One Man Bands – INDIE ROCK CAFE

STREAM: U.K. outfit The Elegant Chasers drop debut ‘Sentimental Dust’

Posted on 07/10/202207/14/2022 by IRC Staff

South London indie outfit The Elegant Chasers dropped a dazzling debut album, Sentimental Dust, on Friday following a series of single releases in recent months.

The latest, and fourth, single from the album, is “Car Salesman Smile” is a menacing alt rock-driven track with a mean riff running like a vein of discontent throughout. A cool new music video is also produced by Loizou.

After switching careers during the pandemic, the multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter behind the moniker is South London native Maz Loizou, set out on a road trip writing songs “around a derelict London [character]”.

Loizou, a former – and disgrunted – television producer, set out to assemble his own customize recording studio at home.

His musical style incorporates sounds from the 1990s grunge, alt rock and Brit-Pop movements as well as 1980s new wave influences.

“The music for ‘Car Salesman Smile’ was largely written during the Sentimental Dust album sessions,” Loizou says.

“The riff, bridge and chorus were conjured within a matter of minutes. I was looking for a 1970’s rock vibe along with influences from 1990’s bands like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Faith No More and Terrorvision.”

Terrorvision’s “hit ‘Alice, What’s The Matter?’ inspired some of my rhythm guitar work. But for the vocals it was a line from a Therapy? track that stuck with me. The phrase ‘Car Salesman Smile’ was featured in their song ‘Hellbelly’…I penned down most of the lyrics for CSS a few years back, which was unusual for me in terms of songwriting approach,” Loizou explains

He adds that the song is essentially about a woman “being unfairly treated and how relationships can play out. Sadly, I have female friends who have these stories to tell. I felt compelled to write a song about it from someone on the outside looking in.”

Loizou explores how women are “taken advantage of by men (who appear to be genuine and charming).”

“My message [is]…don’t give up hope…you don’t deserve to be thrown on the scrapheap.

Loizou wrote, performed, recorded, mixed and mastered Sentimental Dust totally DIY.

He is currently on a tour throughout south England to support the album.

His musical influences Foo Fighters, Faith No More, REM, Urge Overkill, Depeche Mode, Oasis, Pearl Jam and Stone Roses.

The Elegant Chasers on Instagram

Brooklyn One-Man Band: Dangerous Cans

Posted on 09/05/201310/17/2021 by Kate Stevens

Dangerous Cans is the DIY musical project of Michigan native, Brooklyn transplant, Brian Time. He crafts electro-pop tracks featuring various layers of synth riffs, hypnotic sounds and programmed drum beats as the backdrop for his soft vocal delivery, even though he likes to refer to his music as “gristle and sizzle.”

Since the release of the sweet electro psych-pop singles “Feel Something” and “Pretty Trash,” which we think more people should hear, Dangerous Cans has released two other excellent singles that you can listen to on Bandcamp.

https://soundcloud.com/dangerous-cans/feel-something

We’re hoping for a proper Dangerous Cans’ EP or LP sometime in the near future. Time’s musical influences include Tears For Fears, Com Truise, Roxy Music, Keith Jarrett, Bobby McFerrin, and Boy Meets Girl. In the blogs that have previously written about Dangerous Cans, Time’s music has often been compared to Washed Out.

As with all one man bands, especially being so new, there is a bit of leeway given when you consider that the artist wrote all of the music, recorded all of the instruments, tracked in the vocals, mixed everything together, mastered it and then released it DIY style. That in itself is impressive.

https://soundcloud.com/dangerous-cans/pretty-trash

Sometimes the results are horrific and not worthy of consideration, while other times the results are fair, and from time-to-time, the end product is good enough that we feel more indie music fans, especially those who appreciate one-man bands, should hear it and make up their own mind.

If you’re interested in hearing more, check out the One-Man Bands archives and the Artist of the Week category – you’re bound to find some terrific music that you may not have heard when first published. Most of the past installments’ MP3 song links still work so that you can stream and download them as you can do with all posts on IRC.

One Man Band Series: Virginia Teen Julian Earle’s Lo-Fi Garage Rock Crackles on Debut EP, ‘Eat Me’

Posted on 03/09/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

From the bedroom of his parents’ home in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Fairfax, Virginia, 16-year-old DIY guitar-slinger Julian Earle writes and records blaring, fast-driving and heavily distorted lo-fi garage rock with muffled, barely audible vocals. It’s probably unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.

Last August, Earle dropped his homemade debut EP, Eat Me. From the first track, we were immediately struck by the utter rawness of distorted, gritty guitar playing, accompanied by a frenetic, and kinetic, blast of noise. Unrefined and in your face, the untamed track, “Monsters,” is a captivating expression of teenage angst and the often confusing and chaotic transition into adulthood.

Monsters” – Julian Earle from Eat Me E.P

“Monsters,” which is a appropriately named because of its beast-like persona, is basically an instrumental with the exception of a few moments when you can hear Earle almost howling, which instantly reminded us of Brooklyn musician Brad Oberhofer‘s (prior to the formation of the band Oberhofer) first demos that he sent IRC for a 2010 One Man Band profile – months before Oberhofer really took off (apparently partly due to his IRC profile) and started showing up on late night TV shows (like Letterman) and big-name music festivals, not to mention signing with a label and touring endlessly.

While Earle’s songs, including the more tame, but still blazing, track, “All Alone,” reminded us of early Oberhofer, the songwriting, playing and vocal work, as a total package, is uniquely Earle.

“All Alone” – Julian Earle from Eat Me E.P

While there is perhaps room for improvement in sound production quality (or maybe it’s just fine as it is?), the fact that Earle is only 16 years old, totally DIY, has admittedly cheap recording equipment, no outside help, and yet obviously has raw talent and his own style, is all impressive, especially if you like unrefined, full-throttle lo-fi noise.

That said, there are plenty of artists over the years who have started out with rough, lo-fi demos and go on to tour to sold out crowds in venues across North America and Europe. The bottom-line is that more people need to hear these tracks and make up their own mind.

“Overload” – Julian Earle from Eat Me E.P

Earle told IRC: “I am a teenager from around D.C just trying to make my contribution to the garage scene that I love so much. I make lo-fi music in my room.” Hopefully we are not the only ones who see that Earle has already made a contribution to the D.C. area garage rock scene. Perhaps in coming months, the D.C. scene, and beyond, will embrace his sounds and see the potential that we see.

Earle’s musical influences include Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Smiths, Black Flag, The Descendents, Ty Segall, Wavves, Jay Reatard and The Black Keys. He clearly has good tastes in bands from the classic rock era right up to present day garage rock movement, so it’s easy to see where he gets some of the fury evident in the tracks on Eat Me, which is also available on his Bandcamp page. This is his first profile, that we know of, on a widely-read music blog.

Artist of the Week: San Francisco’s One-Man Band, Nicholas Ng, aka, Fiveng

Posted on 11/12/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The brilliant bliss pop compositions by San Francisco one-man band, Fiveng, are immediately infectious, especially for fans of Animal Collective and the long, long list of artists and bands that have made a name for themselves in the so-called chillwave genre; a genre that has quickly become one of the most popular and innovative styles of ‘new’ music in the latter half of the first decade of a new century.

But Fiveng, who is actually Nicholas Ng, is not merely one of the artists along for the ride; he is quickly establishing himself as a respected and amazingly talented artist of his own right. After listening to the five tracks that he has made available so far, Ng is easily one of the stand-outs in “chillwave revolution.”

Despite a much-earned, glowing endorsement from Pitchfork, and positive reviews on other blogs, Ng hasn’t really ‘hit it’ yet. The fact that none of the music junkies we know have ever heard of him is one indicator of that. Therefore, it’s our bet that a lot of people that come to this page over the next week or so are likely to be in for a pleasant surprise.

Ng’s musical arrangements are absolutely genius – from the blissed out synth key playing, xylophones, and Nature samples to shimmering guitars, exotic percussions and glorious vocal harmonies on par with Panda Bear‘s. It just blows our minds that this guy no one ever heard of before comes out of nowhere and throws down such brilliant and unforgettable music. Ng’s songs are pop jems that should be in every bloggers mixtapes and on every pop lovers iPod. The best place to start is with the track “Jonah”, a watery, summertime glo-pop masterpiece. That, and the glistening synth pop gem, “Easy”, are two of our favorite songs of the second half of 2010.

“Jonah” – Fiveng from debut 7″

“Give Me A Taste” – Fiveng from debut 7″

Check out his Bandcamp page and Fiveng’s MySpace page.

One Man (and Woman) Bands: Amanda Jo Williams, Doctors & Dealers, ARP, Alex Floor, Blimp

Posted on 10/15/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The sheer number of one-man bands sprouting up all over the map during the past few years is mesmerizing. The diversity of one-man bands range from musical prodigies who craft fuzzy, lo-fi dreamscapes and Beach Boys‘ tinged bliss-pop on synthesizers and MacBooks in bedrooms and basements, to incredibly talented multi-instrumentalists who write their own music, sing, AND play all – or almost all – of the instruments – from guitar and bass to drums and keys, from harmonica to violin and piano to clarinet. Plus, many one-man bands do their own recording, distribution and promotion.

That’s not to say that anyone with some or all of these abilities can create a buzz with their music. As with all music, the end product is what matters, especially in the saturated marketplace of DIY indie music. A good many one-man bands that we’ve encountered over the years are smart enough to keep their day jobs. That’s not said with any intent to be cruel, just got to keep it real. The marketplace will continue to become even more competitive, because nowadays it is so much easier – and entirely more affordable – for any striving musician to produce and distribute their music. Thankfully, the many layers of filtering that the web provides does a good job at leaving us with only the best of the best; the one-man bands who make a name – often by way of a moniker – for themselves.

Often, one-man bands get their first break from a positive review of a song or EP via popular music blogs like The Brooklyn Vegan, Pitchfork, Stereogum, and even right here on IRC. Then, if they’re lucky, they get slated to play CMJ in New York, or SXSW in Austin; if they kill it at one or more shows during these critical music festivals, doors will open.

The one-man band phenom has turned out to be a boon for indie rock, in general; as well as, for solo artists, record labels, venue owners and music lovers. Anyone who spends a few hours a week checking out indie sites and blogs knows just how big the one-man band craze has become.

In recent months, there seems to be an increasing number of one-woman bands surfacing, including Computer Magic (who we’ve featured twice now, and to enthusiastic response), and today’s first two featured artists, the impressive Amanda Jo Williams, and Sparrow of Doctors & Dealers.

Lured to New York City by a modeling agent making a lot of promises, Williams, at the age of 19, dropped out of college in Columbus, Georgia, to head to the Big Apple. In 2008, she moved cross-country to Los Angeles to pursue writing and recording her very own style of music, a type of “freak folk” mixed with elements of rock, rap and country.

Williams has opened for an impressive variety of artists, including Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Avi Buffalo, Leslie and the Badgers, Henry Wolfe Gummer, and Rio En Medio. Her album, Yes I Will Mr. Man, came out March 17th on White Noise Records.

“Ohio” – Amanda Jo Williams from Yes, I Will Mr. Man

“The Bear Eats Me” – Amanda Jo Williams from Yes, I Will Mr. Man

Earlier this year, the acclaimed producer Gordon Raphael (The Strokes, Regina Spektor) began work on an EP with Swedish artist, Sparrow, the one-woman band with the moniker, Doctors & Dealers. After a month in the studio, the two have emerged with the new Trouble EP, and a full length, Every Sinner Has A Future, to be released Dec. 10th, 2010, and sometime in 2011, respectively.

Since the release of her two previous albums, Raphael was interested in collaborating with her for Doctors & Dealers‘ third album. Apparently, the pair agreed to record an album that “sounded like Chicago, if it were directed by Tim Burton“. Along with collaborator Anders Lager, Sparrow and Raphael played and recorded every instrument themselves, from 12-string guitar to tuba.

“Trouble” – Doctors & Dealers from Trouble EP

“Backstabber” – Doctors & Dealers from Trouble EP

ARP – New York, New York

New York City cosmic wayfarer and analog fetishist, ARP, the moniker of Alexis Georgopoulos, kicked off a six-city tour with Caribou Thursday night in Austin and will end next week in Miami. Focusing primarily on new material from his just-released album, The Soft Wave, Geogopoulos’ performances will be back-dropped by a dreamy, psychedelic film he created with Paul Clipson.

On the track, “White Night,” from The Soft Wave, Georgopoulous layers and pieces together random sound effects,and discordant tweaks and grinds that can only be described as an audio acid trip. We think that this type of music in and of itself does not belong in a musical genre, simply because it’s not really music – it’s experimental, free verse collages of synth sounds and effects. Not to say we don’t like it, but just to make a point. Experimental sonic art is a good way to think of it. Chances are it will never have mass appeal, which in it’s own way is good for the art form. Underground is cool, right?

“White Night” – ARP from The Soft Wave

But, Georgopoulous also has a knack to spin out sweet, dreamy songs in which he gets to show off his songwriting and singing skills, particularly on the synth-heavy, glistening track “From A Balcony Overlooking The Sea.” And for the cherry, the song ends with the always soothing sound of waves lapping the shoreline.

“From A Balcony Overlooking The Sea” – ARP from The Soft Wave

Via SoundCloud, Geogopoulos is sharing a brand new track, “The Past,” from the forthcoming Symphony 12″ , which will dropped on Nov. 15th.

Alex Floor – Brooklyn, New York

The gentrified neighborhoods of Brooklyn have become a mecca of sorts for indie musicians over the past few years, so it never surprises us to receive songs in the mail from a Brooklyn artist. More often than not, lately, we are impressed, almost enough to suggest they move somewhere else to stand out more – half-joking, of course. That said, singer/songwriter Alex Floor sings heady and playful music with a genuine voice. He dropped his newest album DIY-style last May.

“Borrowed Earth” – Alex Floor from American Peasant

Blimp – Ventura, California

From his home in Ventura, California, composer and musician Dave Girtsman records music under the moniker Blimp – which of course makes it difficult to find information about his music project in Google searches. In addition to writing, recording his music, Girtsman sings and plays all the instruments – guitar, bass, drums and so on. His music is clever, quirky and fun, drawing from influences like Tom Waits, Nino Rota and Vic Chesnutt. Girtsman lists among his biggest musical influences Elvis Costello and XTC.

Girtsman has played with many local bands over the years, and even worked with Susanna Hoffs and the Primitive Radio Gods. He also contributes to the XM Radio program, Musician’s Radio, and has been composing for animated short films.

“Tiny Tiny” – Blimp from Vertical Hold

“The Saint” – Blimp from Vertical Hold

Artists of the Week: Virginia’s Dream Cop and Brooklyn’s Grandpa Was A Lion

Posted on 07/08/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

We’ve been listening to a lot of great music that has come to us in dee mail lately, and discovering dozens and dozens of really talented and promising artists in the process (a bunch that we’re still preparing to publish on the site). We picked two artists for this week’s artist of the week instead of the usual one because there’s so many potential artists and bands of the week, month, and so on that it feels stupid, and too conventional, to be restricted to choosing only one artist or band of the week. We couldn’t make up our minds, ok? (hehe, j/k folks).

No, but, seriously each of the two artists featured below are relatively unknown, they are both one-man bands, and their music would fall somewhere in the so-called glo-fil, or chillwave, movement that is clearly one of the most popular sub-genres in 2010, around the world, as evidenced by the success of bands like Animal Collective, Surfer Blood, Wavves, Local Natives, Neon Indian, Washed Out and many others.

The first artist of the week is poised to explode in popularity in coming months if enough of the right people hear his music. Dream Cop is the moniker of 21-year-old student Tommy Davidson. His music delighted our ears from the get-go, and has just gotten better with subsequent listening sessions. Dipped in uplifting Beach Boys‘ -influenced harmonies and mixed with electronica beats, lo-fi instrumentation, spaced out shoegaze elements and layers of voice tracking, Dream Cop’s got down the recipe for synthy, warm, hazy vibes perfect summer lounging on a hot dog day afternoon.

Interestingly, Davidson is friends with one of our favorite new bands of 2010, Blacksburg’s very own Wild Nothing. Trust us, if you haven’t heard their debut LP, you’re really missing out on a spectacular record. Davidson and the members of Wild Nothing met as students at Virginia Tech University. Now that Wild Nothing have enjoyed moderate success in the indie world in the past six months or so, we think it is time that Dream Cop gets some of the limelight.

Dream Cop’s debut releases, both digital and vinyl have only tentative release dates of late August or early September. “The Output Noise Records digital only release will include two tape/electronic original songs with remixes from Million Young and Outputmessage“, Davidson told IRC. In addition, he will release a separate vinyl-only album with Tough Love Records “including four original tracks”, and three or four remixes from artists still to be determined. Both releases are not yet titled.

“Beach City/Carol I Know” – Dream Cop from TBA (2010)

“Marooned” – Dream Cop from TBA (2010)

“Daily Mirage” – Dream Cop from TBA (2010)

Dream Cop on MySpace

As with Dream Cop, it only took a couple of minutes to realize that Brooklyn one man band Justin D’Onofrio, or Grandpa Was A Lion, is a ‘chillwave’ (or glo-fi) artist that more fans of the popular glo-fi movement should hear. Again, like a broken record, we’ll repeat our common refrain – some of the best artists we hear, year after year, are those who are rarely heard, barely known, and yet to “break through”. As with most of the under the radar artists and bands we feature on IRC, we think Justin D’Onofrio will naturally get more press and fans in the coming months.

“Flying Birds” – Grandpa Was A Lion

“London” – Grandpa Was A Lion

“Hello FromThe Farm” – Grandpa Was A Lion

Grandpa Was A Lion

One Man Bands: Jumpiter, Blake McKibben, Old Lights, Levek, and Galapaghost

Posted on 06/03/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Note: We’re back with another One Man Bands special. Today we have some amazing artists that we think you’ll like.

A new one man band from Brooklyn (get in line, jk) has managed to catch our attention within the hundreds of songs that are floating around that we love, could love and haven’t heard yet. Right away, we were intrigued by Jumpiter, the musical project of Sean Schuyler. The songs he sent into us peaked our curiousity to hear more.

Jumpiter’s alternative rock/psychedelic pop sound is masterfully composed and executed, making it a no-brainer to add Jumpiter to our Bands to Watch in 2010 list. It’s always a bit of a thrill when a band, or artist, you – nor most other music nerds – never heard of sends music in dee mail that is simply terrific; soon, you find yourself wondering if they’ll “catch on” and what their next move will be. To go along with some other tracks he previously sent in, today, Schulyer sent in a newer track, “Overborn”, ripe with a slacker guitar riff and lo fi roughness. We’re loving most of his songs – righteous.

“Overborn” – Jumpiter from Trucks

“Eyes Of The Trucks” – Jumpiter from Trucks

“The Message” – Jumpiter from Trucks

Jumpiter on MySpace

Blake McKibben is a popular unsigned musician from Portland, Oregon who has been recording his own music since he was 18 years old. In 2001, he started his own recording studio, Clarity Recording, and eventually established himself as a producer in Portland. Now he has compiled his own favorite songs on his debut release Haze. Remarkably, his MySpace page registers over one half of a million profile views, and his songs have been played nearly one million times. It’s rare to see those kind of numbers for an unsigned musician, but his music speaks for itself.

“Haze” – Blake McKibben from Haze

“Breakup Song” – Blake McKibben from Haze

“You Are The One” – Blake McKibben from Haze

Blake McKibben’s official website
Blake McKibben on MySpace

Old Lights is the monkier of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Beeman. He is a transplant from southern California to St. Louis, Missouri. Beeman is best known for his work as a drummer for David Vandervelde and as the sound engineer for bands such as Cold War Kids, Delta Spirit and Elvis Perkins. Impressive. Beeman began recording songs that he wrote on the road with Gabriel Doiron, who contributed lead guitar, bass, and co-wrote and arranged some of the songs.

Together they built and tore down several improvised home studio’s in their respective residences. Old Lights’ music is heavily inspired by post-Beatles‘ solo records and Beach Boys‘ harmonies, a resulting layered and textured pop sound that calls out to fans of Rufus Wainwright, Badfinger and Okkervil River.

“How Can I Get By” – Old Lights from Every Night Begins the Same

“Losing My Mind” – Old Lights from Every Night Begins the Same

“Furthest from the Tree” – Old Lights from Every Night Begins the Same

Old Lights’ official web site

Old Lights on MySpace

The next one man band we found out about via our friends at I Guess I’m Floating. His name is David Levesque from Orlando, Florida and describes his music as “Mickey Mouse tropical sounds”. Using the moniker, Levek, he writes and records spirited, upbeat music with plenty of reverb and sound effects. By day, he is an elementary school bus driver.

Levek’s music is compared to Sufjan Stevens, Disney movies and the folk rock band Grizzly Bear. For example, the track “Geographic John” hits “the same melodic alchemy as GB’s Daniel Rossen on the vocal harmonies”, and “Loon And The Lion” is, according to IGIF, a “brand new folky delicacy”.

“Loon And The Lion” – Levek

“NW 4th St.” – Levek

“Geographic John” – Levek

Levek on MySpace

Galapaghost is the musical moniker of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Casey Chandler who released his EP, Lost Generation, last December. Growing up in the upstate New York small town of Woodstock (the actual historic 1969 Woodstock Music Festival was held in nearby Bethel, NY), Chandler was exposed to music at a very young age, mastering the saxophone and teaching himself how to play bass at age 14. Soon after, he began playing guitar and writing and singing his own songs as well as taking an internship at a local music studio.

Now a resident of New York City, Chandler is assembling a full line-up of musicians for his Galapaghost band project. His songwriting is influenced by a range of bands from Midlake to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to Beck. He is also a 2009 graduate of SUNY at Purchase with a bachelor’s degree in music production. We asked Chandler about the somewhat feminish sound of this voice on the song, “Neptune” and he replied: “Oh yeah, ‘Neptune’ definitely does sound like a female vocalist. I listen to and sing along with a lot of Sigur Ros, so my voice is actually most comfortable in that range, but I could just never find a song fitting to sing that high until I wrote Neptune.”

“Neptune” – Galapaghost from Neptunes

“Aloner”– Galapaghost from Neptunes

Galapaghost on MySpace

In Case You Missed This Week…

– Best New Releases: The Drums, The Get Up Kids, Active Child, The Futureheads, The Melvins, Born Ruffians, Elk City, Big Tree

One Man Bands to Watch in 2010, Vol. I: Richmond’s Battle Flags and Brooklyn’s Alex Walker

Posted on 04/01/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

As we continue on with various Bands to Watch posts, today we are featuring two “new” fascinating one man bands, Richmond, Virginia’s Battle Flags and Brooklyn’s Alex Walker.

On a regular basis, we receive in the mail surprisingly fantastic music from completely DIY, independent, artists and bands that just about no one has ever heard of, and in many cases, who have hardly, if ever, been written about on a music blog or online magazine.

In fact, we have featured probably hundreds (at this point) of such artists and bands, many of them reviewed in playlist mixes like Music In Dee Mail, Singer and Songwriter Spotlight Series, and Band of the Week profiles.

With 2010 nearly at full throttle, the music is piling up. But some of the submissions we’ve received already stand out from the rest – as of this date, perhaps a dozen or so that we will be featuring in the coming weeks here on IRC, and others that we’ve already featured (there are many MP3 nugs in our archive posts if you don’t mind clicking around a little).

Today we present two one-man bands from two completely different places and circumstances. Yet they both have a couple of things in common, the most notable being that they do it all – from writing and recording music, to playing all of the instruments, mixing and producing the songs, to distributing and marketing their albums. When you think about it, there is no way to not be in awe of someone who goes totally DIY – no band, producer, engineer; little to no financial backing; no fancy recording studio full of expensive equipment, and so on.

One of the finest examples of this type of totally DIY artist that has really wow’d us is the one man band, Battle Flags. Based in Richmond, Virginia, Battle Flags crafts semi-psychedelic electro-pop sounds and harmonies reminiscent of the so-called “surf-rock” resurgence that has risen to prominence in the past year or so.

With that context, it must be noted that Battle Flags really stands out as an Artist to Watch in 2010, particularly within that loosely defined genre that many trace back to bands like Animal Collective, and further back than that to the Beach Boys records of the late 1960s.

Listening to Battle Flags’ songs, you’d think this was an established synth-drum band who are already known to thousands, or millions, of music lovers, have been featured prominently on all the big blogs and music sites, toured to packed venues and so on. Not in this case; the relatively unknown Battle Flags is entirely the work of college music major Jack Budd.

While Battle Flags is not completely obscure – there have been some mentions and reviews in publications like DrownedInSound and Brick magazine – his name recognition has yet to catch up with his talent. Battle Flags’ biggest exposure to date has been opening for The Walkmen and Lake Trout.

After Budd sent us a few tracks via email from his debut LP, Color Engine, we have literally been playing thesongs again and again for the past week or so. The first track, “Siren Songs,” (watch official video above) could easily be an “indie” spring/summer hit on The Hype Machine, and the song that puts Battle Flags on the map. “Siren Songs” is one of the stand-out, surprise DIY tracks of the year. It entices the casual listener to soak in its hazy, warm sun-drenched synth pop sounds, raspsy, reverb-heavy vocals and dubbed choruses. Don’t be surprised if you end up playing this track again and again.

“Siren Songs” – Battle Flags from Color Engine (2010)

On “We Don’t Operate,” Budd employs his genius yet again with electro pop rhythms, hand-clapping, layered and looped vocal harmonies and chants, raw drum beats, and even referee whistles. The result is an amazing and irresistible affect, that like its predecessor, “Siren Songs,” is instantly enjoyable and memorable; another fantastic addition to the coolest summer mixtapes of 2010.

The seed for Battle Flags was sowed while Budd was crafting stencil graffiti in a small bedroom in Richmond in 2007. Eventually he began constructing rhythms and samples using pots, pans, shovels, living room chairs and even empty beer kegs. Budd added his high pitch, but captivating, vocals, samples and effects and other elements until he had enough tracks that he was comfortable to send them to us to share with all of you.

“We Don’t Operate” – Battle Flags from Color Engine (2010)

If there is an album that you should hear this month that you would have otherwise probably never known about, it’s Color Engine. You can listen to short samples of all the songs on Battle Flags’ official website, and buy the full album (officially released on March 8) as well.

Battle Flags on MySpace

Next up, Brooklyn’s Alex Walker is a composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist who creates layers of sounds, campfire singalong choruses, doubled-up samples and strong back beats with injections of quirky synth notes, as evidenced on the song, “Trust The Fire.” Guest vocalists include Matt Whyte (Earl Greyhound), Brian Grosz (Dogs of Winter), Anthony Yacobellis (Nice New Outfit), Shelly Watson and Alyson Greenfield. This track has an uncanny resemblance to the sound of Iceland’s popular one-man band, Sin Fang Bous.

Walker’s experience as a writer, producer and accomplished guitarist for NYC rock band, Aloke, and bassist for chamber group, Electric Kompany, demonstrates the breath of talent and skill, not to mention his reptuation for hours and hours of practicing.

“Trust the Fire” – Alex Walker from Trust The Fire (2010)

And yet another side of Alex Walker – classical guitar
On the heavy grooves of “Caught Starin,” the listener is exposed to a different side of Walker, where his work, as he describes, “exists as an alchemic distillation of the classical guitar repetoire, the rock n’ roll cannon, a childhood in the 80s and 90s (and all the trappings of that era), a love of hip-hop, jazz and other American improvisational trends.” This song is darker, haunting, and even somewhat mechanical. The album, Trust The Fire, was officially released on March 2nd. Download Walker’s other work at Lapdance Academy.

“Caught Starin” – Alex Walker from Trust The Fire (2010)

Alex Walker on MySpace

Other Playlist Mix Series You Might Like:

– Bands to Watch (2009)
– One Man Bands
– Best New Releases
– 2009 Indie Rock Songs
– 2008 Indie Rock Songs
– Songs About New York City
– Dream Playlist
– Songs for Mom
– The Great Unknowns
– Quickies
– State of Music
– Best Rarely Heard Indie Songs
– Summer Indie Rock Mixes
– Songs of Winter
– Songs of Spring
– Songs About The Moon

One Man Bands – LA’s Fox Fagan and Detroit’s JellyEyes

Posted on 01/16/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Los Angeles indie alt rock artist Fox Fagan, a native of Australia, catches many people’s attention with his upbeat pop rock and intriguing lyrics. The EP, which has been added to playlists of more than 50 college and non commercial radio stations across the U.S and Canada, features Fagan’s tasty brand of indie pop and a British swagger reminiscent of the old English punk rockers.

At times, Fox Fagan sounds a tiny bit like the old Arctic Monkeys, most especially on the song “Wouldn’t Change A Thing,” clearly one of the best tracks from his Never Fall in Love with a Stranger EP, available for free at NoisyNeighbors.com. Other songs like “Shelia” are reminiscent of 70’s AM pop radio. Again, another original talent that most people will never know about, and that’s that we do this.

“Wouldn’t Change A Thing” – Fox Fagan from Never Fall in Love with a Stranger EP (2009)

“Shelia” – Fox Fagan from Never Fall in Love with a Stranger EP (2009)

Fox Fagan on MySpace

In November 2008, Detroit area musician Jason Zito lost his job as the auto industry began crumbling around him. With a huge mortgage, a family to care for, and no new work coming in, he locked himself in his studio, crafting songs that echoed his situation. Those songs became the album (Scary Noises) Gods Stand Up!.

Zito calls his project Jellyeyes, a moniker (and the album title) taken from Shakespeare‘s King Lear, which he had buried his head in for several weeks prior to the album’s creation. Jellyeyes art rock/folk pop can be roughly compared in style and sound to Bon Iver, Wilco and Sigur Ros. He has previously opened for bands like Elliott and The Great Fiction.

“The Dead Girl and The Sandbox” – Jellyeyes from (Scary Noises) Gods Stand Up! (2009)

“Coming For Me” – Jellyeyes from (Scary Noises) Gods Stand Up! (2009)

JellyEyes on MySpace

In Dee Mail: One Man Band Series with Andy Mitchell, Oh Mountain and Wicked Scream

Posted on 11/22/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Andy Mitchell is a one-man band from Middlesbrough, UK who serves up a remarkably full rock sound for one guy. An unsigned artist, Mitchell writes and records all of his songs himself, as well as sings and plays all of the instruments, including guitars, bass, keyboards and programmed drums. Last year, Ultimate Guitar magazine took notice, naming Mitchell one of the “Top Unsigned Acts of 2008.”

His recordings, he told IRC, were made in his bedroom and bathroom over a number of months. “I had taught myself guitar in 2006, but officially it all started in early 2008 while I was at University. For my final year dissertation I looked at new ways to market music and created an album of my own to use as an example. It earned me a first class honors, and encouraged me to continue making music and albums.” For someone who only started playing the guitar a few years ago, Mitchell’s work proves he has a natural ability to make impressive alternative rock music. We’ll be watching this guy for sure!

“Why Remember Me” – Andy Mitchell from Of Nature & Minimal Means (2009)

“Aspire” – Andy Mitchell from Of Nature & Minimal Means (2009)

Andy Mitchell’s official website
Andy Mitchell on MySpace

Eric Dina is a New Port Richey, Florida musician who goes by the moniker of Oh, Mountain. He a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, banjo, percussion, mandolin and violin. Dina’s unpolished, lo-fi instrumental recordings also include various sound effects and samples with interesting results. Oh Mountain cites among his influences The Books (especially the album “Lemon of Pink”), Dosh, The Microphones and Mount Eerie.

“I favor percussion and the sound of thick drums a lot and in cases more often than not I started a recording with nothing but a simple floor tom beat,” Dina told IRC. “In a sense, its easier for me to hear a melody when I know what the drums will sound like. Through the years I have acquired more and more instruments and recording equipment to sort of expand the way things sound.” We like Dina’s refreshingly original and organic sound very much.

“Bear’s Beat” – Oh Mountain, single release (2009)

“No. 2” – Oh Mountain, single release (2009)

Oh Mountain on MySpace

Wicked Scream is the moniker of the one-man alternative rock project by Charlie Dorrell from White Lake, Michigan, a rather obscure singer, guitarist, bassist and drummer. Signed on by Coy Boy Records, Wicked Scream is currently in the process of becoming a “three to four-piece ensemble,” Dorrell proclaims with the hope to “inspire anybody influenced by under-produced, raw & gritty rock.” So far, so good.

Wicked Scream’s debut EP, Earwax Casket, contains songs like the hard rocker “Kleptosis” and the Nirvana-like acoustic track “Bluesy.” It will be interesting to see what this one man project that may eventually morph into a full band will deliver for their first full length release, and whether they are able to make progress in their quest to “bring back underground rock and take down mainstream rock.” Unfortunately, neither he, nor his label, have any solid information online (other than non-optimized MySpace page); and therefore we have no artwork or photos to present.

“Bluesy” – Wicked Scream from Earwax Casket EP (2009)

“Kleptosis” – Wicked Scream from Earwax Casket EP (2009)

Wicked Scream on MySpace

The Interestingly Eccentric Brooklyn One Man Band Brad Oberhofer

Posted on 11/08/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Continuing on with IRC’s post-CMJ coverage, it is puzzling as much as it is refreshing that musician Brad Oberhofer isn’t more well known within the arguably saturated indie rock genre.

At first examination of the huge, rhapsodic sound of his work, one would never guess Oberhofer records as a solo artist.

A drummer and vocalist primarily, Oberhofer crafts a big sound all on his own, blending various instruments and electronic samples to pump out energy charged, erratically arranged, and somewhat danceable rhythms and melodies that feed off of experimental and traditional influences, making his music both accessible, and unclassifiable, at the same time.

In 2006, Oberhofer left his native Tacoma, Washington – where he studied classical music – and moved to Brooklyn to pursue his musical ambitions.

Since that time, he has been recording at home, and playing small venues in and around the New York City metro area. He was a featured artist at The Den last month during NYC’s CMJ.

Oberhofer’s music runs the gamut of indie sub-genres, from noise pop to dance punk, and even “freak folk.”

Take the song “Dead Girls Can Dance”; now, imagine Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) crashing into Wavves .

And, “I Could Go,” with its whistling, oohs and ahhs, vocal layering, smashing cymbals, and somehow catchy hooks, is, all at once, mysterious, engaging and strange.

The track “Away From You” is another example of Oberhofer’s memorable, eccentric sound. If you’re walking around the East Side one of these days, and you hear a distinctive howling, whistling and clashing of sounds, it might just be Oberhofer playing at a small bar, or even, a grocery store.

As we’ve seen with so many one-man bands featured on IRC, Oberhofer writes and records his music on his own, plays all of the instruments, and even distributes and promotes his work. When he performs live, he is often accompanied by Clyde Kurtis on drums and Andrew Heaton on guitar and keys.

“I view recorded music and live music as two completely separate art forms,” Oberhofer told IRC, “so I try to make sure each have their own distinct advantages.”

His musical roots, he says, trace back to “competitive freestyle rapping in the 5th grade,” his classical music training, and an appreciation for bands like The Unicorns, Hella, Clues and Okay .

In describing the Brooklyn ‘indie scene,’ Oberhofer said: “I think there are an insane amount of ridiculous bands that all have super good ideas to the point where I find myself questioning whether or not it is possible to innovate. They deserve to explode as they please. And by explode, I mean ‘blow up’.”

The songs included here are off of his self-titled, self-released EP, some of which were recently remastered. What do you think?

[zbplayer]

“I Could Go” – Brad Oberhofer

“Dead Girls Dance” – Brad Oberhofer

“Away From You” – Brad Oberhofer

In Dee Mail: One Man Band Series with Washed Out, Stuart Newman and Labrador Labratories

Posted on 10/08/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Largely due to the availability of affordable technology and the explosion of the Internet in recent years, independent musicians are finding it easier than ever before to record, distribute and promote their music. In the last installment of this series, we featured Portland’s Channel In, Channel Out. Today, IRC spotlights three one-man bands, including the indie buzz ‘band’ Washed Out, the UK’s Stuart Newman and San Francisco’s Labardor Labratories.

Washed Out is the moniker of a solo musical project by Georgia native Ernest Greene. Washed Out’s debut EP Life Of Leisure is a perfect soundtrack for a lazy afternoon; the EP title suits Greene’s chill, retro lo-fi electronic sound perfectly. Rolling Stone described Washed Out’s music as “impossibly gorgeous pop that mixes up woozy synthesizers, droney shoegaze textures and funky, sometimes danceable beats.”

“New Theory” – Washed Out from Life Of Leisure (2009)
“Feel It All Around” – Washed Out from Life Of Leisure (2009)

Washed Out on MySpace

Melancholy reigns in the song “51st State” by UK songwriter and musician Stuart Newman. As an unsigned artist, Newman, 22, has total control over every aspect of his music. Many times this turns out to be a good thing, as evidenced by Newman’s debut, self-released album, Single But Defective.

Based in Brighton, Newman’s music is best described as acoustic pop. He cites among his biggest influences Elliot Smith, The Beatles, Paul Simon and Nirvana. Interestingly, Newman is right-handed, but plays exclusively left-handed on guitar and other instruments. He has been featured on BBC6 Music, BFBS Radio and “gas stations throughout Connecticut on the AMP Radio Network.”

Newman’s new album, Single But Defective, is available as a free download, with the idea, he said, to “spread the music far and wide internationally.” Sweet.

“51st State” – Stuart Newman from Single But Defective (2009)
“Cry Wolf” – Stuart Newman from Single But Defective (2009)

Stuart Newman on MySpace

San Francisco indie musician Labrador Labratories, or “Labra,” creatively mixes influences of Serbian traditional music with dreamy psychedelic folk that conjure up images of a younger Leonard Cohen playing with an European gypsy band. This is apparent on Labra’s newly released EP Open Cage, featuring songs like “Your Arms” and “Butterflies”. Labra lists among the instruments he plays as “guitars, voice, knees and harmonica”.

Labra says he was conceived when a Vegas stripper named Miley went on a trip to Burma, meet a monk and returned home to California two weeks pregnant. When he was six years old, Labra went to live with his Serbian grandmother in West Hollywood where he was home schooled, and became a “devout” Catholic and choir boy.

“Butterflies” – Labardor Labratories from Open Cage EP (2009)
“Your Arms” – Labardor Labratories from Open Cage EP (2009)

Labardor Labratories on MySpace

In the next installment of In Dee Mail‘s one-man band series, we will highlight the music of a Tampa area experimental ambient folk musician, a Montreal artist who sounds a bit like Prince mixed with Hall and Oates, and an alternative rocker from the lakes region of Michigan.

Yesterday’s Post: The first installment of Halloween Indie Songs was a huge success, featuring songs from Arctic Monkeys, Spoon, Cat Power, Beck, Beach House, Flaming Lips and many others.

The second playlist of that series will feature Halloweenish music from Sufjan Stevens, Pavement, The Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Cut Copy and eight other bands and artists. By Halloween Eve, we’ll have published a total of 13 playlists, each featuring 13 songs.