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

7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, Vol. VI – Analog, The Lukewarm, Bee Caves, The Post Age, The Revies, Stereo Off, Danny and Caroline

It’s hard to believe Bands You’ve Gotta Hear is at Vol. VI. We’re regularly amazed just how much terrific music is being churned out every day under the radar from indie bands and artists worldwide. We do our best to sift through the hundreds of songs we receive every month via our music submission form from musicians throughout the United States and around the globe.

We are not just another copy-and-paste-it’s-done or follow all the popular shit indie blog – there are hundreds of those. We used to cover all of the ‘popular’ indie music (and there’s still a lot we love), but everyone is doing that, and over time, we didn’t feel like we were adding anything new or original to the indie music dialog, if you will.

So, earlier this year, we decided to make almost all of our coverage DIY, small and indie label related. The reason is because there is just way too much great music being made, and new artists and bands ready to break out, that people are not hearing.

For all of you out there who have followed us for any number of years (we love you too!), you know exactly how much sick music has been posted on this site in the past six years in particular (much of it is actually still available in our archives), and how many artists and bands got their first big boost being featured on IRC.

This post playlist highlights another 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, from the popular, on-going series. We’re jumping all across the country today to profile bands from the biggest city to the southern most city – Miami – all the way across to band-saturated Austin, laid back Tulsa and sunny Los Angeles with sweet tracks spanning electro-pop, alternative rock, and folk pop, among other genres, from bands that deserve to be heard. American Idol? Suck it! You ain’t never heard music this good; this original.

In This Installment:

analog – Miami, Florida
The Lukewarm – Tulsa, Oklahoma
Bee Caves – Austin, Texas
The Post Age – Miami, Florida
The Revies – Los Angeles & Mexico
Stereo Off – New York, New York
Danny and Caroline – Bedford Hills, New York

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analog – Miami, Florida

Miami has a promising new alternative rock band on the DIY radar screen. It is analog, a four-piece band from the “sandy beaches and plastic atmosphere of a city notorious for its partying scene…not alternative rock.” In a little more than a year together, analog has made a big leap forward with the release of the debut LP, Extended Pleasure.

We are big fans of this new band, including the stellar guitar work and percussions on the foot-stomping rocker, “Working Man,” and the undeniably infectious, “Old Joy,” that has to be the closest likeness to 90’s Dinosaur Jr. that we’ve heard in some time, even though the band doesn’t even list Dinosaur Jr. as one of their most influential bands; those are, according to frontman and guitarist Albae Camino, Radiohead, Nirvana, White Stripes, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors.

Christian left the band in June, and was replaced by Tekilla. Arthur sometimes jams with us , but he is now focusing more on his studies. the official lead-guitar is Estevan Gomez.

The other band members in addition to Camino are Christian Avla (drums, percussions); John Manu (bass, vocals); and Arthur Filio (guitars) obviously all share a common love of rock and roll, and they play so well together that we really hope they continue to work hard and grow. Avla left the band in June and has been replaced by Tekilla and Filio has been replaced by Estevan Gomez.

More than likely, they’re going to need to branch out, or even move, from Miami to get much traction since there really is not much of an alternative rock scene there. In a city dominated by dance, Latin-fusion everything and hip hop, it’s going to be hard to get the foot-holding they need as an alternative rock band (which is exactly what they should stay).

We can’t wait to hear what they got next, but in the meantime, get yerself a copy of Extended Pleasure via Bandcamp and help seed yet another promising band.

“Old Joy“analog from Extended Pleasure

“Working Man“analog from Extended Pleasure

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The Lukewarm – Tulsa Oklahoma

The Tulsa DIY indie psych rock band The Lukewarm got into our bloodstream with their minimalistic, atmospheric, stony, post rock-like single, “Gone,” from the band’s self-titled debut EP. This song shows a band that is ready to take it all to the next level. In addition to nearly 10K plays on Soundcloud, the song received hundreds of hearts and dozens of enthusiastic comments from fans.

The five members of the band were friends back in 2010 when they decided to start up a band, unified by their love of music, most especially bands like Radiohead, The Doors, Pink Floyd and The Strokes. The guys were young teenagers (13 and 14) when they started The Lukewarm – named after the Radiohead song, “2+2=5 (The Lukewarm).” During the past five years, it’s obvious they have worked hard to achieve the sound they have been shooting for.

Frontman and bassist Caleb Campbell‘s vocals are truly refreshing; his vocals sound incredibly mature, well-honed, and wonderfully emotive, especially on songs like “Gone,” “Blue Dream,” and “With You.” It’s just more evidence The Lukewarm are one of the promising new bands happening in Tulsa.

The Lukewarm members also include Lars Gardner on keys, Noah Beal on drums and James Connelly on guitar. In fact, Campbell and Gardner learned their respective instruments solely to complete the coalescence of the band. Connelly has done an impressive job on mixing and mastering considering his youthful age.

Consider this: almost every song from their debut has earned more than 8,000 plays on Soundcloud – no small achievement for a band that dropped its debut EP less than a year ago.

“Gone“The Lukewarm from The Lukewarm EP

“Blue Dreams“The Lukewarm from The Lukewarm EP

Having been compared to a darker version of Capital Cities, the Miami duo The Post Age have made an impression with us thanks to their finely produced debut EP, Shapeshifter, released in April. Sweet sounds.

The duo features Jack Addicott and Nick Greene, who met while in graduate school in Miami. Addicott and Greene discovered similar interests in music and began to work on song writing, recording and mixing together.

Combining twirling synths and booming electronic beats with acoustic and electric guitar riffs, the duo’s music comes across as intricate, thoughtful, and is full of crafty hooks, suave melodies and impressive vocal mixes.

Songs like “Fools Gold” and “The Remedy” sound like indie hits every time we play them, and recommended for fans of Florence and the Machine, Broken Bells, Foster The People, The Shins, Muse, Phantogram, The Neighbourhood and MGMT, among others. The Post Age’s biggest influences include The Doors, Phantogram, Ratatat, The Killers, Chromeo, and Spoon.

“Fools Gold“The Post Age from Shapeshifter

“Indie rock is, of course, independent rock music. That is, any unsigned rock. But the term, “indie” has grown to encompass more. It is a sound of its own, and it is very diverse but usually includes stripped down guitar riffs and a focus on song-writing and lyricism. ” – Nick Greene

The Post Age on Facebook

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Bee Caves – Austin, Texas

Reed Calhoun and Sam Kearney first began their music collaboration ten years ago. But it was short-lived experience; the two were kicked out of their rehearsal studio after a week for being ‘too loud’ according to the landlord. Soon afterwards, Kearney joined the popular band Alberta Cross as a guitarist.

But after a few years of in-fighting and the hardships of constant touring, Kearny decided to leave the band. The first person he called was Calhoun. Though the two had previously collaborated for only a short time, the musical bond they formed was strong enough to bring them back together to pick up where they left off, and Calhoun, who also left a turbulent band, settled in Austin and the Bee Caves were formed. We’re so glad the guys got back together.

The pair locked themselves in a room and performed over and over with a freestyle approach, mixing genres including experimental, folk, psychedelic, rock and avant garde. Eventually they produced a handful of terrific songs for their DIY debut EP, Animals With Religion. Standout tracks like the folksy “Running Home To You” and the placid “Black Mason Hills” prove just how important Bee Caves is to the DIY scene.

The EP also features White Denim drummer Josh Block with mixing and mastering by Jim Vollentine (Spoon, Trail of Dead, Alberta Cross, White Denim, Heartless Bastards). Kearny lists the the duo’s musical inspirations to include Nick Drake, The Beatles, Bjork, David Bowie, Radiohead, and My Bloody Valentine.

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The Revies – Los Angeles & Mexico

For a DIY band that plays straight-up American southern-tinged rock, it’s interesting that The Revies have performed most of their gigs over the years in Mexico, while living in the border town of Brownsville, Texas. The band took advantage of the many benefits available to them, including cross-cultural musical influences.

Formed in 2007, two of the band’s members still live in Monterrey, Mexico, which is why they’ve played most of their shows there. Earlier this year, The Revies relocated to Los Angeles and they’re currently working on a new album to be made available in Spanish and English.

Since forming, the band has released four EP’s. Their debut album, Through The Nine, was recorded for free in Austin after the band won a Battle of the Bands competition. The Revies have shared the stage with bands like Molotov and Kinky at the Hellow Festival in Monterrey. Their major musical influences include The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Weezer.

The Revies have a terrific range of musical abilities and interests as this cover of The Beatles’ “Oh Darling” demonstrates.

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Stereo Off – New York City

New York City DIY quintet, Stereo Off, weaves indie rock and electro sounds to create sharp, catchy riff-friendly tracks that straddle the line between experimental guitar rock and dance-friendly synth sounds, as exemplified in their new single – from their upcoming second EP – “Hotel Mirror.”

Comprised of experienced musicians from the band scenes of New York and London, Stereo Off fuses electronic music with classic and alternative 90’s rock. The band was first formed in 2013 by producer, vocalist and keyboardist Sebastian (no last name provided).

He set about recruiting musicians from the two music scenes separated by the ‘big pond. Some of the band members were imported from England to achieve the lineup that Sebastian was looking for. In 2013, with only a couple of singles out, the band started gaining attention and getting booked for gigs at venues like the Knitting Factory and Bowery Electric.

Two tracks from Stereo Off’s five-song, self-titled debut EP, “Photographs” and “Bullet Time,” have been on regular rotation here in the cafe for some time. The band lists among their top musical influences artists such as The Faint, Foals, Friendly Fires, and Justice.

“Photographs“Stereo Off from Stereo Off EP5

“Bullet Time“Stereo Off from Stereo Off EP5

Stereo Off on Facebook

Update : The band just released a pair of new songs, including the awesome 80s-influenced track, “Hotel Mirror”

Danny and Caroline – Bedford Hills, New York

In upstate New York, the husband-wife pop duo Danny and Caroline Golub, from Bedford Hills, have been writing, rehearsing and producing upbeat, cheery pop songs with big hooks since 2011. Danny plays guitar, writes songs and sings, while his wife Caroline plays keys, writes and sings.

Their irresistible new single, “OMG You’re Killing Me,” from the duo’s upcoming debut full-length album, Beauty and the Beard, is set to drop officially on Friday. The album was produced by Wil Farr (Hurrah! A Bolt of Light) who also played bass. Drums were performed by Dan Wintersteen.

Since forming in 2011, the duo have dropped a trio of EPs. The song, “Better Days,” from the EP, Bee’s Kneez EP, was featured in a Coca-Cola commercial promoting the Olympic Games in Sochi. This gave them a nice boost of publicity and legitimacy with a loyal group of fans and followers, mainly from New York State, and particularly in New York City, according to Caroline and Danny.

The duo enjoy experimenting with instruments, writing and recording songs and making ‘fun music videos’. The newest video for “OMG You’re Killing Me” exemplifies the duo’s unique character. They’ve opened for bands like Hurrah! A Bolt of Light, Hee Young, Swear and Shake and include among their top musical influences artists like Ben Folds, Imogen Heap, Kings of Convenience, Broken Social Scene, and Feist.

Artist of the Week – Helsinki Dream Pop Band Scarlet Youth

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The Helsinki, Finland band Scarlet Youth is barely on the North American indie music radar; in fact, it’s almost like they’re flying stealth.

The band members’ raw musical talent, coupled with their otherwise insufficient blogger or media coverage, made Scarlet Youth a good candidate for the Artist of the Week series.

It didn’t hurt that their excellent new album, The Everchanging View, dropped just last week. The full album, and other works by Scarlet Youth, are accessible to listen to near the end of this post.

After starting with the two tracks the band sent in for review, we’ve managed to listen to all of their releases, and that is what really raised them to the standard of an Artist of the Week designation.

Within a minute of listening to one of the album’s singles, “You and Me,” we were enveloped by the band’s well-honed sound and the fantastic mix of shoegaze and dream pop that seems almost effortless. Of course, if you’re a fan of European shoegaze or dream pop, you’re most likely to dig Scarlet Youth’s music, but we can also see how they may appeal to people who  appreciate of all kinds of music.

Having now listened to the band’s full discography, “You and Me” is a good song to start with, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg of what is an extremely talented band that makes enchanting, beautiful music, and at other times, can knock out a great indie rocker.

“You and Me”Scarlet Youth from The Everchanging View – Jan. 11th, 2013

The second single, “What It’s Worth,” is simply a gorgeous synth pop wonder that sails along on layers of dreamy synthesizers, soothing and gentle vocals, romantic acoustic guitar playing, a heavy bass line and mid-tempo drum beat.

Overall, the song conveys a melancholic mood, and adds to the narrative set by the first song of deeply personal music about the trials of love, separation and relationships, a theme that runs throughout The Everchanging View. It’s hazy pop with hushed vocals, lush melodies, impressive song writing and recording, and a sound that is more C-86 than it is indie pop, Scarlet Youth is a band that fits the bill pretty well.

The band started out in 2004 when musicians Markus Baltes and Palle Pyyhtinen got together to experiment. But it wasn’t until 2007 that things took off after the duo decided to recruit three new members to accomplish the bigger, fuller sound they desired. The new additions included Marko Soukka (guitar), Riku H. Mattila (bass) and Jaani Peuhu (drums). Altogether, Scarlet Youth has among its lineup former members of bands like Iconocrash, ShamRain, Kemopetrol and Sidewaytown.

“What It’s Worth”Scarlet Youth from The Everchanging View

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The band’s first release was their 2009 EP, Breaking The Patterns, followed in 2010 by their debut album, Goodbye Doesn’t Mean I’m Gone, released on Homesick Music, a small European indie label, and separately released in Japan.

Listen to one of the top songs – “Catch Me When I Fall” – from the 2010 debut album, as well as a great single release that was not available on either LP or the 2009 EP. We can’t say that we listen to a lot of new shoegaze bands as much as the older favorites, but Scarlet Youth are a post shoegaze heyday band that does great justice to the tradition of what we consider one of the most sacred of alternative and indie music.

“Catch Me When I Fall”Scarlet Youth from Goodbye Doesn’t Mean I’m Gone (2010)

Listen to more Scarlet Youth via Soundcloud or both their albums and one EP via Spotify.

A terrific single the band recorded in 2010, “Note to a Stranger” is not available on Spotify, so we included it below as an MP3 to stream or download (this track will not be considered for the weekly Top 10 though since it’s a 2010 release).

“Note to a Stranger”Scarlet Youth from single, non-album release (2010)

Want a change of pace? Fire up any playlist from popular playlist series like Best New Releases, the DIY-oriented In Dee Mail the self-explanatory Recent Releases We Almost Missed and profiles and songs of great, largely unknown and DIY bands via the 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear profile playlists.