The good music that we want to share with you all piles up like snow during a blizzard; so, it becomes necessary to put together these random mixes to clear off the decks. But these songs are no less worthy than anything else we publish; otherwise we wouldn’t feature them. :)
Kicking off this playlist is the hauntingly beautiful melancholy, and as a contrast, the fuzzy guitar hooks, of Brooklyn’s Hurricane Bells , evidenced on the tracks, “This Year” and “Monsters” (the latter is featured on the New Moon: The Twilight Saga soundtrack – more songs from that film soon, plus a review of the thrilling, rip-roaring flick, Private Radio).
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Following their brilliant pop harmonies-60s style debut LP, Fighting Trees, Philly’s The Swimmers are back with their sophomore release, People Are Soft. The opening track, “Shelter,” sounds more like Joy Division mixed with Echo and the Bunnymen than anything else the band has recorded.
Next up, we present one of the most popular tracks from one of 2009’s best indie debuts from Brooklyn‘s Here We Go Magic ; plus, the edgy, hip-shaking electro-punk rocker, “My Car is Haunted” by Knoxville‘s Royal Bangs ; a new pop track from Sweden‘s extremely popular El Perro Del Mar ; the foreboding harmonies of London alternative pop band, Scanners ; New Jersey punk-influenced teenage quintet The Static Jacks (“like The Strokes with a whole lot more twang and soul” – Relix) offer up “My Parents Lied” from their new Laces EP; California‘s Furcast present the spooky and theatrical “Grey is Old,” a Concrete Blonde-like track that would have been fitting for the New Moon soundtrack.
To close out this random mix is a lesser-known single from the Raveonettes ‘ impressive In and Out of Control LP.”
MP3 link for Raveonettes removed by DMCA request
“Monsters” – Hurricane Bells from New Moon: The Twilight Saga (2009)
“Shelter” – The Swimmers from People Are Soft (2009)
The following playlist mix features a number of songs from recent releases that are music to our ears. There is no time to do a review here in order to concentrate on some really amazing new music from artists and bands that we are prepping to share with all of you.
Therefore, we’ll let the music speak for itself.
If you like what you hear, check out the artists’ websites and MySpace pages for more and help do your part to keep independent and alternative music alive and well; without all of us doing our part to support the music we like the most, it will be even harder than it is now for relatively unknown musicians and bands to keep doing what they do.
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“Genesis 3:23“ – Mountain Goats from Life of the World to Come (2009)
“Pass Out” – Chll Pll from Aggressively Humble (2009)
Writer and filmmaker Antonino D’Ambrosio tells the astonishing and dramatic story behind Johnny Cash’s virtually unknown folk protest record Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian.
Free download from Blind Man’s Colour member Kyle West’s musical project Chromatic Flights
The Pablove Foundation and Dreamworks Studios will hold an acoustic night of performances at LA’s The Avalon Nov. 21st with sets from Tom Morello (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), Tom Gabel (Against Me!), Butch Walker and others to raise money for children with cancer.
Largehearted Boy has been compiling listings of the top songs and albums of the 2000s as determined by other blogs, websites and online press.
Erlend Oye of Kings of Convenience talks to PopMatters about the band’s new album, Declaration of Dependence.
The delicious pop harmonies and choruses of Brooklyn’s DIY outfit Monogold are hard to ignore. The band’s sophomore release, We Animals, has generated a buzz with publications like Spin, and we can certainly see (hear) why.
Next, Old Canes is the solo project of Lawrence, Kansas folk artist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Crisci (Appleseed Cast). Old Canes’ sophomore LP, Feral Harmonies, was released in October by Saddle Creek, and featured on Stereogum‘s Gum Drop playlist.
The emotionally-charged, neo-glam rock of UK-born, Florida resident one-man band Slideshow Freak is apparent on the song, “Something More,” just one of the tracks on the free EP, We Should Swing.
Hailing from the southern California city of Costa Mesa, the rock band Japanese Motors like writing songs about surfing, drinking and partying, and that formula has caught on; in fact, their MySpace page alone has never half of a million page views.
“Whatever” – Japanese Motors from Luxury Wafers EP (2009)
Sean Scolnick, more popularly known as Langhorne Slim, is a Pennsylvania born folk singer and songwriter who has built a following opening for bands like the Avett Brothers, Cake and The Low Anthem, and performing at big festival like Newport Folk Festival and Bonnaroo. The following is a cut from his latest LP.
“Say Yes“ – Langhorne Slim from Be Set Free (2009)
Indie rock legends Built to Spill are back in a big way with their new LP, There Is No Enemy, which dropped last week. More than three years in the making, the album is a surprisingly impressive release; not to say they couldn’t do it, but just that they have been seemingly drifting for years without a solid new record.
Doug Martsch lyrics have never been more personal: Like anyone assuming they know what makes us tick/I was just as wrong as I could be – from “Tomorrow”; occasionally bitter: Stay out of my nightmares, stay out of my dreams/ You’re not even welcome in my memories – from “Things Fall Apart”; and, provocatively soul-searching: And if God does exist/I am sure He will forgive/Me for doubting Him/For He’d see/How unlikely He/Made Himself seem – from “Oh Yeah.”
Additionally, the brilliant layering of spacious and tangled guitar jams (most evident on “Tomorrow” and “Good Ole’ Boredom”) and a propensity for fractured song formats – cornerstones of BTS’s music since their beginning – sound better than ever. There are many memorable, enthralling and enjoyable moments on this LP, including crowd pleasers like “Aisle 13” and “Hindsight,” as well as the remarkably beautiful ballads, “Life’s A Dream” and “Nowhere Lullabye.” Every track on this album is a keeper. Seriously.
When we got a preview of some of the new BTS material at this year’s Outside Lands Festival, we were really impressed, but had no idea that There Is No Enemy would be this amazing. This album is yet another masterpiece from one of indie rock’s truly iconic bands.
Available since August, indie rock pioneers Modest Mouse‘s newest release,No One’s First, And You’re Next, is a collection of eight songs that date back to 2004, and therefore can’t really be called the follow up LP to the successful, and widely praised, We Were Dead Even Before the Ship Sank, released in 2007.
Many of the songs from No One’s First have been released over the years, including the darkly bizarre, “King Rat,” which the late Heath Ledger directed the video for. And yet the EP holds up as the newest offering from the band, proving Modest Mouse haven’t abandoned their quirky, yet strangely cool, song crafting, like on the fuzzy guitar jam, “History Sticks to Your Feet”; the blistering riffs of “The Whale Song”; and, the mostly spoken and shouted lyrics of “Guilty Cocker Spaniels.” The band also present the respectable alt-country melodies of “Autumn Beds”; catchy songs meant to be singles – “Satellite Skin“; and even mix it up Dixie-style with the return of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band on “Perpetual Motion Machine.”
“The Whale Song” – Modest Mouse from No One’s First, And You’re Next (2009) “Autumn Beds” – Modest Mouse from No One’s First, And You’re Next (2009) “History Sticks to Your Feet” – Modest Mouse from No One’s First, And You’re Next (2009)
Despite their iconic stature in the world of hard rock, Pearl Jam‘s latest album, Backspacer, has received mostly lukewarm to poor reviews for one of the biggest rock bands of the past two decades. The common criticism, and one that is easy to latch on to, is that Backspacer is driven by, and dependent on, blazing formulated guitar riffs and Eddie Vedder‘s less than impressive vocal delivery (not sure who’s to blame for that).
The major problem with Backspacer is that it’s unimaginative; there’s really nothing new here that makes us sit up and say, ‘Wow, this is great.’ PJ fans, of any age, will likely cherry pick their own keeper songs from the LP, like “Gonna See My Friend,” the ballad-like cut “Just Breathe,” or the acceptable “Amongst The Waves.” But, for now, we’ll relish in the classic PJ albums of the past (i.e., Ten) and hope that PJ can come up with something better next time. Backspacer proves the band can still rock; it just appears they’ve run out of ideas.
“The Fixer” – Pearl Jam from Backspacer (2009)
Next, what happens when former members of Arcade Fire, Unicorns, and Think About Life start a band? Well, you get the Clues, the latest Montreal buzz band that creates a big sound that mixes grinding guitar rock jams, melodic pop sound scapes and the falsetto-like vocals of frontman Alden Penner.
Also, check out new songs from Staten Island‘s experimental pop band Cymbals Eat Guitars; the phenomenally popular band, Paramore; Jersey City‘s retro-pop rock group The Black Hollies; Edinburgh‘s eclectic Meursault; London‘s hugely successful indie rock band, The Horrors; Brooklyn‘s electro-acoustic musician Argyle Johansen; the self-described Seattle ‘ghettotech’ blues band Black Whales; Mexico‘s grunge meets Britpop group Rubik; Canada‘s pop soul band The Rest; Minneapolis‘ psychedelic pop band Velvet Davenport; the gorgeous pop of Detroit‘s The Silent Years, and the UK‘s folk rock band Low La Love (abbreviated for practical reasons).
“Perfect Fit” – Clues from s/t debut (2009) Double-shot:“Cave Mouth” – Clues from s/t debut (2009)
“What Dogs See” – Cymbals Eat Guitars from Why There Are Mountains (2009)
“Brick By Boring Brick” – Paramore from Brand New Eyes (2009)
The Dead Weather is a new alternative rock super group with a killer line-up: Jack White ( The White Stripes and The Raconteurs), Alison Mosshart (The Kills and Discount), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs and The Greenhornes).
The Dead Weather released the debut album, Horehound, last month – and it’s a stunning LP, a must-have for any rock lover’s music collection.
Thanks to Subpop Records for sending us a previously unreleased Nirvana cut, titled “Scoff,” from the Bleach double-LP reissue, available now, with a limited pressing on white vinyl (white doesn’t really fit Nirvana, but OK). Yesterday, Teepee Records sent over a new smoking track, “Strangers,” from New York’s praised psychedelic-rock band Hopewell, featuring Jason Russo, who was briefly a member of alternative rock icons Mercury Rev. Also, check out new songs, and MySpace pages, from recent and new releases by Langhorne Slim, David Mead, Bamboo Shoots, Reverie Sound Revue, Saintseneca, Fol Chen, Sun Bears, The Real Ones, andThe Bygones.
Bonus Material: Download the track “Frost” from the new album by Bell Orchestra, Arcade Fire‘s musical side project. By the way, AF announced last week a new LP is in the works.
FYI:IRC’s feature published Monday on indie bands that get little-to-no notice was a big hit, as has been the on-going Halloween playlistsseries (13 volumes in all; 13 tracks each) – our attempt to build the definitive collection of Halloweenish indie rock songs not found anywhere else on the web (and we’ve looked!).
Local Natives is a Los Angeles indie rock band that we first heard via the legendary British mag New Music Express‘ website, and immediately dug their self-described “jungle rock” sound. Their debut album, Gorilla Manor, comes out on November 2, and will be backed up with a November-December U.S. tour together with bands like White Rabbits, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Fool’s Gold. Below are two awesome songs from Gorilla Manor via NME.com.
The iconic indie musician Daniel Johnston‘s new album, Is And Always Was, dropped on Tuesday, and we’re loving it; looking forward to seeing him later this month when Johnston stops in San Francisco as part of his current concert tour. Below is feature a free, legal MP3 from the new record titled “Freedom.” You can purchase the album directly from Johnston’s colorful website Hi, How Are You?, named after his 1993 album that was regularly ‘advertised’ by Kurt Cobain.
Straight outta of Brooklyn is a band we heard over at Stereogum called the Freelance Whales. Plus, check out these awesome new songs from The Bright Light Social Hour, Annuals, Rubik, Two Hours Traffic, Baaba Maal, Black Whales, The Honey Brothers, Mew, Avett Brothers, Simon Joyner and Julie Peel. There’s a general feeling around here that many of the tracks in this playlist will end up on our ‘best of 2009’ lists.
“Sun Hands” – Local Natives from Gorilla Manor (2009) Bonus: “Stranger Things” – Local Natives from Gorilla Manor (2009)
“Freedom” – Daniel Johnston from Is And Always Was (2009)
“Generator First Floor” – Freelance Whales, single (2009)
“Back and Forth” – The Bright Light Social Hour from s/t EP (2009)
“The Giving Tree” – Annuals, single release via IGIF (2009)
“Wasteland” – Rubik from Dada Bandits (2009)
“Territory” – Two Hours Traffic from Territory (2009)
“Television” – Baaba Maal from Television (2009)
“Young Blood” – Black Whales from Origins EP (2009)
“Demonstration” – The Honey Brothers from Demonstration EP (2009)
“Repeaterbeater” – Mew from No More Stories Are Told Today… (2009)
“Kick Drum Heart” – The Avett Brothers from I and Love and You (2009)
For more like these, check out the 2009 Indie Songs page featuring dozens and dozens of free, legal MP3s. One of the great things about this relationship between labels, bands, unsigned artists and all of you is that many of you end up supporting, in some way, the artists whose music you dig, and that which you may have otherwise never known about if this ‘new music model’ did not exist.
Kicking off this playlist of great new songs is one of the best under-rated indie bands of the past few years, The Spinto Band, from Wilmington, Delaware. Their second album, Moonwink, was one of the top LPs of 2008, featuring catchy, melodic music and potent lyrics. The band’s new EP, Slim & Slender, will be released next month, just in time for the launch of their Park The Van tour with label-mates Pepi Ginsberg and Generationals.
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The Dodos return with one of the most addictive indie songs of this half of 2009 – “Fables” (see the new video), from their impressive album Time to Die. The band is currently on an extensive tour in the States until the end of next month, and then, after a two-week break, The Dodos set out on a two month European tour.
Public Radio is an indie rock-pop band from Charlotte, NC who cite among their influences The Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse and Wilco. Their new track, “Forget Love,” off their latest LP Sweet Child, is one of the most memorable songs of 2009. The band aims to make songs “that are both energetic and inspiring for social and personal change.” Band member Mark Mathis is also offering a free download of his solo EP.
Underground electronic pop hipster and mixer Dan Deacon recently called Nicole Schneit‘s Brooklyn indie band Air Waves his favorite new band.
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“The music she writes is like a favorite blanket wrapped around you. Drummer Dave Ferraro complements her songs well,” Deacon told Pitchfork, “‘Shine On’ is my current favorite song by them.”
Weaving unforgettable melodic songs with styles that range from pop to folk and rock to country, Air Waves possess a sound that cannot be pinned down – which is a good thing. The result is a unique signature that is identifiable by heady lyrics, catchy choruses and the fragile vocals of Schneit’s mesmerizing voice. The song “Shine On” reminds me of Daniel Johnston more than any other single I’ve heard in a long time. The band’s self-titled EP is out now on Catbird Records.
Kings of Convenience experienced a huge swell of love from the press, blogs and fans worldwide following the 2001 release of their indie folk-pop classic debut, Quiet Is The New Loud, and the follow-up, and equally compelling, album, Riot On An Empty Street, released in 2004. But since that time Eirik Glambek Bøe and Erlend Øye went on hiatus, leaving many of their fans wondering when, or if, they were going to make another record.
The wait is over; since the duo reunited in Mexico in 2007 to play a show, they have been working on their third studio LP, Declaration of Dependence, due to drop on October 20th. Øye called the upcoming release, “the most rhythmical pop record ever that features no percussion or drums.” To sum up Declaration in three words or less – it is delicious.
The Flaming Lips are back with three new songs from their upcoming album release, Embryonic . Of the three new songs on the band’s digital EP, Songs from the Future Album ‘Embryonic‘ (EP cover art above), “Silver Trembling Hands,” is the most Lips-ish, if you will; it’s a weird and twisted song about the strange antics of a woman – a theme that has been at the core of some of the band’s best known hits.
The lyrics, “She puts diamonds on her forehead/ They remind her how the animals and trees and insects call,” are likely to be interpreted in who knows how many different ways by fans.
The other two tracks on the EP, “Convinced of the Hex” and “The Impulse” are available for streaming on The Flaming Lips MySpace page. The EP is available for purchase on iTunes, and the album will be available on October 13th. Pitchfork is also offering a stream of an even newer track, “See The Leaves,” which it says has a “queasy krautrock beat, squirmy noise solos” and an “extended organ-vamp coda.”
Pitchfork is also reporting that for some ticket holders on the band’s current tour, they will receive a free copy of the new EP, plus three previously released B-sides, and an “official” digital bootleg of the show they attend. Chalk that up to yet another innovative way that band’s are creating new paradigms of music distribution. The Lips are also scheduled to appear on the Colbert Report this Wednesday.
Besides The Flaming Lips, the band White Lies has made a relatively hard-to-find song, “Taxidermy,” available for download. The song was originally the B-side of the sold out 7″ single To Lose My Life, and has become a favorite at live shows. The band is currently on an extensive European-North American tour that will run through to the first week of December.
Included in this playlist are also great songs from recent and upcoming releases by Good Night States, Sea Wolf (via IGIF blog), A.A Bondy, The Mummers, Rubies, The Clean, Adam Semerdjian, and Glorytellers. You can grab the Indie Rock Cafe feed anytime to get reviews, playlists, releases, band profiles and more any way you want.
“Taxidermy” – White Lies from To Lose My Life 7″ (2009)
“Arsonist’s Blues” – Good Night, States from Impossible Tension EP (2009)
“Wicked Blood” – Sea Wolf from White Water, White Bloom (2009)
“I Can See The Pines Are Dancing” – A.A. Bondy from When The Devil’s Loose (2009)
“Wonderland” – The Mummers from Tale To Tell (2009)
“Stand in a Line” – Rubies from Explode from the Center (2009)
“Tensile” – The Clean from Mister Pop (2009)
“Your Love”– Alan Semerdjian from The Big Beauty (2009)
“Concaves” – Glorytellers from Atone (2009)
The next playlist of new 2009 songs from recent and upcoming releases includes free and legal MP3 tracks from The Spinto Band, Darlings, Blackboots and Blackhearts, Yo La Tengo, Princeton, Casiokids, Grand Hallway and Chet.
If you think you’ve missed out on some great songs from 2009, you’re probably right; but don’t worry, we’re doing our best to keep you up on the latest best new indie and alternative rock from known, and relatively unknown, musicians and bands.
Starting off this playlist is a new song from the Danish band Choir of Young Believers (above photo) is full of rich melodies, heart-felt lyrics and a catchy rhythm that is not easy to forget. And neither is the next song, the bright, Beach Boys-like pop tune “You’re In Love with the Sun,” by The Very Most, from their Spring EP released on Indie Cater Records.
Other notable songs in this list include great tunes from Firs, The Love Language, Jar-e, Sea Curtain, Brown Recluse, Plus 49, The Idle Hands, Say Hi, Evan Voytas and Birds of Avalon.
Special thanks to fellow music bloggers and online mags LargeHeartedBoy, FingerTipsMusic and IGuessI’mFloating, Spin, Stereogum, Pitchfork, Muzzle of Bees, and others, who recognize that much of the best new music is not on the radio, television or the Billboard charts. This playlist – and many others featured throughout 2009 on this site – of indie artists and bands proves this point even more so.
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“Lalita” – The Love Language from s/t debut (2009)
