Category: Indie Rock Mixtapes

The Giving Moon – “Natives”

It may seem a little late to roll out a summer-themed track, but the indie pop single, “Summertime” by the New Orleans DIY band The Giving Moon caught our attention. The song features shimmering guitars, reverb-heavy, smoky vocals, and a fantastically catching beat and rhythm.

And that lead us to listen to more tracks from the band’s recent album release, Forever Awake, like the more funky, R&B rocker, “Natives,” sporting a danceable rhythm, soothing vocal work, atmospheric guitars and a post-rock mixed with alt. rock element that runs throughout many of the band’s songs, including the title track, “Friction,” and “Folded Thoughts” among others.

The band’s 2015 EP, The Wild, garnered a good bit of love online, thanks to impossibly addictive tracks like the upbeat, driving pop rock of “Making Chemicals” and the glimmering guitars and melodic shifts of “Hills.”

The Giving Moon are one of those rare bands that come along who sound like they’ve already been playing together for a decade or more, but in fact, it has been half of that time. Guitarist, vocalist and front man Sean Seales, bassist Adam Suto and drummer Nate Melville were all high school friends in Chicago and in short order were traveling coast to coast to play shows for a growing fan base.

TGM has opened for an impressive array of artists and bands, including Eddie Money, Edgar Winter, Tommy & the High Pilots, and Welshly Arms. Their biggest musical influences include The Beatles, Young The Giant, Coldplay, Foster The People and Radiohead.

Griffin Robillard – “Cracks In The Ceiling”

Boston-resident-Minneapolis-born indie folk rock musician Griffin Robillard new debut album, Cracks in The Ceiling, fashions folk-tinged indie rock with introspective lyrics and a unique vocal palette on tracks like the title song

The twenty-two year-old’s debut pays homage to the Americana tradition, casting a wide net of what it means to reinterpret guitar music in the present while drawing from influences as wide-ranging as Bryan Ferry’s nervy croon to Wilco’s early raw energy, having been compared as ‘Rufus Wainwright meets Neil Diamond.

Raised on his musician father’s record collection of Jackson Browne, CSNY, and many other singer-songwriter and folk rock trailblazers, Robillard began writing songs as a child. As a high school student in Salt Lake City, he started to experiment with recording, playing everything from folk to grunge in various bands. When he relocated to Boston to attend college, Rolbillard became very serious about writing.

“For a long time it was something I did in my spare time,” he says. “A poem or song here and there. I went into college pursuing a biology degree. I failed spectacularly,” explains Robillard. Discouraged, he decided to go back to basics and was encouraged by encouraging professors. “Writing fiction and poetry was an itch that I could never satisfy and because what I was writing was just so bad, it just made it more frustrating.”

Written over a year while living in Copenhagen, Denmark, Cracks in the Ceiling chronicles a time of profound change for the young songwriter. “I had a fresh start, getting to know myself again after a really rough two years,” Robillard says. “In hindsight it was probably a form of depression, but the fog lifted and I also met my now girlfriend there. It was pretty overwhelming. I was writing as fast as I could.”

The title track begins with a lone drum-loop as an array of acoustic and electric guitars slowly swell into a balladic chorus. “The first song is all about how love between two people can double your view of the world, but just because you see more– through aging, experience, or the love itself– doesn’t mean we can escape a lot of the half-truths we tell ourselves.” And the song “Ghost” is bound to be a crowd pleaser – the musicianship and overall production, as with the entire album, are impressive.

Robillard teamed up with producer Jon Niess, who assembled an all-star ensemble of Austin musicians at his studio, Austin Signal. With studio wizard Charlie Kramsky (Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Elvis Costello) on the board, the album was laid down in just four days and put in the hands of Erik Wofford (My Morning Jacket, Explosions in the Sky, Bill Callahan) for final mastering.

Griffin Robillard Homepage

Sky Chefs – “Aquarians”

In the urban sprawl of Los Angeles, there’s a cluttered garage recording studio lovingly dubbed the Whack Ark. Inside, surrounded by wobbly tape machines, Craigslist castoffs, and an old iMac named Gozer, Dale Nicholls writes and records music as Sky Chefs.

Since 2015, Sky Chefs has dropped three LPs, three EPs, a lethargic Pavement cover, some funky videos, and one scuzzy lil’ single. The band is made up of Cherry Glazerr, Chris Cohen, and Psychic Temple.

Sky Chefs will officially drop their new album on September 29th – and their second album of 2017 alone. Aquarians, made up of “depression naps in dogpound doorways; sunburnt ballads and pockmarked pop songs, and the saints of bruised fruit and bloodshot eyes” and featuring standout tracks like the dreamy, piano-twinkling, sonic-shifting title track. The album officially drops on September 29th.

Distant Creatures – “A Friend’s Halo”

The new album, Snares in Safe Harbors, from indie band Distant Creatures is a thrilling trip through the realm of shoegaze and dream pop, hitting it off right from the start with the unforgettable opener, “A Friend’s Halo,” and followed by other notable songs, including the sunny “In Real Life” and the expansive and shimmering, “Night Flowers” and “Unsure.”

The band, based in Washington, DC, formed in 2015 when musicians Dane DiPierro (guitars & synths); Mina Karimi (vocals); Chris Mathews (guitars & vocals); Ben Silvernail (drums), and Mike Lewis (bass). The band has opened for artists like You’ll Never Get to Heaven, Blue Heaven, and Cheshi, and consider their top influences The Smiths, Slowdive, The Sundays, Exlovers, and Pale Saints.

Distant Creatures formed after Mathews and DiPierro, who shared a love for British indie and post punk bands of the 80s, began playing guitars together and soon recruited Karimi and the rhythm section of Silvernail and Lewis. The album was recorded in rural Virginia and is out now; listen to it on Spotify.

Telamor – “Midnight at the Drive-thru Window”

Massachusetts musician Tom Hauck, otherwise known as Telamor, just dropped a compilation called Playlist, featuring 12 of his top tracks from his first four CDs.

The leadoff track, “Flash,” has received college radio action over the summer and into the fall. It’s built on a guitar riff nicked from the Rolling Stones “2,000 Light Years From Home.” It’s a plea for global unity.

Other tracks include the smooth and funky, “Trippin’ – influenced by The Weeknd’s “I Can’t Feel My Face” – and “Lonelyhearts” is a remake of the 1980 track by Boston pop/punk band The Atlantics.

A college radio track, “Midnight at the Drive-Thru Window,” features lyrics that include only actual words found on a McDonald’s menu, and is “the story of a stoner who can’t stop ordering more junk food. The music is influenced by George Clinton.”

The songs were all recorded at Bang A Song recording studio in Gloucester; written and instruments played by Hauck and musicians Tony Goddess (guitar), John Lynch (drums), and Warren Babson (bass).

Playlist was produced by Hauck and Grammy-nominated audio engineer and mixer Warren Babson. Babson has worked with artists including Black Eyed Peas, Mark Foster (of Foster The People), Wyclef Jean, and Diplo, among others.

Hauck and remixed and remastered at Bang A Song, and to some we added new piano tracks to beef up the rhythm section. We were going for a big full-band sound, not unlike Oasis. Most of the songs have five or six guitar tracks, piano/keys, and percussion, plus the usual drums and bass.

Spencer Roberts – “As Days Go By”

Musician Spencer Roberts based in the mountains of Lynchburg, Virginia, began writing and recording songs just a couple of years ago and already has been featured on Spotify Fresh Finds and its’ Viral US Top 50.

“I am a solo multi-instrumentalist who aim to make laid-back music, a blend of mountains and surf rock – that I believe is an honest look at life,” he says.

“I began writing and recording in my attic in 2015 and have released an EP and played several small shows in Lynchburg. My music is a blend of influences from the mountains and a slightly surf rock sound.”

The result is his recent album, Home Tape, featuring songs like the captivating dreamy acoustic track, “As Days Go By.” Some of his favorite artists include Beach Fossils, Mac Demarco, Allah-Las, and King Krule.

Brenyama – “Things That You Do”

Increasingly known within the New Jersey music scene, the garage rock/indie pop/neo-psychedelic duo, Brenyama, just dropped the debut LP, Euphoria Love, featuring catchy, energetic pop rock with a vintage edge.

The band’s motto “to capture the fun and simplicity of early rock and roll music and the buzz of power pop,” is exactly what they’ve accomplished on standout tracks like the garage rock/pop title track, the guitar ringing, Cheap Trick meets The Ramones-like, “Things That You Do” and the irresistible old time surf rock sound of “Get In The Groove.”

MP3: “Things That You Do“ – Brenyama from Euphoria Love

Obviously heavily influenced by a hodge-podge of eras and genres – from the mid-1960s to late 70s classic rock era, the 80’s synth rock craze and the 90’s grunge/alt. rock movements – the songwriting team of Richard Brenner (vocals, guitar) and Maki Brenner (vocals, keys), supported by the rhythmic and percussive backbones of Brian Fahay (drums) and Luigi Sardi (bass), have something special going on.

Other tracks on the album include the atmospheric ambience of “Inhuman”; the Beatlesque/synth pop hybrid, “Small Talkin’ Head,” and the hard-driving, new wave-leaning, “Waiting For Godzilla,” which sounds a bit like it could’ve been a B52’s track back in the day, and the surprising, “Dreaming In Blue,” which reminds us a bit of The Clash mixed with J.Giels.

Via Soundcloud: “Dreaming In Blue” – Brenyama from Euphoria Love

Brenyama on Facebook

Brendan Scott Friel – “My Light Is On”

Be prepared to be moved by Friel’s soft, comforting vocals of Windsor, Ontario singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brendan Scott Friel on standout tracks like “Moments” from his newest release, Quiet Cars.

The song, “My Light Is One,” is another track that could be a mini (or mini-plus) DIY hit, especially in singer/songwriter, Americana/folk corners of the web. We also really like the Burt Bacharach-style horns on “I Could Be Brave” – which also has hints of Conor Oberst and M. Ward.

Originally the guitarist for the band The Brilliancy, Friel travelled across the United States and Canada with the band until a bus crash a few years ago in North Dakota nearly took his life. The crash, and frustrations with overpaid producers, spurred Friel to begin a solo career.

He has opened for artists like Mariannas Trench and Big Wreck, and considers John Mayer, Passenger, Ed Sheeran, James Taylor, and Gregory Alan Isakov as his top musical influences.

MP3: “My Light Is On“ – Brendan Scott Friel from Quiet Cars

Brendan Scott Friel on Facebook

Esakoff – “Home When I Get There”

Based in LA’s northern suburbs of Ventura, California, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Esakoff’s new self-titled release is his first alt. pop/rock album since the 1980s.

Back then, Esakoff went under the moniker of Mark Freddy, and in between, he concentrated his musical efforts in the world jazz band Chasm that he co-founded more than a decade ago.

Many of the songs, like the heavily melodic lo-fi retro pop rock track, “Home When I Get There,” with its witty melodies and demo-like affect, and others like the wonderful instrumental, “Butterfly Beach,” with its sunny southern California acoustic mystique, slide guitar and wind chimes ambience, or the 70’s glam/Bowie rock of “Found in Paradise,” and the mid 70’s Kinks-sounding, “Peer Pressure,” or Zappa-like “Chesses” – were written years ago while he traveling overseas.

MP3: “Home When I Get There” – Esakoff from Esakoff

“Time and travels have change me,” Esakoff says. “I have a new outlook on my old tracks. The rediscovery of this music sounds better now than when I originally wrote them.”

He also uses the same guitar, an Alvarez 4950, that he originally wrote the songs on, and which is also pictured on the album cover. Back in the 80’s, he wrote and recorded over 40 songs on four different albums.

A self-professed big fan of artists like David Bowie, The Talking Heads, and XTC, Esakoff’s sound is hodge-podge of many different influences, but most notably of the 70’s and early 80’s eras. Listen to the Esakoff on Bandcamp

Haydn Rothrock – “Strawberry Lemonade”

Based out of the Florida city of Tampa, the new version of multi-instrumentalist and DIY bedroom artist Haydn Rothrock crafts poignant, decidedly rich rock songs like his new single, “Strawberry Lemonade” from his solo debut album, Love Equals Pain.

Rothrock is not entirely new to the growing Tampa indie scene; he’s played and recorded over the years in a number of bands covering nearly ever genre from rock to punk and pop to electronic.

MP3: “Strawberry Lemonade“ – Haydn Rothrock

However, his newest solo effort, marks a “huge transformation in my sound after my ex-girlfriend left me,” he says. The single – and to a large extent the album, Love Equals Pain – is a reflection of this difficult time in his life, and a centerpiece of love songs since the beginning of civilization. Whether he has gotten over his girlfriend is not clear as lyrics like “do you think about me love” indicate. Love is a bitch.

Rothrock has opened for artists like Jonatan Leandoer and Wifisfuneral, and lists his top musical influences as Tame Impala, The 1975, Two Door Cinema Club, Green Day, and Blink-182.

Mexican Dubwiser – “Lecture Me”

Since relocating to Los Angeles from Monterrey, Mexico back in 2001, the eccentric and eclectic band Mexican Dubwiser has been creating what they call a ‘post futuristic/electro-cumbia sound experiments,’ featuring a fusion of electronic dance music with traditional Latin American and Caribbean rhythms – all interwoven with elements of hip hop, funk, rock, and soul.

Compared to their second and first albums, this time around on Border Frequency, the duo – Marcelo Tijerina and Ulises Lozano – has more pizazz and more party-ready tracks with guest spots from Tito Fuentes (on the track “Lecture Me”), Myron Glasper, and Self-Provoked.

There are a good number of catchy dance tracks like “La Gran Ciudad” and “Rock Your Body” and the standout tracks like “Nobody is Perfect” and “Lecture Me” where the duo really show off their skills.

MP3: “Lecture Me“ – Mexican Dubwiser from Border Frequency

Mexican Dubwiser on Facebook

Cloud Tapes – “Square Peg”

Based out of New York City, the alternative rock band Cloud Tapes was formed after guitarist and vocalist John Samaras met bassist Sal Pisciotta after Samaras performed at a show in the city. Pisciotta was especially impressed with Samaras’ cover of Elliott Smith’s “Rose Parade.” That meeting led to the two writing and recording together.

In 2015, after nearly two years of work, and recruiting drummer Jeremy Talbott, the trio was ready to start recording the debut album, Familiar Feeling, which dropped that same year and was followed by a string of performances across the city, building that critical first lot of fans.

Now Cloud Tapes follow up release, If There Were a Reason, from which the tantalizing single, “Square Peg” was taken, will drop soon. With strong 90’s influences like Elliott Smith, Built to Spill, Nirvana, and Wilco, the band has a solid foundation of strong artists and bands to emulate, and that shows in Cloud Tapes newest release.

MP3: “Square Peg“ – Cloud Tapes from If There Were a Reason

Cloud Tapes official website

Earth Spun Occupants – “Freezing and Melting”

Another Kansas City outfit worthy of recognition is the multi-instrumentalist recording duo of Matt Wargin and Garrett Murdock, otherwise known as Earth Spun Occupants.

On April 20th, the duo will drop their sophomore album, Sober Thoughtfulness. Similar to bands like The Flaming Lips and Tame Impala, but then not quite, the swirling psychedelic keys and peddle-fed guitars, as well as layered dreamy vocals, on the new single, “Freezing and Melting,” metamorphosize together to create a semi-chaotic blend of space and psychedelic rock signals and sounds.

In fact, Wargin tells us that the duo experiment with sounds: “Our music is spun from the eclectic fibers of the music of Midwest to create new soundscapes using rock, folk, classical, hip-hop, and electronic.” The album was produced by Bret Liber of Red Roof Productions in Kansas City and the cover art was painted by a close friend who died a couple of years ago.

Earth Spun Occupants on Facebook

déCollage – “Magnetize”

The electrifying new video, “Magnetize,” from the Denver psych art pop project, déCollage, was written and recorded by 15 musicians attending the city’s Underground Music Showcase, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘SXSW of Denver.’

By the next day, the track was mixed and finalized. Recorded and mixed by noon the next day, the track was well distributed, and well received, which spurred the making of the video.

With its funky mechanical beats and grooves; sexy, sultry vocals; sax interludes; wavy synths bubbling beneath the surface, and colorful psychedelic overtones, “Magnetize” retains an original and hypnotic verve.

The single was recorded at Moon Magnet Studios and co-written by musicians such as Man Mantis, Sean Culliton (Rose Quartz/The Other Black), Turner Jackson, Derrick Bozich (Sound of Ceres/Candy Claws), and members of Ancient Elk.

The collective’s third full length album was released on Misra Records/Sub Pop and charted for five weeks, peaking at #16, on the CMJ Electronic charts, partly led by the popularity of “Magnetize.” The video was directed with Visual Phenomena by Remi Velezand and Fractals by Damon DuPont.

The collective has shared the stage with indie artists like Of Montreal, Animal Collective, Deerhoof and Dan Deacon.

déCollage on Facebook

The Secret Things – “Down By The Water”

Landing spins on CBC Radio in Canada for its cover of P.J. Harvey’s, “Down By The Water,” the Los Angeles indie rock band The Secret Things are avid fans of the band. Since starting a year ago, the band has played a number of shows and released the debut EP, Shock Diary.

The trio – featuring of vocalist Cynthia Catania and guitarist Steve Giles (formerly members of Saucy Monky) and band founder drummer Dan Nelles – are all accomplished musicians, having played for huge audiences of tens of thousands, touring and recording hit singles.

In fact, all of the members have toured in the U.S., Canada, and overseas, including sharing the stage with bands like Metric, Wilco, The Bangles, Pink and even PJ Harvey herself.

Basic tracks for the band’s EP were recorded at New Monkey Studio in Van Nuys, California, originally . Elliott Smith’s studio, who is a big influence for the band. Giles also released a solo album recently that is a favorite with SoCal deejays.

The band’s first gig in Temecula, California, took place on a festival stage shared with Jimmy Eat World and Neon Trees, among others. The band had one the slot via an iHeart Radio contest. The Secret Things are currently working on a new video for “Down By The Water.”

The Secret Things on Facebook

Glen Spardello – “Beauty Loves”

Having recently self-released his debut album, 5IVE 29NE (Five Two Nine) West Warwick, Rhode Island singer and songwriter, Glen Spardello, melds haunting, smoky vocals and lo-fi acoustic folk guitar notes to craft a spooky atmosphere around the lead track, “Beauty Loves,” the sparse and soulful, “Evil Dangerous” and the Dave Matthews-like “I Ain’t No Rolling Stone.”

Spardello wrote and recorded most of the songs over the past couple of years drawing from musical influences lik Love Bone, Eric Clapton, Queensryche, Layne Staley, and Brian Wilson.

MP3: “Beauty Loves“ – Glen Spardello from 5IVE 29NE

Glen Spardello on Facebook

Scotch Hollow – “Hocus Pocus”

In one of the historic bastions of intersecting musical styles, Kansas City, the genre-mixing band Scotch Hollow blends acoustic roots, down-home delta blues, and some country twang and rock on tracks like “Hocus Pocus” and “Nobody But You” from the sophomore album, Little Tortuga.

Songwriter and guitarist Mark Verbeck wrote and recorded almost the entire album on a farm in Kansas. Verbeck met fellow student and vocalist Carley Martin while attending Berklee College of Music in Boston.

MP3: “Hocus Pocus“ – Scotch Hollow from Little Tortuga

Not long after meeting, they brought together bassist JD Linn; drummer and percussionist Benjamin Scholz; harmonica Brody Buster and pianist Joel Schuman to form the complete band. The album also features three intriguing cover songs from Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf and Blind Willie Johnson.

Over the past few years, Scotch Hollow has opened for bands like Left Lane Cruiser, Reverend Peyton and the Big Damn Band and count among its biggest influences Big Mama Thornton, Blind Will McTell, Chet Atkins, and Susan Tedeschi.

Bonus Track: “Nobody But You“ – Scotch Hollow from Little Tortuga

Lounge On Fire – “Huff”

With a hot new single, “Huff,” Boise multi-genre band Lounge On Fire is heating things up in Idaho’s biggest city with its unique sound that fuses rock with funk – or as the band calls it ‘sexyadelic’ and ‘freakfunk’ – mixing horns like trombone, sax and trumpet with traditional rock band instruments like guitars, bass, keys and drums. The band new album, Lips of Calypso, was dropped in January.

Formed in 2013, the band describes itself as “Northwest music scene; steel cut; blackened and peppered; rock-hopped, hip-dipped, cock-eyed funk-trunked, flat-on-your-back, pants-off-dance-off machine music.” The members are Nathan Norton (guitar/vocals); Josh Gilmore (bass); Wade Ronsse (drums); Alan Schwaderer (keys/guitar); Matt Patterson (sax); Seth Hoffman (trumpet) and Kevan Ash (trombone).

LOF has opened for bands like St Paul & The Broken Bones, The Suffers, Turquaz, Polyrhythmics and their musical influences include Modest Mouse, Gogol Bordello, Snarky Puppy, and Sharon Jones.

MP3: “Huff“ – Lounge On Fire from Lips of Calypso

Lounge on Fire on Facebook

SHPR – “Tell Me”

The spatial sonic landscapes created by Los Angeles duo, SHPR, featuring Fabian Munguia and Alexander Ochoa, are mesmerizing.

SHPR weaves emotive, reverb-heavy vocals together with ambient, chill electronic effects, sharp, echoey beats, and plenty of space on tracks like the representative single, “Tell Me.”

MP3: “Tell Me“ – SHPR

OTTAWA – “Fever”

Covering the space between garage rock and indie pop, the Cleveland band OTTAWA first formed in 2014 after some high school friends, and other musicians via CL, started jamming together, cycling through the traditional trial and error that bands inevitably go through.

Now, some three years later, and a growing following in the region, the band has released the new track, “Fever,” with its tepid intro that builds into a soaring rocker (think Spoon meets The Killers) with ringing guitars and pop-influenced melodic riffs, vigorous drumming, and summertime-like choruses.

The band members include Dale DeLong (vocals); Will Hooper (guitar); Tim Czajka (guitar); Jeremy Barnes (bass) and Ed Planisek (drums). They’ve opened for artists like The Wombats and the Young Rising Sons, among others, and are majorly influenced by bands like The Killers, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac, and Velvet Underground. OTTAWA’s new release, Small Talk, due out on May 5th.

MP3: “Fever“ – OTTAWA from Small Talk

The Sleeping Tongues – The Sleeping Tongues

New York City area band The Sleeping Tongues is comprised of members from completely different backgrounds and locales, including a Queens born and raised Asian drummer and Jui Jitsu expert; a Miami Jewish bassist with cyber security chops, and a Scandinavian born pilot and vocalist/guitarist from Minnesota.

Two other members were born and raised are from Bronx and Brooklyn; so NYC is well represented. This diverse mix of musicians contributes to the band’s eclectic style; earlier this year they dropped their self-titled debut album.

The newest single from the album, “Bullet Train,” is a romping, strutting dance-invoking pop track with a bit of a old skool melodic pop structure reminiscent of 80s bands like Adam and The Ants and The Stray Cats.

We also featured TST this past summer for the terrific track, “Lyra.” The band has already started working on a new album for release next year.

The Sleeping Tongues on Soundcloud

Rio Wiley – Young Ghost

Based out of the desert southwest capital city of Phoenix, Arizona indie band Rio Wiley (not to be confused with the popular, now defunct, band Kilo Riley) is a new solo indie pop project of songwriter and vocalist Rio Wiley Stinger.

It may be a brilliant moniker, or perhaps confusing for other indie lovers who were already Kilo Riley fans.

Either way, it is the music that ultimately decides a solo artist’s fate. Stinger’s Rio Wiley’s solo EP, Young Ghost, is his first foray of releasing music not performed with his long-time band, I Remember Burning, which was founded in 2012 and have made some waves in the local music scene.

His newest guitar-ringing track, “The Love We Used To Share,” leans more towards the mainstream rock/pop sound than indie, but Stinger really shows promise on this track. It’s almost an irresistible track. Here’s the video.

Stinger’s solo work is heavily influences from various genres of music, but mostly from radio pop rock, as well an occasional acoustic-leaning track, such as “Tired & Done,” featuring Anthony Perre III of DAISY.

Following the tracks release, he began to attract a new fan base. From there, Stinger spent half of a year writing and recording the songs for Young Ghost, “a concept album about losing all sense of your identity, following the loss of someone you love,” Stinger says.

After nearly selling out Crescent Ballroom, alongside other local Arizona artists, Rio Wiley performed a third show/CD Release Party to a sold out crowd last October 29th at the Pub Rock in Scottsdale.

Soundcloud – Stream Young Ghost on Soundcloud

The Grenaways – Skath Vyghan

Hailing from the southwestern most coast of England in the ceremonial and ancient land of Cornwall, where the Celtic Sea meets the English Channel, the members of the Celtic-influenced indie folk band The Grenaways have just dropped a touching and inspiring EP, Skath Vyghan.

One of the tracks on this profound release, “Rowan,” was written and produced, according to lead male vocalist and guitarist Kris Lannen, “in memory of a young guy called, Rowan Draper, who was killed in a car crash while we were on tour last November. The last time he was seen by his mother was dancing at our gig in Norwich.” Draper was also the cousin of the band’s lead female vocalist, keyboardist and flutist, Laura Garcia.

The song is emotive and melancholy, but as it progresses, the mood changes, subsequently breaking out into a joyous and optimistic song. At times, Garcia’s voice sounds a lot like Dolores O’Riordan‘s of The Cranberries voice.

The folksy, organic track “Old Mast” is “a story an old ship mast that overlooks the sea from a hill above Port Isaac,” featuring musician Joe Lee on an old beat up double bass and Garcia using the church’s mini-grand piano.

“The drums and guitars were recorded in a barn and at the St Peter’s Church in Port Isaac working on the keys, vocals and trumpet,” she says.

Band members also include drummer Henry Cavender; lead guitarist Joff Phipps; violinist Isabelle Roberts (originally from Switzerland) and trumpet player Claude Lamon (originally from South Africa).

The backing vocals on the song “Fisherman” – a song about the struggling fishing industry – were recorded at a packed pub called Cornish Arms located in Pendoggett. The title track, “Skath Vyghan,” (“Little Boat”) and the song “Cornish Girl,” were recorded in the Cornish language.

“It’s been really significant for us as a band, even though none of us are actually Cornish, to explore writing in this beautiful Celtic language and although the arrangements are contemporary, they feel grounded in the ancient.”The band’s song, “Ghost,” is about a butterfly – the Tykki-Duw of Cornish, has received play on Balcony TV.

As a band, they see part of their mission to be one of “adding a sense of their own ties to the region and especially it’s Celtic heritage,” according to The Grenaways website bio. “But, they are a band set for far wider horizons than just Cornwall with a massive and alternative sound billowing through their musical sails.”

Soundcloud: Listen to more music from The Grenaways

The Grenaways on Facebook

Satellite Citi – “Rootless”

In the band-saturated city of Los Angeles, it takes a lot for a band to stand out. But that’s exactly what the alt. rock duo Satellite Citi is aiming to do.

Featuring lead vocalist and drummer Anna Gevorkian and guitarist and backup vocalist Shaunt Sulahian, the duo craft intricate compositions that mix genres – including hard rock, world music, indie and acoustic rock – “to create a truly unique and dynamic atmosphere of sound,” Gervorkian says.

Satellite Citi’s newest single, “Rootless,” does exactly that. The song, she says, is about “being pulled from your roots and feeling stuck.”

“Musically, we had a big vocal melody idea to use for the chorus, giving the song it’s big presence.”

The video includes shoots in and around the Hollywood Hills with the ocean in the backdrop and cool fly overs with a drone. One of the duo’s videos “Rock Bottom” was featured in the Pomegranate Film Festival. Satellite Citi are influenced by artists such as Muse, The XX, Glen Hansard, A Perfect Circle, Massive Attack and Tool.

Satellite Citi on Soundcloud

Telamor – Good Bad Love

The man behind the Telamor moniker – musician Tom Hauck – has appeared on IRC before with his springy, bright guitar and percussion-driven pop rock songs.

The prolific Boston area (Gloucester, the famous seaport town, to be exact) songwriter has just released his fifth album, Good Bad Love, featuring another batch of mixed 80’s genres like pop, new wave, alt. rock, indie rock, punk elements and even jerking rhythms (“Back and Forth”) influenced by bands like The Talking Heads.

The most likely accessible track on the album may just be a cover of Courtney Barnett’s irresistible “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to The Party.” All the elements of the song come together, and Hauck really captures the 1980’s. It’s interesting, I always felt the track has an incredible likeness to “What I Like About You” by The Romantics.

An astute music enthusiast will probably also pick up hints of The Kinks and The Knack as other clear influences. At times, some songs (“Human Performance” and “That Ain’t For Me”) have the over-the-top theatrical type of rock pop art of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. At other times, as with the title track and “Nothing But Hope,” Hauck’s one-man band skills come shining through.

Listen: Telamor’s Good Bad Love

Jay Elle – Rising Tide

During this past summer, New York City singer, songwriter and guitarist Jay Elle made a bit of a buzz on college radio and on Soundcloud with the emotive folk rock song, “Twelve On Sunday,” amassing more than one million plays on Soundcloud alone. That is no small feat in the days of social media and music saturation.

Elle’s new album, Rising Tide, dropped earlier this month, straddling the musical spectrum of acoustic mellow tracks like the title track, the haunting “Twelve On Sunday,” and elements of pop, rock, blues and urban folk.

Rising Tide is rich with track after track of Elle’s soothing and passionate vocals, heartfelt lyrics, mixed genre instrumentation and unique guitar arrangements.

Jay Elle’s official website

Pacific Radio – “Katie”

Based in the city of Los Angeles, the indie rock quartet, Pacific Radio, deliver a sound that “ranges from rock n roll to West coast ballad,” according to band member Kyle Biane.

Pacific Radio’s new single, “Katie,” is a bright, uplifting romp, highlighted by singer Joe Robinson’s well-honed vocals and the awesome talents of his band members. The second half of the track blossoms into a full blown, infectious celebration.

But Pacific Radio (not to be confused with Pacific Radio radio) is not simply an indie band that creates musical magic in the studio. In fact, the band has been very busy performing shows and touring.

Earlier this year, the band performed four shows at South By Southwest, including for showcases Red Gorilla Fest and the Midcoast Takeover.

Via Soundcloud: “Katie” – Pacific Radio

Joseph Eid -“One and Only” – Exclusive Premiere!

Southern California musician, singer and songwriter Joseph Eid‘s engaging new video, “One and Only,” was filmed on West Hollywood‘s famed Sunset Strip, giving the smooth, alt. folk rock ballad a nice touch against the backdrop of the city in his new video for the track.

Eid says the song itself “is about finding and longing for true love in a place where instant gratification and temporary thrills are the norm,” referring to Hollywood. He adds that the song could also be interpreted as a story about a common experience adults face in life – longing for a special relationship and holding on to it while fighting the temptations of the future.

“It’s the realization and confession that the short term fulfillment of a new thrill or adventure cannot compare to the true and everlasting fulfillment of a love that goes beyond the surface,” he says.

When making the video, Eid and director William Sanford set out to convey use the night lights of the Sunset Strip to convey the emotions and sense of loneliness in the middle of one of the largest cities in the western hemisphere. Brian Soucy co-produced the single.

His influences, not surprisingly, include Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Prince and many others. Eid has been performing around the Pacific Northwest for much of the year. He is working on completing the new EP, Watch It Fall.

Joseph Eid official website

Jack Kotz – “Orange Neon Nectar Juice”

Last spring we featured some exciting new tracks from Wilmington, North Carolina musician and ‘one man band’ Jack Kotz‘s debut album, What’s All The Fuss About?.

Kotz has just released his followup to Fuss with his sophomore album, Neon Orange Nectar Juice. For fans of guitar rock, funk inspired beats and rhythms, and psych pop, Neon is a tour de force of high order.

Here is the tantalizing title track, followed by an electrified cover of Jack Johnson, one of Kotz’s musical influences.

Via Soundcloud – “Orange Neon Nectar Juice” – Jack Kotz from Neon Orange Nectar Juice

Via Bandcamp: “Taylor” (Jack Johnson) – Jack Kotz from Neon Orange Nectar Juice

Jack Kotz official website

Aux House – “Antique Radio”

Based out of Grand Rapids, the DIY alternative rock trio, Aux House, offers listeners something more than the regular fare. And yet they manage to appeal to a larger audience with their fun and eclectic brand of alternative rock.

Perhaps founder, guitarist and vocalist of Aux House, Tristan Rudolph, explains it best as a revival of the “Bowian idea of the space-alien rock star.”

The Michigan trio’s debut self titled DIY album release contains a mix of rock and pop punk angst with sci-fi elements, and alt. rock overtones, creating a larger than life sound and stories about girls, cars love and troubles, which are no better demonstrated than on the irresistible “Antique Radio” and the delightful and unusual track, “Aliens Can’t Dance.”

Rudolph said the band’s top musical influences include Sufjan Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Pavement, Wilco, and Bright Eyes. There’s a nicely suited eclecticism about that selection of artists and bands.

Aux House on Facebook

Kingsley Flood – “To The Wolves”

The Washington DC band Kingsley Flood, sports a gritty, and yet at times, sassy, sound on their new music video for the edgy track, “To The Wolves,” from the new album, Another Other.

The band was founded by Palestinian-American born singer and songwriter Naseem Khuri in 2009, and has won praise for his work from the press, including NPR, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Paste and American Songwriter.

The band has toured nationally, opening for artists like Grace Potter, Lucius, Langhorne Slim, Angus and Julia Stone, and Brett Dennen. They were also invited to perform at the 2011 Newport Folk Festival.

Khuri tackles a number of issues in his music, including the lingering – stoked by presidential candidate Trump – bias against Arab born Americans, who he says, don’t deserve to be treated as “one” – Khuri reminds people that the vast majority of Arabs, or Muslims, are peace-loving, law abiding hard-working members of society.

“At the end of the day, I’m American,” he asserts. “The only Arabic words I know are foods and swears. It’s just that more jarring to somehow always be labeled ‘an other’ when you don’t even see yourself that way.”

Via YouTube: “To The Wolves” – Kingsley Flood from Another Other

Kingsley Flood official website