Mar/100
Indie Music Weekly Picks: Freelance Whales, The Uglysuit
This week we are featuring two bands that are playing at SXSW March 17-21st in Austin, Texas. The first is Freelance Whales, who have been gaining all kinds of momentum lately in the indie music scene. They have a wonderful balance of synth & folk sounds & I have found myself listening to their myspace widget on repeat for hours on end. Check them out on Episode 16 of My Indie Life.
http://www.freelancewhales.com
http://www.myspace.com/freelancewhales
The Uglysuit is funky folk-rock group from Oklahoma City, in which the members have been playing together since their teens. The group is influenced by “happiness bursting out of an apple pie” and it seems that more than anything they want to promote love through their music. They show a passion for what they are doing that is hard to come by, & I am so excited to hear more from them. My favorite song is called “Chicago.” And there’s no surprise as to why.
http://www.myspace.com/theuglysuit
Mar/100
Indie Music Weekly Picks: Ex Norwegian, Rachel Goodrich
This week we went with a little South Florida theme since Rob & Lexi were just there, and are now pining for the warm weather. Both artists encompass two different sounds that invoke visions of Miami Beach, and summertime fun. Check out the episode of My Indie Life.
Ex Norwegian is a rockin’ band from Miami. who have a powerful sound that’s irresistibly poppy & easy to love. They have a range of influences from Procol Harum to Enrique Inglesias to Nirvana. I definitely pick up on a “Kinks” vibe. Definitely diggin’ it.
http://www.myspace.com/exnorwegian
Rachel Goodrich is a cool, quirky lady, also from Miami Beach. She plays a plethora of instruments, including guitar, keys, uke, harmonica, xylophone, banjo, mandolin, spoons, pots, pans, and kazoo….oh, and she sings. I especially enjoy her song called “Light Bulb”.
Her voice, mixed with the instrumentation reminds me of 1940s jazz-country-folk. Very cool.
http://www.myspace.com/rachelgoodrich
Mar/100
Indie Music Weekly Picks: Wild Light, Steel Train
On Episode 14 of My Indie Life, we feature two amazing groups (as always). Check out Wild Light & Steel Train on MIL now!
Wild Light is an eclectic 4-piece from New Hampshire in which 3 members sing. Below are my two favorite songs of theirs, “Heart Attack” and “New Hampshire”. They are reminiscent of The Arcade Fire, which is no surprise since they have been friends of the band for a long time (Wild Light member Timothy Kyle was originally a member of Arcade Fire). They’ve got a great rock sound with a lot of originality and moxie.
http://www.myspace.com/wildlight
Steel Train got their name from a Sublime song (to find out which one, watch episode 14 of MIL), & their latest album is from 2007, called Trampoline. It’s an amazing, funkified rock album that should be appreciated by all walks of life. The lead singer, Jack Antonoff, is like a human strobe light (apparently.) Just take a listen for yourself.
http://www.myspace.com/steeltrain
Feb/100
Indie Music Weekly Picks: Beautiful Small Machines, The Moon & Her Mother
Beautiful Small Machines are an awesome Power Pop / Electronica group who are clearly influenced by the 80’s as well as the future, interestingly enough. They sound like “mandroids on whiskey” so if you’re into that kind of thing, I say give this group a go. The songs I recommend the most are “Robots in Love”, “SuperConductor”, and “Simple Joys” which features Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran!
http://www.myspace.com/beautifulsmallmachines
http://beautifulsmallmachines.com/
The Moon & Her Mother is the interesting moniker of a man named Aaron Wallace – just moved to Chicago, so if you live in the wonderful Windy City, try to make him welcome here. He used to be roomies with Civalias (featured in Episode 3 of MIL) and strangely they both went the alias route – giving themselves awesome false identities with which to go through their musical careers. Wallace’s first album (Self-Titled) is newly released, so what are you waiting for? Get it now!
http://www.myspace.com/themoonandhermother
Authentik Artists | The Moon and Her Mother
Check out both these wonderful artists on My Indie Life, Episode 13!
Feb/105
Indie Music Weekly Picks: Andrew Belle, All Wrong & The Plans Change
Andrew Belle is originally from Chicago, but recently moved to Nashville and joined 10 out of Tenn. He’s got a great folk, acoustic pop sound that can be appreciated by both young and old. His song “I’ll Be Your Breeze” has been featured on shows like 90210 and Ghost Whisperer. He is also a lot of fun live, so I recommend seeing him next time he’s on stage in your area.
http://www.myspace.com/andrewbelle
All Wrong & The Plans Change has the dynamics of Tegan & Sara with the infectious sound of Karen O. & The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They are definitely a group to look out for in the future. I especially love the song “I Get Down”. I’ve been singin’ it all day. Seriously.
myspace.com/allwrongandtheplanschange
http://allwrongandtheplanschange.com/
Check out both of these amazing artists on My Indie Life, Episode 12.
Feb/100
Indie Music Weekly Picks: Elsinore, Blind Pilot
Elsinore is a funky, rockin’ group from Champaign, Illinois. They are 2 parts cool, 1 part quirky, and full to the brim with wonderful hooks. This is something I could easily listen to in the car, working out, or at a party. Check out their stuff on Episode 11 of My Indie Life.
http://www.myspace.com/elsinoremusic
From West Coast bike tours to dominating the Portland folk scene, Blind Pilot has it covered. They recently came out with an itunes sessions EP produced by Tucker Martine, which is definitely worth a listen to. Check out Blind Pilot’s amazing folk sound on Episode 11 of MIL.
http://blindpilotmusic.wordpress.com/
http://www.myspace.com/blindpilot
http://old.thesixtyone.com/BlindPilot/
Feb/100
Indie Music Weekly Picks: Fol Chen, Jeff LeBlanc
Fol Chen: What a quirky crew! Shrouded in mystery, they have played gigs wearing masks and graced album covers hidden in silhouette or drawn in cartoon. Their songs are a hint dark, a hint cheesy – 100% magic and whimsy. Do not pass these guys up – they are something special to hear. Check ‘em out on Episode 10 of My Indie Life.
http://www.myspace.com/folchen
http://www.youtube.com/AsthmaticKitty
This is what pop-rock should sound like. Jeff LeBlanc does it right, as I would expect something like this to be on the radio – and to be way better than the stuff that’s there. I love this. There’s a hint of John Mayer & Dave Barnes in everything, but he still maintains his own identity. Not only is LeBlanc just the nicest guy, but he is actually a legit talent, which is hard to come by these days (what with auto-tune and all). Check him out on MIL: Episode 10.
http://old.thesixtyone.com/jeffleblanc/
http://www.myspace.com/jeffleblancmusic
Jan/100
Indie Music Weekly Picks: David Dunn, Lemon Sun
David Dunn, (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!) he’s so dreamy!
Talk about an artist with a lot of soul! This guy really believes in what he’s singing about with his whole heart, and it comes across in every song. He reminds me of a cross between Michael Buble & The Script. Just keep making great music, buddy, and I promise I will keep coming back for more. Check out David on Episode 9 of MIL.
http://www.myspace.com/daviddunn
http://old.thesixtyone.com/davidtimdunn/
Lemon Sun is a bluesy, rock band with an album out now called “Run with the Faithless”: named one of the best of 2009 by Indie Rock Cafe. What really hooked me to begin with was the song, “Congratulate Our Thievery” which is powerful anthem with intriguing vocals. They are influenced by LOVE, LAUGHTER, DISASTER, PEOPLE, CHANGE according to their myspace profile, and we just cannot wait to hear more! Here is Lemon Sun on MIL Episode 9.
http://www.myspace.com/lemonsun
Check out their cool blog about things happening in the world, music, food, etc.: http://lemonsun.blogspot.com/
Jan/100
Indie Music Weekly Picks: Pete Kilpatrick Band, Good Night States
These Portland, Maine guys are rockin’. They have basically been dominating the local scene for years and are now ready for more national attention. Their acoustic-pop is ear-pleasing, as the melodies are catchy, and you will be singing along to these songs in no time! Check out the band featured on Episode 8 of My Indie Life.
http://www.myspace.com/petekilpatrick
http://www.petekilpatrickband.com/
Good Night, States is an indie 5-piece from PA, and their music reminds me a lot of Wilco. When I first heard “Arsonist’s Blues” I was entranced by the raspy, soulful vocals and other-worldly harmonies. There is something very familiar (you feel as though you’ve been acquainted before) yet unique about them (you can’t quite put your finger on it), and that’s what makes them so good. Check them out on MIL: Episode 8.
http://www.myspace.com/goodnightstates
http://old.thesixtyone.com/goodnightstates/
Jan/100
Indie Music Weekly Picks: We Swim You Jump, Still Time
We Swim You Jump, featured on Episode 7 of My Indie Life:
http://www.myspace.com/weswimyoujump
old.thesixtyone.com/weswimyoujump/
From far across the sea, We Swim You Jump brings to the table awesome acoustic melodies as well as punk-y vocals. Listen closely for the cute Groningen accents! Check out We Swim You Jump on Episode 7 of My Indie Life.
Still Time, Featured on Episode 7 of My Indie Life:
http://www.myspace.com/stilltimeband
Still Time is an amazing groove rock band with a wide array of crazy instruments ever-present. They are reminiscent of Ben Harper, Van Morrison and Dave Matthews Band, OAR and Dispatch. Check them out on Episode 7 of My Indie Life!
