There was something so familiar about this band’s sound. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew that I liked it. Then, after doing some research, I found out that the lead, Richie Follin, is the younger brother to Cults's Madeline Follin. There is a similar poppy vintage sound, perhaps because of the like influences growing up and Richie playing guitar and touring with the Cults, but it is clearly different. Guards stand on their own, in terms of, being a little grittier and more experimental and fresh. They are a three-piece band consisting of Richie Follin, Loren [...]
"On your own, feeling like you don't belong" I tweeted that at some point this weekend because this song has been the one I've been listening to a lot this weekend. It's a lyric that I feel like I can relate to easily, but the encompassing mood was rather fitting this weekend as well. It doesn't hurt that On Your Own is one of the best songs released in 2013. The repeat listening definitely can strip your emotions down to their essential state. For those that have ever dealt with heartbreak, On Your [...]
If you’re looking to shake things up this week with an acoustic track, you might want to seriously consider checking out the Nashville-based singer/songwriter Dillon Hodges of Alabama. Sporting a slight country twang, Hodges’ notable 2012 single “Bullet for a Broken Heart” makes for a good listen – earthy and dramatic, the song bleeds sincerity. However, this post is highlighting “Movin’ On,” an unreleased piece that Hodges performed at a showcase last August in Nashville’s Billy Reid boutique. Standing before a crowd of curious onlookers inside the store, Hodges is accompanied by no more than his six-string and [...]
A Colorado band for your listening pleasure. Fierce Bad Rabbit plays a brand of indie rock that has the slight pop element and could potentially have crossover appeal. YOU! is an older song of theirs, but exemplifies this type of music (and it doesn't hurt that it's my favorite of their songs). It originally came out on their 2012 EP called Live and Learn . Take a listen to it and see if you like it. Fierce Bad Rabbit is Chris Anderson, Alana Rolfe, Dayton Hicks, and Max Barcelow and they are from [...]
The Spring Standards are an indie folk band from Brooklyn, NY. Heard that pitch before? Drop everything you think you know about that genre. I find it hard to describe what their magic formula is, and what makes the record pop out as a whole. This song in particular, from their 2012 EP Yellow/Gold , puts me on a roller-coaster ride through my own head every time I hear it. My theory though, is that, while they take their sonic cues from modern indie rock, the eat-your-heart-out melodies, and immediate songwriting echo an early era-Crosby Stills Nash, Buffalo Springfield, oh [...]
Earlier this year, we featured a new single called “Open Tales” by the Minneapolis-based Bora York. Equipped with sweeping synths and layered vocal harmonies, the song was quick to command the attention of music critics throughout the blogosphere, and now the young group’s debut album is doing the same. Dreaming Free was released on March 22 by Anthem Falls Music, an independent label that Bora York’s founding member Chris Bartels stands at the helm of. Together with his wife Rebekah Bartels and their band mates Charlie Wirth, Brian Seidel, Bjorn Nilsen and Jamie Kauppi, Bora York [...]
Coyotes is the music I've been spending the most time with since my last post (all the way back on March 6th). They are a rock and rolling, Americana band that falls somewhere between Lucero and Robert Earl Keen. I've been entranced with their EP, Good Times Old , for some time now (go buy it on Bandcamp ). It came out on March 6th, in fact, and I fell into a comfort zone with it almost immediately. As a number of personal projects culminated at the same time, I postponed my music discovery [...]
Adrienne and I traded some emails back and forth with our thoughts on where music stands today. It's a little bit of a long read, but we wanted to start sharing our discussion as we hope to continue it and to touch on a number of things as they relate to music and otherwise. Feel to join to tweet your thoughts or post on Facebook. Ian: I’ll start with a question: do we let our beliefs inform our musical selections? I like listening to country. Some will thumb their noses [...]
My first listen to LA’s Bad Suns’ new single “Cardiac Arrest” immediately had me thinking this has “hit” written all over it. The powerful and crystal clear vocals of Chris Bowman push through the breezy riffs laid down by his fellow late teen band members, all leading up to an inescapable hook. This is certainly very radio-friendly and makes us yearn for the yesteryear of alt-rock, giving us a sense of youthful nostalgia that is missing in so many serious attempts at music nowadays. Almost like a modern version of Phantom Planet, which is something we actually really do need [...]
My heart was moved watching a documentary film at The Atlanta Film Festival, "Good Ol’ Freda." Freda Kelly was an early Beatle fan, their fan club creator, and finally a loyal employee and friend. She saw them through their humble beginnings and then their rocket launch to popularity. She devoted every hour to her job and knew each Beatle personally. The film is compelling because she never gave away any of their secrets for 50 years. Her anecdotes and many of her photos have only just been unleashed with this film. Devotion is a powerful love. This film [...]
The Well Pennies are a folksy duo that channels their love of pop music through acoustic instrumentation and well-matched vocal harmonies. Born through what began as random collaborations in Boston’s live music scene, Bryan and Sarah Vanderpool eventually decided to leave their separate projects and join forces, both artistically and as husband and wife. After moving west in 2009 to set up a new base in Los Angeles, the Vanderpools began touring the West Coast circuit and released their debut EP The Well Pennies last year under their new name. The Well Pennies are currently planning [...]
The flicker of the "ON-AIR" light. The smell of the fuzzy microphone cover. Phone calls from listeners in other countries. These are all things I miss about being a radio DJ (at The Lion 90.7 FM !). But one thing I still get to enjoy is the thrill of hunting new, weird songs to share with the world. Gals and gents: Tera Melos is back. The trio's previous album, 20102s Patagonian Rats , has only grown on me since obtaining it after one of their concerts in Baltimore. The band expertly crafts frantic, stuttering time [...]
Sometimes, I just want to be cheery and listen to be-boppy, toe-tapping songs. Dan Croll definitely fills the bill. He is getting some exciting buzz in the states due to his performances at SXSW and his US tour going on right now. A former grueling rugby player from Liverpool, Dan has such a lighthearted sound. I believe his folksy lyrics and his experimenting with some electro sounds gives him the edge that steer him away from mainstream, but he walks a fine line. I have laid down three tracks for your listening pleasure. I began with his latest, [...]
Happy Monday! Or at least it’s about to be after you take a listen to Wall by April Was a Passenger. I was hooked during the first twenty seconds of listening to this song. The slow build in the first 30 seconds had me so intrigued for what was about to happen with the rest of the song. I felt like I was watching a super intense thriller, but in song form. I don’t even like thrillers but if they were ever this great, thriller movie-makers might have a new fan coming their way. [...]
As the ice melts and the sun starts to hang out a bit longer, ambient electronic tunes provide the perfect pre-spring soundtrack. During a drive across the Delmarva peninsula this weekend, I queued up a long-forgotten playlist with some of my favorite head-bobbing beats. I'm glad I did, as I rediscovered my love of Mount Kimbie's "Carbonated," the sixth track off of their debut LP Crooks & Lovers . "Carbonated" starts with intriguing, pulsating static. Kick drums bob-and-weave throughout before flute-like synths start to fill out the space. The song later kicks into full bore with rain sounds [...]
It’s so exciting to see a rock ‘n roll revival in this decade. Each month seems to bring a handful of promising new artists to my attention – and a handful is quite a lot. Today, I’m spotlighting Deap Vally, a female duo with an electric charge that’ll knock your socks off. If you enjoy pure rock ‘n roll – raw and gritty, played fast and hard – Deap Vally could be your new favorite find. Formed in Los Angeles in 2011, Deap Vally’s Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards premiered their debut single “Gonna Make My Own Money” through Ark [...]
Friendly People’s first full length album, Shake , was released in December. It was funded as a Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly nine thousand dollars . Full disclaimer: I am a backer. For some reason, I feel obligated to mention this fact, as if I am a salesman wanting to ensure he has all of his bases covered before he endorses a product. In some ways, it shouldn't feel that way. I had previously written about Friendly People’s debut EP a few years ago, and had seen them play in Annapolis, unknowingly hearing many songs that would appear on this [...]
San Francisco garage rocker Ty Segall has been constantly touring, writing and recording for most of the past few years. His sold out show in Denver on February 12th was the last stop on an extended tour before he and his band headed back to California. Denver’s Thee Dang Dangs and Memphis’ Ex-Cult both put on excellent opening sets. Thee Dang Dangs female lead garage rock was drowned-out, screechy bliss. There was so much reverb on the lead singer’s mic that it was easier to understand the bassist without a mic when the band was talking to [...]
This blog has closely followed the meteoric rise of the Alabama Shakes , and knows all about the revival of soul in the newest generation of indie rockers. So I'd like to introduce a softer act from Brooklyn called The Lone Bellow . Their self titled debut, which came out this January, is full of shimmering guitars and hand-clapping singalongs. I'm personally more drawn to their core acoustic lineup, which you can listen below. There's nothing quite like a call-and-response on acoustic guitar and mandolin. What better way to pine?
Lowline is an alt-rock band that’s been generating a bit of buzz over the past few years both here in the U.S. and across the pond around their Manchester, UK base. They were featured as one of iTunes’ “Single of the Week” bands for their song “Outside” shortly after the release of their debut self-titled album in May 2011, and though they haven’t officially released any new material since, the band teases fans with snippets of new songs every now and again to rejuvenate their base. Earlier this year, Lowline announced they are in the process of recording [...]
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![The Spring Standards - "Wildfire Forest" [Static Image Video]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/0pxb0r6c4sg_130.jpg)
![Wieuca - Low Probability [Official Music Video]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/VHs1vxLDeZM_130.jpg)
“Is Burial actually Four Tet?” hoax resurfaces online
Song : Porcelain Raft : “Think of the Ocean”
The Postal Service – “A Tattered Line of String”
