Category: Best Indie 2010

Every Tuesday, IRC posts what we think are the best new releases of the week. We shift through, and filter out, dozens and dozens of new releases each week, so that you don’t have to. The artists and bands featured on IRC over the years are those which we invest in as well – we buy their music, go to their shows when we can, tell others about them, and so on.

Today’s new releases include the long-awaited Transference from one of the best garage rock bands of the past decade, Spoon; plus fresh tracks from Florida’s Band to Watch in 2010, Surfer Blood, The Eels, Feral Children, Major Stars, Editors, The Len Price 3, Dinowalrus.

Easily one of the best indie garage rock (or whatever you want to label them) bands of the past decade, Spoon, is back with a new album out today, Transference. While we haven’t had the chance to listen to it thoroughly enough to give a reliable opinion, if the first single, “Written in Reverse,” is any indication of the rest of the album, it looks to be yet another fantastic album from Spoon. Stream the album here. So far, it sounds fantastic.

“Written in Reverse” – Spoon from Transference (2010)
Spoon official website

Surfer Blood, a Floridian indie pop band signed with Kanine Records, have exploded in popularity in recent months, especially after appearances during CMJ in New York, and the release of advanced singles from their debut LP, Astro Coast, out today. The band, who lists their influences as female American authors, will launch a two-month tour of North America (and a brief jaunt in the UK), ending with four sets at Austin’s South by Southwest.

Surfer Blood are touring with some of our favorite indie bands, including fellow Floridian indie band, Holiday Shores (whose 2009 debut LP is one of the best of the year), jungle surf -retro classic rock Nashville band, Turbo Fruits, plus other greats like British Sea Power, Pete and the Pirates, Monotonix, and two of Brooklyn‘s hottest new rock/tropical pop bands, The Drums and Beach Fossils.

Doubling, and tripling, up with such an amazing line-up of buzz bands on an extensive tour is a clear indication of a band’s respect in the indie-sphere – with fellow musicians, critics, bloggers and, most importantly, indie music fans. We’ve already listen to Astro Coast again and again, and it is definitely one of the 2010 albums you want in your collection.

Although the release would have been suited more appropriately for a summer release, it might just be comforting to delve into the sun soaked harmonies, breezy melodies and hot rythyms of Astro Coast as an antidote to the depths of winter that grip most of the country right now.

“Swim” – Surfer Blood from Astro Coast (2010)
Surfer Blood on MySpace

Some critics are calling The Eels newest album, End Times, out today, perhaps their best release ever. At first listen (it’s available for full stream via Spinner), that just may be the case. Time will tell, but so far, End Times is likely to satisfy new and old fans of one of rock’s most quirky, talented bands.

Also, don’t miss Seattle band Feral Children‘s new single from their fresh LP dropped today, plus new releases from Major Stars, Editors’ latest, In This Light & On This Evening, available as a full album stream (via Spinner.) and other releases worth noting from Dinowalrus‘ %, and the UK’s The Len Price 3‘s newest LP, Pictures.

“Little Bird” – The Eels from End Times (2010)
“End Times” – The Eels from End Times (2010) – via Stereogum
Get End Times on CD, digital or vinyl

“On A Frozen Beach” – Feral Children from Brand New Blood (2010)
Feral Children on MySpace

“The Space You Know” – Major Stars from Return to Form (2010)
Major Stars on MySpace

“Papillon” – Editors from In This Light and on This Evening (2010)
Editors’ official website

“Nuke, Duke ‘Em” – Dinowalrus from % (2010)
Dinowalrus on MySpace

“After You’re Gone” – The Len Price 3 from Pictures (2010)
The Len Price 3 on MySpace

See/listen to last week’s best new releases.

It’s not all about Vampire Weekend, but as far as new releases this week, it largely is all about Vampire Weekend. In an addition to our special feature here of the release of their new LP, we want to share with you great music from Dreamboat Money, Technoir MA, Final Fantasy, We+Are+The+City, The Scruffs, Jason Boesel, Nana Grizol and The Paperbacks (in no particular order).

So, one of the most anticipated sophomore albums of the past few years is finally out; Vampire Weekend’s new album, Contra, the follow-up to their half-million-selling, self-titled debut, hit the store shelves today. From our very early listen – thanks to an album stream on the band’s site, and via NPR, Contra is an impressive collection of fun, witty and masterfully written and recorded songs that will surely refuel the band’s astronomical success.

That said, it will take some time to absorb the complete LP in its entirety; the danger is in the fact that the band has been so exposed (over-exposed?) and wildly popular (hyped?) in the past year and a half – propelling them out the ‘indie’ scene to the mainstream – that Contra will be held to a higher standard than if they were just another band.

There is no doubt that Vampire Weekend is a band of immensely talented, young musicians who weave upbeat and interesting songs that incorporate various musical styles (from Afro-pop to Latin fusion), instrument experimentation, falsetto vocals and choruses and compelling lyrics that result in memorable, catchy tracks.

In the end, despite what the critics and bloggers say, it will be the fans of Vampire Weekend, as well as the more casual listeners, who ultimately decide the success of the band’s sophomore release in the coming months.

After having seen Vampire Weekend perform live at least four times in the past 18 months, we must say that, if you get a chance, they are a spectacular live band, and often prefer to play in smaller venues, as their most recent tour so well demonstrated.

Following a CD release party tonight at the Ford Theatre in Los Angeles, the band are setting out on a four-month European and North American tour that includes a string of already sold out shows in the UK. Check Vampire Weekend’s MySpace page for the full tour schedule.

– Order the LP and stream individual tracks via Beggars Group or XL Recordings
– For a limited time orders of the CD or LP will ship with a bonus 3 song CD* containing:
1. “Contramelt A” (album mega-mix version A)
2. “Contramelt B” (album mega-mix version B)
3. “Cousinz” (Toy Selectah Mex-More Remix)

“Horchata” – Vampire Weekend from Contra (2010) – via Stereogum

“White Sky” (Live on Jimmy Fallon) – Vampire Weekend from Contra (2010)

See all of IRC’s posts about Vampire Weekend dating back to early 2008.

The next band from Vancouver, British Columbia, we think are one of the newest Canadian bands to watch in 2010. Dreamboat Money‘s impressive debut, If Found Please Listen, was released officially today via Hipjoint Records, and is available as a free download on Active Minds Productions.

“I Can’t Wait To Come Home” – Dreamboat Money from If Found Please Listen

“It’s About Time?” – Dreamboat Money from If Found Please Listen

Technoir MA made the decision to record a second EP merely days after completing their first back in May of this year; the thought being that the new EP would become a slightly harder hitting companion piece. When they cut the tracks the third weekend of September, they spent more time with the overdubs, often improvising them. As a result, the Ramones-meets-New Order pulse of “Desire” was given a jangle-like lilt, “Sparks” became simultaneously more aggro and more shoegaze, while the guitar-break in “Use of Force” became an elaborate three-part “surf orchestra”.

Hitting their groove, “Return” was recorded on the fly creating a neatly guided detour into darker and spacier territory before the sonic jump of “Use of Force”. Having finished the overdubs and mixing in early October, the EP was realized to be a document well beyond a companion piece to the first record and christened it 2/B. The band will be promoting 2/B in 2010 as if it were a proper LP, with plans to take it on the road along with a batch of new songs.

“Sparks” – Technoir MA from 2/B (2010)

Other songs from new releases today you might enjoy:

“Lewis Takes Action” – Final Fantasy from Heartland (2010)

“There Are Very Tiny Beasts in the Ground” – We+Are+The+City from In a Quiet World (2009)

“Treasure Girls” – The Scruffs from Conquest (2010)

“Hand of God” – Jason Boesel from Hustler’s Son (2010)

“For Things That Haven’t Come Yet” – Nana Grizol from Ruth (2010)

“Slow Learners” – The Paperbacks from Lit from Within (2010)