Here’s our latest and best Indie Thanksgiving Songs playlist for Thanksgiving.
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Category: 2017 Best Indie Rock
Fresh Indie Rock Tracks from Caelo, Fornis, Shoring, Danny Baxley, Dizzy Bats, Papa Sierra, All This Huxley, Papersleeves, Indya
It’s mid-October and the Fresh Tracks keep popping up by bands spanning the globe from South Africa to England; California to Massachusetts; Norway to the Big Apple; Pennsylvania to Oregon, and places in between.
Caelo – Cape Town, South Africa
Fornis – Sacramento, California
Shoring – Portland, Oregon
Papa Sierra – Trondheim, Norway
Dizzy Bats – New York, New York
Danny Baxley – Boston, Massachusetts
All This Huxley – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Papersleeves – Martinsburg, West Virginia
Indya – Brighton, England
Caelo – “Visions”
Back in June of 2016, the folks of Cape Town, South Africa had their first glimpse of a new alt-rock trio called Caelo. The band jettisoned from relative obscurity to local popularity within weeks of their debut performance.
With the release of their new Visions EP last month, the band is building even more of a fan base thanks to the electrifying energy on tracks like “All You Need,” the grinding and hard rocking, “Renegades,” and the title track, which has amassed over 10,000 plays on Soundcloud alone in just a few weeks.
“Visions really captures the energy of our early beginnings and consolidates many feelings from that time,” says guitarist and vocalist Joel Bronner, who together with bassist Matthew Winfield and drummer Mike Dickens form the Cape Town rock trio.
The trio’s flair for dynamic ranges in their music indicates that their alt-rock verve comes from influences like Muse, Royal Blood, The Black Keys, Foals and, of course, Biffy Clyro. The band has opened for artists like CrashCarBurn, Springbok and Nude Girls.
It was actually during a Biffy Clyro performance in 2015 that Bronner decided to kick of Caelo and he went out fervently to make it happen. Now in the studio recording a new album, Caelo hopes to build a U.S. and overseas fan base in 2018.
Bonus Track: “Renegades“ – Caelo from Visions
Fornis – “Generic Hope”
Based along the western foothills of the Sierra Mountains, in the California capital city of Sacramento is the DIY rock band Fornis. They knock out good old rock and roll with various other influences and genres, as evidenced on the band’s new release, Generic Hope.
Founded in 2013 and co-fronted by vocalist and guitarist Todd Pittman, the band, he says, like to call their music ‘bolster rock.’
“We take the good old rock and bolster it into something new,” Pittman says, “with personal musical influences of old school punk rock, doo wop and old rock and roll, like Little Richard, and Dion and the Belmonts.”
Pittman is also fond of the old girl bands, such as Darlene Love, the Crystals, and the Ronettes.
The standout single, and title track, “Generic Hope,” rifles away with lo-fi ringing guitars, bumping bass lines and mad drumming, sounding more like a punk rock band than old school rock, although it is peppered generously throughout the rest of their songs and again making it difficult to place the band into one genre.
Songwriter Todd Pittman began writing and singing original songs with the creation of Fornis. His persona is rock-a-billy with pompadour combed to a ducktail. It’s difficult to peg him or the band’s music into one genre – it’s an amalgam of tastes and styles, using generations of rock influence as foundation, which results in a hard hitting, foot stomping, old school, unique and catchy musical style.
Fornis solid bottom end, drums and bass, are supplied by drummer Trapper Herzog and keyboardist ‘Keydragon,’ aka Ron Langford. Trapper has played in the past with bands like Tower of Power, Elvin Bishop, and The Cliff Fields Group while Langford has been active in music since the 70s
Prior to Fornis, Pittman fronted two other bands, a punk rock outfit called Pruno (named after the ‘jail juice’ prison inmates drink) and a punk band named Duodenum – apparently named after a section of the large intestines.
Though nowadays Fornis primarily plays its ‘bolster rock’ originals, they also enjoy playing cover songs of Del Shannon’s, The Cars, Elvis and others, with influences that range from the Ramones and Misfits to Dion and the Bellmonts.
Shoring – “I Wonder”
Four musicians who spent a decade in various other Portland bands decided in 2015 to form their own new band called Shoring.
Built around the songs of frontman Brian Bergstrom, the veteran musicians spent over a year recording their self-titled debut album, dropped earlier this year. Prior to completing the album, and armed with only with a demo track, the band was able to book a 10-show tour in California.
“Our music is inspired by reclaimed lumber, people who speak the truth, and that perfect cup of coffee,” says the band with ethos aimed at providing “quality and authenticity” and to play “purely for the love of it.” The band’s sound draws from folk and Americana influences, as well as 1960’s pop and ’70’s rock with more of a rhythm section “steeped more in the virtues of Cheap Trick than James Taylor.”
The band – which in addition to Bergstrom, features accomplished musicians like drummer Nick Kostenborder; guitarist and keyboardist Jesse Dreher and Mickey Nucci on bass – has opened for artists such as San Geronimo, Frontier Ruckus, The Loved and count among their top musical influences Ryan Adams, Dire Straits, Deathcab For Cutie, John Prine, and Tom Petty.
In The Morning
Papa Sierra – “The Dictator”
Hailing from the town of Trondheim, Norway, DIY band Papa Sierra is, according to frontman Per Sundet, “semi-political desert polka band.”
“Our music is light hearted and lively. We wish to tell you small stories from a place you never heard of,” he says, citing the band recent album drop, The Dictator.
The album’s songs are inspired by “personal adventures as well as terrible real world events. Everything from violent revolutions to love and espionage. The musical notes we use are concocted of highly experimental and illegal stuff.
We advice you to dance and sing along,” he exclaims, on songs like the exhilarating title track, with it’s energy-charged Arabian-like verve. You almost have to get up and dance.
Contributing to it all are, in addition to Sundet, band members Torje Markussen, guitar; Espen Berg Nilsen, drums; Øyvind Fjeldstad; piano, Julian Haugland, bass, and Johan Grødal, bass.
The band has opened for artists like Skóg and Whisper City, and count among their top influences bands like Kaizers Orchestra, Kasabian, Kate Bush, and The Flaming Lips.
Dizzy Bats – “I’m Listening”
The New York City DIY rock band Dizzy Bats has a Green-Day-meets-Weezer-pop-punk vibe on songs like “I’m Listening” and “Scared” from the band’s just-released album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore (Sept 19th).
The band officially formed in 2011 in vocalist and guitarist Connor Frost’s basement. The other band members include David Ma (vocals; bass); Derek Swink (drums); and Jared Sochinsky (guitars).
Bonus MP3: “Scared“
All This Huxley – “Comrade Winston Smith”
Based out of the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia indie rock band All This Huxley are noted by their beguiling riffs, genre-shifting playing and introspective lyrics as found on songs like the interesting “Comrade Winston Smith” from the band’s recently released eponymous debut.
A unique aspect of the band is that each member – guitarists Trevor Serine and John Corcoran, bassist Alex Marlys and drummer Josh Mayer – alternate on lead vocals, and Serine and Corcoran switch spots on guitars from rhythm and lead throughout the album.
All This Huxley has performed at some of the most iconic venues in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, and has built a reputation for delivering rock-solid performances. They opened for bands like
Castle Black and Shadowplay, and are most influenced by artists like Wilco, Dr. Dog, Guided by Voices, Archers of Loaf, and Tom Waits.
Papersleeves – “Sensation”
It is not often that we receive music from the fine state of West Virginia, but a new band from Martinsburg, named papersleeves, just dropped their debut album, V.1 (which implies perhaps that there will be a V.2 and perhaps V.3 and so on).
The songs on the album are built on strong traditional rock ethos yet are also heavily pop rock hook oriented such as on memorable tracks like love song, “Chasing After You” and the hard-rocking, “Sensation.” The band’s musical influences include U2, Weezer, Radiohead, and Pearl Jam.
The band members include Lucas Barnhart on guitar; Michael Flynn on lead vocals; Reece McClung on lead guitar; Allen Hutzler on bass and Joel Weedy on drums. The band formed in 2015.
Danny Baxley – “Ithaca”
Outta Beantown, Boston musician Danny Baxley has put his stake in the ground of the city’s long tradition of birthing trail-blazing artists who borrow from indie, pop, electronic, R&B, psych rock and lo-fi to craft unique tracks like the inspirational “Trials and Errors of a Troubled Mind” and “Ithaca” from the Baxley’s debut album, Love Sex Alcohol.
Baxley’s biggest musical influences include Modest Mouse, Grimes, Sylvan Esso, Crystal Castles, and The Doors.
Bonus Track: Trials and Errors of a Troubled Mind
Indya “Insane Love”
Any UK artist that opens for big name musicians like Noel Gallagher and bands like Republica is going to get people’s attention.
That’s exactly what the artist Indya, from the city of Brighton, England, did here in the cafe. But we should not make too much of such credentials because her music itself is what captives people.
Behind the one name moniker is musician Natalie Indya West, a graduate of the British School of Performing Arts. In 2015, she formed her band who were influenced by classic rock artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and David Bowie.
They dropped a new album in August, Insane Love, featuring songs like the raucous title track. West is supported by Raymond Tognola (bass); Andrea Rapisarda (drums) and Paolo Marelli (guitar).
New Indie Rock Songs from MOSAICS, The Penthouse, Amber Lamps, Jordan Sleed, Matt Squires, Brett Weller and The Congregation
The latest edition of Fresh Tracks traverses the continental United States from California to New York and Texas to Wisconsin.
MOSAICS – San Francisco, California
The Penthouse – New York, New York
Amber Lamps – Queens, New York
Jordan Sleed – San Antonio, Texas
Band of Dust – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Brett Weller and The Congregation – New Orleans, Louisiana
Matt Squires – Austin, Texas
…plus Striving Artists and Woven Green
MOSAICS – “Secrets”
Returning with a fresh new track, “Secrets,” San Francisco indie trio MOSAICS turn up the heat just in time for summer with a simmering and provocative new scorcher. Drawing from the remarkable and pensive instrumentation work of Devon Kelts and Tyler Hill, lead vocalist Maryam Sadeghian delivers a sultry and booming performance on vocals.
The mechanical, lashing beat, perhaps one of the signatures of MOSAICS’ evolving sound in the past year to 18 months, is hypnotic paired with keys, guitars and Sadeghian’s mood-setting voice.
The band performs regularly in San Francisco proper and the Bay Area. They plan to release a series of singles throughout the year. Top musical influences include Radiohead, FourTet, Apparet, and many others.
Listen to “Secrets” on Spotify and follow/share MOSAICS.
The Penthouse – “City Lights”
Straddling between two cities – Boston and New York, DIY band The Penthouse are finding themselves settling more in NYC where the gigs are, and are regularly booked for this up-and-coming band who are sounding better on each new track. The evidence of that is on the upbeat indie pop track, “City Lights” just dropped last week by the band.
The Penthouse has been on our radar for about a year now and we think they could be a popular NYC band within the next couple of years as they improve and grow their audience and followers.
Thee band members include Patrick Minogue (vocals; guitar); Kyle Raney (bass); Jesse Mason (guitar); Eric Derwallis (drums) Jacob Arias (guitar). The band’s top musical influences include Foster the People, Two Door Cinema Club, Young The Giant, and The 1975.
Newly based out of the Astoria section of Queens, New York, the pop punk DIY band Amber Lamps burn it up on the new single, “Bitter Ride” from the band’s recent album drop, Plaidypuss.
Some listeners might hear a likeness to Green Day and The Kinks, but there is one thing for sure – they will rock your party and are professional musicians who are not messin around. The band’s top musical influences include Green Day, Weezer, and Blink-182.
Yet another solid, summertime party track is the pumping energy and fast-changing melodies of “Between The Lines.” The band originally formed back in 2009 as a one-off high school graduation party cover band and evolved over the years into a punk-punk-loving trio who dig “catchy hooks, aggressive guitars and killer bass.”
Jordan Sleed – “Drift Apart”
At the young age of just 19 years old, San Antonio singer/songwriter and musician Jordan Sleed has already released a sleuth of interesting, and in some cases, unforgettable, tracks over the past couple of years, on various social media platforms.
Tracks like the beautiful and inspiring love song “Drift Apart” are at the heart of Sleed’s sound – one that he has been developing for many years.
“At 13, I picked up the ukulele and have since then used it to discover a passion for music and songwriting,” Sleed says. “I write in an innovative way, being driven by the ukulele/guitar and my voice.”
“The music speaks for itself, showing influence from great soulful musicians” that he says include John Mayer, Stevie Wonder, The Beach Boys, James Taylor, and Jake Shimabukuro.
Sleed has been performing regularly around the San Antonio area for years, at times for audiences of nearly 3,000 people.
Other songs like “Words,” with its soul and R&B influences coupled with acoustic guitar, and Sleed’s sensual, versatile and soulful vocals. We hear a lot of DIY music and most of the time it is the vocals that don’t work.
In Sleed’s case, that is not a problem. His vocals and amazingly mature songwriting on track after track, whether it’s a cover song of influences like John Mayer, or one of his original songs, Sleed hits it again and again.
MP3: “A Fool’s Game“ – Jordan Sleed from Jordan Sleed
The rambunctious folk rock single, “Blue Flame,” from the Milwaukee indie band, Band of Dust, is the two-year old band’s debut single from their recommended debut album, Whispers Are Roars.
Combining fast strumming of jangly pop-driven acoustic and electric guitars, hard driving, stick-heavy percussions, harmonicas and the raspy, Tom Petty/Conor Oberst-like vocals of frontman Dustin Mayer, the unforgettable single, “Blue Flame,” is almost irresistible.
After living in the family house in upper Wisconsin following the death of his father, Mayer returned to Milwaukee with 22 songs, of which a dozen made it on the album – a stunning, deep and heartfelt album – an American sonic journey where each turn is something special and each spin is familiar yet new.
Brett Weller and The Congregation – “Running Man”
The new album, Chances, from New Orleans indie rock/acoustic folk band Brett Weller and The Congregation, is full of tracks that move and rock, taking in concepts from influences like Damien Rice, Mumford and Sons, and The Black Keys.
Appropriately coined previously as a band with a “gumbo of sounds,” Brett Weller and The Congregation’s funky, bluesy, acoustic folk gumbo springs from a fountain of musical influences of Weller and his band members, as demonstrated on the lead track, “Running Man,” from Chances.
Formed in 2014, the duo – featuring Brett Weller on acoustic guitar and vocals and Anna Weller on violin, keys, and vocals – have been working on the songs for their newly released debut album for a couple of years along with musicians Jacob Jordan, Ryan Brown, and Andrew Gordon.
Brett Weller and The Congregation on Facebook
Matthew Squires – “Debt Song”
East Texas musician Matthew Squires spent two years and his life savings to record his most recent album, the indie pop rocking Tambaleo, featuring songs like the quirky, experimental psych rock, “Shape of Your Heart,” which reminds us of The Kinks (circa 1965) mixed with some Bowie and Flaming Lips.
The track has accumulated more 120,000 plays and 1,400 likes on Soundcloud alone, in part thanks to being featured in Stereogum.
The newest song to be released as a single, “Debt Song,” carries over some of the same early Kinks-like sound and wit, complete with a strangely appealing chorus, and lo-fi elements that give Squires’ tracks more authenticity.
Not many artists can pull off genre-shifting within songs and albums as Squires has proven time and again over the years that the indie pop rock world is where he is most comfortable, as long as he allows himself – which he does – to be experimental, introspective and witty.
Throughout the album, Squires interlaces references to the Bible with Eastern philosophies. The track, “Bird Song,” touches themes of death, failure, and again, religion, singing: When we spot her/we’ll feel so very small/But the arms of grace/Which we’ll embrace/Will not be so small apparently in reference to an angel.
There are repeating themes in Squires’ music, including – it goes without saying – religion and enlightenment, but also soul searching, love, family and friends, with pop references sprinkled throughout.
Striving Artists and Woven Green
As a director of a group of artists, called Striving Artists, that engage in theatre, arts and music, writer and musician Gregory Luzitano assembled an entire group of singers and musicians to record a full cover version, you could say, of the play Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack. Here is one of the tracks from the album.
In 2006, he formed the Striving Artists Theatre Company with his sister Mary Luzitano. The album, featuring dozens of tracks, is a trip back in time for any of those who enjoy ‘hippie’ and religious soundtracks.
Based in the small town of Sterling, Virginia, husband and wife musical duo, Jim and Ashley Cash, aka, Woven Green, recently released a new album, Into Bloom, an indie rock, acoustic folk/new age release, featuring songs like the lead single,”Breaking Free.”
In November of 2009, Woven Green dropped an EP that was featured in Relix Magazine, and which helped prompt the band’s nomination for a 2009 Wammy (Washington Area Music Association) award in the pop/rock category. The Cashs’ describe their sound as ‘world rock funk acoustic.’
MP3: “Breaking Free“ – Woven Green from Into Bloom
New Indie Rock Songs from doubleVee, Innocent Persona, The Sleeping Tongues, Evan Mix, Jack Kotz, Layla Frankel, Liz and the Lovelies
With summer just around the corner, the releases are coming in at a mad pace, and there are plenty of great indie and DIY tracks you’ll likely only hear on IRC. Also, thank you all for your patience as we move the site to totally SSL (secure) and while we continue to work out the kinks with some of the site’s features – all in the name of progress.
doubleVee – Norman, Oklahoma
Innocent Persona – New York, New York
The Sleeping Tongues – Brooklyn, New York
Evan Mix – Floyd’s Knob, Indiana
Jack Kotz – New York, New York
Layla Frankel – Chicago, Illinois
Liz and the Lovelies – Chicago, Illinois
Plus, Quick Picks from around the world…
[zbplayer]doubleVee – “Frucus Minus (The Flycatcher)”
Indie rock enthusiasts may remember the indie pop band The Starlight Mints who met with considerable fanfare within the sub-cultures of the indie pop movement back in the 1990s. In fact, they were one of the first bands, along with The Nixons and Chainsaw Kittens – and of course The Flaming Lips (who were OK City/Norman locals) – to put Norman, Oklahoma, solidly on the indie music map.
While The Starlight Mints may not have achieved the mainstream-style success that The Flaming Lips have enjoyed, the band made significant contributions to the indie genre. One of the Mints’ founding members, and original founder, Allan Vest, has been working on a new project called doubleVee, with his wife and fellow musician Barb Hendrickson Vest, who married in 2015.
The husband-wife duo recently released doubleVee’s wonderful debut album, The Moonlit Fables of Jack the Rider, garnering positive reviews online and in social.
The first video single from the album, “Frucus Minus (The Flycatcher),” is a quirky and entertaining video with a hypnotic bass and drum hook throughout, and a zany, melodic stomp.
“We had a blast writing this song,” says Allan Vest. “We actually had too many ideas and got carried away before settling on the arrangement and final lyrics…once we had the line ‘you’re just a flycatcher’ at the end of the chorus, we knew the direction the rest of the song was going to take. If doubleVee had a theme song, this would be it.“
Among the various interesting and fun aspects that make up the video is the incorporation of a vintage North American T-6 Texan airplane made famous in World War II and a 1969 Buick Sport Wagon 400 along with some Wes Anderson-like characters.
The duo is influenced by artists like Legendary Pink Dots, Stereolab, Ennio Morricone, The Cardiacs, Os Mutantes, Philip Glass, Harry Nilsson, Jon Brion, and Bernard Herrmann, along with countless other artists. In 2015, Allan and Barb married.
Innocent Persona – “Happy Ever After”
With driving melodic hooks, ringing guitars, booming percussions and somber lyrics, New York City indie pop rock band Innocent Persona‘s new single, “Happy Ever After,” is the latest track from the band, which was formed back in 2015 by founding member, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ittai Stern.
“I wrote it with the intention of creating a ‘fun stupid love song,'” Stern says. “I was actually influenced by Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Call Me Maybe,’ a song about a girl who mets someone and falls in love immediately.” Stern said the song’s sonics are influenced by a range of artists like Blink-182, Boys Like Girls, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Simple Plan.
“The band takes a lot of pride,” Stern says, “in our eclectic style, ranging from pop to alt-rock to EDM.” The band’s latest track is definitely more pop/rock oriented that is a perfect track for driving around on a sunny late spring afternoon.
It’s clear that the band would not be as solid as it is, and progressing with each track, if not for the other talented band members, like guitarist/saxophonist Jose Alonso; guitarist/bassist Charlie Freeman; bassist Shalom Bondar and drummer Mike Landolfi.
Not long after forming the band, Stern met with Doug Staiman, another Los Angeles producer, who was formally the front man for the Queens punk rock band The Groggers.
Together, Stern and Staiman composed “Destiny,” a 60’s-influenced song, and the anti-war themed, “Celestial” from the band’s self-titled debut EP dropped last summer. In recent months, the band’s Facebook following has been growing, now up to more than 20,000.
The Sleeping Tongues – “Waiting Room”
After success with past singles such as the romping single, “Bullet Train,” Brooklyn indie band The Sleeping Tongues‘ new track, “Waiting Room,” recently dropped and it’s a pleaser for the band’s fans, with ringing electric guitars, acoustic and Spanish guitars, plus synths peppered throughout; a Wurlitzer running the length of the track while a horn section featuring sax, trumpet, bass trombone and baritone sax jump into the mix, adding even more intrigue and brass to the song.
“The drums are mainly electronic and programmed,” says frontman Craig Kepen, “There are live shakers, tambourines and claps mixed with programmed Timbales…the horns were played via keyboard from Native Instruments Kontakt, with the exception of a live take of my brother playing trumpet on top. Everything was recorded with an SM57 and CAD M9 condenser microphone.”
The results speak for themselves. Over the course of time that we have been listening to the band, we have seen the advancement in their work and creativity. If you are in Brooklyn, catch a show from TST some night – they’re not the standard fare.
Evan Mix – “We’ll Listen To Something Else”
Based out of a small town in Indiana, avante garde/experimental bedroom recording artist and multi-instrumentalist Evan Mix, has dropped a number of singles over the years, and his latest, the colorful and unforgettable, “We’ll Listen To Something Else,” is quite a treat.
The track is a fascinating, multiplexed mosaic of artistic, even mathematical, instrumentation, sound effects, mixes, piano keys and dry vocals.
Mix also recently recorded the flashy, avante garde track, “Do Fun Wrong,” which reminds us a little of some early They Might Be Giants demo, if you were listening to it on acid.
And that’s just part of the allure of Mix; he doesn’t play by anyone’s rules. He could care less about – in fact mocks – commercial appeal.
Mix creates his own world and happily invites people into his playhouse of sounds to listen to his fun, sometimes tone-deaf, unconventional and truly original sounds.
MP3: “We’ll Listen To Something Else“ – Evan Mix with Jack Kotz
Layla Frankel – “Creature of Habit”
Blurring and overlapping genre lines with forays into acoustic folk, jazz, R&B, blues and soul, Chicago songwriter, vocalist and musician Layla Frankel had been writing and recording the songs for her new debut EP, Tame The Fox, for more than two years.
The EP is in some ways a musical extravaganza; the first single, “Creature of Habit,” is a upbeat pop-leaning track with a country edge; on the opening country-folk single, with it’s blues-heavy guitar, ”To Disregard,” Frankel’s vocals seem to be greatly influenced by one of her musical proteges, Bonnie Raitt. Other songs like “Tenderly” has a jazzy allure; and an nicely done acoustic cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.”
Frankel’s other musical influences include Sheryl Crow, Etta James, Joan Osborne, Joni Mitchell and Fleetwood Mac, and she has also opened for artists like B. Forrest, Cole Degenova, Heazza Official, and Sunny Side Up. The musicians supporting Frankel include Dave Hiltebrand (guitars, bass); Eddie Ganet (keyboards, organ); and Robert Rashid (drums, percussion).
Jack Kotz – “For The Stars (Under A Roof)”
New York City-via-North-Carolina musician Jack Kotz, who we’ve featured on IRC a number of times over the past couple of years, joins Mix at the end of the track for some vocal contributions.
His newest EP, KOTZ!, features tracks like the funky space rock of “For The Stars (Under A Roof)” and the frenetic piano game of the misleadingly-named “Acoustic Gesture #2.” That’s part of the charm of Kotz’s music – nothing is usual or unoriginal about his work.
Kotz is endlessly experimenting with eclectic recordings and has dropped two LPs and two EPs in just the past couple of years.
Liz and the Lovelies – “What You’re Told”
In the winter of 2013, Virginia native and singer/songwriter Liz Chidester set out by train for the big, windy city of Chicago. Soon after, she was making gains as a songwriter, guitarist and ukulele player, gaining recognition from outlets like NPR.
The following year, Chidester’s new band Liz and the Lovelies debuted with the release of People Pumping Pedals and the intimate EP Otter Hill in 2015. Twice she has been featured on NPR for her music.
The band’s newest release, Progress Into Simplicity, is an exploration of acoustic folk mixed with indie pop and electronic elements, drawing inspiration from musical influences like Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens, and Father John Misty.
The lead single, “What You’re Told,” is a gypsy, waltzing-like acoustic number with fusions of mandolin, cello and percussions with a mystic accent throughout. Other band members include Alex Chidester (mandolin); Lewis Rawlinson (cello); Ivan Pyzow (trumpet, synth, keys); Mike Fletcher (bass) and Zach Finch (drums).
MP3: “What You’re Told“ – Liz and the Lovelies from Progress Into Simplicity
Liz and The Lovelies on Facebook
Quick Picks: New Indie Songs from DIY Bands Worldwide
[zbplayer]Glasgow, Scotland: “Everything (Is You)“ – Bobo and The Demeraras from Utopia Eurotica
Nashville, Tennessee: “South“ – Zach Cannella from Jephthah
Stockholm, Sweden: “Great Expectations“ – POKAL from Great Expectations
Astoria, New York: “Between The Lines“ – Amber Lamps from Plaidypuss
Skelmersdale, England: “Two Apart“ – Mosley Bar from Royalties
Cleveland, Ohio: “Say It Now“ – The Shadow Division from The Shadow Division
Berlin, Germany: “Döda flickan rädda rösten“ – Fagelle from Döda Flickan Rädda Rösten
Best New Indie Rock of 2017, Vol. II – We Govern We, The Outer Vibe, Alabama Deathwalk, Zach Cannella, Ruby Bones, DOTE, Bobo & The Demeraras
Now that it is finally spring, it’s time to start highlighting just a few of the new DIY indie music releases from this year so far that we are digging, featuring bands from California, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, New York and overseas from Scotland and Germany.
We Govern We – Ventura, California
The Outer Vibe – Nashville, Tennessee
Alabama Deathwalk – El Paso, Texas
Zach Cannella – Nashville, Tennessee
Ruby Bones – Brooklyn, New York
DOTE – Essen, Germany
Bobo and The Demeraras – Glasgow, Scotland
We Govern We – Zano
Just beyond the boundaries of the Los Angeles city limits, and situated along the 101, is the coastal city of Ventura, California where the alternative rock band, We Govern We, has taken root in recent years. Busy with adult lives of paying bills and raising families, the members of the band find time to continue to nurse their project.
Now, the new sophomore album, Zano, has already produced one single, “Red Rover,” which received over 6K plays on SC alone in just a few weeks after its release in January.
With whip-like beats, sultry vocals, pensive lyrics and sonar-like sounding electro vibes and grinds, “Red Rover” is hard not to listen to; it draws you in, and it’s just one of a number of standout tracks on the album – WGW’s follow-up to the celebrated 2011 debut, Reznor’s Child.
The No Doubt-like verve on the band’s cover of “Punk Rocker,” plus the cinematic rock of “Mulligan’s Island” (the video for which came out years ago and received various nominations), the uplifting verve of “Sunshine,” and the brooding, slow burn rocker, “Grey Sea,” all lend their own unique contributions to the EP as a whole. There is a sense of mystery and even mysticism in the sounds and vocals throughout the EP – one its numerous allures.
MP3: ”Red Rover” – We Govern We from Zano
WGW’s sophomore EP demonstrates the band’s musical and lyrical maturation process just since their debut. As founders, and husband and wife, Panos Scourtis (guitar) and Anna Karakalos (vocalist, songwriter), like to say that WGW was “born in Greece and raised in California.”
The other experienced and talented members of the band include guitarist Alexis Cohen, bassist Adrian Burke and drummer John Boutin to solidify the band’s percussion.
Album Stream: Listen to Zano via the band’s official website
WGW dropped its acclaimed debut album, Reznor’s Child, produced by Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets), in 2010. Previously in the popular Greek rock band, Sigmatropic, Scourtis and Karakalos have toured Europe and opened for artists like Moby, Sonic Youth and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
https://soundcloud.com/theoutervibe/why-dont-you-listen
The Outer Vibe – “Sweet to the Rind”
The five-piece indie pop band The Outer Vibe from the music city of Nashville are self-described as “cinematic surf disco (think Clint Eastwood drinking a pina colada at a Dick Dale concert).”
After recently signing a publishing deal, the band dropped a collection of new tracks, including singles like “Why Don’t You Listen” and “Sweet to the Rind.”
As demonstrated on the riveting “Sweet to The Rind,” the band’s style is based on diverse genre-mixing format, in this case featuring R&B and funk rhythms and grooves, shimmering rock guitars and an awesome horn solo.
The Outer Vibe has been putting its talents to hard work over the years, gaining each fan deservedly . The band members – Sean Zuidgeest (vocals); Nick Hosford (guitar); Lisa Kacos (trumpet); Wunder Dornoff (bass); and Noah Snyder (drums) – have carved out and honed their own sound.
They’ve opened for a bunch of alt. and indie bands, including Train, Young the Giant, Kongos, and Borns, since forming in 2002 after the five friends decided to start up the band. Not many bands last 15 years in the music industry, and it’s nice to see these guys haven’t become ordinary. The band members are fans of artists like Electric Light Orchestra, Ennio Morricone, Paul Simon, Justice, and Spoon.
MP3: ”Sweet to the Rind” – The Outer Vibe
Alabama Deathwalk – Steep Hills
For more than a decade now, El Paso musician Eric Reed, has been attracting press and fan adulation within the indie rock world for his series of DIY albums as the artist Alabama Deathwalk.
Reed’s celebrated style of Americana-meets-emo with tragic lyrics of heartbreak of the modern age, has captured the attention of popular indie bands as well, including Built to Spill, Deertick, Appleseed Cast, and Porches – all of whom have tapped Reed to open for them when they passed through the region on national tours.
Reed’s newest release, the haunting album, Steep Hills, has produced the emo-leaning single, “Friends”, a touching tribute to friends Reed lost tragically in recent years. The music video for the song, directed by Sheridan O’Donnell, is wonderfully crafted with a touching, and appropriate, black and white short film.
Reed’s authentic songwriting and performance on Steep Hills obviously wouldn’t be as accomplished as it is without band members Simeon Beardsley (guitar); Rod Mendoza (bass); Josh Mendoza (drums) and KT Neely (vocals). Apparent in the band’s songs, Alabama Deathwalk is heavily influenced by, and similar to, artists like Bright Eyes, David Bazan, Pinegrove, Sunny Day Real Estate, Ryan Adams, and Rocky Votolato.
Other notable tracks on Steep Hills include the electric lashing beats, lonely ringing guitar, and melancholy vocals of the memorable “Two Weeks,” with swelling choruses of instrumentation and vocals near the song’s conclusion.
Even more stand out tracks on Steep Hills, and there are a number, include the math art-like indie rock of “Confessionals Part Two” and the poignant breakup song, “Dallas.” There is also the lo-fi Americana-meets-emo meandering track, “11:14,” and definitely don’t miss Reed’s heartfelt lyrics, shaky, screeching vocals, high school band-like background drumming, and wonderfully melodic, sweeping synth swells on “Freaky.” From beginning to end, this is one of the best DIY albums of the year so far.
You may also want to take a listen to Reed’s thrilling, soaring post rock/indie rock hybrid track, “Plans,” (listen here) from 2015. The album was produced by Reed and Ross Ingram; recorded and mixed by Ingram at Brainville in El Paso and mastered by Luke Dumke at The Yard in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Zach Cannella – Jephthah
When songwriter and musician Zach Cannella arrived in Nashville from his hometown of Chicago a few years ago, he brought with him “a different outlook on the genre of country and a unique interpretation on what makes an ‘indie folk’ musician.”
At first, the layers of acoustics and strings on the standout title track of his new EP, Jephthah, flow like gentle streams with Cannella’s wonderfully lush melodies, pitch-perfect vocals, sound effects and booming percussions that all converge into a sweeping chorus before the song downshifts again. The second single, “South,” from the EP is an uptempo country-tinged rocker reminiscent of Kurt Vile.
MP3: “Jephthah“ – Zach Cannella from Jephthah
A student of music composition at a music conservatory in Chicago, it wasn’t long before Cannella discovered that the art and process of songwriting was “the most honest form” of artistic expression. Cannella’s musical influences include Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, and Jose Gonzalez.
Ruby Bones – Ruby Bones
With unfettered guitar rock hooks, energetic rhythms and existential lyrics on songs like “Heart of Darkness,” the new Brooklyn indie rock band Ruby Bones make no bones about enjoying themselves.
The track reminds us a lot of The Strokes, and in a good way. The band’s guitarist and vocalist Chris Nova, describes the track this way: “It’s heavy without being macho, all while embracing pop melodies and big hooks.”
On May 12th, the band will drop their eponymous debut album. Ruby Bones main musical influences include The Thermals, The Walkmen, and Spoon. The other band members are James Janocha on drums and FC Spies on bass.
MP3: “Heart of Darkness“ – Ruby Bones from Ruby Bones
DOTE – North
Uptempo Strokes-inspired guitar riffs and hooks; booming bass lines; a grooving rhythm and beat, and the fantastic Robert Smith-like vocals of Jonah Lemm (guitar, synth and programming) comprise the unforgettable, melodic hooks of the hot new single, “Cold Lips,” from the band DOTE‘s debut EP, North.
If you dig “Cold Lips” as much as we do, you can listen to the rest of the EP on Spotify. We’ve been listening to it for a couple of weeks, and it’s a grower. Other tracks like the seductive, Bowie-influenced, “Blind,” the mood-swinging synths of “Arcane Love” and the ringing guitars of the anthemic-like “Ghosts.”
The other band members – Lukas Hueskens (vocals, drums, percussion), Moritz Arendt (guitar, synths, Rhodes), and Niclas Beba (bass) have been friends since they were school boys growing up in Essen, Germany. But they didn’t start to create music together until their late teens.
Now in their early 20s, the band members “like to sing about red wine and cigarettes with danceable beats and dark electric sounds,” Lemm exclaims. DOTE’s musical influences include Foals, The 1975, Phoenix, Ben Howard, The Cure, the xx, and The Smiths.
MP3: “Cold Lips“ – DOTE from North
Bobo and The Demeraras – Uptopia Eurotica
Formed in Glasgow, Scotland during the summer of 2014, a couple of touring veteran session musicians – lead by Craig Bobo France (vocals, guitar and keys) and Billy Hudson (drums and production) – decided to write and record their own album as Bobo and The Demeraras.
That 2015 debut album, Heart Goes Blind, received many glowing reviews and thumbs up from Nik West (former Prince bassist) and Johnny Marr (The Replacements founder). The duo’s major influences include The Stone Roses, AIR, Tame Impala, and Kraftwerk.
The group’s second album Uptopia Eurotica, out now, is full of dreamy sci-fi synth pop songs like the space love song, “Oktogon” and the floating melodies and emotive vocals of “Everything (Is You)” with it’s memorable guitar hook.
MP3: “Oktogon“ – Bobo and The Demeraras from Utopia Eurotica (Feb. 28th)