Category: Artist of the Week

Every once and a while we come across an exceptional artist who has been around for a some time, but who turns out to be what we commonly call “new to us.” Sometimes it’s surprising, even baffling – as in: “how is it possible that we haven’t heard of this artist before?” When an artist falls into our “new to us” category, it’s almost always a good thing. In some cases, it’s a really good thing.

But then another reality sets in: there are plenty of great indie, alternative, DIY, and under-the-radar artists and bands that have been around for a long time (or not as long) that we still haven’t heard yet. It’s impossible to follow everything, especially when you’re talking about the world of indie and alternative music. Time and time again, the evidence proves that the music industry, together with the mainstream culture and media, misses a lot of amazing music.

Such is the case with this week’s Artist of the Week. Portland musician Nick Jaina should be a more familiar name to indie music lovers than he currently is. While he has gained a lot of mileage from the fact that he has opened for bands like The Decemberists, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, Jaina is still not a “household” name among indie music lovers as much as he should be. Jaina’s array of talents run the gamut from his beautiful songwriting and impressive instrumentation to his warm vocals and prolific body of work. He possesses all of the abilities and characteristics of a truly gifted musician.

With a penchant for melodies and an intricate song craft, Jaina’s musical core springs from his primary niche – indie folk art. On May 7th, he released his newest album, Primary Perception via Fluff and Gravy Records. The LP includes the terrific standout tracks, “Don’t Come to Me” and “These Fair Hands.”

“Don’t Come To Me” – Nick Jaina from Primary Perception

“These Fair Hands” – Nick Jaina from Primary Perception

With a need to hear more of his discography, we went back through Jaina’s Bandcamp page, and ended up listening to his 2011 album, A Bird In The Opera House, three times from start to finish. While his newest album is a bit more pop and rock oriented, A Bird In The Opera House is slanted considerably towards the folk art sound, where Jaina seems most comfortable, and where he clearly shines. In fact, going back even more and listening to his older releases, we can see why he was chosen by The Decemberists as an opening act. While comparisons to The Decemberists would be misguided, Jaina’s musical compositions and his story-telling artistry are very much influenced by, and in alignment with, the Pacific Northwest folk art tradition.

In addition to being featured in Northwest publications like KEXP, The Portland Mercury and Willamette Week, Jaina has also been profiled in national pubs like Spin and Impose, and even NPR. His career is about as varied as one artist’s can be – from writing ballet music in Brooklyn to composing film soundtracks in Los Angeles to developing theatrical scores in New Orleans.

It was hard to pick only a few of songs from A Bird In The Opera House since we like them all. That’s always the true test of an album masterpiece – when you struggle to pick out the standout tracks among a stack of standout tracks. That said, we’ve included the opening track, the dreamy reflecting of “Sebastopol,” with it orchestral backdrop, followed by the melancholic beauty of “Days In My Room,” to the joyous, hook-filled sentiments of “Semoline.” You can also stream or buy the album via Bandcamp – perhaps you’ll have your own favorites among a stellar collection of songs.

“Sebastopol” – Nick Jaina from A Bird In The Opera House

“Days In My Room” – Nick Jaina from A Bird In The Opera House

“Semoline” – Nick Jaina from A Bird In The Opera House

A number of terrific singer/songwriters come to mind while listening to Jaina’s discography, including Andrew Bird, Mark Kozemel, Chris Martin, Sam Amidon, Matt Pond PA, Leonard Cohen, and Matthew Dear. Therefore, if you are an admirer of one or more of those artists, chances are Jaina will strike a chord with you, and his splendid compositions together with his touching vocals will likely stay with you.

If you download (worth every dollar) and listen to both albums – A Bird In The Opera House and his latest, Primary Perception, and spin them a number of times, you’ll probably come to the same conclusion as we have – that is, Jaina is an under-appreciated songwriter, musician and vocalist compared to the extensiveness and breadth of his talent. He’s simply a genius.

In a way, it’s good that his name is not more recognizable – in fact, it can be our little secret, since, as some of you know, we regularly post talented under-the-radar and DIY musicians and bands that get little to no coverage online. While highlighting relatively unknown artists has become our niche and identity within the indie music blogosphere (and we couldn’t be more thrilled about that), it’s really artists like Jaina that make that possible. And that’s what we’ll keep doing because there are far too many incredible artists and bands that are simply not covered adequately on the web.

Nick Jaina’s Official Website and Facebook page.

Inspired by the late 2000’s synth-pop revival, and influenced by bands such as The Killers, The Bravery, Zoe and U2, London indie band, Deco Pilot, have been building a buzz throughout the U.K. since the February release of their debut EP, This City, a record that prompted Bandcamp editors to name the band as one of “best new upcoming bands of 2013.”

Deco Pilot formed in 2010 when a group of young and musically-inclined friends decided to join forces to write and record a number of upbeat, melodic songs that expressed a shared love for atmospheric pop, classic rock and catchy rhythms with a synth-infused glisten, all wrapped around poignant lyrics about life in the big city, soul-searching and young men’s dreams of meeting the ever-elusive “girl with the diamond heart,” a reference to their song, “Diamond Heart.”

Following a year of rehearsals in a make-shift studio/flat in London, the band had enough material to record and release This City. The debut EP features four thrilling tracks marked by stylish guitar riffs and creative hooks, inspiring synth arrangements, thumping bass lines, big, driving beats and crashing cymbals, rounded out by soaring vocals and choruses, that are evident on their crowd-pleasing eponymous single, “You Know What I’m Looking For.” The single kicked off the band’s rising status among London’s large and influential indie rock scene.

Deco Pilot originally formed in Liverpool at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), a school generously funded by Beatles’ legend Paul McCartney. It was at LIPA where Mexican-born brothers, Jose Lopez Portillo (vocals) and Juan Lopez Portillo (guitar), met fellow Mexican-born keyboardist Giancarlo Bonfanti. The trio hit it off famously and were soon recording their own songs. Not long after their convergence, Swedish bassist John Franklin, who was studying music in London, joined the band. Only weeks after jamming together and channeling their energies to formulate their distinct sound, the band members, all in their early twenties, officially formed Deco Pilot.

“You Know What I’m Looking For” – Deco Pilot from This City

Late in 2011, the internationally staffed band set out on a tour across Mexico, and soon after, played a number of well-received gigs in Paris. In the springtime of 2012, having refined their sound by leaps and bounds and adapted to the important lessons of live performance, Deco Pilot were being invited to play alongside bands like The Milk and The Futureheads at the Brownstock Music Festival in Essex, and at Bath’s International Music Festival‘s Party in the City, respectively.

Earlier this year, the band’s growing popularity opened the doors to collaboration with director Steve Glashier (who has previously worked with Juliette Lewis and Fatboy Slim) on the making of a music video for Deco Pilot’s signature song, “You Know What I’m Looking For”.

In an interview, the band members told IRC that they’re working on new tracks for their debut LP, which they plan to release later this year, or early in 2014. In fact, the band tested out some of the new songs, which are not completed, for excited crowds that came out to see them in London earlier this month at venues like The Rattlesnake and The Ginglik.

“This City” – Deco Pilot from This City

“I believe the audience really can feel that we enjoy ourselves on stage and it helps build a nice connection,” Franklin said, continuing: “A new fan in the audience at The Rattlesnake told us: ‘You’re the best new band I have seen in ages.'” Vocalist Portillo said: “we’re arranging to visit other cities in the U.K. for summer and we’re planning in going back to Paris in October,” with Bonfonti adding: “we want to tour Europe and start building a fan base in other countries.”

For a multicultural, talented new indie band with a captivating sound, a hot new EP and single, popular music videos and an expanding base of fans inside, and outside, of the U.K., the future looks promising for Deco Pilot.

When a band has so many ace songs that it’s a real challenge to pick just a few of them to include in an Artist of the Week profile, that’s when you know that you’ve come upon something special. That’s the case with New York City indie rock DIY band, The Rotaries. Last August, the band released a spectacular debut LP, Before Leaving, that somehow flew under the radar. While it is some nine months since its release, we hope that enough listeners will hear the genius in the tracks featured below and help push the band into the spotlight – because you guys can do that (you’ve done it before), and this band belongs there.

It’s not often that we come across a DIY band’s rather small discography that is so full of gems. The Rotaries formed in 2010 and they’ve already put together a stunning collection of 15 terrific songs, including the tracks from their self-titled 2010 debut EP. As already mentioned, we struggled to pick just a few songs to represent the band’s captivating, hook-heavy and lively Caribbean-meets-indie-pop-rock sound. The Rotaries constantly surprise the listener with a consistent song craft that also happens to include a wide range of styles in composition, instrumentation and vocals that it is truly mind-boggling. We, as instant fans, can only hope that they stay together and keep putting out music that can be played over and over again without losing its luster. Our first introduction was via the title track to the album, which was sent over to us by the band only a couple of weeks ago.

“Before Leaving” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

Just how The Rotaries have largely flown under the radar of indie rock bloggers, never mind the more mainstream music press, is beyond our comprehension. The only explanation can be is that they just haven’t been heard, and it’s a shame that music lovers have so far been mostly deprived of a great talent. For New Yorkers who closely follow local indie pop rock bands, The Rotaries may already be on their radar. In fact, The Rotaries shared the stage with another amazing, under-rated band we featured a couple of years ago, The Dig, during a performance last August at Webster Hall Studio.

Some bloggers have found out about The Rotaries, but they’re still largely under the radar with the larger blogs (in fact, IRC is probably their first big blog exposure, if you will). The blog Brooklyn Daily Eagle, stated: “Upbeat, danceable, and infectious, The Rotaries debut record Before Leaving sustains the indie-rock sound for a new generation.” In a review from the blog, Sweet Nothings, the writer states: “Compared to most indie-rock out there, The Rotaries definitely take the cake. Indie-rock is a genre that has greatly unraveled since its inception, and this band is what it has been missing for years.”

The Sound of Confusion blog recently added: “These guys have been described as a cross between The Strokes and The Killers, although we’re not hearing much Killer’s going on in the new single, ‘Before Leaving’…so maybe they are more Killers-like moments on [the debut album], but we kind of hope not, because [The Rotaries] sound pretty good just as they are.”

Here we have a band that is already established themselves as not only a band to watch, but one of IRC’s favorite DIY band ‘discoveries’ of 2013. Combining pure pop-rock guitar riffs, a perfectly in sync and fine percussion and rhythm section, featuring Bernard Casserly on bass and Danny Nosonowitz on drums, and the remarkable, emotive and versatile vocals of guitarist James Rapp, The Rotaries have an addictive, seducing, catchy and enjoyable style and sound. As already pointed out, it’s incredibly difficult to pick out just a few standout songs from their debut album, because they’re nearly all standout.

Just for starters, the album’s first three tracks, included below sequentially, all sound to us like hit songs. The best that we can tell is that we picked six (about three song over the usual number of songs presented in an Artist of the Week profile) of the best songs from the album, but listeners, especially fans of The Strokes and The Walkmen (two bands The Rotaries state are musical influences) , and even The Kooks and Vampire Weekend, are strongly encouraged to listen to all of the tracks from the album more than a couple of times. Chances are, you’ll be hooked.

There are few albums that we can play back-to-back half a dozen times and still enjoy with each subsequent spin. That is the other litmus test for a truly fantastic band, and if The Rotaries don’t break out and become hugely popular, then there is something really wrong going on that can’t be easily explained. Before Leaving is easily one of the best DIY albums of 2012, albeit, we only got to hear it many months following the original release date. The Rotaries are the perfect example of why it’s so important to highlight talented, under rated bands. They’ve previously opened for artists like Ellis Ashbrook, Two States, Blue Panel, and The Rochambros, among others.

The opening track, “Tomorrow’s Game,” is a rich, mesmerizing song with sweet, melodic guitar riffs and a catchy, rhythmic drum beat that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The second track, “Of Age,” is an especially upbeat song, with hints of Caribbean-like riffs and rhythms, coupled with angling, sharp electric guitar playing and a flourishing chorus. “So To Speak,” the LP’s third track, has an understated, semi-tropical feel, that breaks out at different intervals into a full engagement, driven by heavy doses of melodically inspired instrumentation, bumbling bass notes, forceful drumming and crashing cymbals, and Rapp’s Julian Casablancas-like vocals, in as far as a similar kind of lazy, drawn out delivery that Casablancas is known for.

“Tomorrow’s Game” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

“Of Age” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

“So To Speak” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

We can’t think of a time in recent memory that we’ve heard a vocalist whose singing is so reminiscent to Casablancas, but, at the same time, not exactly – at least not in a cheap, rip-off kind of way that is only truly comprehended by listening to the band’s debut album. In fact, after listening to the album numerous times in the cafe, it’s clear that it’s Rapp’s natural singing voice, but surely there is some influence of Casablancas, since Rapp does cite The Strokes as a musical influence in his submission to IRC. Some die-hard Strokes’ fans may snicker at such a comparison, but it seems fairly unmistakable to everyone here. There is also a likeness to another band we love, The Postelles. As mentioned earlier, we could have featured almost all of the songs from this shockingly-overlooked DIY masterpiece, but that would be a bit overboard. Still, we’ve included six tracks altogether, which is a few more songs than we normally include in most Artist of the Week profiles.

“Red Letter Day” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

“Temporary End” – The Rotaries from Before Leaving

Listen to the entire LP (and their debut EP) at The Rotaries’ Bandcamp page, and if you enjoy it as much as we do, please show some love and contribute at least a few dollars so that this band can come out of relative obscurity and get the kind of notice they deserve, and that indie pop-rock lovers deserve to hear.

The Rotaries on Facebook

The International Songwriting Competition, widely recognized as the world’s premier songwriting event, today announced its 2012 winners.

ISC’s Grand Prize has been awarded to Joshua Hanson of Irvine, California, for his song, “Monsters With Misdemeanors,” which he entered in the folk singer-songwriter category.

Therefore, it only made sense to name Hanson as IRC’s Artist of the Week.

Hanson is the lead singer and songwriter of the award-winning indie folk-rock trio, Yellow Red Sparks, and the son of a lounge-singing mother and a theatrically trained father. From a young age, Hanson was always fascinated with words and how the stories would unfold through the liner notes of some of his favorite songwriters.

His own ability of expression is eloquent and effortless, crafting and delivering candid and poetic lyrics that elicit the slightest hint of bittersweet heartache. “The judges loved the song for its sparse honesty and achingly tender lyrics,” Avery said.

Yellow Red Sparks released their debut self-titled full-length album at the end of January, winning glowing reviews and the attention of music taste makers.

The band was also a buzz band at SXSW 2013 in March, thanks in part to their debut album. In addition to the recognition that comes with the award, Hanson will receive $25,000 and an additional $40,000 in merchandise and services.

The band kick-off a two-week national tour tonight at The Griffin in San Diego. The tour will wind through Colorado, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, and commence on May 18th in Massachusetts. Needless to say, with the release of their beautifully rich debut, a successful appearance at SXSW, and now the award to Hanson, the band has a promising road ahead of them, and based on their talent, dedication and original approach to songwriting and performance, Yellow Red Sparks are a band that you shouldn’t miss if they’re stopping by your city during their two-week tour.

Robin Hilton of NPR’s All Songs Considered commented on April 22nd:

“The songs of Yellow Red Sparks… are twisted tales told through cinematic, often epic orchestrations. In the group’s spectacular and creepy new video, for the song “A Play To End All Plays,” a couple’s failed relationship is acted out like an old circus sideshow before a finger-wagging audience.

Frontman Joshua Hanson, who appears as the play’s host, indicts the lovers with a surprisingly infectious melody and old-timey instrumentation.”

Listen to the ISC grand prize-winning song, “Monsters With Misdemeanors,” via the Soundcloud embed below. Also, if you let the stream run longer, you can hear other amazing songs from this promising Band to Watch, and talented singer-songwriter. The ISC really hit the bulls-eye this year by awarding the grand prize to Hanson in recognition of his songwriting talents. Scroll down to see the award-winning lyrics.

“ISC’s mission is to inspire and promote greatness in the field of songwriting,” says Candace Avery, director of ISC. “It is humbling to hear so many talented songwriters, and it is gratifying to play a part in the growth of the winners’ careers.” Established in 2002, ISC awards more than $150,000 in cash and prizes to amateur and professional songwriters around the world.

A total of 68 winners from 119 countries worldwide were selected from over 20,000 entries, and for the first time ever, more than half of the winners are from outside the United States. Past ISC winners include Gotye, The Band Perry, Kasey Chambers, Amanda Palmer, Gin Wigmore, King Charles, Kimbra, Passenger, Andrew Bird, to name just a few.

ISC Judges Include Tom Waits, Jeff Beck, Nas, Robert Smith and Black Francis

The 2012 judges included iconic artists such as Tom Waits; Jeff Beck; Nas; Suzanne Vega; Bernie Taupin; Keane, Tegan and Sara, Robert Smith (The Cure); Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Mark Foster (Foster The People); Alejandro Sanz; Gerald Casale (Devo); Tegan & SaraBlack Francis (The Pixies), Basement Jaxx, and many more. In addition to celebrity artists, judges also included seven record label presidents, as well as other industry leaders, offering songwriters the unprecedented opportunity to have their music heard by influential decision-makers.

We strongly believe that it’s time for the competition to include influential bloggers as judges too; afterall, bloggers have their fingers on the pulse of talented, and under-the-radar, singers and songwriters, and many work very hard, with little reward; it’s nearly impossible to make a viable living by blogging alone, despite the true value that good blogs provide to the music-loving culture and community. For example, as many of you know, on Indie Rock Cafe, we feature dozens and dozens of such artists every year, which you can read about, and listen to, via the Artist of the Week series, as well as DIY Bands to Watch and the Singer/Songwriter Spotlight Series, all of which we have many posts in the pipeline that will be posted in coming weeks.

As mentioned above, on April 22nd, Yellow Red Sparks dropped a new music video for the song, “A Play To End All Plays,” which was just featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered, and now on Indie Rock Cafe.

Lyrics for “Monsters With Misdemeanors”
Written by Joshua Hanson and performed by Yellow Red Sparks

There’s a chance we could meet
Under the likeness of summer
And there’s a chance we could fall
Under the highlight of winter
There’s a parked car that won’t let me over
And there’s one thing I’ll regret, but you’d be the last

I’m just sick of the monsters that we chase everyday
I’m just sick of the monsters that we chase everyday
Yeah you know, you know

There’s a wonderful plan
I hope to God we’re in it (ready)
And I’ll steer you one more time
Just to show the way
Well there’s passing cars
That love to see me stranded…try it again
And there are four things I’ll forget
But you’d be the last

I’m just sick of the monsters that we chase everyday
I’m just so sick of these monsters that we chase everyday
Yeah you know, you know

And it goes to show
That darling you’ve known
And if I would, I could
But I’ve been there (here) before
And just like Rome
Darling we fall

I’m just sick, I’m just sick

You have lovely eyes and a lovely face
A cold embrace
We have lovely eyes and a lovely faith
A cold embrace

Other ISC Winners in Various Genres and Categories

In addition to the grand prize winner, many other deserving songwriters, ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans, also share the 2012 spotlight for winning in their respective genres and categories, including prizes for Americana, blues, rock, pop, dance, country, DIY-only, among others. Check out the complete list of the International Songwriting Competition winners for the 2012 competition.

Already the process for the 2013 ISC is underway; get more details by visiting the ISC’s website.

Record Industry Judges

In addition to the artists who served as judges, a number of record label industry folks, from the big labels to smaller labels, also participated in the judging, including Dan McCarroll (President, Capitol/Virgin Label Group); Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); Alison Donald (Co-President, Columbia Records UK); Ed Vetri (President, Wind-Up Records); Richard Stumpf (President, Imagem Music US); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Albert Schilcher (VP Music & Music Mktg, MTV International); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony/BMG); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo Kids); Steve Smith (VP of A&R, Aware Records); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Lori Tieg (VP of Talent, VEVO); Dr. Demento (Radio Host, The Dr. Demento Show); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Kim Buie (Head of A&R, Thirty Tigers); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Allison B. Jones (VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group); Jack Vaughn (VP, Comedy Central Records); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People); and Jamie Masada (Owner, Laugh Factory).

Tristram Burden is a South Korean artist and ex-pat from Kent, England, who travelled the world for a number of years with his mandolin and some songs in a quest to meet other musicians who shared similar tastes in music. After numerous musical incarnations, he finally found what he was looking for in 2010 in the South Korean city of Gangneung, Gangwon-do. Burden set out to find musicians who, he said, “loved my compositions enough to learn them and play them with me.”

The members of Language of Shapes, now clearly one of the best indie bands from South Korea, include J.E. Seuk, who plays flute, mandolin, mandola and also sings, Kimberley Brigner, who plays flute and mandolin, Courtland Miles on bass and Bobby Goldberg on a djembe – a rope-tuned, skin covered, goblet-shaped drum that is played with the hands. Burden also sings and plays the mandola, bouzouki and the french horn. What Burden wanted was a band of mandolin players to perform his songs. The band’s music is truly original and unique, featuring a combination of psychedelic rock, folk and post-punk. The band’s musical Influences include Scott Walker, Wim Mertens, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Dinosaur Jr, and The Afghan Whigs.

“Our name,” Burden said “comes from a dream J.E. had about shapes talking to each other, and how she could understand and communicate with them also, but in an entirely abstract and untranslatable way.” The band’s songs are dreamy, and have a certain, stunning texture to them. Responding to ‘what is indie rock,’ Burden said: “At it’s best, raw music untainted by record company expectations, at its worst, something somebody’s already done, somewhere and somewhen else, but much better.

“Cage” – Language of Shapes from Language of Shapes

“Hidden Hand” – Language of Shapes from Language of Shapes

Language of Shapes on Bandcamp
Language of Shapes on Facebook

Austin is a city over-flowing with talented musicians, which makes it difficult for accomplished artists to stand out. Nevertheless, local singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and prolific musical collaborator David Thomas Jones is a rising DIY musician within Austin’s city limits, and increasingly, beyond. Less than a year since he officially launched his solo effort, Jones has been featured on a number of popular blogs and news sites and has opened for big-time bands and artists, including Cake, Local H and fellow Austin musician Ben Kweller.

In addition to his relatively fresh solo efforts, Jones has, or had, a role in various other bands, including, Watch Out For Rockets, which we featured on IRC a couple of years ago. WOFR started out as a bedroom project of Jones’ and quickly evolved into a full-blown lo-fi pop band, which has released six albums since it’s inception. Jones was also the drummer for the band The Murdocks, the bassist for psychedelic rock band, Scan Hopper, as well as the band Les RAV, a rising indie band from Austin that made quite a splash at last month’s SXSW.

Jones’ debut solo LP, Comfort Creatures, was recorded in his friend, James Jones‘ (Love Inks, TV Torso, and Hundred Visions), living room. It’s a great record as the two songs featured below clearly demonstrate.
His musical influences include Guided by Voices, Sebadoh, Sonic Youth, Diamond Rugs, T. Rex and King Tuff.

“Our Lives” – David Thomas Jones from Comfort Creatures

“Butcher in the Sky” – David Thomas Jones from Comfort Creatures

Listen to Comfort Creatures on Spotify

“Ghetto and Rye” – Watch Out For Rockets from Telephatic War Machine (2011)

David Thomas Jones’ Official Website

David Thomas Jones on Facebook

New York City DIY singer-songwriter Nathan Xander, who has opened for artists such as Delta Spirit, The Felice Brothers, Tuneyards, and Prussia, writes and records music that is introspective, emotive, and reminiscent of artists like Neil Young and Nick Drake. Over the years, Xander has moved between Union City and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and then Chicago, before settling in New York.

Xander’s latest self-titled release, his third album, dropped in January. But it’s not the album he originally recorded and was set to release. In the summer of 2011, he was working in a New York recording studio on the finishing touches of the tracks for his new album. Than lightning struck – literally. Xander received a devastating call from the studio’s engineer who told him that lightning had struck the studio during a storm and wiped out, in one zap, all of the recordings from the hard drives; months of hard work was obliterated in a flash. Completely gone. Xander, nor the studio, had created backups (which should be a lesson to any musician – constantly create other backups of your work on an external hard drive or upload to a secure site like Dropbox because months of work can be lost in a second).

“We had everything pretty well done and I was going to mix it and do some tweaks here before releasing it,” Xander told IRC. “Then, when it was ready, it was gone…it really made mad to lose everything and start over but I write so much that it’s not a big deal.” Other than “crappy demos,” Xander had no other copies of the songs backed up anywhere. So, instead of trying to start again from the demos, he decided to move on: “So, I went in and recorded a totally new record… [the] overdubs were done over the Internet [by] sending files back and forth to my guitar player in Chicago.” No matter how you look at it, that’s an amazing story of loss, disappointment, renewal and triumph, which is evident in the songs on his new release.

(In a strange coincidence, the original post that we published a couple of days ago profiling Xander disappeared from our site for a reason that we still do not understand, and which has never happened before. Xander, noting that, said: “Someone is out to get me.”)

Xander works deliberately on his music, honing his songwriting skills, folksy, acoustic sounds and affecting vocals. He explained to IRC his songwriting process: “I just play guitar a lot and work on things as they come… I sort of sit on a guitar part and wait. I’ll usually come up with a couple lines when I walk the dog or something and then go home and write; [I] jump on things as they come.” His part-time backup band includes Brian Morrissey – guitar and keys; Ryan Juravic on percussion; Keith Rowland on bass and Nick Broste on trombone.

Xander said that he has 10 additional songs partially track for a new album and about 20 others that he is also working on. All the evidence points to a prolific artist. His next scheduled performance will be on April 14th at the Cake Shop in Manhattan with the rising indie band Water Liars.

While he is DIY, Xander is not completely off the radar; in addition to sharing the stage with some well-known and popular artists, he’s also been featured in publications like The Chicago Tribune and was invited to do a session on Daytrotter last June.

Xander’s impressive finger-picking style, along with his touching lyrics, creates a sound that is truly unique, even though he clearly draws inspiration from many of his favorite artists, from Bob Dylan and Why? to Elton John and Neil Young. Xander creates just as much variety and depth with his guitar as he does with his lyrics, and his accompanying band adds the fullness and poignancy to his songs, which helps to distinguish him from the traditional Americana singer/songwriter mold.

The blog, Slowcoustic, wrote: “If you are looking for a candidate to join the forces of today’s Indie-Americana heroes, Nathan Xander should be on your radar, hell, he should be in your ears!” Blogger Reglar Wiglar wrote of Xander’s music: “It’s sad, haunting, beautiful, universal and lingers in your brain… Nathan Xander’s songs are simple but smart, sparse but with space and definitely get to the heart of matters of the heart.”

Xander’s musical influences include Kris Kristofferson, Paul Westerberg, Mose Allison, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle , Michael Hurley, Magnolia Electric Co., Elton John, Dylan, Neil, Randy Newman, Why?, Felice Brothers, and Waylon Jennings.

“Last Day Of The Month” – Nathan Xander from Nathan Xander

“OOO OOO OOO” – Nathan Xander from Nathan Xander

Nathan Xander’s Official Blog

Not long ago, a regular IRC listener tipped us off to the impressive recordings of Minneapolis experimental folk singer and songwriter Early Alan Younger, who is the latest to be featured in the popular Artist of the Week series.

As with so many artists we feature on IRC, Younger is a largely unknown figure in the national indie folk music movement, which we hope to help change with this profile. In fact, in a Google search for his name, there are only a few entries, and therefore, we don’t have much information about him. The Minneapolis based blog, The Current, wrote of the new EP, Hotcake Waltz, that “there always seems to be a little too much folk rock in the Midwest that doesn’t quite stand out. But Early Alan Younger seems to have no interest in appeasing the masses with easy listening. What we have here instead is moody, early Luke Temple vibes.”

Younger crafts emotive, heart-felt and well-honed folk songs that have been fully realized with the help of a newly recruited band (no indication if they will become a permanent band). Younger teamed up with local musicians Neil Weir and Magneto member Dave Gardner, as well as Aaron LeMay (Diver Dress) on drums and Tony Najm (formerly of the Alarmists) on bass.

This is Younger’s first EP of a three-part EP series he plans to release during 2013. The lead track, “Good Friend,” is a hazy, lo-fi acoustic romp that has a hauntingly melodic allure supported by his backup band and Younger’s poignant lyrics and vocals. The title track has almost a New Orleans funeral march aspect to it, wrapped in electric guitar distortion and a catchy, deep hook bass – a track that is, as mentioned earlier about Younger’s music in general, hard to categorize. Listen to the other two tracks from the EP via his Bandcamp page.

“Good Friend” – Early Alan Younger from The Hotcake Waltz EP

“The Hotcake Waltz” – Early Alan Younger from The Hotcake Waltz EP

“Highway Overpass” – Early Alan Younger from The Hotcake Waltz EP

Originally from upstate New York, DIY musician Matt Script moved to Chicago a few years ago to further his career as a freelance composer, musician and artist. We were stuck right from the get-go by Script’s obvious talents as a songwriter and singer and musician. The track that caught our attention from his submission was “Erasmus,” with it’s bright acoustic guitar and harp playing and mixing, it’s uptempo style and winding melodies, not to mention Script’s agreeable vocals that demonstrate quite a range. We’ve been playing the song, and some of his other tracks, over and over again. The guitar playing reminds us a lot of a musician name Michael Hedges who used to play this type of feedback/looping effect back in the 1980s, but Script says he is not aware of Hedges’ work.

“Erasmus” – Matt Script from Thru The Noise

Script wrote “Erasmus” as a “therapy session” for the homesickness and isolation he was feeling for his native Buffalo while studying abroad in Rome. “I naively romanticized about the deep connections I would make with the [Italian] people only to find that I felt just as lost, if not more lost, than I felt in Chicago. The ‘games’ referred to in the song to what we have to do to fit into society just to feel included I guess. The chorus is a paraphrased quote from Augustus, the roman emperor, when he said, “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.” . I used electric, acoustic, and nylon string guitars.

The second track, “Called,” has a wonderful looping or feedback type of drone to it, and it occurred to us that at times Script sounds a bit like another Matt, that is, the artist known as Matt Pond PA. Not surprisingly, Scripts says that he is a big fan of Pond, especially his earlier releases, including the fantastic album, Several Arrows Later, which has been featured on IRC in the past.

“I’m huge fan of his,” Scripts said. “Several Arrows Later is one of my favorite albums. I like a lot of his earlier stuff. “Measure 3″ might be one of my all time favorite songs too. I think that’s fair to say [his influence] definitely ingrained in my roots.”

A talented artist is able to do a lot with just a few simple instruments, strong lyrics, computer programs, plug-ins and gear, a well-honed, natural voice, and a genuine talent for music. Script combines all of these elements with excellent results again and again. Another track that showcases the diversity of his skills is “The Noise,” a track that also include drums loops, electric guitar, crashing cymbals and piano. While he has been known to label his music “urban folk loop,” which is a new sub-genre for us, Script successfully dabbles with other influences, ranging from pop and experimental to rock and ambient.

“Called” – Matt Script from Thru The Noise

His looping effects on electric and acoustic guitars are impressive and refreshing because you don’t hear these particular effects often. He writes on this Bandcamp page that Thru The Noise “explores the role of noise in our everyday lives.” That may be a bit, and unintentionally, misleading conceptually because in that case one would expect perhaps the album would contain a lot of sound samples and effects of actual everyday noises; there are some, but not to the extent that that would be the summation of the album. It’s much more of a well-structure and instrument and vocals-driven album than the quote implies.

He also released a fantastic five-track EP in June called Permatransience, from which the next single, “Caught Up,” is taken. Another song from that EP, “La Di Di” is a cheerful, upbeat song that also sounds like a Pond-influenced track, and the Simon and Garfunkel-like acoustic track, “Once You’re Awake,” is yet another accomplishment by Script, as is the title track, with its almost Spanish guitar style playing and poignant lyrics. Each song is a unique example of Script’s impressive skills as a singer/songwriter and musician.

“Caught Up” – Matt Script from Permatransience

Interestingly, Script is also a member of the band Wait, What? , which was featured on IRC not long ago via the In Dee Mail profile series.  Even more interesting, and most particularly to Harry Potter fans, is the fact that the band were recently tapped to play the music for one of the popular Harry Potter musical parodies by Star Kid Potter, a group of University of Michigan theatre students whose videos have gone viral in the past couple of years. Their official YouTube channel has already received a combined 140 million views worldwide and in the past couple of years have out paced Glee and Lady Gaga on iTunes. Script said the video his band is playing in for Star Kid Potter is in production now.

Script also has five other releases dating back to 2006 available to stream/download via his Bandcamp page.    His favorite bands include The National, Fleet Foxes, Ratatat, The Black Keys, Grimes, and The Kinks. In fact, he said The Kinks’ 1967 album Face to Face, was his favorite of the band’s 30+ LPs.

Some of the artists that we have been featuring in the Artist of the Week series during the past couple of months have been a big hit with IRC listeners, including indie rocker Thad Kopec (who we’ll have new music from shortly), singer/songwriter Bryce Jardin, or Chicago DIY musician Esta Vivo.

With sad, beautiful vocals similar to Eels and Beck, Pennsylvania musician Chad Murphy, who goes by the alias Markarians, is one we’ve been listening to lately. We think this 32-year-old has something to say worth hearing. After repeatedly spinning the two songs he sent to us, we are fascinated that a musician with no formal training writes and records such wonderfully memorable and heartfelt songs that no one except a few other people have ever heard. While this is nothing entirely knew for the artists and bands we routinely feature on IRC, Murphy stands out as particularly gifted, crafting songs with folk-inspired acoustic guitar playing, and soaring, pop-fused synthesizer riffs.

He listed his major musical influences as Echo & the Bunnymen, Robyn, Sonic Youth, Ivy, Ariel Pink, Arab Strap, Kurt Vile, The Clientele, The Church, among others. He is also formerly a member of the following bands: Remington Standard, Electoral College, and Tolchock Trio.

“Alligators” – Markarians from Move, Lord – Sept. 7th

“Domino” – Markarians from Move, Lord – Sept. 7th

In describing his interest in writing, playing and recording music, Murphy told IRC that he aims “to construct songs that reflect both the joy and the absurdity of life (sounds a bit pretentious to write that out, but…there it is).” Murphy also self-released an album in July of 2011 from which we have two singles, “Strangers II” and “Rip Through Sunsets.” We’d love to hear what you think via the Comments box below, Facebook or Twitter.

“Strangers II” – Markarians from Ten Means Heaven

“Rip Through Sunsets” – Markarians from Ten Means Heaven