like Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit.

Therefore, the duo decided to combine the two genres of rap and rock on the LP Toxic Wasteland, featuring the track and video, “Alone”. They’ve opened previously for bands like Onyx, Merkules, DJ Roc Raida, Snak The Ripper

facebook.com/orionvincent0

Redray Frazier Grinds Out Sweet Soulful Love on “If You Let Me”

Posted on by Kat Nip Carver

redrayfrazier The musical city of Portland, Oregon has long been home to the talented, genre-fusing artist Redray Frazier where he is respected in the region’s musical community.

Frazier hits it just right on his new single; a track that is a 2021 favorite among our team.

On “If You Let Me,” Frazier lays down sweet, passionate vocals of saucy smart lyrics backed by perfect imagined DJ cuts and a 70’s-influenced groove that goes deep, pulls you in and makes you feel like the world is alright for a few minutes. Oh yeah…

Our team members can not stop playing this track. It just makes you feel oh so good.

It’s no wonder that Frazier is a veteran musician, songwriter, DJ, and vocalist because it’s all clearly on display within just a few minutes for anyone who hasn’t yet been introduced to Frazier’s music.

“If You Let Me” is from the new album, Blood In The Water, which you can stream on Bandcamp. The album is worth your time and money especially if you dig artists who fuse styles as Frazier does – from soul to rock to R&B.

“The artistic process can be a difficult struggle, Frazier tells us over the thick slow-boil, but the results are worth the battle.”

This track will make you feel mmm mmm good baby.

Redray Frazier on Facebook

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Please support your local independent/DIY musicians! Don’t let corporates take it all!
It’s critical folks, especially during the covid, and post-covid, era to support the DIY artists and bands who add something good to our lives.

20 Fking Awesome 2021 Alternative Rock Soundcloud Tracks

Posted on by IRC Staff

the-pale-whiteOver the years, Soundcloud has remained our favorite platform for music because of its open-source platform and general friendliness to musicians and users.

Unlike Spotify, Soundcloud is thousands of communities within a larger ecosystem that is interconnected, flexible, well designed, and easy to use. We love it! Here is our first lot of 20 fucking awesome new 2021 alternative rock tracks from a solid set of talented and artists and bands – both well-known and more obscure.

Just fire up this playlist and enjoy! Please share and like if you dig. We alt rock and indie rock lovers need to stay united against the tides of crap music and Hollywood corporate assholes.

We got killer new tracks from Mother Mother; Harker; Grouplove; Coach Party; Everything Everything; The Pale White and lesser-known/DIY bands like King Park: Mellor; Broken Links; Sprints and others.

 

Meek Says New Big Thief Album is ‘Pretty Much Done’; Solo L.P. Is Indie Folk Love

Posted on by flytrap

big-thief-band In an interview with Guitar magazine, Brooklyn-based indie rock band Big Thief‘s lead guitarist Buck Meek talks about songwriting and gear, the band, life on the road, and his wonderful second solo album, Two Saviors.

In 2020, Meek, along with his bandmates – Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums) – wrote, developed, and recorded new tracks for an upcoming, so-far-untitled BT album (which will be No.5).

The new BT album, he reveals, is “pretty much done” and “certainly different”.

“Lockdown was a well-needed respite, I needed a break, and then Big Thief ended up making new music for nearly six months, which was really nice because we’ve been touring so hard we’ve had little chance to record in the last couple of years,” he told Guitar.

A new L.P. has been long anticipated by fans following Big Thief’s 2019 double-header drops – the wildly critically-acclaimed third album, U.F.O.F., and BT’s last release, Two Hands, which also dropped (later) that year.

BT’s 2016 debut, Masterpiece, and the following year’s, Capacity, transformed BT from a relatively unknown indie outfit to one of the top indie rock bands of the past five years.

Meanwhile, Meek’s newest, and second, solo effort has garnered solid reviews across the board from online music sites and countless blogs to social media and print media.

“If the song’s about two lovers driving down the highway and they crash and roll down a hill, my guitar part is going to be the sound crackling through the AM radio from over the Mexican border as they’re bleeding to death upside down on the side of the road.” – Buck Meek, Guitar March 2021

Fans, via Meeks’ Bandcamp page, are also praising the 11-track Two Saviors: “The way Buck crafted this album is beautiful. I love the practice and method the band put into recording these songs,” wrote Bandcamper mountainphases. “There’s tenderness here. Sincerity too. It’s so open and free. It makes me want to go outside and look at some trees and shit.”

Meek told Guitar staff: “Solo, I’m able to hold a more confessional space,” he explains. “That makes me a better player writing parts for Big Thief because it gives me narrative perspective. If the song’s about two lovers driving down the highway and they crash and roll down a hill, my guitar part is going to be the sound crackling through the AM radio from over the Mexican border as they’re bleeding to death upside down on the side of the road.”

If you liked Meek’s solo debut, you’re probably going to love Two Saviors. It’s delicious; fun; instrumentally, lyrically, and vocally rich; and original indie-folk with influences of Americana and country.

A bunch of tracks stand out for us on the album, including the melodic opener, “Pareidolia”; the title track; and songs like “Candle”, “Second Sight”, “Pocketknife”, and “Cannonball Pt. 2.”

In fact, “Cannonball Pt. 2” made our Top 10 Songs playlist for January among other track contenders on the album.

Start streaming the album now with the Bandcamp album embed below:

 

5 New 2021 Indie Music Videos We Dig, Vol. I

Posted on by August W. Zander

IRC has been watching and rating new 2021 indie rock videos sent into us in the past couple of months by indie artists and bands across the U.S. and around the world.

This is the first batch of five new indie music videos that we’ve been digging in the cafe (we never close). It goes without saying that a music video needs a great song to start with but it also needs to be a good video. A huge advantage nowadays for musicians is that video equipment – both hardware and software – is smaller, cheaper, better than ever before.

These videos are not in order of best to ‘least’ best. You can always rate which are your favorites though! NOTE: IRC puts more emphasis on the song than the video itself, however, we aim to present the best songs and their accompanying music videos.

Bands Featured in This Edition
  • Messier – Helsinki, Finland
  • Present Company – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • DUMMY – Hillsborough, New Jersey
  • Atalhos – Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • Frozen Mind – London, England

Messier – “Salt Water Flush”

Released: 02/02/2021
HELSINKI, Finland
Genre(s): Indie rock

Balancing beauty and anger, hope and despair, tension and release, Finnish trio messier’s exhilarating debut single, “On Malaise,” is an explosive mix of indie rock, alt-pop, and classic punk energy fueled by instantly memorable hooks and airtight vocal harmonies. The band was founded in 2020 by Lauri Huumonen (vocals, guitar); Antti Orajärvi (vocals/bass) and Kristian Jokilahti (drums). The song is the title track from the band’s upcoming album.

Present Company – “It’s Not Looking Good”

Released: 2/12/2021
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota
Genre(s): indie, alternative, post-punk, pop, synth rock
Influences: The National, Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Gary Numan, Joy Division, The Smiths

Eddie Chisham (lead vocals, guitar, synth) and Christian Nelson (lead vocals, guitar, synth) came together in 2018. They were joined by Seth Lemmon (bass) in 2019 and Berin Joseph (drums) in 2020. They are influenced by post-punk bands like Joy Division, The Smiths, Gary Numan, and Talking Heads as well as modern alternative bands like LCD Soundsystem, The National, Radiohead, and Dry Cleaning.

DUMMY – “Suddenly”

Released: 1/22/2021
HILLSBOROUGH, New Jersey
Genre(s): Indie pop-rock
Influences: The Smiths, Sad Lovers & Giants, U2, and The Cure.

Five-piece New Jersey-based indie pop-rock band DUMMY formed in 2019 with vocalist and bassist Ben Nelson and guitarist Jeff Fetzko getting things off the ground by writing songs to “old riffs and rough melodies.”

The duo brought on some musician friends to record and integrate alt. rock, indie, new wave and surf rock to create a sound of 80’s and 90’s nostalgia. Therefore it is no surprise that the band is influenced by artists like The Smiths, Sad Lovers & Giants, U2, and The Cure.

Atalhos – “Mesmo Coração”

Released: 01/02/2021
SAO PAULO, Brazil
Genre(s): Dream pop, post-rock

This spiraling, at times minimalistic, instrumental from Brazilian indie sextet Atalhos is one of the best instrumentals we’ve heard this year. The self-described dream-pop outfit recorded the track and dropped it in late December – qualifying it for 2021 considerations. We considered and we approve.

Frozen Mind – “Lockdown”

Released: 1/22/2021
LONDON, England
Genre(s): Indie Pop, alt. pop

London musician Aaron Sibley, aka Frozen Mind, dropped this sweet little number at the beginning of the year as his ode to 2020. He also created and produced the video’s visual effects, as he says, “within my humble home.”

Sibley first attracted fans after placing as a finalist in the 2017 Pride’s Got Talent contest which culminated in a performance in Trafalgar Square. In 2018 the single “Once Upon a Time” qualified in the Eurovision National Finals in Moldova and in 2020 the track “Wildfire” was also named. His six-song debut EP, Holiday Love, was released in 2019.

Happy St. Patty’s Day – The Rumjack’s “Irish Pub Song” (70M Views)

Posted on by IRC Staff

IRC wishes you all a very happy St. Patrick’s Day. If you were able to get out and socialize – awesome. We’ve all been couped up for too long. But let’s keep this in mind too: every single human being on this planet faces the same dilemmas with this nasty virus and pandemic. This is an era dominated by an invisible, microscopic, and deadly avian disease menacing all of mankind.

Forever and evermore, through all of the reams of history for all years to come, 2020 will be remembered as the first biological world war of the 21st Century, and the year that the human world was turned upside down.

Once again, thank goodness for music.

The team is working right now on various new posts with new indie (both labeled and DIY) singles, releases, bands to watch, videos, etc. coming at you this week and in the weeks to come.

Please check back and please make sure to like and follow us. It helps!