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Posts tagged indie

Down to Earth – Prisms

Feb26
2011 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

French trio Down to Earth (absolutely nothing to do with Justin Bieber) lives up to their moniker on their latest album and second full-length, “Prisms”. Lead vocalist Niko Aigrot intentionally had each song connected whether through the conceptual lyrics or mood. Immediately one thinks of Engine Down as a comparison. The sound is very DIY as the mastering job by Bob Weston (Jawbox, Nirvana, Shellac among some notables) is intricate and plays true to the fact that the band wanted to accomplish a live sound while still seeming polished – in fact the group recorded the album in a countryside studio near La Rochelle with Sylvain Biguet. “Prisms” is ambitious but unfaltering and never-missing. My favorite tune is a chilled laid back groove called “Versus” that builds and builds to the epic denouement. Stirring to say the least.

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Fox in the Henhouse – Fox in the Henhouse

Feb26
2011 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

Wakefield’s singer Ryan Escolopio decided to forge his own record label with the idea of being all-digital. He also set about creating his own band and looked to friends like Wakefield’s guitarist JD Tennyson, Ryan’s brother Aaron (ex-Good Charlotte) on drums, and Wakefield’s bassist Mike Schoolden. So I’m sure you’re thinking, “Uh isn’t this just Wakefield with a different name and label”. Well not to disappoint you but no. The band is more catchy and writes creative tracks of the alternative rock slant with an indie feel. The label, iBOT now boasts Rookie of the Year, Wakefield, Fox in the Henhouse, and Joy Island on their roster so there’s no doubt that there will be a lot of interest from fans. Baring a colossal business failure, I imagine it to be a success. Fox in the Henhouse’s self-titled debut should also shine when more listeners have heard it. Originally released in the fall of 2010, they have been gaining momentum as the calendar flipped pages. Good tunes that won’t disappoint and leave you with a sense of what a truly dynamic indie rock band can be capable of.

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O Paradis – Pequenas Canciones de Amor

May23
2010 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

Cascading loops with dark soundscapes and Latin-influences and velvety melodies, “Pequenas Canciones de Amor” reminds me of something off of Acuarela Discos out of Spain. Inflected indie rock noodles throughout this stirring experimental album. Exploring a variety of styles, O Paradis deploys a king’s ransom worth of diverse instrumentation. But the one all encompassing common denominator is heady vocals and a knack for crafty a finely tuned song. There’s seventeen tracks here that bridge the gap between Euro-pop, indie-pop, electronica, experimental, and abstract. I love it. Thank you Tourette Records!

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Young Livers – Of Misery and Toil

May11
2010 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

Young Livers evokes post-hardcore gritty dank guitars that drop bombs similar to seminal outfit Drive Like Jehu. “Of Misery and Toil” burns no bridges as they embark upon a steady diet of breakdowns, odd song structures, and tinkering with what we’ve all come to expect from post-indie rock outfits. Mid-range rhythms with some blasts of devastation that are few and far between remind me of a Far that doesn’t deploy a melodic singer (think Hot Water Music) and nods firmly in the direction of punk rock. Each song evokes an immediate attention span quadrant that scans the horizon looking for something better but comes up empty. I swear they are a few decades removed from the DC hardcore scene.

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Get Laid – Pretty Weathered

Jan24
2010 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

Lesson 1 for those of you in unsigned bands hoping to get review coverage and notice in the music industry – first impressions are key. And no I’m not just talking about the fact that the first 30 seconds of your first song should be killer (that’s a no brainer folks) but it’s the little things, like the look-n-feel of your packaging. Some bands subscribe to the notion that they should put airplane size bottles of booze in there (awesome and much appreciated, keep ‘em coming!), others have cute 8×10 press cuts (yawn, please no more brick wall photos, thanks!), and then the inventive take it from the very first look – what and how you pack your music that’s sent via the mail. Get Laid nailed it – excuse the pun. Not only did they use Simpsons stamps, which is universally noted as ‘awesome’ but they put their vinyl in a decorated package. Going that extra mile means the world and shows that you really REALLY want folks to open it up to see what surprises lay inside. “Pretty Weathered” is a female-fronted proto-punk, spazz, and crusty indie rock outfit that deploys intriguing stop-and-go guitar chugs while firmly nodding to their hardcore brethren. “Decca A.D.” is oddly a B-side but could be their lead track. Easily mistaken for D.C. era post-hardcore and dare I say, emocore, Get Laid is one up-and-comer that everyone worth their salt in the music biz and Regular Joes who just want to be in the know for the next best band. Love it.

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Untied States – Instant Everything, Constant Nothing

Jan04
2010 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

Indie rock that’s busy bridging gaps and forging in the forest of dissonance and chaos, “Instant Everything” by Untied States (that’s not a typo English majors, thanks) is a whirlwind and cacophony of noise, both spazzy and delightful. Post-punk noise nuance is a great way to describe this Atlanta-based five-piece. Experimental jam sessions gone awry and hectic, lunging from unexpected to predictable seemingly in the same stanza of prose. I hear a lot of yesteryear Sonic Youth influences minus Kim Gordon but plus David Yow of the Jesus Lizard. Loud and abrasive guitar-centric noise machines Untied States write raw and authentic college rock anthems that are sometimes hard to follow but always pleasing to the appreciative ear.

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Jon Troast – Living Room

Jan03
2010 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

Jon Troast - Living Room

These are the endearing stories that makes being a music reviewer that much more rewarding. Jon Troast is a paycheck-to-paycheck musician who recently completed a 100 Concerts in 100 Days tour, performing in gracious people’s living rooms. The album is a melting pot of Americana, pop-rock, folk, and indie singer/songwriter fare. Blessed with earnest lyrics with working-collar melodies, Jon Troast’s “Living Room” is a testament that struggling musicians can get by if they try hard enough, self-promote the right way, and frankly get out there and perform in front of people. Oh did I mention he doesn’t plan on charging for his shows in 2010, but just will rely on album sales alone to get by? So what are you waiting for? Help a man out and be rewarded with gift of strong songwriting and the wordplay of a true traveling minstrel.

Watch a video of Jon playing at a barn:

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Keira Is You – Nothing Else Will Happen

Jan02
2010 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

Keira is You - Nothing Else Will Happen

Polish emo? You bet, and Keira Is You is in the vein of true emo, ala The Appleseed Cast, Engine Down, and perhaps even a little Sunny Day Real Estate. “Nothing Else Will Happen” casts its net far and wide with powerfully experimental nuances like children’s choirs, elements of New Wave, cello, and synthesizers. Indie rock should be a little challenging, now shouldn’t it?

Watch this video for “Madness”:

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The Honest Mistakes – Break Up

Jan01
2010 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

The Honest Mistakes – Break Up


You know an album entitled “Break Up” just is going to be wretchedly raw, seething with exposed emotions, and crybaby lyrics about what could have been, revisiting past decisions time and again. Well it’s that, sort of, but not really. And after all, a band that features members who originally met in a band entitled CheapPaperbackRomance surely knows what it means to be ironic romantic self-doubting lovers. The band to no surprise given their name didn’t survive, however Chris and Joylene continued to play together from 2000 to 2004 under the name The Chris and Joylene Show. The group leans on the pop sensibilities of punk and indie rock but utilizes witty lyrics and strongly tasteful melodies to not sound like a big ole cliché. Do they succeed? Absolutely. Ironic lyrics coalesce with dynamic pop that pulls at heartstrings (but not too much damn it), hoping to add themselves as a strong entry in Baltimore’s underground indie pop scene. I hear a whole slew of influences which the band readily admits – Teenage Fanclub and Fountains of Wayne. The Beechfields Record Label, yet again, has another solid winner on their hands. With the release set to launch of the 5th of January, can you think of a better way to usher in the New Year? I know my New Year’s resolution of listening to more awesome underground indie pop is already off to a great start with the “Break Up”.

Launch The Beechfields Records MP3 Player to preview and listen to all their awesome successes!

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Lakehurst is Burning – Lakehurst is Burning

Jan01
2010 Leave a Comment Written by J-Sin

Atlanta may not be best known as a haven for post-hardcore outfits, but perhaps with the self-titled EP by Lakehurst is Burning from one of my personal favorite indie labels, Reason Y Records, that could all change in a blink of an eye. Angular guitars combine with splendid melodies that brine together the best offerings of DC post-hardcore/indie rock ala Fugazi and the smart emocore (you know, what REAL emo is/was?) that so many rock musicians these days seem to have sadly forsaken for the ridiculousness of screamo and bland noise rock. The Paper Champions unfortunately fell apart after six great years in 2008, but Lakehurst is Burning, which features three out of four members of that super group, formed in its wake shortly thereafter. If you don’t know – and few that consider themselves “in the know” wouldn’t, The Paper Champions were gifted with plenty of success ranging from a prized inclusion on Deep Elm Records’ widely acclaimed “Emo Diaries” compilation series and also their “Ask Emma” was featured on MTV’s coveted Road Rules soundtrack – their ’04 debut full-length “Weekend of Compromise” being one of the early success of the aforementioned Atlanta imprint Reason Y, but it was their 4-song EP, “End. Transmission” that was their most critically acclaimed album. Sadly that band is no more, but if this self-titled debut EP shows us anything, it’s that the creative juices and intelligent songwriting that went into each passionate cut that The Paper Champions penned hasn’t been lost and indeed seems to have been fostered into something new being just as propulsive and essential. How’d they get this interesting moniker you ask? Well the band name is a reference to an air force base in Lakehurst, New Jersey where brother Jason (vocals/guitar) and Brad Neubert (drums)’s great-grandfater manned the tethers for the doomed Hindenburg zeppelin that tragically burst into flames killing 36 people. Despite the bleak band moniker, the album is a refreshing and captivating adventure of post-hardcore indie rock with gritty song structures of intriguingly paced time signatures and mature yet dark lyrics. Fascinating album that seemingly offers something new and exciting with each listen.

Buy Entire Album on MP3 on Amazon | Listen to “Captain, This is Crazy” [Free MP3 Download]

Watch a Live Video from their CD Release Party:

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