Category: Bands & Artists

Artist Alert: Botany Harvests Organic Mechanicalism from Experimental ‘Hillwave’ Pop on Debut EP

Posted on by August W. Zander

cut_off_your_handsBotany is the one man-band endeavor of Spencer Stephenson. Referring to his style of music as ‘hillwave,’ Stephenson produces his homemade experimental, synth-heavy compositions from atop a hill in rural Texas – mixing uplifting melodies, heavenly vocal dubs, twinkling sound effects and notes, and modern rhythms with such mastery and skill as to be admired by other so-called ‘chillwave’ artists; the same group of cats that have garnered a huge following in recent years, and a fair to ridiculous amount of blogger buzz to go with it.

Actually, Botany did not really go it alone on the production of Feeling Today. In fact, he had help from co-producer, multi-instrumentalist and engineer Jason Quever (Papercuts), as well as Ben McConnell, Thao Ngyuen, Amy Blaschke, and members of the Moondoggies each contributed in some way to the making of this album.

“Water Parker” – Botany from Feeling Today

“Feeling Today” – Botany from Feeling Today

“The Ornament” – Botany from Feeling Today

Great Rarely Heard Songs – Chris Merritt, Caw Caw, Kid Bombardos, Hopewell, Lemon Sun, The Hush Now, Living Things, Benji Cossa, Deastro, Adam and Darcie

Posted on by August W. Zander
The Hush Now are perhaps the 'best known' of these rarely heard bands

For those of you not familiar with our new ‘Quickies Blog,’ this is a supplement only of Indie Rock Cafe main site, a place where we drop songs from bands and artists that we either don’t have time to write about, who have been previously featured on IRC’s main site (the ‘www’), and stuff that doesn’t fit into a particular post on the main site.

One difference you’ll notice between here and the main site, is that we don’t really write reviews of long playlists like this, and we don’t take the time to find related information, like the album title the songs are from and where to buy them. That said, we hope you dig these tracks, and even find some new favorite songs or artists.

“Hoping And Waiting” – The Hush Now

*“Sugar” – Chris Merritt

“Codinome Dinamite” Garotas Suecas

“Sometimes Single” – Leo Nise

“Love Is Like Lightning” – Benji Cossa

“Cars” – Now Now Every Children

“The Shaded Forests” – Deastro

“Hands/Mind” – Adam & Darcie

“Tales That I Tell” – WHO?

“Runner” – The Laughing

“Organisms” – Caw Caw

“Oxygen” – Living Things

“Harmless Lover’s Discourse” from The Blue Depths

“I Round The Bend” – Kid Bombardos

“Island” – Hopewell

“Open Letter To Once A Friend” – Boo Boo Cousins

“Your Reverie” – Kelley Stoltz

“Run With The Faithless” – Lemon Sun

Just Play The Music! – Stars, Les Savy Fav, We Are Scientists, Panda Bear, Maps & Atlases

Posted on by August W. Zander

Sometimes words are not really necessary. You want music. You got it: Stars, Les Savy Fav, Cameron Jones, We Are Scientists, Les Elephants Bizarre, The Blue Nile, Paleo, Panda Bear, Maps & Atlases, She & Him, and Damien Jurado. Enjoy.

“Romantic Comedy” – Stars

“Let’s Get Out Of Here” – Les Savy Fav

“The King James Fakebook” – Paleo

“In Action” – We Are Scientists

“Have No Fear” – Les Elephants Bizarres

“Wish Me Well” – The Blue Nile

“Search for Delicious” – Panda Bear

“Solid Ground” – Maps & Atlases

“Riding in My Car” – She & Him

“Cloudy Shoes” – Damien Jurado

“Trying” – Cameron Jones

Best Rarely Heard Songs of 2010, Vol. 1: Cosmo Black, Porcelain Raft, Fez, ColourMusic

Posted on by August W. Zander

In the cafe, we listen to a lot of indie music from artists and bands that the majority of music-loving people have never heard of. One way to bring more of these rarely heard songs to the ears of more people is by creating the playlist mix series titled Best Rarely Heard Songs of 2010. Our tag line for this mix is: “Some of your favorite music in 2010 is that which you have yet to hear.”

It’s amazing how much spectacular music is ‘out there’ but that would otherwise be forgotten. Like so many of the songs we publish weekly on the main Indie Rock Cafe site, the tracks presented here on our new ‘quickie blog’ are way under rated, and the talented artists who make them often overlooked.

“When Night Becomes The Morn” – Cosmo Black

“Moonwalk” – Porcelain Raft

“The-Mirror” – Back Ted N Ted

 “Nothing You Can Do About It from Essex” – Darren Haymen & The Secondary Moder

“Chemicals” – Fez

“Yes” – Colourmusic

“I Am Your Head” – Elephantom

“Daily-Mirage” – Dream Cop

“Can’t Take It” – Jay Regan

“White Doves” (unreleased) – Young Empires

Two New Tracks from Ottawa Band Loon Choir

Posted on by August W. Zander

Ottawa, Canada indie rock synth pop band Loon Choir released their debut album Expansion Forces in May. Most people, even indie enthusiasts, have probably never heard of the band, but we dig their songs that we’ve heard so far, including the lead single, “Bricks”.

“Bricks” – Loon Choir from Expansion Forces

“New Forewarnings” – Loon Choir from Expansion Forces

Rising Irish Band Photosonic Orchestra Release New EP, ‘Drink Me!’

Posted on by August W. Zander

The Dublin, Ireland alternative rock band Photosonic Orchestra (although there’s nothing orchestra about their sound; so that’s a bit strange) includes musicians from Ireland, Poland and Italy, and a ‘hot’ band in Ireland this year. Recently, they performed at the Body & Soul Festival in Ireland.

The band’s manager, Julyo, sent us in the following two tracks from the new EP, Drink Me!, released on August 15th via GD Seventy Eight Music.

“Drink Me!” – Photosonic Orchestra from Drink Me EP

“Birthday Song” – Photosonic Orchestra from Drink Me EP