Category: 2016 Bands to Watch

Video Premiere: Empire of Gold’s Raw and Artsy ‘Intoxicated’

Posted on by Max Hammer

San Diego underground grunge rock musician and one-man band, Michael J. Dole, who released his blistering Nirvana-influenced debut album, Crass, under the moniker of Empire of Gold, a couple of weeks ago, premieres the gritty, super charged, “Intoxicated,” via EoG’s splashy, surreal and artsy new music video.

The song is a balls-to-the-wall nod to Dole’s favorite band, Nirvana, spliced together with a fast-moving, colorful and interesting collage of mostly public domain images and videos.

The musical journey for Dole began in Chicago at the age of 14 when he received a guitar for Christmas. In time, Dole found himself leaning towards 90’s alternative rock and metal.

“My interest in music when I was a kid was all the metal music coming out in the late 90’s,” Dole says. “The ones I took a keen interest to was Slipknot, Mudvayne, Coal Chamber, Korn, and so on.”

But there was a catch. He also loved Green Day, and credits the band with encouraging him to explore other genres. After graduating from high school in 2005, Dole decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue film, attending the respected The Art Institute.

However, the cross-continent move to the Pacific Coast left a big gap in his life. He was homesick for his native Chicago and feel into a depression. And like many artists, a fall into darkness can be the very fuel to inspire them to crawl out by channelling the sadness, fear and isolation into poignant and meaningful art. Which is exactly what Dole did.

It would still be years later – in fact, nearly a decade after graduating high school – in 2013 when Dole finally decided to take the demos he’d worked on for years and start recording them. He released his first EP, Raw, last summer.

Oddly, Dole had never listened to Nirvana’s ground-breaking album, Nevermind – one of the biggest selling albums of all time – until two decades following its official release in 1993. That changed everything for Dole, and he kicked off Empire of Gold.

“That album changed my whole style, transforming me from an acoustic singer/songwriter to a ‘grunge head.’ It was like an epiphany. I realized my purpose.”

Empire of Gold on Facebook
Empire of Gold on Soundcloud

Radar Love – Ursa Major

Posted on by August W. Zander

Nineteen-year-old Toronto musician and producer Joseph Chusid, who records as Ursa Major, has made quite a name for himself on Soundcloud in a relatively short time, thanks to a series of single releases that feature his meticulously produced grooves that range in genres and include mixtures of R&B, soul and psychedelic rock. His terrific debut EP, Lo-Fi Sky, is out now, and building steam online.

“Lo-Fi Sky is a project that looks at the mundane and stagnant aspects of life and chooses to delve into the natural world, even though it is constantly in flux and unstable,” Chusid explains.

In just two weeks, a newly released track about insomnia, “5am,” has already racked up nearly 200 Likes on SC; earlier this year, his track, “Dusk,” garnered over 45,000 plays and nearly 1,000 Likes. And, in four short months, Ursa Major has accumulated 100,000+ plays and more than 2,600 Likes! We do not see that often in that short of a time span.

MP3: “5am”

Ursa Major on Soundcloud

Ursa Major on Facebook

Toronto’s Eden Warsaw Premieres New Video

Posted on by indierocker

Singer, songwriter and musician Eden Warsaw knows how to write and record a killer catchy pop song that doesn’t sound like the cookie cutter crap on the radio, and which is also not as unrefined and amateurish as a lot of indie pop. In fact, as a multi-instrumentalist too, Warsaw is totally immersed in every aspect of his music, which is usually a good sign of an artist who really takes his work seriously.


The breath of his talents are evident in the new video, “Searching For Someone,” the title track for his debut LP. The song starts off with a heavy bass drum effect that drops suddenly, giving give way to light piano keys, summery-feeling synth keys, bright, strumming guitar chords, bubbling bass and remarkably melodic hooks, all encompassing Warsaw’s well-honed, strong vocals, which at times can range from semi-falsetto to modal register – a benefit many singers wish they could pull off.

“The song has a good summer vibe to drive around to with the windows down,” he says. “The inspiration for the debut album was to create an audio sci-fi or futuristic love story from start to finish, using experimental sounds that are relatable and current.”

After enjoying a kind of mini DIY hit with his single, “Diamonds,” in 2014, the Toronto artist took his time – nearly two years – honing his sound; writing and recording new songs; reworking them and mixing, and along with his fellow band members, devoting himself to perfecting the sound and stepping up his game, encouraged along by avid fans of his earlier work.

After two years of writing and recording, Eden Warsaw, along with his band, had a bunch of songs to work with and release, whch they’ve been doing. In addition to guitarist and vocalist Warsaw, band members include Phanat Chan (guitar/synth); Kyle Densmore (drums), and Troy Donaldson (bass).

“This actual rollout wouldn’t be possible without the guys in the band,” Warsaw says. “They are massively talented musicians that heard the music in studio and convinced me to finally start releasing everything. We are all like brothers.”

The guys will be performing at Canadian Music Week from May 2nd – May 8th. Visit the Facebook page.

Lightning Touch – Eden Warsaw from Searching For Someone

Superalfvenic (Sunlight) – Eden Warsaw from Searching For Someone

Eden Warsaw on Soundcloud

Radar Love – Tucson’s Prolific Teen Musician Christopher Tom

Posted on by indierocker

It’s not a stretch to say that the Arizona teen Christopher Tom isn’t exactly your average 15-year-old. He’s actually a prolific singer, songwriter and musician.

Since the age of 13, Tom has been on a mission to perfect his songwriting craft. But he didn’t want just quality. He set out on quantity as well – writing upwards of 200 songs. And in stark contrast, Tom released his debut, self-titled EP last August, featuring only six of those songs. For the EP, he not only wrote the songs, but performed and recorded all of the instruments, and then mixed and mastered every last note, resulting in 15 minutes of frenzied and exuberant indie rock and synth pop.

On one of his newest tracks, “Every Friday (Dance),” the young muthusiast pulls out the dance beats with shimmering synth arrangements, pop rock guitar chords and his signature adolescent male vocals. Borrowing from many different influences, including The Beatles, The Strokes, Weezer, Gorillaz and Beach House, Tom places a huge emphasis on melody and hooks. We urge folks to take a little time to check out some of the other tracks from his self-titled EP on his Bandcamp page.

The uptempo pop rock song, “The Ballad of Joey Domino,” is yet another example of Tom’s amazingly diverse musical palette and sensibilities in collaboration with his friend ‘Mark E’. Another song, “That’s Not How It Works,” is totally a Strokes-influenced song from top to bottom. Next, the silly pop rock track “Don’t Call On Me,” (in which his adolescent boy’s vocal range is tested successfully), is immediately reminiscent of They Might Be Giants, and “Candle Boy,” with its twinkly pop melodies and softer vocals.

The standout track from his debut EP is “The Coast,” a song that probably has a wider audience with its simplistic melodic hooks, regular rhythm changes, programmed beats, layered vocals and flowing keyboards. Tom isn’t going to take over the world – just yet (there are a lot of Kinks to work out), but for a 15-year-old, he definitely shows a tremendous musical progression and penchant for variety; he appears to deliberately make it so that each of the songs is completely individual, whereas we have all heard EPs/LPs where all of the songs sound pretty much the same.

Are you a teenager making music at this level? Tell us your story and send us some of your songs. Submit to IRC.

Don’t Call On Me – Christopher Tom from Christopher Tom EP

The Coast – Christopher Tom from Christopher Tom EP

As we were putting this post together, Tom ranks #1 among Tucson musicians on Reverbnation.

Austin’s THE KHOST Premiere ‘Nuremberg’ Video Ahead of SXSW and Album Release

Posted on by Kate Stevens

Austin’s rising post rock DIY band THE KHOST premiere their brand new video, Nuremberg, exclusively on IRC. The video premiere comes just hours before the band performs at one of the first showcases to kick off South By Southwest 2016.

The Pull String Event Showcase, at the landmark Mohawk venue, also features indie artists like Human Circuit, Young Tongue, Twin Scars and Wildcat Apollo. THE KHOST will go on stage at 11:30pm.

Guitarist and vocalist Robert Avila directed and edited the video for the song “Nuremberg,” from the band’s new album, Stella Maris, set to drop on March 24th with a release party at Cheer Up Charlies in Austin.

Avila said the song is loosely based off of the mysterious 1561 ‘UFO aerial battle’ over Nuremberg, Germany, depicted in a broadsheet (early newspapers) account accompanied by a Hans Glaser woodcut mixed with a fictional story of two modern day humans who witness such an event and don’t know what to make of it.

The filming process for this unique and truly brilliant video (the first of such kind we’ve every seen) is compelling. “I filmed it using a couple of lights and a blanket to create silhouettes of each band member,” Avila says.

“Then I took multiple shots of food dye being dropped into a glass of water. We loved the way it looked and decided to make it into our new video.”

THE KHOST official website
THE KHOST on Facebook

Band To Watch – Brazil’s Dream Pop Quintet Peixefante

Posted on by indierocker

Peixefante is a remarkable new shoegaze/dream pop band from Goiania, Brazil that captured our ears and hearts with lush dream pop songs like “Por Baixo da Blusa.”

It’s simply gorgeous; feel yourself floating over lush green hillsides and turquoise beaches. The echoey whistling throughout the song is a really special, even magical, touch; there’s almost a tinge of Burt Bacharach (some people might hear it) and Ennio Morricone interlaced within this song.

The second single, “Cruzada Moderna” is more subdued and serious, yet wonderfully composed and performed from the airy guitar playing and rhythms to the wonderful vocals and choruses.

The band’s debut EP, Lorde Pacal (a mythological Mayan prophet), was done totally DIY. No fanfare. No buzz. And yet their music is worth a buzz; they’re just really good musicians. Listen to the EP from start to finish a few times and those of you who are open to cosmopolitan, multi-genre mix of experimental dream pop, psych rock and Bacharach/Morricone, are likely to appreciate Peixefante as much as we do.

Peixefante-art

The EP tells the epic story of “mankind’s fascination with the universe and our ancient seeking for answers to its great mysteries,” the band’s synth player, Lipito Melo, says.

“The songs are all connected to one another and reveal the tales of a mythical ‘hero,’ from the day he was born – passing through technological discoveries and surviving in the outer space – up until the day he finally returns home.”

Not surprisingly, after submerging into this EP – streaming it now at least four times through – we are routing for the band.

Their name is difficult at best to pronounce, and Portuguese, outside of Brazil, is not as widely spoken in the western hemisphere as Spanish; therefore, it’s difficult even for native Spanish speakers to say the world because Spanish simply doesn’t have any relationship to “peixe”-“fante” – it’s closer to French than Spanish.

The band describes it this way: “The name itself, the Portuguese combination of ‘fish’ and ‘elephant,’ exemplifies the constant mutation in which the band’s music in based upon, from the deep giant synth waves psychedelia to a drunk swampy rock.”

We’re told it’s PAY-HEE-FANT-EE.

[zbplayer]

MP3: Por Baixo da Blusa – Peixefante from Lorde Pacal

MP3: Cruzada Moderna – Peixefante from Lorde Pacal

Radar Love – Boulder Mood Rock Trio The Ineloquent

Posted on by flytrap

Admittedly nomadic, yet hailing primarily from Boulder, Colorado, The Ineloquent delivers contemplative and meaningful piano-driven ‘mood’ pop/rock with sweet melancholy, layered vocal harmonies and honest lyrics of love, sadness and hope.

The trio’s melodic and cinematic style musical style draws comparisons to artists like Coldplay, The Fray, Keane, and One Republic, while the band’s frontwoman, Georgiana Eakins, has previously been compared to vocalists like Leigh Nash (Sixpence None The Richer), Ellie Goulding, and Regina Spektor.

theineloquent-band

Her husband, guitarist Daniel Eakins, and bassist and drummer Pablo Calderon, add their talents to The Ineloquent’s release, E Is for Emergency, which weaves through themes of love, despair, fear, hope, and restoration. “These are songs that are meant to do more than just spill sound into silence,” Eakins says. “They are meant to challenge and inspire while bringing something musically fresh to the table.”

Lay back with your headphones on, and glide into the warm bath of the dreamy keys and vocals on “Emergency.”

A second standout track on the album, “Verge of a Breakthrough,” is a synth dance pop track that is also somewhat laid back and sensual – great bedroom chill song. Eakins vocals are wonderful.

“Emergency“ – The Ineloquent from E Is for Emergency

“Verge of a Breakthrough“ – The Ineloquent from E Is for Emergency

The Ineloquent on Facebook

“Indie rock is music unaltered by conventional structures and melodies which are often the norms on public radio. It is the freedom to create the sounds that make up your feelings without the pressure to conform to the musical clones of what sells. It is remaining true to yourself whether your music sells or not in hopes that someone out there will get it.” – Georgiana Eakins

Radar Love – Icelandic Synth Pop Duo Jane Telephonda

Posted on by flytrap

We are always down for listening to new bands from Iceland. Do we need to say – Sigur Ros, Bjork, Olafur Arnalds – that there is something so moving, poignant and joyous in the music of so many artists from the enchanting and mystical northernmost Atlantic isle.

Now there is a new band starting to make headway on and beyond the ancient Nordic land; and we can see why. Jane Telephonda of Kópavogur City.

We love the reverb-oozing vocals, the hard-driving snare and bass drum beats, the soaring synths and the infectious melodies and harmonies from the verses through the uplifting choruses on the new single, “Transmuted Saltness.” It has that put-it-on-repeat quality about it.

Jane Telephonda are the husband and wife duo Ívar Páll Jónsson and Ásdís Rósa Þórðardóttir. Their unique blend of influences are inspired by the sounds of the classics to the contemporaries, including David Bowie, Sufjan Stevens, Wilco, Grizzly Bear, Of Montreal, and Queen.

The couple are not, however, new to the world of music.

Jónsson began playing guitar and recording his own music on a four-track at the age of 16. Fast-forward to 2011: he begins writing for his 2014 concept album, Revolution in the Elbow of Ragnar Agnarsson Furniture Painter, which ultimately earns Jónsson a nomination for the 2014 Icelandic Music Awards. The album received rave reviews in the U.S. coinciding with its theatrical stage adaption at the Minetta Lane Theater in NYC in the summer of 2014.

Along with the undeniably gifts of his wife, who also performed on ‘Revolution’ the duo of Jane Telephonda are bound to make waves of their own with their newest venture.

You’re probably wondering what’s up with the name?

It’s kind of a crazy thing. Þórðardóttir loves Jane Fonda as an actress. So, when the couple’s fourth child came along, they combined the Jane Fonda fixation with Jónsson’s love of phones – and wah-lah – the name Jane Telephonda. But it wouldn’t just be the band name; they named the child Jane Telephonda too.

I know, right?…

It just makes the music all that more inviting to us because it’s so punk. JT: Stay crazy and keep pumping out those melodic, hook-friendly synth pop anti-folk-ish beats.

Jane Telephonda on Facebook
Jane Telephonda official website

Radar Love – Houston’s Silver Blueberry Straddles The Line Between Punk and Post Punk

Posted on by indierocker
[zbplayer]

No matter what anyone says, a catchy band name makes a difference in the type of attention a band attracts. But, ultimately, it’s the music that matters. Based in Houston, Texas, the DIY rock band Silver Blueberry have both of those checkboxes clicked.

The four member band creates garage rock music that reminds us of a killer mash of punk and post-punk from the 70’s and 80’s, as heard on the fiercely rhythmic, hand-clapping track like “Walk With Me,” one of the best songs from the band’s debut, Twin Reverberation.

Founded in the summer of 2013, Silver Blueberry was formed by twin brothers Tyson Rinker and Shaun Rinker, both of whom sing and play guitar. The duo started out writing and performing rough cut songs in their garage. Shortly afterwards they met a German diplomat, Philipp Kleiner, who loved their songs and decided to join as the band’s drummer.

The brothers then met Jasmine Martinez at a Thermals’ concert and discovered a common love for raw rock music. Martinez didn’t need a lot of convincing to join Silver Blueberry as bassist after he heard some of the trio’s songs. His inception into the band completed the quartet’s percussive sound and they were off and running, performing gigs throughout Texas and attracting attention from rock fans and the press. They also got the notice of a number of labels, soon signing with the small Austin label BooBo Records.

silverblueberrycover

The lineup has undergone some changes in the past few months, acquiring a new bassist, Chris Casas, and drummer, Nick Little. It’ll be interesting to see with the new lineup whether the Rinker brothers continue to edge the line between punk and post punk. There is no question that there are also influences of garage, alternative and psychedelic rock; at times, the band’s songs remind us of a hybrid between Dinosaur Jr., Tame Impala, The Beatles and The Clash, like on the irresistible track, “I Land in the Desert.” Interestingly, part of the main guitar riff in the song reminded us automatically of the riff in The Clash’s “Spanish Bombs,” from the epic album, London Calling.

“Walk with Me“ Silver Blueberry from Twin Reverberation

“I Land in the Desert“ – Silver Blueberry from Twin Reverberation

Silver Blueberry has opened for Quilt, Sic Pop, and Little Joe Washington. Some of their biggest musical influences include Black Lips, The Thermals, Tame Impala, Ty Segall, and The Beatles.

Silver Blueberry on Facebook

2013 DIY Releases – We’re Not Heroes, Service Animal, Dead Recipe, Ugly Thrash Demon, Neo Star Nova-Z, Luck & Senses

Posted on by Max Hammer

On Thursday, the first Best New Releases playlist post of 2013 was published, featuring tracks from Pere Ubu, The Wooden Wand, Broadcast, Colin Davis, as well as new singles from fresh albums by Alex Vans, Ceremonies, and The Agreeables. This post features all DIY/unsigned artists and bands, including releases that were dropped in the past two weeks. Little by little, we’re also putting together and publishing our and your top songs, albums, bands and videos of 2012. The first volume of the Best Songs of 2012 (featuring all No. 1 songs from the weekly Top 10 Songs playlist published throughout 2012) highlighted the top songs for the months of January, February and March. Volume II is already in the pipeline, as are many other posts, including Bands to Watch in 2013, starting with the first band featured below.

The rising Cardiff, England rock trio, We’re Not Heroes, dropped a freshly mastered single yesterday – “Distort The Air,” from a forthcoming album, expected to be released sometime this summer, according to the band. The band consists of three 23-year-old musicians – Tom Collins, Luke Llewellyn and Michael ‘Dewey’ Owen. Llewellyn explains: “I named the band after a dream I had where i got up in the middle of the night and wrote it down then went back to sleep. It worked for us and what we represent in many ways.”

After making big waves in the U.K., We’re Not Heroes also has growing fan bases in countries like Mexico, Trindad & Tobago, Indonesia, France, and are poised to break out in the United States. As far as we know, IRC is the first major U.S. indie site to publish this smoking new single. We’ll have more about Cardiff’s hottest new indie rock band in an upcoming post, Overseas Bands To Watch in 2013, scheduled for next week, and which will include an exclusive new single as well as a track or two from their self-released 2012 debut EP.

“Distort The Air” – We’re No Heroes – Jan. 11th, 2013

Note: Look out for IRC’s first Band of the Week posting for 2013, and, as mentioned above, the premiere of the new series, Bands to Watch in 2013, which will highlight some fantastically talented bands, most of which are DIY, and that have, so far, flown under the radar – at least in the U.S.

Speaking of which, there is a terrific, new signed band from Helsinki who dropped a new album on Friday, Jan. 11th, the same day as We’re Not Heroes dropped their new single. The Finnish band s really good, so we made them the first band of the week profile of 2013.

london-youthband

London Band Rising: Youthband

There is not very much information about the fresh London indie rock group Youthband at the moment, other than to report that we’re digging their debut single, and its provocatively clever title, “The Future Is Not What It Used To Be.” Just about everyone should be able to figure out the deeper meaning behind that title. The song “officially” dropped the first week of the new year. More from and about Youthband soon. Use the Comments to tell us what you think.

“The Future Is Not What It Used to Be” – Youthband from single

Buffalo DIY Bedroom Artist Go Exploring

Matt Scime,aka, Go Exploring, is a young one man band artist from Buffalo who dropped his debut EP earlier this week. The lead single, “Today,” is lively, catchy pop with synths and horns and a memorable chorus you’ll probably get stuck in your head. The follow-up track, “Friends,” has a similarly upbeat rhythm, more choruses, drum machines, synth effects and a very pronounced electric guitar jam. In fact, his sound reminds us a bit of another artist that you’ll probably on hear on IRC, Opus Orange.

For someone who only started out less than a year ago, it’s obvious that Scime has a number of talents that he draws from writing, playing a range of instruments, vocals and recording. to make unique, multi-layered tracks of pop in the realm of Matt & Kim , minus Kim. Expect to hear more about Go Exploring throughout 2013. Apparently Scime, who is in college, is planning to put together a band to tour with and work on a debut album. In reIndie rock is the culmination of past present and future rock ideologies. It is the progression of creative music fused with the roots of rock & roll.

serviceanimal-gravity

New Seattle Band, Service Animal, Unleash Debut

Drawing on over three decades of combined musical experience, members of the relatively new Seattle DIY band, Service Animal, joined forces in 2012 to create “a positive and uber-creative environment with the goal of making beautiful, haunting and inspiring alternative rock music.” The band’s founders, Andrew Bailey (vocals, guitars) and Jordan Cassidy (vocals, bass), who honed their skills in various Seattle bands over the years, recruited musicians Keith Greer (drums) and Justin Joyce (guitars/keys) to complete the band and “to cover the entire spectrum of energy and flow,” they said. On the two tracks below, the band mix melancholic and upbeat rock and roll oozing with emotions, chaos, energy, and the fine talents of all four band members.

“Hearts Start Beating” – Service Animal from The Gravity Bear Demonstration – Jan. 3, 2013

“A Slow Release of Nothing” – Service Animal from The Gravity Bear Demonstration

Austin Multi-Genre Trio Comprised of Three Multi-Instrumentalists

In 2009, friends Kyle Albrecht and Camille Lewis met  and began writing and recording after discovering their shared love of folk, rock, blues, vintage pop music and other genres. No long after, Lewis met Andrew Davis at work and the three multi-instrumentalists formed Dead Recipe and started rehearsing in Davis’s garage. Last year, the band began to play more gigs in Austin (get in line as they say down there), and during the summer enter the studio with producer and engineer Shawn Jones to record their self-titled debut album,  released last week.

“Getting To My Head” – Dead Recipe from Dead Recipe – Jan. 5th

“Flowers” – Dead Recipe from Dead Recipe

Additionally, Haden Hunt (drums) and Kirby Sims (keyborswere recruited to play drums and keys, respectively. Dead Recipe’s top musical influences include The Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Animal Collective, The Velvet Underground, and The 13th Floor Elevators  

Virginia Chamber Pop Band Ugly Thrash Demon

Virginia DIY chamber pop band Ugly Thrash Demon was formed among a group of friends who wanted to “do something constructive while hanging out aside from playing video games and watching bad horror films.” The five-piece band consider among their musical inspirations bands they all “grew up with” in high school, including Arcade Fire, Belle and Sebastian, and Beirut. But their band name choice is baffling considering they’re a chamber pop band; Ugly Thrash Demon is a name for a metal band. So, as far as promoting the band, especially since they’re unknown to most of the country, the band name is the antidote of indie chamber pop, and we wouldn’t be surprised if metal heads who see the band name only would think they definitely have a catchy, unique thrasher rock name. Yet these dudes are kind of nerdy 20-somethings who play trumpets, saxophones and ukuleles. Anyways, that said, UTD’s debut song is “You, Me and FCC.”

“You, Me, and FFC” – Ugly Thrash Demon from single – Jan. 12th

Louisiana Metal Rock Artist Neo Star Nova-Z

If your’e a fan of progressive metal rock, you’ll probably want to check out this new single from Baton Rouge, Louisiana artist Brian Waymire who performs under the moniker Neo Star Nova-Z. The 19-track album is available on Bandcamp, but Waymire is asking $9 “or more,” which, for an unknown solo artist that is just starting out, seems a bit much. Many artists with significant critical acclaim offer their albums on Bandcamp, and other music sites, for less than that, and often for the “name your price” option.

“Into the Darkness” – Neo Star Nova-Z from Omega Factor – Jan. 8th

Brooklyn Band Drops Sophomore Album, Speed of Life

Brooklyn DIY band  Luck & Senses dropped their sophomore album, Speed of Life on January 1st, bucking the industry rule of never releasing an album during the week before, during and after Christmas. Why? Because just about no one is paying attention to new releases during those three weeks. We’re a bit on the fence, but one never knows how others feel.

The band states in their bio: “Art and life mix and mingle [via] quirky and sultry vocals driven by electric guitar and backed by a killer rhythm section make this band’s sound an amalgam of the past and the future.” Started in 2007 as a “romantic symbiosis” between Lisa Jubilee and Andy Barbera, their relationship evolved into a musical acoustic folk duo. In 2010, they revamped their acoustic-folk sound by recruiting Sam Minaie (bass) and Andrew Munsey (drums). The Speed of Life, from which they sent in two tracks, “marked a shift from earlier folk-pop stylings to a sound [that] is unique indie roots-rock,” claiming artistic influence from with Corrine Bailey Rae, Whinehouse, Feist amalgam vocals.”  It shouldn’t be any surprise that the band’s major influences include artists like Little Dragon, Gotye, Feist, Bjork and Radiohead. We asked the band what does ‘indie rock’ mean to them; Barbera answered: “Music informed by any mix of the many forms of “rock”, communicated with originality and creativity, served locally with all organic musical ingredients.”

“Speed Of Life” – Luck & Senses from Speed Of Life – Jan. 1st

“What’s Going To Be Your Move” – Luck & Senses from Speed Of Life

Luck & Senses Official Website

 

IRC Exclusive: Legendary Producers Martin Bisi & Bill Laswell Team Up with Fiery Furnances and Dresden Dolls

Posted on by Max Hammer


Martin Bisi, Bill Laswell, Fiery Furnances, Dresden Dolls and Balkan Beat Box

Martin Bisi is a famed producer who built a recording studio with Brian Eno three decades ago, producing albums for some of the best bands of the 1980’s and early 90s underground rock movement, including Sonic Youth, The Swans, Dresden Dolls and The Boredoms, to name just a few. Bisi, who is also a musician, songwriter and engineer, recently jumped into the sound tank himself to record tracks with folks like Fiery Furnances‘ dummer Bob D’Amico, prolific producer and bassist Bill Laswell (The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Mick Jagger and many others), and members of The Dresden Dolls and Balkan Beat Box. Laswell was also instrumental in creating the studio with Bisi and Eno.

In fact, Bisi and Laswell collaborated with Herbie Hancock to record the 1983 Grammy Award-winning song, “RockIt” – the first hit song to feature turntable scratching. Jumping forward to this year, all of this talent in one room is a combination sure to result in something interesting, which is exactly what these next songs, “Mile High – Apple of My Eye” and “Drink Your Wine,” prove to be. The songs are from the recently released five-track digital only EP Son of a Gun, and were sent to IRC by Bisi himself. The first song featured below is a perfect track for Halloween, or even The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack, while “Drink Your Wine” is more of an uptempo rocker that is fun and infectious at the same time (watch the video above).

“Mile High – Apple of My Eye” – Martin Bisi & Bill Laswell from Son of a Gun (2009)

“Drink Your Wine” – Martin Bisi & Company from Sun of a Gun (2009)

Get Son of a Gun from iTunes.

Of the recording of the EP, Bisi said: “With Laswell, I did the ‘modern’ approach of sending him files, letting him do whatever, and then adjusting. He really surprised me. I was expecting his usual very groove or dub oriented bass, and he gave me something very ambient, laden with effects and trippy. That pretty much sums up the M.O. on this EP…With “Mile High- Apple Of My Eye,” I asked Butterface (the keyboardist on the EP) to give me some programmed rhythms and sounds with a trip-hop vibe, specifically for Laswell to play on, and he turned it around in 30 minutes.”

Martin Bisi’s Official Website
Martin Bisi on MySpace
Bill Laswell on MySpace

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Lollapalooza 2009 News, Coverage, Lineup, Schedule and Live Webcast

Posted on by Max Hammer


Review of Lollapalooza Day One from Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune

Lollapalooze 2009 Day One is over, and even though it was wet, the rain didn’t stopped most of the 60,000 people from having a good time. Thunder storms and extreme heat, unfortunately, are forecasted for Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s Lolla has a great lineup compared to years past, featuring headliners such as Fleet Foxes, Depeche Mode, The Killers, Jane’s Addiction, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, Kings of Leon, Animal Collective, Arctic Monkeys, TV On The Radio, The Raveonettes, Passion Pit, Silversun Pickups, Band of Horses and many others. Below is a list of IRC picks for Lollapalooza 2009 shows, including band or artist, schedule time and stage name.

White Lies – “Death”
Bon Iver – “Babys”
Heartless Bastards – “If I Were A Carpenter”
The Virgins – “Basics Of A Conversation”
The Decemberists – “Rake Song”
Andrew Bird – “See The Enemy”
Fleet Foxes – “Mykonos”
Kings of Leon – “Use Someone”
Of Montreal – “Suffer For Fashion”
Peter Bjorn & John – “Living Thing”
Depeche Mode – “Personal Jesus”

Saturday, August 8 – Highlighted Lollapalooza Performances – The show time is followed by the venue (or stage) name.

The Low Anthem – 12:00-12:45 (vitaminwater) – “Cage The Songbird”
Gomez – 3:30-4:30 (vitaminwater) – “Other Plans”
Blind Pilot – 4:15-5:00 (BMI) – “Paint or Pollen”
Arctic Monkeys – 4:30-5:30 (Budweiser) – “No Buses”
No Age – 5:00-6:00 (Citi) – “Eraser”
TV On The Radio – 6:30-7:30 (Budweiser) – “Dirtywhirl”
Animal Collective – 7:30-8:30 (vitaminwater) – “My Girls” – Live webcast at 7:30 PM Chicago time
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – 8:30-10:00 (Budweiser) – “Zero”

Sunday, August 9 – Highlighted Lollapalooza Performances. There are many more intriguing earlier performances on Sunday than the previous two days, but they will probably not attract the crowds they otherwise would for two reasons; one, the excessive heat that is expected and two it’s the last day of the festival with a good chunk of people having to leave to get back for work on Monday. Yet overall, Sunday looks like the best day with many must-see and hope-to-see shows.

Friendly Fires – 12:30-1:30 (Budweiser) – “Jump In The Pool”
Ra Ra Riot – 12:30-1:30 (Chicago 2016) – “Dying Is Fine”
Portugal The Man – 12:30-1:30 (PlayStation) – “People Say”
Bat For Lashes – 1:30-2:30 (vitaminwater) – “Moon And Moon”
Kaiser Chiefs – 2:30-3:30 (Budweiser) – “Heat Dies Down”
The Raveonettes – 3:30-4:30 (PlayStation) – “Suicide” (new track)
Neko Case – 4:30-5:30 (Budweiser) – “Middle Cyclone”
Vampire Weekend – 4:30-5:30 (Chicago 2016) – “Oxford Comma”
Passion Pit – 5:00-6:00 (Citi) – “Sleepyhead”
Dan Auerbach – 5:30-6:30 (PlayStation) – “I Want Some More”
Lou Reed – 6:30-7:30 (Budweiser) – “Perfect Day”
Deerhunter – 6:30-7:30 (Citi) – “Never Stops”
Band of Horses – 7:30-8:30 (PlayStation) “Monsters”
Silversun Pickups – 7:30-8:30 (vitaminwater) “Little Lovers”
Jane’s Addiction – 8:30-10:00 (Budweiser) “Three Days”
The Killers – 8:30-10:00 (Chicago 2016) “When You Were Young”

– Check out all of the shows with the official Lollapalooza schedule.
– Read news updates about Lollapalooza via Google News.
– Follow Lolla Tweets all weekend.
– Watch YouTube videos from Lollapalooza.
– Watch the live webcast.

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