Max Hammer – Page 78 – INDIE ROCK CAFE

Noise Pop/SXSW Artist Showcase Featuring Laura Gibson

Posted on 02/17/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

In less than two weeks, The Noise Pop Festival will begin in San Francisco, and next month the famous South by Southwest Festival will kick-off in Austin.

Today, the spotlight turns to the amazingly gifted musician and Oregon native Laura Gibson, who is performing at both Noise Pop and SXSW. She first got noticed on a large scale with the 2006 debut album If You Come to Greet Me. Gibson followed up with the well received Six White Horses in 2008.

On February 24, Hush Records (The Decemberists’ first label before they “crossed-over”) will release Gibson’s newest album Beasts of Seasons.

“Spirited” from Beasts of Seasons – Pre-order at Hush Records

Gibson’s music is folksy, flowing, soothing and marked by her distinctively soft yet determined vocals. Her music has a majesty all of its own and the potential for a broader appeal than she currently enjoys (that can be good and bad).

Her music scales the confides of the common folk classification bestowed on her, displaying a creative knack to weave in elements of country, rock and pop. There are even elements of Spanish guitar such as in the song “Sweet Deception”.

Listen to a full stream of Beasts of Seasons via NPR Music until February 24.

Gibson displays excellent craftsmanship with musical and lyrical progression, sophistication and range, as evidenced by songs like “Nightwatch” that drift like a raft on a quiet summer lake to tracks full of marching drives and orchestrated lifts found on songs like “Spirited”.

Gibson will headline the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on Feb. 26 and play from March 18 to March 24 at SXSW. Check out Laura Gibson’s MySpace page to get all her touring and performance information, listen to songs and more.

Related:
Listen or download a DayTrotter Sessions of Laura Gibson from 2007 featuring songs from If You Come to Greet Me.

Read about, and listen to San Francisco Noise Pop Festival Artist Showcase: Telekinesis

New Indie Songs of 2009: Ben Kweller, Bishop Allen and The Decemberists

Posted on 02/12/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Ben Kweller’s new album is creating plenty of buzz even as the new resident of Austin adds country to his repertoire; indeed, changing horses.

On his blog, Kweller says about his newest album: “People are asking me, ‘why did you wake up and decide to make a country album?’ To them I say, ‘I didn’t. It’s been in me the whole time, I just never put it on tape.'”

Also, the new album from Bishop Allen simply titled Grrr is receiving wide praise. The anticipation keeps building in lieu of the release of the new Decemberists’ album Hazards of Love, due out at the end of March.

“Things That I Like To Do” – Ben Kweller from Changing Horses

– Buy the album from Ben’s website
– Ben Kweller’s MySpace page
– Download other Ben MP3s

“Dimmer” – Bishop Allen from Grrr…

“The Rake Song” – The Decemberists from upcoming release The Hazards of Love

In Dee Mail: New Stuff from Chelan, Bojibian and The Very Most

Posted on 02/12/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Cover art for new release, Summer Machines, by Chelan

We get so much music mailed and emailed to us that it is impossible to keep up with it all.

So, with that, lets kick-off yet another playlist series, this time focused exclusively on talented, often unsigned, independent musicians who send us music In Dee Mail.

During the past few weeks IRC made it’s own little indie news on the web by featuring two unsigned artists who now have indie record labels calling them. And for damn good reasons!

First up, Blind Man’s Colour. Although IRC was not the first indie blog to feature the electro pop duo from Florida, it’s safe to say that our featured sparked a good deal of interest in the band after tagging them as a ‘Band to Watch in 2009’.

So much so that Kanye West himself placed a link on his blog to our story. Last word from Blind Man’s Colour is that they have been getting calls from record labels. Check back soon for a follow-up profile of these promising young artists.

Similarly, this week we featured Artist of the Month Indiana college student Joseph Denney – who goes by the moniker Spirit Spine.

He contacted IRC the other day to say that a record label called him after seeing his profile on IRC and listening to some of his songs. Many visitors to the site have been listening to Spirit Spine’s songs since the Monday posting. You can be sure we’ll be following up with Denney in the coming weeks.

Now, let’s move on and give some well deserved exposure to some other great indie artists and bands that have sent us music recently.

Chelan is the musical project of Justin Hosford and Jennifer Grady who have a decade long collaboration under their belts. While they recently parted ways to pursue other artistic adventures, the duo continued to work on Chelan.

“No Better Than We” – Chelan from their debut album, Summer Machines, available now Origami Records.
MySpace: Chelan

“Voodoo Magic” – Bojibian from All Day, All Night
MySpace: Bojibian

“The Only Pretty Ring Time” – The Very Most from Spring on Indiecator Records
MySpace: The Very Most

If you would like to submit your own music for consideration, send an email to contact@indierockcafe.com/indierockcafe or to POB 722 Redwood Estates, CA 95044.

You will then receive a verification email that will tell you exactly what you need to do to submit music to IRC. Because we get SO much music, we can only review music that follows the submission guidelines.

Bands to Watch 2009: Telekinesis

Posted on 02/10/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Telekinesis recorded the songs below on this 1970’s 8-track recorder

IRC is launching a series of showcases featuring bands performing at the annual San Francisco Noise Pop Festival later this month, and South by Southwest in Austin next month.

First up, we want to let you know about this exciting pop band from Seattle called Telekinesis. They are set to play at the Noise Pop Festival on February 27 along with Ra Ra Riot and Cut Off Your Hands.

Telekinesis also has four sets scheduled at South by Southwest (SXSW) in March. After that, the band will tour with fellow Merge Records’ artists Say Hi through the first week in April.

Telekinesis is Michael Benjamin Lerner (drums, guitar & vocals) with Chris Staples (guitar), David Broecker (electric, acoustic & bass guitar), and Jonie Broecker (bass guitar & keyboards) joining him on tour. Walla and Lerner mixed each song to analog tape a day at a time, “with the ambitious goal of never over-thinking or sabotaging the spontaneous enthusiasm of the music.”

Even Ben Gibbard and the other Death Cabbies tagged Telekinesis as a “Band to Watch” in 2009 during a guest appearance on Stereogum. We second that, and for damn good reasons.

“Coast Carolina” – Telekinesis from their upcoming, self-title debut release

“February 5th 2008” – Telekinesis from their upcoming, self-title debut release

Telekinesis MySpace page

Valentine’s Indie Rock Playlist: The Shins, The Gaslight Anthem, Band of Horses, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Subways, American Music Club, Magnetic Fields, The Subways

Posted on 02/10/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Illustration by Milk from Phoenix

Whether you’re already hitched, planning a date, have your eye on someone or don’t have a date this Valentine’s, there’s nothing like a great playlist of indie songs related to love – with all its baggage.

This playlist features a range of artists and bands – including the opening 90s track from Extreme – with songs about that crazy little thing called love.

[zbplayer]

“More Than Words” – Extreme

“All My Love” – American Music Club
“Imaginary Girl” – Silver Seas

“Here’s Lookin At You Kid” – The Gaslight Anthem

“A Teenager In Love” – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

“Immaculate Heart” – American Analog Set
“No Goodbyes” – The Subways
“No One’s Gonna Love You” – Band of Horses
“Why I Cry” – The Magnetic Fields

Recent popular posts you might have missed:

– IRC Artist of the Month: Spirit Spine
– Kanye West Links to IRC Artist Feature

New Indie Songs & Releases: The Antlers, Say Hi and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Posted on 02/09/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

“Two” – The Antlers from upcoming release Hospice

“Bear” – The Antlers from Hospice

“November Was White, December Was Grey” – Say Hi from Oohs & Aahs

“Everything With You” – The Pains of Being Pure At Heart from their self-titled debut

IRC Artist of the Month: Joseph Denney, aka Spirit Spine

Posted on 02/07/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Spirit Spine self portrait
New musicians popping up in recent weeks are beginning to make 2009 look like a promising year for indie rock, electronica and pop.

Yet another relatively unknown talent has caught our attention, and we think his sound will appeal to many people who have reacted so positively to Blind Man’s Colours’ post a couple of weeks ago.

Joseph Denney, aka, Spirit Spine, is a freshmen at Indiana University in Bloomington, who began a “music project” last fall that friends encouraged. His friends were right to encourage him. The result is a collection of sprawling, dreamy, psychedelic and pop-oriented songs that we keep playing again and again.

“My new album,” Denney wrote in an email to IRC, “is self-titled and has been compared to “Panda Bear + MGMT + New Order” and ‘The Beach Boys fronted by Lou Reed high on Nyquil and Redbull’ I was greatly influenced by Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” Technique as well as Surf Rock and 80’s Pop.”

That’s an excellent comparison. You can hear more of his other influences – like Joy Division and Beck, in Denney’s music as well, not to mention the obvious Animal Collective influences.

Denney says he created all of the music using the the computer software program Garageband on the Mac and some 8-tracking. This is an amazing example of how one talented young musician in the technological age can write, record, manufacture, distribute and market his own music for the rest of us to enjoy.

Highlights from Spirit Spine’s debut include “Trickledown”, “Crashers (Highs and Lows)”, “Heart Races”, “Raptures” and “Faustian Vice”.

Spirit Spine is a force to be reckoned with in 2009, and hopefully many of you will agree. The album Spirit Spine is available on iTunes through Lovegiffrae Records.

“Trickledown” – Spirit Spine from s/t
“Crashers (Highs and Lows)” – Spirit Spine from s/t

Spirit Spine MySpace page

Check back for a follow-up review on this amazing indiest of indie releases for 2009.

More Best Indie of 2008 – Born Ruffians, Annuals, Travel By Sea and More

Posted on 02/07/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Woahhh. Page traffic shows a good chunk of people are still very interested in hearing more great indie music from 2008. Okie dokie.

The following is a playlist of 08 indie songs featuring Born Ruffians, Annuals, Travel by Sea, Annuals, Pete and the Pirates and The Sound of Arrows.

“Badonkadonkey” – Born Ruffians from Red, Yellow and Blue (EP)

“Around Your Neck” – Annuals from Wet Zoo (EP)

“Truth Was” – Travel by Sea from Days of My Escape

“Eyes Like Tar” – Pete And The Pirates from Little Death

“A Very Sad Song” – The Sound of Arrows from Danger! (EP)

More Great 2008 Indie Albums: Pomegranates’ Everything is Alive

Posted on 02/04/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Photo for SPIN by Desiree Watkins

During the past year or so, CinCin City’s indie pop band Pomegranates has crossed the radar of many music blogs and official publications, thanks most to their 2008 debut LP Everything is Alive on Lujo Records.

SPIN magazine says the “art pop” band “shows a youthful, open-eared quartet enlivened with a kick-ass record collection, ceiling-less imagination, ragged guitars, and songwriting chops for days.”

“Whom Who” – Pomegranates from Everything is Alive
“Thunder Meadown” – Pomegranates from Everything is Alive

Check out Pomegranate’s record label profile with free MP3s.

Here’s a YouTube video from the band for the song “We Could Have Escaped”.

New Indie Songs of 2009: AC Newman, Mazes, Peasant and More

Posted on 02/03/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Today’s new indie songs feature the latest from The New Pornographer’s A.C. Newman, plus Peasant and Findlay Brown with advance songs from upcoming releases by Mazes and Broken Spindles.

“There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve” – A.C. Newman from Get Guilty

“Introvert” – Broken Spindles from Kiss/Kick out Feb 17

“I Have Laid in the Darkness of Doubt” – Mazes from s/t debut out March 3

“Exposure” – Peasant from On the Ground

“Holding Back the Night” – Findlay Brown from Love Will Find You

Bootlegged New Songs from Arctic Monkeys Rumored 09 Release

Posted on 02/02/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

It’s been a long time since we’ve heard anything new from the UK’s smoking rockers Arctic Monkeys, so it should come as good news to fans that the band is recording a new album due out “later this year,” according to their official website.

The band recently premiered four new songs at the Big Day Out Festival in New Zealand two weeks ago.

“Pretty Visitors”
“Crying Lightning”
“Dangerous Animals”
“Go-Kart”

Download a zip of the entire Wellington show.

Baltimore’s Page France Turns a Page; Calls it Quits

Posted on 02/01/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Baltimore’s Page France has officially called it quits after nearly a year of separation. While there were rumors of a breakup throughout 2008, a January 3, 2009 entry on Page France’s MySpace blog made the split official:

“To speak officially [of the split] hadn’t seemed necessary. We’re all still much involved in making music. It will all just happen inside different names. Once an idea has run it’s course, one must move along.”

Page France was one of the best American indie folk-pop bands to have come along in the waves of popularity for this genre in recent years. Following the release of their debut album in 2005, Come, I’m A Lion, the band caught the attention of bloggers and music lovers. Songs like “Spine” and “Bridge” made the rounds and started showing up on people’s playlists.

Then in 2006, the band released their best album, Hello, Dear Wind, which further proved their talent and ability to sell records and fill seats.

The band got a lot of attention upon the release of Hello, Dear Wind. Rock critic MacKenzie Wilson, writing for the All Music Guide, wrote at the time: “All the reasons why you fell in love with Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea are the same reasons why you should check out Hello, Dear Wind.”

The band gained much notoriety at the time, including having their song “Chariot” featured in Episode 12, Season 3, titled “The Dark Time”, of the popular TV series Weeds.

“Chariot” from Hello, Dear Wind
“Junkyard” from Hello, Dear Wind

Page France featured Michael Nau (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Whitney McGraw (glockenspiel, keyboards, vocals), Clinton Jones (drums), and Jasen Reeder (bass). Other members and contributors included BJ Lewis, Bryan Martin, Chris Morris, Jasen Reeder, Matt Smith and David Tracy.

Yet it was the band’s follow-up to Hello, Dear Wind, 2007’s Page France And The Family Telephone, that signaled the band was perhaps losing its way. While still a good record, it is the least impressive of the band’s three releases.

Nau has often compared in the mid 2000’s to Conor Oberst and Jeff Tweedy. Both of those comparisons are valid. Just one more comparison is needed to complete the formula. Overall, Page France’s music has the same fun, feel good, childhood charm as Sufjan Stevens.

Furthermore, they embraced the quirky story-telling, piano-guitar-xylophone-horn sound Sufjan is known so well for. The only difference is that Page France’s song titles were much shorter than our friend Sufjan’s tend to be – hehe.

Page France video for “Jesus“

There are other times when Page France music sounds very much like Colin Meloy and The Decemberists, such as on the song “Bush” – nothing to do with that Bush. Other comparisons from musicland include references to the band’s ‘Christian symbolism’ (“Jesus” and “So Sweety Around Me”) and fixation on single world song titles. The latter is true for every song title on Hello, Dear Wind.

Anyways, in honor of the now defunct Page France, and for all of you who’ve never heard of them, here’s a playlist of some of their most well known songs.

“Spine” from Come, I’m A Lion
“Bridge” from Come, I’m A Lion
“Bush” from Hello, Dear Wind
“Elephant” from Hello, Dear Wind
“Finders” from Hello, Dear Wind
“Beggar’s Table Legs” from Page France The Family Telephone
“Hat and Rabbit” from Page France And The Family Telephone
“Be My Pianist” from Page France And The Family Telephone

Nua has gone on to give his full-time effort to the band Cotton Jones Basket Ride (review of their new album forthcoming). This reincarnation of parts of Page France is great stuff too, but the dynamic that was Page France cannot be replicated, of course, without the whole outfit of band members and contributors working under the name they made for themselves.

Suicide Squeeze Records
Fall Records
Michael Nau Interview – The Other Journal
Page France Interview – Tiny Mix Tapes
Page France Interview – Stage Hymns Music Blog
Daytrotter Session (Free Songs)

(above links compiled by Wikipedia)