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
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
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
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
“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
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
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
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
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
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