This Must Be The Sunks by The RCSN (2012)

Kind of Like: LVL UP, Stereolab, Native America
Genres: Pop, Ambient, Indie
Preview:

This project is the solo effort of Zack Schwartz from Glocca Morra.  After helping establish a portfolio of timeless emo/punk material with said band, it seems that this solo material is a more laid-back outlet for dreamy ambient indie music.  Wait, Glocca Morra already is pretty laid-back in their own right. Oh well, enjoy this release from last year and he also has a teaser track for an upcoming release.

Monet on the Dance Floor by Sugar Baron (2012)

Kind of Like: Rubik, Portugal. The Man, Stateless
Genres: Indie, Indie Pop, Electronica, Experimental
Preview:


"Sugar Baron is a beat-driven musical experiment that mixes Motown influences with a modern twist of driving guitars and buttery electronic beats. The Michigan trio consists of Ryun Weber (English, formerly The Lunar Calendar, Cerilia, IKILLJACK), Randy Nelsen (formerly The Lunar Calendar, Cerilia) and Jan Kruszewski (formerly Memory to Matter)."
- Bandcamp

Time for something different, guys.  I get a heavy vibe of downtempo Portugal. The Man song parts from this band, but overall, they are very different from PTM.  The mixture of electronica and indie results in swirling, catchy tunes.  They are in the midst of planning a new tour, so look out for that as well.

Listen Here:

Spirit Night - One Man Houses [2012]

For Fans Of: Tiger's Jaw, Cap'n Jazz, Husker Du

Genres: Indie, Garage, Emo

Websites: Facebook, Lasfm, Bandcamp

Preview:

While Poo's out at Pouzza Fest, I'll be holding down the fort here at home. There's a good deal of new stuff I've been meaning to post so be on the lookout throughout the day. Let's begin with Spirit Night from Brooklyn, NY.

Spirit Night is always Dylan Balliett, usually Pete Wilmoth, and sometimes other friends of theirs. Their sound is an interesting mix of emo/indie pop/lo-fi, with a little garage rock/punk added in there as well. You may have already heard their full-length debut, What We Will Be, back in 2010, or their Normal EP, which was released last year. Their newest, One Man Houses, came out earlier this year on Broken World Media (the record label run by Derrick Shanholtzer of The World is a Beautiful Place & I am no Longer Afraid to Die fame), and it is not what you would expect if you have heard them previously. I mean that in a good way - it's faster, catchier, and headed in a great direction.

I also enjoyed the B-side that was deemed "too shitty" to include on the album:

You can stream this album on their Bandcamp, download it below, and/or purchase it via Broken World.

Streampad: Spirit Night - Summer Clothes

Phantasmagoria coming to UMD!

Phantasmagoria (not to be confused with the Japanese visual kei band) is an indie pop/electronica/experimental band from Detroit. Lianna Vanicelli and Christopher Jarvis are the two members, and they've agreed to grace the University of Michigan Dearborn campus with their presence as part of the WUMD music series!

If you're gonna be around the area on Thursday, March 22nd and wanna stop by, here's more info. There will be a live performance at 11:30 on the University Center stage, and an interview with the band will follow. And hey, it's free and open to the public! If you want to listen to more of the band, head on over to their Bandcamp, where you can purchase their newest 7" on clear green vinyl for about ten bucks.

Olympians - Foreign Language [2010]

For Fans Of: Freelance Whales, Local Natives, Fanfarlo

Genres: Indie Pop, Math Rock, Folk

Spotify: Yes

Preview:

Olympians are four strapping young lads from Norwich who play exhilarating sing-along math-pop/indie-pop. They started out by playing a guitar, bass, and some drums in one of the member's basements for fun. Since then, they've expanded to two guitars, a keyboard, a glockenspiel (one of my favorite instruments/favorite words in the English language), and a trumpet. They do a lot of cute ba-ba-ba-ing in their songs, like in the video for "Wake Up Old":

The song I put up for the preview portion starts off slowly, but if you hang on and listen to the whole thing, it's worth it! Their Bandcamp has a lot of stuff on sale as well as some free downloads.

Beach Fossils - Shallow [2012]

For Fans Of: Craft Spells, Wild Nothing, Surfer Blood

Genres: Lo-Fi, Surf Rock, Indie Pop

Spotify: Ya

Preview:

I've been in love with Beach Fossils ever since I heard "Golden Age" from their 2010 self-titled release. The carefree vibe of each catchy tune makes their albums the perfect soundtrack to a long drive on a sunny day. This 7" was just released last week (purchase here), and features two new songs. Hopefully we will see another great full-length from them soon.

Streampad: Beach Fossils - Lessons

Kubichek - Not Enough Tonight [2007]

For Fans Of: Dogs, DARTZ!, Look See Proof

Genres: Indie, Indie Pop, Pop Punk

Spotfity: Yepyep

Preview:

Kubicheck! was another British indie group that formed back in 2004, and then dismembered four years later. They're perfect for anyone who likes a bellyful of bright, bold, guitar skewed pop songs. From their Lastfm:

"Creators of this year’s best indie rock debut; make no mistake, Newcastle’s Kubichek! are a devoutly special band. As incendiary as the intentionally explosive exclamation mark that doorstops their moniker, like all the best bands, they come armed with a musical manifesto – a mission statement if you will – that encompasses their lust for uncompromising DIY punk jitter, noir tinged, New Wave tainted atmos, and feedback swamped melodic sass. Said debut, ‘Not Enough Night’ is evocative of their variety in palate; a record that perfectly plots their brilliance over twelve explosive, contrasting melodic assaults, announcing their arrival to the world with aplomb. It is a stunning debut missive."

Check out this Streampad thingy we've got goin' on. You can now listen to songs while blogwalking for songs to listen to!

Streampad: Kubichek! - Roman Is Better

DARTZ - The Sad History Of The Village Of Alnerique [2008]

For Fans Of: Tellison, Colour, Algiers

Genres: Math Rock, Indie, Indie Pop

Spotify: Yes

Preview:

I've referred to DARTZ! in a couple of previous posts, so I figured I may as well throw this up. This trio is from the U.K. and includes members of The Maple State, and Algiers. The more I listen to their albums, the more they become one of my favorite Math Rock bands. Those Brits really seem to know what they're doing in this realm. Sadly, the band dismembered back in 2009 because of internal conflicts between the three members, but they left listeners with a great body of work to explore. I highly recommend downloading their whole discog if you find this to be something you like.

Streampad: DARTZ! - The Arrival, Building Alnerique

Algiers - Four Priests [2011]

For Fans Of: The Maple State, DARTZ!, Look Mexico

Genres: Emo, Indie Pop, Math Rock

Spotify: Yep!

Preview:

Algiers is made up of two guys from the U.K. who are former members of The Maple State and DARTZ!. This EP is the product of a chance encounter between the two band members which blossomed into four months of collaboration. It's an indie-pop gem if there ever was one - catchy and fun to listen to. Four Priests is a great little debut EP; it showcases the band's bright melodies and promises more good stuff to come.

Unfortunately I cannot seem to find a good digital version of the album, but you can listen on their Soundcloud. Alternatively, clicking below will send you to their Bandcamp, where you can purchase it for about $5.

Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory [2012]

For Fans Of: Beach Fossils, Weekend, Small Black

Genres: Lo-Fi, Indie Pop, Shoegaze

Preview: Could Nothings - Our plan by Lorina Karreci

While trotting Insound for a copy of Your Favorite Weapon, I came across a pre-order for Cloud Nothing's newest LP. Although filled with remnants of the usual lo-fi indie pop we have come to expect, Attack on Memory is just different enough from their previous works to hint that the band has way more up its sleeve than just upbeat poppiness, choosing instead to anchor its ambition with simpler indie-punk jams. This is a more diversive work that carries the band into considerably heavier territory than the previous two releases. But not to worry - the catchy melodies are still interwoven into each song, just more obvious in some than others. There's also a great instrumental track about halfway through the album. The band will offer many opportunities to catch this new material live on their upcoming North American tour, which runs from February to April.

Shoelaces EP by The Submarines

Kind of Like: Stars, Mates of State, The Postal Service (with female vocals)

Genres: Indie Pop, Electronica, Shoegaze

Preview: Ride The Tempo

I've had a thing for these two cuties since I heard the song "Xavia" a couple years back. Yeah, they've been in Apple commercials and all that jazz, but you shouldn't hold that against them. They're really good at fusing together male and female harmonies to poppy, feel-good beats, with a bit of folk mixed in there as well. I'll admit it may be a bit girlier than some people may prefer, but hey, girls read this blog too! This EP just came out a month or so ago, and it features brand-new material, as well as a cover of one of their older songs. I would say that "Your Silent Face" is probably my favorite tune, but the others are catchy as well.

Fun fact: I just learned that the female vocalist, Blake Hazard, is the great-granddaughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald. So not only do I have a girl crush on her 'cause she's super cute and has a lovely voice, but she's also related to one of my favorite writers. Oh, AND she's created a foundation to help children fighting cancer. Yep, it's pretty safe to say that I love her.

Listen Here: