If all you’ve ever really wanted from American independent rock is more—more experimentation, more tinkering with boundaries, more pre-, post-, or meta-anything—your prescription is ready. Using brass, woodwinds, noisy guitar, squealing keyboards, loping drums, and honky-tonk piano, Man Man nod to antecedents (think Captain Beefheart by way of the Cramps, or a junkshop bohemian Elvis Costello) without really sounding like any of their influences.
Year: 2008
The Gutter Twins: An Element of Truth
The Gutter Twins was first created out of a collaborative joke, but blossomed naturally into a serious gig. Now, with one album under their belt, Mark Lanegan of Queens of the Stone Age and Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs discuss a long-term partnership.
Lindstrøm Unveils New Album Details, Collaborates
Lindstrøm – Norway’s melodic disco/electronica outfit, known for remixing such acts as LCD Soundsytem, Roxy Music, Franz Ferdinand, and The Killers – is set to release his second album Where You Go I Go Too on August 19th. The album will only be comprised of three songs, but will clock in at over 54 minutes, including a nearly 29-minute opening track.
Imaad Wasif: The Engaging and Sincere Singer’s Second Solo Release
Electric guitars and ’70s rock-inspired music deterring “illusions of youth” such as money, girls and drugs? Imaad Wasif makes it work, using meditation and music to keep the detrimental influences of society from deterring him from sharing beautiful sounds.
She & Him Announce Tour, Release Movie, and Make World Cafe Appearance
Within weeks of playing to sold out crowds in New York and Los Angels, She & Him have announced their official summer tour plans, which will kick off in Toronto on July 23rd. The duo, which comprises of actress/ singer Zooey Deschanel and musician M. Ward, released their debut, Volume One, earlier this year to much critical praise.
The Helio Sequence: Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Just because you can do something, doesn’t necessarily mean you know how. For Brandon Summers, the lead singer and guitarist of the Portland duo The Helio Sequence, this was a lesson he learned the hard way. On the band’s 2004 album Love and Distance, Summers pushed his voice to levels it didn’t know how to endure.
Foals: Eclectic Indie Brits Face the Music
Pop music in the Oxford music scene sticks out like a sore thumb — but Foals seem to get it right, with cross-cultural references, a brass section, and one-liner lyrics, the band is doing what they love and gaining followers from people all over the world.
Golden Shoulders: Friendship is Deep
From the opening piano line of the pokey “I Will Light You On Fire,” Golden Shoulders reveal their home-cooked goodness. The recording is not studio-shine pristine and there is a vague background hiss, but the song is a charmer. Harmonized vocal parts form a web of “oohs” and “aahs,” while the repeated refrain “I will light you on fire” emerges from the beautiful chaos. It’s really a gorgeous moment that sets the stage for the rest of the album.
Documentary of The Gits Debuts This July
Marking the 15th memorial anniversary of the death of lead singer Mia Zapata, the documentary film The Gits – about the rise and tragic fall of the influential Seattle-based band – opens in select theatres across North America in July. Directed by Kerry O’Kane, the film is also slated for a DVD release on July 8th from Liberation Entertainment via Adrenaline/ADA distribution.
Graveyard: The Sweet Sounds of Swedish Psych
Graveyard has the process of songwriting down and are looking forward to upcoming tours.
NOMO Have Album Release Party In Chicago, Tour
On June 17th, NOMO will have a record release party for their new album Ghost Rock. The band will grace The Hideout in Chicago with its soulful jazzy funk and rhythmic grooves. Ghost Rock – released by Ubiquity Records – picks up where 2006’s New Tones left off, but takes their unique sound in even more directions than usual. The Michigan-based collective look to expand their already eclectic musical armory on the new record, pulling influences from Eno to MIA to Funkadelic.