Band of the Week – INDIE ROCK CAFE

Indie Band of the Week – The Elected

Posted on 05/28/2023 by IRC Staff

Introducing The Elected, a band that effortlessly blends indie folk and alternative rock with heartfelt storytelling and infectious melodies.

Led by the multi-talented musician Blake Sennett, The Elected has crafted a distinct sound that resonates with fans around the world.

With their introspective lyrics, rich instrumentation, and captivating performances, this California-based group has solidified their place in the music scene.

Formed in 2003, The Elected emerged as a side project for Blake Sennett, who is also known for his work as a founding member of the critically acclaimed band Rilo Kiley.

With The Elected, Sennett fully embraces his artistic vision, crafting songs that showcase his songwriting prowess and his ability to create atmospheric soundscapes.

The band’s music can be described as a delightful fusion of folk, country, and indie rock elements. Drawing inspiration from classic acts like Neil Young and Gram Parsons, The Elected infuses their songs with warm acoustic guitars, lush harmonies, and a touch of twang.

Their music takes listeners on a journey through introspective themes of love, longing, and self-discovery, while the melodies weave their way into the hearts of those who listen.

One of the standout features of The Elected’s discography are emotionally resonant songs that feel simultaneously introspective and yet universally relatable.

The band’s discography showcases Sennett’s astute lyrics and views of the complexities of human emotions, displaying an authenticity that is both raw and poetic. The band members command their instruments and vocals with true skill and dedication.

Here are some of the band’s best songs:

“Not Going Home” – This heartfelt ballad showcases The Elected’s ability to craft emotionally charged songs. With its introspective lyrics and beautiful melodies, it leaves a lasting impact.

“Go On” – A fan favorite, this track captures the essence of The Elected’s sound. The combination of poignant lyrics, lush instrumentation, and infectious hooks makes it a standout song.

“Would You Come with Me” – With its catchy guitar riffs and melodic hooks, this track showcases The Elected’s ability to create infectious indie folk-pop tunes that stick in your head.

“It Was Love” – This introspective and bittersweet song resonates with its relatable lyrics and evocative storytelling. The haunting vocals and delicate instrumentation make it a standout track.

“Desiree” – Known for its irresistible folk-rock groove, “Desiree” is a catchy and upbeat song that highlights The Elected’s knack for crafting infectious melodies.

“Not So Old as Yesterday” – This atmospheric and contemplative track features dreamy instrumentation and poetic lyrics, showcasing The Elected’s ability to create a captivating sonic landscape.

“Greetings in Braille” – A beautiful blend of acoustic folk and indie rock, this track showcases the band’s talent for crafting introspective and melodic songs.

“Have You Been Cheated” – With its introspective lyrics and infectious hooks, this song delivers an emotional punch. It showcases The Elected’s ability to infuse their music with vulnerability and authenticity.

These are just a few examples of the many exceptional songs from The Elected. Exploring their discography uncovers a treasure trove of heart-felt, captivating tracks that showcase the band’s musical prowess and unique artistic vision.

Throughout their career, The Elected has released a string of critically-acclaimed albums. Their debut album, Me First, introduced their distinctive sound to the world, while subsequent releases like Sun, Sun, Sun and Bury Me in My Rings further solidified their reputation as masters of their craft.

Each album is a testament to their growth as artists, showcasing their evolving sound and unwavering dedication to their art.

The Elected’s line-up, of course, is key to their success as a band. Each member is an essential element.

Blake Sennett: As the founding member and primary songwriter of The Elected, Blake Sennett has been the driving force behind the band. He is known for his distinctive vocals, guitar skills, and songwriting abilities. Sennett’s musical background also includes his involvement as a founding member of the critically acclaimed band Rilo Kiley.

Mike Bloom: Mike Bloom is a guitarist and a former member of The Elected. He joined the band in their early years and contributed to their musical sound with his skilled guitar playing. Bloom’s contributions helped shape the band’s distinctive folk and indie rock fusion.

Jason Boesel: Jason Boesel is a talented drummer who has collaborated with The Elected. Boesel’s rhythmic expertise added depth and energy to the band’s live performances and studio recordings. He is also known for his work with other notable acts like Rilo Kiley and Conor Oberst.

Daniel Brummel: Daniel Brummel is a multi-instrumentalist who played bass guitar and contributed backing vocals during his time with The Elected. His musical versatility and harmonizing skills added texture and depth to the band’s sound.

It’s important to note that The Elected’s lineup has evolved over time, and there may have been additional musicians who have contributed to the band’s recordings and performances.

Each member has brought their unique musical talents and creativity, collectively shaping The Elected’s distinct sound and contributing to their musical journey.

The Elected’s live performances are a testament to their musical prowess and showmanship. With their charismatic stage presence and heartfelt delivery, they create an immersive experience that leaves audiences captivated.

Whether performing at intimate venues or large festivals, The Elected never fail to connect with their fans and create an atmosphere of shared emotion and musical camaraderie.

As The Elected continues to captivate listeners with their signature sound and thought-provoking lyrics, their influence on the indie folk and alternative rock genres continues to grow. With their timeless melodies and poignant storytelling, they have carved out a unique space in the music world.

So, dive into the enchanting world of The Elected, where introspection meets melody, and allow their music to transport you to a place of emotional resonance and musical bliss.

Happy St. Patty’s Day – The Rumjack’s “Irish Pub Song” (70M Views)

Posted on 03/17/202103/17/2021 by IRC Staff

IRC wishes you all a very happy St. Patrick’s Day. If you were able to get out and socialize – awesome. We’ve all been couped up for too long. But let’s keep this in mind too: every single human being on this planet faces the same dilemmas with this nasty virus and pandemic. This is an era dominated by an invisible, microscopic, and deadly avian disease menacing all of mankind.

Forever and evermore, through all of the reams of history for all years to come, 2020 will be remembered as the first biological world war of the 21st Century, and the year that the human world was turned upside down.

Once again, thank goodness for music.

The team is working right now on various new posts with new indie (both labeled and DIY) singles, releases, bands to watch, videos, etc. coming at you this week and in the weeks to come.

Please check back and please make sure to like and follow us. It helps!

Band of the Week – Late Cambrian

Posted on 02/17/201507/22/2021 by August W. Zander

When we first heard a few songs from the Brooklyn band Late Cambrian, we knew that we were listening to one of the great new under-the-radar indie bands of the year. Beginning with the latest songs from their newest release, we eagerly listened to the band’s back catalog of enjoyable singles, brimming with glorious power pop hooks, driving rhythms and harmony-lush choruses.

It’s the music that ultimately matters, and Late Cambrian have proven themselves, after four years of hard work and a growing discography, as a band to watch in 2015. Their latest album, Golden Time, released in January, is busting at the seams with amazingly melodic, uptempo songs. The title track is a great example thanks to a collision of blazing guitars and rhythms, soaring synths and perfectly delivered vocals.

[zbplayer]

Since its release last fall, the “Golden Time” single has received over 10,000 plays and more than 120 hearts on Soundcloud alone and scored a No. 1 spot on OurStage. The video for “Golden Time” was also the featured video of the month. Those are pretty good indications of the band’s trajectory as they win one fan at a time.

Late Cambrian’s frontman, songwriter and vocalist, John N. Wlaysewski, says the title track of their new album is really starting to catch on not just for how terrific it sounds, but also because of the lyrics. “It’s a song about a teenager’s perspective on clubs, looking from the outside in,” he said.

“Golden Time“ – Late Cambrian from Golden Time

Another track, “Throwing Shade,” leaps right out of the speakers and demands attention. It’s fantastic guitar riff is one that Wlaysewski had been working on for some time, and waiting for just the right song to pair it to. “I’ve been wanting to make a slower groove-oriented song for a while,” he said, “and this is the first one.” “Throwing Shade,” he said, tells the story about “the weird mind games couples play with each other as a relationship is ending,” adding, “sometimes people see they have mental and emotional control over the other partner, and then use it to screw with their emotions.”

“Throwing Shade“ – Late Cambrian from Golden Time

Golden Time marked a huge leap forward for the band sonically, Wlaysweski said. “The album was a big sonic departure for us. I really wanted to incorporate more modern sounds, synths and samples. I wanted the band to experiment more with structure. I’d been listening to a lot of Phoenix’s Bankrupt while we recorded this.” He said that the band members are all big fans of Weezer, Pinkerton, The Strokes and other acclaimed bands.

A quote on their Bandcamp page describes their sound more exactly. “If The Strokes and Phoenix adopted Elliott Smith and The Arctic Monkeys the baby’s name would be Late Cambrian.” All of these influences are evident in the songs on Golden Time.

Following the release of the debut LP, The Last Concert, in 2011, subsequent albums like PEACH and Golden Time demonstrate the band’s ever evolving improvement in every aspect of their music, and that reflects as well in their growing popularity. Tower Records and HMV just released Golden Time in Japan, and it’s selling more there than it is in the U.S. “We have a big following in Japan and I’m hoping we can tour the country at the end of this summer,” Wlaysewski said.

“Eastern Stone” – Late Cambrian from The Last Concert

Last year they joined the bands Wheatus and McFront A Lot for a successful 30 show tour in the U.K. Late Cambrian has also shared the stage with bands like Dr. Dog and LIGHTS.

The band’s well-honed power pop energy, interesting and existential lyrics and soaring melodies accompanied by sweet vocal harmonies and fuzzy guitar riffs became more apparent on their sophomore release, PEACH, with songs like “Lovers Point” and “Ryan Gosling.”

Wlaysewski said that “Ryan Gosling,” named after the famous actor, is one of the band’s most well-known tracks, which is not surprising since it has a catchy, infectious melody and “woah-oh-oh” chorus, making it a perfect sing-along track. The song “details the struggle to make a meaningful connection with another human being in a fleeting New York City night life,” Wlaysweski said, while “Lover’s Point,” his personal favorite from PEACH, is “an incredibly romantic song for me…it’s about young love and having that feeling again when you’re older.”

“Ryan Gosling” – Late Cambrian from PEACH

The band’s discography offers one musical highlight after another. Taken all together, it’s easy to see why they were voted the best new artist of 2014 in a listeners’ poll. Late Cambrian has all of the makings of a breakout band that should kick up another notch in 2015 as more indie rock listeners in the U.S. hear their tracks.

Late Cambrian on Facebook

Late Cambrian official website

Band of the Week – The Airplanes

Posted on 11/03/201412/18/2019 by Rick Sosa

The Airplanes originally started as the one-man band of Joshua Vest, who wrote and recorded tracks in his Fayetteville, Arkansas home. But soon he realized he needed a band to really fulfill the sound he wanted to achieve, and to perform live. So, last fall, Vest set out and recruited guitarist Andrew Donovan, bassist Joel Paul and drummer Rob Storms.

Vest still writes and records the songs released by The Airplanes, and the sounds produced by the quartet are unique, blending elements of melodic California rock in the spirit of bands like The Byrds and The Beach Boys with a British rock influence from bands like The Smiths and The Stone Roses. In addition to those legendary bands, the band members are also big fans of Pavement and Teenage Fanclub – two more terrific bands to emulate.

The band gained wider recognition from indie fans after their song, “A Summer Daydream Part I,” was featured in a nationwide Infiniti commercial. The song, along with ‘Part II,’ and four other sunny pop tracks appear on the band’s 2012 self-titled debut EP – well worth the $4, and their sophomore EP, Jingle-Jangle (which doesn’t have any Christmas songs on it) released in August of 2013 and containing the track, “Big Stars’ 45s,” referring to the 1970s Memphis power pop band Big Star.

It’s clear in listening to the band’s music that they are influenced by Big Star. In fact, over the past decade, there have been countless indie pop rock bands that have been clearly influenced by Big Star. Ironically, the band’s debut and sophomore albums received rave reviews by critics after their release in the early 1970s, but the LPs failed to gain commercial success because of ineffective marketing by the label, Stax Records.

In fact, the band, headed by Alex Chilton – who passed away unexpectedly on St. Patrick’s Day in 2010; the day before a highly-anticipated appearance at South By Southwest – and Chris Bell – who died in a car accident at the age of 27 – became more famous in the years after they broke up in 1974 than they ever were during the three years that they made some of the best pop rock albums.

We always say grab a great EP when you can because you never know if it’ll become obsolete or hard to get in a month or a year. But something tells us that The Airplanes won’t be flying off into the setting sun anytime soon, but rather towards the rising sun, where they are headed now. We’re looking forward to the release of their debut album, hopefully in 2015.

“Young” – The Airplanes from Young – April 4th

“Waiting for June”- The Airplanes from Paper Hearts – Jan. 20th

“A Summer Daydream Part I”- The Airplanes from single

Check out The Airplanes on Facebook

To make sure you don’t forget to check out the other bands this week – or any time in the future – from the 7 Bands series, sign up for our email and RSS subscription, follow us on @Twitter and via Facebook.

If you pause the play buttons for any songs before they finish completely, they’ll stay on pause. We used to use the Yahoo Media Player, until Yahoo discontinued it and then the ex-fm player, and that was discontinued. Until we can do that, the only way to save the songs is to right click on the page and choose “View Page Source’ – then look for the .mp3 links that start with www.indierockcafe.com/indierockcafe and right click again on those links and choose ‘Save As’ and it will save to your computer as an MP3.

We’ll keep looking for another MP3 streamer, and eventually we’ll find, or build, one that will play all the songs on a page without the need to individually click on each song like a non-stop playlist.

Check back Tuesday for the second band you’ve gotta hear!

Band of The Week – The Bellegards

Posted on 09/26/201412/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Every week, we try to have either a Band of The Week or an Artist of the Week in order to raise the profile of a DIY band or artist that deserves to be looked at – and listened to – more closely. The Bellegards, an indie rock trio from Selden, New York, originally formed in 2011, but had been making music on the down-low since 2005 when they decided to dedicate to their music full time – Vincent Palmeri (guitar, vocals), twin brother Nic Palmeri (bass, organ), and close friend Kevin Redding (drums). Technically, the band have been playing music together since 2005.

The band’s debut album, Perfect Strangers was released earlier this year after achieving their goal of raising $2,000 from Kickstarter. The album is chock full of energetic, melodic indie rock songs that almost immediately catchy. In the summer of 2012, the band released its debut EP, The Sea & Sand That Drowned The Band, with the terrific single, “Saltwater Serenade”. The Bellegards have opened for bands like The Toasters, Those Mockingbirds, and The Rotaries. Their top musical influences include The Band, The Who, Cold War Kids, The Strokes, Dawes, and Delta Spirit.

“Dead End Street” – The Bellegards from Perfect Strangers

“Sweet Hollow” – The Bellegards from Perfect Strangers

Saltwater Serenade” – The Bellegards from The Sea & Sand That Drowned The Band

Listen to more of the songs from Perfect Strangers and the band’s EPs via The Bellegards Bandcamp page

See what the band is up to on The Bellegards Facebook page.

“Indie music today is like skiffle in the 50’s and 60’s; ordinary people playing extraordinary music that’s very innovative and unique. Talent is everywhere and indie rock has really helped to expose it.” – Nic Palmeri answering the question ‘what is indie rock to you?’

Band of the Week – Scotland’s PAWS

Posted on 02/14/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The Glasgow lo-fi garage/punk pop trio PAWS gun it on their latest single, “Miss American Bookworm,” blasting out from the starting gate with a fast-driving, rhythmic, and vibrantly melodic romp. PAWS’ new album, Cokefloat!, released by Fat Cat Records, captures the energy and rawness (or ‘pawness’) of the band’s live shows, and per the title, is, as the band said, “like a sugar high,” adding “all of the lyrics are pretty much a documentation of the past two years. A lot of crazy things have happened in our lives – some good, some horrific…there is a strong feeling of positivity and hope running throughout this record [like] light piercing through some distinctly dark times. We’re playing in this band to keep going and stay alive.”

“Miss American Bookworm” – PAWS from Cokefloat! on FatCat Records

The album cover art for Cokefloat! (below) is somewhat misleading. It features a drawing of a wide-eyed young girl encircled by hearts and flowers, which, at a glance, implies the songs within would be something along the lines of light love tracks or teenie bopper pop of the 1960’s. In fact, it’s much more aggressive and rebellious than that, yet the overall sound is brimming with fun, jubilant, enthusiastic romps, Violent Femmes-like rhythms and punchy melodies. The band has an amazing range of genres and sounds they cover from acoustic ballads and screaming punk bashers to catchy indie rockers and indie pop songs.

Band members Phillip Taylor, Josh Swinney, and Matt Scott create fusions of catchy, fuzzy power pop with dynamic, energized, Violent Femmes-like indie rock that is thrilling to listen to. Part of the credit also needs to go to Rory Atwell of Test Icicles for his input as the LP’s producer. Cokefloat!, in our view, is one of the best debut albums of the year, and PAWS is one of the breakout bands of 2012.

The band’s name makes it more challenging to find information about them in search engines; one, because ‘paws’ is a fairly common word, although most associated, not surprisingly, with all things related to man’s best friend. Secondly, the band’s name has a similar construction of many other band names (The Big Paws; Paw Paws; Monster Paws, among many others). It will become easier over time to find links about the band if they continue to keep the momentum they’ve built over the past two years, albeit, mostly in the U.K. and Europe, and hopefully, poised to get more love from here in the States.

“Homecoming” – PAWS from Cokefloat

“Bloodline” – PAWS from Cokefloat

Band Of The Week: Hong Kong Shoegaze, Post-Punk Band, The Yours

Posted on 09/18/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

By Maxwell Silver
You probably won’t hear the latest singles from the band, The Yours, on any other major indie blog or website, but the Lona Records recording artist from Hong Kong got our attention with two tracks they sent us from The Way We Were, which officially dropped last Saturday, September 15th. In fact, a search of The Hype Machine found no recent entries for The Yours.

The Yours have been touted as one of the most promising bands in Hong Kong for quite some time, but it took seven years to deliver their debut LP. The band’s sound is an interesting mix of shoegaze, psychedelic rock, and post punk pop layered with melodic, fuzzy guitar licks, hard-hitting percussion and disaffected lyrics delivered with reverb-heavy vocals modeled after their favorite bands – Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine.

Hot and humid, bitter and sweet. The Yours translates the subtropical summer of Hong Kong into a rich wall of noise featuring raw, sprawling punk rock sensibilities. Having supported the likes of The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Drums, Yuck and British Sea Power following the 2005 release of their well-received debut EP, Abraham, the band’s lineup evolved alongside its composing structure where they derive inspiration from shared admiration of their favorite 80’s and 90’s alternative rock bands. Their debut is a 13-song album that “resonates the deviation and devotion of adolescent angst.”

The first track, “Honey Treats,” is undoubtably one of the stand-out tracks released in the past week (a week of incredible singles from new album drops). In an interview with Time Out, band members Jack Leung, Nic Wong, Tim Ng, Gwyneth Tang and Nelson Ko provided a brief introduction to each song on their long-awaited debut album. Regarding “Honey Treats,” it “could be the most radio-friendly song we have. We feel like we’re sucked into a spiral of nostalgia every time we play this guitar ‘solo’ part. Though we must have played this a hundred times, we still feel just as overwhelmed.”

“Honey Treats” – The Yours from The Way We Were

The band about “Straighthead,” the second single: “This is probably the catchiest song on the album yet it was created from the frustration we felt from people who just don’t ‘get it’. Music-wise, it’s our version of The Smiths trying to be like Dinosaur Jr.”

“Straighthead” – The Yours from The Way We Were

Bonus Track: “Slip Out” – The Yours from The Way We Were

The Yours on Bandcamp

The Yours on Facebook

Artist of the Week – Youth Lagoon: Boise Multi-Instrumentalist, Songwriter and Vocalist Trevor Powers Signs to Fat Possum

Posted on 07/08/201112/18/2019 by Max Hammer

“July” is a fresh track from Youth Lagoon, the Boise-based bedroom pop/one man band project of multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and vocalist Trevor Powers. The new track is featured on a two-song 10″ , The Year of Hiberation, featured on Powers’ Bandcamp page via. “July” was released earlier this week, and appropriately so, considering the relevance of the song title. The B-side of the single, “Cannons,” is also included in today’s Band of the Week feature.

“July” – Youth Lagoon from The Year of Hiberation – Sept. 27th

Literally, as we were preparing this post, we received an email from Powers’ publicist announcing that the 22-year-old artist had officially signed on with indie label Fat Possum , which will release Youth Lagoon’s debut album, The Year of Hiberation, on September 27th.

Powers has been garnering a healthy share of blogger buzz during the past year, accompanied by nearly non-stop touring. The young Idahoian’s songs are dreamy, emotive, melancholy, lo-fi, raw with impressive songwriting that make his music more than just another talented kid in his bedroom composing songs with a few pieces of gear and a MacBook. Youth Lagoon reminds us of another one-man lo-fi band who we profiled in the past – Perfume Genius.

Powers recently said that songwriting was the only way that he could express certain emotions and deal with a persistent anxiety. “For my whole life I’ve dealt with extreme anxiety – not anxiety about passing a test or somewhat normal things, but weird, bizarre things. Things that only I know.”

“Cannons” – Youth Lagoon from The Year of Hiberation – Sept. 27th

“I sometimes feel like I’m literally being eaten up inside. So I started writing these songs. Not just songs about my anxiety, but about my past and my present. Songs about memories, and all those feelings that those bring. I know that if I can be honest about what is inside my mind, there will be others that will be able to relate to it.”

We also just got another advance track today titled “Montana,” from the upcoming debut LP. Right now we only have a SoundCloud version.

“Montana” by Youth Lagoon

Band of the Week: LA’s Folk Popsters Family of the Year

Posted on 02/01/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Los Angeles folk pop band Family of the Year appeared on our radar in December, thanks to a friend who turned us on to their brilliant, and addictive, 2009 release, Songbook.

The LP is one of those albums that you find yourself loving more and more with each spin, and that you go back to again and again. The band is now one of our favorite new bands, and definitely a band to watch in 2010.

Family of the Year, who hail from LA’s Silverlake area, a hilly region east of Hollywood, are not completely unknown in the world of music. They played four shows at New York’s CMJ last fall, and toured the U.S. in a RV that they lovingly call Rosie. But it was the release of Songbook that really put them into a new category of prominence.

Moreover, last September, conductor Keith Lockhart, and singer-songwriter Ben Folds, selected the LA folk pop band out of more than 650 applicants to open for Ben Folds’ performance with the Boston Pops on Friday, on October 2, 2009, at Symphony Hall in Boston.

“Let’s Go Down” – Family of the Year from Songbook (2009)

There is some relevance to the band’s name – it started as a project of brothers Joe Keefe (guitar and vocals) and Sebastian Keefe (drums and guitar), and Jamesy Buckey (guitar and engineer). The brothers, who grew up in Wales, first gained recognition on the local scene as part of the Martha’s Vineyard-based raw rock ensemble Unbusted. Not long after, they were featured in the Edgefest Cafe’s broadcast on June 21 and 22, 2006, prior to the Boston Pops performances with My Morning Jacket.

Family of the Year’s assemble expanded with the addition of singer Vanessa Long, an Orange County, California native, and actor, whose feature films include XII, I’m On Fire, and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan. Keyboardist Christina Schroeter, also from Orange County, is an entertainment public relations professional, and bassist Brent Freaney, hails from Long Beach, Mississippi. Contributing members include musicians Meredith Sheldon and Farley Glavin.

Family of the Year’s original name was Bogie Ogreton, but, at the urging of friends, family and their manager, they changed their name. Sebastian Keefe recently told Blast Magazine about the name change.

“(Family of the Year) was nice-sounding, and we kind of evolved into a family, the six of us,” Keefe explained. “We all live together in the same house and we all travel together … so it was kind of fitting.”

Keefe said the band’s main influences – which are apparent listening to Songbook – are The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, Crosy, Stills, Nash and Young, and Bob Dylan.

“Feel Good Track Of Rosemead” – Family of the Year from Songbook (2009)

Mixing upbeat rhythms, sunny folk ballads, rich melodies, uplifting choruses, sweet pop harmonies, impressive story-telling, and even some dance beats, it’s no wonder Family of the Year were chosen to open for Ben Folds and the Boston Pops.

Because there are so many memorable, ‘keeper’ tracks on Songbook, it was quite a challenge to pick a few songs that stand out the most. We suspect that fans of the band who have listened to Songbook multiple times (and it’s hard not to), face the same dilemma if asked to choose two or three favorite songs from the LP. Other standout tracks – and most songs on the LP are – include “Surprise,” “No Good at Nothing,” “Stupidland,” and “Let’s Be Honest.”

Family of the Year are selling their debut LP using the Radiohead model – basically name your price (minimum of $1). The CD version is $15 via their record label, Washashore Records.

The band is performing tonight, February 1st, at the legendary Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles.

“Summer Girl” – Family of the Year from Songbook (2009)

Family of the Year on MySpace

Family of the Year on FaceBook

Family of the Year on Twitter

Here’s a great interview with Sebastian from the blog, In Your Speakers.

Band of the Week: The Genre-Bending Music of Hosta

Posted on 12/11/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

There are still plenty of fantastic songs and albums from 2009 that we’re catching up to, and we suspect that will extend into the first couple of months of the rapidly approaching 2010. Wow, it’s almost a new decade; let’s hope it is a better one than the 2000s – for everyone. You might want to check back daily over the next few weeks – not only do we have barrels of great 2009 music you probably have never heard in the pipeline, but also additional alternative and indie Christmas songs; best songs and best albums year end lists and lots more.

This week’s Band of the Week is Hosta, a folk rock band from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Admittedly, it took us a while to get around to featuring this band; the more we have listened to their self-titled debut over the past half year, the more it has proven itself as one of the best under-the-radar debuts of the year. It’s baffling that the rest of the blogosphere, if you will, missed out on what is a fantastic album from start to finish.

Hosta is a trio of musicians: Iris Shepard (bass/vocals), Greg Moore (guitar/keyboards/vocals) and Randy Kehne (drums). The genre-bending band mix blues, ska, folk and experimental rock to create fun and interesting songs with likely comparisons to Weezer (and to some extent Pavement; hear “Hope You’re Not Sorry”), which is especially evident on the geo-centric song, “Cali,” and the quirky, ska-infused, “Secret Self.”

Band member Greg Moore is also a Fayetteville artist
While the band primarily tours in the Midwest, we hope they will come out to Cali (actually, someone easily gives themselves away as a newcomer when they call California ‘Cali,’ sort of the same idea as calling New York, “The Big Apple,” or D.C., “Washington, DC”). Hosta were awarded the Northwest Arkansas Music Award in the category “Best None of the Above” this year. We strongly recommend getting the entire LP if you like the songs featured below.

“Cali” – Hosta from s/t debut (2009)

“Secret Self” – Hosta from s/t debut (2009)

“Hope You’re Not Sorry” – Hosta from s/t debut (2009)

Hosta on MySpace

Coming Up: More alternative Christmas songs; a new installment of the Singer/Songwriter Spotlight Series; In Dee Mail Special Year End Edition, Vol. II and much more.

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Band of The Week: Long Beach Folk Pop Band Avi Buffalo

Posted on 11/02/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Eighteen-year-old Long Beach, Calif., guitarist and singer/songwriter Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg, and his band, Avi Buffalo, have created quite a buzz within the indie music circles during the past year with their impressive folky pop hooks, intriguing lyrics and live shows. So it was no surprise to some when Seattle‘s legendary Sub Pop Records – home of popular indie artists like Band of Horses, The Shins, Iron and Wine, Grand Archives and Blitzen Trapper – signed Avi Buffalo to a record deal last month.

With Isenberg at the helm, Avi Buffalo, consisting of Sheridan Riley (drums), Arin Fazio (bass) and Rebecca Coleman (keyboards and vocals), are now under the wings of one of the finest indie record labels in the business.

Tonight, Nov. 2nd, Avi Buffalo will open for the wildly popular Vampire Weekend in a sold out show at the Art Theatre in Long Beach – clearly an indication of Avi’s rising star status within the indie music scene.

Things started to roll for the band after a couple of well received live performances in 2007 and 2008 led to a meeting with musician and producer Aaron Embry. Before long, Embry – who has worked with musicians like Elliott Smith, Daniel Lanois and Emmylou Harris – was recording Avi Buffalo’s material.

The result of this collaboration is evident on the band’s label debut 7″, due out next month via Sub Pop. The A-side track, “What’s In It For?”, is a jangly guitar driven song with a southern rock twang, and rounded out with well crafted, melodic hooks, Isenberg’s high pitched and quirky vocals (think Wayne Coyne meets Daniel Johnston), and uplifting back-up choruses.

“What’s In It For?” – Avi Buffalo from What’s in It For? 7″ (2009)

Isenberg begin recording home demos in 2006 when he was just a sophomore in high school (most of the band members recently graduated from high school; Riley is still a senior), and as recently as this past spring, he was mixing the demos using Macbook Pro Tools and SM58/57. In August, the band independently released five songs via their Bandcamp page, allowing fans to decide how much they would pay for each track.

One of those tracks, “We Can’t Try This Again,” is a lazy, lo-fi acoustic strummer, featuring the following lyrics: no one ever said we can’t try this again/brought it so high, brought me so high/spent too much time in there/don’t know just what you saw. The translation is, perhaps, typical teenage disillusionment with the highs and lows of young love. Near the end of the song, a brief, but edgy, guitar riff shatters the dreamy soundscape, and closes with a chorus of whistling.

“We Can’t Try This Again” – Avi Buffalo

If you like what you hear, you can purchase ($1 minimum) more tracks from the band, including “Distaste and Interest”, Avi Buffalo’s first song – written and recorded by Isenberg (when his moniker was Avi Buffalo before it became the band name) when he was only in the 10th grade.

It’s possible that some of these songs will make it on the track listing for the band’s debut full-length album, planned for release in spring of 2010. Avi Buffalo lists musical influences such as Simon and Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Wilco, Panda Bear and Grizzly Bear. Isenberg recently told BeatCrave: “As much as I’d love to say we’re not pop, we’ve got some poppy stuff going on. I like the way hooks sound, and I like the idea of infiltrating minds with catchy stuff.”

We are looking forward to seeing Avi Buffalo open for the Grand Archives on Nov. 12th in Santa Cruz, Calif. In our review of the show, we will published more tracks from Avi Buffalo, including a couple of hard-to-find songs. In the meantime, listen to more songs on the band’s MySpace page.

Check out a HD quality video of Isenberg discussing his music, with studio out-takes, plus a video of the 7″ B-side track, “Jessica” and a live recording of the song “Remember Last Time”.

Band of the Week: Canada’s The Weakerthans

Posted on 05/04/200812/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The Weakerthans, a Canadian indie band from Winnipeg, put themselves on the music map back in the late 1990’s, and have been impressing critics and fans with subsequent, yet limited, releases ever since.

The band’s latest album, Reunion Tour, released last fall, has received wide praise by the music press, bloggers and fans, making many top album lists for 2007.

Comprising an exciting mix of punk revival and melodic indie rock, Paste magazine hailed Reunion Tour as a collection of “songs of brutal beauty, little rock n roll vignettes that perfectly capture the malaise of the peculiar, disorienting times in which we live.”

Here is the hit single music video “Civil Twilight” from The Weakerthans’ Reunion Tour CD:

Propagandhi member John K. Samson left his former band and joined Red Fisher drummer Jason Tait and bassist John Sutton to create The Weakerthans in 1997. Later guitarist Steve Carroll and bassist Greg Smith joined the lineup.

The band, especially founder, John Samson, doesn’t just record and play music; they are actively involved in promoting the fight against poverty and advocating for environmental conservation. Samson’s ‘day job’ includes his publishing company, Arbeiter Ring Publishing.

Reunion Tour was, in a sense, aptly named since the band’s last release before that, Reconstruction Site, was issued back in 2003 on Epitaph Records.

MP3: The Weakerthans – “Plea From A Cat Named Virtue” from Reconstruction Site

MP3: The Weakerthans – “Aside” from Last and Leaving

You can listen to and download more music, plus watch various music videos, from The Weakerthans on their official web site. Also, check out The Weakerthan’s MySpace page and Facebook profile to social network with the band, get tour information, connect with fans and stream songs.

The Weakerthans were the first band in the CBC Radio 3’s R3-30 chart history to hit the No. 1 spot with two different songs in the same year – a cover of Rheostatics “Bad Time to Be Poor” during the week of June 21, 2007, followed up in November 2007 by another No. 1 song, “Civil Twilight”, their hit single from Reunion Tour.

The band released their debut album, Fallow, to wide praise from music critics and fans in 1998, on the indie label cooperative, G7& Welcoming Records. In 2000, The Weakerthans issued their sophomore record Left and Leaving, followed a year later by the EP Watermark.

Left and Leaving was eventually named one of the ten best Canadian albums of all time in a Chart magazine readers’ poll last year. Epitaph re-released Fallow and Left and Leaving in Canada on November 6, 2007.