Max Hammer – Page 18 – INDIE ROCK CAFE

Artist of the Week: Barcelona’s Francis White

Posted on 08/03/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

It didn’t take long to be drawn in by the music of Barcelona singer/songwriter, and art student, Francis White. The 23-year-old Spanish art student started his musical career out by playing other artists’ songs, but soon found himself writing and recording his own songs, many of which were written and rehearsed while sitting at the laundromat with his dog. He played the various instruments – guitar, bass, drums – in his bedroom again and again until he achieved the tracks he needed to mix the instruments and record the vocals.

Within a relatively short period of time (less than one year), White realized that he had enough songs that he was satisfied with to release his self-titled, debut album, one that is truly emblematic of a DIY artist from start to finish. Released in May, the results are songs like the upbeat, driving pop song, “Calipso,” which is arguably the crown jewel of his debut. The arrangements are inspired by “vintage sounds, soft vocals and lo-fi recording sound,” as White himself put it.

“Calipso” – Francis Whitefrom Francis White

We’ve listened to the album a number of times in the past couple of months, and one of the things that stands out is the range of musical styles that White embraces, from mid-tempo folk/pop ballads, such as “Like a Stranger,” and the hard rocking “On My Way” to the more edgy, punk-leaning angst of “Pleased To Meet You.” His music is as diverse as his biggest musical influences, including Richard Hawley, The Drums, Crystal Castles, The Beatles, and Salim Nourallah, among others.
“Like a Stranger” – Francis White from Francis White

Most people would probably agree that a self-taught artist in his early 20’s who writes, sings, plays, records and mixes all of the instruments for his songs, and then spends God knows how many hours mixing them all together, deserves extra points. Not many people can do that, even most other musicians. Although we certainly like these lo-fi recordings, it’s exciting to think how they’d sound with a great producer, engineered and mixer who all understood the importance to maintain as much of the gritty, DIY, lo-fi mystique as possible.

In choosing White as an Artist of the Week, we took all of these factors into consideration. The bottom line is that White has clearly demonstrated talent, ambition and promise, and we’ll be watching his progress. There are not many artists at his age that can pull off a feat like that from A to Z. Maybe in a year or two from now, more fans of DIY one-man bands will know about Francis White.

“On My Way” – Francis Whitefrom Francis White

“Pin Up” – Francis Whitefrom Francis White

Connect with Francis White on Facebook

Best Indie Singles, July 2013, Vol. I – Robert Pollard, Editors, Whirr, Twin Peaks

Posted on 07/30/201307/22/2021 by Max Hammer

New and impressive indie singles dropped in July with more from the DIY and under-the-radar artists.

For starters, please see the separate BNMR post for July 2nd to July 8th, that includes selected singles from new releases by A Grave With No Name, The Fall, Zomby, The Garifuna Collective, TRAAMS, and many others .

Normally, we try to have a post with a playlist each week representing our favorite singles of the week, whether or not we had time to indulge (often not) the entire album the single came from. But during the summer months, especially in July, when new releases are more scarce (as they have been especially this summer), it’s easier to review the month in music than to put together a weekly post.

This also allows more time to focus on posting terrific DIY and small label artists that most people have never heard of, but that we’ve been listening to in the cafe over and over – songs that are usually sent in and that we would have otherwise never known about. That’s the part of the excitement of being a blog that posts so much great music from artists that otherwise go unnoticed in the ‘indie rock blogosphere.’

In this two-part series focused on July, we’ll highlight the top ‘popular’ indie songs and more widely known artists and bands, as well as streams of songs from the DIY, obscure, little-known, under-the-radar and small label artists and bands that deserve their three or four minutes in the spotlight. If the identity of IRC is anything, it’s highlighting the obscure artists that people need to hear.

Top Singles Playlist, Week of July 9th to July 15th

The second week of July releases delivered a good number of pleasant surprises from mainly new-to-us artists and bands like Robert Pollard (read Devin William Daniels’ album review) The March Divide, Thundercat, Maps, Gregory Alan Isakov, and The Octopus Project, among many others. They all add something special in their own unique ways to the new releases dropped for the week of July 9th through July 15th, and therefore a slice of the history of indie rock music in 2013. First, the top singles from new albums out this week from more well-known and signed indie bands and artists.

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“A.M.A.” – Maps from Vicissitude on Mute

“Circus Green Machine” – Robert Pollard from Honey Locust Honky Tonk on Rockathon Records

“Saint Valentine” – Gregory Alan Isakov from The Weatherman on Suitcase Town Music

“Sharpteeth” – The Octopus Project from Fever Forms on Peek-A-Boo Records

“Oh Sheit It’s X” – Thundercat from Apocalypse on Brainfeeder

sensualharassment — Album cover for Escape From Alpha Draconis by Sensual Harassment

Sneak Peak at the Newest Edition of the 7 Bands Series

There are a number of bands with new releases dropped in the second week of July who impressed us so much that we decided to just mention them in this post and explore their music in more detail for an upcoming installment of the popular 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear profile and playlist series. They include Chicago indie garage pop band, Twin Peaks; the fascinating San Francisco Bay Area shoegaze band, Whirr; and the eccentric experimentalists Royal Forest from Austin, followed by Sensual Harassment thanks to addictive advanced singles, like “Capri Suntan” and “Make Me Human Again,” from the band’s sophomore album release, Escape From Alpha Draconis.

“Irene” – Twin Peaks from Sunken on Autumn Tone Records

“Swoon” – Whirr from Around on Graveface Records

“Ambulance” – Royal Forest from Spillways

Don’t forget to check back in a few days to read a profile of each of these bands and to listen to more of their music. If you haven’t explored the 7 Bands playlist series yet, or missed the most recent installments, we promise you that you’ll be remiss to miss out on some of the amazing bands and songs that you’ve never heard before.

Little Legend and FLASH/LIGHTS Drop New Releases

So, let’s jump into it; there were a number of worthy releases from under-the-radar bands in the first couple of weeks of July that pretty much got little to no coverage anywhere else in the blogosphere among indie bloggers. First up is the Montana garage rock band Little Legend who dropped their latest EP, No Way Out, on July 2nd via the small indie label, The Record Machine. The lead single, “Bailout,” is a gritty story of the band’s lead singer, Brandy Tudor, and the time his girlfriend bailed him out of jail in Laramie, Wyoming. Little Legend, formed in 2010, have opened for bands like JEFF The Brotherhood and Iceage..

“Bailout” – Little Legend from No Way Out – July 2nd

Next up is Denver electro-pop outfit FLASH/LIGHTS, who’ve previously opened for bands like Passion Pit, New Order and Toro Y Moi. F/L, who were forced by a cease & desist order to change from ‘Flashlights,’ to the new spelling, dropped their new EP, All My Love on July 1st, featuring the following title track single.

A Quarter Century In, Bud Collins Trio Still Stepping It Up

The Connecticut-based Bud Collins Trio, in operation since 1989, has a built a reputation during the past nearly quarter century as a formidable band of northeast DIY scene, even though they made it onto MTV a number of times with their funky, melodic pop. In the past, BCT has opened and toured with artists such as Blues Traveler, Bob Mould, Monks of Doom, Spin Doctors, and Maceo Parker, all of which helped to elevate the band’s profile even more, and yet all that time they remained staunchly, and proudly, DIY.

At the start of this month, the trio released their new album, State Vector Collapse, featuring the singles, “Jeff Lynne” and “Soapy Waters.”

“Jeff Lynne” – Bud Collins Trio from State Vector Collapse – July 1st

Futurist, Stephen Wheel, Drops, Drift Wood Miracle, Matt Script & Others

The following is a series of standout singles from a flood of new releases from DIY and small label artists and bands that most people, even indie enthusiasts, have never heard before. This terrific playlist covers the first half of under-the-radar releases for the month of July. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself letting this playlist loop in its entirety. Please share this special post and playlist on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, G+ buttons above.

The spirit of the DIY, rarely heard, obscure, under-the-radar musician, whether it’s a dude recording fantastic demos in this bedroom or a band that has been playing the low-pay, often thankless bar and small venue scene (yet who shows great talent and potential) has always been, and will always be, the heart of this blog.

The singles continue with the next playlist of amazing songs for July featuring Cardiff, England musician and Chasing Magpies‘ recording artist Stephen Wheel‘s latest effort, followed by Portland DIY electro pop chillwave duo Drops; experimental rock Nashville DIY band Lions For Real; blues rock of Durham, North Carolina’s own Drift Wood Miracle; soda pop music from Virginia Beach band Ladada; DIY jam rock from Seattle DIY band Animals in Cars; from Brooklyn, indie art rock band Futurist with a single-only release “Double Knots”; plus singles from bands like Sans Gras, Of Gentlemen & Cowards, Latka, Horsha On The Moon,, and Sweetmeat .

Band to Watch: Grids

Firstly, though, let’s kick-off this DIY and small indie label singles list for the first two weeks of July with a 2013 Band to Watch, Grids, a Toronto indie band that caught our attention with two singles they sent in for review, and which we’ve listened to over and over again before then hearing the rest of the album. It’s also one of the best DIY debut albums of 2013. There will be more about Grids in an upcoming second installment for the Best DIY & Small Label Debut Albums of 2013. The following playlist serves kind of like a sampler of songs from talented bands that most people, even hardcore indie followers, have never heard of. Each of the singles comes from a new LP or EP dropped in the first half of July. We’ll definitely be watching which of these songs get the most listens and downloads for the Top 10 Song page playlists for July. We’ll also be using those stats to determine which of the bands below should be featured in separate posts on IRC in the coming months. It’s crazy that August starts in a few days.

“Station” – Stephen Wheel from Station – July 5th

“Juggernaught” – Drift Wood Miracle from The 21st – July 10th

“Song For You” – Of Gentlemen & Cowards from Little Cracks, Little Light – July 9th

“Bees” – Sweetmeat from Rancho Victoria – July 13th

Artist of the Week: Dynamic Brother Duo, Wildlife Control

Posted on 07/26/201301/09/2020 by Max Hammer

Two bi-coastal brothers who normally collaborated from opposite ends of the continent came together at the mid-point city of Austin last March for the famed South by Southwest music festival, and delivered on the faith that SXSW organizers had in them enough to give them an official showcase, an honor for any musician or band. Since their SXSW appearances, which included four non-official showcase gigs, the duo have been on a roll.

Formed in 2010, Wildlife Control is comprised of Neil Shah, based in Brooklyn, and his brother, Sumul Shah, headquartered 3,000 miles away in San Francisco. While they spend a good amount of time as far apart as any two people can be geographically in the United States, they were about as close as any two people can be via the wonders of the Internet. The convenience of modern day “locale no importante” technology – like inexpensive recording software and high-speed Internet – has made it possible for the Shah brothers to collaborate musically almost as easily as if they were in the same room (and, as some brothers might say, “easier”; Ray Davies and Dave Davies of The Kinks may have benefited at one time in their long and legendary love-hate relationship had they had access to Skype and file-sharing sites).

Bi-coastal, Internet-connected collaboration and all, the Shah brothers regularly come together in the physical world, as they did for their SXSW premiere. On March 8th, about a week before their trip to Austin, Wildlife Control released their self-titled debut album. And while the official release of their debut LP coupled with playing SXSW was a milestone in the brothers’ musical career, Wildlife Control had been building up a buzz in the blogosphere for some time thanks to their infectious, dreamy electro psych pop.

As demonstrated on new stand-out songs like “Ages Places” and “Different,” the talented brothers weave together ambient layers and melodic hooks featuring reverb-drenched guitar jams, soaring synth compositions, muffled bass playing, driving, rhythmic drum beats, and wavering choruses, effectively creating what we like to call the ‘colorful light show in the mind’s eye,’ similar to the effect that electro psych pop pioneers like Animal Collective achieve in their kaleidoscope soundscapes.

During the past couple of years, the brothers have recorded and toured with collaborators on both coasts. Last August, Wildlife Control made it on to CMJ’s Radio 200 chart. The brothers followed their debut release with headlining shows at the Mercury Lounge in New York City, Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, and also performed durng NYC’s 2012 CMJ Music Marathon. Their innovative music videos have garnered praise from Wired magazine and been compared to groups like OK Go and Arcade Fire. Combining their big indie rock sound with time lapse and stop motion photography, the music video for the band’s debut single, “Analog or Digital” has been viewed over 350,000 times on YouTube alone.

“Ages Places” – Wildlife Control from Wildlife Control – March 8th

“Different” – Wildlife Control from Wildlife Control

Wildlife Control’s official website and Facebook page.
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5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. VII – Dash, Cozy Danger, Timberhawk, Carry The Tradition and Flash Riot

Posted on 07/22/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

We never get tired or bored with hearing impressive music from bands and artists that we’ve never heard of before – and hopefully the same is true for many of you. That’s pretty much one of the big things that sets Indie Rock Cafe apart from most other indie and alternative rock blogs.

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We are reviewing hundreds of submissions every couple of months, and selecting the best artists and bands to include in any number of regular band profile and playlists, such as this series – 5 DIY Bands to Watch in 2013 – as well as 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, Artist of the Week, Bands That Rock, In Dee Mail, Top 10 Songs playlists, among others.

This is the seventh installment of 5 DIY Bands to Watch in 2013 (and beyond). So far, the collection of 35 unsigned bands featured in this series has introduced tens of thousands of music lovers to great bands they never knew about previously. The process for selecting bands for this series – as opposed to bands and artists featured in other series listed above is enormously time-consuming. Hundreds of submissions are reviewed over time, and little by little, we listen to them over and over, in the end, selecting about 30% to 40% of all submissions. After that, each band and artist selected is put into a draft post for a specific playlist series. (Read more about how bands are picked for this series at the end of this post.)

A fitting band to kick of this latest installment of 5 DIY Bands to Watch is the exciting Raleigh, North Carolina indie synth pop rock quartet Dash. The seeds for Dash where planted a few years ago when singer, songwriter and musician David Garcia recorded a number of demos in his bedroom. Like so many one-man band bedroom artists of recent years, Garcia initially had no intention of releasing them until he was approached by friends, and future band mates, who encouraged him the songs needed to be recorded and performed live. It’s a good thing they did because Dash is on the cusp of breaking out big-time.

Dash has started a buzz in North Carolina, and there are some signs that more music lovers across the U.S. are catching on. The band’s lush, colorful synth flourishes and driving melodies may remind some of bands like Passion Pit, Phoenix and Phantogram, but Dash clearly stand out on their own merits. The single, “Into the Sounds,” is a catchy anthem that sticks in your head and keeps you wanting to hear more from this up and coming band. “Home” has a sense of urgency that is intensely captivating and dreamy. Into The Sounds is the band’s debut EP.

“Into the Sounds” – Dash from Into the Sounds

“Home” – Dash from Into the Sounds EP

Cozy Danger – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Three friends were were prowling the “shadowy streets of Milwaukee one balmy summer night” in 2012, when it occurred to the “wonderfully chestbearded gentlemen” that they needed to share their blazing rock ‘n’ roll songs with the world, “instead of trolling the dump for lot lizards,” whatever that means. The unsigned Milwaukee trio proclaims that their music “will piss your cranky grand Dad right off. They’re just jealous cause hip grandma’s love our rock and roll bliss, known to interrupt pacemakers and cause extreme hot flashes.” Cozy Danger has opened for bands like Boy Blue, Sexy Ester, Bring Your Ray Gun and count among their biggest musical influences The Strokes, Jimi Hendrix, Rage Against the Machine, and Incubus.

“Simple” – Cozy Danger from The Lake Pirates

“Cozy Danger” – Cozy Danger from The Lake Pirates

Visit Cozy Danger’s official website and Facebook page

Timberhawk – Pensacola, Florida

It’s time to switch gears. Timberhawk is a four piece indie-Americana rock group from Pensacola, Florida, featuring brothers Aubrey (vocalist; bass) and Matt Nichols (drums), as well as Jordan Richards (rhythm guitar/vocals), Nathan Dillaha (lead guitar). The band members met in high school in 2001 and “immediately felt musically drawn to each other.” Since that time, the four 20-somethings have jammed together, written and recorded songs and released a debut EP, Reynosa, in 2010.

For nearly a decade, the band claims to have been the “most frequently gigging bar band” in Pensacola, but after years of playing other band’s songs, they became bored and decided to focus on writing and recording their own new material, some of which was released on Reynosa and their debut album, Tears, Sweat and The Sea, released last November. Vocalist Audrey Nichols voice sounds somewhat like Michael Stipes (REM). With edgy, taunting guitar riffs, a heavy, droning bass and danceable beats featured on southern rock singles like “Down By The River” and “Metairie,” Timberhawk are set to grow in popularity – they just need more exposure, which is part of why they’re a band an IRC DIY band to watch. The band’s style of music is a reflective of their biggest influences, including The Marshall Tucker Band, The Gills, The Band, Wilco, Radiohead, Iron and Wine, and My Morning Jacket.

“Down The River” – Timberhawk from Tears, Sweat and The Sea

“Metairie” – Timberhawk from Tears, Sweat and The Sea

Timberhawk official website

Carry The Tradition – Boulder, Colorado

Here’s an artist that we liked immediately, especially because of the track, “Mirrors” – it’s simple, lo-fi, predominantly acoustic, no frills. The band is Carry The Tradition from the town of Queensbury located in the foothills of New York’s Adirondack Mountains. All 20 years old, they started out as a trio when they were only 14 years old, featuring Jon Cantiello on drums, Chris Cronin on guitar, and Jesse Bolduc on bass.

But things changed last summer when Cantiello returned to his native country of Colombia, at which time the remaining members relocated to Boulder, Colorado, sleeping on the floor of a shared bedroom while they recorded the songs for the album Garbage. The songs are written by Cronin and Bolduc. We often are attracted to these type of artists because they’re genuine and sincere; they’re not putting on any aires or trying to fit into a mold in an effort to seek approval. We like that they’re just who they are and not trying to win anyone over by being something they’re not. They actually started rocking together at the tender age of 14 years. Their major musical influences include The Beatles, Bon Iver, Bob Dylan, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, and Cream. That’s quite a diverse and excellent selection of artists to have as influences, all of which happen to be geniuses in their own way. In their submission to IRC, Bolduc wrote that indie rock is “rock that has free expression and no boundaries. No influence from the fat cats for industry majors. [Indie rock] generally has a distinct, honest sound.”

“Mirror” – Carry The Tradition from Garbage

“Words”- Carry The Tradition from Garbage

Carry The Tradition on Facebook

Flash Riot – Chicago, Illinois

Bloggers and fans have described Chicago alternative rock band Flash Riot sound as a mix between the dark atmosphere of Neon Trees, the edgy grooves of Muse and the angst of the Foo Fighters. In May, the newly formed band, released their self-titled debut EP, which they collaborated on with the talented producer Marc McClusky, who is known for this work with Weezer, Bad Religion, and Social Distortion. The EP is definitely one of the best alt. rock debuts this year from a new band. “The intention of this band,” said drummer Jon Lewchenko, “is to bring back hard hitting rock music. Not just something that we can make sound good in the studio, but can make an imprint at every show we play.”

“Change Me” – Flash Riot from Flash Riot EP – May 31st

“Destination” – Flash Riot from Flash Riot EP

Flash Riot official website

Featuring DIY Bands on IRC

Many of the artists we profile on IRC have had little to no independent coverage online. Often, bands are so new that they haven’t had time to be noticed. Other bands, despite being immensely talented, do not actively promote their work. The lack of publicity and promotion, as difficult as that is to do with thousands of other bands to compete for space with, is a key reason why so many terrific artists are not more widely known. That’s why IRC is one of the few indie blogs where DIY and indie music lovers with great tastes in music, and an unshakeable love for under appreciated artists, can come to each week, or a few times a week, to hear and download amazing music that is not found anywhere else organized into regular playlist series, and where the songs are available to stream and download for months, even years, after the original date of the post. We still have posts and profiles of bands from years ago where the music is still available, whether we host it or encourage the bands themselves to host their songs for as long as possible.

Artist of the Week – Los Angeles Songwriter, Producer, Vocalist and Multi-Instrumentalist Taiwo Heard

Posted on 07/17/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Dabbling with elements of 70’s R&B soul, grunge, electropop, and rock since high school in his home town of Washington, D.C., relocated Los Angeles songwriter and musician Taiwo Heard knew since he was a young teen that making music was going to be his future. One of the most important milestones in pursuit of that dream happened last February when Heard released his debut solo record, Frontier To Eternity. The EP is a five-song celebration of indie rock and electro-pop, featuring infusions of new wave and dance beats, as songs like “Eternal Night” and “Front Page” demonstrate. Heard weaves together experimental and traditional compositions that draw from a remarkably diverse repertoire of his musical heroes like David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Muse, Bjork and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The xx, among others.

After graduating from the respected Berklee College of Music in 2005, Heard immediately moved to LA to pursue his musical ambitions. Right away he reconnected with long-time friend and collaborator Eddie Robinson to form the electro pop band, Swivel. In addition to performing and laying down the vocals, Heard wrote and produced the band’s first album, Landing. The reception by the music press, fans and bloggers was immediate, which led to numerous domestic and international festival tour dates and a nationally televised music video. However, for a variety of reasons, Swivel disbanded two years later, but not without first providing Heard with the all important credibility and contacts in the upper tiers of the fiercely competitive, nearly impregnable L.A. music business.

Less than a year after Swivel’s break up, Heard joined forces with Los Angeles rock band Surface To Air as lead vocalist and guitarist. Not long after that, the trio were performing regular gigs at some of L.A.’s most famed Sunset Strip music venues, like the Viper Room, The Rainbow Room, and the legendary House of Blues.

Heard’s latest EP, Frontier To Eternity, is available as a free download via Noisetrade; however, tips via Noisetrade are encouraged for such a talented artist.

“Eternal Night” – Taiwo Heard from Frontier To Eternity

“Front Page” – Taiwo Heard from Frontier To Eternity

Taiwo Heard on Facebook

“Indie Rock is any guitar based music that doesn’t strive to become part of the mainstream sound. It is the sonic representation of free thought and free will.” – Taiwo Heard

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. XXII – Smith Westerns, Bass Drum of Death, Rose Windows, Palms, Light Heat, Escort

Posted on 07/15/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

There’s never been an edition of the Recent Releases We Almost Missed that covered one specific week of releases; at least not until today. Due to many things happening all at once, we did not previously have enough time (it takes many hours of work to review and put together a week’s worth of new releases) to properly review the Best New Music Releases for the week of June 25th. So, it’s time to play catch up.

The week of June 25th offered many standout LP and EP releases, including Smith Westerns‘ third album, Soft Will, highlighted by the bliss-tinged single, “Varsity.” If you’re a fan of previous Smith Westerns’ releases, you’re probably going to love Soft Will – it’s a good album for kicking back on a late summer afternoon and chilling, reading or browsing the web.

Next, the morbidly-named band Bass Drum of Death officially released their self-titled sophomore LP this week as the follow-up to their 2011 debut album, GB City, which put BDOD on the indie rock radar. The new single, “Shattered Me,” is a fast-moving surf-rock/psych-pop thriller embellished with hardy beats, distorted guitars, hip-shaking rhythms, robust, melodic keys and reverb-heavy vocals. Bass Drum of Death is the creation of Oxford, Mississippi musician John Barrett, who pretty much does it all – composes, plays all of the instruments, records, mixes and produces. “Shattered Me” is a perfect track to follow the more tame, but equally infectious, single from Smith Westerns, “Varsity.”

The new-to-us Seattle band, Rose Windows, sound like Jane’s Addiction playing psychedelic rock on the single, “Native Dreams,” from Rose Windows’ debut album, The Sun Dogs. The album was initially self-released earlier this year, but it drew such a big following, Sub Pop signed the band to re-release it. A band to watch in 2013, The Orwells, from the UK, are a young and gritty indie rock band that dropped their debut EP, Other Voices, in the last week of June. Also, check out the lead single from musician Jay Arner‘s self-titled debut.

“Varsity” – Smith Westerns from Soft Will via Mom+Pop Records

“Shattered Me” – Bass Drum of Death from Bass Drum of Death on Innovative Leisure

“Native Dreams” – Rose Windows from The Sun Dogs on Sub Pop

“Other Voices” – The Orwells from Other Voices EP on Canvasback

“Don’t Remind Me” – Jay Arner from Jay Arner on Mint Records

“Sirens” – The-Drum from Contact on Audraglint

“Universe Is Blessed” – Wise Blood from id on Dovecote Records

The Story of Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me

The trailer above is from the film Nothing Can Hurt Me, the story of Big Star, a 70’s glam-rock band that had a huge and lasting impact on pop music, but have only been truly credited for their contributions and influence during the past two decades. Today, Big Star’s identity is that of one of the most over-looked bands of the 70’s, even though their debut album reached No. 1 in the U.S. and around the world. We can’t wait to see this film because the story of Big Star is truly an amazing American story about the highs and lows of rock and roll stardom.

“Thirteen” – Big Star from #1 Record & Radio City (two albums in one – remastered)

Noteworthy Singles from Statistics, Transplants, David Yow & Booker T.*

In addition to our top recommendations for the Week of June 25th, the following are singles from new-to-us artists and bands that we think are noteworthy enough to throw into the mix for consideration based on the single from the artists’ new albums. We have not listened to the albums, just the singles, from Statistics, Transplants and David Yow‘s (Jesus Lizard), who just released a new solo album. Plus, check out the jazzy funk jam-o-rillo by Booker T. without The MG’s (i.e. “Green Onion”); the instrumental legend from the 60’s is still kicking it!

“Nineteen Ninety Nine” – Statistics from Peninsula on Afternoon Records

“Fun” – Booker T. from Sound The Alarm on Stax Records/Concord Music Group

“Come Around” – Transplants from In a Warzone on Epitaph Records

“Thee Itch” – David Yow from Tonight You Look Like a Spider on Joyful Noise Recordings

Album Review: Robert Pollard’s ‘Honey Locust Honky Tonk’

Posted on 07/13/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

by Devin William Daniels

Robert Pollard is a busy man. Two solo albums a year from 2006 to 2012. Three post-reunion Guided by Voices‘ albums in 2012. A fourth, possibly the band’s last, earlier this year. And now another solo record, Honey Locust Honky Tonk. I’m not sure anyone holds a candle to Pollard in terms of sheer productivity. Regardless of what you think of his music, you have the respect the fact that he is not resting on his laurels. It helps that the music is good and at times fantastic, though.

Honey Locust Honky Tonk gets off to a bit of a slow start, though the opener, “He Requested Things,” is a pretty good song. It is slightly more indulgent than we’ve come to expect from Pollard, and is one of the longer tracks on the album at 2:38, but that length helps to establish the mood before we’re thrown into the chaotic tiltawhirl of bite-sized pop perfection that is a Pollard-penned record. The production of “He Requested Things” is of a higher fidelity than the classic Guided By Voices’ albums, but in terms of songwriting, we’re dealing with essentially the same approach: songs that are capsules – not fully developed, but full of potential. Ideally, the songs are buried deep in the listener’s brain where they slowly grow, while still remaining provocative and elusive because that which is suggested is never realized in the physical world.

“Circus Green Machine,” includes lines of acoustic guitar that emerge from nowhere in the midst of a fuzzy rock song, reminiscent of the techniques you’ll hear on Bee Thousand. Pollard understands that the acoustic guitar (or any other instrument) can pop in and out of a song at will, a concept lost on a lot of rock records (especially those being produced within the band concept) that operate under the logic that the second guitar has to have something to do the whole time. It doesn’t. Pollard might be making simple, short indie rock pieces, but he does it on a craft level. He’s less a songwriter, to me, and more a composer.

“Circus Green Machine” – Robert Pollard from Honey Locust Honky Tonk

Thus, he employs precisely varied instrumentation, with an incredible care over the tones of each instrument (including his voice, which is processed differently throughout the album). He has a great ear for tone and, while he rarely engages in lush arrangements (choosing instead to imply), his arrangements are deceptively complex due to the exactness of each part and how it is played and sounds. “Strange and Pretty Day” is a very simple song, but the distinct keyboard sound Pollard has chosen to pair with his voice shows his extreme attention to how these songs are constructed. A “fast and easy” musician would have just played the song on whatever guitar was lying around, but while Pollard is fast, he’s not easy. He clearly searches for specific timbres for each song that realizes the sounds in his head. It’s a reminder that music can be meticulously constructed without being ostentatious and stripped-down without being lazy.

Of course, with 17 songs (some as short as 43 seconds) there’s some forgettable material. I’m not sure if the album really gets going until eight tracks in. It seems absurd to call a good album’s first seven tracks a slow start, but this is Robert Pollard we’re talking about, so that’s really only 13 minutes. And while the album meanders a bit during those 13 minutes, there’s plenty of good material and nothing I’d call bad. A song like “Who Buries the Undertaker” is very listenable but a little stale, which is how I feel about several of the songs in this first section of the album. A certain sameness in feel is forgivable for such an established figure, but sometimes it’s simply that the melodies aren’t that good. Pollard can clearly churn out an insane amount of songs per year, but should he? Perhaps less than two-plus releases per year would be okay if he condensed the best songs onto one release.

However, almost everything from “She Hides in Black” to the end of the record is very good. “Her Eyes Play Tricks on the Camera” is one of the most developed songs on the album, and possibly its best. It doesn’t feel overwrought at all, in spite of going beyond Pollard’s normal structure, even including an awesome and intense organ intro. “Real Fun Is No One’s Monopoly” sounds downright epic, which seems weird to say about a two and a half minute number. The riff and hook are anthemic, the arrangement is chaotic, and with Pollard’s disinterest in turning his ideas into six-minute packages, there’s never a disappointing breakdown or verse – the build just keeps going until it stops. We’re left wanting more.

In spite of a somewhat weak start, this superior middle and end remind us that part of the enjoyment and the shtick of Pollard/GBV records is the almost hilarious amount of songs, the absurdity that a single mind could be pumping out this many tracks, all of which are listenable at worst and brilliant at best. Whereas the fourth track, the 50-second “Suit Minus the Middle” doesn’t really capture the wonder and allure of other supershort Pollard songs (“Pimple Zoo” was always my personal favorite), the 43-second “I Have to Drink” is a pretty great blast of rock music, which is ultimately what makes this album (and Pollard in general) a great listen. It’s an unrelenting rush of ideas. There’s no dwelling or brooding. It’s hit after hit, and even if one of the punches is weak you don’t have much time to think about it before four-more have clocked you – and Robert Pollard very rarely goes that long without nailing you right between the eyes.

Good stuff.

Score: 9.0/10

Devin William Daniels is a writer and musician from Allentown, Pennsylvania. He lives and teaches in Seoul, South Korea. See his other work via his Negative Sound Tumblr blog.

Best New Music Releases, Week of July 2nd – A Grave With No Name, The Fall, Zomby, The Garifuna Collective, TRAAMS

Posted on 07/08/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

We’re back from the Fourth of July holiday and there is much to catch up on. Firstly, last week’s collection of new album releases – the first set of new releases for the second half of 2013. (We’ll be posting this week’s new indie releases in the next few days). Historically, record labels hold back many releases during a week that has a major holiday, especially one as busy as The Fourth of July. Because it is also the height of the summer season, many people, even the most ardent music enthusiasts among us, are naturally extra busy with the Fourth of July holiday and other summertime activities like outdoor recreation, vacations, and most importantly last week, celebrating American independence with red, white and blue fireworks, parties, concerts, barbecues, and parades.

That said, there are still releases from last week that you should know about and that run the gamut from must-have releases to new-to-us artists that are just beginning to get the recognition they deserve. Some of you may be aware that we usually do not bother including releases that we don’t recommend. Why waste precious time reviewing something we don’t enjoy when there is already so much amazing music to post? The love of music is a never-ending tale of new discoveries, especially with the musical universe ever-expanding.

The lead for the week in review goes to the new album, Whirlpool, from U.K. shoegaze band A Grave With No Name and the tantalizing single, “Aurora.” The single is comprised of a driving beat, rumbling bass, sharp but infrequent guitar riffs, grinding synths and hushed vocals. It’s this signature sound that has feed the band’s popularity since their 2010 debut, Mountain Debris, and which has resulted in a dedicated network of fans in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe. In fact, A Grave With No Name are regularly cited when music geeks are referring to the shoegaze, or ‘nu-gaze’, revival of recent years. Other bands that fit the bill include The xx, Banjo or Freakout, Atlas Sound and The Big Pink, to name just a few of the more popular artists of the genre.

Drawing from influences such as The Microphones, My Bloody Valentine and Guided By Voices, AGWNN’s sophomore album has been warmly welcomed by fans, bloggers and critics. Founder of AGWNN, Alexander Shields, wrote on the band’s official Facebook page that AGWNN “mine their own distinctive vein of haunted, freaked art rock, tracing delicate fissures in the emotional radiography of loss and longing to spellbinding effect.” It’s hard to disagree with that after listening to Whirlpool, and the band’s previous releases, all of which are available to stream via A Grave With No Name’s Spotify profile.

“Aurora” – A Grave With No Name from Whirlpool on Lefse Records

England’s Legendary Post-Punk Band The Fall Celebrate A Remarkable Milestone

The album release that stands out the most aside from AGWNN is the latest LP release from The Fall – the legendary post-punk rockers’ 30th album release – Re-Mit. It’s a solid return to form considering the band’s 29th release, 2011’s Ersatz GB, was not as highly regarded, which even the band ‘s frontman, Mark Smith, acknowledged was “not very good.” Re-Mit‘s lead single is the mini rock drama track, “Hittite Man.” The perfect follow-up to The Fall is a new gritty R&B single, “Dirt In The Ground,” from Portland indie rock band, The Builders and The Butchers (“one day soon/you’ll be the dirt in the ground”), a band that IRC originally tagged as a ‘band to watch’ back in 2010.

Singer/songwriter and musician Grant Olney‘s new album, Hypnosis for Happiness, features the mellow acoustic single, “Not From Body,” that, like so many songs in all forms of music, is ultimately about love. With this release, Olney has established himself as a songwriter worthy of the praise he has been receiving recently. Changing things up quite a bit is the next single, “Around The Block,” from Pretty Lights‘ self-released album, A Color Map of the Sun, is a compelling track that has a strong foundation of R&B mixed with funk and then infused with elements of hip-hop and injections of rock, not the least with predictably accomplished guest vocals by Talib Kweli. There are so many moving parts and styles wrapped up in this one song that it’s almost impossible to categorize it. That said, Pretty Lights, have built their following on never falling prey to mediocrity.

“Hittite Man” – The Fall from Re-Mit on Cherry Red

“Dirt in the Ground” – The Builders and the Butchers from Western Medicine on Badman Records

“Not From Body” – Grant Olney from Hypnosis for Happiness (self-released)

“Around The Block” – Pretty Lights with Talib Kweli from A Color Map of the Sun (self-released)

Beginning Of A New Era: The Garifuna Collective from Belize

Danny Michael fills the gap left by the late Andy Palacio on the latest album from the Belize-based institution, The Garifuna Collective. Instrumentally, the band continues to explore and expand, combining African-influenced beats, hypnotic chants and much more, via the Soundcloud album samples in the stream from Blackbirds Are Dancing Over Me – one of two new works released by the band this week. The second is the new release, Ayo, featuring the worldly single, “Ubou,” aka, “the world.” Fans of The Garifuna Collective should be encouraged that the remaining band members have not forgot Palacio’s contribution, but they are also moving forward to continue the work that they say Palacio would have wanted them to.

“Blackbirds Are Dancing Over Me” – Danny Michel with The Garifuna Collective from Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me on Stonetree / Cumbancha

“Ubóu (The World)” – The Garifuna Collective from Ayó on Stonetree / Cumbancha

New Works from Brit Artists Zomby and TRAAMS

Other albums of interest from last week’s batch of new releases include the third album from British producer Zomby whose new LP, With Love, is trodden in dark, textured soundscapes driven by heavy beats, ominous synths, and a blend of genres that include hip-hop, drum ‘n’ bass, dubstep and rock. Following right behind are fellow Brits known as TRAAMS‘ and their newest album that includes the terrific single, “Low.” The single represents the Chichester trio’s ability to break out of the box and create melodic hooks where guitars fall silent and drums prevail and interweaving peaks and valleys of volume and distortion controls to give the track a unique garage rock sound that sets them a bit apart from their peers.

“With Love” – Zomby from With Love on 4AD

“Low” – TRAAMS from Ladders EP on FatCat Records

Fresh Releases from The Toxic Avengers and Shortcircles

To close out our review of last week’s releases are the lead singles from new albums by The Toxic Avengers and Shortcircles. The former artist’s single is available only as a .WAV file, and will still play in any supported browser. These tracks placement at the end of this review is in no way reflective of their individual achievements; in fact, the quick listens we’ve had to other songs on both artists’ albums indicate that there could be a number of tracks that were released as singles, which is almost always a sign that the albums are worth further listening. Who needs television when there is so much great music to listen to.

“Romance & Cigarettes” – The Toxic Avenger from Romance & Cigarettes EP on Roy Music

“All I Can Be For You” – Shortcircles from Between Waves on Plug Research Music

5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. VI – Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation, Controller, The Gallery, Daybreak Gentlemen, False Pterodactyl

Posted on 07/03/201301/09/2020 by Max Hammer

The 5 DIY Bands to Watch series has had a pretty solid response from readers and listeners, so we’re going to keep rolling them out. These are bands that we have picked up on somewhere or another (usually from music submissions), and that we’ve been listening to more than a couple of times, and each time we do, the more convinced we have become that they should be included in this DIY Bands to Watch series.

In fact, almost all of the bands in the 5 DIY Bands to Watch series are otherwise pretty much unknown (even to indie music enthusiasts), ‘under the radar,’ and most have never been featured on a major indie rock blog or website, which makes them all that more appealing to us as well as many of our regular readers who return to IRC again and again – some since we started in 2008 – exactly for that reason: to hear great songs from artists and bands that they’ve never heard of before and will unlikely hear of anywhere else.

Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation – Greensburg, Pennsylvania

It’s almost hard to believe that a band with such a well-honed, mature sound as that of Greensburg, Pennsylvania DIY band Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation only officially formed last year. Last summer, singer/songwriter Jim Platt‘s collaborator and guitarist Scott Ruffner brought in a studio drummer and bass player to help them record a batch of songs Platt had been working on for months. They quickly decided on a band name, and immediately began bringing Platt’s songs to live for the debut EP, Moving Through The Ages, officially released last November. Ever since we started listening to the EP in early May, we knew they were going to be one of our DIY Bands to Watch in 2013.

Platt’s keen pop sensibilities in his songwriting style and the quirky nature of his lyrics and themes are brought to life wonderfully thanks to his impressive made-to-sing vocals and the professional interpretations of his band mates, who master their instruments in one song after another. In fact, we like every track on Platt’s EP, and posthumously, Moving Through The Ages is one of our favorite DIY EP’s of 2012.

From the sense of isolation and irony of “All Alone in My Dreams,” to the radio-ready 70s pop zeal of “Cherry Blossom Girl,” to the off-colored silliness of “Drama Queen,” Jim Platt and the Rhythm Innovation show great promise for fans of finely structured music that mixes elements of pop, rock and folk with a range of themes that give the music a light-hearted quality about it. Platt named The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Smiths, The Who, and Oasis as major musical influences, which is completely apparent in his songs.

In reference to the genre of indie rock, which allows artists to explore so many types of sounds and styles in their own unique way, Platt said that indie rock is “music that is better then the mainstream music of now – [it has] more feeling, more heart, more soul; something current music lacks.” It’s amazing how many definitions of indie rock are appropriate, which is what allows it to be the genre of just about anything that is not on the Billboard Top 10 or MTV.

“All Alone In My Dreams” – Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation from Moving Through The Ages

“Cherry Blossom Girl” – Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation from Moving Through The Ages

“Drama Queen” – Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation from Moving Through The Ages

Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation official website

Controller – Brooklyn, New York

Controller is a new four piece band from Brooklyn that delivers propulsive pop rock songs with new wave tendencies via densely layered guitars, impassioned post-punk rhythms and catchy melodic hooks, generating a sound designed for maximum impact on stage and on record. Vocalist Jonathan Bellinger, guitarist Josh Shabtai, bassist Brian Dell and drummer Keith Gordon have each spent years separately writing and performing in different bands that spanned the spectrum of genres from punk, country, pop, metal, and rock.

In 2012, these four musician friends decided to meld their disparate influences to counter what they perceive to be a “lack of real feeling and passion” in mainstream pop music and the NYC indie rock scene (one exception being a recent IRC Artist of the Week from NYC, The Rotaries). From their earliest rehearsals in a storage space in Queens, Controller honed a massive sound, focused around anthemic, surging songs designed to be played for live audiences. Their live shows are sweaty, ferocious affairs, where the band plays with fearless conviction and total commitment.

Earlier this year, the band took to the studio to capture the frenzied energy of their live shows on a three-song, self-titled debut EP. The band has previously opened for No TV Tonight and Nude Beach, among others, and their top musical influences are Wire, Buzzcocks, Nirvana, Katy Perry, Scott Walker, David Bowie, and Louder Than War.

“Kicking and Screaming” – Controller from Controller EP – Feb. 2nd

“Make it Up” – Controller from Controller EP

Check out Controller’s Facebook page

“Indie rock isn’t just a style of music or production or band or business. Every band has, at some point, been an indie band. Bands that stay indie bands are the ones that focus on their relationships with their audiences above all other parties (e.g., labels, lawyers, brands, etc.)” – Jonathan Bellinger, Controller

The Gallery – Los Angeles, California

Originally formed in 2008, The Gallery is an up-and-coming unsigned band based in Los Angeles whose music can be described as a modern take on classic rock with Top 40 hooks and melodies. In fact, the band, originally from Massachusetts (a continent away from California) was selected in 2012 as contestants for a high visibility contest, ‘Do You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star?’, by the editors of Rolling Stone magazine. The special edition’s goal was to pick a promising, unsigned band to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. While they did not win the contest, just having been considered by the editors of America’s premiere rock magazine is a huge compliment for any band or artist, let alone an unsigned band that most people have never heard of.

The band features Brendan Cooney (vocals/guitar), Ben Lozano (guitar), Dave Mozdzanowski (bass, vocals), and Ryan Cooney (drums). The band released their new album, Restless, in February. The album was recorded with producer Warren Huart (Augustana, The Fray, Aerosmith), who also produced the band’s 2011 EP, Come Alive. That’s a damn big score for the band to work with a producer of that caliber, not once, but twice! The Gallery has toured throughout the U.S., performing in more than 30 states.

“Restless Soul” – The Gallery from Restless – Feb. 26th

“Catalyst” – The Gallery from Restless

The Gallery have opened for artists such as Minus The Bear, Rooney and Sam Roberts, to name a few, and consider among their top musical influences Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Oasis, and Coldplay. Get more info at The Gallery’s official website.

Daybreak Gentlemen – Toronto, Canada

After two years of highs and lows since forming in 2011, Toronto unsigned indie rock band Daybreak Gentlemen have established themselves in the city’s music scene and are now poised to go nationwide. The band’s new release, The Beachwood Demos, dropped back in February, and the band’s energetic live shows, have helped fuel the band’s popularity, lead by the lively, Strokes-sounding single, “Dead Teenagers,” complete with catchy guitar hooks and great vocals. Local radio station 102.1 FM, nicked-named, “The Edge Toronto,” tagged the band as “one of the top indie bands to watch” following the release of Daybreak Gentlemen’s 2012 self-titled debut EP.

The band is made up of brothers Josh Niven and Zack Niven, Ryan Fyfe, Ryan Salvatore, and “the enigmatic” Bingo Pyjama. The Niven brothers’ vocals split between Josh’s cool and collective style, and Zack’s more brash and chaotic delivery. The band has played all over Toronto during the past 18 months, and also performed buzz-worthy sets at the NXNE and KOI music festivals last summer.

Now that their most recent tour has ended, Zack and Bingo are writing new material and vetting it with the other band members. They plan to start recording a new master tape this fall. Josh said that the band will evolve their sound, and are currently writing songs using primarily synthesizers as an attempt to move away from their mostly guitar-driven songs. We’d recommend, based on songs like “Dead Teenagers” and “Belles,” that they don’t give up too much on their guitar sound. The band elaborates by describing their music this way: “Indie dance rock to the U.K. romantic era with infectious melodies, heavily layered guitar riffs, and fun ‘dancey synth’ elements tightly intertwined. Our ‘mid-fi’ approach, allows for a professional sound with the tie loosened.”

Daybreak Gentlemen has opened for bands like July Talk, Beliefs, Decades, Secret Broadcast, and The Danger Bees, and their major music influences include The Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Foals, and MGMT.

“Dead Teenagers” – Daybreak Gentlemen from The Beechwood Demos – Feb. 12th

“Belles” – Daybreak Gentlemen from The Beechwood Demos

The Daybreak Gentlemen Official website

“Indie rock to us, is simply music without limitation. It it the freedom and ability to create music that is not polished, or set to fit a specific model. It is music that plays off raw emotion and real feelings, it fosters artistic honesty, love, and creativeness.” – Josh Niven, guitarist

False Pterodactyl – Morgantown, West Virginia

False Pterodactyl was incarnated in 2012 following a jam session in Flatwoods, West Virginia among friends and musicians John Jacob and Josh Ratliff. Soon after, Jacob moved to Ratliff’s homebase of Morgantown, WV last summer, and the newly-formed duo began working tirelessly on songs for their debut EP, Shanghaied, released on January 20th.

Jacob is the duo’s multi-instrumentalist, playing baritone, acoustic and electric guitar, harmonica, drums and vocals, with Ratliff on drums and guitar. According to Jacob the duo write “lean songs with a focus on rhythm, groove, and melody.” We were immediately won-over after listening to the blistering rocker, “Heavy Bop,” and the more chill “Hi-Top Fade” a few times back-to-back, making False Pterodactyl not only a band that rocks, but also a duo to watch in 2013 and beyond. Their musical influences include the Pixies, Nirvana, Flat Duo Jets, Drive By Truckers, The Stooges, and Nicki Minaj.

“Heavy Bop” – False Pterodactyl from Shanghaied EP – Jan. 20th

“Hi-Top Fade” – False Pterodactyl from Shanghaied EP

Artist of the Week – Chicago’s Sonia Khaleel Mixes It Up on Her Debut Album, ‘SHARK’

Posted on 07/01/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Chicago pop/rock artist Sonia Khaleel mixes 50’s doo-wop, 80’s rock and early 90’s ska with pop and indie elements to create a unique pop sound. In May, she dropped her debut album, SHARK, featuring 14 terrific songs that demonstrate not only her appreciation of various musical styles, but also her solid songwriting skills that are apparent in her lyrics. Plus, her sultry voice coos, jabs and soars across the tracks on Shark, proving to the world that she can write terrific compositions and lyrics, as well as perform and sing impressively.

Originally a native of Detroit, Khaleel has been involved with music since she was 8 years old performing in orchestras, jazz choirs, bell choirs and theatre troupes. As a young girl, Khaleel had a penchant for performance, singing into microphones and recording, playing the tapes over again and again until she felt the takes were spot on. As she matured, Khaleel spent more and more of her time studying classical, opera and jazz music – all of which are evident on SHARK. Her love for jazz music was enhanced greatly after she spent time in New Orleans volunteering after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The resulting floods from the storm destroyed the homes, as well as the instruments and equipment, of many of the city’s musicians.

“Wick” – Sonia Khaleel from SHARK

Khaleel’s education in music was further enhanced by her travels around the world. As a teenager, she travelled to Spain, Italy, Switzerland and France, singing in church choirs. As an adult, Khaleel travelled to Ghana and fell in love with Ghanian highlife and hiplife music – another musical education that helped inform the songs she wrote for Shark, a fantastic album that intelligently and entertainingly depicts her broad musical background and the diversity of influences, cultures and time periods in history.

“Come Over” – Sonia Khaleel from SHARK

Khaleel also traveled to India to study Carnatic music in her mother’s hometown of Chennai. While there, Khaleel also wrote for a music magazine in her father’s hometown of Bangalore. Upon her return, she moved to Chicago to perform as the lead singer for the R&B/soul band, Pasquale; her work is featured on the band’s 2010 EP, Cardiology.

“Spring” – Sonia Khaleel from SHARK

Khaleel first began writing songs for her debut solo album in 2010. Khaleel is also an avid painter and created all of the album art for SHARK. Veteran sound engineer David Elliot Johnson of Tricycle Sound Recording Studio produced the album. Khaleel said that she is working on four new music videos of her songs; at this time, her YouTube page includes a number of covers.

Visit Khaleel’s website; ‘Like’ her on Facebook; and get a copy of her amazing debut album.

7 Overseas Artists You’ve Gotta Hear, Vol. V – Metaform, Matt Churchill, James Kerr, Flat Ed, Reebosound, Heifervescent, Lillian Todd-Jones

Posted on 06/27/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Today’s post containing selected artist and their music is the first edition of the ‘7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear‘ series that features overseas artists. This post begins with an incredibly diverse and talented artist, Justice Aaron, better known as Metaform. Other artists featured below include James Kerr of London; Matt Churchill of London; Heifervescent of Lancashire, England; Flat Ed of Carcassonne, France; Lillian Todd-Jones of Oxford, England; and Reebosound of Hannover, Germany.

[zbplayer]

Metaform – Tokyo, Japan

Metaform is the DIY music project, launched in 2005, of Tokyo-via-Los Angeles music producer and songwriter Justice Aaron. Metaform’s music has been compared to artists like Massive Attack and Tears for Fears, even though to his earlier fans he is considered to be a hip-hop artist. Aaron’s musical influences include Neil Young, Deftones and DJ Shadow. He’s also been featured in Remix and DJ magazines, among others. In 2008, he released his debut album, Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, constructed entirely from dusted off vinyl samples. The album spent an entire month on the College Music Journal’s Top 20 and Alternative Press Magazine listed it as one of the Top 10 records of 2008, calling it “one of the best instrumental hip-hop records in years.”

Two years later, Metaform released the highly controversial album, The Electric Mist, which isolated a big portion of the fans he made from his debut because the newer album was largely synth-based. While he isolated many of his early fans with the release of The Electric Mist, he also picked up a whole new group of fans who praised the album’s dark and sexy electro-pop sound. Interestingly, the album was one of the most popular music torrents on the site Demonoid, where it remained in the Top 10 music torrents list for two years with a total of more than 300,000 downloads. Earlier this month, Metaform released Act 1 of his sci-fi opera trilogy, The Midnight Machine, that had been in the works since 2009.

“Winter City” – Metaform from The Midnight Machine – June 4th

Metaform’s Official Website

Matt Churchill – London, England

Originally from Watford, Matt Churchill is a singer/songwriter based in London and a former member of the band Cedar. On May 6th, Churchill released his first EP, Cause/Affect. The EP contains three songs, two of them included below, which demonstrate Churchill’s accomplishments as an acoustic folk musician and a songwriter. He shared two of the songs with us, the EP’s title track and “Of My Time.” The EP is also available in a limited edition cut cover package, available via his website. Produced, mixed and mastered by Hyperlion from Pariis Opera House, the three tracks are layered with dreamy vocals and intricate counter melodies. His musical influences include Nick Drake, Buffalo Springfield, Elbow, Neil Young, and Beth Orton.

“Cause/Affect” – Matt Churchill from Cause/Affect EP

“Of My Time” – Matt Churchill from Cause/Affect EP

James Kerr – London, England

London singer/songwriter James Kerr (not the Jim Kerr of 80’s super band Simple Minds) played in various bands over the years and opened for artists like The Bluetones, The Feeling, The Paddingtons, Wendy James (Transvision Camp), and Glen Matlock (The Sex Pistols). But a couple of years ago, Kerr decided to strike out on this own, stating: “I’ve decided to go it alone and do everything myself, thus, removing the need to argue or get annoyed with anyone other than myself. I can cope much better this way.”

Last spring, Kerr released his debut album, from which we have two impressive singles, including the touching, rhythmic song of longing, “When We Were Young,” complete with hand-claps, a thumping bass, and a catchy, sing-a-long chorus. The second single, “The Ship,” has a dreamy, peaceful quality to it, and is more stripped down than the first single, consisting only of Kerr’s agreeable vocals and an acoustic guitar, with a brief infusion of an electric guitar solo and sparsely planted xylophone keys. His musical influences range from Bach to The Beatles and Jefferson Airplane to Jeff Buckley. We can only hope that more people will see the talent and potential that we do in Kerr’s solo project. We’re keeping our ears open for the next release from Kerr.

“When We Were Young” – James Kerr from James Kerr

“The Ship” – James Kerr from James Kerr

Heifervescent – Lancashire, England

Heifervescent is the Lancashire, England musical project of artist Andy Doran, who wrote, performed and produced each track from the May release of the album, Sheepyhead. Heifervescent’s songs are highly-charged pop rock tracks that overflow with electronic-influenced melodies and bright guitar hooks with moments of ambient string arrangements – all accompanying Doran’s fine vocal work. Long before he set out on his own to create Heifervescent, Doran was a singer/songwriter with Monkeyland, a fairly popular four- piece indie guitar band. In fact, Monkeyland, during the 1990’s BritPop craze, played alongside UK bands like Shed Seven, The House of Love, Power of Dreams and The Railway Children. However, when the decade came to an end, Monkeyland disbanded. Doran lists his major musical influences to be the Eels, Elbow, Doves, The Pale Saints, Susanne Sündfor and The Beatles.

In response to our question, ‘what is indie?,’ Doran wrote: “Music that retains all the original sentiments of the artist, in the recording, the mix and the presentation, with nothing taken out or added by corporate bystanders. Music that hasn’t perverted the course of justice.”

“Liberty Girl” – Heifervescent from Wake Up Sheepyhead – May 1st

“Try Again” – Heifervescent from Wake Up Sheepyhead

Heifervescent’s Official Website

Flat Ed – Carcassonne, France

Flat Ed is the one man band project of musician Stephane Iserable from Carcassonne, France. On June 21st, Flat Ed released his DIY debut album, Clapped Out, even though he began recording in 1995, releasing his first solo cassette that year. In addition to creating experimental and interesting pop, electro, folk and rock-inspired songs, Iserable has recorded and performed with various artists, and undertaken engineering, production and mixing for a variety of artists and bands for more than a decade. Clapped Out was recorded in France, England and Wales during an eight-year period that stretched from 2005 to 2013. With a couple of minor exceptions, Flat Ed played all of the instruments and did all of the vocals. “There’s a lot of care put into the words as well as trying to always get a unique and different sound for each track. I try to never repeat myself, if I do, I don’t release those tracks.”

“Late Autumn Walk” – Flat Ed from Clapped Out

“24 Hours” Flat Ed from Clapped Out

Check out Flat Ed’s website and Bandcamp page

Lillian Todd-Jones – Oxford, England

Lillian Todd-Jones is an unsigned indie solo artist from Oxford, England who made a little splash on some indie blogs recently with her single, “Butter Soul,” that highlights her haunting vocals and demonstrates her skills as a talented songwriter. She has also been working closely during the past year with producer Gordon Mills Jr. (Ed Sheerhan, Newton Faulkner) since launching her music career late in 2011. Of this partnership, she commented: “It has been an amazing experience working with Gordon. When working together in his studio, the world seems to disappear, when it returns… there’s a new song.” The video for “Butter Soul” was shot by director Garry Wood in a dilapidated mansion and sees Lillian in various montages, mostly bedraggled in her own nightmare.

“Butter Soul” – Lillian Todd Jones

Lillian Todd Jones Official Website

Reebosound – Hannover, Germany

John Reebo, a musician from Hannover, Germany, who has recorded under the moniker, Reebosound, for the past seven years, dropped his third album, Juicy Black, back in October, which also features a few of Reebo’s favorite guest musicians. Here are two tracks from the album that we think more people will want to hear. Reebo listed his biggest musical influences as the Eels, The Melvins, The Flaming Lips, David Bowie and Tribe of Noise.

“Lick My Blood” – Reebosound from Juicy Black

“The Ocean” – Reebosound from Juicy Black

Band Watch: Leeds, England Indie Rock Quartet China Rats

Posted on 06/24/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

China Rats are a four-piece indie rock band from Leeds, England, that the U.K. press has been hailing as the next Arctic Monkeys, even though they haven’t released a debut album yet. What they have released is a three-song EP and a single; what little they have released is creating quite a buzz in the U.K. The young, edgy lads of China Rats know how to write, create and record good music that gets people’s attention. The band members are inspired by a mutual love for songs that use elements of punk, rock, 50’s pop and British Invasion classic rock of the 60’s. Their sound feels like a wedding of The Kinks‘ early day panache with a Ramones-era anarchy, topped off by a good dose of Cheap Trick‘s legendary sassiness. China Rats’ sound has also been compared to bands ranging from The Beatles to the Buzzcocks to Oasis and the most recent wave of garage rock-influenced bands.

The band’s fast and furious pace is tied together by jangly guitar hooks and bombastic drumming. The band only formed two years ago, but got a good deal of positive press last summer when they filled in for Bat For Lashes when Natasha Khan and company were unable to make it to a U.K. music festival. The members of China Rats are Graeme Thompson (lead vocals/guitar), Luke Smith (lead guitar/vocals), Jedidiah Allcock (bass/vocals) and George Riley (drums). The following track, “She Never,” is one of the band’s few released tracks; it’s a hook-heavy, melodic rocker with a catchy riff, swaying rhythm and rambunctious vocals.

“She Never” – China Rats from To Be Like I EP

A newer single, “Nip It in the Bud,” is an energetic, fast rocker with crunchy guitar riffs. “We wanted it to sound like The Sonics or something, rough around the edges,” vocalist Thompson said. “It’s got a bit of a groove to it – I’d like to think people could jive to it in a club or before they go out.” The band’s latest single from the Leeds UK band, was produced with help from Hugh Worskett (Boxer Rebellion, Crystal Fighters) and mixing by Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters, the Pixies).

“To Be Like I” – China Rats from To Be Like I EP

“Take No Prisoners” – China Rats from To Be Like I EP