Here’s some fun indie rock to get your work week started on a smooth pace. California Wives ”Marianne” has a smooth rocking sound that reminds me of The Cure but I love the drums which direct the vibe of this indie rock song.
Shouts to Indie Shuffle on the find.
Saint Motel is pleased to announce the release of their debut full-length, Voyeur, due out July 10. In celebration of the release, the band is dropping their latest single, “1997,” for free download. The shimmering track showcases the band’s unique perspective. It’s a playfully-sadistic anecdote about a group of friends sensing the world will end in 1997. The track is an enjoyable composite of sounds, blending together tuneful keyboard strokes and the twang of the guitar with the horn-section and singer A/J Jackson’s soft vocal delivery.
Listen and download “1997″ below.
The band will embark on a national headlining tour kicking off on July 12th at San Francisco’s Pop Scene. Additionally, they will be hosting a hometown record release show in Los Angeles at the El Rey Theatre on Saturday, July 14th. Below I’ve listed the rest of their tour dates. (more…)
Despite encountering some of the worst case scenarios, Canada’s The Rest can finally say they are releasing their sophomore record, Seesaw. Their music video for “Always On My Mind” was filmed just this past April in one continuous take with the help of 30 people and a couple furries. The track and video give a perfect first impression of The Rest: the video displays their big family style and the track’s methodic distortion is a running theme throughout the record.
“Always On My Mind” was stuck in my head immediately and their similarities to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah give their songs a comforting familiarity.
The Rest reveal a new track every week until the release of Seesaw on June 19 and offer each track download for 7 days. Stream and download below!
Watch the “Always On My Mind” video with a live choir and animals below. (more…)
I’m really excited to let you know that Jhameel has just released the title track from his new music series Are You Free. Are You Free will be released in the same groundbreaking manner as Waves (one new single per week for five weeks), while taking his indie-pop sound in a more mature and anthemic direction.
“Are You Free” is an atomic release of fiery emotions, thrown over a distorted, groovy beat. Bolstered by Jhameel‘s sweeping pop-infused vocals, the track hits hard musically and lyrically. Listen and download “Are You Free” below.
Previous: Jhameel – White Lie (Video)
Greenhorse‘s performance at the Satellite was more than just a typical opening band on a Friday night. Sharing their home state with popular headliners Gauntlet Hair (its Wyoming), Greenhorse also recognized how monumental this moment really is: “It’s kind of exciting because when we first moved to L.A, we came to Spaceland and we were like, ‘I hope we get to play here someday.”
The trio played to a dark room, each member merely lit by their own spotlight, which caters well to their industrial style. Their eruption of sound is breathtaking, especially given that the only actual abrasive instrument they involve are Joel’s array of drums. Greenhorse started things off with their familiar track, “White Dust,” which can only be compared to the THX introduction at the movie theater to offer any sort of accurate description. Their sound is characterized by the abundance of layers, which their recordings hardly do justice for when juxtaposed with their live performance. “Breathing Machine” provided insight into just how much each band member is doing at any given time – while Chris is busy with his set of synths and vocals, Shawn multitasks between a drum machine and fingerpicking keys, and Joel hits his various drums so hard I still can’t believe the skins didn’t split!
Despite the heaviness of their genre-straddling tracks, these guys are quite upbeat and entertaining characters. They didn’t let their shy crowd deter them from cracking jokes or good-natured banter: when describing their fifth song, “Unbroken,” Shawn and Chris admitted the short list of ears that had heard it including “my grandma, I did share it with her.” This is especially entertaining when one imagines a grandmother handling the hard snare hits and combination of a sweet two-bit breakdown with bass-driven instrumentals that are so vigorous the vocals are plainly inaudible. This, however, had nothing on “Hidden Love,” where the audience was treated with Joel’s insanely buff (and shirtless) body at the head of the stage with a floor tom around his neck. Sure, the hollowness of the floor tom pairs well with the champagne cymbals and all-around lightness of the song, but the shadows of the spotlights make the song ironically haunting.
Greenhorse is a pleasant and much welcomed surprise that ended abruptly with a horn-driven orchestral outro. They blow your mind for just long enough to leave you dazed yet refreshed.
Listen to my favorite Greenhorse song, “Happiness” below. (more…)
I recently came across a fantastic LA based band called Superhumanoids. These guys do a great job of creating unique tunes blending indie rock, dream pop, and electronic sounds that are relaxing and even give the listener a touch of nostalgia. I was obviously stoked to see they’re currently touring with another awesome LA band, Active Child. View the rest of the tour schedule here.
Right now I’m really digging the track “Geri” off their upcoming LP, Exhibitionists. Listen and download that plus their most recent track, “Too Young For Love”.
I also love their music video “Mikelah”, which you should view below. (more…)
In a word, Los Angeles’ The Mowgli‘s are happy. The excitement of finally releasing their debut album, Sound The Drum, was palatable as the big 8-piece hid behind a curtain for their mic checks. The crowd that follows The Mowgli’s is quite a diverse one, not so surprising given their demeanor – filling The Roxy with old and young, long skirts, short shorts and even studded belts. Turns out love & happiness aren’t just reserved for flower power!
The benefits of releasing an album before throwing the party are that the audience already owns, loves and knows every word so this crowd didn’t miss a beat once the curtain rose! The Mowgli’s started things off with “Hi Hey There Hello,” the first track on Sound The Drum. Their set followed the album consecutively, giving a great feel for the flow of things and testing the band’s stamina – their slower songs are few and far between which makes for a great party…and a lot of sweat!
The Sunset Strip’s legendary Roxy Theater proved to be a great host, appropriately presenting and catering to The Mowgli’s big sound. Granted, the best environment to enjoy them is probably your back yard where you have plenty room to dance and be merry. This must be the most amiable group of people, happily talking with the crowd between songs, inviting friends to the stage and Colin Dieden was even nice enough to lend his special necklace to a fan. A defining characteristic of their live performance, aside from constantly moving about, is their sense of brotherhood and togetherness. They sing, they shout, they dance all together – sharing microphones and the spotlight. Even during a solo song like “Time,” a song guitarist Michael Vincze sings with an acoustic guitar, has a sense of camaraderie as his fellow mates offer back up vocals and instrumental support. “Slowly, Slowly” featured a peak in the all-around energy of the room as the band demonstrated that they practice what they preach through shouts, smiles and love for everyone in the room. The song’s excitable instrumental breakdown offered everyone time to get sucked into the moment and release their free spirits. The same went for well-known single, “San Francisco,” featuring more exhilarating shouts and waving hands than the recording implies. Before performing “The Great Divide,” Michael announced, “this song is about how you can make every day the greatest day of your life, it’s the first song we ever wrote.” Producer, Christian Hand joined his friends on stage for some vocal assistance as Katie Earl finished the song with band member introductions to the crowd.
The Mowgli’s define an important lesson that fellow Angelino’s need to learn – it’s time to let go and just live! As they shout in “Carry Your Will,” “Let your faith guide your fate / If you carry your will I will carry my will.” Filling the percussion driven dance party void that The Local Natives have left, The Mowgli’s are a guaranteed good time, even the most bitter moods can be salvaged with a dose of a Mowgli’s track.
Grab Sound The Drum off of their Bandcamp at a price you name for yourself. I suggest giving it a good listen below to determine how worth it the album is! (more…)
Can anybody tell me what commercial they’ve heard this song in? When I heard the beginning guitar riff, I swear I’ve heard this on some slick alcohol commercial. I love the instrumentals, the vocals can be a bit annoying but this is a fun alternative punk song off Shadows On Stars self-titled debut album (Free Download) which is a must-listen project!
Watch the video to “Out Of My Head” below. (more…)
Two new trippy songs from Animal Collective. One of the brother’s from a person in this band went to school with me, I wish I talked to that dude more.
For the alternative music fans, do you like these two songs above or Passion Pit‘s “Talk A Walk” more? Respond in the comments below.
New song from Passion Pit! This is the 1st track off their album, Gossamer, dropping July 24th. The track will be available for download on iTunes May 8.
Read below for upcoming tour dates from Passion Pit. (more…)
Loading ...
