Indie Music Chatter

My good friend Raffy, who is also a big fan of indie music, sent me an SMS today. He told me to look for Tegan and Sara’s cover of Rihanna’s Umbrella. The thought of Tegan and Sara even covering a silly (umbrella -ella -ella) albeit catchy song is just too interesting to pass up. I told him I’m definitely going to check it out and what I saw was so much fun that I think you guys ought to see it too.

As I’ve mentioned yesterday, I’m currently obsessing over Scanners — a UK band under the very hip label du jour Dim Mak.  Scanners has a very post punk sound injected with electroclash undertones and 70’s punk swagger. I love how their heavy guitar driven music is injected by little bursts of electronica that serve as counterpoints  — like glitter sparsely powdered on a rough Anarchy sketch. It’s the mixing of the sweet and the brutal that makes their sound so beguiling.

Sarah Daly is one helluva vocalist and a perfect frontwoman for Scanners. Take for example the first two tracks from their debut album Violence is Golden. Daly sounds like she’s channeling Polly Jean Harvey in the first track Joy, making you think that the whole album will take a heavy direction, but the second track Lowlife sees Daly invoking a more vulnerable, though no less powerful, delivery — making you realize that this is not going to be as cut and dried as you once thought.

And it really doesn’t! It’s the element of unpredictability that has made me fall in love with Violence is Golden as an album and on Scanners as a band. I love it when a band can present so many influences, so many sounds and control these elements into a tight and cohesive product that may at sound amorphous on paper but in actuality has a unique structure that unfolds once you really prick up your ears and listen.

Scanners, Violence is Golden, Dim Mak

I’ve been obsessing about Scanners over the last few days. I’ll be blogging about them at length tomorrow but for the time being just watch their video for the awesome Lowlife.

A month ago, Sarah suggested that I check out this band she discovered on MySpace. I did check out the band but only got around to writing about it today.

The band is called Spotty Dogg and they are from Scotland. I have to say, Spotty Dogg follows the beat of their own drum. They do not sound like any other Scottish bands I know. What they do have in common is a desire to innovate and present a new sound — and they do have one that is quite unique. Spotty Dogg plays 80’s style power pop with a bit of rap influence (two songs I’ve heard had rap fills in the middle). Think Bon Jovi with Ultravox’s sense of earnestness mixed in with a little hip-hop filler and you’ve got Spotty Dogg.

What I like about them is that earnest quality to their songs. They really do mean it when they sing. I am particularly reminded of the spirit that exudes from JJ72 or even a young U2. One song that I love is The Cheater. It has a raw quality and I think a purer distillation of the sound that they want to achieve.

If you want to rock out 80’s style you can either dust off your old records or just pick up Spotty Dogg for a fresher take on 80’s music.

Spotty Dogg, Scotland

Watching Steve Burns as a rocker is a bit of a sensory shock — you can’t believe that he’s the same Blues Clues guy, but more than that is the realization that he is actually pretty good and that his songs kick ass.

Last weekend, I decided to go through my old cassette tapes to get rid of albums that I’ve already bought on CDs. It was a great nostalgia trip because of so many albums that I have forgotten about. looking through my stash I came upon my copy of Garageland’s Exit to Garageland. I eagerly looked for my old Walkman and played the tape with much excitement.

I have completely forgotten how much I love the music of Garageland. This New Zealand band was a constant staple on my old component system way back in the 90’s. I absolutely loved their lo fi pop aesthetic that harks back to Pavement, but with a more melodic bent that would remind you of 60’s pop rock groups. Up to now I still sing Beelines to Heaven, which I think is a perfect pop song.

I hope I can find a CD of Last Exit to Graceland — that would be so awesome.

Garageland, Last Exit to Graceland, New Zealand

My son was totally enraptured this afternoon as he watched his Blues Clues DVD. The episodes contained in the DVD had Joe as the host/lead character. Watching Blues Clues actually made me think of former lead Steve Burns who left the show a few years ago. I’ve always thought of Steve as the quintessential Blues Clues dude. Joe may be ok, but Steve was the one that I have come to associate with the show.

Even though Steve Burns is not on TV anymore, he lives on in my iPod. Not many people may know this but Steve actually started a band when he left his successful children’s show. His self titled band was a great revelation to me. His debut album Songs for Dustmites contained some really strong songs, which was made doubly interesting because of his collaboration with Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd and producer Dave Friedmann. Burns’ songs are quite low key but it contains amazing hooks will intrigue you enough to give it a few listens.

Who would’ve thought that Blues Clues’ Steve had an indie rocker hidden behind those candy colored sweaters?

Steve Burns, Blues Clues, Songs for Dustmites

The good folks at Terno Recordings – the label of Filipino indie darlings Up Dharma Down — sent a couple of songs a week ago as a taste of what indie fans should look forward to from the company this year. I received a song each from Sleepwalk Circus and Musical O and needless to say, what I heard made me sit up and listen.

I’ve always maintained that the arrival of Up Dharma Down could be a sign of things to come in the Filipino music scene — a watershed that could herald the emergence of bands and artists that would remap the musical landscape in the country. Sleepwalk Circus and Musical O just proves my point.

Sleepwalk Circus’ Wakewalking has a groovy trip-hop/dreampop thing going on with a drum n’ bass rhythm boiling underneath. The description may sound like some musical Frankenstein made up of different music genres but, surprisingly enough, it does work. The vocals on Wakewalking are spot on, I don’t who their vocalist is but I have fallen in love with her voice.

A purer sound comes from Musical O. The track I listened to - M.O. - is just a rough mix, but boy, this is one powerful piece. It is sophisticated, groovy and very intellectual. I can’t believe a rough mix can sound as good as this. M.O. incorporates a number of different rhythm changes that seamlessly flow and fold unto itself. As I’ve said earlier, Musical O seems to approach music from a more intellectual perspective without losing its emotional component. I can’t help but compare them to Pinback — they are that awesome.

Sleepwalk Circus and Musical O are definitely bands to watch out for. They, along with Up Dharma Down, have what it takes to really break into the international music scene — and I’ll be there rooting for them every step of the way.

Terno Recordings, Up Dharma Down, Sleepwalk Circus, Musical O

Pitchforkmedia.com has established a reputation for being the “go to” site for all things indie. The reputation, to my mind, is well deserved. They have done a great job covering the indie scene and it has been a useful resource for fans who want to find out about their favorite bands. It has also been instrumental in bringing attention to more obscure bands.

Having said that, I have to say that I am bothered about the cult that is surrounding Pitchfork. Devoted fans of the website have completely bought into the Pitchfork philosophy and taste. These fans blindly follow the so-called taste makers of that website. Any band they declare as good are immediately considered as great bands by these fans. Alternatively, any album that gets a poor review from the website is largely ignored, or worse, branded as bad records. Individual critical thinking has been thrown out the window and replaced with a hive mind collective.

Pitchfork has its benefits but it is not the sole authority on what is considered “cool”.  It should be up to the listener to ultimately decide what he likes.

The indie world can be so confusing and obtuse at times. For the outsider, it may sound like indie fans are part of a very exclusive club with its very own secret handshake. I recently found this clip on Youtube that pokes fun at indie music listeners. It’s nice to actually laugh at yourself once in a while.

One of my favorite bands in the world is set to announce their reunion — and nope, it’s not Superdrag.

Led Zeppelin, one of the most seminal rock bands of all time is set to announce that they will reunite in a press conference to be held on Wednesday, September 12. For those kids who think that Led Zeppelin are dinosaurs who should just stay in their wheelchairs, let me just remind them that a whole slew of bands owe their music to the legendary British rock group. Everyone from Soundgarden to Wolfmother can trace their sound to LedZep.

I love Led Zeppelin but I have to say that this is going to be halfbaked reunion without John Bonham. Having said that it would interesting to see John Paul Jones on stage again. More than Page and Plant, I am a Jones and Bonham fan.

It’s already September. This is that magic month when the days start passing you by in a blur. Before you know it, it’s already December — that painful month when your pocket groans from the sheer amount of money that just flies off your wallet.

December is also the month when most people start compiling their “Best of” lists. Having been writing about music for the last couple of years, I know how difficult it can be sometimes to narrow down all of the good stuff that you’ve listened to over the year and then condense it into a list of like ten or twenty. What is going to make it doubly harder for me this year is that I forgot to make my monthly list. You see, I usually compile a list of albums that I love. This list grows from month to month and this is becomes the basis of my year-end list. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to do this and only started listing down albums from July onwards. I am afraid that I may miss some cool albums on my 2007 Best Of list. One album that’s certainly a shoo-in though is Tegan and Sara’s The Con.

What about you guys? Who do you think will make it into your own list?

I am looking forward to the new Picastro CD that is coming out this September. The band, who are known for their gloomy, atmospheric music, is coming out on September 11. The album title, in true Picastro fashion, is called Whore Luck. I am also excited to hear the contributions of Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart and Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallett on the album. I am quite optimistic that this is going to be one of the better releases this month. Can’t wait for the 11th!

I recently got the opportunity to hear the latest album from 90’s indie icon Mary Timony. Helium was one of my favorite bands in the 90’s. Up to now I still play Dirt of Luck and Magic City and it’s permanently in my iPod.

The Shapes We Make, the latest album from The Mary Timony Band offers the same brilliant song writing and guitar work that has marked Mary Timony’s career. All of the elements that you have loved about Timony is present in this album. It is a fairly strong album with very memorable songs that are anchored by Timony’s deadpan delivery. If you loved Helium then you will love this album too.

And this is also what I think is a bit of a weakness to The Shapes We Make. Even though the songs are well made and strong testaments to Timony’s talent, there is this feeling that you’ve heard it before. I think it’s because Timony did not bring anything revolutionary or refreshingly new aspects to her music. The Shapes We Make offer strong Timony songs and her imprint has remained concretely the same. It would be nice for Timony to take a fresh, unexpected direction to her music at some point in the future because she does have the talent to pull it off.

Over all, The Shapes We Make is a strong release, but it is not entirely memorable.

Mary Timony, Helium, The Dirt of Luck, The Shapes We Make

Here is the latest video from New Zealand twee pop band The Brunettes. The song, Her Hairagami Set, is from their 2007 album Structure & Cosmetics. Enjoy!