Category: In Dee Mail

For those of you who have followed us over these many years, you know that In Dee Mail is a long-running, popular and special series that simply highlights artists and songs we have been digging for some time; therefore, the songs themselves are not necessarily new, but definitely noteworthy. Enjoy.

NIHILS – Triol, Austria
Famous Unknown USA – Chicago, Illinois
The Ineloquent – Boulder, Colorado
Nick Shattuck – Los Angeles, California
Geoffrey J Band – Los Angeles, California
Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes – Nashville, Tennessee
Robyn Cage – Park City, Utah
Weepikes – Helsinki, Finland

We’ve gotta close out 2016 with one more post, featuring DIY and small label indie bands from across the United States, Canada and Sweden. It’s hard to believe this is the XXVIII (28th) posting for the In Dee Mail (aka, in the mail) series.

Have a safe, happy and healthy 2017!

In This Installment:

Stella Nova – Denver, Colorado
Bud Collins Trio – New Haven, Connecticut
Amery Rey Tuesta – Gothenburg, Sweden
Mahdi Khene – Washington DC
Parker Rose – Santa Clarita, California
Jack Mosbacher – New York, New York
Morning Fame – Toronto, Canada

As 2016 marches on, we’re just now dropping the first 2016 installment of In Dee Mail, featuring an incredibly diverse cornucopia of music from artists and bands of every imaginable (and unimaginable) genre, style and sound.

In this installment of In Dee Mail:

Jack Kotz – Wilmington, North Carolina
Small Culture – San Diego, California
Benji Lewis – Melbourne, Australia
Tomlin Hill – Norfolk, Virginia
Amateur Eyes – Saline, Michigan
Code Pie – Montreal, Quebec
Archi Deep and the Monkeyshakers – Lion, France
Area of Refuge – Saratoga, New York
The Polaris – Conventry, England
Drink Me – Jacksonville, Florida

Jack Kotz – What’s All The Fuss About?

North Carolina songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jack Kotz‘s debut album, What’s All The Fuss About? , is a musical compendium of amazing, mostly instrumental tracks featuring dreamy, soft grooves, sunny California rock melodies, funky beats, punk rock, and psych rock guitars with swirling, ambient keys.

The top single from the album, “Burning Sensation,” is a wonderfully upbeat that is fitting for spring – I could see a beautiful kite flying high and free against the royal blue sky. With the addition of the uplifting chorus (which should have been used more throughout), the song is just pristine – and reminded me immediately – and more so in subsequent spins – of Burt Bacharach’s score for Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid.

Soon after, you’re airborne again, but this time, you’ll stay much closer to the ground, and hear the frogs and water, on the ambient tune, “My Intentions Were Not Intended,” a track that has some tones and shades that remind us of the legendary (although most people outside of music heads never heard of…) Michael Hedges (RIP).

Song after song on Fuss prove that Kotz is a multi-faceted, talented and expressive musician who has a particularly astute appreciation, and interpretation, of different styles, genres and sounds.

After dreamy and chill grooves of tracks like the gorgeous title song, and others like the airy, drifting notes of “I’m The Only Road You Know,” and “Pull The Level,” with its slapping bass lines and high-octane electric guitar – all wrapped in a very funky rhythm that propels the song forward – it becomes

And there’s more funky bass on “Melt My Way,” which fades out suddenly, followed by a pause and silence, and then all of a sudden, the peace is shattered by the hard grinding stomps and trippy, spooky guitar and keyboard riffs of the sinister “JR.” At another crossroads on Fuss, you’re listening to what sounds like the opening music to a tripped out 80’s episode of Miami Vice via “Depends On Your General Location.”

The sonic journey glides, sails and chugs through various sonic landscapes, further illustrating Kotz’s refusal to play into conformity for the sake of conformity, or to allow himself to be boxed in by one genre or sub-genre. His album title question is answered by the music itself.

Try this: kick back with headphones, fire this up, close your eyes and roll on those clouds with tangerine trees and marmalade skies.

Jack Kotz on Soundcloud

Small Culture – “Synthetica”

Small Culture is an indie pop kaleidoscope rock band produced and fronted by Jerik Centeno from San Diego. The name ‘Small Culture’ derives from being raised on a small island with a long tradition of a strong and vibrate culture. “My music is a kaleidoscope of sounds influenced from world, classical, electronic, and indie rock,” Centeno says. His musical influences include Two Door Cinema Club, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Sigur Ros. He’ll soon release an EP. Check out Small Culture on Facebook.

Synthetica – Small Culture from single

Benji Lewis – “Reach You Where You Are”

Pretty much out of nowhere, we received the single, “Reach You Where You Are,” from Melbourne, Australian ambient/electro musician Benji Lewis. It hits you hard; it’s foreboding, and has an element of sadness that is also wonderfully beautiful complete with a Middle Eastern mystique.

Turns out he had some professional help along the way. “I have been lucky enough to cross paths with the right people who have then put me into contact with some really talented producers and production companies.” Lewis is currently working on his debut solo LP.

“Reach You Where You Are“ – Benji Lewis from Reach You Where You Are

Tomlin Hill – “True Side”

Tomlin Hill is an alt. rock DIY band based out of Norfolk, Virginia. Creating a classic, unique sound that spans across genres from rock and reggae, to funk and soul.

“True Side” features staggering guitar work and minimalist, reggae-like chords with sharp, understated vocals and a guitar and percussion jam in the second half of the song. The band has opened for Nico Vega and are fans of Foo Fighters, Killers and SOAD.

“True Side“ – Tomlin Hill from True Side

Amateur Eyes – “Borrowed Time”

After a short time at the University of Michigan, John Pederson decided it was not for him and set out to record a batch of songs he’d written as a teenager, and now as a young adult under the moniker of Amateur Eyes.

The ten songs on his debut album, incorporating influences from post punk, indie and alt. rock, were finally able to be “properly recorded” the way he intended them to sound using a collection of microphones, computers and other gear at Cleveland‘s Danger House studio with producer Dave Douglas. It’s an ambitious and spirited recording with many hook-filled moments and blazing guitar rock.

“Borrowed Time“ – Amateur Eyes from Amateur Eyes

Code Pie – “Rockets”

Code Pie is a rock band from Montreal. In the last nine years, the group has released three LPs, and a number of singles, including a well-received doo-wop version of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and a companion piece to Tommy Wiseau’s much maligned film The Room.

The band’s new single, “Rockets,” represents a slight departure from the band’s past, offering a dreamy, 80s-tinged slice of radio-ready pop/rock sway.

“Rockets“ – Code Pie

Archi Deep and the Monkeyshakers – “Nowhere Man”

Archi Deep and the Monkeyshakers is a French indie rock band who are obviously influenced by their favorite bands, including Supersuckers, Kid Congo, The Warlocks, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin as evidenced on the hard-rocking “Nowhere Man,” a single from their latest release, #3. The trio features Archi Deep (vocals, guitars), Martin Leroy (bass), and Camille Sullet (drums).

Nowhere Man – Archi Deep and the Monkeyshakers from #3

Area of Refuge – “Leap of Faith”

In the upstate New York town of Saratoga, twenty-something songwriter, musician Christopher Morin took a break from making rock music in order to focus on creating an album of serene and easy listening music. It’s something different for us too, but we really enjoyed the brilliance of his musicianship.

He teamed up with local violinist very Jahna Stanton to craft these wonderful songs. Their duo is officially called Area of Refuge. Morin counts some of his musical influences, for this style, to include Philip Glass, Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds, and Sigur Rós.

“Leap of Faith” – Area of Refuge from Series One

“Reptile” – Area of Refuge from Series One

The Polaris – “Nowhere To Run”

Based in Conventry, England, the DIY alt. rock band The Polaris have been working on their debut EP for many years, and perhaps it was well worth all that time. The lead track, “Nowhere To Run,” is an expansive, almost arena-sized, emotive track that has leanings to 80’s and 90’s rock, which makes sense since some of their top musical influences include The Stereophonics,The Smiths, Flickerstick, and Mogwai.

“Nowhere To Run” – The Polaris from A Beginning’s End

Drink Me – “Hi Ho”

Lo-fi, swaggering electro fuzz rock is the signature of Jacksonville DIY band Drink Me. The musical collaboration between Michael La Manna and Sadie La Manna started back in 2010 when they decided to record a few tracks in the living room, drawing from their love of bands like The Kills, The White Stripes and Smashing Pumpkins.

“Hi Ho“ – Drink Me from In The Living Room

This latest installment of IRC’s longest running indie rock music series, In Dee Mail, marks the 25th volume, and includes a whole new bunch of music never before featured on IRC. The bands profiled below include Seattle band Gems; Chicago’s Mighty Fox; Little Rock’s Canopy Climbers; Mexico’s Ekos; Rochester’s The Gifted Children; Los Angeles band, The Etiquette, and another Windy City band, Cousin Dud.

Gems is an instrumental electronic band from Seattle consisting of two drummers, Adrian Van Batenburg and Jacob Evans, and two keyboardists, Daniel Rapport and Gary Palmer, twisting knobs and making noises unknown to the natural world. Their music is likely to make you dance; without fail. Gems have garnered rave reviews from the Seattle music scene, including a glowing profile from The Stranger that read: “Gems hit you with heavy grooves and polyrhythmic interplay, while Moog-generated liquid-sex bass-lines and champagne-bubble leads seduce you to the dance floor.”

The band’s members have played a part in many musical projects, including such notable acts as Macklemore, John Grant, Blue Scholars, Ormonde and The Kindness Kind, among others. The idea for Gems, they said, was to “create an environment that allows for sonic experimentation and improvisation, while still retaining a feel that can only come about through an organic songwriting process.” The band members draw their inspiration from artists like Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, DJ Shadow, and RZA. There are a number of bands named Gems, but you can distinguish these guys because they are instrumental only.

“Ice Dime” – Gems from Tall Mountain Organics

Gems on Facebook

Looking Back on The Etiquette’s Debut EP

Like Ekos, there are other bands in our archives that we meant to publish some time ago, but were temporarily lost in the piles of hundreds of submissions that flow in each month (in fact, there are many such bands; but, the music, if it’s good, doesn’t have an expiration date, and sometimes, like wine, improves with time). Here’s another such band warranting resurrection.

Billy Gill (guitar, vocals) and Blake Walker (drums, vocals) paired musical interests while in college in Texas, and then, years later, met up again in Los Angeles where they expanded on what they had started originally years earlier, writing and performing indie rock songs as a duo. Later they were joined by Gill’s former guitar teacher, Tom Farrell, on bass, and their band, The Etiquette, formed, and soon after released their self-titled debut EP, which stands the test of time.

The band’s music was recently featured in the indie film, The Worst Year of My Life, directed by Jonathan Smith. The band’s musical influences – The Beatles, The Walkmen, The Sonic and Neutral Milk Hotel, are evident in their lush melodies and irresistible hooks. Unfortunately for fans of the band’s first release, they haven’t released any new music in the past three years. According to Walker, they will be releasing new material in 2015. We look forward to it.

“All Those Things” – The Etiquette from The Etiquette

“In A Sense” – The Etiquette from The Etiquette

Chicago DIY alternative rock band, Mighty Fox, mix a bit of Coldplay with The Killers, and add their own atmospheric guitar licks and impressive vocals, on their debut EP, Oceans, to create songs that make them sound like seasoned pros. The band told IRC that “each song has the listener noticing the many different” influential artists, such as the aforementioned as well as Imagine Dragons and U2 being “considered substantial influences.” Formed in 2013, Mighty Fox has made a splash on the Windy City’s competition rock music scene, and we believe are destined for bigger things. We’ll be watching out for their debut album. The band members are Mike Jansen on vocals; Markham Jenkins on guitar and piano; Johnny Walker on bass, and Jon Lewchenko on drums.

“Wild Ones” – Mighty Fox from Oceans

“Let Go” – Mighty Fox from Oceans

Check our Mighty Fox on Facebook

From Little Rock, Arkansas, where there’s a growing indie scene, the electronic pop trio Canopy Climbers, crossed our radar in the past with singles like “Always” and “Stuck,” that, well, got stuck in our heads.

The band’s sophomore EP, Miles, which they oddly call a sampler, was, like other albums in this post, released a couple of years ago, and, while it did not receive the kind of recognition it deserves, even though there was scattered praise on the web from blogs like Indie Shuffle and Popdose; Liisten.com deemed it a “tremendous success on every level.” The trio – Alan Thomas, Cory Nelson, and Nathan Miller – formed like so many bands do: they were friends who shared similar interests in music and decided to make a go for it.

While the band members all live in different cities in Washington state, that did not stop them from collaborating. They worked through the cloud, each adding their pieces to the others’. As Thomas explained, the trio’s songs “come together at the end of the process” when they are finalized for release, and especially when Canopy Climbers play them live. The band released their debut album, Distances, in 2011, which is also a worthwhile listening experience for those who dig the band’s sound. Listen to the sampler via NoiseTrade.

“Always” – Canopy Climbers from Miles

“Stuck” – Canopy Climbers from Miles

The band as opened for artists such as Carousel, Mansions On The Moon, and Deas Vail, and count among their biggest influences bands like Paper Route, Phoenix, Coldplay, Copeland, and Civil Twilight.

Canopy Climbers Official Website

Ekos – Mexico City, Mexico

We’re going backwards a bit to bring to light (luz) a band that we don’t want our listeners to miss out on. The history of Mexico City band Ekos begins with a difficult task: performing Pink Floyd music live. The band’s tribute to the iconic UK rock band has been hailed as one of the best tributes of Pink Floyd by the band’s publicist, Azu Baeza, and various music bloggers as well. The Pink Floyd tribute endeavor kicked open some new doors for Ekos, including bookings by promoters in Mexico City at venues like Teatro Tepeyac, Futurama Cultural Centre, the Christ Church and the Universidad de la Mexico.

Ekos’ members Ana Camelo, Jesus Torres, Victor Juarez and Ricardo Castro released their debut album Luz Interna last fall, featuring accomplished experimentations with atmospheric, progressive psych rock that also draw off of the styles and sounds of bands like Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Moby, and Led Zeppelin.

Here’s a mix of samples from their debut’s tracks, followed by two full tracks.

“Rostro Oculto” – Ekos from Luz Interna

“Obscuridad” – Ekos from Luz Interna

Ekos official website

Diverse Small Label Indie Poppers The Gifted Children

The Gifted Children, the first band to join the Tinhorn Planet independent record label, are one of the most interesting and creative experimental psych rock bands almost no one has heard of. At IRC, we’ve been fans of the Rochester, New York band for a number of years, and they still pop up on our radar because so many of their typically under-three-minute tracks are shuffled in the cafe’s permanent playlists.

As with other bands in this feature, we’re going back in time to bring you music worthy of bringing into the present. In the past, we’ve featured songs from fascinating albums like My Museum Pieces (2009 – an album that has mysteriously disappeared from their Bandcamp page) and Montgomery Blue Ash (2011), giving us even more hazy, trippy, acid-washed guitar and reverb bliss to enjoy.

Songs like “The Portable Sun” and “Parenthetical Nashville Blues” demonstrate the band’s remarkable talents to make music that touches your heart and makes you feel like your floating on a fluffy cloud on a gorgeous autumn day. There are simply too many spectacular tracks from The Gifted Children to review them all – what really matters is listening to them yourself, which you can do below.

Some of their newer music of note includes a series of tracks from The Reginald Pantry (A Zombie Chronicle), an album of 21 songs – with an average play time of about two minutes each – featuring various sonic ‘scenes’ that all together are more fitting for a movie soundtrack (anyone need a soundtrack for an indie zombie flick?) than a conventional album.

In December of 2012, the band released a 16-song album of Christmas covers and original songs, with highlights such as a distorted cover of “Deck The Halls,” a monk-like version, mixed with beats, of “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” an 8-bit midi of “The Nutcracker: March” and many others. As the band conveys on their special Christmas album, and their other works, The Gifted Children cannot be – will not be – boxed into one or two (or three or four) genres. Rather they straddle the spectrum of genres from art rock and indie rock, folk and electronic, ambient and pop.

The band also puts together some really interesting collage-style album, EP, 7″ and single covers, which you can view on their Bandcamp page. Help them out and purchase some of their music on Bandcamp. We all need to support the artists whose music touches us in some way and becomes part of the soundtrack of our lives.

“The Portable Sun” – The Gifted Children from Montgomery Blue Ash

“Parenthetical Nashville Blues” – The Gifted Children from Montgomery Blue Ash

“If The Accident Will” – The Gifted Children from Montgomery Blue Ash

The band, which is more accurately described as a collective of musicians, deliver an eclectic buffet of sounds and genres from straight pop to lo-fi, psychedelic rock to acoustic folk persuasions accented always by cuts and splices of sounds, distortion, feedback, and even unconventional means of recording and mixing – running the gamut of everything from making use of old recording equipment born decades ago to experimenting with recording through various apps on smartphones in a never-ending quest to find different ways to create, record and mix music. At times, the band has expanded to include contributions from more than a dozen collaborators.

“The Coalition Breathing Down My Neck” – The Gifted Children from My Museum Pieces

“Weathervane Alliance” – The Gifted Children from My Museum Pieces

“If You Get There” – – The Gifted Children from My Museum Pieces

Blending upbeat, melodic instrumentation with silly lyrics about life in the Midwest, the Chicago band, Cousin Dud, remind us a lot of The Proclaimers (“500 Miles [I Will Walk]”). The following are some older tunes, but they’re just as fresh and fun today as they were a few years ago. The band members include Matt Carmichael on guitar and vocals; Cesar Cruz on drums and percussion; Pete Geraci on saxophone and Dan Schuld on bass.

“Illinois” – Cousin Dud from The Faded

“Better Beaches” – Cousin Dud from The Faded

For those who have followed IRC for years (and thank you for that), you may be familiar with a profile and playlist series called In Dee Mail, which is a play on words to symbolize music that we receive by email. The In Dee Mail series, first published in 2008, is one of the longest running music series on IRC that introduces a diversity of talented indie artists and bands from around the country, and around the world. Because the sheer volume of music we received, terrific songs sometimes get filed away and are not rediscovered for many months later.

This edition of the In Dee Mail, the 24th, or XXIV, volume of the series, features bands like Scarlet Youth, Brokeback, Santah, Widowspeak, Stellar Young, Javier Dunn, Nick Smith (aka, Gibson), Recorder, and Karma.

Great Tracks From Scarlet Youth, Brokeback, Santah and Widowspeak

The first track is a follow-up single from the DIY band, Scarlet Youth, that were originally featured back in January. The band’s latest track that we’re digging, “Cool Kids,” is a mellow, emotive song that would be fitting on the soundtrack of a ‘coming of age’ indie film. Brokeback is the long-time musical side project of musician and songwriter Douglas McCombs, who is a member of bands such as Tortoise, Eleventh Dream Day, and Pullman, and has also collaborated with Calexico, Yo La Tengo, Tom Ze, and Azita Youseffi.

Next, the band Santah released a new track from their much lauded EP, You’re Still A Lover. Inspired by the disorientation in his own love life, Stan McConnell penned the Chicago‘s quintet’s newest single, “I Love the Way You Seal A Deal,” a tune full of soaring choruses, lush arrangements and their patented sincere lyricism. McConnell told Rolling Stone: “I was pretty disoriented with my own love life, so I wrote this song to play out a fantasy and to fiercely commit to whatever that was and whatever that entailed.”

“Cool Kids” – Scarlet Youth from The Everchanging View

“The Wire, the Rag and the Payoff” –  Brokeback from Brokeback and the Black Rock on Thrill Jockey Records

“I Love The Way You Seal A Deal (Show Me Shows)” – Santah from You’re Still A Lover EP

After spending days in a hundred-year-old barn in upstate New York, the band Widowspeak have returned with a new album, Almanac, featuring the single, “The Golden Hour” from said album. Helped by Kevin McMahon – who has worked with Real Estate and Swans – the new songs from the album feature stronger guitar riffs while never losing the layered lilting of Molly’s voice.

“Ballad of the Golden Hour” – Widowspeak from Almanac on Captured Tracks

Stellar Young’s Debut, Everything at Once

In 2010, New York musicians Erik Flora (guitar), John Glenn (vocals/keys), Kyle Hatch (guitar), Curt Mulick (drums), and Dave Parker (bass), formed the DIY indie rock band, Stellar Young, and last December dropped their new LP, Everything at Once, featuring the singles, “Speak Now (Good Man)” and “Playing With Guns.”

Stellar Young has previously opened for bands like Badfish and The Dangerous Summer, and consider among their top influences Taking Back Sunday, The Wombats, Kid Cudi, Brand New, and The Early November.

“Speak Now (Good Man)” – Stellar Young from Everything at Once

“Playing With Guns” – Stellar Young from Everything at Once

Singer/Songwriter and Musician Javier Dunn – Los Angeles

Javier Dunn began his music career playing open mics and small clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to Los Angeles at the age of 17 to attend UCLA. In addition to his studies, Dunn gigged as a solo artist, and also played bass and guitar in a number of jazz, funk, rap and rock bands over the years. During this time, Dunn also began experimenting with recording, programming and producing. In 2012, Dunn signed with Red Parade Music, the music collective helmed by producer Jim Roach. Dunn began working on his label debut, Trails, a beat-driven and cosmopolitan work converging a number of elements like hip hop, electronic and eclectic elements converge. With its release in June, Javier hopes to have a song or songs that connect with people. Look for it to resonate with a vast audience this summer. ” Dunn top musical influences include Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Prince, and Coldplay. Dunn’s voice reminds many people of Dave Matthews, but in a very subtle way, as evident on the song “If You Go.”

“If You Go” – Javier Dunn with Sarah Bareilles from Trails via Red Parade Music

“Couple of Drinks” – Javier Dunn from Trails via Red Parade Music

Javier Dunn Official Website

Nick Smith, aka, Gibson

Nick Smith, aka Gibson, is a singer/songwriter from Sheffield, UK. Smith’s ‘Gibson’ moniker was also his nickname in college because he owned three Gibson guitars. Since then, the name stuck, even though one downside is that it’s harder to find information and music from Gibson in a Google search, even when adding “band” or “music,” which are the two most common keywords used in addition to a band name when people are trying to refine a search of a common name or word, or even a saying. For a few years, Smith said, he dabbled with recording the songs that he wrote, but it wasn’t until he met Sheffield drummer, Steve O’Brien in 2011, that he was able to record his songs and send them around to any one who would listen. We listened, and have enjoyed what we’ve heard; hopefully many of you will agree.

Gibson has performed live throughout Yorkshire in support of a cover band. Although, Gibson has had lots of experience performing at venues such as West Street Live (Sheffield City Centre), he does admit it is hard to go in front of a crowd with just a guitar and play songs they have never heard before. The bit he hates the most is that walk out to the stage. There is however, no better buzz when the performance works! The re-release of the Tell Me EP in last year was to support a number of local gigs along with the digital release of the radio edit version of “Losing You,” that has already gained some US college radio airplay. Just recently, Gibson has released a new EP, Hope. Nick Smith’s major music influences includes U2, Coldplay, ACDC, Noel Gallagher, and REM.

“Summer Song” – Gibson from Hope EP

“Hope” – Gibson from Hope EP

“Losing You” – Gibson from Tell Me EP

Gibson’s Music Website

Recorder – New York, New York

Recorder is the experiment of a group of established musicians that came together and made an album from scratch over a period of three weeks in France and New York. The album, Mountain, is the result of work from musicians Alexandre Millet (Mangrove), Aakaash Israni (Dawn of Midi), Qasim Naqvi (Dawn of Midi), Shahzad Ismaily (Tom Waits, Cat Power, Bonnie Prince Billy), Indigo Street (Shy Hunters), Willow Gibbons (Bow Ribbons). Mountain was mixed and co-produced by Rusty Santos (Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Born Ruffians). The band’s top musical influences include Sleeping States, Animal Collective, Little Dragon, Joy Division, Radiohead, and Nick Drake.

“Once it (the musical friends recording an album together) was decided, some of us went to Paris for a month. We then sat in a dark and small apartment for about three weeks, where we helped write and arrange the material. Then we went and recorded everything over the course of four days in the French countryside…and in New York, we recorded the vocals, added a few weird psychedelic synth touches and then mixed everything down,” according to Millet.

The problem with bands named after a very common word or phrase is that it makes it hard to find out more about them in a search. Our first attempts at “Recorder” + “Mountain” (album title) along with ‘album’ and another search using ‘band’ found no results about the band. It was only when we plugged in one of the band member names did we find anything about the band, and even then it was very thin and mostly self-promotional.

One of the best pieces of advice we can give a band that wants to be found online is to pick a unique name, and also search for that name to see IF anything else – like another band or a product or whatever – comes up. The more unique the band name, the better they’ll do in as far as making it easy – which is how it should be – for people interested in learning more about the band to find information, more songs, videos, social (Twitter and Facebook in particular) accounts and so on related to the band. Plus, it doesn’t help when there are a few other bands with the same name.

Choosing a common word as a band name will frustrate fans looking for more information, often times most will simply give up. We will often mention in a write-up about a band with such a common name, and how it was impossible, or nearly impossible, to find information about the band, including something as expected as an official website.

A well-done website is a major component of a band’s PR efforts that is especially important to building and maintaining a fan base. The more “wow” factor is involved on every aspect of the site, the bigger a band’s fan base will grow. The opposite often has the opposite affect because people have expectations for the official website from a band. When those expectations are not satisfied, it has a negative affect on the band’s popularity – no question about it.

Need A Band Website? . We can create a professional, fully implemented website for any artist or band. From the design to the content, the SEO and the usability, we’ll discuss with you – whether it’s a new site or an existing site that needs work – the plan, with your input, and then go to work on it. We also have plenty of technical experience, so if you know little about how to create (or improve) a website and get it working right on the web, no worries, we have all the angles covered, and have worked in the web industry for the past 15 years. Talk to us about creating, or improving, your band website, and we’ll put together a plan. Simply fill out the Official Band Website form and we’ll get right back to you.

“Lights” – Recorder from Mountain

“Four Walls” – Recorder from Mountain Mountain

Recorder on Facebook and Bandcamp

Karma – Pleasant Hill, Ohio

The formation of the now defunct Ohio DIY band, Karma, came about, ironically, when members from two defunct bands – The Records and Forge – got together to form a band. Their first name was Lithium, but they were threatened with legal action from the existing band, Lithium. So, they choose instead Karma. But they only got to record one album, Rock is Dead and So is Karma. After the release, band member and co-founder, Nicholas Olaya, wrote: “After playing many great shows in Columbus, Dayton, Troy, and even Cincinnati, the band split and went their separate ways, with their recordings the only proof they ever existed.” During their time together, Karma opened for Chemists vs the Computer, Miss May I, Skashank Redemption, and count as their top influences Nirvana, Weezer, Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam.

“Kaylyn” – Karma from Rock is Dead and So is Karma

“My Next Ex-Girlfriend” – Karma from Rock is Dead and So is Karma

by Philip E. Daoust

It’s been a while since the last In Dee Mail series highlighting bands that emailed us their work via the submission form.

Unlike other more specific playlists (such as DIY Bands to Watch; 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, Bands That Rock), In Dee Mail is a mix of all kinds of bands – signed and DIY; U.S. based or overseas; those with recent releases or older releases – but the majority of the bands featured in the In Dee Mail series are DIY and largely unknown to most indie music lovers.

What most people enjoy about this series is that it spotlights talented new artists and bands with great songs that most people have never heard before, but are glad once they have. This is the 23rd! edition of the In Dee Mail series that originally launched in 2010 and includes releases that we had drafted posts on years ago but never completed, and yet, two or three years, in some cases, four, years later, they have staying power enough to publish them today.

The Unique Recordings of The Gifted Children

Let’s kick off with The Gifted Children, the first and only band on the new Tinhorn Planet independent record label, one of the most interesting, and talented, little-known bands indie bands around. The band, which is more accurately described as a collective of musicians, deliver a deliciously diverse buffet of sounds from straight pop to lo-fi, psychedelic rock to acoustic folk persuasions accented always by cuts and splices of sounds, shorter than usual tracks and unconventional means of recording and mixing their work – running the gamut of everything from old recording equipment to the newest devices not often considered recording equipment, like the iPhone. Altogether, there were 17 musicians who contributed to the collective’s 2009 11-song album, My Museum Pieces. The album is full of ecletic, wonderful songs that are sometimes epic, other times funny and even melancholy.

In addition to the dozens and dozens of songs the band has recorded and released over the years, The Gifted Children have also recorded a selection of Christmas songs every year for the past few years. You can listen to and download Christmas songs via The Gifted Children’s songs page, as well as other recordings.

“The Coalition Breathing Down My Neck” – The Gifted Children from My Museum Pieces

“Weathervane Alliance” – The Gifted Children from My Museum Pieces

“If You Get There” – The Gifted Children from My Museum Pieces

Pennsylvania Band Very Americans Drop Debut 7″

Very Americans are a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania indie/alt rock band who sent in their debut 7″ single Back From The Dead/Fast Planes To Rio a while ago, but that did not supply us much information about the band – and still haven’t despite our attempts. They signed with Ship Out Recordings only a few months after forming in 2012. We think the A-side and B-side of this 7″ release are terrific tracks that we’ve played numerous times in the cafe.

“Back From The Dead” – Very Americans from Back From The Dead 7 Inch

“Fast Planes To Rio” – Very Americans from Back From The Dead 7 Inch

Roaming Herds of Buffalo – Seattle, Washington

Roaming Herds of Buffalo is the exciting pop music project of Seattle songwriter, singer and musician Scott Roots. The idea behind this project is to set short science fiction stories to pop and rock music with the collaboration of musicians from other Seattle bands like The Torn ACLs, Skeletons with Flesh on Them, and Stencil.

With his previous bands, like SWFOT, Roots shared the stage with Aqueduct and The Lonely Forest and “a lot (and I mean a lot) of bands not many people have heard of.”

His major musical influences include Okkervil River, Beulah, Pavement, The National, and Guided By Voices.

“All of Them” – Roaming Herds of Buffalo from Roaming Herds of Buffalo

“Repaired” – Roaming Herds of Buffalo from Roaming Herds of Buffalo

Roaming Herds of Buffalo’s Website

Chicago DIY Indie Band Berry

Berry is a Chicago based experimental indie pop band that remind us a bit (note ‘bit’) like Apples in Stereo mixed with They Might Be Giants. In 2011, the nearly decade-old band set out on a 12-state, 20 set tour by train. You don’t hear of many bands who specifically go by train to tour (if there are more of you out there, please let us know).

In fact, the only time we can remember any musicians touring by train was the across-country tour through Canada featuring the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin, and that was, well, four decades ago (there’s a documentary about the trip as well).

Fantastic songs like “Floundering” (“our punk rock song,” the band said), from the self-released EP, Flounder, and from the Recovery EP, the song, “Alma Mater,” are only a couple of out of some 100 songs the band recorded in a seven year time span. Of the approximately 30 to 40 that we have listened to, and downloaded, we can say that the band has a lot of ideas flowing for song themes, chords, rhythms and lyrics. If you like what you here, there is plenty of more Berry recordings available via their official website.

“Floundering” – Berry from Flounder

“Alma Mater” – Berry from Recovery

Texan Indie Artist Kelsey Brown

This next artist is one that, like Berry and a few other bands featured in this post, was put into a draft post a long time ago as an artist we eventually planned to feature on IRC. There are many dozens of artists and bands that we have never had the time – due to other priorities in coverage – to profile until now. Nearly two years ago, we received a few demos In Dee Mail from Texas singer/songwriter Kelsey Brown.

Now after having listened again to the songs he sent in, our antennas Immediately went back up; Brown is a talented artist that we would have hoped by now would be known more universally. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Brown sang with her grandfather’s bluegrass band at a young age and moved to Texas in 1997. She has been classically trained in voice, but began writing music and taught herself piano in 2007 and ukulele in 2009. Kelsey attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. She lists among her influences Regina Spektor, Joanna Newsom, Fiona Apple, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Beirut, Laura Veirs, Tegan and Sara, Camille, and others. *

“I’m A Creep And I’m Proud” – Kelsey Brown from Kelsey Brown

“Piccadilly Circus” – Kelsey Brown from Kelsey Brown

*Note: We have not yet heard her newer material

DIY Singer/Songwriter and Musician David Seume from Kansas City, Missouri

The following are some great tracks that we recently found in an old draft post that we never got to share at the time dating back to 2010. David Seume os a Kansas City singer, songwriter and musician who has garnered critical acclaim for his infusions of sweet melodies, gospel, soul, pop, rock, and Motown in his music. We are still big fans of his self-titled debut LP that includes his first single, “Will Ya Be My Friend.” You can hear more current songs via his official website .

“Will Ya Be My Friend” – David Seume from s/t debut

Hot Einstein – Oakland, California

Oakland band, Hot Einstein, headed by musician Matt Berkeley, is a five-piece rock band formed in 2011 when a number of musician friends got together and recruited a couple others to pour their creative aspirations into recording songs and playing live, adding plenty of experimentation, heavy bass and keys, reverb-laden vocals and programmed beats to their hallmark pop rock sound. The band’s musical influences range from vintage Bowie to King Curtis, Nina Simone and Led Zeppelin. Hot Einstein began with Berkeley’s primordial urge to form a classic rock and roll band. He states: “We felt that ‘rock’ has strayed to far from its roots in rhythm and blues, as Nick Lowe said…it lost the ‘roll’ somewhere along the line.”

After touring around the country, Hot Einstein eventually set up residence at Oakland’s Disco Volante, working on their original material and classics by Booker T. & the MGs, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, and D’Angelo. “We learned so many covers not to be a cover band, per se, but to feel like a legitimate band that knows how to play together, and has a repertoire beyond a handful of original songs.”

Produced by Berkeley and Joe Bagale, Hot Einstein’s eponymous debut album was recorded at Richmond, California’s Bird and Egg Studios. Hot Einstein is a nostalgic rock band whose members engage in experimenting with sounds and influences from the 1960s and 70s, including tambourine, vintage keyboards, and vocal harmonies. Their debut LP spans rootsy acoustic genres, electronic and groove characteristics, as well as traditional rock and roll elements.

“Too Soon on You” – Hot Einstein from Hot Einstein

“Perfect People” – Hot Einstein from Hot Einstein

Hot Einstein Official Website

Brides of Christ – Los Angeles, California

Brides of Christ is the solo project of Los Angeles musician Kirk C. Naylor. Formed during his final year as a student of music composition at UCLA in 2010, Brides of Christ is heavily influenced by a wide variety of music and art. His songs are dark, beat-driven and bombastic, drawing from influences like goth pioneers Joy Division, with aspects of pop and dance, and drone and ambient music in the mix, alongside hard loops, experimental self-sampling and heavy-handed beats to “hold the chaotic elements together.” Drawing inspiration from imaginative artists John Cage, Yoko Ono, Abe Vigoda, and Freddy Ruppert, Brides of Christ is an act of pure creation, as Naylor describes, and ultimately “turns inward upon itself and gazes into darkness,” describing his sound more simply as ‘maximal minimalism.’ Despite this introspective attitude, Naylor maintains that at the heart of it this music is pure pop. “The viscerality of music and it’s meaning are infinitely detached,” Naylor said. Other artists that are major influences on BOC’s music include My Bloody Valentine, New Order, Xiu Xiu, Animal Collective, and Bright Eyes.

“Sihaya” – Brides of Christ from Woman Is Throne EP

“Ready to Die Now” – Brides of Christ from Woman Is Throne EP

Brides of Christmas on Facebook

…And More Great Songs from Under-Rated Bands

The following is a random sampling of other indie tracks that were part of other posts that never got published, or are songs from previous years’ draft posts that were never posted for one reason or another. We hope you’ll find a couple of tracks that are worth downloading to your own playlist or just bookmarking to come back here and listen to them again since we don’t delete song files after a couple of weeks/months as most other indie blogs do. The only time a song file (aka, mp3 link) doesn’t play is when the artist or the record label that originally posted the song removes it, which we obviously have no control over.

“Wondergirl” – Orange Avenue from Small Victories

“Make It Better” –  The Knocks from Make It Better

“Basement” – Run, Forever from Settling

“I’m Sure” – Twin Cabins from I’m Sure

“Rise and Fall” – Andy Yorke from Simple

“Muscle Memory” – Most Thieves from Stolen

“John From New York” – Pan from  These Are The Things I Love and I Want to Share Them With You

For a few years now, the In Dee Mail series has been a popular on-going feature because it introduces music lovers to obscure, but talented, alternative and indie rock artists. For many of the musicians it is their first exposure by a often for the first time, to alternative and indie rock music fans.

The series gets it’s name from a play on words. Because all of the artists featured in the series sent in their music for review (although we now have a submission form on the About page), rather than calling it “In The Mail,” to change it to “In Dee Mail.” The other characteristic of In Dee Mail is the fact that the featured album releases, and the singles they spawn, are not published based on the date they were originally released, as the weekly Best New Releases playlists are.

Fast-forward to the present;  it’s hard to believe we’ve posted almost two dozen In Dee Mail installments since 2010, including this newest edition. It has been a while since the last In Dee Mail was published, but in the coming weeks and months, there will be a number (others in the pipeline now) of new In Dee Mail features. A lot of time and planning goes into sorting through hundreds of submissions to pick the artists and bands, and of course the songs they submit, for the In Dee Mail series – as is the case with other regular post series, such as Artist of the Week, 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, DIY Bands to Watch, Top DIY Releases, among others.

Soviet – Garland, Texas

The Garland, Texas DIY rock trio, Soviet, released a number of demos last November, ahead of their planned 2013 full length debut LP, which has yet to be titled or given a release date. The tracks showcase the band’s progressive rock ‘stonegaze’ sound, which has helped make them a fairly popular band in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, and earned them spots opening for indie heavy-weights, and IRC favorites, such as New Jersey punksters Titus Andronicus, and Cleveland indie rock band Cloud Nothings, in addition to shared bills with artists like Future of the Left, Stardeath and White Dwarves.

Soviet features singer/songwriter and drummer John Spies, guitarist Richy Brown and bassist Tucker Masten. With the release of the demo recordings featured below, Spies said the band “departed” from their “pop punk roots” to create “gloomier areas of stoner grunge rock,” (aka, ‘stonegaze’) and as a result, “found the back door out of teenage hell.” The majority of their songs are instrumentals. Soviet counts amongst their biggest musical influences bands such as Rush, Pallbearer, Nile, Weezer, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. It’s a little surprising that the band did not list Built to Spill as a musical influence since their songs, especially “I Wanna Die,” is so BTS-ish.

“This Is the Day” (Demo) – Soviet from single

“I Wanna Die” (Demo) – Soviet from single

Soviet on Facebook

Odd Hours – Detroit, Michigan

Odd Hours is a noisy, loud, art rock trio that is Natasha Beste (vocals, keys), Tim Jagielo (guitar, loops), and Mike Legue (drums, vocals). They have played Detroit’s major bar circuit, and Detroit’s famous festivals including Dally in the Alley and Metro Times Blowout. Jeff Milo (Detroit Metro Times) described Odd Hours style as “evil-ing up new-wave, griming up glam, and Frankenstein-frying a disarmingly melody-keen post-punk,” on their most recent EP, Solar Plexus Power of Babooshka.

The first track, “Electric Soul,” has more potential with a better overall production value, and improvements on the vocals in the parts of the songs were the vocals are lacking. The second song, “Insomnia in Color,” is more fragmented and would definitely benefit from some re-working, again, there is progress to be made on the relationship between the vocalist and the other band members, but we can see how some folks will still enjoy it anyways, especially after spinning both tracks a few times. That said, our vote goes to the first song.

“Electric Soul” – Odd Hours from Solar Plexus Power of Babooshka

“Insomnia in Color” – Odd Hours from Solar Plexus Power of Babooshka

Krejad – Kansas City, Missouri

Impasse is the debut album from Krejad, the musical project of Clinton Houseman, who has played in several bands in the Kansas City and Joplin areas since 2006. Yearning to strike out on his own, Houseman launched Krejad in 2009 following the disbanding of his teenage-founded band, Media Frenzy.

While Houseman wrote, recorded and produced the album, as well as performed most of the instrumental and vocal parts, several musician friends also contributed. The self-produced album was recorded mostly in Clinton’s home and at a grimy downtown rehearsal space. It definitely has the feel of a lo-fi recording. The band will surely benefit from more practice and perhaps the help of a good producer. The following tracks are from the band’s new EP, Oasis, released on January 13th.

“Oasis in the Sandhills” – Krejad from Oasis EP

“Undercloud” – Krejad from Oasis EP

Krejad on Bandcamp

The Goodbye Radio – Huntington, New York

From Huntington, New York, DIY independent rock band, The Goodbye Radio, features four friends who are committed to creating stand out music. The band has many musical influences, including Beach House, Teenage Fanclub, Paul Simon, and Wilco, to name a few, but they stand firm in their affirmation that they want to remain independent with “no interference.”

“I Don’t Mean A Thing” – The Goodbye Radio from The Goodbye Radio

“Boiling River” – The Goodbye Radio from The Goodbye Radio

Curious Quail – San Jose, California

Curious Quail caught our attention after they were awarded the ‘Best Song’ in the Silicon Valley Music Awards for the track, “The Glow,” and were named one of the Top 20 new bands in the Bay Area by San Francisco’s legendary radio station, Live 105 (105.3FM KITS). Additionally, Death and Taxes blogger Ned Hepburn wrote that Curious Quail “might just be the Bay Area’s next big hope.”

San Jose DIY multi-genre indie band Curious Quail started off as the one man acoustic solo project of singer/songwriter and musician Mike Shirley-Donnelly. Beginning in 2008, he started writing tracks and recording them at home on guitar with a laptop and loop pedal. Over the ensuing four years, Curious Quail created a collection of songs and set out to recruit a full band that now includes two guitarists, a bassist, two violinists (one who also performs on a keytar), a keyboardist “who dabbles in accordion and harmonica,” and a drummer who “plays anything that’s left over when the drum machines kick in.”

The numerous band members, Donnelly writes, “are all over the map genre-wise.” An alternative rock band at heart, with screaming fuzzy guitars hearkening mid-90’s Smashing Pumpkins, they can also strip down to a folk element more along the lines of Damien Rice. Then those drum machines kick in, evolving their sound into something The Postal Service would feel proud of. They sometimes create their own drum machine samples from strange sources, such as an army of twenty or so film camera’s shutters and clicks.

They’ve been known to live-stream private “house” shows on the internet and have Q/A sessions with fans afterward, taking questions from twitter or e-mail. The Quails are also avid video game enthusiasts and can be found streaming their escapades via Twitch.tv – several of the members play Starcraft competitively under the banner “Team Quail.” He’s opened for OK Go and Neon Trees.

“Disappointed Smiles” – Curious Quail from single

Curious Quail Official Website

Gates – New Brunswick, New Jersey

Gates is an ambient rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey formed in 2010. In the past couple of years, Gates has released two albums, closed a vinyl deal with Devildance Records, and toured throughout the United States and the UK. The band has opened for artists like Moving Mountains, Pianos Become The Teeth, Fallacies, Gifts From Enola, and Rival Schools.

“Like This You Mean” – Gates from You Are All You Have Left To Fear

“The Sound Of Letting Go” – Gates from You Are All You Have Left To Fear

Koniac Net – Bombay, India

David Abraham, who lives in Bombay, India, performs under the moniker Koniac Net, and records DIY style in his bedroom. The entire album is a tribute to the indie & alternative genres, as well as the artists that influenced Abraham, such as Swervedriver, The French Kicks, Catherine Wheel and The Stills. After songs off the album were played on radio stations in over 30 countries globally, and it was suggested that Abraham perform his material in these countries, and thus, his solo project transformed into a five-piece band. Friend & guitarist, Jason D’Souza, who mixed the album, was the first to be recruited. In the short time they have been together, the band has been asked to play at some of the best events India has to offer, including Bacardi NH7 Weekender Festival, Ragasthan Festival, Live from the Console Festival, among others.

The Koniac Net has also been voted as Band of the Week on Indie Music Bus, Band of the Month on AlternativeAddiction.com, Best Original Band by Converse & Rolling Stone India, and have been featured in three episodes of Australia’s comedy-drama series Flat Whites. The band is currently working on new material, and concentrating hard on somehow getting a sponsor for an international/world tour.”

“This Time Around” – Koniac Net from One Last Monsoon – Feb. 8th

“Bricks” – Koniac Net from One Last Monsoon

Vague-à-Bonde – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nicole Brenny is a Minneapolis-based producer and DIY bedroom electro artist known as Vague-à-Bonde. Last August, she released her debut album, Involution/Evolution, featuring songs constructed with lushly layered vintage synths, crisp vocals and computer programmed beats. Unafraid to experiment with various musical influences, Brenny creates tracks using both hi-fi & lo-fi production techniques. The sound rests somewhere between Fleetwood Mac & K-Pop. “Evolved” was the first single off of the album and co-produced by Chris Heidman(former member of Sukpatch). She has previously opened for some great bands, like Porcelain Raft, Diamond Rings, and Night Moves.

“Evolved” – Vague-à-Bonde from Evolve – August 31, 2012

Vague-a-Bonde Official Website

In Dee Mail Mentions

If there was a long lost cousin of the Arctic Monkeys – some might say more like a copy cat artist – Jonny Rumble‘s stake to that claim would not be considered completely out of the ballpark, since his aggressive guitar rock style reminds us a lot of the old Arctic Monkeys (not the new sound AM has evolved to in recent years). Lo-fi distortion, screeching feedback, exotic bongo beats and wailing, feedback-laden electric guitars and vocals are used to create this short psychedelic number from the band Campfires. Musician Jonathan Clancy, who records under the moniker His Clancyness, is a musician who lives in northern Canada. On the track, “Ottawa Backfired Soon,” Clancy incorporates the drumming style of the Ronettes with icy xylophone playing that has a wintertime feel to it. He has also worked with the band Banjo or Freakout.

“Brzrkr” – Jonny Rumble

“Tired Old Sun” – Campfires

“Ottawa Backfired Soon” – His Clancyness

From the Great Lakes city of Toronto, Ontario, Kyle Woolven , a DIY electro-pop multi-instrumentalist and college student, self-released his first recording as Pekoe Cat on August 23rd, and sent us in a couple of his tracks. While this entry, from what we were able to find out, is the first time his music has been featured on a music blog, and his debut as a recording artist, we don’t really know very much about him because he didn’t provide very much information about himself.

However, if enough people stream, download, comment, Like and Retweet this post, referencing Pekoe Cat, we will run another post as a follow-up to in an attempt to obtain more information about him, and more songs as well.

As of the time this post was published, Pekoe Cat doesn’t even have any type of website – a blog, Facebook page, Tumblr or Bandcamp. We have a feeling as his songs are spread around more that that’ll change pretty fast.

Artists Previously Opened For: None
Major Musical Influences: The Beatles, Radiohead, The Mars Volta, Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Toro Y Moi, Tame Impala, The Most Serene Republic
Year Formed: 2012

Max and the Moon – Chino Hills, California

In Chino Hills, California, an affluent suburb of Los Angeles, the band Max and the Moon have received some fairly good coverage in the past month for their video “Out of My Head,” the first single from the band’s newly released EP, The Way I See.

When we first heard “Out of My Head,” it struck us as not indie, but much more of a mainstream radio rock sound. Still, the band is DIY and pure orchestra indie pop sound coupled with driving beats and excited choruses got our attention right away. The more we listened to it, and the other single the band sent in, “Lighthouse,” the more sense it made that Max and the Moon belonged in our list of  DIY Breakout Bands of 2012.

“Out of My Head” – Max and the Moon from The Way I See

Official Band Website: Max and the Moon
Artists Previously Opened For: So Many Wizards, Kiev, The Gospels, Old Canes
Major Musical Influences: Ella Fitzgerald, Otis Redding, Coldplay, Local Natives, Radiohead, Phoenix, Fleet Foxes
Year Formed: 2009

Kittentank – Wellington, New Zealand

Kittentank is DIY post pop band from New Zealand that formed in 2006. In June, the band released a new single “Take You There” from the album, Troubles on the Table Again. Kittentank have previously opened for artists like Wow, Bonaparte, Street Chant, Naked and the Famous.

“Take You There” – Kittentank from Troubles on the Table Again – June 6th

Official Band Website: Kittentank on Facebook
Previously Opened For: Wow, Bonaparte, Street Chant, Naked and the Famous
Major Musical Influences: PJ Harvey, the Oh Sees, Ween, New Order, Pulp, Elastica, the Chills and the Clean.
Year Formed: 2006

Wait, What? – Chicago, Illinois

Wait, What is an indie pop band of Chicago music students from DePaul University who began collaborating while in school during the 2010-2011 school year. They released their debut EP, No Yeah, in July 2012. The EP features combining songwriting elements of Max Evrard and Matt Script showcasing the band’s indie pop sound.

Official Band Website:: Wait, What? on Bandcamp
Artists Previously Opened For: Anti-Crew, The Sometimes Family, Kitty Devine, Spencer McGillicutty
Major Musical Influences: Radiohead, The Beatles, The White Stripes, Fleet Foxes,
Year Formed: 2010

Dinosaurs on Mars! – Upland, California

The two founding members of Dinosaurs on Mars! (Steven Mucci and Nathan Casas) met in high school in Upland, California, and have been experimenting with writing and recording indie electro pop music ever since. Now, they are both high school math teachers. When DOM was formed in 2010, the two decided they needed a second guitarist (Tom Morris) for recording and performing needs.

Official Band Website: Dinosaurs on Mars
Artists Previously Opened For: None
Major Musical Influences: Cut Copy, The Killers, M83, Hercules and Love Affair
Year Formed: 2010

No TV Tonight – New York

No TV Tonight is a new DIY punk rock band from New York City formed by singer/guitarist Jaime Marcelo and drummer Matt Storm. The band knocks out raw, energetic punk rock in the style of 1990’s punk bands. No TV Tonight’s first release, the EP, American Excess, was released on July 4th. One small tip for other bands: don’t release your debut, or any album, on a holiday. Why? Because people are so busy with the holiday, they are not thinking of new music releases.

In fact, that’s why labels don’t release very many albums the week of the Fourth of July, as well as other holidays. This is evidenced by the thin number of releases for the Best New Music Releases for the week of July 4th.

Official Artist Website: No TV Tonight on Bandcamp
Artists Previously Opened For: None
Major Musical Influences: Green Day, Propagandhi, Against Me!, Lagwagon, Bad Religion
Year Formed: 2012

Introducing Denmark’s Alternative Rock Band Love Crystals

Love Crystals is an alternative rock band from Denmark, in a town called Elsinore. They formed in 2007 and are signed with the SKB Records label. In May, they released their self-titled, debut album featuring the lead single, “Gallows Of The Wine” comes from.

“Gallows Of The Wine” – Love Crystals from Love Crystals – May 7th

Official Band Website: Love Crystals
Artists Previously Opened For: The Storm, Rock Hard Power Spray, Vomit Supreme
Major Musical Influences: Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Queens Of The Stone Age, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.
Year Formed: 2007

Browse past editions of In Dee Mail, featuring over one hundred bands you probably never heard before