Category: New Releases

Bergsman traveled to Pakistan to work on the new album and the result is a remarkable indie pop sound mixed with influences of Pakistani music woven in with an affect that is sometimes mesmerizing. View the video above to see Bergsman explain why she went to Pakistan to record the new album.

While listening to East of Eden, it’s easy to get swept up in the lush melodies mixed with Swedish pop and Pakistani Qwaali musical elements that come together brilliantly. The entire album is refreshing, masterfully produced and packed with mystical references.

Animal Collective fans might be interested to know that the band has done its own unique semi-cover of AC’s “My Girls,” titled “My Boys,” which can be heard on the full album stream (via DrownedInSound.com) included in this post.

“Watch The Waves” – Taken By Trees from East of Eden (2009)

“Greyest Love of All” – Taken By Trees from East of Eden (2009)

After meeting at a gig in Omaha, Nebraska, local indie folk pop band Thunder Power recorded some new songs that were recently released on a split EP, Friend Ships, with London recording artist Alessi Ark.

For the purposes of this review, the focus is on the magical music of Thunder Power. After a decade of making music together, the band has only recently revealed to indie music lovers their perfected, unified sound that draws on their appreciation of different music styles, including folk, pop and rock, and their various talents as musicians.

While there are only three of them, the Thunder Power songs contained on the split Friend Ships EP are tantalizing and wistful, masterfully spanning a spectrum of moods from melancholy to jubilation within a relatively limited bandwidth. The array of sonic experiences that colors Thunder Power’s music is potentially as enjoyable for listeners as it appears to be for the band – that’s always a good sign.

The tender and unforgettable voice of Thunder Power’s lead vocalist Kacynna Tompsett is a perfect match for the band’s well-honed sound; a case of one complimenting the other. Tompsett’s voice at times is strikingly similar to Chan Markshall (Cat Power) and yet retains its own identity and charm.

The first Thunder Power song, “Postscripts,” is a dreamy, love sick ballad fused with lush harmonies and a free-flowing accordion. The following track, “Sleep, Not Violence,” is a folksy lament that morphs into a rock song backed by ambient organs, slide guitar and a snare drum. “Blood Water,” the final track on the EP, is an epic tale of struggle and loss in the haze of the ‘American Dream.’ It will be interesting to hear what the band does for their first full length, even though there is no official word that a debut LP is in the works.

Thunder Power caught the attention of Slumber Party Records back in 2007 and signed on to record and release their highly-acclaimed debut EP Love Yourself which was produced by Ian Aeillo (Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Cursive).

The success of the EP paved the way for the release of Friend Ships, which Aeillo and Saddle Creek Records also contributed to. Among the band’s musical influences include Nick Drake, Belle and Sebastian, Camera Obscura, Elliott Smith, Johnny Cash, Loney Dear and The Smiths.

“Sleep, Not Violence” – Thunder Power from Friend Ships (2009)

“Postscript” – Thunder Power from Friend Ships (2009)

Thunder Power on MySpace

Last month IRC featured the Swedish indie label Labrador Records and one of the bands in the playlist mix was The Legends. Now the band is back with another great track titled “You Won” from their new album.

Listening to this song, there are elements of rock and pop, but as the band’s Wikipedia entry states, they don’t even know what genre their music belongs to, although they cite a strong influence from the C-86 post punk (one of the forerunners of indie) sound of the 1980s.

Philip Ekstroms of Mary Onettes helped produce “You Won”, reportedly adding “deliciously doomy 80s-esque drum sounds to the song’s anthemic qualities”.

The Legends are well-known among rockers in Sweden and the UK; in fact, Swedish Pop Review tagged the band as “absolutely the best band to emerge from the Swedish indie scene since The Hives.”

“You Won” – The Legends from Over and Over

The next song was an advance release from this archived post:

“Always The Same” – The Legends from Over and Over

The Legends on MySpace

Although Iron and Wine‘s extraordinary new double CD release, Around The Well, is not technically new – it’s comprised of rare and unreleased songs – much of the material is new to fans of Sam Beam (the man behind Iron and Wine).

Around The Well may just be the best collection of songs in Beam‘s discography. It’s hard to believe most of the songs (some tracks were simply re-mastered) were never released before. With his trademark delicate, whispery vocals accompanied by stunning acoustic guitar arrangements, Beam is the curator of some of the most beautifully haunting, and even hypnotic, Americana-style folk music of the past decade.

“Communion Cups And Someone’s Coat” – Iron and Wine from Around The Well

The following You Tube video features Beam performing “Two Hungry Blackbirds” at Other Music in New York City last month promoting the release of Around The Well.

Stay tuned; coming up this week will be a lot of great new music from musicians and bands most people never heard of featuring special editions of the In Dee Mail series.

One of Canada’s secrets is out: The Rest. The band’s new album, Everyone All At Once, features some of the best indie to cross the northern border so far this year.

The Rest successfully deliver on both ends of the spectrum of pop rock music – there are great songs that make you want to get up and move and others that are so beautiful you want to swoon. For example, “Walk On Water” has a driving, Arcade Fire-like march swirling around pop rock guitars and completed by one of Canada’s best indie rock vocalists, Adam Bentley.

Then you take a song like “Apples & Allergies” – its odd name disguising the elegant and calming notes that match perfectly with the other side of Bentley’s voice – rich, textured and soothing. The album is full of harmonies, melodies and day-dream symphonies. Other memorable songs include “Modern Time Travel”, “Blossom Babies Part Two” and “Phonetically Phonetic”.

“This is an album that we feel as strongly about each and every track,” Bentley wrote on the Indiecater Records‘ web site. “In a world of expanding music more focused on the quick instant pleasures, we hope that you can completely fall into these pieces, finding new ways to listen, and varied interpretations around each word, tone, rhythm and melody.”

After listening to Everyone All At Once a few times, Bentley’s wish seems attainable, especially for fans of Canadian orchestrated indie pop, which has played a big role in fueling the popularity of indie music worldwide in recent years. The Rest can now put themselves in the forefront of the second wave of this phenomenon.

The talented young musicians who make up The Rest include Anna Jarvis, Blake Bowman, Dwayne Brydon, Jordan Mitchell, Matty Buzanko and Steve Jones. The only thing the band doesn’t have going for it is the name; come on, The Rest?! With so much talent, why couldn’t they have come up with a better, more unique name than that? Regardless, the bottom line is: Everyone All At Once is one of the best surprise indie albums of 2009.

“Walk On Water” – The Rest from Everyone All At Once (2009)

“Apples & Allergies” – The Rest from Everyone All At Once (2009)

Stream Everyone All At Once
The Rest Official Site
The Rest on MySpace

Weapons is one of Iceland’s most popular new indie rock bands

Just in time for summer, the music submissions continue to come in and pile up. It’s a daunting task to review all of this music. In recent months, the number of submissions has shot through the ceiling and I live in a place with 22-foot vaulted ceilings, so you get the idea.

Over the next few weeks, I will be clearing out the backlog of music submissions by publishing a number of playlist mixes with the goal of quickly catching up with all of the great new material that has been sent over the past couple of months. So, let’s do this.

First up is the band Weapons – a power pop trio from Iceland whose latest single delivers melodic electro punk with drive and attitude that’s hard to ignore. The band’s 2008 full-length release, Ditch In Time, was produced by Gordon Raphael (The Strokes and Regina Spektor) and hailed by critics and music lovers alike. This next single, a RAC mix of “Mister Mister” was self-released by the band and sent to IRC a few days ago.

“Mister Mister” (RAC Mix) – Weapons

Ditch In Time is available from the band as a free download.

Kniife Prrty is a Chicago electro-pop duo featuring Steve Pahl and Eric Whitney. KP combines the sugar rush of 80’s synth pop with the gritty realism of artists like Nine Inch Nails and EL-P. After listening to the emailed single “Change Your Mind”, it didn’t take long to realize the potential that Kniife Prrty has. “With the music we’re making now,” says singer and producer Steve Pahl, “I feel like we’re throwing the biggest thinking-man’s dance party around.”
“Change Your Mind” – Kniife Prrty from new, self-titled debut LP
KniifePrrty on MySpace

There is nothing trance about D.C. area band Shane Hines and The Trance, but they do make accessible, groovy pop songs featuring aggressive arrangements with hook-filled melodies. The band’s debut album, The Glory Journal, is out now, and was completely financed by donations from fans to the tune of more than $34,000. Songwriter Shane Hines also was a finalist in the 2008 John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

“I Promise Me” – Shane Hines and The Trance from The Glory Journal (2009)

“The Broken Breaking Down” – Shane Hines and The Trance from The Glory Journal (2009)
Shane Hines on MySpace

The 66 is a Manchester alternative rock band that have caught the attention of UK bloggers and music critics. Over the past 18 months, the band has been touring throughout the UK with headline slots in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, and receiving rapturous feedback in the Manchester rock scene.

The band members are Danny Rimmer on vocals, guitarist Mike Bee, bassist Craig Harman, drummer Ian Wilson and Paul Glover on keyboards. The 66 have opened or played with bands like Starsailor, Bonehead and Airborne Toxic Event.

“Shoot to Kill” – The 66, single release
The 66 on MySpace

Last week, Grizzly Bear released Veckatimest, an album that offers an impressive compendium of songs featuring discordant arrangements flushed with acoustic and electric instrument experimentations, warm harmonic choruses. There are a few great, stand-out tracks that skittle along, curve, blend and swirl around wonderful story-telling; the most notable include “About Face”, “All We Ask”, “Cheerleader” and “Foreground”.

Although I do think Grizzly Bear are over-hyped at times on some popular music sites, they are accomplished musicians, who create enchanting, intricate musical compositions. That said, some people may find Veckatimest a bit strong on the melancholy and experimentation; it’s definitely not sun-drenched beach pop. However, there are a few bright spots, most notably on the minimalist Beach Boys-sounding track “Two Weeks”, which is the most non-GB like song on the album.

“Two Weeks” – Grizzly Bear from Veckatimest

Get the song “Cheerleader” free at the band’s official website.

Brooklyn shoegaze rockers and 1960’s psychedelic revivalists Donny Hue and the Colors will release their sophomore album Letter from New Virginia on June 23. Former OK Go member Burleigh Seaver recorded and mixed the bands new album.

“I Speak of the Hayseed Cousins” – Donny Hue and The Colors from Letter from New Virginia (June 23)

“Steps” – Donny Hue and The Colors from Letter from New Virginia (June 23)

Donny Hue and The Colors on MySpace

Originally founded in Orlando, Florida, New Roman Times is an indie rock band
based in Austin, Texas. The current line-up of the band includes Daniel Owens (guitar/vocals), Josie Fluri (bass/vocals), Mike Allen (drums) and Harris Thurmond (guitar/synths).

Their 2005 debut record, International Affairs, on Social Recordings got the attention of the right folks in the industry who set the band to open for popular groups like Death Cab For Cutie, Cursive, The Rapture and VHS or Beta. Their sophomore release, On The Sleeve, is due out July 14 on New Granada Records.

“Smoke in Your Disguise” – New Roman Times from On The Sleeve (July 14)

“VCR” – New Roman Times from On The Sleeve

New Roman Times Official Site