Indie Shuffle » wolf parade

Gingko – Ride It Out

clydeerwinbarretto — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:21:16 +0000

Sounds like: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Pixies, Modest Mouse, Wolf Parade

Song: Gingko - Ride It Out [download here]

What's so good?

Although Minneapolis rock band Tapes N’ Tapes seem to be on a little of a hiatus, members Josh Grier and Jeremy Hanson are keeping things going with their side project Gingko. Today, the two offer their new track, “Ride It Out,” which will be appearing on their debut full-length album, Manopause.

The track doesn’t depart too far from Tapes N’ Tapes loud raucous sound that highlights their love for the Pixies. The vocals are coarse, the guitars are loud, and the drums hit hard.

So, if you were a fan of Tapes N’ Tapes’ rock aesthetics, you’ll totally dig Gingko.

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1. Original post: Gingko – Ride It Out

2. Posted in: indie rock, rock, lo-fi, wolf parade, modest mouse

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Moonface – Headed For The Door

Anu — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:30:58 +0000

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Sounds like: Siinai, Phosporescent

Song: Moonface - Headed For The Door [download here]

What's so good?

Yes, this song was released earlier this year, but I can’t leave 2012 behind without sharing it. ”Headed For The Door” is the love child of Canadian singer, songwriter and keyboardist Spencer Krug and Finnish band, Siinai.

Krug has performed with a plethora of bands, from Wolf Parade to Sunset Rubdown. His current solo moniker comes off of his former band’s 7″, Introducing Moonface. His first solo album, Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped, was released in August 2011.

“Headed For The Door” comes off his second LP, released April of this year. The singer’s passionate yet wavering voice is intensified by Siinai’s patient percussion and ever-expanding ambiance. The hypnotic drone eventually breaks apart to reveal Krug’s spoken sentiments.

No release date has been set for Moonface’s next album, yet his website describes it as a pop percussion experiment. In the meanwhile, download the entire 2012 album, With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery and keep up with Siinai on Facebook.

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1. Original post: Moonface – Headed For The Door

2. Posted in: ambient, indie, synth, progressive rock, atmospheric

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Wu Lyf – Triumph

Bronte Martin — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 15:01:32 +0000

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Sounds like: Animal Collective, Wolf Parade, Beach Fossils, Holy Other

Song: Wu Lyf - Triumph [download here]

What's so good?

After only one album release, Wu Lyf has decided to call it quits. To me this sounds a little dramatic, but in the end, that’s how the London-based group always was. “Triumph” is, in theory, their last release, and it seemed fittingly to post about it as some sort of homage to the band. In a released statement from the lead singer Ellery James Roberts, he attempts to explain his reasoning for breaking it off with his bandmates:

“By the time I wrote this I was all ready gone. You know you aint got nothing but time, but time isn’t an infinite currency I want to see wasted. If this is our last month living, apocalypse looming, I am not going to spend my final hours waiting in purgatory. I am done. There is nothing here that inspires/ interests me beyond the emptiness for dreams.”

Melodramatic? Likely. Disappointing? Absolutely. Wu Lyf undeniably found a taste of success in their musical venture and accumulated many loyal fans, but there is now an obvious lack of unity that was never transparent before. This is definitely a sad day for all the Wu Lyf fans out there.

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1. Original post: Wu Lyf – Triumph

2. Posted in: indie rock, experimental, psychedelic, lo-fi, animal collective

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

GROUNDERS – Crown Land

Bronte Martin — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:48:32 +0000

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Sounds like: Grizzly Bear, Wolf Parade, Wu Lyf, Two Door Cinema Club

Song: GROUNDERS - Crown Land [download here]

What's so good?

I’d like to introduce the Indie Shuffle community to a Toronto-based band that is worth listening to. GROUNDERS is composed of Andrew Davis, Daniel Busheikin, Evan Lewis (of Australia), Mike Searle and Rob Canali, who started up the band back in February of 2010. The five are fascinated with opposites, and tend to fuse blurry bass riffs with electronic synth. The contrast is effective; the layering of variation in guitar instrumentation creates a platform for the quirky vocals to soar.

Just having released their debut EP titled Wreck Of A Smile, GROUNDERS describes it as taking a “lush, melodic and charmingly idiosyncratic” approach to their aesthetic style. “Crown Land” (along with three other tracks) is enchanting and immersed in a sublime wonderment.

GROUNDERS is an unsigned alternative band and a self-admitted “group of friends that coalesce into something simultaneously natural and incongruous.” Enjoy the catchy tunes!

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1. Original post: GROUNDERS – Crown Land

2. Posted in: indie pop, alternative, two door cinema club, grizzly bear, alternative rock

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

PAPA – Put Me To Work

Hannah Simon — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:41:29 +0000

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Sounds like: Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire, Superhumanoids

Song: PAPA - Put Me To Work [download here]

What's so good?

I am slightly obsessed with L.A.-based PAPA. It started off as innocent attraction after I saw them perform at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, but since then it’s become a full-blown “I want you now” kind of crush. Don’t tell my boyfriend.

They recently premiered their new single, “Put Me To Work,” and it’s fantastic. If this is any indication of what their upcoming full-length (out sometime next year) will sound like, I’m incredibly excited.

Put quite simply, PAPA represents everything right about indie rock. They’re kind of Wolf Parade meets Arcade Fire, channeling the best of those two sounds. Just press play to see what I mean.

Oh, and if you didn’t read my live show review, then you might not know that the lead singer is also the drummer. I mean, if that doesn’t spell out “sex god” then I don’t know what does.

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1. Original post: PAPA – Put Me To Work

2. Posted in: indie rock, post-punk, wolf parade, superhumanoids, arcade fire

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits

Joshua Mellin — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:49:37 +0000

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Sounds like: Spoon, Wolf Parade

Song: Divine Fits - What Gets You Alone [download here]

What's so good?

Last November, Spoon frontman Britt Daniels, Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner, and The New Bomb Turks’ Sam Brown got together during their respective group’s downtime and played an impromptu practice session at a rehearsal studio in Santa Monica. After Wolf Parade called it quits, the three officially became Divine Fits in early 2012, and their debut album A Thing Called Divine Fits was released August 28 on Merge records.

Widely billed as a “supergroup,” the band clearly functions as a natural collaborative. While they retain elements of their own bands, the final product is something all its own: a sharp sound, brooding with electricity.

The tightly packed album opens with the pulsive “My Love Is Real” before the jilted “Flaggin A Ride.” The time change linking the fast-paced “What Gets You Alone” and groovy but still charged “Would That Not Be Nice” seem to glue the entire album together, while the guitar solos on later tracks like “Shivers” tear it apart at its seems.

Though Boeckner’s Wolf Parade is no longer active, Daniels promises Divine Fits will remain a “real band,” even as Spoon continues to work on new songs long distance.

Divine Fits have announced a slew of upcoming dates, including a pair of shows supporting the Black Keys in Las Vegas for New Year’s Eve December 30 and 31 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

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1. Original post: Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits

2. Posted in: indie rock, electronic-rock, spoon, wolf parade, Divine Fits

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Modest Mouse – Float On

Jason Grishkoff — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 20:50:03 +0000

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Song: Modest Mouse - Float On [download here]

What's so good?

In the Northern Hemisphere we’re drawing awfully close to the end of summer. But, the weather is friggin’ amazing, and this song is getting me totally amped for a 3-day weekend.

Modest Mouse’s “Float On” could possibly be considered a “classic” at this point, released almost a decade ago on Good News For People Who Love Bad News. Yeah, it’s hard to believe that it was so long again.

The feel-good summer vibe wasn’t an accident. According to Isaac Brock:

It was a completely conscious thing. I was just kind of fed up with how bad shit had been going, and how dark everything was, with bad news coming from everywhere. Our president [George W. Bush] is just a fucking daily dose of bad news! Then you’ve got the well-intentioned scientists telling us that everything is fucked. I just want to feel good for a day.

So on that note, I hope you’re enjoying your day!

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1. Original post: Modest Mouse – Float On

2. Posted in: indie rock, wolf parade, modest mouse, absofacto, Portugal. The Man

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Backwords – By The Neck

joeabdo — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:49:52 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Wolf Parade, Velvet Underground, Father John Misty

Song: Backwords - Rhythm and Rain [download here]

What's so good?

Brooklyn’s favorite psychedelic rock band, Backwords, is at it again with their third studio release By The Neck. With the addition of Meredith Meyer playing an array of instruments as well as providing a nice touch as a vocal auxiliary, this album goes deeper and is a bit more polished to their sophomore album Quilt.

This quartet from Williamsburg has really hit their stride with this album. There is literally not one skip-able song on this track list. The album opens with “Break My Spine” – an intelligent, catchy song that sucks you into the album. It features Russ’s phenomenal guitar work (which sounds like John Lennon’s distorted Rickenbacker 325) and cabalistic lyrics.

Frontman Brian Russ shares lead singing duties with bassist Tim Pioppio, which gives them a Wolf Parade-like double threat to this album, leading to a wide range of diversity from song to song. “Little Feet” is a great ditty with a captivating tempo, a catchy guitar rift, and a solid jam session wedged between the bridge and refrain.

My favorite song on this album is “Rhythm and Rain” (music video below). Put this song on your end of summer playlist – it is that good. No equation used here on this song — just a well crafted “whiskey rock n roll” track that will invade your blood and bones. The music video enhances the song’s psychedelic undertones and prolific lyrics — check it out.

One has to respect this band. They hail from one of the biggest cities in the world, yet sound like they formed in the badlands of South Dakota, or a surf shack in LA, or a moonshine distillery in Alabama – anywhere but the concrete jungles of Brooklyn. Their prior albums Buffalo Still Roam and Quilt are all strong efforts and very complex; a hodgepodge of genres (surf rock, bluegrass, indie, alt-country, psychedelia, etc). Backwords is patient and smart enough to mash all of those genres into the musical version of a beautiful dream catcher — made with all sorts of materials and colors, yielding a gorgeous piece of art.

Not only do I strongly suggest buying their albums, but try to see them live in a venue near you – they tour the country a lot, so look them up and support this group of travelling songsmiths.

Backwords – “Rhythm and Rain” from Benjamin Johnson on Vimeo.

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1. Original post: Backwords – By The Neck

2. Posted in: indie rock, folk-rock, lo-fi, blues rock, alt-country

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Conveyor – Mukraker (“Stoop Session”)

Christiana Bartolini — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:19:02 +0000

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Sounds like: Suckers, Apostle of Hustle, Wolf Parade

Song: Conveyor - Mukraker [download here]

What's so good?

Conveyor is back with an intimate live performance of their track, “Mukraker.” If you’ve heard their recently released self-titled album, you probably already know that “Mukraker” is one of the more laid back tracks on their high-energy album.

This video projects the perfect ambiance of a relaxing summer night, kicking it back with friends and taking it easy. It portrays the quartet with just a drum and acoustic guitar; their voices are the main instrument here. Each band member has a role within the vocals and when combined, the sound is soothing and orchestral. It’s almost as if they didn’t even need to drum or guitar to begin with.

While the video is short-lived, it sure is sweet. I initially watched it twice in a row because just once wasn’t enough. Give it a watch and you’ll see what I mean.

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1. Original post: Conveyor – Mukraker (“Stoop Session”)

2. Posted in: indie rock, indie pop, wolf parade, experimental-indie, apostle of hustle

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Live in San Francisco – PAPA

Hannah Simon — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:57:49 +0000

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Sounds like: Superhumanoids, The Neighbourhood, Wolf Parade

Song: PAPA - Let's Make You Pregnant [download here]

What's so good?

The California Academy of Sciences Nightlife played host to indie rock and pop last night, with PAPA and Of Monsters and Men stealing the show from baby ostriches and an albino alligator.

I was happy to see Of Monsters and Men perform (who doesn’t love that joyful Icelandic six-piece?) but I was more excited to see PAPA, a Los Angeles-based indie rock act led by former Girls drummer Darren Weiss.

While I watched their set, I realized how incredibly talented you have to be to be lead singer and a drummer at the same time. I mean, I know it’s difficult to play any instrument and sing simultaneously, but I feel like drumming would be especially challenging. So major props to Darren for being able to accomplish that feat, and accomplish it well. His voice is rich and powerful — reminds me of bits and pieces form Other Lives, Spoon, and Wolf Parade.

To be completely honest, I was pretty blown away by their live show. PAPA is brimming with a certain sense of sincerity that you don’t find in most indie rock bands. There is no pretension, no entitlement. You can tell that these guys just really enjoy what they do, and with their hearts full of love, they want to share it with the world.

PAPA have a full-length in the works and released an EP last year, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find (which you can find streaming here). Do me a favor and click on that link. You won’t be disappointed.

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1. Original post: Live in San Francisco – PAPA

2. Posted in: indie rock, the neighbourhood, spoon, girls, wolf parade

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Menomena – Heavy Is As Heavy Does

Jason Grishkoff — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:11:25 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Dr. Dog, Ramona Falls, Wolf Parade

Song: Menomena - Heavy Is As Heavy Does [download here]

What's so good?

While most-often cited as an “experimental” band, Menomena’s latest single “Heavy Is As Heavy Does” is actually pretty easy to listen to.

The Portland-based band have been going at it since 2000, and will be releasing their fifth album Moms on September 18th via Barsuk records.

Interestingly enough, this is actually the first album they’ll be releasing without original member Brent Knopf. The remaining members Justin Harris and Danny Seim didn’t look to replace him — instead they forged ahead as a duo. Perhaps that explains the approachable sounds of “Heavy Is As Heavy Does.”

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1. Original post: Menomena – Heavy Is As Heavy Does

2. Posted in: indie rock, experimental, wolf parade, Portugal. The Man, menomena

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Conveyor – Conveyor

Christiana Bartolini — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:03:38 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Suckers, Apostle of Hustle, Wolf Parade

Song: Conveyor - Mukraker [download here]

What's so good?

If I were to predict a deserving up-and-coming band beginning to gain some much-deserved recognition, it’d be Conveyor. This quartet’s debut self-titled LP is stunning and expansive.

With just one listen of this LP, you’ll notice that Conveyor dapples in many different genres, experimenting through each particular niche with ease and creativity. Some songs sound experimentally tribal with defined Afro-beats. Other tracks are heavily psychedelic with an encapsulating downtempo. Then there are those songs that are upbeat and carefree with a tinge of quirky effects that give it a unique edge. There’s a track for almost anyone who’s into all different kinds of experimental indie rock/pop.

Don’t wait another minute; here’s a little preview of Conveyor’s self-titled LP, set to release on July 17, and soon you’ll be able to figure out which one is your favorite (mine is “Right Sleep.” I cannot stop!).

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1. Original post: Conveyor – Conveyor

2. Posted in: indie rock, experimental, psychedelic, psychedelic pop, alternative rock

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Modest Mouse – Dashboard

Jason Grishkoff — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 21:41:52 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: Modest Mouse - Dashboard [download here]

What's so good?

By the time Modest Mouse rolled around with their 5th studio album, they had successfully established themselves as a mainstay (courtesy of Good News For People Who Love Bad News). For many long-time fans, the album became a “test” of whether they could continue to pump out solid songs after selling out.

Fortunately, Isaac Brock and crew had a secret weapon: Johnny Marr of the Smiths.

“Dashboard” was the first song released to the public (via an email list in 2007), and rested heavily on the clever opening guitar lick that Mr. Marr had laid down. The song spread like wildfire, quickly establishing that Modest Mouse was not going to disappoint.

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1. Original post: Modest Mouse – Dashboard

2. Posted in: indie rock, alternative, wolf parade, modest mouse, built to spill

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – In This Home On Ice

Jason Grishkoff — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:36:56 +0000

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Song: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - In This Home On Ice [download here]

What's so good?

It’s hard to believe that about 7 years have passed since Clap Your Hands Say Yeah released their eponymous debut album. I guess that means I’m getting older?

So, in an effort to remind myself of more carefree days, I thought I’d whip out the song “In This Home On Ice” and play it through a couple times.

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1. Original post: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – In This Home On Ice

2. Posted in: indie rock, shoegaze, wolf parade, the rapture, clap your hands say yeah

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Islands – This Is Not A Song

Lauren Sloss — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:00:26 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Mister Heavenly, Sunset Rubdown

Song: Islands - This Is Not A Song [download here]

What's so good?

Nick Thorburn is back — well, back at recording with Islands, after a Mister Heavenly tour this past year.

The Canadian avant-pop maestro will be releasing A Sleep & A Forgetting on February 14, but has let slip “This Is Not A Song” for your listening pleasure. A slowed down number, laden with a thick layer of piano and a slightly twangy guitar line, the track exemplifies Islands’ grasp of the orchestral, which they seriously mastered on 2007′s Arm’s Way.

“This Is Not A Song” exercises more subtlety, though — it sounds stripped down in comparison, and would be a perfect tune to hear on the radio driving late at night on an empty road. Ending with a shimmering crescendo of violins, I find myself pressing repeat, and am very interested in what else Islands has for us this time around.

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1. Original post: Islands – This Is Not A Song

2. Posted in: indie rock, indie pop, folk, alternative, wolf parade

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Live in Chicago: Okkervil River

Joshua Mellin — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 16:17:54 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Bright Eyes, Felice Brothers

Song: Okkervil River - Your Past Life as a Blast [download here]

What's so good?

Okkervil River brought their Texas blend of indie folk rock to the Vic Theater in Chicago last night, and did not disappoint. Lead singer Will Sheff showed off his tremendous stage presence, seemingly casting a spell over the audience. Never before have I seen an artist command silence from a crowd the way he did.

Formed in 1998, the band has steadily risen to become one of the standards of indie folk rock. The collective, which ebbs and grows, featured their original drummer, Seth Warren-Crow, and like all proper indie bands these days, a female presence, with Lauren Gurgilolo burning away notes on electric guitar. Highlights of the night included their perennial hit “Our Life Is Not A Movie But Maybe,” and their ode to the Beach Boy’s “Sloop John B,” “John Allyn Smith Sails.”

Okkervil is the type of band a casual blog reader may pass over, or stroll past at a festival, but next time the opportunity presents itself: stop and listen. Once you’ve witnessed them live, their entire catalogue will become illuminated.

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1. Original post: Live in Chicago: Okkervil River

2. Posted in: indie rock, folk, indie, folk-rock, alt-country

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Live in London: Destroyer

David Peter Simon — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:24:52 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes, Yuck, Wolf Parade, Swan Lake

Song: Destroyer - Chinatown [download here]

What's so good?

Let me tell you why you should see Destroyer live… even if Dan Bejar’s performance at Heaven sucked last night.

One word: uninspired. I’m sorry to be harsh but Bejar was just off his game last night. Don’t get me wrong, I love Dan Bejar. He has cool hair. He produces good music. His vocals are remarkable and his lyrics are among the most witty I’ve heard to come out of the indie music haven that is Canada. But… seriously? I’m sorry. This show was just kind of lame.

Back in 2000, Bejar released Thief to significant critical acclaim, and has since followed up with one great album after another, performing fun live gigs to admiring fans. However, since Bejar’s started this project it’s been nearly 11 years, and I’m sad to say I think last night’s show proves that Destroyer’s time is up. Don’t misunderstand me — Bejar’s music itself is still awesome. Let me just at least demonstrate how one spiritless show almost ruined an entire discography for me.

Dan Bejar came out at 9:30pm to play what I would call a perfunctory show. He showed up. He played his songs. He did his whole hand-in-the-hair, moody-drunk artist thing. He played classics. But… something was missing the entire time. I started out this show overly optimistic — almost giddy with excitement. You see, I loved Destroyer back in the day. But, times change. The Destroyer that I saw live back in May 2009 was one of the most intimate and funny shows I’ve been to. Sadly, something’s happened. Dan looked tired, almost pathetically unhappy to play his new music. For fuck’s sake, he only said “this is an old one” to the audience the entire show. What happened to that once playful drunkard?

I know, I know — being blasé is totally “in.” But, come on. Is Bejar really too cool to communicate to his fans nowadays? What’s with this whole play a few songs on stage, not smile or say a word, come out for an unimaginary encore then leave? Stop acting like a pathetic 40-year-old rock star. For some bands (like Explosions in the Sky), the just-play-our-music, act tired, and leave thing is great. For Destroyer, it was disillusioning.

Alright, so maybe I’m just being too abusive and it was an off night. The songs he played were legendary. I smiled ad nauseam during Painter in My Pocket. But I need to ask, what the fuck was up with the rest of the show? Destroyer used to be all about Dan Bejar. Yesterday, his songs took on some weird, ultra-rock versions of themselves and I felt as if his band was trying to make up for his lack of spirit.

While I quite enjoyed watching his trumpet player defile the microphone like he was having sex with it, or watching his saxophonist hit a crowd-pleasing solo, I have to admit this band didn’t really sound like the Destroyer I knew. I stood looking at my watch the entire time and was appalled to think it was over when the lights hit. My friend even walked over to the bar at one point to get a beer, proving that you needed to be drunk to be able to truly enjoy this show.

Gone are the Destroyer days that Bejar gets up to the microphone and wails out matchless tunes and in are the days of total apathy. Sorry Dan, an added number of musical theatrics does not make up for your lack of care; you are not Broken Social Scene.

This was a brand new Destroyer — maybe fun and loud at times, but seriously impersonal and dull. Where is the playful and moody Bejar I used to admire? Destroyer’s sound has gone all over the place. Bejar even sat down throughout the show, drinking Red Stripe after Red Stripe and consulting lyric sheets for old tunes (see photo). Seriously now, who in their right mind these days brings a piece of paper to the stage? I know, I know, the band has a shitload of songs. But no, this was not in an endearing, rock-star way. I’m telling you, it’s terrible when a true fan can’t really tell the difference whether your ex-favorite artist is drunk or completely over it.

Sadly, even most of Destroyer’s loyal fans outside were quietly saying they were disappointed by a lack of enthusiasm and tried to justify his weird on-stage attitude by saying “he was probably just really high”. Let’s be honest, Kapputt was good but what did I just see?

All in all, I guess I would recommend seeing Destroyer — not because he used to play a fantastic show but because I think this may be the beginning of the end, and it would be a shame not to see something as legendary as Destroyer before you die. Hopefully he’ll play “Painter in My Pocket” for you too, so that you can at least say you saw Dan Bejar when he knew the lyrics to one of his best songs.

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1. Original post: Live in London: Destroyer

2. Posted in: indie rock, wolf parade, yuck, destroyer, sunset rubdown

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

WU LYF – Go Tell Fire to the Mountain

David Peter Simon — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:00:30 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Animal Collective, Wolf Parade, Beach Fossils, Holy Other

Song: WU LYF - Dirt [download here]

What's so good?

Unique. Eccentric. Awesome. Revolutionary. I’m at a lack of descriptive words for how World Unite! Lucifer Youth Foundation (WU LYF) is winning at life. But who the fuck are these guys? The finally confirmed group of Manchester “bros” has continually attempted to shroud themselves in mystery from day one — even periodically deleting their Wikipedia page in order to maintain a respectably intriguing level of anonymity.

The kids clearly know what it means to have a bold dedication to being “cool” and their hard work is starting to pay off; The Guardian recently hailed the act as “the most talked-about new British band” and even Jay-Z tweeted about their hype. But first, I need to say it: I’m appalled. WU LYF’s Go Tell The Mountain dropped June 13 and no one here at Indie Shuffle has covered it yet. And here I thought we were the champions of good, new music! Well, this post was a long time coming… we’ll just leave it at that.

Back in 2010, I quite enjoyed the muted release of WU LYF’s two-song EP, and this full-length follow-up one year later has definitely delivered. I truly believe that this album is one of the most original to drop all year. Seriously… stop reading my review and just go listen to it for yourself. Songs like “DIRT” (featured) and “HEAVY POP” are a good place to start.

For those of you still reading, let me tell you about how WU LYF has crafted together what is perhaps the best recipe for a successful, indie band today: extremely powerful tunes combined with a deliciously confusing backstory and a well-managed badass image. The band’s music is youthful chaos brought to life, a one-of-a-kind musical experience where vocals literally sound like they’re bleeding out of the singer and instruments emphatically rage together. This is the music you’ll want to protest to. This is the music you’ll want to get fucked up to. This is the music you’ll want just throw up your hands and say damn it all to hell to.

And I’ll tell you from personal experience, listening to these 10 songs in a row will be the first time in ages that you’ll actually get the jitters from how down right radical a good drummer can sound. As the band continues to blow up, one shouldn’t be surprised to see them rise to epic status within the next year. Think The Weeknd, but an avant-garde pop version. You’ll want to play this album for as long as you can before Newsweek starts claiming it as “fresh new music” and insulting it as “equivalent to Kings of Leon.”

And as someone recently quipped on their music video, “the [lead singer] is going to be drowning in pussy in a year.” Guess it doesn’t hurt to be young and talented these days. Prepare yourself for the heavy pop revolution by heading over to their website and listening to four freebies on their MySpace.

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1. Original post: WU LYF – Go Tell Fire to the Mountain

2. Posted in: indie rock, experimental, psychedelic, alternative, lo-fi

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Same Mistake

Hannah Simon — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:08:45 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Same Mistake [download here]

What's so good?

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is back! I remember seeing these guys perform in a basement in Boston back in 2005. Their sound (and popularity) has come a long way since then.

Produced by John Congleton (Explosions In The Sky, Okkervil River, The Mountain Goats), Hysterical marks Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s first new album in more than four years, and “Same Mistake” is the first single off it. You can download it for free — after entering your email address — on their official website.

“Same Mistake” sounds like the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah I was dancing to back in college, only the vocals are smoother and polished. With a strong, steady beat, it’s the perfect combination of indie pop and indie rock — fun, catchy, and fresh.

They’ll be releasing Hysterical on September 20.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Same Mistake

2. Posted in: indie rock, indie pop, wolf parade, Architecture in Helsinki, i'm from barcelona

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Other Lives – Tamer Animals

Nicole Cifani — Sun, 29 May 2011 16:19:38 +0000

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Sounds like: Wolf Parade, Shearwater, The Decemberists

Song: Other Lives - Tamer Animals [download here]

What's so good?

Whether you’re a serious music aficionado or someone simply workin’ the biz, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the great new material out there. And with the amount of great stuff coming at us from seemingly every angle, it becomes difficult to tune in to everything that piques our interest — let alone find time to connect with that one great album.

That personal connection is at the root of what makes music great. Somehow, we need to get back to that crazy-good feeling of wanderlust. You know, the emotional part of the music experience that’s all about getting lost and descending deep within those arresting waves of sound.

The sophomore album from the Oklahoma-based band Other Lives makes that kind of connection. Tamer Animals is a homegrown effort, yet perfectly polished. It’s unassuming, lush, and extraordinarily layered.

This album is a rare listen, perfectly suited for getting completely absorbed in alone at home, and at the same time it’s seems exclusively created for the mere purpose of levitating alongside hundreds of others in a live performance setting.

The album isn’t overtly trying to get to this place, which is exactly why it works. It’s devoid of the hype-delivering force majeure, lending itself to discovery as great music often does. Ultimately, it’s a well-produced, thoughtfully crafted album that’s inviting to connect with on each and every listen.

Download “For 12″ for free, stream the album, watch videos and more at http://otherlives.com.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: Other Lives – Tamer Animals

2. Posted in: indie rock, folk-rock, wye oak, wolf parade, the decemberists

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Backwords – Quilt

joeabdo — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:42:38 +0000

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Sounds like: Wolf Parade, Local Natives, Dr. Dog, Brian Jonestown Massacre

Song: Backwords - I Have Seen [download here]

What's so good?

“Mitakuye Oyasin” is a Lakota Sioux Indian mantra that is said when entering or leaving a sweat lodge. It means, very simply, “We are all related.” I believe it is this ethos that drives Brooklyn-based trio Backwords to make such welcoming, inclusive, melodic, and genre-transcending music.

First of all, to describe their sound: imagine a 1998 Modest Mouse having a threesome with The Beach Boys and Fleet Foxes, and this three-headed music lovechild marinated in a bottle of Old Grandad Whiskey — nine months later, Backwords would have been born. Their music contains a gritty, unwavering, raw guitar-shredding ability, mixed with gorgeous melodies and soothing vocals. Sprinkle in occasional use of the banjo, fiddles, and female backup vocals, and you’ve got yourself Backwords.

Their hooks are catchy and one of the most impressive aspects of seeing them live occurs when frontman Brian Russ steps away from the microphone, turns his back to the crowd, hunches over and absolutely demolishes his guitar strings. His ability to play the guitar turned me from a toe-tapping fan into someone convulsing uncontrollably in front of the stage at a Baltimore club.

Russ can shred and improvise; the guy can flat out play the guitar. And he is supported by an extremely worthy bassist, Tim Pioppo, who thumbs a Hofner semi-acoustic bass a la Paul McCartney and can turn a stand-up cello into a rift machine. Their phenomenal drummer, John Sheldon, rounds out the lineup. He isn’t afraid to jump into the pocket and tear into an army cadence that reminds me of beats provided by bands like The Turtles or The Mamas and the Papas.

Some background on the members: Russ was a born and raised in Philadelphia. After graduating college, Russ packed his bags, guitar, and harmonica and traveled to the poorest county in America, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwest South Dakota. Here, Russ was inspired to create the music for his soon-to-be-band. Pine Ridge represents one of the most severe dichotomies in America today; it lies in one of the most gorgeous ecosystems in the world containing the Black Hills, Badlands, and rolling buffalo-covered prairies. But in this awe-inspiring setting is the most impoverished corner of America with the worst mortality rate in the western hemisphere outside of Haiti.

Russ spent two years in Pine Ridge. In his free time, he would sit atop a cliff, penning music that embodied the teachings and philosophies of the Lakota medicine men he had befriended. He participated in Lakota Sioux rituals, like sitting for hours in agonizing heat-filled sweat lodges. Finally, he decided he wanted to express the strange world of Pine Ridge in musical form. Listening to Backwords’ sophomore album Quilt, it’s evident that the teachings and philosophies imparted on Russ in Pine Ridge stands tall in Backwords’ music.

Quilt is a follow-up to their first release The Buffalo Still Roam. The album opens with “And Then Sigh,” a confident, beautiful track that reminds me of early Pink Floyd. “In the Air & On the Ground” is a sweet tune led by a banjo rift, with fun harmonizing vocals and a fiddle solo in the middle that would make Charlie Daniels proud. “Better Off Alone” returns Backwords to their gritty guitar epicenter and is accompanied with female vocals that reminds me of The Dandy Warhols at their best. “Think of Me (As a Quilt Made Out of Stars)” is a 6+ minute tour de force that really highlights Backwords at its core. The song does not rely on the standard rock song equation, but changes melodies a half dozen times. It begins with a manic guitar rift analogous to Built to Spill and then absolutely dies down into a bluesy, psychedelic tune.

The title of this album, Quilt, embodies their style of music – taking many elements and creating one cohesive, warm, comforting product. Aside from buying Backwords’ music, I strongly suggest finding them in a city near you to witness their musical ability live. They would be happy to see you, because in the end, “Mitakuye Oyasin.”

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: Backwords – Quilt

2. Posted in: indie rock, folk-rock, psychedelic, acoustic, blues rock

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.