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.
By Blake Gillespie» Speak! might be the 34th best rapper alive, but remixing the number one band in the world will undoubtedly raise his indie-cred tenfold - might even crack a few top 30 lists.
Sleigh Bells, Sleigh Bells, Sleigh Bells. Treats got that Best New Music tag, which puts their music into the news of the Jonas Brothers and Jessica Alba tweets. The sky probably is not the limit for bands that get this big. Sleigh Bells could be the first band to play on the moon - I think we have the technology to send them there - fuck it, if we don’t have the fuel to bring them home. It’s about the legendary status, right?
L.A. rapper Speak! chopped up SB’s “Infinity Guitars” into his “Infinity Rap Bars” (Remix) and managed to lessen the swelling in my head that pulsates on some Tell Tale Heart insanity each time I read praise of this god forsaken band. I took enough French in college, to feel as though I got something in common with Speak! when he raps, “if you ask why every store has a French name / I’ll kick you to the curb and replace you with a French dame.”
Download “Infinity Rap Bars” and Speak!’s free EP here.
It’s hard not to love the indie buzz band of the moment. The XX were fantastic, why not at least take a listen at the next act that the indie bloggerati is pumping out? Sleigh Bells made a splash across the web earlier this week with a surprise release of their E.P. Treats, onto iTunes. Previously playing the Coachella Valley Music Festival and being billed at the Pitchfork Music Festival equipped with nothing but a demo from the duo. Now their getting co-signs as M.I.A’s “favorite new band.” We ventured to take a new listen to the E.P. on iTunes and it sounds pretty fantastic. This album may surprisingly resonate with fans of Los Angeles hip hop/production scene because the sound is completely driven by songwriter-producer and guitarist Derek Miller. One of our favorites are below, feel free to take a swing by NPR or iTunes to listen to the whole thing.
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).
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!
It’s no surprise that Barcelona-based synthpop band Delorean are garnering great attention with the anticipation of their full-length record Subiza. The Spanish collective made huge waves with their last release, the Ayrton Senna EP, which showcased their unique blend of dreampop and electronica and are currently touring with Miike Snow throughout North America.
Peep the retro-inspired and visually stimulating music video (directed by Weird Days) here:
Broken Bells has announced a slew of shows spanning North America in support of their self-titled debut. The group, comprised of Shins vocalist/guitarist James Mercer and producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse, has seen a great deal of praise in the short amount of time since their indie pet project has dropped and performed a few one-offs (most recently at SXSW). Supporting Broken Bells is the up-and-coming San Francisco-based Morning Benders.
Broken Bells Spring Tour:
05-18 San Diego, CA - Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay *
05-19 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre *
05-21 San Francisco, CA - Regency Ballroom *
05-24 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom *
05-25 Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market *
05-26 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom *
05-29 Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre *
05-31 Chicago, IL - Vic Theater *
06-01 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall *
06-02 Toronto, Ontario - Queen Elizabeth Theatre *
06-04 Boston, MA - RoyaleNightClub *
06-05 New York, NY - The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza *
06-06 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory *
06-07 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *
06-10 Atlanta, GA - Center Stage *
06-11 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club *
* with the Morning Benders
Check out the music video for the band’s single, “The High Road”:
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.
Here’s a little something to smooth you out. Asked by The Couch Sessions to produce their first ever mixtape Washington DC’s Supa Qool Uncle Q mixed a great collection of downtempo and soulful tunes from Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano.
A Tribute to Yukimi Nagano, focusing on the the trailblazing career of the Swedish vocalist and lead singer of the group Little Dragon. In addition to her work with the world-renowned group, Yukmi has a long track record of incredible music, mixing her loves of Jazz, Hip-Hop, Trip-Hop, and R&B. Her sultry voice has graced projects from all over the world, from Swedish Jazz duo Koop and Japan’s Shuya Okino, to Brooklyn’s Ge-ology. The Couch Sessions
Tracklist:
Koop – Whenever There Is You
Ge-ology – Blues Alley
Little Dragon – No Love
Quartermaine – Mystic Qool Breeze
Little Dragon – After The Rain
Little Dragon – Feather
Shuya Okino – Pieces of You
Little Dragon – Forever
Koop – Summer Sun
Little Dragon – Thunder Love
Hird – Love You My Hope (Do Right Remix)
Swell Session – The Music in Her Eyes
Koop – I See A Different You
Jafrosax – Drawn 2 U
Little Dragon – Never Never
Indie Spotlight - Tame Impala (Music Video + Mp3)
