Best Indie Rock Songs, Bands, Albums

STREAM: Thom Yorke shares revealing new mix

THOM YORKE has shared a new mix for his Sonos radio show, In The Absence Thereof, featuring an eclectic roster of artists including IDLES and Miles Davis.

Titled In The Absence Thereof… Mix 7, Yorke’s mix includes tracks from popular artists like Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Jim James and and Bibio, as all as a diverse and wonderful selection of songs from IC3PEAK, English Garden, Divide and Dissolve and Bendik Giske, among others. See the full playlist below.

“Mix 7 is my latest mix or compilation of music and sound that has moved me deeply by other artists I respect and who inspire me,” Yorke said.

“Listening to music has changed for me recently, I find myself asking what is music or any art in such a time of death, violence and horror? I guess it can only try to bear witness somehow.”

“There are no words to express seeing war Ukraine, in Europe in the 21st century. Normal life has been diminished, there is a sense of wanton absurdity and futility. The clowns have run out of jokes, their faces have twisted into grimaces, no longer able to hide the malignant shadows standing behind them. Families just like ours, innocent children, pulled apart. We can only pray to wake up from this nightmare and never allow it to happen again. Soon.”

Thom Yorke’s ‘In The Absence Thereof… Mix 7’ includes: 

Bridget St. John – ‘Ask Me No Questions’
IC3PEAK – ‘Пламя’
Ennio Morricone – ‘The Trio – Main Title’
IDLES – ‘Progress’
Paul DeMarinis – ‘The Lecture of Comrade Stalin at the Extraordinary 8th Plenary Congress’
Bibio – ‘Pantglas’
Mr. Mitch – ‘Sleep’
Sun Ra – ‘I Am An Instrument’
Jim James – ‘State Of The Art (A.E.I.O.U.)’
English Garden – ‘7-10 Split’
Bendik Giske – ‘Cruising’
Divide And Dissolve – ‘Did You Have Something To Do With It’
Divide And Dissolve – ‘Oblique’
Walter Smetak – ‘Iêéaóôu’
Tony Allen, Dave Okmu & Joan As Police Woman – ‘The Barbarian’
Don Cherry’s New Researches – ‘Interlude / North Brazilian Ceremonial Hymn’
Miles Davis – ‘Saeta’

The long-awaited debut album, A Light For Attracting Attention from his band Smile – along with Jonny Greenwood and Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner.

The group’s debut album will be released on May 13 via XL Recording and was produced by Radiohead’s longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich. It will feature previous singles ‘You Will Never Work In Television Again’, ‘The Smoke’, and ‘Skrting On The Surface’.

ALBUM: Belle and Sebastian ‘A Bit of Previous’

The title of Belle and Sebastian’s A Bit of Previous is apt, as the songs consolidate the influences that the Scottish band has drawn on for their entire career.

The cover art, like that of their prior studio albums, is a monochromatic photograph, this time of young people—there are four different covers in all—pictured alongside specters of the past. Throughout the album’s 12 songs, Belle and Sebastian continue to do what they’ve always done best: expand on their inspirations from the past, including ‘60s soul and ‘80s Britpop.

Driven by propulsive acoustic guitar and presenting a glossier version of Belle and Sebastian’s early sound, “Young and Stupid” ends with a sample of a woman speaking: “You’re so small, nothing matters, so whatever.” She isn’t a nihilist, though, as she’s describing youth’s apparent freedom from consequences.

It’s a sentiment that’s echoed, in reverse, on “Unnecessary Drama,” where frontman Stuart Murdoch sings, “And it’s probably not surprising/You’re burning through your life/And if I had a second encore/I would probably do the same.”

Continue reading on Slant Magazine

FESTS: SnapChat and LiveNation team up for augmented-reality festival experience

Snapchat has done a new deal with Live Nation to develop augmented-reality experiences for the app’s users at selected festivals, including Lollapalooza in the U.S. and Wireless in the U.K.

Open up your Snapchat camera at any of the eighteen events currently involved in this partnership and you’ll get a load of special stuff flying all over your screen that wouldn’t be there if you just used your eyes to engage with the event that is actually happening all around you.

Yeah, upon request, I will send you a recording of me tutting to enhance the experience further.

“We can leverage this huge userbase we have in a way that will make augmented reality the next phase of visual expression for artists”, says Ben Schwerin, Snap’s SVP Content & Partnerships.

“This really hasn’t been done before in a way that is part of the artist’s vision and helping it come to life”.

As well as Wireless, U.K. Snapchat users will be able to get in on all this at the Reading and Leeds festivals.

To help you picture what all this looks like, Snapchat and Live Nation have produced a video shot at Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas in which the event itself looks infinitely more exciting than anything that appears over the top of it on a phone screen.

This post by Andy Malt first appeared on Complete Music Update

TRACK: Arcade Fire drops another track, ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’

ARCADE FIRE is releasing their long-anticipated album WE on May 6, and today they’ve shared the latest single “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid).”

It’s an encouraging joyride that opens with jumpy acoustic guitars, sparkling chimes, and upbeat “doo-doo-doos.”

The single expresses trusting one’s mind (“But you can’t trust it every time / You know it plays tricks on you”) and body (“You can dance / You can shake / Things will break / You make mistakes”) and embracing life’s imperfections that make it beautiful and worth living.

It’s a wholesome anthem, the kind that Arcade Fire excel at when they’re in their groove. Especially with how shit a lot of things still feel in this 2022 pandemic world, “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” is the kind of music the world needs.

“There’s nothing saccharine about unconditional love in a world that is coming apart at the seams,” Win Butler explained about the new song. “WE need each other, in all of our imperfection.

‘Lookout Kid’ is a reminder, a lullaby for the end times, sung to my son, but for everyone… Trust your heart, trust your mind, trust your body, trust your soul. Shit is going to get worse before it gets better, but it always gets better, and no one’s perfect. Let me say it again. No one’s perfect.”

First published on Flood Magazine

U.K. INTRODUCING: Anthemic Surf Rock Band Voodoo Bandits

Punchy surf rockers Voodoo Bandits hit us with another new single ‘Nice T-Shirt’.

The past 18 months have been non-stop for the Isle of Man quartet with six singles under their belts. And in that time, the band has become well-known for their twist on the garage pop-rock genre.

Latest effort ‘Nice T-Shirt’ is the perfect jam of high-octane guitar riffs, distinctive vocals and riotous beats come together to create a feeling of optimism and carefree relief.

The noughties styles gelled with feel-good energy is the perfect remedy for the bigger stages. It’s an animated, feel-good tune underpinned by a head-bobbing fuzz riff and a garage-leaning chord progression.

Speaking of the new single, singer Ben says, “’Nice T-Shirt’ is about the feeling of growing apart from someone that you’re no longer on the same page as.

“It’s tough to leave people behind but sometimes you have to put yourself first and that’s what the lyrics in Nice T-Shirt are all about.”

‘Nice T-Shirt’ was produced by Voodoo Bandits, mixed by Darren Lawson and mastered by Two Zero Nine (Graeme Lynch).

This post first appeared on IndieCentralMusic.com

NEWS: Brian Eno, Big Thief, Coldplay, Dry Cleaning + others drop unreleased tracks for Earth Day

We all got a huge Earth Day gift from musician Brian Eno‘s EarthPercent Foundation.

To help raise money for climate organizations, Eno and his staff gathered 100 musicians and bands to contribute a previously-unreleased track for the special EarthPercent x Earth Day initiative.

It’s an impressive list of artists that includes Eno, Big Thief, Michael Stipe, Peter Gabriel, Coldplay Death Cab, The Weather Station, Jarvis Cocker, Hot Chip (a track that also features Brian Eno and former Savages drummer Fay Milton), Dry Cleaning, Metronomy and many more.

See the full tracklist below.

“This is what unleashing the power of music in service of the planet looks like,” said Eno in a statement. “Historically music has often been at the front of social change – think of ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ and Rock Against Racism. Now we’re facing climate change, the biggest challenge in human history. It’s time for us to get out there again.”

You can buy songs via Bandcamp for $2.50 USD.

Unfortunately, the tracks are not available to stream without buying.

Nonetheless, EarthPercent has shared Big Thief’s demo of “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You,” as a one-off and representative of the album.

EarthPercent x Earth Day Contributing Artists

Adonis – Al Khafif (The Light Version)
Alfie Templeman – Living In A Universe
Amirali – Nemesis
Anna B Savage – Corncrakes (demo)
Anna Calvi – Peaky Blinders: Season 5 (Original Soundtrack)
Anrimeal – Source and Time
AVAWAVES – Nocturnal
Balmorhea – June (Demo)
Beatie Wolfe – “Oh My Heart” (live at the Nobel Prize Summit)
Biako – What’s It Like To Be Him
Big Thief – ​​Dragon New Warm Mountain, I Believe In You (Demo)
Billie Flynn – Red Right Hand
Billy Lockett – Together At Home (Live)
Brand New Moon – The Garden Knows
Brian Eno (featuring Leo Abrahams) – Did The World Begin Today
Broadside Hacks – Barbry Allen (Matthew Shaw remix)
Brooke Annibale – What If You (demo)
Charlie Hickey – Things I Believe (demo)
Coldplay – Humankind (Live in Mexico City)
Cosmo Sheldrake – Dance Off (Cosmo Sheldrake Remix)
Courtney Marie Andrews – It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault (Demo)
Damefrisør – Beautiful Soul (Katy J Pearson cover)
Damien Dempsey – What A Day
Daniel Brandt – Soon To Be
Deantoni Parks – The Plague of Plastic
deathcrash – Wrestle With Jimmy – Live From The Hush House
Death Cab For Cutie – Your Bruise – Live at The Showbox
Debit – The Age of Equitable Nature
Declan McKenna – Elephant [demo] Dry Cleaning – Her Hippo – Live
Elder Island – Purely Educational (Live)
Emel – Does Anybody Sleep
English Teacher – A55 (demo)
False Window – Sea++ [Ver 1.01] Fito Paez – Cisne
Flower Face – The Garden
Fovea Hex – All Those Signs (EarthPercent Mix)
Franc Moody – Water (Instrumental)
Frank Wiedemann – A New Start
Future Utopia – Crystalline
Fred again.. & Mr Eazi – Light Up
Galya Bisengalieva – Kantubek Live
Gesloten Cirkel – Landing
Gigi Masin – MADAME DU VENT
Hania Rani – Leaving (Niklas Paschburg rework)
Hannah Peel featuring Ulster Orchestra – Act Now (Greenpeace UK)
Hinako Omori – 春の海 ✷ haru no umi
Holy Fuck – Luxe ft. Alexis Taylor (Live at Fox Theater)
Honeyglaze – Burglar (live)
Hot Chip x Brian Eno x Fay Milton – Line In The Sand
ISYLA – Where We Dare (Live at Cube)
Isobel Waller-Bridge – Elizabeth
James – Beautiful Beaches – Conservatory Version
JARV IS… – DEPRESSIVE DISCO
Joep Beving – We will want to remember (EarthPercent demo)
Joy Anonymous X Toya Delazy – JOY(JEQE)
JoyCut – The Plastic Whale
Kaerhardt – Heart of Stone
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – Tides IV – Music for Meditation and Yoga
Kate Davis – Alright
Laura Misch – Lagoon (Variation for Saxophone and Voice)
Laurence Guy – What Exactly Are You Asking Me?
Lily Moore – Last Goodbye
Lola Kirke – What It Was (Demo)
Love Ssega – Ssanyu
Lutalo – Georgia (Instrumental/Demo)
Mandy, Indiana – The Call Is Coming From Inside the House
Manu Delago – Zeitgeber (Live)
Mara Simpson – Nowhere (LAYERS)
Martyn – When We Are Innocent
ME REX – Swingset (live)
Metronomy – Walking in the Dark (Folly Group Remix)
Michael Begg – Arctic Moonlight: A Zooplankton Nocturne (EarthPercent Mix)
Michael Stipe – Future, If Future
Miho Hatori – Mobula Phantasmagoria
Modern Woman – Offerings (Stripped Back Version)
Müller & Makaroff – Todo Puede Suceder ft. Kevin Johansen
Múm – Goodbye In The Future
Murkage Dave – Hackney Dalston Canonbury Highbury [DEMO] Nick Mulvey – A Prayer Of My Own (LaJoya Remix) Ft. Liz Wathuti
Nicki Wells – Ocean – Strings
Nile Rodgers & Philippe Saisse – Sugar Rush Monk
Nuno & Maria Bettencourt – Sideways (Citizen Cope cover)
Olivia Reid – Water Damage (Stripped)
Oracle Sisters – Good All The Time (Demo)
Orlando Weeks – Distance Mover
Patch and the Giant – Fire & The Flood
Paul McDonald – Forgiveness (Sanctuary Demo)
Peter Gabriel – Shock the Monkey: Earth Day version – for EarthPercent
Pictish Trail – EARTH DAY: Nuclear Sunflower Swamp (Acoustic)
Pixx – Alien
Prima Queen – Chew My Cheeks (demo)
Poppy Ackroyd – Pause – Live Session
Rasha Nahas – Al Madini (Live at Thalia Theater)
Reka and /Beyond/ – We Owe You All
Richard Coleman – Changes (Live)
Rodrigo Y Gabriela – Peter Punk
Rutger Hoedemaekers – Sing The Songs Of The Glory Of None
S Carey – Paralyzed (At Home Version)
Sam Lee – The Tan Yard Side – Singing With Nightingales
Sebastian Mullaert – Asked Quietly Of The Night
Seb Wildblood – Bad Space Habits (dub)
Sonia Stein – Sweet Spot
SØS Gunver Ryberg – Doing our best is no longer good enough
Soundwalk Collective – Butterfly Kiss (feat. Charlotte Gainsbourg)
Squirrel Flower – your love is a disaster (NNAMDÏ remix)
Talk Show x D.U.D.S. – Leather Rework
The Album Leaf – Rotations
The Big Moon – BIG
The Black Chapel Collective – The Secret ft Daniel Rhodes
The Weather Station – This Way
Tom VR – Don’t Stop Us Floating Away
Treeboy & Arc – Austere
tummyache – growing pains
United Freedom Collective – Manifest Bliss
Violet Skies – Settle (Live Session)
.VRIL – Andromeda Nightmare
Wará – Yahannaman
Warmduscher – Hey Guys
Waves Rush In – Travellers Dream (Live)
Wayne Snow – Pale Blue Dot
Weval – Keep It Up

VIDEO: Father John Misty drops new music video for ‘Kiss Me (I Loved You)’

Father John Misty has shared a new music video for the beautiful track “Kiss Me (I Loved You)” from his widely-praised new album, Chloë And The Next 20th Century.

Director David Raboy presents a sharp, cinematic view of the popular new song. Raboy picked actors Annie Hamilton and Alexander Zuccaro play the roles of the two main characters

Earlier this month, Misty performed a number of tracks from the new album live in London, including “Kiss Me”, “(Everything But) Her Love”, “Only A Fool,” “Buddy’s Rendezvous” and “The Next 20th Century” and others from the much-talked-about, and stunning, new album.

He also announced a world tour this fall and into 2023 with North America and Europe in prominence.

The deluxe edition of Chloë includes a 7″ of Lana Del Rey and David Lynch (credited as Jack Cruz) covering songs from the album.

PLAYLIST: Top 10 DIY Songs, March 2022

The DIY (and small label) top 10 songs for March 2022 features kick-ass songs from DIY artists and bands stretching from the tip of Ireland to the urban sprawl of Los Angeles.

These are also ALL artists and bands to watch in our opinion; otherwise they would not have made this top 10 playlist because there are too many promising artists and bands around that many of you have never heard of – and admittedly, plenty that we didn’t know of; which is the great gift of music discovery.

Check out the other top 10s if you dig this; share and like if you can and don’t miss our new Top 50 playlists – dope, dope music only here at Indie Rock Cafe – celebrating 15 years of music blogging.

It may just be us, but Junk Drawer reminds us of a British Kurt Vile while Car Boot Sale is sounding heavily Spoon-influenced (not a bad thing). The crooning of Niall Mutter is captivating and soothing while Operation Man also shows off his vocal skills and pop sensibilities.

True that not all of these artists/bands are DIY in the traditional sense, but we consider small labels as ‘DIY’ much of the time to make things easier.

This top 10 playlist is in no particular order – you pick your favs. It’s too good of a playlist to sort out that way. All that matters is the music and whether you feel it or not.

NOTE: The number in parenthesis indicates the number of monthly listeners on Spotify.

Jaguar Sun TORONTO, Canada
https://www.instagram.com/jaguar__sun/ (318K)

Tomberlin – LOS ANGELES, California
https://twitter.com/tomberlin (270K)

Great Gable – BUNBURY, Australia

https://www.greatgablemusic.com/ (265K)

The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – WILLIMANTIC, Connecticut
https://www.theworldisabeautifulplace.com/ (132K)

Niall Mutter – MONTREAL, Canada
https://www.instagram.com/miallnutter/ (71K)

Operation Ivan – PORTSMOUTH, England
https://www.instagram.com/operationivanuk (26K)

Beach Vacation – SEATTLE, Washington
https://beachvacation.bandcamp.com/ (26K)

Weird Nightmare – TORONTO, Canada
http://weirdnightmare.net (18K)

Junk Drawer – BELFAST, Ireland
https://www.facebook.com/junkdrawerband – (5K)

Car Boot Sale – LONDON, England
https://www.instagram.com/carbootsaletheband/ (3K)

Stream all 10 via Spotify or YouTube:

Don’t stop there.

Check out more of our playlists on IRC’s Spotify profile – many of which have been carefully, and manually, curated over the years, covering themes from VIPs in songs to world music and from best seasons playlists to playlists of great indie/alt rock/folk/pop covering themes like world countries, states, love, moods, and everyday, ordinary things. A must-check-it-out-collection. Promise.

NEWS: Members of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam form supergroup 3rd Secret

Hark! A new supergroup hath risen, featuring members of grunge-era innovators NirvanaSoundgarden, and Pearl Jam.

Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron (who’s also been drumming for Pearl Jam since 1998), D.C. hardcore outfit Void guitarist Bubba Dupree, as well as Giants in the Trees vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye, have joined forces as 3rd Secret.

The band surprise-released its debut self-titled album yesterday. The album was recorded in collaboration with fellow grunge musician and Sub Pop associate Jack Endino. True to form, 3rd Secret recently made its live debut with a secret show at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture.

In February, Novoselic shared that he was working on a “secret” album? It wasn’t his first secret — it was 3rd.

We might be staring down the barrel of a grunge renaissance, given how a Nirvana classic recently made its Hot 100 debut thanks to The Batman, and Kurt Cobain‘s final days are set to be dramatized in a new opera.

Meanwhile, Cameron comes to Canada this fall with some newly rescheduled Pearl Jam tour dates; Billy Corgan would not want you to forget how much Smashing Pumpkins influenced both bands, which is admitted pretty audible on the 3rd Secret record.

Stream the supergroup’s 11-track debut below, though a news bulletin posted to their website says the album is still in the process of being uploaded to all streaming platforms.

Post by Megan LaPierre for Exclaim Mag
Photo by Mike Hipple

VIDEO: Interpol shares new single video, ‘Something Changed’

NEW YORK CITY – Post-punk revival masters Interpol are not letting the newest post-punk revival pass them by.

In fact, the band has just released the second new song, “Something Changed.” The semi-creepy track – that later breaks into a driving chorus – and video follow as the second-part of and follow-up to Part One, which features the song “Toni” as well as musi-drama video scenes.

Both singles are, of course, from Interpol’s new upcoming album, The Other Side Of Make-Believe, the band’s seventh album.

Directed by Van Alpert, the film tells a story of star-crossed lovers; now we’ll all have to wait for the ending, which Paul Banks teases will be the next episode of the trilogy.

“The lives of the three are intertwined in a nebula of fear, retribution, desire, and defiance,” Banks said. “Who will receive their just deserts? Stay tuned and find out”.

In “Something Changed,” reality and reverie converge as the two lead characters fall into a dream state while being pursued by a mysterious figure – played by Banks.

ALBUM: Wet Leg drops self-titled debut

Wet Leg feels like a band that would have absolutely dominated that teen blog/ tumblr period of 2007-2012.

Maybe it’s because I was at the peak of my awkward teen powers in that period, but having listened through the self-titled debut album from The Isle of Wight act a couple of times now, their sound has thrown me back more than a decade to a time where trying to being cool and unique in an online space was a lot more time consuming than it should have been (please keep in mind I wasn’t allowed social media or anything of the like while at school, so this is all purely anecdotal from friends who did).

With a sound wedged in that mysterious and chaotic vibe somewhere between Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Le Tigre, Gossip and Metric, there’s been an incredible buzz surrounding the English group for the past 12 months that could (and honestly probably will) transcend and connect to generations past, present and future.

After bursting out with the inescapable “Chaise Longue” in the middle of 2021, Wet Leg has continued to release a flurry of catchy, hook laden and slightly sardonic hits over the past six months or so, all of which have managed to make it onto their debut.

While it makes sense to lead into your debut album having released a couple of songs, Wet Leg has gone one step further and by the time of release, they have already released half of the songs on the album.

Some may interpret this as showing their cards too early. I’m here to say, yes they have shown their cards, but luckily for the band, it’s just about a royal flush.

Continue reading review by Dylan Marshall on The AU Review

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Andrew LaVogue

PORTLAND, Maine – DIY musician and singer/songwriter Andrew LaVogue, originally from Northeast Ohio, now lives along the rocky New England coast where he focuses on instrumental music inspired by a range of influences.

Take as an example his latest track, “Sweet and Simple.” The song title does good justice to the feel and vibe of the instrumental track.

Song Description of “Sweet and Simple” from LaVogue: This song is supposed to be as honest as the title suggests, this is simply a sweet and simple tune. In addition to that, I have been writing songs that are representative of where I’m from in rural Ohio. This tune is meant to represent the simplicity of growing up among the farmlands of the Midwest.

We’ve been fans of LaVogue since featuring some of his desert rock sounds in 2020 with the track, “Oh, Sunny Day?”

LaVogue’s music combines lo-fi, art rock, experimental and psychedelia with what he tags “American primitive guitar playing”.

Last year, LaVogue released his debut EP Surrounded by the Northern Lights, and has since written music for the documentary “Rick Parker, I’m Afraid” and has had music placed in some commercials.

His overall goal, he says, “is to carry on the tradition of creative solo guitar” DIY music.

Other notable tunes include “Remember When” and “Sun At Sand Beach” and the graceful “Footfalls Echo”, a bit reminiscent of the late, great experimental guitarist Michael Hedges. Very rhytmic, semi-minialistic, string-slapping instrumental acoustic guitar playing that is nothing less than heart-warming, epic and happy.