indiessance

Rue Royale

2011-10-01T05:17:00.002-05:00

Groningen House Show (Ham Radio Communications)

photo by: Roland Kok

[indiessance]
the first Rue Royale song I ever listened to was the eponymous Guide to an Escape, which is clearly a grower—I like it more and more with each replay. and the background echo loop, which at first almost seemed out of place, instead merged into the mix like an essential ingredient—through out the song it carries a subtle sense of urgency. an escape. while the rich haunting piano chords then became a backbone of apprehension. Guide reaches deep.

I thought about how you both covered tens of thousands of miles touring Europe, and how you must depend on one another. also, in a sense I suppose, touring itself can be considered as an escape, as a songwriting duo pursues a creative dream. with that in mind, do you each serve as a guide to the other in a sense? but that question comes from a new fan's impression. could you please describe to me the real meaning of Guide to an Escape, how the inspiration for the song came about, and really, what it means to your hearts, because it sounds like a song that poured out of a heart.

[brookln]
Guide to an Escape (the song) is about stealing away from the journey we so often otherwise sing about. The journey to do the right thing, find peace or truth if it exists, reconcile the way we were raised with the way we now see the world, etc.. I am consumed by insecurity and questioning and am not one to settle easily. To the degree that it's exhausting, difficult and gets in the way of finding the peace I so desire. Guide to an Escape was written in a season where the fatigue was winning, peace was far and I was longing to not care about any of this journey but to rest.

[ruth]
In response to your comment about us touring so many miles and serving as each others guide: I feel like touring is an emotional journey full of highs and lows and with a lot of stressful and stretching times. We rely on each other for support constantly and yes in some ways guiding each other through great times and hard times as one can often be in a very different place to the other and needing a voice of reason and balance in the midst of this. Brookln is definitely the driving, visionary force for the band and I tend to rely on him for this as I can be a very slow mover who dwells on things for far too long.

[indiessance]
I liked the music video you did with Amsterdam Acoustics; how the neighborhood background activity blended with your performance of the song Blame, which can also be found on your latest LP, Guide to an Escape.

in one of your press releases, I found the statement: It’s all about the journey, not the destination. There the duo was in the Netherlands, next you were in Germany. how has touring, which has taken you all over the world, helped you advance as musicians, and also as people? what have become your favorite places to perform? can you talk more about this musical journey, which has taken place on both sides of the pond?

[brookln]
Touring has changed so much about us. Everything from our vocabulary and our taste buds to our preference of music have been informed by all of this globe trotting. Musically we've been inspired by the rooms we've played in, the weather and geography we've driven through and picnic-ed in and the bands we've met and listened to along the way.

[ruth]
I feel we have had our eyes opened wide and our minds too as we have travelled so much and met so many people with such different stories and history. This has been life changing in the most extreme way and to be honest I feel we are still processing these past few years.. it will take a while to get through all we have experienced.. maybe even our whole lives! We love performing in many places and in many different venues. We love house concerts still but also enjoy playing the festivals. Wherever it is we really appreciate being with people who take the time to listen to our music and support us on this journey. We have met many musicians too who have also played a part in our story, with inspiring tales of touring and with their own musical journeys. There seems to be a sense of community with some of these musicians and people and this plays a huge part in our story as they provide us with support and friendship on the road..

[indiessance]
thank you very much for sharing your thoughts, and may you be blessed over and over—over the road.

Rue Royale music links:
vid: Blame (live in Amsterdam)

Guide to an Escape by Rue Royale
Blame by Rue Royale

CLAPS

2009-11-28T20:49:00.008-06:00

[indiessance]
The new CLAPS EP is slated for January; this will be your first release through the Guilt Ridden Pop label. I have been listening to the A-side track Fold – which carries on the minimal wave, electronic music movement. You must be excited about the new synthpop track – what kind of response have you been getting from fans? And could you give us some background on Fold? Also, could you tell us more about the whole EP? You informed me that additional mixes will be included for fans like me – more bang for our bucks. :)

[Jed]
We've been sitting on a lot of our songs and are excited to finally have them recorded. We've gotten a pretty good response, most people seem pretty excited about it.

[Patrick]
Fold was one of the first songs we wrote, its changed a lot over the last six months and I'm happy to see where it finally ended up. It was one of the songs we always had liked and had fun playing but we never felt it was where it was meant to be. When we were recording it, it finally came together and clicked. The EP is called New Science. It has three tracks, Fold, Fireworks and Gruzzles. We think all three have their own characteristics that represent us, to some extent. We also are including a couple of remixes. At this point, we are still working out them out, but we have a couple of talented people who have said they are interested.

[Sara]
It's also cool that a lot of fans are people who really don't listen to this type of music, and some fans are like major minimal synth lovers. We get compared to a large kinda weird variety of bands because of this..

[indiessance]
I just learned about Veronica Vasicka, the founder of the Minimal Wave label, and the work she has been doing for the genre since she started the label in 2005. Being based in New York, I imagine she cultivates some interest in order to draw more fans. Are there any radio stations, record stores, fan clubs, etc. in the band's home city of Minneapolis that are devoted to, or supportive of, minimal wave? How did you get involved with the genre? Did you basically get hooked on New Order and such, to then take that enthusiasm a step further – because just being a fan was not enough? :)

[Jed]
In Minneapolis, there isn't a direct club or store for minimal wave. There are only a handful of people who are interested in the genre, that we know of. I guess, our band got into the genre with more popular bands like New Order, early Depeche Mode, early OMD, and John Foxx. From there, I don't know, speaking for myself, I got into more obscure minimal synth stuff. I found the minimal synth site and I listen to a lot of the bands on there and from other sources.

[Sara]
I probably got hooked on synth pop from living with you two...

[Patrick]
We do have more influences beyond that, but minimal synth is a huge one. In a lot of ways, growing up we were into punk music to an extent, which years ago lead me to post-punk music and I suppose I've always seen synth music as a sibling of post-punk.

[Jed]
People can say its happier stuff, but its still inspired by the same ideas and still comes from punk rock.

[indiessance]
On your MySpace profile, you cite Joy Division/New Order as a musical influence. The hit Love Will Tear Us Apart makes it evident that punk rock influenced and energized the post-punk genre. Along with the jangly guitar and punkish drums, the listener can hear the texture of the emergence of synthpop. Can you talk about bands that have helped shape CLAPS' sound? I also see OMD, John Foxx and Suicide on the list. Can you talk about your favorite songs and/or band members of your musical influences – who else might you add to that list? What other people in the scene have been a help – any particular producers, etc.?

[Jed]
For me, I pull a lot of influence form obscure minimal synth bands. Most I've found online. That and synth music from the late 70's until 1983. Other than that, I've listened to punk rock since I was kid. And well, maybe some video game stuff, like Megaman.

[Sara]
If I'm thinking about anything when writing its probably OMD and newer stuff like Grizzly Bear, Lil Wayne and Beach House. Its a mix of older and newer stuff.

[Patrick]
I got really into pop music in the last year. The CD player in my car broke and half of the time all I have is mainstream radio. I'd love to say that doesn't really influence me. But it made me rethink a lot of what I was writing. It made me appreciate hooks. So much pop music today is not focused and not very substantive, where good pop has some merit to it. I love songs that stick with you for more than one reason. More than just a concept or a catchy line, but some instrumentally or something more than that sticks in your head. I can't necessarily name that thing...it's hard to explain. But on top of that, I love synth pop and post punk music.

[Jed]
When we were looking for someone to record with we decided to work with Ryan Olcott. He's produced some other electronic acts and has done other electronic music himself. Working with him has been really helpful in directing our sound and has been a good asset for bouncing ideas off of. That and Guilt Ridden Pop has been good for us.

CLAPS Links:
Myspace
Facebook
Guilt Ridden Pop
Fold on YouTube

Eleonora Cutaia

2009-08-01T06:42:00.014-05:00

Eleonora Cutaia founded AheadPR - a digital music promotion service.

[indiessance]
In a djsounds.com interview, you talked about how you keep your ears open for artists who do not necessarily fit into a specific genre, and are not afraid to experiment with new sounds. Considering how dynamic the many subgenres of electronic music have been, how does your business philosophy reflect the dynamic nature of digital music?

[eleonora cutaia]
At AheadPR indeed we receive the most diverse submissions and it is important to be 'objective' when evaluating the products. Even if I have a personal taste in music, thankfully I am able to go beyond the taste or genre factor, and rate music for the way it's produced, and for the potential it can have with the media and public.

[indiessance]
As it is essential for AheadPR to remain on top of current music trends, what are a few of the main media sources that you have come to rely upon in order to keep informed? What are other ways that you keep informed?

[eleonora cutaia]
When it comes to new music trends, I do not make it an obsession but I definitely try to allow myself to be exposed to different channels and outlets. Most of the times it's the music that finds me!

AheadPR helps a great deal as it allows me to regularly discover some extremely talented artists via the site submissions.

Running the label is another great asset as again, some great artists come to me through recommendation or word of mouth.

There is just so much music out there that it's literally impossible not to miss out. I guess this is one of the reasons why AheadPR is becoming increasingly popular: journalists and DJs can be a bit more lazy and rely on a trusted source to filter up quality content for them!

[indiessance]
Recording artists have emailed me MP3s that they produced with home recording equipment. They have their own web pages, blogs, MySpace profiles, etc. But few artists get the kind exposure that would take their sound to the next level. How can AheadPR help such independent recording artists and labels?

[eleonora cutaia]
The most important thing is the music to be produced to good standards. These days thanks to some great software, it has become so easy to reach professional standards even from the comfort of your home. You are right saying there are tons of artists who are trying to do everything themselves, but only a few ones get solid exposure.

With so much choice out there it is becoming even more difficult, so it definitely requires some budget to actually make some waves.

I am happy to have created AheadPR with these types of artists in mind, and it's great seeing the difference the campaigns make to them.

From magazine reviews, international radio airplay, licensing to labels, bookings: I have seen it all happen and I really do share in the artists' achievement.

I have seen some of my American clients coming to the UK for gigs, and they were over the moon, thinking it would have never happened so fast. It is unbelievable what an email to the right person can do!

kgmr

2009-04-23T15:21:00.001-05:00

k, singer/songwriter for her band kgmr, gives us some background on her latest project This Happened.

This Happened is something of a variety show. Songs were written by Bob, David, or myself, or we co-wrote songs. Jon Mendez is playing drums to our guitars and Rhodes piano. It is also something of a clearinghouse of songs that were on the recorder that didn't fit the themes of Migrate to Carnivora or the Half Ass Family Band's self-titled album. There are instrumental songs and songs with words, songs with samples of other random things like tapes of vintage film strip narration, heavy guitars and noise sometimes and sometimes a very clean sparse sound. It just kind of happened and was big fun in the making.

Mall Song started out as a song with words, and it was very catchy to jump around to. I decided the words got in the way of that and took them out. But the lyrics were about hating the mall, essentially, and had lines like
they like the lipstick Ripe Cherry Pinprick.

[indiessance]
According to Wikipedia, slowcore is a subgenre of "alternative rock that developed from the downbeat melodies and slower tempos of late 1980s indie rock." The subgenre can also be referred to as sadcore, which is known particularly for songs with melancholy lyrics that are based on minor keys. In a review of the album Long Division by the band Low, the reviewer referred to slowcore music when stating that each sound reminds you of the silence it replaces. For example, that statement could refer to the extra space between notes in the melody, which could also be a function of the tempo, I suppose.

Your album Migrate to Carnivora could be categorized as slowcore music by the presence of negative sonic space. As a classically trained pianist, you have gained a composer's sense of sonic space. Considering how musically dense classical music compositions can become, did you go through a process of musical deconstruction for the development of kgmr's minimalized compositions? What steps led to the development of your current sound?

[kgmr]
When I was a young kid I wrote soundtracks for imaginary horror movies on my portable Magnus organ and Casio keyboard. I was into minor keys and dissonance even then. I also had a lot of strict, intense Classical training. More recently, in the late nineties, I acquired a Fender Rhodes piano. It basically presented itself to me, and I had no idea what I was going to do with it. The Rhodes, because it's a mechanical instrument, naturally deconstructed things. Playing the Rhodes opened up a whole new sound and new techniques, which I explored on my previous album, instant confidante. That album is mostly instrumental, except for two songs, creepy and strange and monsters and robots. Those were the first two songs I ever sang in my life, and Migrate to Carnivora evolved out of those songs, basically. Because of the lyrical content and singing on this album, I wanted it to sound washed out, spaced out, and somewhat surreal. So this album is not nearly as minimalist as instant confidante.

In terms of the idea of sonic space, for me, a single chord can go a long way. I tend to play chords that I have to later figure out what kind of chords they are, because they're not your straight up C or G chord. Although I do play simple chords too. But the more muddy chords can sound very dense and complex, which makes their sound go a long way and forces space to follow. Just like in a conversation, if you're not saying much, you can babble on indefinitely, but if you really have something to say, something that's going to hang there, it takes sonic space.

[indiessance]
Slowcore is well represented by bands such as Low, Codeine and Red House Painters. Are there any particular slowcore artists who may have influenced your sound? Are there any such bands that you like?

[kgmr]
Oh no! I have to admit now that I've never listened to any of those bands. I probably need to now, right? Lyrically I've been influenced by Ed Vedder. Getting back to chord structure and space in the melody, Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk have been influential. I can't think of any particular rock bands that I've been influenced by. Some things in rotation at my house these days are Mum, Deerhoof, Cleo Brown, Trans Am, The Sea and Cake, and one of my all-time favorite albums called, Moorish Music of Mauritania.

[indiessance]
Has any particular classical music influenced your sound? Who is your favorite classical period composer?

[kgmr]
I like the 20th century composers, particularly Bartok, Satie, Debussy. I would say a lot of Chopin[mp3: Prelude No.4] is Classical sadcore! He wrote a lot of his music while he was sick, and that definitely comes through in his sound.

[indiessance]
The musical style of Migrate to Carnivora could also be categorized as minimalist - a category that can extend beyond music, to art in general. Current minimalist music clearly breaks down the complexity of today's popular music by default. Did you decide to develop a minimalist style of composition as a statement against popular music complexity?

[kgmr]
My style is what it is, for better or worse. Most popular music is boring to me, and actually hurts my ears the way noise and dissonance hurt some people's ears. I love noise and dissonance. I don't really think much about what my music will sound like, or what it should sound like. But if I succeed at making some music that isn't boring, I will have reacted to popular music in a way that I would like to.

[indiessance]
In the lyrics to the song titled Joy, on your latest album, the chorus repeats the line "deep disturbing joy". In a sense, there is a dissonance between the connotations of "joy" and what might be considered "deeply disturbing". As a result, that line feels like a stronger hook. Was that the effect you originally intended to achieve? Could you explain the general meaning of the song, and the chorus? What does Migrate to Carnivora mean?

[kgmr]
The chorus from Joy comes from a poem by Colorado poet/environmentalist/eccentricist Rita Clagett. The poem goes like this:

Subtle Things

Some such subtle things
can't be captured
Anything on sagebrush -
drops of melted snow before they drop to snow,
morning shadow of a cat, grey on silver green,
purring, chin rolling in my shadow hand
And others -
mountains making clouds,
the deep disturbing joy of owning all my troubles.

"Deep disturbing joy" is definitely dissonant for me, but like most dissonance, it sounds good and true to me. Most of my songs are amalgamations of many things, and they usually also come together musically in pieces, too. But the song is basically about knowing and accepting yourself, "owning your troubles", and realizing that you may be the only person in your lifetime who truly understands you. Depending on how deep your troubles run, finding joy in that can seem disturbing to some.

As for the album's title, at first I was going to name the album Carnivora, but then I found out a metal band from Norway has an album with that name. Migrate is the first song and Carnivora is that last song, so the album is that journey from beginning to end. Carnivora is a scientific term referring to a certain grouping of animals that eat meat, like lions and bears. The song Carnivora has a lot of meat references and analogies. But I first came across the word in Out of Africa, where Isak Dinesen used it to glowingly refer to the young native women at a dance on her farm. I can't do justice to Dinesen's words, but she's expressing a lot of power, freedom, and beauty. And I mean the word in that way, too. For an album about love and loss, Carnivora in Dinesen's usage is especially meaningful to me.

[indiessance]
Regarding its history, and how it mechanically produces sound, The Rhodes piano is interesting - certainly a different breed of piano. Along with your Rhodes piano, what other musical instruments do you use to flesh out your sound? Are there any particular electronic effects that you like to use? guitar pedals?

[kgmr]
Most of the songs on this album started at the acoustic piano. I start some things on the Fender Rhodes, and I also have a Kurzweil keyboard. I'd like to write some songs in the future starting on my bass. I'm definitely not scared to use effects, both on the piano sounds and on the vocals. Especially for this album, when I wanted the whole thing to feel thick, dreamy, and foggy. The guitar was a huge part of accomplishing that. I can't say enough about Bob Read's guitar style and how intuitive and multi-talented he is at helping to achieve the sounds I want. This is what he has to say about his guitar effects:

All the guitar effects were recorded real time, and were created by a Gretsch Super Axe run through a RAT pedal, crybaby, volume and DOD dual delay that after twenty years has begun to give up the ghost. The amp is a Fender Quad Reverb.

At some point, the singer-songwriter decided to replace her band name with an anagram based on the four initials of her full name - kgmr. You may also refer to her as k. She impressed the brevity of her band name.

All four names are important to me, but to use all of them would be way too long.

I also asked k if the existing URI hyperlink referenced the correct Cleo Brown.

Yes, that's her. I used to live in Colorado and I wish I had known of Cleo Brown then. I would have figured out what church she played organ for and sat in the back of the church to listen to her. I doubt she's around anymore.

profile @ myspace.com

home page @ kgmr.com

Nick Howard

2009-03-03T20:29:00.017-06:00

In an exclusive interview, singer/songwriter Nick Howard talks about New York City, songwriting and success.

[indiessance]
You are definitely having a successful run in recent years, starting with your freshman EP 6-pack Contradicted which received kudos from critics. I read your bio; what a big year 2008 became, being featured on "MTV, Fox, Comcast, TLC, CBS, ABC, the BBC, Vogue Magazine, Bloomingdale's and Lifetime"! Did this all hit like a ton of bricks - leaving you a bit mesmerized? Even early on, I imagine the world got bigger and brighter after you hopped from Brighton to New York City. A long leap across the pond can affect an artist's mode of living in a big way, where everyday habits, overall attitude - even their tastes in music, food, etc. can be affected. Can you share how your lifestyle has changed after taking a bite of the Big Apple? Are there any food and entertainment discoveries you've made that you really liked?

[nick howard]
Well it sounds very glamorous when you list it like that but between the lines there is so much work that has gone into landing these achievements that it definitely doesn't feel like a ton of bricks...more like one brick at a time :) Sometimes you work so hard to nail these things that you forget to take a minute and actually reflect on what you've done. When I read it in a sentence like that it is a bit mesmerizing so thank you for pointing them out...you've made my day :)

Moving to New York was definitely a massive change in pace, I had eased my way here by having smaller stints here and there leading up to 2004, so that helped a bit...but living this city is a lot different from visiting it. I can't stress how important this city has been and continues to be for me and this life/musical journey. It is an incredible place that picks you up when you are down and gives you a kick in the balls when you are lazy. There is nowhere else on earth like it, the huge mix of different people, cultures, music/arts, food etc etc has done nothing but educate me and cause me to look at life in a different way as well as to enjoy it more.

I was a complete wimp before I came here as far as food was concerned but soon learned that I wasn't going to have much of a social life if I didn't bite the bullet and try a few crazy dishes here and there...now you can find me eating sea urchin on a regular basis (well maybe not that extreme but definitely more raw fish than I'd consumed prior to moving here - which would be zero). As far as entertainment goes, there aren't many places that you could visit a transgender karaoke bar, a burlesque club, a singer/songwriter club, a jazz club, a rock club, several art galleries and then polish it off with a McDonalds within a two block radius :) To say this place hasn't opened my eyes to a lot of great art would be a lie. I'm blessed to be among a group of fantastic singer/songwriters currently doing the rounds in New York, its inspiring and I feel we're part of something really special.

[indiessance]
Some artists talk about the self-indulgent aspect of songwriting, whereas they are writing songs to entertain themselves as well. Are there any particular songs off your latest LP Something to Talk About that you really enjoyed writing, and also enjoy performing more than your other songs? A fan might guess - A Better Man. But sometimes an obscure, seemingly unassuming song can carry a special meaning for the songwriter himself - which the listener does not know anything about. Can you share a deeper - more detailed - look into one of your songs that might enhance its meaning for listeners?

[nick howard]
This is a very good reflection on the songwriting process. The largest part of the writing process is self-indulgent, I know for me its my way of dealing with life's emotions, experiences and observations as well as my own personal thought and feelings. That said, when you are writing a song, particularly a melody, you aren't going to come up with a good hook if it doesn't entertain you. A Better Man is a fun song to play, and I think that a large part of that is the melody however the lyrical aspect is important as well, especially given that I have found that the song has taken on a much larger meaning past its original context (which is about a relationship gone wrong and a guys desperation to make it right) and now just feels like a much bigger and more important statement about how I want to live my life...music is awesome like that.

Another interesting song is The Pressure. I got to a point half way through Something To Talk About where I was completely stuck, I had to re-record all of the track's I had recorded with another producer, was struggling financially to keep the process going and was really struggling to come up with the next song. The Pressure is basically my feelings and emotions through that time period put to music and lyrics and came out of a really low point for me...it ended up being the song that would end up on The Hills and open up so many doors for me...just another ironic notch on this crazy journey.

[indiessance]
When it comes to film and television, music plays such an important role when it helps carry the theme of the screenplay, and sets the mood for viewers. You have had tracks featured in the soundtracks for The Hills, Army Wives, [and] LA Ink. Most people seem to spend more time watching TV than they do listening specifically to music. What thoughts were going through your mind the first time you heard one of your tracks playing in a TV show you were watching? Imagining millions of people all watching/listening at the same time, that's a lot of ears! Do you set out to write songs to catch the ears of many listeners, or does your music simply have a natural appeal? What aspects of your music reveal its entertainment power?

[nick howard]
My thoughts surrounding that placement in The Hills was that there had been a mistake and that I was about to suffer a major embarrassment. I had blasted my mailing list and all of the other social networking outfits, told friends and family to tune in to the show, my sister even bought me a 'congratulations' cake but I was prepared for the worst. Fortunately for me, my career and my pride, about five minutes into the show there it was - my song, the background music to Lauren Conrad getting asked out by a model...soon to be ruined by a scene change and the introduction of Spencer whining 'Heiiiiidiiiii'...still, I'd had my moment of glory so was happy for him to ruin it :)

The response from that one placement was immediate, that's the great thing about the information age, I could track the increased mySpace hits (about 10,000 that night) and thousands more over the next few days. The placement was aided by an Entertainment Weekly blog which mentioned the song and drove more people to my website. I don't write songs to appeal to others, they have to appeal to me first. I will write a particular theme or genre, but I need to behind the music, otherwise it just won't sound right. I think you have a choice when it comes to production about the 'sound' you want to get. I want my songs to be produced in the best light, and that's what I did with this album...the fact that the songs are licensable is a bonus and I'm really fortunate to have had some success in that arena. I've had some odd licenses too - for instance two of my songs have appeared in the show LA Ink on TLC, a show about tattoo artists. It's pretty ironic that I don't have any tattoos and probably never will...it's also ironic that one of the two songs used is called My Mistake :)

[indiessance]
Songwriters can receive inspiration from a variety of sources. I know of one artist who gets her song ideas from news stories. Perhaps a movie inspires, or a novel. Do you typically come up with a catchy chorus hook first? Or maybe you write a set of lyrics first, and then put that to music. While you are writing songs, can you give us a view into the gears that are turning in your mind and heart? I understand how songwriting can be an esoteric activity, whereas an artist taps into their emotions and pours them out onto a page. And sometimes even the songwriter can be surprised by the creativity that flows off the tips of their fingers.

[nick howard]
The ideas can come from any of those, but I think the catalyst that gels it altogether is the spark. It is an often elusive, never readily available and uncontrollable event that needs to happen at some point during the writing process in order to take music and lyrics and turn them into a song. I find that music sparks (chords, notes etc) come much more easily as they are usually the product of a mistake or accident than the lyrical melody spark, that is something that can take years to happen for a certain song, but can also come out of nowhere and you can end up with your best song in five minutes. I know some people have a better ability to control it and switch it on whenever they feel like it...I wish that were the case for me, that way I wouldn't constantly find myself rummaging for a pen and paper in the darkness at 3am :)

Thanks for having me :)

Verona Red

2008-12-04T17:40:00.035-06:00

In an exclusive interview, Chris Balzer, lead man of the Chicago-based band Verona Red, talks about the band's new album, songwriting, and the CD release party for their latest release, Side Effects.

[indiessance]
After listening through all of the tracks on your latest album, Side Effects, started thinking about how every one of your fans should buy this CD, because I seriously doubt that any of them would be disappointed. The product of a band that has worked together for years. Fork over that sawbuck. Would you like to plug your new release, right off the bat?

[chris balzer]
Plugging Side Effects sounds like a great place to start! We've been adapting to the marketing mindset ever since the record release show so this shouldn't be too hard. Side Effects is the culmination of two years of work for Verona Red, and the band has only been together for 3 years total. So in a way, this new album, called Side Effects, has been growing right along with us. Side Effects. After plugging an 8 song EP for two years, its nice to finally have a full-length album which, again, is titled Side Effects. Oh and Side Effects is now available on I-tunes…Side Effects. Think I got Side Effects in there 8 times!

[indiessance]
Has college radio grabbed a hold of Marjorie? What kind of response do you typically get from the college curcuit? Do you think this new album could help gain VR a bigger star on the map?

[chris balzer]
We've done a few college radio appearances here in Chicago, and I think Marjorie is one of the tunes that they've been spinning off our record. Right now we are getting a lot more traction on podcasts, especially ones based in the UK. Verona Red goes well with crumpets I've heard.

[indiessance]
Reviewers have pointed out Verona Red's eclectic style, which lives close to Rock. And, if a fan digs deep enough, they might find Neil Young's clawhammer buried in the backyard. I note here that the label type on the band's MySpace profile reads Major, but it seems that the vitality of indie rock is revealed through musicians who build a variety of styles upon an indie rock foundation. Without having their art forced into a creative mold, or mainstream genre. My guess is that, during the songwriting process, you are working together parts that sound good. But do you intentionally try to do something different with each song in order to keep your sound diverse? Have you gone through phases, where a particular musical style was the sound you would go to first, or a style you were hooked on for a while?

[chris balzer]
Good catch on the Neil Young! When I was 15 I discovered After the Gold Rush, and have probably worn through 5 copies since. I'm still hooked to that rusty folk clawhammer sound to this day. However I can't say that the band has ever tried to adhere strictly to that one style while writing. Call it musical A.D.D, but strictly keeping to one genre takes the thrill out writing a collection of songs. Writing for me is a way of entertaining myself. So if I sit down and some style I've never dabbled in before starts coming out of my hands I'll get really excited about writing the rest of the song. So I guess I'm saying its just self-indulgent really. Then again no one likes to eat mayonnaise sandwiches all day right? Bringing these ideas to practice with 3 other guys who feel the same way about writing allows us to keep things interesting. Having that freedom is one of the perks of being an indie band I guess, well that and you can get away with singing in a fake British accent if you want to.

As far as the Major label reference on the Myspace page goes, we just like to keep people on their toes :)

[indiessance]
Google informed me that Verona Red is a variety of Italian marble, and wine also. How did you come up with the band name?

[chris balzer]
The original name was actually Venona Red, which was a reference to a project developed by the NSA in the 1940's to examine encrypted Soviet intelligence transmissions between Washington D.C. and Moscow during the Cold War. As a U.S. history nerd, I liked this name a lot, but got nervous that we'd get blacklisted one day. So we dropped half of the letter n, made it an r, and now we sound much more sexy and a lot less suspicious.

[indiessance]
In Chicago, you have performed at venues like the Double Door, where you had a CD release party on November 14th. Did you see many clubbers dancing in front of the stage there? Is the Double Door your favorite venue to play at in Chicago? What other well-known nightclubs do you like to perform at?

[chris balzer]
Yeah the record release show was a blast. Our fans were super supportive, front rowers especially. I loved seeing everyone dancing, singing, and having a good time. Double Door was really accommodating and let us have control over the event so we could make it a full blown party. (they even let us have a custom shot at the bar that night called the Verona Red, though I heard it tasted like Robitussin). All in all Double Door has a large room, a great sound system, and very friendly booking staff. So yeah I could say its Verona Red's favorite venue in Chicago. We also love playing at Subterranean. I'd say those are our top two.

There's a lot of exciting things happening right now for Verona Red!

· The record release show was a success! There were over 400 fans, new and old, in attendance. Fans were treated to sponsored raffles and give-aways, including a free copy of "Side Effects" handed out to every attendee at the door.

o Check out pictures from the record release show at Double Door

o Check out video clips from the record release show at Double Door at http://www.youtube.com/user/VeronaRedMusic

· "Side Effects" is winning positive acclaim in the industry.

o "Rock that genuinely warrants a hearty grassroots fan base… a winning combination of saloon sing-along and driving pop with a refreshing shadowy heart." – ★★★ Jeff Pizek (The Daily Herald)

§ Read the full article at http://www.dailyherald.com/story/print/?id=249675

o Find more reviews below

· Members of Verona Red have appeared on several FM and internet radio outlets

o WLUW 88.7 Radio One Chicago

o Fearless Radio

o WCRX 88. 1 (Columbia College)

· "Side Effects" has received airplay on numerous FM radio, internet radio, and podcasts around the globe

o Find full list of radio and podcast outlets below

What's next for Verona Red

· Verona Red is currently booking tour dates throughout the Midwest and just finished performing again in Chicago on January 2, 2009 at Martyrs'

o Verona Red organized contest in conjunction with Holiday Club, the event's sponsor, to give one lucky fan a chance to win dinner and drinks with the band. The winner was announced the night of January 2 at the show.

Full List of Recent Accomplishments

Reviews and Blurbs

"Well-written, driving indie rock that is almost as dancey as it is smart. In a world where most bands want to sound like some other stagnant band, this is refreshing." – John Benetti (Talent Buyer, Housecall Entertainment, Booking for Subterranean and Beat Kitchen in Chicago, IL)

"Rock that genuinely warrants a hearty grassroots fan base… a winning combination of saloon sing-along and driving pop with a refreshing shadowy heart." – Jeff Pizek (The Daily Herald)

"The vocals are brilliant; Crash Test Dummies on speed? I love the sound. I love the simplicity - and can appreciate how much effort goes in to making something sound simple." - Brennig (This Realty Podcast)

"Red Hot Kaiser Killers! … They have something original because they sound like a combination of styles that shouldn't really work but somehow does." - Liz (This Reality Podcast)

"Dancing music! I bopped from one end of the house to the other when Hesitations and Clichés started blasting." – Sophie (This Reality Podcast)

"There is a high octane intensity that is physically undeniable in Verona Red's new wave explication… these guitar waving boss men are sure to please many and disappoint very few." – Ron Trembath (Fensepost.com)

"In essence, Verona Red is carving a niche within the alternative rock genre with this new album. This is the album to add to your 2008 collection." – Southside (Fearless Radio)

Radio Interviews and Airplay

WLUW 88.7 Radio One Chicago

Fearless Radio

WCRX 88. 1 (Columbia College)

Blog Features

Fensepost

Indiessance

Podcasts

Atlantic Wave Radio

Daily Pod

PMC Top 10

PSM Hit Makers Podcast

GetFitiPod Podcast

Marvel Studio

Dalecast

This Reality Podcast

Radio Orphans

Indie Music Sampler

Dark Horse Radio

Print Features

Daily Herald

Red Eye

Compilations

Radio One Summer 2008 Chicago Rock Compilation

Well that's all for now. We hope you've enjoyed getting caught up on the latest Verona Red news. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you'd like to learn more about where we've been recently and where we'll be going soon!

We Are They

2008-12-02T05:39:00.007-06:00

In an exclusive interview, Andrew Heath of the Mesa-based band, We Are They, talks about performing in Tempe, fan appreciation, and collective pastimes.

[indiessance]
There must be venues in California that appreciate how We Are They delivers metal to the masses.

[andrew heath]
Well, I wouldn't say we deliver much metal, but a lot of places that are skeptical of us at first are won over by the end of the show.

[indiessance]
Do you think the touring buzz will ever wear off anytime soon?

[andrew heath]
Touring was definitely an experience with the highest of highs and lowest of lows. We're a dysfunctional family, so we can take it. We can't wait to get out there again.

[indiessance]
Which venue gives you the biggest headrush?

[andrew heath]
As for the biggest headrush, that usually depends on crowd response. I'd say our favorite shows have to include The Real Bar in Tempe, Arizona in September of 2006 because we packed a bar meant for about 150 people with 200+. The crowd was louder than we were, it was insane. The venue gave us two encore songs, much to the dismay of the promoters due to time constraints, because the crowd wouldn't stop chanting our name. Another show would be The Ridglea Theater's main stage in Fort Worth, Texas from this last tour. We played an open mic there on our first run through Texas and they invited us back to the main stage on our way back. It was incredible. The crowd loved it and we put on a great show. Ryan was so excited he forgot to put shoes on before the show.

[indiessance]
Have you performed at any total dives?

[andrew heath]
As for dives, we've played in sushi restaurants and even an abandoned building. Anything for a gig.

[indiessance]
The musical style of We Are They is eclectic. Could you help clear up any confusion, by describing the specific sonic ingredients that are combined to make up your music? What special quality or contribution does each member make? What are the main genre additives?

[andrew heath]
Wow. This one's always hard. The band was brought together from tryouts, so no one knew each other before it formed. We've all evolved to love many, many different styles of music, so we just play with whatever sounds we like. Tyler will have a cool jam going on an organ and we'll build off of it, or Ryan will make a polka/jazz guitar riff and we'll go with it. Anything that sounds cool or fun to us is what we do. We don't have limitations or a specific kind of formula.

[indiessance]
In-between venues, the yellow line can get long. Traveling like sardines on road trips must get monotonous at times. What does the band do to break the monotony of a long distance? Any favorite DVDs? Do you have a favorite collective pastime?

[andrew heath]
We didn't have ANY luxuries on this last tour, so all we had was a deck of cards and Ipods. We played a lot of card games to pass time and whenever we found a place to stay, we'd watch a movie. The whole band is pretty big fans of the show Lost, so we have all of those on DVD, and we found a cheap movie theater in Florida during the tour to see The Dark Knight when it premiered. Andrew wouldn't let us miss it.

[indiessance]
Had read on the band blog that We Are They and the band's lead singer parted company; that was announced in September. But it takes more than that to make a band with a heavy concentration of talent to fall apart. Has this event actually caused the band to become more cohesive?

[andrew heath]
Yes, indeed. We're working hard to write new material and search for a singer. Andrew and Ryan are trying to see if they have what it takes to fill the slot if we can't find a replacement, but it's been a hard search so far.

[indiessance]
After checking out the We Are They MySpace profile, I get the impression that the band is not taking everything too seriously, and having fun.

[andrew heath]
Oh yeah. We love to convey our sense of humor and fun. We're not trying to be the next group of badasses to come into the music scene and destroy every other band. This is fun for us and we want everyone to know it and to come have fun with us. Even if you hate our music, we'll still hang out with you.

[indiessance]
Also noticed that you all seem to have an appreciative attitude toward your fans. Have your fans been reflecting that appreciation back?

[andrew heath]
Our fans have been great. We appreciate them so much. So many musicians will go out and sign autographs for hours and not look a single kid in the eye. I'd love to sit down and have lunch with every fan we have. I'd love to get to know them. We're here for them, and we'll respond to them as much as possible.

[indiessance]
What are some of the cools things fans have been saying?

[andrew heath]
We've gotten a lot of comments about how we're fun and unique and that's great. That's what we like to hear.

Another thing I'd like to point out is that our band is completely drug and alcohol free. We're not extremists who'll bash you for taking part in said substances, it's just not for us. We feel like it'd be a factor we don't want or need in our lives.

profile @ myspace.com
profile @ purevolume.com
profile @ imeem.com

video @ youtube.com (interviewed by purevolume)
video @ youtube.com (performing at red owl sports grill)
video @ youtube.com (performing at red owl sports grill)
video @ vids.myspace.com (vidblog 1)

The Let Up

2008-11-04T17:52:00.012-06:00

Spokane-based band, The Let Up has continued to tour since the March 2008 release of their latest album Illustrate My Character. In an exclusive interview, singer/songwriter Cory Howard talks about songwriting, the latest album, and touring.

[indiessance]
The songs Shameless, Treasure Map and Serenade Surrender were each dedicated to women. Helen of Troy's face was said to launch a thousand ships. In the future, could a thousand songs be dedicated to a thousand women - written by you? These are not necessarily love songs, but, as with the song titled Still Here, a song that could lift a friend's spirits.

[cory howard]
During the writing process of this album I was focusing a lot on relationships, not necessarily romantic relationships, but relationships with people in general. Some songs are fantasy type songs about wondering what it would be like to be in love with a certain person and others are about losing love. Although I've been focusing a lot on worldly issues, politics, and different views on spirituality since the release of the album I think love will always be the main focus of my writing. A thousand songs dedicated to a thousand women is definitely a possibility.

[indiessance]
Could you give me some background on two of your songs? I am referring to the tracks Miss Vanity and Shameless. What are the songs about, and what imagery, emotions, etc. were behind your musical inspiration for writing each of these songs?

[cory howard]
Let me start with Shameless. In the years leading up to our album we saw a lot of trends come and go. We weren't one of those bands that could get popular based on how we look or the style of music we play. I specifically remember playing our first local shows in Washington and getting weird looks from fans of trendy bands while we were setting up our gear because we were just normal looking guys with regular hair. Sometimes people wouldn't even give us a chance. That song is basically speaking to that group of stuck up people who wouldn't even give us a shot based on how we looked. The song is basically saying to keep it real and be shameless about it. There's a little bit of sarcasm in the lyrics. You don't have to try to fit in.

Miss Vanity is very metaphorical. It's about a girl that hides behind her looks and sex to hide the fact that she's a complete mess. The guy in the song is basically using her for the same reason and they use eachother to feel better for one night.

[indiessance]
With the way fuel prices skyrocketed this year, I imagine that it takes a nice stack of dollar bills to fill your tour van's tank. And with the San Francisco area being over 800 miles south of Spokane - tack on another 380 miles for L.A. Many bands are just happy to scrape up enough change for gas, beer and food. So, how have you been coping with the gas expense? This increase in the price of fuel probably affects the band in different ways. Do you now tour more locally, or organize tours so that the venues are clumped closer together?

[cory howard]
We have been touring pretty solid since March of this year. On our first tour, we saw fuel prices getting up to $5.00 in certain parts of the west coast. Being our first tour it was definitely an eye opener to exactly how much it takes to make it as a completely DIY band with the economy falling apart. Not only is it hard for the bands but it's hard for the fans to decide if they can spend their last $10 on a CD rather than 2 or 3 gallons of gas. Since we started touring gas has actually dropped by $2.00 or more. We are definitely feeling relieved on this tour compared to the last. This has also been our most successful tour as far as the shows go. We're seeing a lot of familiar faces and we plan to just keep going.

[indiessance]
In one of the YouTube vids posted, you covered the Circa Survive track In Fear and Faith. Off of which other bands or albums would you like to do cover songs in the future? What other music do you listen to?

[cory howard]
I plan on doing a cover of Alive with the Glory of Love by Say Anything sometime soon. I also have a cover of an Emery song called Don't Bore Us, Get To The Chorus on YouTube as well as a cover of The Spill Canvas' The Tide. I listen to a very wide variety of music ranging from John Mayer, Maroon 5, and Matchbox 20 to Minus the Bear, Circa Survive, Emery, The Higher, and Flight 409. I grew up on classic rock and jazz when I first started learning how to play music so there will also be a spot on my playlist for some Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and Louis Armstrong.

[indiessance]
The Let Up has performed with a long list of indie bands. Out of those bands, or even bands that you have come across in the scene, are there any particular up-and-coming bands that fans should know about? Or bands that stand out most prominently in your mind.

[cory howard]
We are on tour right now with a band called Flight 409 from Fresno, CA. They put on a kick ass live show and I love to watch them play every night. They are definitely coming up and need to be checked out by everyone.

We also had the chance to play with one of my favorite bands, The Higher from Las Vegas, NV.

I can remember every single show we've played this year on tour and the ones that have stood out the most have been made memorable by the crowds. We don't always get the chance to play big shows so if a small crowd can give us back the energy that we give them it makes every show worth it.

[indiessance]
The MySpace band profile for The Let Up states that you turned down a music scholarship at the University of Idaho. By this, I imagine you were confident that you could benefit more by focusing on touring with the band, rather than devoting energy and time to a music degree. Are you glad now that you made the decision to pursue songwriting and touring, rather than hitting the books?

[cory howard]
I honestly wasn't confident about turning down the scholarship offer at all. At the time I had no band, no album, no clue how to even go on tour, and huge dreams. All I knew was I loved playing music and I wanted to tour with my own album. It took me four years from that point to get to where I am now. I moved to Spokane and slowly found the right people to build our band. Now I have a family in The Let Up and Scottie and Jeremy are my best friends. We are having the time of our lives on the road and I wouldn't trade my decision to do this for anything. It's been a really hard road getting here and an even longer road ahead of us but I love life right now. I do still plan on going to school someday.

profile @ myspace
profile @ purevolume

video @ youtube (simple lies and neckties - the let up)
video @ youtube (winter's finally over tour blog - the let up)
video @ youtube (illustrate my character webisode 1 - the let up)
video @ youtube (illustrate my character webisode 2 - the let up)
video @ youtube (billie jean live michael jackson cover - the let up)

music marketing @ platform-1

The Heaven Seventies

2008-05-13T18:53:00.010-05:00

[indiessance]
One of the strengths I hear in The Heaven Seventies is the range of styles in your music. My favorite track is "Devotion", while "Shawty Is a 10 (Remix)" sounds like a track that R&B fans could get hooked on. With that in mind, I can't decide which track might be considered the proverbial A-side, because there are a few strong tracks.

[loren]
We aren't album artists; albums are no longer the way people experience pop music, for the most part. We release songs a single at a time. When we write, every song is written as an A-side; there are no "B-sides" for us right now.

[indiessance]
When you work on a song, are you targeting various styles in order to widen commercial appeal? Wouldn't it be cool to see one track climb one chart, while another track climbs another? I think the band could engineer a couple of crossover hits.

[loren]
Our music covers a large range of styles because we're interested in a wide variety of music. When I had a rock band, I was always coming up with ideas in all the genres of music I was listening to at the time (soul, modern r&b, uk garage, chart pop, rap, experimental, etc.) and had to set those ideas aside because they didn't work in the context of the unified sound that the band was trying to achieve.

The Heaven Seventies was based on the idea that a group of musicians could be successful without having to tie itself to a specific genre of music. In this case, we're making music for the pop charts, so as long as we're expressing something people identify with and putting a catchy hook in their heads, it doesn't matter whether all of our songs fit on the same chart. I find the idea that we could be on several different charts at once rather exciting.

[nilay]
It's not that we target styles to widen commercial appeal, it's that we consciously try to make each track an "A-side." Since we're trying to write the best pop music we can, it's only natural that we look to crossover influences like hip-hop and R&B, since those artists have proven that today's audiences want a little ass-shakin' with their guitar playing.

[will]
I think it's entirely possible to have two Heaven Seventies songs on two different genre specific charts at the same time. Pop artists today are less and less restrained by genre or musical style, and audiences are responding positively. You could argue that genre boundaries are becoming less clear as well, but the boundaries that do remain are being violated more and more frequently. Crossing genre boundaries is a goal of the band, and something that we want to do more and more.

[indiessance]
The Heaven Seventies is an indie rock band fully loaded with talent. I count two lyricists, two vocalists, three keyboard players, four guitarists, etc. This concentration of talent is obviously another strength of the band.

[loren]
The Heaven Seventies are a trio in the studio right now, and there are 5 of us (or 6, perhaps) when we play live. There's sort of an "extended family", people who are members in the back of my mind even though we may not be working with them actively right now. The lineup has changed and it'll keep changing. This isn't the easiest band in the world to be in---we work incredibly hard.

I tend to like people who can "hold their own" in the studio. Of the four people who've worked on our studio output thus far, we all play guitar and keyboards, two of us have played drums for touring bands, and two of us have produced records for other artists, so we have a lot of performing and recording experience. I take the majority of the vocal duties, although occasionally you'll hear somebody else on a track. (My younger sister is a great singer, so we're trying to feature her a bit more.)

[indiessance]
During the songwriting process, can there be a barrage of ideas sparking off a few members at the same time?

[will]
Our songwriting process has been very collaborative. Often the kernel of a great idea will come from one member, and often that kernel will need to incubate with that one member for some time. As a band I think we're very good at nurturing and embellishing the creative kernels that individual members bring forward.

[nilay]
Songwriting is fundamentally a lonely process -- although we've done it in groups, sometimes the only way to get inspired is to whack away at a guitar alone for a while. Our collaborative strength is really production -- once we seize upon a core idea, we work well together in bringing new textures and layers into the mix. Will once told me he figured we use about 80% of what we come up with together as we work up a song's final mix, which is astounding to me, especially since the three of us all have very different (but overlapping) musical influences and backgrounds.

[loren]
Our songwriting and production process is a well-documented thing; we have written guidelines that we follow when we sit down to write a song. Ideas come from everywhere, and we make improvements and refinements until we have something that feels right and works on as many levels as possible. No idea is considered sacred and anything is fair game for improvement, so most of the time, the final product is unrecognizable from the original idea. The time it takes to make each song varies, but we always spend a lot of energy on the chorus.

I was stockpiling ideas for this band for years before we started it, and every time we sit down to write songs we come up with a bunch more. We have literally hundreds of song ideas sitting around waiting to be used. Some of them are really good, and I think the hope that they'll be heard helps drive us forward.

[indiessance]
Something interesting that is offered on the band's Web site are downloadable multitrack bundles of a few songs. Which could be used by fans to create mashups. Is The Heaven Seventies the first band to offer such bundles? Beyond predictable YouTube hosted mashups, what other trends do you think these bundles could lead to? Do you think the multitrack bundles could become a way for various bands to "collaborate" in the future?

[nilay]
I think we're already seeing this -- if Radiohead can make a mint selling "naked" tracks on iTunes, the future is basically here. We might be the first band to think of the bundles as being an integral part of the release, however -- traditionally consumers would get one version of the single and DJs would get another with acapellas and instrumentals. That's all changed now, though -- everyone's a DJ! People don't simply watch or listen to media anymore, they want to use it and interact in all kinds of ways, and there's no reason a band should sit back and pretend that they "own" their music -- as soon as you ask one person to listen to it and make an emotional connection to it, you owe just as much to them as they do it you.

[loren]
The only other band I can think of who've started giving out multitrack bundles of their music are Nine Inch Nails. I had the idea years ago before it was possible to actually do it, but it's not that original of an idea; any musician who falls in love with a track wishes they could get a hold of the original multitrack tapes and play with them. NIN have amassed quite a large community of online remixers around their multitrack bundles, and I believe they recently put at least one of the "unofficial remixes" on an actual album of theirs. I'm proud of them, because they're one of the very few artists to publically embrace the art form of unauthorized remixing. (Negativland are another, and the rap/r&b "mixtape" community is arguably another, although the arrest of DJ Cannon and DJ Drama is something I find quite unsettling to say the least.)

Coldest Day of the Year ADVANCE LEAK - The Heaven Seventies

profile @ myspace

downloads @ h70s.com (coldest day of the year - the heaven seventies)
downloads @ h70s.com (coldest day of the year reconstructed - the heaven seventies)
downloads @ h70s.com (devotion - the heaven seventies)
downloads @ h70s.com (shawty is a 10 [Remix] - the heaven seventies)
downloads @ h70s.com (in the morning light - the heaven seventies)

Elika

2008-04-25T05:45:00.009-05:00

[indiessance]
What is the meaning behind the title of your new EP Trying Got Us Nowhere? Which contains a track titled Nowhere - is there a connection? What particular themes may fans find in your music?

[eva]
When I wrote the lyric I meant that in life regardless of faith, vision, drive, and good intent - sometimes things simply don’t work out. As far as themes in the music: love, death, guilt, hope, heartbreak and everything in between.

[indiessance]
You recently launched the new album in February at The White Rabbit in Plymouth, England, during your UK tour. Britain is known for its support of the performing arts. Did the Brits treat you good? What do you like about touring the UK? Which English venue was your fave?

[brian]
Yeah, the UK tour was a great time and a non-stop hangover. The people were very supportive of us which heightened the mood of the tour. Favorite venue was probably the launch at White Rabbit, we killed it that night.

[eva]
I agree about the gig at the White Rabbit being the best. It was like a homecoming. There was a lot of traveling and hijinx throughout the tour and at the end it felt like people really embraced the music.

[indiessance]
Ulrich Schnauss noted the shoegaze and electronic elements in your music. On every track of your mini-album, I can hear the balance you achieved between vocal, guitar, percussion and electronic elements. Was there a lot of sonic experimentation going on in the studio? Considering the finished product, do you feel that Elika has taken its sound to the next level?

[brian]
When we went into the studio with Jason all of the material was written except for Confidence Killed My Spirit and Defeated from the vinyl. We had a clear idea of what we were going to do and how to make our noise. This album is a definite step forward for Elika.

[eva]
I feel like we are both really confident about the kind of music that we are making now. As far as experimentation, I think that’s happening more during our live set.

[indiessance]
A reviewer for thechickenfishspeaks.com commented that Eva's "voice feels forced into the beats", but I can't see how a vocalist who is singing, playing keyboard and percussion at the same time could let the melody loosely drift over the rhythm. In that sense, such a comment seems unfair. On stage, Eva, you are synchronizing percussion instruments with electronic soundscapes. How do you feel about this reviewer's comment?

[eva]
You know, you just have to do your thing and not everyone is going to like it. I find criticism refreshing as long as it’s constructive.

[brian]
I’m a fucking NYC public school teacher, there isn’t a negative comment around that could hurt my feelings.

[indiessance]
As Shoegazing's ambient sister, Dream Pop weaves "bittersweet pop melodies into sensual, sonically-ambitious soundscapes" (Wikipedia). And many more comparisons may be applied to Elika. Your influences include Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine and Flying Saucer Attack - which generally represent shoegaze and electronica. What other bands inspire your songwriting? Are there any particular albums that you listen to more often than others?

[eva]
There was a reason why we chose to record with Jason Martin. I am inspired by his songwriting because he is never trying too hard. I enjoy honesty in music: people talking about their everyday shit, what they know, and the universal truths. There are too many political poser musicians out there; I’d rather hear about someone finding their baby teeth in a drawer or something. That kind of stuff wrecks me in the best way and makes me feel ok to be alive. Built to Spill has always had a way of grounding me like that.

The Whip - Elika
profile @ myspace.com
homepage @ elikamusic.com
record label @ fiercelyindie.co.uk

The Box Social

2008-04-12T18:12:00.018-05:00

Named from a Marge Simpson quote, the Madison-based band The Box Social released their full album Get Going in September 2007, which brought their live power-pop rock down to Chicago Recording Company. Songwriter Nick Junkunc decribed the band in a MKE article: "We sound like Nirvana playing Tom Petty."

Box Social's strongest track, Big T, narrates a young man's rock and roll dream - featuring catchy melody, power-pop chorus and heavy-alloy hooks. A track that demonstrate's the four-piece's ability to effectively incorporate the styles of their influences into their music.

Having quickly matured from a few high schoolers who played basement shows for a dozen fans a half-decade ago. This once thriving basement scene is where Box Social cut their chops; where various bands could be heard several nights in a row. Such bands that were turned down by popular Madison and Milwaukee venues, then invaded residential venues. Fans violated fire codes and zones of quiet around the metropolitan areas.

Box Social then toured the US for a couple of years on their 2005 5-track 1000 CD release Blown to Bits.

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ theboxsocial.net (the box social - big t)
mp3 @ theboxsocial.net (the box social - hot damn)

video @ youtube (making of the album - pt 1)
video @ youtube (making of the album - pt 2)

blog aggregator @ boogie4.us
blog aggregator @ hypem.com
blog aggregator @ elbo.ws

discography @ amazon

blog @ carlsandburgvisits.com
blog @ cometstarmoon.blogspot.com
blog @ blogger.xs4all.nl
blog @ thelemurblog.blogspot.com
blog @ thetruthenlightensme.blogspot.com
blog @ youbethemouse.blogspot.com

review @ riverfronttimes.com
review @ shop.mtv.com
review @ postcrescent.com
review @ thedailypage.com
review @ mkeonline.com
review @ splendidezine.com
review @ riverfronttimes.com
review @ shop.mtv.com
review @ postcrescent.com
review @ thedailypage.com
review @ mkeonline.com
review @ splendidezine.com

label @ nokarma.com

images @ flickr.com

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Edith Backlund

2008-02-09T02:21:00.007-06:00

The A-side on Edith Backlund's latest album, Death by Honey, is easy to resolve, but a potential B-side has more than one possible choice. And compositional diversity has brought this songstress up to the next level through hook injected choruses and thoughtful lyrics.

Beginning with balladic introspection into the apparent force field of vanity emitted by any household mirror, Skinny builds up to a baroque-pop romp accentuated by a powered up instrumental bridge fueled by the chorus. Such a formula compliments Backlund's style.

mirror, mirror on my wall
ruthless to your victim
suiting you is all I know
a slave to my reflection

Instead of a politician or a journalist, Backlund chose to become a songwriter.

As a singer/songwriter I can be as ego-centric as I please. - Edith Backlund

In 2006, Backlund played the character Linda in the Swedish movie Lilla Jönssonligan och Stjärnkuppen.

In November 2008, the track Suburban Bliss, from Edith's latest album, was featured on an episode of the TV drama One Tree Hill. Check out the imeem stream below. And, if you like that song, please pump some bucks into PayPal and buy it. While you're at it, might as well grab the cell phone and order a triple-cheese bacon pizza from the local parlor.

Suburban Bliss - Edith Backlund

Interview

[indiessance]
As artistic mediums, songwriting and acting are clearly very different. And few singer-songwriters can claim that they had appeared in a movie production. You are listed among the cast of the movie 'Lilla Jönssonligan och Stjärnkuppen'.

There may be a difference between how your creative mind is inspired by music when you sit down to write a song, compared to how acting inspires you when you sit down to absorb a character in a movie script. How do the two artistic mediums inspire you in different ways? Has your work as an actor influenced your songwriting? Have any particular movies inspired you to write music?

[edith backlund]
First off I have to say that I am not a professional actress. I made a choice a few years back between theatre and music and chose the latter. But acting is something I have always been interested in and I was even voted Best Actress at Liberty High School where I spent a year as a foreign exchange student. I guess acting has taught me to feel more comfortable being on stage and interacting with a crowd. It has taught me that forgetting the words isn’t the end of the world, anything can be improvised. I have to say I have never written a song based on a movie. I am more of a news-gal. I find inspiration in watching the news. Sometimes it feels like my whole life is a movie though and I get inspired just by living.

[indiessance]
Your MySpace page states that you write "songs about women with seduction in their eyes and daggers in their purses. About fallen war-heroes and her fear of dying." To me this imagery is cinematic - it definately pops. What other strong imagery inspires your songwriting? Do you have a dagger in your purse at the moment?

[edith backlund]
Haha! No dagger and not even a purse. Like I said earlier, I find inspiration in watching the news. One strong imagery that inspired me was the combination of newsflashes from when the US invaded Iraq. I had some friends who had enrolled in the US Army and it really made me think about how fragile every life is. And I wrote a lot of songs and lyrics based on those images.

[indiessance]
Your lyrical expression also reveals that you are a person who is open and honest about your feelings. And 'Skinny' could be considered painfully honest. Can songwriting, at times, become a musical catharsis for you?

[edith backlund]
Absolutely. That really shines through on my CD from 2006 “Merely Daydreams” where some of the lyrics where actual diary cut-outs. I was at an emotional low-point at that time and I felt like I had to tell the whole world about it, put it all out there and get the filth out of me. Today I am a much happier person and my songwriting today tends to concern other people and their emotions. “Skinny” is about my 17-year old me. I had to look through old diarys to find her and that’s what I do when I want to put myself in the emotional state of my old me again. I do that because my old me knew how to write a sad song. And I love sad songs.

[indiessance]
All of your latest tracks, including the A-side 'True Believer', reveal your lyrical talent. In your opinion, how important are lyrics to a song? Have you written lyrics for other artists?

[edith backlund]
I think that a song can’t be great with crappy lyrics. The melody can be out of this world but if the lyrics suck, the song sucks. But great words can save a bad melody. I have not yet written any lyrics for other artists. That, however, is something I can definately see myself doing in the future.

[indiessance]
Listening to the band's tracks, I can hear layers of acoustic guitar and piano, orchestral elements, vocal tracks, sound effects, etc. Your band has built a strong baroque-pop sound in the studio. Are there any particular sound engineers or producers who have helped develop your sound? How has your experience in the recording studio helped you develop as a musician?

[edith backlund]
Funny you should say that because the only people playing instruments on the tracks are me and Pär Wiksten. Oh, and of course: Pär’s daughter Elsa helped out with some vicious handclapping and toyclicking! The studio was Pär’s apartment in Stockholm. We didn’t have a huge budget... actually we almost didn’t have a budget, so we couldn’t bring the band into a studio. The result: me and Pär had to do everything ourselves. It took a long time but the result was worth it!

[indiessance]
The last I read, your band's latest project 'Death by Honey' was scheduled to be released this month. You co-wrote the album with Pär Wiksten, who has been with the Wannadies since 1988. Regarding potential hit songs, I think the musical chemistry is there between you and Pär. Has he helped you grow as an artist? How do the two songwriting styles compliment eachother?

[edith backlund]
Pär and the Wannadies where the soundtrack of my youth. So it was quite strange to meet him in person. We met as songwriters and clicked as people, had some coffee and wrote “True Believer” on the first day. Pär has been everywhere and done everything and he still manages to stay grounded while I tend to want to float off. When I do, he brings me back to the ground again. I think that’s important if you want to last as an artist, to keep a clear head. In songwriting me and Pär are very much alike. It’s like we have our own musical language.

profile @ myspace

video @ youtube (much to cry about - edith backlund)
video @ youtube (rosie - edith backlund)
video @ youtube (true believer - edith backlund)
video @ youtube (waste another day - edith backlund)

stream @ imeem.com (suburban bliss - edith backlund)
stream @ imeem.com (true believer - edith backlund)

music store @ bengans.se
music store @ systemrecords.co.uk
music store @ discovery-records.com

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Death Ships

2008-02-02T07:44:00.001-06:00

Dan Maloney, singer-songwriter for Iowa City-based Death Ships, related a couple of possible interpretations of his band's name. In a Daytrotter interview, he suggested that the band name represented the death of relationships. Also - if one considered a ship as a representation of freedom - the name could symbolize the erosion of freedom that spreads out from Iowa, beyond the boundries of the continental United States of America.

Maloney clearly did not tailor a band name to fit his particular sound, deciding instead to stick to his guns, and defy any critics. Considering how the moniker Death Ships could be suitable for a death metal group as well. And the title of the latest self-release - Seeds of Devastation - could be the title of a pounding punk rock anthem.

The lead vocal style and bouncy synth at the beginning of Symmetrical Smiles might remind the listener of Steely Dan. And Great American begins with a finger picked acoustic guitar rhythm, and subtle tremolo synth.

I tend to write sporadically in bursts of inspiration. - Dan Maloney

Maloney has worked as a record store clerk at Record Collector for six years.

Symmetrical Smiles - Death Ships

profile @ myspace.com

mp3 @ deathships.com (great american - death ships)
mp3 @ deathships.com (it remains to be seen - death ships)
mp3 @ deathships.com (symmetrical smiles - death ships)
mp3 @ deathships.com (the city never sleeps - death ships)

video @ youtube (big one coming - death ships)
video @ youtube (echo children - death ships)
video @ youtube (little mystery - death ships)
video @ youtube (record release party)

blog aggregator @ elbo.ws
blog aggregator @ hypem.com

discography @ mp3audioz.com

interview @ daytrotter.com

review @ cokemachineglow.com
review @ dailyiowan.com
review @ indieuprising.net
review @ muzzleofbees.com
review @ newcitychicago.com
review @ popmatters.com
review @ rcreader.com
review @ smother.net
review @ sxsw.com
review @ thetripwire.com

home page @ deathships.com

images @ flickr.com

Aberdeen City

2008-01-20T22:30:00.001-06:00

In 2006, the Boston-based indie-rock band Aberdeen City rereleased their 2005 debut LP, The Freezing Atlantic. The third track, Going to Get Sick of Me, was produced by Steve Lillywhite, known for his work with U2.

The bandmembers all met in 2001 during break at a lecture titled Young Hopes, Dead Dreams. Later they moved into a house rental, and set up equipment in the basement, where they conducted sonic experiments with indie-rock hooks. In time, results were labeled with various comparisons - one of such tags reads U2. Their songs are lyrically intuitive and obscure. Driving drum beats can present differing patterns as percussive enhancement between changes.

Since releasing The Freezing Atlantic, the band has been collaborating with singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer, lead singer for The Dresden Dolls.

The intro of the fourth track, Sixty Lives, teases eardrums through headphones with droning guitar, then builds up to a shoegaze riff.

Whose Blood Is It - Aberdeen City

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ aberdeenmusic.com (final bout - aberdeen city)
mp3 @ aberdeenmusic.com (incredible story - aberdeen city)
mp3 @ aberdeenmusic.com (is going to get sick of me - aberdeen city)
mp3 @ aberdeenmusic.com (popular music - aberdeen city)
mp3 @ aberdeenmusic.com (sixty lives - aberdeen city)
mp3 @ aberdeenmusic.com (this is our problem - aberdeen city)
mp3 @ underratedmagazine.com (in combat - aberdeen city)

video @ youtube (going to get sick of me - aberdeen city)
video @ youtube (pretty pet - aberdeen city)

podcast @ podnova.com

feed @ hypem.com

discography @ amazon

interview @ blogcritics.org
interview @ dcist.com
interview @ miss604.com
interview @ modernfix.com
interview @ youtube.com
interview @ youtube.com
interview @ acedmagazine.com

review @ acedmagazine.com
review @ allmusic.com
review @ blogcritics.org
review @ boston.com
review @ cavalierdaily.com
review @ destramusic.com
review @ eachnotesecure.com
review @ indieworkshop.com
review @ lunchboxbrain.blogspot.com
review @ msnbc.msn.com
review @ mtv.com
review @ musicremedy.com
review @ popmatters.com
review @ purevolume.com
review @ spin.com
review @ thebmrant.com
review @ thecelebritycafe.com
review @ thisnext.com

home page @ aberdeenmusic.com

lyrics @ alphalyrics.com

images @ flickr.com

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

The Dandelions

2008-01-17T02:45:00.002-06:00

Stockholm-based band, The Dandelions, has been compared to The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Stooges, but you may also hear elements that remind you of The Clash and The Kinks.

The band's raw style represents garage rock. A genre that gained popularity in the early 1960s - with regional roots reaching to the late 50s - which then evolved into 1970s punk. But the garage-rock tag itself did not appear until the late 1970s, so that it could be individuated from music that became known as punk rock - popularized by Sex Pistols and The Clash. And garage rock is synonymous with 60s punk.

On the 54, from their self-titled debut EP, was included in the soundtrack for an episode of the television series One Tree Hill and Veronica Mars.

The Dandelions are sonic kindred spirits with The Hives.

On the 54 - The Dandelions

profile @ myspace

video @ youtube (on a mission - the dandelions)
video @ youtube (on the 54 - the dandelions)

review @ swedishslacker.com (written in Swedish)
included live review @ soundsxp.com

label @ hijackrecords.com

Golden Death Music

2008-01-12T13:22:00.000-06:00

Columbus-based Golden Death Music is the musical pseudonym of singer-songwriter Michael Ramey. The rich, stylistic variety actualized on his latest release titled Ephemera Blues disguises the fact that he had everything to do with the album. And Ramey has a large collection of music that he often returns to - it serves as a reservoir of influences.

A melancholic fog overspreads Ephemera Blues. The closing track, Into the Ocean, captures a mysterious vibe that Pink Floyd was well-known for.

Throw yourself into the water
Feel the changed and tainted ocean
Let the damaged waves caress you
Feel the change...

In an interview with The English Assassin, Ramey described a esoteric factor that affects his songwriting:

There’s an emotional state I’ve been able to attain sometimes when I’m playing or listening to music that is characterized by a pure, thoughtless feeling of energy.

Not only does his music represent the pursuit of such a feeling, but his desire to share it with listeners.

profile @ myspace.com

mp3 @ brainwashed.com (into the ocean - golden death music)
mp3 @ brainwashed.com (lost in violence - golden death music)
mp3 @ brainwashed.com (self help - golden death music)

video @ youtube.com (together - golden death music)

stream @ last.fm

discography @ amazon.com (ephemera blues - golden death music)

interview @ theenglishassassin.wordpress.com

review @ babysue.com
review @ brainwashed.com
review @ musicemissions.com
review @ popmatters.com
review @ seaoftranquility.org
review @ theenglishassassin.wordpress.com

label @ helmetroom.com

images @ flickr.com

Bela Karoli

2008-01-07T21:46:00.001-06:00

The all-woman trio Bela Karoli released the 2007 album titled Furnished Rooms, which embodies refined baroque pop that blends electronic percussion elements seamlessly with vocals, stringed instruments and accordion. All through the album, the band's method remains true to the consistency of their unique style.

Primary-songwriter, Julie Davis, plucks jazzy double bass rhythms, and shares vocal duties with Brigid McAuliffe, who compresses accordion bellows. Carrie Beeder runs her bow across violin and cello strings.

Preludes 2 puts the words of T.S. Eliot to music. Davis' jerky melody captures the sense of spiritual exhaustion expressed by the poem.

The morning comes to consciousness
Of faint stale smells of beer
From the sawdust-trampled street
With all its muddy feet that press
To early coffee-stands.

With the other masquerades
That times resumes,
One thinks of all the hands
That are raising dingy shades
In a thousand furnished rooms.

Bela Karoli put extra time into arranging and polishing their sound in the studio.

Recording brought out the awkward situation of trying to figure out what we'd evolved into. Both the process of recording and hearing the songs made us ask a lot of questions. - Carrie Beeder

Prelude 2 - Bela Karoli

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ denverpost.com (string of lights - bela karoli)
mp3 @ kgnu.org (snow - bela karoli)

video @ youtube

stream @ imeem.com

blog aggregator @ elbo.ws
blog aggregator @ hypem.com

discography @ amazon

interview @ denverpost.com

review @ brainwashed.com
review @ kaffeinebuzz.com
review @ kvchno.com
review @ npr.org
review @ the taos news
review @ tinymixtapes.com
review @ waywardpanties.com
review @ westword
review included @ baseballtoaster.com

home page @ belakaroli.com

label @ helmetroom.com

images @ flickr.com (julie davis)
images @ flickr.com (brigid mcauliffe)

Jane Vain & the Dark Matter

2008-01-04T16:06:00.000-06:00

Jamie Fooks - singer-songwriter for Jane Vain & the Dark Matter - wrote Ships Bound to Sink for her latest album Love Is Where the Smoke Is. In the song, her voice resonates with the same velvety tone as Chan Marshall. Who is "probably one of the biggest influences," revealed Fooks in a ChartAttack interview.

Don't Mind Us seeped out of feelings of isolation while Fooks lived alone in a basement apartment in an industrial area.

I'm So Afraid is an emotional appeal to the invisible audience she once endeavored to impress, having since learned how to impress tangible audiences.

"I used to apologize all the time for being nervous onstage....but I was being told I shouldn’t do it – that it draws attention to the fact that I am nervous." - Jamie Fooks, Fast Forward Weekly

Her musical catharsis has gained an attentive following as her fan base continues to grow.

Fooks informed Calgary Herald that Ships Bound To Sink is about "dealing with someone who thought they were better than me, but were also romantically interested in me. I didn't want anything to do with them. It's hard telling someone who thinks they're better than you that they're not good enough for you."

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ box.net (c'mon baby say bang bang - jane vain & the dark matter)

video @ youtube
video @ youtube (oh captain - jane vain & the dark matter)

stream @ cbcradio3.com

blog aggregator @ elbo.ws
blog aggregator @ hypem.com

interview @ canada.com
interview @ chartattack.com

review @ beatroute.ca
review @ belletristicimpressions.blogspot.com
review @ ffwdweekly.com
review @ glossmag.ca
review @ mog.com
review @ urbanmixer.com

label @ rectanglerecords.com

images @ flickr.com

Howling Bells

2007-12-29T17:00:00.000-06:00

Juanita Stein performs lead vocals and rhythm guitar for the Australian indie-rock band Howling Bells, which decided to make London their home.

On 17 August 2006, Howling Bells lead guitarist related to CD Times how the band's popularity had increased since they began touring in the UK. Early on, the band would see "fifteen to thirty people" at their shows.

"Now we’re on our third tour and we’re selling most of the venues..." - Joel Stein

During the songwriting process, ideas have been presented, deconstructed and then reconstructed with bionic limbs by Joel and bassist Brendan Picchio.

"Juanita's the main songwriter, but the process is different every time. She'll usually come up with a song or lyrics, and then the band will tear it apart. We build it. Brendan and I have written a lot of riffs, and sometimes we'll go into the rehearsal room and a song will come out of those riffs." - Joel Stein

In an interview with The Electric Newspaper, Juanita Stein described the 'earthy' studio where HB's self-titled debut album was recorded:

"The studio wasn't this ridiculously lavish gold and marble room with room for an orchestra; it was old, and small, and earthy, with stones on the wall. Ken was unbelievably down to earth, and very gentle and very warm, and so for us it was a very earthy experience."

Note: Ken Nelson is known for his work with Coldplay.

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ bigstereo.net (low happening - howling bells)
mp3 @ chromewaves.net (blessed night - howling bells)
mp3 @ crackersunited.com (setting sun - howling bells)

video @ youtube (low happening - howling bells)
video @ youtube (low happening [live] - howling bells)
video @ youtube (broken bones - howling bells)
video @ youtube (blessed night - howling bells)
video @ youtube (setting sun - howling bells)

stream wma @ exodus.interoutemediaservices.com (the bell hit - howling bells)
stream wmv @ exodus.interoutemediaservices.com (blessed night - howling bells)
stream @ howlingbells.com (howling bells)

feed @ hypem.com

discography @ amazon.co.uk

interview @ cdtimes.co.uk (joel stein)
interview @ contactmusic.com (juanita stein, glenn moule)
interview @ elevenmagazine.com.au (juanita stein)
interview @ glovebox.com.au (juanita stein)
interview @ youtube.com (juanita stein, glenn moule)
interview @ lostateminor.com (juanita stein)
interview @ new-noise.net (brendan picchio)
interview @ thelineofbestfit.com (juanita stein)
interview @ yourgigs.com.au (juanita stein)

review @ bbc.co.uk
review @ bettypaginated.blogspot.com
review @ blogcritics.org
review @ contactmusic.com
review @ drownedinsound.com
review @ musicomh.com
review @ nme.com
review @ pitchforkmedia.com
review @ smh.com.au
live review @ musicomh.com

home page @ howlingbells.com

label @ bellaunion.com
label @ bellaunion.com (low happening)

images @ flickr.com

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

The Knife

2007-12-27T14:04:00.000-06:00

For popular bands, one track can spark that initial music media buzz. For the Swedish brother-sister duo, The Knife, that song was Heartbeats. José González - another Swedish artist - then stripped the song down to a indie-folk chassis, revealing its essential beauty, which can be heard on his debut album Veneer.

The Knife's latest album, Silent Shout, takes the creative synergy of the two musical architects to the next floor. The fourth track, We Share Our Mother's Health, sounds like Earth's electronic music paradigm is pitch shifting. While Karin Dreijer Andersson's voice is shifted downward - well into masculinity - in the last verse, as she sings:

Say you like it
Say you need it
When you don't...

On a planet with a population of misshapen humanoids, the song's vibe would sweep across the landscape like the compression wave of a sonic plague.

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ crushdtinbox.be (girls night out - the knife)
mp3 @ fakepennycomics.com (marble house - the knife)
mp3 @ filexoom.com (neverland - the knife)
mp3 @ kollegedaily.typepad.com (we share our mother's health - the knife)
mp3 @ on-screen.ca (pass this on - the knife)
mp3 @ walrusmusicblog.com (silent shout - the knife)

video @ youtube (got 2 let u - the knife)
video @ youtube (handy man - the knife)
video @ youtube (heartbeats - the knife)
video @ youtube (like a pen - the knife)
video @ youtube (marble house - the knife)
video @ youtube (n.y. hotel - the knife)
video @ youtube (na na na - the knife)
video @ youtube (neverland - the knife)
video @ youtube (pass this on - the knife)
video @ youtube (rock classics - the knife)
video @ youtube (silent shout - the knife)
video @ youtube (the captain - the knife)
video @ youtube (we share our mother's health - the knife)
video @ youtube (heartbeats[cover] - jose gonzalez)

stream @ klicktrack.com

feed @ hypem.com

discography @ amazon.com

interview @ krugermagazine.com
interview @ myvillage.co.uk

reviews @ metacritic.com

home page @ theknife.se
home page @ theknife.net
home page @ silentshout.co.uk

label @ rabidrecords.com

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Audrey

2007-12-25T19:45:00.000-06:00

The Swedish all-girl group, Audrey, released their nine-track baroque-pop album titled Visible Forms in 2006. Their songwriting encompasses a collaborative process between all four band members equally, by which pieces are fitted together during band practices. This musical symbiosis between Rebecka Kristiansson, Emelie Molin, Anna Tomlin and Victoria Skoglund has developed into rich chamber-pop soundscapes.

Essences of their Swedish influences can be heard, including instrumental works by Once We Were and Scraps of Tape. But Audrey has taken their sound deeper than standard rock instrumentals.

The appropriately somber Mecklenburg is the A-side and opening track. After some instrumental buildup, the lead vocal begins the first verse with Björk-like innocence. Abstract lyrics enhance the song's veiled vibe by leaving the meaning esoteric while, at the same time, allowing the imagery to float to the surface.

During the following track, Views, a repeating cello riff carries the rhythm, shadowing the lead vocal. The balance between strings and drums exemplifys the genuine beauty of the genre.

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ stereotestkit.com (mecklenburg - audrey)
mp3 @ stereotestkit.com (views - audrey)

video @ youtube

feed @ hypem.com

discography @ amazon

interview @ nicorola.de

review @ decoymusic.com
review @ dotshop.se
review @ drownedinsound.com
review @ sharinglemons.com
review @ sinnbus.de
review @ swedesplease.net

home page @ audrey.se

label @ stereotestkit.com

encyclopedia @ wikipedia.com

Dear Euphoria

2007-12-24T12:49:00.000-06:00

Stockholm-based singer-songwriter Elina Johansson named her project Dear Euphoria(derived from a affectionate nickname from her past).

Elina Johansson has been compared to Tori Amos for coalescing balladic piano with falsetto, and to Björk for her Scandanavian-tinged vocals. But the comparisons list does not stop there - a fact that indicates the versatile strength of her musical talent.

For Everything Of Worth is Elina Johansson's limited self-released 2005 debut album. This year, that album was remastered, renamed Dear Euphoria and rereleased in October by Stereo Test Kit - including four new songs. Then, early next year, fans should be on the lookout for DE's next album.

For Dear Euphoria's latest release, Sven Johansson contributed guitars, percussion and vocals, while Stefan Stenberg plays double bass.

Elina Johansson prefers a unrefined tone to her recordings because of how overproduced recordings can remove the sonic patina that characterizes genuineness. In an interview with Absolut Music, she explained:

Money buys you time, freedom and opportunities but not passion...

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ stereotestkit.com (snow - dear euphoria)
mp3 @ stereotestkit.com (falling behind - dear euphoria)

stream @ stereotestkit.com

feed @ hypem.com

discography @ stereotestkit.com

interview @ absolutnoise.blogspot.com

review @ cdbaby.com
review @ dagensskiva.com
review @ swedesplease.net

home page @ deareuphoria.net

label @ stereotestkit.com

Club 8

2007-12-22T16:40:00.000-06:00

Swedish indie-pop Club 8 is made up of melodist Karolina Komstedt and multi-instrumentalist Johan Angergård - who also runs Labrador Records.

The best pop tracks from Sweden stand out for their melodies. In an interview with Lunapark6, Angergård expressed how the band strived to make every note, every little sound, as emotional as possible. Not to be confused with Emo, rather, melodies that resonate with the heart - similar to how tuned strings resonate with wood. Komstedt's melodies target that area where all of our smiles and tears come from.

Whatever You Want is the A-side off their 2007 Labrador release of The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming. Which serves as a prime example of the melody-driven vibe that the band took the time to develop at Summersound Studios.

Angergård noted that 80s-era UK bands were influential, including The Smiths, The Orchids and The Field Mice. Also, in the studio, he played all of the musical instruments except the trombone and the brass.

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ icyicy.com (whatever you want - club 8)
mp3 @ icyicy.com (heaven - club 8)

video @ youtube (hope for winter - club 8)
video @ youtube (i guess i was wrong - club 8)
video @ youtube (love in december - club 8)
video @ youtube (missing you - club 8)
video @ youtube (saturday night engine - club 8)
video @ youtube (she lives by the water - club 8)
video @ youtube (we're simple minds without motion - club 8)
video @ youtube (whatever you want - club 8)
video @ youtube (you and me - club 8)

feed @ hypem.com

discography @ amazon

review @ pitchforkmedia.com (the boy who couldn't stop dreaming)
review @ pitchforkmedia.com (whatever you want)

interview @ lunapark6.com (johan angergård)
interview @ deathrockstar.info (karolina komstedt)

home page @ icyicy.com

label @ labrador.se

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Chasing Dorotea

2007-12-21T08:32:00.001-06:00

The Swedish band, Chasing Dorotea, released its debut album in 2002 on Summersound Records(which later merged with Labrador Records). Band-leader singer-songwriter Christopher Sander, wrote a new-old song titled Champagne, which represents a joint effort with Elin Almered and Janina Frank. Sander weaves a tapestry of mixed metaphors and haunting electronic elements.

but little sister don't go jumpin off a bridge
fill your hole with poetry, and close the wound with a stitch

The Anchor Song - from Chasing Dorotea's 2002 debut album - illustrates the bond between a loving couple through innocent metaphors, sung by Sander and Swedish actress Tuva Novotny side-by-side. The completely unassuming sweetness of the song charms to the marrow.

there is an ocean in your eyes
deeper than the dark-blue sea

A few more titles from the coming CD's growing discography are Old Man & the Ladybug, Homka FM and Compassion.

Christopher Sander's songwriting has been compared to the style of Mark Kozelek. Dorotea in the band's name is a dyslexic version of the name Teodora(or Theodora).

profile @ myspace.com

mp3 @ labrador.se (the anchor song - chasing dorotea)
mp3 @ stereotestkit.com (dreamer - chasing dorotea)

discography @ amazon.com

review @ indiespinzone.com

label @ labrador.se

lyrics @ songmeanings.net

Aaron Acosta

2007-12-17T11:17:00.000-06:00

In an exclusive interview, Aaron Acosta talks about technical aspects of sound design, soundscapes, career ambitions and mentors.

[indiessance]
Your previous album is titled Frequency, Amplitude & Time. How do these three terms relate to sound design? How does each affect how we interpret our surroundings in a unique way?

[aaron acosta]
These are the elements that comprise our interpretation of sound. Pitch is how we perceive frequency, amplitude and volume; all sound events happen in time or a duration. I try to manipulate these elements to change the perception of the sound event. For instance, in the CD, songs like Water Study Song, I take a short sound event, like water dripping, and manipulate the frequency, amplitude and time of the event. So hearing a sound that was originally 3 seconds expanded to 60 seconds, increasing and decreasing the pitch. This allows the listener to discover interesting aspects of the sound.

[indiessance]
According to the Wikipedia, sound design can be understood as the manipulation of audio elements to achieve a desired effect. Is such a desired effect typically a specific emotional response? When you are developing sounds in a track, are you targeting emotions and imagery?

[aaron acosta]
I originally did my musical works by accident really. I was trying to get my sound design chops up for film and theatre. I concentrated on things that were evocative of imagery, but open to interpretation. The kind of sound that has a space saved for an image. I like to think of it like some of the listening exercises we had in my classes in college. Being in a dark room and listening to compositions like this, you explore imagery that is half yours and half the composers. I love hearing about the imagery that people who are more creative than I am come up with when they listen to my sounds. I like the idea of using sounds that free people from having to think about tunes or traditional composition. Because this is unconstrained by an obvious song structure, it allows the listener to create emotions and imagery freely.

[indiessance]
Are there any movies that you would have liked to design the soundscapes for? Are there any movies or novels that helped inspire sound designs? Do you first have a story in mind before you sit down to begin working on each design?

[aaron acosta]
So many great movies! I love the Tim Burton films. I really like animation. For a sound designer and composer, you have free range in a way. You are unconstrained by reality, and get to participate in creating reality for the project. Lots of fun. City of Lost Children is one of my favourites. I would do the sound for that just for fun. I love the imagery, it is very inspiring. I love horror movies. As a genre, horror has sound that directly effects the audience. As far as reading, I am not into novels as much as books. I read really heavy stuff, recently, I have been reading several Taoist works and some books on quantum physics. I don't pretend to understand it, but it does give me inspiration. I kind of say, what would this concept I don't understand sound like? That is where a lot of my work starts. Sometimes I try to communicate an experience of an environment, like Carlsbad and Cave from Wave were inspired by Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. I wanted to convey how I felt in that space. Others are about street corners, a snowy field, the ocean.

[indiessance]
These days, popular video games can outsell blockbuster movies. The Halo 3 soundtrack contains a total of 32 tracks - a nice sized project for a sound designer. And that entire soundtrack is filled with great epic soundscapes. Are video game projects just as desirable to you as movie soundtrack projects?

[aaron acosta]
For me video games are a little bit more desirable than film! I play video games and love the idea of a being immersed in the story, landscape and emotions of the piece. Video games give you goals that create vested interest in the story and the survival of your character. The time you spend on these games in many cases is the same amount of time you would spend reading a novel, but with a good game you get to experience and participate in the novel. You get wrapped up in the mythology of the world that the designers have created. This is very fertile ground for any sound designer and composer. Games I like to play are the Final Fantasy series, Fatal Frame, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Siren. Sound plays a major part in these. Of course with modern technology, these experiences are every bit as satisfying as a major motion picture, in fact I feel more so.

[indiessance]
Brian Eno is known as the father of ambient music, but he was also a record producer, music theorist, etc. What other hats might you be wearing in the future?

[aaron acosta]
Right now, I have been giving a lot of thought to installation art. Taking something else from the Eno play book. I would love the opportunity to use my lighting design and set design skills to create a sound design installation that will allow the audience to experience my projects fully. Right now, I have to get off my ass and develop some drawings so I can beg for money and studio space to do that. Something I have never done, but have a great interest in. I would also love to collaborate in such projects. I am also getting my bachelors of education, so in the future, teaching is something I would love to do.

[indiessance]
Have you worked with anyone who has helped shape or develop your sound? Have any particular sound designers influenced your work?

[aaron acosta]
So many. In my degree at the College of Santa Fe, I got to work with great teachers that shaped not only the way I work, but the way I look at life. David Dunn and Steven Miller from the contemporary music program at the College of Santa Fe opened me up to electro acoustic music. I could not have developed my first works without them. David Stout at the College of Santa Fe film department was always there for me and developed what I think film sound could and should be. I also find his art installations inspiring. Jim Lyden, and Clark Duncan from the theatre department at CSF allowed me to explore sound design in theatre, and make a ton of mistakes. And in general, I think every director i work with, every project I collaborate on shapes my work and how I see the world a little bit. That's why I love this work. Every project is a chance to change your perception, and learn about people.

[indiessance]
You also compose electroacoustic tracks - a genre that does not have a clear cut definition. What elements do you use in such compositions that might characterize them as electroacoustic?

[aaron acosta]
Well, I learned that there were two major camps, the Pierre Schaeffer, Musique concrète camp that takes recorded environmental sounds and juxtaposes them to come up with a composition, and the German Electronic Music that involves purely electronic synthesis of sounds. Modern electroacoustic music is a mix of both of these. I think people who work in this type of music are driven more by sound and our reaction to it. This means you do not feel constrained by song structure, 12 tone equal temperament, or standard music notation. Elecroacoustic music uses electronics to create and/or manipulate sounds in a purely evocative way. Right now the CBC is playing a piece about circuit bending. It is another example of finding sounds and compositions in unusual places. Right now, I think electroacoustic can either be a term that excludes popular music, but is slowly starting to infect it.

[indiessance]
The 60x60 project organizes an annual event - a concert featuring 60 tracks by 60 electroacoustic artists. You have been contributing compositions to 60x60 since the project's inception in 2003. How has 60x60 affected the development of your craft?

[aaron acosta]
60x60 is such a great idea. It is amazing to think of the cross section that participate in it. I also love the time limit! It forces you to choose your words carefully. Every year since 2003, I think, this year i have nothing I can submit, but then something strikes me and i am able to create something. I have also been getting inspiration from the shorter pieces to expand upon them and create longer ones. I cant say how much i love the idea of the project. Listening to the cds is like spending 60 seconds in another composers head. It is a great opportunity. Recently, collaborations with video and dance artist is exactly what i love. I love the idea of other artists work being influenced by mine and would like to see more of it in the future. I love to see other's interpretation of their experience of my work.

cd @ cdbaby (wave - aaron acosta)
cd @ cdbaby (frequency, amplitude and time - aaron acosta)

profile @ myspace
home page @ aaronacosta

samples: wave
mp3 @ aaronacosta (carlsbad)
mp3 @ aaronacosta (deception)
mp3 @ aaronacosta (far)
mp3 @ aaronacosta (wave134)

samples: frequency, amplitude & time
mp3 @ aaronacosta (traffic)
mp3 @ aaronacosta (fire study song)
mp3 @ aaronacosta (beat 61203)
mp3 @ aaronacosta (ddd3)
mp3 @ aaronacosta (medical)
mp3 @ aaronacosta (earth study song)
mp3 @ aaronacosta (nebulous)

review @ smother.net

Jim Protector

2007-12-14T03:30:00.000-06:00

The fuzzy lo-fi title track from the 2004 EP, 'Jim Protector's guide to self-pity', is the song that put the four-piece band on their national music map. On that track, lead vocals are not washed out by jangly guitar rhythms, as they tend to be in shoegaze tracks. And their melodic guitar phrases do not dissolve into feedback. While the third track off their latest project, 'French', features a synthified Daft Punk-ish lead vocal.

Since their 2001 liftoff in Horten, Norway, Jim Protector had only recorded EPs and tracks for compilation albums. At some point, having relocated the band to historic Trondheim - a city well-known for its pervasive music scene - their recording studio was then erected in a refurbished work shed inside an abandoned smelting plant.

This year, Jim Protector's first full-album, Shields Down was forged, and released during the summer. The band was assisted in their studio by The Posies guitarist Ken Stringfellow, who also contributed vocals, keyboards and mixing assistance for the album's title track.

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ sonicbids (jim protector's guide to self-pity)
mp3 @ sonicbids (french - jim protector)
mp3 @ sonicbids (the hallmark channel - jim protector)
mp3 @ sonicbids (headaches - jim protector)

video @ youtube (shields down - jim protector)
video @ youtube (wooden knee - jim protector)
video @ youtube (skaybas - jim protector)
video @ youtube (jim protector's guide to self-pity)

stream @ jimprotector

discography @ cdbaby

review @ twowaymonologues
review @ chartattack
review @ payplay

home page @ jimprotector

images @ flickr

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Datarock

2007-12-12T23:02:00.001-06:00

Red hoodies and oversized sunglasses donned by Bergen-based Datarock betoken one of their primary influences - Devo. Wrote for Luck by Happy Mondays presents evidence of another influence, while their song title Fa Fa Fa seems an obvious tribute to Psycho Killer by Talking Heads. These Norwegian rockers wear their influentials on their sleeves.

Datarock's jumpy antics onstage may be misleading; there is a method to their madness. Perhaps their palpable camp effect reflects how absurd and superficial today's heavily commercialized middle-class cultural vibe has become.

Performing at the Crawdaddy music venue in Dublin, lead vocalist Fredrik Saroea asked the audience, "where did E.T. go after he left planet Earth? He took a night flight to Uranus." Another track - Computer Camp Love - is a danceable parody of Summer Nights from the Grease soundtrack.

The album's lead track - Bulldozer - expresses the two-wheeled affinity of the band's two frontmen Fredrik Saroea and Ketil Mosnes.

BMX (is) better than sex
BMX (is) better than sex

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ digitalwell (fa fa fa - datarock)
mp3 @ digitalwell (i used to dance with my daddy - datarock)
mp3 @ digitalwell (kexp)
mp3 @ rhythmcartel (computer camp love - datarock)
mp3 @ canyouseethesunset (princess - datarock)
mp3 @ nettwerk (see what i care - datarock)
mp3 @ fileden (the new song - datarock)

video @ youtube (bulldozer - datarock)
video @ youtube (computer camp love - datarock)
video @ youtube (fa fa fa - datarock)
video @ youtube (i used to dance with my daddy - datarock)
video @ youtube (new song - datarock)
video @ youtube (night flight to uranus - datarock)
video @ youtube (princess - datarock)
video @ youtube (sex me up - datarock)

stream @ virb

feed @ hypem

discography @ amazon

interview @ montrealmirror

review @ pitchforkmedia
review aversion
review @ bbc
review @ laweekly
review @ nme
review @ musicomh
review @ nytimes
review @ popmatters

home page @ datarockmusic

images @ flickr

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Dick Prall

2007-12-11T20:02:00.000-06:00

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Dick Prall is an Iowa transplant who released the rootsy pop album Weightless, which characterizes the well-crafted songwriting of his musical influences.

Among his major influences are The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Elvis Costello, and Paul Westerberg; all represent memorable singer-songwriters. But he informed Up Next that Quentin Duarte(a former co-writer) was a primary influence in how he encouraged Prall to learn guitar, and write his own songs. While Prall also admired Buddy Holly for how the prolific artist refused to allow anyone else to write or produce his own music.

Duarte wrote that he "felt the emotional social political lyrical statement (the message of the music) was more important..."

After the original Dick Prall Band broke up in Iowa, he became a father, moved to Chicago, and continued to write songs and tour under the pseudonym of Starch Martins, which he eventually dropped for his real name: Dick Prall - solo artist.

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ dickprall (halfway to hollywood - dick prall)
mp3 @ dickprall (the cornflakes song - dick prall)
mp3 @ dickprall (b&w - dick prall)
mp3 @ thelocaltourist (grand marquee - dick prall)
mp3 @ obscuresound (saturday's changed- dick prall)
mp3 @ obscuresound (copperhead town - dick prall)
mp3 @ obscuresound (maybe you're a heart - dick prall)

video @ youtube (copperhead town - dick prall)
video @ youtube (steve levy show)

stream @ nme (full album)

feed @ hypem

interview @ waycoolmusic
interview @ upnextmusic

review @ superstarcastic
review @ eomentertainment
review @ musicbox-online

home page @ dickprall

label @ thenadas

images @ flickr

Basia Bulat

2007-12-07T12:03:00.003-06:00

The true vocal quality of London-based baroque-pop singer-songwriter Basia Bulat is a cross between Leslie Feist, and Chan Marshall having a chamber-pop moment.

The A-side on her debut album Oh, My Darling is I Was a Daughter.

In the triple-meter track Little Waltz, out of heartfelt regret, the singer expresses her plea through a euphemism:

stay for a while
while our leaves are still green, please

The singer's romance is prefigured by imagery of a dance floor, and love by the dance itself. Slowly twirling within a genre of pop dressed in orchestral satin, Little Waltz is an A-side. Also, the track was used in a Volkswagon Eos commercial.

Basia Bulat plays acoustic guitar and autoharp; she fleshes out her sound with a half-dozen musicians who provide ukulele, violin, viola, cello, piano and percussion. The band's sound can be described as a fusion of folk and baroque pop.

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ quickbeforeitmelts (i was a daughter - basia bulat)
mp3 @ chromewaves (snakes & ladders - basia bulat)
mp3 @ quickbeforeitmelts (before i knew - basia bulat)
mp3 @ blogsr4dogs (the pilgriming vine - basia bulat)

video @ youtube (little waltz - basia bulat)

stream @ radio3
stream @ imeem.com (little waltz - basia bulat)

feed @ hypem

discography @ amazon

interview @ nowtoronto

review @ pitchforkmedia
review @ sixeyes
review @ boomkat
review @ musicomh

blog @ iguessimfloating.blogspot.com

home page @ basiabulat

label @ roughtraderecords

images @ flickr

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Airiel

2007-12-05T23:03:00.000-06:00

For 10 years Chicago-based Airiel has preserved the tradition of building walls of jangly square wave fuzz, like bands that helped define shoegazing, namely, Jesus and Mary Chain, Moose, Ride, Chapterhouse, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins and Pale Saints. The band's latest full-album The Battle of Sealand revives the early 90s - accounting for a genre that glorified droning melodic phrases.

Roughs Tower appears as an elevated rectangular platform atop two oversized concrete pillars; located in the North Sea, some 10 km off the coast of Suffolk, England. Originally a World War II installation, later ennobled by the title Principality of Sealand - a micronation represented by flag, coat of arms, and 'self-proclaimed royal family', among other things. As the smallest country in the world, the tower's historical account includes an eviction attempt by the Royal Navy, a pirate radio broadcasting court case, a takeover by squatters and a firearms case. Currently, the owners of Sealand are making arrangements for a transferral of custodianship, since a principality can not be sold. Prince Michael of Sealand was quoted by the The Times:

We have owned the island for 40 years now and my father is 85.

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ highwheelrecordsllc (peoria - airiel)
mp3 @ airiel (kiss me slowly - airiel)
mp3 @ airiel (firefly - airiel)
mp3 @ airiel (cinnamon - airiel)
mp3 @ airiel (airtight angels - airiel)
mp3 @ airiel (thinktank - airiel)
mp3 @ box (sugar crystals - airiel)
mp3 @ builtonaweakspot (stationary lights - airiel)
mp3 @ builtonaweakspot (500 deep - airiel)

feed @ hypem

discography @ amazon

review @ transformonline
review @ rhodezone.newsvine
review @ stylusmagazine
review @ pitchforkmedia

label @ highwheelrecordsllc

interview @ illinoisentertainer

encyclopedia @ wikipedia

The Foundry Field Recordings

2007-12-03T01:33:00.000-06:00

Columbia-based four-piece The Foundry Field Recordings released their latest album Prompts/Miscues in October 2006. And their track titled Holding the Pilots/Holding the Facts was included in KEXP Seattle's Music That Matters 27 podcast.

In November 2006, Columbia Daily Tribune staff reporter Mary T. Nguyen went on the road with FFR to New York City.

In March 2007, Emergency Umbrella released a three-track exclusive digital-only EP through Insound.com.

In May, FFR endured their late night recording session at the Daytrotter studio.

In June, FFR released Fallout Shelters - the five-track limited edition companion EP to Prompts/Miscues - which included the three-tracks from the Insound release, and a cover of the song Caribou.

The extended balladic piano intro of Transistor Kids sketches a sad apocalyptic soundscape, then shifts to moderate rock:

so you killed off the last transistor kid
and you can't figure out what you did

Shoegaze guitars enter when the chorus returns, until the final stage of the sonic build-up is completely taken over by fuzzy guitar - delivering a strong current of shoegaze-pop amplification, to finish the EP.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ spin (battle brigades ii - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ daytrotter (battle brigades ii - the foundry field recordings - daytrotter session)
mp3 @ minneapolisfuckingrocks (warning raids over kiev - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ daytrotter (assembled hazardly - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ marsneedsguitars (holding the pilots/holding the facts - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ battlebrigades (spain never made it - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ ezarchive (buried beneath the winter frames - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ daytrotter (the foundry field recordings - daytrotter session)
mp3 @ battlebrigades (buy/sell/trade - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ toolshed-media (transistor kids - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ battlebrigades (archery bots - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ battlebrigades (daryl loves vicki - the foundry field recordings)
mp3 @ battlebrigades (dancing lights slow machines - the foundry field recordings)
video @ youtube (battle brigades 1 & 2 - the foundry field recordings)
video @ youtube (spain never made it - the foundry field recordings)
video @ youtube (holding the pilots/holding the facts - the foundry field recordings)
video @ youtube (assembled hazardly - the foundry field recordings)
feed @ hypem
review @ treblezine
review @ cokemachineglow
review @ insound
review @ muzorama
review @ playbackstl
review @ popmatters
home page @ battlebrigades
label @ emergencyumbrella
discography @ amazon (fallout stations)
discography @ amazon (prompts/miscues)

David Broderick

2007-11-29T20:44:00.000-06:00

In an exclusive interview, David Broderick talks about his new EP 'Miles from the Highway' and the Denton, Texas music scene.

[indiessance]
In Denton, Texas, the University of North Texas houses the largest music school in the nation. Add to that a metro population exceeding 7.5 million, and you have the perfect environment for a music culture to thrive in. How did the Denton music scene help you develop your craft? Are there plenty of venues that you like to perform at there?

[david broderick]
I had been coming to Denton for years to go to various shows. I lived in a town right in the middle of the metroplex so Dallas and Fort Worth were roughly equal distances, but Denton always drew the coolest bands. I think one of the biggest influences Denton has provided is its huge jazz scene, and the high population of musicians in general. The town has to cater to that so in return there are a lot of places to play; Hailey's, Andy's, J & J's, Rubber Gloves, Dan's Silverleaf, The Secret Headquarters which actually just closed down. As a musician you can pretty much always find a place to play, and if you cant then you can always get on 35 and head to Dallas, Fort Worth, OKC, or Austin.

[indiessance]
You informed me that Midlake, Robert Gomez, Baptist Generals and Fishboy all come from Denton - and that list goes on. Are there any other up-and-coming Dentonites that we should know about? Which Denton bands do you like the most?

[david broderick]
There is this great band I checked out a few weeks ago called Mom. They're one of the most interesting, beautiful things I've ever heard from the area. Grab their CD if you can find it anywhere. I'd say Midlake has been my biggest influence from a Denton band. I see them every time I get a chance, and I actually just got back from having coffee with the keyboard player. I've really enjoyed everything they have done from the time I was in 8th or 9th grade. They're incredible.

[indiessance]
'Points off the Center' - the A-side from your new EP 'Miles from the Highway' - has a Latin vibe with shuffle rhythm and percussion. Are there any particular Latin music genres or artists that inspire you?

[david broderick]
I like a lot of bossa nova jazz stuff, but I'm not particularly into any latin artists. I think I'm just attracted to some of those rhythms and qualities because they have a strong beat to them and you don't hear it too much in most modern music coming out. It's really catchy and has an interesting, almost dance quality.

[indiessance]
The phrase 'miles from the highway' can be found in the lyrics to 'Points off the Center'; the lyrics sound tight. Do you feel that good lyrics are important to a song?

[david broderick]
I definitely think that lyrics can make or break a song, and that's definitely the area that I'm most self conscious about. I try to write in as few words what I would like to say and in a non-direct fashion. Whenever I try to say too much I end up ruining what I started with. I focus on melodies a lot too. A strong melody that gets stuck in your head is a good melody. A unique melody that you find yourself singing without becoming obnoxious is a great melody.

[indiessance]
How does the title of your EP tie into the meaning of 'Points off the Center'? What is the meaning of the song?

[david broderick]
Both the title and lyric refer to just getting away from things. I was just ready for a change in my surroundings. It's kind of ironic because where I'm living now, I can see highway 35 from around the corner. The album as a whole is about seeing something new, but 'Points off the Center' is actually about going back to how things were when most everything new ends up being the same.

[indiessance]
A song titled '7/4 Shoreline' by Broken Social Scene is played in non-standard 7/4 time. I seem to hear a non-standard time signature in 'Give a Hand' from your new EP. Mainly, I'm referring to the drumbeat that comes in with the Roswellian news flash. Is the drummer playing a non-standard beat?

[david broderick]
Actually that song is standard 6/8 time, but it has a bit of a "gallop" to it which might give it an odd feel. The section after the second verse is played very loosely though. I think it opens that area up a lot into a melodic dream-like state which suits the song well and adds to the dynamics of the song before such a rigid and dissonant crescendo.

[indiessance]
One year ago, more than 50 eyewitnesses - including several airline employees - saw an unidentifiable flying object above O'Hare Airport. For 60 years, Americans have been reporting this unexplainable phenomenon. 'Give a Hand' has a news flash track that sounds like an early Roswell report. Could you describe what 'Give a Hand' is about? How do you feel about the UFO phenomenon?

[david broderick]
'Give a Hand' is the opening song on the EP and I think serves two purposes. On one end it gives you some insight to the main character of the album, but it also is me sort of telling myself that putting myself in a new area isn't necessarily going to be an amazing new experience. I think it's kind of best stated with the lines "There's nothing in the woods you can't find in the city where you're from." I can say I'm not particularly interested in UFO phenomenon, although there is a ridiculous website about how Earth was colonized by aliens and Jesus was one of the aliens. I have fun browsing through that place.

[indiessance]
Are there any particular producers or engineers who have helped develop or shape your sound?

[david broderick]
I recorded, mixed and mastered this album on my own so I would definitely say that I have some influences as far as that whole aspect goes. My brother had a home studio off of his bedroom and he was always messing around in there. I read an interview with Brian Deck, this chicago guy who has done a lot of big records, and I really like his style and way of seeing things as far as mixing goes. I like listening to lots of records and seeing what kinds of sounds they use, and tones. The new Animal Collective is great; I'm still absorbing both Midlake albums. I don't know.. It's really such an overwhelming thing to take on and just a really big learning experience. I've learned a lot about how I play and how I write.

[indiessance]
What are some of the extra musical instruments you use to flesh out your tracks, and help define your sound? Any particular effects or synths that you like to use?

[david broderick]
On this record I have used a lot of flute samples. I think they have this warm, rustic quality that exaggerates the whole "living in the woods" vibe. I also messed around with a lot of different overdriven synth sounds, and organs. For the most part everything else was pretty standard. A lot of tape delay was used, and played around with trying to get a lot of "warbling" sounds on some of the leads.

profile @ myspace.com
mp3 @ kingfishtheband.com (points off the center - david broderick)
mp3 @ kingfishtheband.com (give a hand - david broderick)
home page @ davidbroderick.net

Hylozoists

2007-11-27T21:29:00.000-06:00

Hylozoists is the name of a rotating collective - a Canadian who's who list of musicians - assembled by Paul Aucoin.

While touring with a 13-piece, Hylozoists can fit the bill, but this forces them to pick and choose venues that can fit the band.

As well as the organizer, Paul Aucoin is also the primary songwriter. Sometimes he will provide clear cut parts for a particular musician to play, other times he will leave room for a band member to come up with their own interpretation.

Each instrumental track off the latest full-album La Fin Du Monde sets the scene as a movie soundtrack would. Each track could be dubbed in a series of unrelated film shorts; little projects that have been spliced together into one reel. And for that reason, all of the song titles are tentative. Write your own little screenplays, and then change the song titles. Musique pour la Sonorisation.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ boompa (strait is the gate - hylozoists)
mp3 @ sxsw (smiley smiley - hylozoists)
stream @ radio3
stream @ radio3 (studio 211)
video @ youtube (warning against judging a christian brother - hylozoists)
video @ youtube (promo)
review @ cokemachineglow
review @ popmatters
review @ sputnikmusic
review @ treblezine
review @ punktv
review @ artistdirect
interview @ punktv
interview @ gauntlet
home page @ thehylozoists
label @ boompa
encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Gospel Gossip

2007-11-26T20:16:00.000-06:00

In an exclusive interview, Sarah and Ollie of Minnesota-based Gospel Gossip talk about songwriting inspiration, studio recording and the music industry.

[indiesssance]
Shadows are Bent and Lucky Lemmings are two strong tracks to represent A-side and B-side, respectively. Gospel Gossip has an original sound that overshadows comparisons to other bands.

Creative blocks can be frustrating; depressing at times. Are there any particular bands that stir up creative juices - or sweep out the cobwebs - as a muse? Are there any bands that stand out as a primary source of inspiration for your songwriting?

[sarah]
I don't know. It's too easy to run too far in the direction of "inspiration." I'm most blocked when I become too attached to the superficial qualities of a band or sound, like lyrics or melody or structure. Those things are hypnotic but with respect [to] songs themselves, meaningless. Being inspired is about inhaling a feeling and breathing it back out. I wrote the start of Lucky Lemmings after lying on my floor listening to Heroin [by The Velvet Underground] repeatedly for three hours. But that doesn't mean they sound alike or are about the same thing. That said, there still are albums that we collectively love. Psychocandy, Daydream Nation, and Horses are a few of those.

[ollie]
We're big Talking Heads fans too. True Stories was an inspiring movie for all of us. Speaking of...

[indiessance]
Which novels or movies inspire you? Any particular authors?

[sarah]
Ollie and I just saw I'm Not There by Todd Hayes, and it's pretty incredible. There are a lot of references to Ingmar Bergman's Persona, which makes sense, and that's also another one of my favorites. I would put Jean-Luc Godard and David Lynch on the top of my fail-proof filmmaker list. Authors... Virginia Woolf will never cease to amaze me, and T.S. Eliot, but then again he's a poet. William S. Burroughs is pretty great for a trip.

[ollie]
All the late-60's counter culture films are very influential for us as well.

[indiessance]
Are there any producers or sound engineers who have helped to shape or develop your sound?

[sarah]
Neil Weir, he's a Minneapolis guy, mixed our album. He understood where we were coming from and is unique in the way that he's not so crazy about digital post-production effects, as so many producers these days seem to be. He went ahead and used analog effects, like tape delay, to really hone out our sound.

[ollie]
Yeah, it was this Roland RE -150 Space Echo that he bought in Northfield (of all places). It was a big box with a bunch of VU meters, looked like it was from the early 80's. We used it on all the songs as a post-production effect. The ambient jangling sound on Shadows Are Bent is a good example. We also titled two songs after the effect. But yeah, it really saved us because we got into a terrible situation with the guy we tracked with, and it turned out to be difficult to expand our sound when we went to Neil. So there's a lot of tension between experimentation and cookie-cutter engineering.

[indiessance]
I noticed that you are scheduled to play at First Avenue on December 13th, a venue that has been a rock-it launch pad for Twin Cities-based bands for decades - the CBGB of Minneapolis. The show is a CD release party for your latest project. Are you excited about the gig? Has that show put a buzz in the group's busy hive?

[sarah]
We're playing 7th Street Entry, not First Avenue proper, but still it's fabulous. It's our favorite venue in Minneapolis; the sound is incredible, and the atmosphere perfect. It's just a small black black room.

[ollie]
The Entry's just as historically important. The Replacements and Husker Du played there often. Prince got his start there. A bunch of great national bands play there too. First Ave. is too scary to play. We haven't done it yet, but it's huge. It looks exactly the way [it] does in Purple Rain.

[indiessance]
In your message, you noted 'shoegaze' and 'New Order' as general tags for comparison. There are places where I have caught a The Cure vibe, e.g. 1:37 into the 'Lucky Lemmings' MP3 - mostly from the slight dissonant tremble in Sarah's vocal, but also from the layers of electric guitar. Speaking of which, how are you able to emulate such layering live - with a three-piece band?

[sarah]
We just added a synth player, actually, and she's helped a bit to fill things out, although I wouldn't say that sparseness in sound was ever an issue to begin with. We did do some overdubbing on the album, but even on Lucky Lemmings I don't think there are ever any more than two guitars going at once. When we're live I use a digital delay pedal, which can really help to take the sound and explode it.

[ollie]
The great thing about that song is that it's always different when we play it. That also worried us when we were recording it. We thought it was going to be really difficult and untrue to the way we play it live. But I'm happy; it's my favorite on the album. And yes, there are a bunch of references in the song. I don't think we had the Cure in mind. The drums in the middle of the song are a rip off of Age of Consent [by New Order]. Same with the fills I do toward the end: those are taken from Patti Smith's Free Money. Anyway, we're not embarrassed about our influences, but we also don't make our music live through them. They're kind of like terse, offhanded comments, allusions, things to allow our music to go somewhere else.

[indiessance]
In addition to the Twin Cities music scene, are there any cities with scenes that you really liked? Which is your favorite city to perform in, outside of Minneapolis?

[sarah]
We've only been on tour once, and it wasn't much, just some house shows and art collectives up the west coast. In Chico we were going to play this place called the Crux Collective, and Justin was following our van on his motorcycle and ended up getting stranded somewhere around San Fransisco, I think. We panicked, but someone at the collective stepped up to fill in on bass. That was I think one of the worst and most honest shows we've ever played.

[ollie]
Seattle and Vancouver were fun... really great music Cities. I remember a death metal band opened for us in L.A.

[indiessance]
Enough times, in music reviews, the reader encounters an avalanche of sonic comparisons - this can be misleading, even confusing. Have you come across any sonic comparisons to GG that might make you scratch your head?

[sarah]
We haven't really been reviewed yet. Although once some drunken guy said we sounded like U2. That was off-putting.

[ollie]
I could see where that guy was coming from. The weirdest one I've heard yet was today: someone on a message board said we were a shitty version of the Beatles or something. I think we've got more balls than the Beatles because we can make louder music with fewer genitalia.

[indiessance]
It is clear that your band's sound has jelled. It can take years for a band to get that tight. How did GG first come together? How long has the band been in its current configuration of Sarah, Justin and Ollie?

[sarah]
I had been writing songs for a while when I met Ollie at Carleton. We'd drink whiskey and played in my dorm laundry room from time to time. A few months of that got old, so we brought Justin in. He and Ollie played in a hardcore band called Rainbow Magical. We'd been playing together for a little less than a year when we recorded the album, so now I guess we've been together for almost a year and half. And now we have a new member, Deanna, as I mentioned.

[indiessance]
There are many new bands out there that are in the process of building a fan base. Such bands rely on file sharing as a means of exposing even more listeners to their music. But - as well as a blessing - file sharing has proven to be a curse.

Based on your experiences in an indie band, how do you feel about the current state of the music industry, with the pervasive manifestation of illegal file sharing, and major labels shifting into survival mode? What steps has GG taken in order to survive as a band in this crazy music industry environment?

[sarah]
Some bands understand that art and expression aren't about ownership, and those are the bands that will survive, or at least matter. It's obvious that the music industry is floundering, but it's also obvious that the major labels are still making money. Britney Spears is paid over $700,000 every month and she sees only pennies from album sales. Greed fuels corporate industry, and the music business is no exception. It hasn't yet been able to reconcile with itself that perhaps music isn't just another commercial commodity to be bought and sold, as they've been treating it to be for so many decades. They can't stop file sharing because people don't think they need to pay money for music anymore. They can use lawsuits to frighten people but not to make them buy worthless albums. If they need to make millions they need to find a way apart from selling music, because (hopefully) they're never again going to convince the populace that a compact disc is worth $15.

[indiessance]
If I were to take a guess, it sounds as if your tracks were laid out with an 8-track recorder on 1/2" media. What make-model of recorder did you actually use? Any other equipment you might like to mention? e.g. guitar pedals.

[sarah]
Everything was actually tracked digitally with Protools. Maybe the analog echo and reverb techniques that I already mentioned are what are giving you that feel. My delay pedal is a Boss DD-6. It's priceless. I use a Metal Muff for distortion, and that's it. A lot of the best sounds come out of twisting the guitar around, bending the bridge, and so on. Justin uses a DD-3 and a Boss Bass Overdrive.

[indiessance]
I doubt that your band will ever receive a scathing review. Have the critics been writing nice things so far?

[sarah]
You're the first. Set the bar high.

profile @ myspace.com

mp3 @ rabbitsliketrumpets.typepad.com (shadows are bent - gospel gossip)
mp3 @ rabbitsliketrumpets.typepad.com (lucky lemmings - gospel gossip)
mp3 @ rabbitsliketrumpets.typepad.com (wind - gospel gossip)

blog aggregator @ hypem.com

interview @ carleton.edu

images @ flickr.com

Bloc Party

2007-11-20T21:37:00.000-06:00

London-based indie-rock Bloc Party is fronted by singer-songwriter Kele Okereke.

Their latest full-album, A Weekend In The City is a multifaceted social statement:

Hunting For Witches expresses the sociopolitical manifestation of islamophobia - via terrorism, government intervention and media saturation; a song inspired by the 2005 London bombings.

The Morrissey-esque Uniform laments the socioeconomic influence of the spirit of commerce on young consumers.

Where is Home? relates the sociogenic problem of hate crimes from a black-British perspective - inspired by the killing of family-friend Christopher Alaneme.

The song title SRXT represents the anti-depressant Seroxat with vowels extracted to avoid litigation. The song is a sociopsychological allegory from a despondent viewpoint; Tube-related sound effects correspond to a listener meditating on the issue while sitting on a train with eyes closed and headphones on.

The lead track Song for Clay is a tribute to the novel Less Than Zero, particularly the story's protagonist, Clay. A line from the lyrics, "people are afraid to merge on the freeway", corresponds with the first sentence of the novel: "People are afraid to merge on freeways in Los Angeles."

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ sixeyesmedia (we were lovers - bloc party)
mp3 @ rednicko (hunting for witches - bloc party)
mp3 @ rednicko (song for clay - bloc party)
mp3 @ nialler9 (where is home - bloc party)
mp3 @ xs4all (the prayer - bloc party)
mp3 @ musicforants (waiting for the 7.18 - bloc party)
mp3 @ box (sunday - bloc party)
feed @ hypem
video @ youtube (song for clay - bloc party)
video @ youtube (waiting for witches - bloc party)
video @ youtube (i still remember - bloc party)
video @ youtube (srxt - bloc party)
video @ youtube (sunday - bloc party)
video @ youtube (the prayer - bloc party)
video @ youtube (uniform - bloc party)
video @ youtube (commentary song for clay - bloc party)
video @ youtube (sunday - bloc party)
video @ youtube (srxt - bloc party)
video @ youtube (interview with nme - bloc party)
review @ metacritic
interview @ bullz-eye
home page @ blocparty
label @ wichita-recordings
lyrics @ blocparty
encyclopedia @ wikipedia

The Golden Dogs

2007-11-19T10:17:00.000-06:00

The band name for five-piece Toronto-based The Golden Dogs was inspired by a dream that frontman Dave Azzolini had about a "invisible dog, and every time I'd pet it, it would make this amazing sound."

The Wings-era McCartney cover - Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-five - is listed as the ninth track(see Revolution 9) on the discography of their latest full-album Big Eye Little Eye.

Birdsong - from the band's previous triple-EP Everything in 3 Parts - is on the soundtrack for the Canadian comedy Everything's Gone Green. The track was also licensed to an ad campaign for Zellers - "this means we can get a van and things that let us be a band," Azzolini informed The Coast during a phone interview.

The latest full album's lead track Dynamo kicks the door open with a Ramones vibe. The latter punk forerunner had played their final show in August 1996.

The sunny lead vocals on Construction Worker are provided by the band's keyboard percussion mistress, Jessica Grassia - Azzolini's better half.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ thetorontotimes (construction worker - the golden dogs)
mp3 @ sxsw (never meant any harm - the golden dogs)
mp3 @ thetorontotimes (runouttaluck - the golden dogs)
mp3 @ iheartmusic (nineteen hundred and eighty-five - the golden dogs)
feed @ hypem
video @ youtube (never meant any harm - the golden dogs)
video @ youtube (construction worker - the golden dogs)
video @ youtube (interview)
video @ youtube (saints at the gates - the golden dogs)
review @ betterlivingthroughmp3
review @ blogcritics.org
review @ cokemachineglow
review @ muchmusic
review @ popmatters
review @ radio3
review @ sxsw
review @ nyunews
interview @ thecoast
interview @ thetorontotimes
home page @ thegoldendogs
label @ truenorthrecords
encyclopedia @ wikipedia

The Blakes

2007-11-17T14:56:00.000-06:00

Two Times by Seattle-based The Blakes was "written in seven minutes," according to guitarist/vocalist Garnet Keim. The raw vitality of the vocals is the dynamo behind the A-side track's breakout potential. It is that type of easily identifiable genuineness that chiseled the Ramones deep into the granite of rock history. The vocals also disclose a Bon Scott influence.

"One of our most popular songs Don't Bother Me has two chords - we learned it's not the chord or the structure, it's the vibe," stated bassist/vocalist Snow Keim. He informed KEXP Seattle that their songwriting does not target specific genres: "We're not trying to write particular types of songs - we just write." Any resulting similarities are basically byproducts of their influences. Their inspiration is fueled by the hits of "cool bands," like The Rolling Stones.

Material for their albums is developed by stacking up lots of demo tracks, and then picking and choosing the best sounding tracks from the pile to be fleshed out further.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ prewarblues (two times - the blakes)
mp3 @ sxsw (don't bother me - the blakes)
mp3 @ lightintheattic (pistol grip - the blakes)
feed @ hypem
video @ youtube (two times - the blakes)
video @ youtube (don't bother me - the blakes)
video @ youtube (commit - the blakes)
video @ youtube (modern man - the blakes)
video @ youtube (linkwalk - the blakes)
video @ youtube (vampire - the blakes)
video @ youtube (magoo - the blakes)
video @ youtube (lie next to me - the blakes)
video @ youtube (pistol grip - the blakes)
video @ youtube (picture - the blakes)
video @ youtube (streets - the blakes)
review @ spin
review @ threeimaginarygirls
review @ ocweekly
review @ thewigfitsallheads
interview @ washington.edu/kexp
discography @ amazon
label @ lightintheattic

Bat for Lashes

2007-11-17T02:31:00.000-06:00

The 2006 album Fur and Gold by Brighton-based Bat for Lashes made the shortlist for the 2007 Mercury Prize, causing a 185% spike in album sales.

In Trophy, singer/songwriter Natasha Khan's Björk-textured vocals sing:

creatures of mercy
shoot shoot shoot
shoot them down
set me free

On Horse and I Khan's nursery-rhyme harpsichord-synth graces an album that allowed her to quit her nursery-school job. While her Bruce Springstein cover I'm on Fire features real harpsichord and finger-picked viola.

The enchanting fairytale verse/chorus of Bats Mouth is fleshed out with piano and strings, then upstaged by a long magnificent bridge buildup that firmly establishes the title. Lyrics are dense with imagery of dark forests and constellations.

For certain songs, Khan told Wikinews that she may "gather images and take photographs and make notes and make collages and start looking to photographers and filmmakers to give me a more grounded sense of the place that I'm writing about..."

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ toolshed-media (horse and i - bat for lashes)
mp3 @ youaintnopicasso (i'm on fire - bat for lashes)
mp3 @ thankscaptainobvious-music (bat mouth - bat for lashes)
mp3 @ merryswankster (trophy - bat for lashes)
feed @ hypem
video @ youtube (horse and i - bat for lashes)
video @ youtube (interview on flasher.com)
video @ youtube (interview on the culture show)
video @ youtube (moon on moon - bat for lashes)
video @ youtube (the stick)
video @ youtube (trophy - bat for lashes)
video @ youtube (what's a girl to do? - bat for lashes)
review @ metacritic
interview @ wikinews
interview @ imposemagazine
home page @ batforlashes
encyclopedia @ wikipedia

The Apples in Stereo

2007-11-16T02:39:00.000-06:00

In 2002, Denver-based indie-pop band The Apples in Stereo released Velocity of Sound. After a five year distraction of side projects, the group released New Magnetic Wonder in February.

The hook-saturated pastiche Can You Feel It? proves that Apples has not abandoned its sonic power-pop roots - acknowledging Daft Punk with electronic effects in the song's intro, while a Beatles-tensed lead vocal belts out "oh—", followed by a Jeff Lynne-influenced vocal harmony repeating "can can you feel it?"

Energy reprises Liam Gallagher vocals, while 7 Stars combines jangly My Bloody Valentine guitar rhythms with a fusion of Daft Punk/ELO vocals. Filter Magazine said the track was "water-tight in Beach Boys/Beatles stylization and form."

But Apples lays down brighter tracks than most of the bands it has been compared to, while matching the positive energy of Jeff Lynn compositions.

Robert Schneider told The A.V. Club that he liked the Ramones for how "pure and unaffected [their music] was. The main thing you were hearing was this real, human vitality, not just sound effects and pretty instrumental parts and clever counterpoints. The recording would resonate with you. It really hit me that this was more important than anything else..."

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ box (7 stars - apples in stereo)
mp3 @ indieblogheaven (can you feel it - apples in stereo)
mp3 @ fileden (energy - apples in stereo)
mp3 @ archive.org (open eyes - apples in stereo)
mp3 @ archive.org (play tough - apples in stereo)
mp3 @ archive.org (radiation - apples in stereo)
mp3 @ girljukebox (same old drag - apples in stereo)
mp3 @ archive.org (skyway - apples in stereo)
mp3 @ archive.org (sun is out - apples in stereo)
mp3 @ indieblogheaven (sunday sounds - apples in stereo)
feed @ hypem
video @ youtube (can you feel it? - the apples in stereo)
video @ youtube (energy - the apples in stereo)
video @ youtube (new magnetic wonder 1 - the apples in stereo)
video @ youtube (new magnetic wonder 2 - the apples in stereo)
video @ youtube (new magnetic wonder 3 - the apples in stereo)
video @ youtube (new magnetic wonder 4 - the apples in stereo)
review @ metacritic
interview @ avclub
home page @ applesinstereo
label @ elephant6
encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Down the Tiny Steps

2007-11-15T10:48:00.000-06:00

Jonnie, songwriter for Down the Tiny Steps, recently put out a demo track titled Catapult, and there is a video of the performance at The Boat Tavern located in Cellardyke. He informed me, "It's one of my older tracks to be honest, but that is a new recording/version of it. Closer to the way we play it live." The new version has been tagged "demo", representing a step toward the next recording of Catapult, which will be "a bit more snappy."

I asked Jonnie for the meaning of the album title Death by Telegraph Stop. He informed me that the title "means a few things but its certainly open to interpretation." In a newsletter sent to record company subscribers last month, he described how the title was inspired - in a sense - by "coming across an old, rusty telegraph pole in the middle of the woods."

Since Glasgow - the dear green place - was established a long time ago, it is safe to assume that the city has had a band scene since the 6th century. There, you will find the folk-rock experiment Down the Tiny Steps, postulated by their latest album Death by Telegraph Stop. This may be the first band to ever use a digital staccato scottish brogue rhythm in Summer is for Going Places. How they finessed this gum bumping experimentation is an example of the group's inventive intelligence.

summer's for going places
winter's for watching film
in this state of constant travel
there's no time for standing still

Perhaps Summer was inspired by the constant motion of a touring band - country hopping from stage to brightly-lit stage. To revel in the warmth of can lights and applause.

player @ myspace
video @ youtube (summer is for going places)
video @ youtube (dial tone)
profile @ myspace
home page @ downthetinysteps
label @ fence records

British Sea Power

2007-11-14T21:03:00.000-06:00

Brighton-based indie-rock band British Sea Power released their 5-track Krankenhaus? in downloadable form last month, with the hardcopy arriving in less than a week. Their next full-album Do You Like Rock Music? is scheduled for release in early 2008. Atom and Down on the Ground will then appear on the 2008 full album as well.

Lead-singer-songwriter Yan explained the meaning of Atom in a press release: "It's kind of about how over analysis leads to more questions than answers, whether with relationships or quantum theory." He shared with The Tripwire a list of bands he used to listen to: "The Pixies, Julian Cope, The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division..."

Apologies To Insect Life from their first full-album The Decline of British Sea Power echoes the familiar spastic scraping electric guitar heard in songs by the Pixies.

Sea Power is more often compared to 70s-era Joy Division, while the former has a sound dominated by electric guitars, rather than by keyboard.

Yan's brother Hamilton contributes about one-third of the songs. He described to The Tripwire how the band had better equipment in the studio to lay out tracks with. "There were lots of nice machines. Proper ones..." Sea Power also had engineering help to polish their sound.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ hypeful (atom - british sea power)
mp3 @ fileden (down on the ground - british sea power)
mp3 @ noise.less.as (it ended on an oily stage - british sea power)
mp3 @ antinomian (oh larsen b - british sea power)
mp3 @ insound (please stand up - british sea power)
mp3 @ indietastic (carrion - british sea power)
mp3 @ ezarchive (remember me - british sea power)
mp3 @ earfarm (tugboat - british sea power)
feed @ hypem
video @ youtube (apologies to insect life - british sea power)
video @ youtube (carrion - british sea power)
video @ youtube (carrion - british sea power)
video @ youtube (childhood memories - british sea power)
video @ youtube (it ended on an oily stage - british sea power)
video @ youtube (on betjeman & me - british sea power)
video @ youtube (please stand up - british sea power)
video @ youtube (remember me - british sea power)
video @ youtube (rock in a - british sea power)
video @ youtube (the spirit of st. louis - british sea power)
video @ youtube (the spirit of st. louis - british sea power)
video @ youtube (when i go out - british sea power)
interview @ thetripwire
home page @ britishseapower
label @ roughtraderecords
encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Au Revoir Simone

2007-11-13T17:31:00.000-06:00

The "triple keyboard action" of Brooklyn-based lo-fi Au Revoir Simone's 11-track The Bird of Music is the follow-up to their 8-track 2006 debut that was released on the London-based indie label Moshi Moshi Records.

Simone is currently touring Europe with French electronic duo Air - slated to play at venues in London, Paris(Zenith), Milan, Madrid and Lisbon.

Dreamy synth layers in the lead track of Simone's 2006 mini-album Verses of Comfort, Assurance & Salvation could be heard in an episode of Grey's Anatomy. In which dulcet tones of keyboards and vocal harmonies define their sound, which has been tagged "simple, elegant, and ethereal" by Pitchfork's Brian Howe.

What Kimya Dawson is to the anti-folk movement, perhaps Simone - with their Casio-casual aesthetic - is to a potential "anti-synthpop" movement - a lyrically and sonically unpretentious genre. As in Sad Song, the second track off their latest album.

play me a sad song 'cause that's what I want to hear
I want you to make me cry
I want to remember the places that we left
lost to the mists of time

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ fileden (sad song - au revoir simone)
mp3 @ sxsw (fallen snow - au revoir simone)
mp3 @ aurevoirsimone (through the backyards - au revoir simone)
mp3 @ notontheguestlist (stay golden - au revoir simone)
feed @ hypem
video @ youtube (fallen snow - au revoir simone)
video @ youtube (haunted house - au revoir simone)
video @ youtube (night majestic - au revoir simone)
video @ youtube (sad song - au revoir simone)
video @ youtube (stay golden - au revoir simone)
video @ youtube (through the backyards - au revoir simone)
video @ youtube (with david lynch)
review @ pitchforkmedia
review @ pitchforkmedia (verses of comfort, assurance & salvation)
review @ stylusmagazine
review @ lunapark6
interview @ youtube (interview by boomtown)
interview @ imposemagazine
interview @ vice
interview @ gothamist
interview @ lunapark6
home page @ aurevoirsimone
label @ moshimoshimusic
encyclopedia @ wikipedia

Clorox Girls

2007-11-12T15:33:00.000-06:00

Justin Maurer, songwriter and guitarist for the band with a gender switched brand-name - Clorox Girls - likes the support punk bands receive overseas. Where they "played 47 shows in 45 days in Europe," according to Punk TV.

Colin Grigson(former bass player) posted tour diary entries in Willamette Week for some of their shows in August 2006, including shows in Mexico and Brazil. Regarding the São Paulo show, he expressed, "I like feeling far from home. I think that's why I like touring so much."

Two standout tracks from their latest pop-punk release J'Aime Les Filles are Flowers of Evil and Straight to My Heart. The Portland-based band's hooky third full-album was named after the title of a song composed by 60s-era French singer-actor Jacques Dutronc. While fans riff through the non-HC tracks, they might catch nuances of The Beatles, The Ramones, and surf punk.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ byorecords (flowers of evil - clorox girls)
video @ youtube (don't take your life | this dimension - clorox girls)
video @ youtube (mexico tour trailer)
discography @ amazon
feed @ hypem
podcast @ portlandmercury
interview @ punktv
review @ aversion
review @ popmatters
review @ sxsw
review @ threeimaginarygirls
home page @ cloroxgirls
label @ byorecords

Catlow

2007-11-11T12:04:00.003-06:00

Singer-songwriter Natasha Thirsk started the Vancouver-based indie-rock band Catlow. She is a self-taught musician raised by musical parents, and former lead-singer of The Dirtmitts. Her father played saxophone and her mother played piano.

Kiss the World was recorded at Studio 9. Included in the musical collective for the album were the following:

Ian Browne (Matthew Good Band)
Wil Golden (Michelle Branch)
Ed Maxwell
Al Sgro (Gary Jules)

She enjoyed working with the lineup, but would "like to have a set, solid group of people to work with," Thirsk informed BeatRoute Magazine. But Kiss does not solely represent indie-rock. "I write so many different styles of music. I started off writing dance music, then I got into indie rock, and then I write sad songs," . Her strong tracks - representing indie-rock - are Number One and The Weekend. On acoustic guitar, there are Sun in My Eyes and Ocean Space Sand, while Iamloved hatched from "the whole shuffle-pop thing, which I totally picked up from nightclubbing."

She collaborated with friend Jennifer Deon to form The Dirtmitts who released their first self-titled album on Sonic Unyon Records in 2001, which had two tracks featured on the television series Just Deal and in the incidental music for the film American Psycho 2. The title track of The Dirtmitts' second album Get On appears on the second season soundtrack for the cable television series The L Word.

Among artists Thirsk likes are Elliott Smith, Jesus and Mary Chain, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and New Order.

profile @ myspace

stream @ imeem.com (number one - catlow)
stream @ imeem (kiss the world - catlow)

feed @ hypem

discography @ amazon

interview @ beatroute

label @ boompa

Danielson

2007-11-10T13:12:00.001-06:00

The senior-thesis-borne Clarksboro-based Danielson is an assembly of family and friends in symbolic uniforms. Previous eponymous incarnations of Daniel Smith were Danielson Famile and Br Danielson.

Smith's brand of dissonant falsetto was influenced by Black Francis of the Pixies. He was listening to the Beatles at the age of five. He also listened to early Dylan albums as a kid. Other influences were the Minutemen and Sonic Youth. "When something works or connects with your ear its hard to say why," related Smith in an M station interview.

Danielson's latest celebratory message arrives in Ships, which has proven to be most accessible - an album to resolve all things past, according to the band's bio. This new LP has the potential to broaden a loyal fan base. Through a half-dozen albums - and a decade of touring - Smith has clarified his experimental avante-garde music, further defining the concept of art-rock.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ danielson.info (did i step on your trumpet - danielson)
mp3 @ withoutsound (ship the majestic suffix - danielson)
mp3 @ republik.is (bloodbook on the half shell - danielson)
mp3 @ danielson.info (things against stuff - br danielson)
mp3 @ danielson.info (daughters will tune you - br danielson)
mp3 @ danielson.info (rallying the dominoes - danielson famile)
mp3 @ danielson.info (good news for pus pickers - danielson famile)
vid @ youtube (did i step on your trumpet - danielson)
vid @ youtube (danielson documentary preview)
vid @ youtube (headz in the cloudz - danielson famile)
vid @ youtube (flesh thang - danielson)
feed @ hypem
reviews @ metacritic
interview @ mstation
discography @ amazon
discography @ secretlycanadian
label @ secretlycanadian
label @ soundsfamilyre
encyclopedia @ wiki
lyrics @ danielson.info

Bound Stems

2007-11-01T14:12:00.000-05:00

Bound Stems sprouted out of the multifarious math-rock roots of Chicago - the genre's historical hub in the Rust Belt.

The meaning of the band name is linguistic, not botanical. For example, -ceive is a bound stem that requires the suffix re- or con- in order to function as a real word.

Appreciation Night is their full-length debut engineered at Studio Ballistico. According to Flameshovel Records, "the songs' edges are embroidered with the found sounds of airport patter and clattering turnstiles, parties, private conversations, snow crunch and drifting histories." The album is a musical social mosaic of the city it was inspired by.

Texas-transplant multi-instrumentalist and solo-songwriter, Janie Porche is the new addition to their lineup - who adds the vocal feminine touch for a boy-girl dynamic.

In Crimes and Follies, Bobby Gallivan's lyrically cathartic vocal tracks are laid out side-by-side in split-channel stereo, causing an interesting sonic effect through headphones.

you tried to explain, you shot it back, you talk a pretty good game
and at the end of the night, we're crawling up the stairs together with a secret inside

Excellent News, Colonel is about a girl from New York who falls in love with a guy from Chicago. When the conversation switches from her to him, the time signature changes, as if to represent his personality. Taped conversation and airport sounds help tell the story of long distance romance.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ flameshovel (andover - bound stems)
mp3 @ flameshovel (western biographic - bound stems)
mp3 @ flameshovel (wake up ma and pa are gone - bound stems)
mp3 @ flameshovel (my kingdom for a trundle bed - bound stems)
mp3 @ boundstems (totipotent - bound stems)
mp3 @ media.spin (crimes and follies - bound stems)
mp3 @ press.boundstems (refuse the refuse - bound stems)
mp3 @ dailyrefill (risking life and limb for the coupon - bound stems)
mp3 @ recidivism (excellent news colonel - bound stems)
video @ youtube (wake up ma and pa are gone - bound stems)
feed @ hypem
discography @ amazon
review @ pitchforkmedia
review @ prefixmag
review @ musicbox-online
interview @ daytrotter
label @ flameshovel
wiki

Boat

2007-10-31T19:12:00.000-05:00

David Crane - front man for the lo-fi Seattle-based Boat - uses songwriting as an emotional outlet. The "music helps me filter out the feelings that I can't get out any other way. It is an outlet for my brain," he told music blog You Aint No Picasso.

Lyrically, his songs are narrative, and based on "personal stories"; this sentimental association makes it easier for him to remember the words. Crane still keeps details at a distance, which is a good thing, when it comes to fans who like to scrutinize the esoteric.

Boat's summer release of the lo-fi sophomore LP Let's Drag Our Feet maintains variety and a good indie-pop pace throughout. The sound has been compared to a eclectic list of bands. And Crane's vocals have been compared to Spencer Krug, which invites a comparison to Isaac Brock. In the midst of all comparisons, one song in particular may cause a disruption in the work flow of the stereotyping department - The Ferocious Sounds of Lobsters and Snakes.

profile @ myspace
home page @ ohnodisaster
mp3 @ magicmarkerrecords (i'm a donkey for your love - boat)
mp3 @ iguessimfloating (holding all the globes - boat)
mp3 @ magicmarkerrecords (last cans of paint - boat)
mp3 @ ohnodisaster (the bar is too low to fail - boat)
mp3 @ box.net (the ferocious sounds of lobsters and snakes - boat)
performance @ kexp
review @ pitchfork
review @ cokemachineglow
review @ popmatters
review @ spin
review @ stylusmagazine
review @ threeimaginarygirls
interview @ threeimaginarygirls
interview @ you ain't no picasso
label @ magicmarkerrecords

Awesome Car Funmaker

2007-10-29T08:16:00.000-05:00

The bio on the home page of Madison-based Awesome Car Funmaker describes the band as "a spastic, energetic, crazy, party glam rock band..." The band's name was conceived by members who were not "allowed to leave the restaurant before a name was decided upon."

Juice - second title of the 17-track 2006 release Of Lovers And Monsters - certifies the energy output of this pop-rock dynamo. A catchy guitar-based jam.

Bass player, Justin Taylor, kept a journal of their July Midwest Bleeds Best Tour along with Cealed Kasket. A University of Wisconsin blog reviewed the first stop of the tour that took place at the lakeside Memorial Union Terrace.

ACF will be touring WI, IL and MN through the end of 2007.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ awesomecarfunmaker (juice - awesome car funmaker)
mp3 @ awesomecarfunmaker (time bomb - awesome car funmaker)
mp3 @ awesomecarfunmaker (brand new zombie - awesome car funmaker)
video @ youtube (brand new zombie - awesome car funmaker)
video @ youtube (outlaw - awesome car funmaker)
video @ youtube (dirty - awesome car funmaker)
review @ maximumink
review @ thedailypage
review @ madison
home page @ awesomecarfunmaker

Owen

2007-10-27T16:52:00.000-05:00

Mike Kinsella a.k.a. Owen released an album about one year ago titled At Home with Owen that steps away from the eclectic list of indie bands he worked with: Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, American Football and Owls.

Bad News pulls the listener into the singer's painfully honest acoustic introspection.

whatever it is you think you are, you aren't
a good friend, unique, well-read
good-looking, or smart
well now you know

That last line is sonically absorbed by a fleshed out break that follows. Such vocal subtlety during a hook might seem unconventional. But Kinsella's voice fades to bring out the beauty of a trickling piano rhythm that follows - one scene transitions into another.

Kinsella laid out more tracks in the studio for At Home in order to "get closer" to how he imagines particular tracks should sound. "I hear the songs in my head a certain way," Kinsella told Scene Point Blank. And it is the first Owen album that was not produced solo. Some tracks were laid out at Semaphore Studios and Engine Studios.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ polyvinyl (bad news - owen)
mp3 @ thankscaptainobvious (never meant - owen)
mp3 @ musicforants (the sad waltzes of pietro crespi - owen)
mp3 @ sxsw (she's a thief - owen)
mp3 @ freeindie (the ghost of what should have been - owen)
mp3 @ freeindie (in the morning before work - owen)
mp3 @ freeindie (places to go - owen)
mp3 @ thankscaptainobvious (never meant - american football)
video @ youtube (one of these days - owen)
video @ youtube (the sad waltzes of pietro crespi - owen)
stream @ purevolume
discography @ amazon
interview @ scenepointblank
label @ polyvinyl
wiki @ wikipedia

The Brunettes

2007-10-26T09:46:00.000-05:00

Structure & Cosmetics - latest album by the platonic indie-pop team The Brunettes - is a bubblegum variety pack of styles. This established kiwi band was invited by The Shins to leave home turf for rich American soil, where they signed up with indie-monolith Sub Pop Records. Compared to previous projects, their fully fleshed out S&C reflects a bigger budget with a bigger record company.

The lead track Brunettes Against Bubblegum Youth has been compared to the 'choral symphonic rock'-candy of Polyphonic Spree for it's 'aaahs' and instrumental variety.

A creative balance is achieved between male and female brunette, as Jonathan Bree stated, "I'm the main songwriter, and she is very much a part of the creative process." In addition, Mansfield contributes the sonically superior vocals of the two - a girl-group feature of their distinguishing sound. As heard on Her Hairagami Set.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ pbsfm.org.au (brunettes against bubblegum youth - the brunettes)
mp3 @ pbsfm.org.au (her hairagami set - the brunettes)
mp3 @ subpop (small town crew - the brunettes)
video @ youtube (her hairagami set - the brunettes)
video @ youtube (boyracer - the brunettes)
video @ youtube (holding hands feeding ducks - the brunettes)
video @ youtube (polyester meets acetate - the brunettes)
feed @ hypem
review @ pitchforkmedia
review @ spin
review @ tinymixtapes
review @ stylusmagazine
review @ popmatters
review @ adequacy
interview @ theset.co.nz
label @ subpop
wiki @ en.wikipedia.org

Pleasure Forever

2007-10-24T04:40:00.000-05:00

Pleasure Forever, formerly known as Slaves, has followed up their full-album with an EP of unreleased tracks and B-sides titled Bodies Need Rest. The band is currently inactive, while the three members work on other projects; each live in a different Californian city.

Their albums present a variety of styles, while vocal and guitar distortion are ever present. The Bar features distinctive post-punk vocals, with a gyrating rock guitar rhythm, which is built up at the beginning of this Black Flag cover song. The song has been pulled out of its original hardcore-punk wrapper for post-punk experimentation.

If there ever was a potential breakout Pleasure Forever hit, that would be Wicked Shivering Columbine. That title Subpop suggested as another name for the band's latest sky-blue LP Alter. Early in the track, a distorted vocal assault draws the listener to the edge of their seat.

The band's name expresses self-indulgence. But in contrast to the rock-and-roll archetype of self-destruction, exemplified by booze guzzling, and - at its worst - heroin addiction. Instead, risk is incorporated "in things that seem sensible," according to drummer Dave Clifford.

What our whole aesthetic and interest is [as related to human nature is] that we like to be perched at this precipice where we stand a chance of self-destruction in the name of pleasure and in the name of enjoying ourselves. To me, that’s a wonderfully poetic element of humanity, that we risk our own lives to make it feel like we’re actually living." - Dave Clifford

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ subpop (you and i were meant to drown | pleasure forever)
mp3 @ subpop (meet me in eternity | pleasure forever)
mp3 @ subpop (this is the zodiac speaking | pleasure forever)
mp3 @ subpop (wicked shivering columbine | pleasure forever)
mp3 @ warpedrealitymagazine (the bars | pleasure forever)
mp3 @ fanaticpromotion (fanatic promotion | mp3 | miles underneath)
stream @ aquariusrecords (aeon flame | pleasure forever)
stream @ aquariusrecords (axis exalt | pleasure forever)
review @ uk.music.yahoo
label @ subpop
label @ conspiracyrecords
bio @ scaruffi

Chris and Thomas

2007-10-21T08:46:00.000-05:00

Chris and Thomas, Los Angeles-based crooning duo, released their debut full-album Land of Sea during the summer. Along with standard instruments, their southwestern soundscape was sculpted with such tools as mandolin, cello, steel guitar and banjo. In this sonic space, vocals coalesce in harmonies that complement the focal point of their folk sound. True to their band name, neither singer abandons any of their harmonies to sing solo.

Through traditional folk-styled lyrics, the title track - Land of Sea - serenades with imagery of desert coyotes and night skies dense with stars. Smooth melodies to sooth the caffeine-inclined at mom-and-pop java shops.

At the 2006 Independent Music Awards, their song Take These Thoughts beat out four other finalists to take the Americana Song of the Year category.

At performances, Chris and Thomas are known to share a single condenser microphone like a couple of folkies performing on a corner pub's open stage.

profile @ myspace
mp3 @ defendmusic (land of sea - chris and thomas)
mp3 @ defendmusic (horse in the sky - chris and thomas)
mp3 @ aolcdn (take these thoughts - chris and thomas)
performance @ kcrw
video @ youtube (interview)
discography @ amazon
label @ defendmusic
home page @ chrisandthomas
feed @ hypem
review @ blogcritics

Beirut

2007-10-19T06:43:00.002-05:00

The francophilian Beirut, a.k.a. boy wonder Zach Condon, developed a European-folk sound roughly resembling the debut of Wisconsin-based Pale Young Gentlemen.

Like an actor immersed in a role, Condon fosters ideas from obsessions with particular artists and styles. For his latest full-album The Flying Club Cup, he delved into Jacques Brel recordings, along with other collections of chansons. Another muse was the photograph used for the cover of Flying Club - a European beach scene from the early 1900s.

I was listening to a lot of Jacques Brel and French chanson music - pop songs shrouded in big, glorious, over-the-top arrangements and all this drama... - Zach Condon

Condon's baroque-pop fixations led to the release of two full-albums and three EPs during 2006 and 2007 - recordings flavored with Balkan and French influences.

It's a new obsession every year, a new obsession overcomes me and that's all I can do. - Zach Condon

profile @ myspace

mp3 @ carlsandburgvisits (nantes - beirut)
mp3 @ t-sides (elephant - beirut)
mp3 @ t-sides (the penalty - beirut)
feed @ hypem

video @ youtube (elephant gun - beirut)
video @ youtube (nantes - beirut)
video @ youtube (forks and knives la fête - beirut)
video @ youtube (the penalty - beirut)
video @ youtube (les bourgeois - jacques brel)

stream @ imeem.com (elephant gun - beirut)

review @ pitchforkmedia

interview @ mtv

home page @ beirutband

label @ badabingrecords

What do klezmer music fans think of Beirut's Flying Club album?