The Dead Weather is a super-group based out of Nashville, Tennessee comprised of Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Jack White of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, and Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs. If you didn’t already know all of that, now you know (and you probably now understand that they make damn good rock and roll, which they do). The band performed the fuzzed-out single “Blue Blood Blues” off of their latest record, Sea of Cowards, on The Letterman Show last night and, quite frankly, it demonstrates why the state of the rock genre needs Jack White back center stage.
The Canadian indie supergroup, Broken Social Scene, have long since been on a roll following the release of their 5th full-length album, Forgiveness Rock Record in May of this year. The collective consists of an ever-changing roster of musicians including Leslie Feist, Stars, Apostle of Hustle, amongst a slew of others. The music video for their second single off of the aforementioned album, “Forced To Love” features holographic type visuals of the band.
Check out the video, directed by Makapoon here:
Forgiveness Rock Record is in stores via Arts & Crafts now.
Australian psychedelic indie rockers Tame Impala are the talk of the town (or rather, the ‘blogosphere’) and with good reason. The Perth natives bring to the table a refreshing sound that hearkens back to a generation in which tunes were most inspired and driven by the latest magic mushrooms or LSD an artist had consumed. Retro guitar effects and distortion? Check. Crazy tempo/time changes sure to blow the mind of the young stoner listening intently? Check. It would seem that the band went about their songwriting for their hit self-titled EP bearing these thoughts in mind as the end result was a groovy retro work capable of transporting listeners to other aurally-induced realms that would otherwise necessitate a whole lot of acid. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if a friend had me listen to their record and told me that these lanky Aussie hipsters wrote it in the 60’s.
Already hitting number one on the Australian Independent Record Labels chart as well as huge supporting slots with the likes of heavy hitters such like Yeasayer, The Black Keys, and MGMT and with the release of their debut full-length under their collective belt, it’s safe to say these newcomers are set to take over. Thanks to Annie Nguyen for reminding me about their album.
I’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint exactly when and how I learned of this all-female garage quartet from the fertile music breeding ground of the California Bay area, but I can safely say that I am glad I did as they’ve quickly become a favorite of mine. The four UC Berkeley alums collectively known as The Splinters offer a unique blend of lo-fi rock and pop reminiscent of predecessors like The Shangri-Las all the while revealing a penchant for 90’s riot grrrl punk. The band has recently released their first full-length record, Kick, via Double Negative Records last month and performed a few showcases at SXSW. Do yourself a favor and pick up their solid album today.
Watch the music video for “Mysterious” (Directed by Natalie Tsui) here:
Performing “Electricity” live at a house party in Oakland in March:
Download “Mysterious” here (Courtesy of The Fader):
California’s own The Morning Benders are steady on the rise in the indie rock circuit. The success of their second full-length, Big Echo, (which was produced by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor and released last month) has allowed them to support big-name acts such as Yeasayer and MGMT in the short-span of their existence. A new video for the single, “Promises” has been released and is really nothing short of greatness.
The Temper Trap’s abrupt widespread success is no breaking news. The Australian indie/alternative rock group’s 2009 debut record Conditions was an instant hit as listeners the world over were quickly wooed by the band’s captivating blend of U2-esque guitars and the perfect pinch of pop sprinkled throughout. I mean, even renowned producer DJ Shadow gave the band his stamp of approval with his signature mix of their upbeat anthem “Science of Fear” and, needless to say, being featured on the soundtrack of the flick, (500) Days of Summer didn’t hurt at all either. The band continues to sell out shows worldwide and recently performed at Coachella.
Check out the band’s latest music video for the opening song “Love Lost” (directed by Dougal Wilson):
To many, the break-up of The Libertines six years ago was an overwhelming disappointment and left an immense hole in the then large resurgence in the British indie rock climate. After two instant-classic records, Up The Bracket and The Libertines, the band was making huge strides in the post-punk and garage rock revival scenes. Despite the band’s critical and commercial success, however, tensions between the two frontmen, Carl Barât (vocals/lead guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/rhythm guitar) as well as Doherty’s obvious addictions led to their abrupt demise.
Following six years and a slew of solo/side-projects from all four members of the band, The Libertines have decided to make amends and reunite. First on the agenda are highly anticipated special appearances at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. Lets hope Carl and Pete keep it copacetic this time and old Petey stays clean (ha, right).
It can be said, without a shred of doubt, that Godspeed You! Black Emperor was one of the most influential instrumental rock bands. To this day, the Canadian post-rock pioneers (active during 1994-2003), are widely regarded as a seminal symbol of the genre and tremors of their style and innovation are felt to this day.
Shockingly, the band has abruptly announced an end to their almost decade-long hiatus and will be getting a running start with a headlining/curating slot on the Nightmare Before Christmas event presented by All Tomorrow’s Parties in Minehead, England on December 3-5. The lineup also includes: Bardo Pond, The Ex, Deerhoof, Tim Hecker, Mike Watt and Scout Niblett. According to the band’s announcement, a slew of European/U.K. dates and a small 9-date trek through America are also on the horizon.
The South Carolina (by way of Seattle) indie rock band Band of Horses has recently released a new music video for the song “Compliments” in anticipation of their new third full-length album, Infinite Arms. The video, which was directed by Chris Wilson, is a dizzying foray into natural landscapes with surreal effects. More important to note is the band’s now polished songwriting and improved production quality (which may or may not turn off their established fanbase). As Infinite Arms will be available on May 18th through Sub-Pop Records, we can only wait and see if the rest of the record follows suit. Catch them on their tour now!
Quite honestly, I haven’t heard a song by this band that I haven’t liked. These British math/indie rockers have meticulously crafted their songwriting into an artform in and of itself; it’s hard not to find yourself in awe of how they come up with some of their time signatures and riffs/beats. Following the success of their debut record, Antidotes, many speculated for the band to fall into the sophomore slump, almost rightfully so as the album was near flawless.
Foals, however, seems to refuse to fall into such a hole. The song is a great single and broad statement by the band that they refuse to be pigeonholed into whatever semblance of a genre fans and critics may have thought they fit in. The video itself is an amazing progression as well and a haunting accompaniment to the 6 minute + song, beautifully shot in Inverness. I hope the rest of the record is as good as this song, knowing their talent, I’m sure it will not disappoint.
The new record Total Life Forever is set for release on May 10.
The Dead Weather - Blue Blood Blues (Video + Mp3)
