The Airfields

Thought it was time for a daily dose of indiepop courtesy of the Airfields. This band has been on my radar for a while now, but I've not posted anything by them. Which in itself should tell you how sad I am. Their debut EP, Laneways is one of my faves from this summer. The band have a new demo song up on their myspace and its already making me wish the band were coming to Portland sometime soon. Anyways, here's a couple tracks from Laneways and a couple from their City-State EP.

MP3: The Airfields - City-State

MP3: The Airfields - Leaps and Bounds

MP3: The Airfields - Nowhere Left to Go

Join them as friends on myspace and check out their homepage here (where you can download antoher song from City-State!). You can buy Laneyways here from Poppolar.

BONUS VIDEO:

The Terribles

So this is the first Irish band I've featured here. You don't really hear about a great many bands out of Ireland for some reason. Maybe I've just not been looking that hard, lol. Anyways, The Terribles recorded their debut EP in the summer of 2005 and it was released back in March of this year. The songs are rather plaintive and down tempo, and very soothing. Sort of a more solemn American Analog Set fronted by a female singer maybe. And speaking of the singer's voice, it has a very calming and mellow tone to it; its quite haunting at times. The songs on their debut EP, Mistake: Do Over are all excellent as well. Here's two tracks from it:

MP3: The Terribles - Promise (my personal fave)

MP3: The Terribles - Those Songs

Their myspace.
Their homepage where you can contact the band to get the EP.

Terrene

Rare is the day that I immediately post on a band that sends a friend request through myspace. Its usually not because of anything with the band, its just that I am inherently lazy at times. But today, today I was moved to fire up blogger within all of 30 seconds of hearing the Seattle band, Terrene. They blew me away. I mean it. Literally. I've heard four songs from them and I think they're some of the best I've ever heard. I don't knwo how I've gone so long with hearing them, it makes me feel like I really don't know what's going on. I know, I know. That's hyperbolic bullshit to most of you. But its not. I swear this band is the real deal. I mean, if Godspeed was mixed with the Beach Boys you'd like it right? And that's what I hear. I've felt a little blah all week about lackluster music that I've had to endure. Not so now. Terrene make a a sort of ethereal, pop and hook-laden post-rock sound that has to be heard before you can even start to fathom what it really sounds like. I can't believe how good I think these songs are already. So since I'm sure my hype of them have drive have of you away already, here's some mp3s:

MP3: Terrene - Makr

MP3: Terrene - Fifty One (I'll be honest I didn't want to post this one its so good)

You have to visit their myspace and befriend them. I can't stress that enough. You'll thank me for it someday, promise. No link to buy the album as the boys and girl are shopping the The Indifferent Unvierse around for a label right now. Here's a blurb from their website that should make you wanna find it when it comes out:

"In 2004, wanting to record a full length, Terrene send the demo to the famed, acclaimed producer Phil Ek (Built To Spill, The Shins, Modest Mouse), and he was immediately blown away. Phil came on board to record Terrenes first album, titled The Indifferent Universe. Recorded at Jupiter and AVAST! Studios, the record is a 42-minute mini-epic, capturing Terrenes diversity and artistic passion while always keeping the listener guessing what comes next."

See I even put it in boldface type for you so you'd not miss it.

BONUS VIDEO: Here's the video for Fifty One

Goldenboy

Goldenboy is the project of Shon Sullivan and Bryan Bos. The name comes from a nickname Elliott Smith gave Mr. Sullivan during a European tour. The album as a whole is quite enjoyable, with enough poppy summer sounding songs to make your next comp for sure. Fans of Mr. Smith and Stephen Merritt will find plenty to like on this album. Here's a track from Goldenboy's upcoming 2nd album, Underneath the Radio. I hope you enjoy it.

MP3: Goldenboy - Summer of the Evening

Goldenboy's myspace, and their homepage.

And a link to their label so you can preorder the album.

Phil Avalos and the Quiet Lanes

Don't you hate when you wait too long to listen to something and then end up berating yourself all day for procrastinating so long? That's how Phil Avalos and the Quiet Lanes made me feel today. I let them sit in my myspace friend requests for over two weeks before taking a listen. WOW. I gotta make more time in the future for bands that send friend requests, at least ones like Phil's. Their myspace name drops a motherload of indie rock bands that have influenced them (and countless others), Superchunk, Knapsack, GBV, Ted Leo, Husker Du, Pixies, you know all the usual ones. But what struck me the most, and kept me on the their page, was Polvo. Yeah Polvo. Nobody cites them as an influence! So of course, they had me hooked at Polvo (now if I can just find someone who cites Picasso Trigger...). Their sound reminds me a lot of the 'Chunk and Knapsack. Which stands to reason, cuz Knapsack reminds me of Superchunk, lol. So, here's some songs off their first two releases. You can find a couple others on the myspace page here. Be sure to drop by here and order an album or three.

MP3: Phil Avalos and the Quiet Lanes - Rocket Arms

MP3: Phil Avalos and the Quiet Lanes - She Says

As a bonus today, I am including a couple songs by Superchunk and Knapsack.

BONUS MP3: Superchunk - Ribbon (my absolute favorite Superchunk song!)

BONUS MP3: Knapsack - Casanova

Buy Superchunk albums and merchandise here (I highly recommend Crowding Up Your Visual Field)

Buy Knapsack albums here.

A Shoreline Dream

One of my favorite albums of the past month has been the debut release from A Shoreline Dream. This Denver band is set to release one of the finest examples of shoegazer inflected rock I've heard this Tuesday on Latenight Weeknight Records. The album itself sounds much like the band's moniker. Wispy, ethereal, hazy. Those adjectives would not be out of place in describing the wall of sound that floods the listener's ears on this album. However, that being said, tumultuous, inspiring and euphoric are also on the tip of my tongue as well. The sound is like a distant wave that builds until it crashes on the shore; this album has quite a bit in common with the ebb and flow of tidal surf as one can find themselves swept away by the rising swells and troughs of the band's layered, post-rock meet shoegaze sound. For band comparisons, I can think of no finer ones than Explosions and Godspeed, mixed with the finer points of Ride. If that description doesn't make you want to hear them, I've sincerely failed at what I do here, and the band as well, as they are far better than the sound I attribute to them. Try out a couple tracks, I guarantee you'll want to hear more from them. Go here to the Filter website to order your copy of Avoiding the Consequences. It'll be the best thing you do all I week, I swear.

Here's a couple songs to hopefully help you understand how majestic their sound is:

MP3: A Shoreline Dream - Love is a Ghost in America (my personal fave, at least for today...)

MP3: A Shoreline Dream - Saturday Morning

Check them out on myspace and sign up as a friend, their homepage is here and if you happen to be in Portland on the 19th, come out to the listening party at Towne Lounge. For those who are lucky enough to be in a city they will be playing soon, here's the dates for the West Coast tour:

Sep 19 2006 8:00P Towne Lounge - LISTENING PARTY Portland, OR

Sep 19 2006 9:00P Lipstick @ Inside Old Ironsides - LISTENING PARTY Sacramento, CA

Sep 19 2006 10:00P Transmission @ Hexagon Bar - LISTENING PARTY Minneapolis, MN

Sep 20 2006 9:00P Comet Tavern - LIVE PERFORMANCE Seattle, WA

Sep 25 2006 8:00P Star Shoes - LIVE PERFORMANCE Hollywood, CA

Sep 29 2006 9:45P Panic! @ Andersons 5th Estate - LIVE PERFORMANCE Scottsdale, AZ

Oct 6 2006 9:00P Hi-Dive - OFFICIAL CD RELEASE PARTY!!!! Denver, CO

Nov 9 2006 9:00P Darkroom - LIVE PERFORMANCE! Chicago, IL

As you can see, I only get a listening party, so those of you who do get to see the band should make plans now so as not to miss out.

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• music
• shoegaze
• post-rock

Nikolas Makelberge

The first time I heard today's song I immediately thought of about a dozen 80's movie soundtracks where this song could easily have been lifted. That might sound like a potshot, but I gotta tell you, this song is extremely infectious and it sounds more like its from the 80's than some of the songs recorded then. All talk of song lineage aside, it is without a doubt one of the most danceable songs I have posted on this blog for sure. But its a good one. A very good one and I can't get enough of it. Mr. Makelberge's myspace describes the music thusly:

"We are the tailors of panama safeguarding an artform. Every seem is where it's supposed to, every stitch is sewn with a thought and pure passion. Nicolas Makelberge is your "kvartersrestaurang" of music, run by two passionate chefs. We find the funk 3 am in the morning, we can tell you - it's like heroin."


The line that draws me in is it's like heroin, I find that decribes this song far better than I ever could. Here's your track, I hope you can't get it out of your head by the end of the day either, ;-)

MP3: Nikolas Makelberge - So Young

Here's the ubiquitous myspace link, and of course, a link to the homepage. The album is out now, so make sure to order yours here.

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• music
• sweden
• electropop

The Hero Cycle

I love trolling myspace. I don't think there's a single thing outside of listening to music and trolling other blogs for music that I like doing more. Sooo many bands just waiting to be discovered there. Its quite a nice time for music fans, with so much available out there. It has its downfalls, though. Hours and hours of listening to songs that just don't do anything for you. But then along comes a band like Hero Cycle. And magically those hours all seem well-spent again. Hailing from Burlington, Vermont, Hero Cycle have a sound that's a little bit shoegaze, a little bit rock, and just a smidge of indiepop (but a whole lot of fun). It makes for quite a great sound when mixed together. They only have an EP out at the moment, but every song from it is worth two albums worth from half the bands I've listened to today. Here's a couple tracks to hear what I'm talking about, and if you can check out two more on their myspace right now, how cool is that?

MP3: The Hero Cycle - Breathing In

MP3: The Hero Cycle - You vs. Them

Their myspace has two more songs off their EP and if you look real hard on their links, you can find the rest of the EP. Find their homepage here.

Almedal

I really, really, really wanted to be able to do a big write-up on today's band Almedal, but unfortunately, the only thing I've been able to find are the band members names (Love and Adam!) and that they are based out of Gothenburg, Sweden. And that is about all the information I could find on this young band. It is quite unfortunate too, as they have a spectacular sound and I'd love to give you the background of the band. So today's post is going to have to stand on just the merits of the song provided here (which has handclapping in it of course!), which, I think, is not really such a bad thing whatsoever!

MP3: Almedal - Och Alla Platsterna

The band's debut EP is coming out on the 23rd if September and that's a date I am highly anticipating. Check their myspace here for 2 other songs off the EP and their homepage for info on how to get the EP.

Oh, BTW, all songs are in Swedish! But don't let that stop you from hearing 3 of the best indiepop songs you'll encounter this week....

Paperplane

From Sweden comes Paperplane, the recording project of one Eric Palmqwist. The music is is a bit more rock influenced than the usual Swedish fare posted here, but don't let that deter you from hearing this band. Paperplane's myspace uses such terms as "bittersweet Rickenbacker guitars", "desperado rock" and "psychedelic powerpop" to describe the band's sound. And they're right on the money. The songs here may be unmastered but these aren't lo-fi bedroom recorded demos. This band is definitely worth a listen so right-click and save as! Their first full length, How To Get To The Sky, is due out soon according to their myspace, so look for more songs here in the future.


MP3: Paperplane - Take You Out (Unmastered)

MP3: Paperplane - Dreammaker (Unmastered)

Paperplane's myspace, the band's website. Check the band's myspace for a couple previously released songs.

The Brother Kite

Its been a week of unfinished posts for me, I've not really felt like posting on anything but today's band got me off my ass. The Brother Kite hail from Providence, RI and make some of the best shoegaze inflected rock you're likely to find anywhere in the western hemisphere. Their new album, Waiting for the Time to be Right came out today on Claire Records. The album itself is solid from start to finish and should make some top ten lists at the end of the year for sure. If this record is not it only proves that most music critics suck in the first place. The sound of the album itself is very much like taking an Explosions in the Sky album and mixing in some Beach Boys. I also hear some strains of another great North East band, The Swirlies. The band's sound works really well, its certainly got me giddy and tingly all over. The band's myspace can be found here, so join up as a friend. Their website has some additional samples of songs off the new album as well as some video. Head over here to order the new album.

MP3: The Brother Kite - Bringing it Back Home

Here's another mp3 from their first album. Check their myspace for one more!

BONUS MP3: The Brother Kite - The Music Box

The Zebras

So its a little after 1 am here and I've not heard any really great indiepop all day today, so hearing the Zebras pretty much made me stay up later than I should just to listen to this album. The Zebras are an Australian band that have made quite the catchy record with their forthcoming album, Worry A Lot, which is due out in October. I gotta say its refreshing to hear an album like this after some of the ones I've sludged through over the past few days. Who knew that that 90's alt-rock sound could still be so popular? I guess fratboys don't grow old, they just take up guitars and make shitty rock. Anyways, the name Lucksmiths gets tossed around when the Zebras come up, but I think that may be mostly just because the bands share the same home country. I mean, comparisons would not be that far off, but I think the songs should give you a clearer view of their sound. Just straight forward, jingly jangly indiepop. And its made my mp3 player already after only one listen. Here's two of my current faves from the album.

MP3: The Zebras - You Look Ready

MP3: The Zebras - Doong Doong

You can find them on myspace here (where you can grab a couple more tracks of theirs) and their homepage is here.

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• music
• indiepop
• australia

Catfish Haven

By now I am sure you have heard or at lest seen the name Catfish Haven on one of the hundreds of blogs out there worth checking out. I'll confess I was not that impressed with them the first time I heard them. It took quite a few listens until I fell in love with them. I'm not sure why now, as I love their new album, maybe it was just the EP, I dunno. This album is a lot of fun though. You might have to give Tell Me a few listens when it comes out next Tuesday as it is a little different from that usual indie sound. IE this album has balls. And big ones at that. Its closer maybe to a Creedence album than a Death Cab. But its good, really good in fact. Be sure to check out the band's myspace page and join up as a friend. Then head over to Insound and get your preorder in for the new album.


MP3: Catfish Haven - Crazy For Leaving

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• music
• rock

Curve

It's taken me a bit to get caught up on everything since the great blackout ( my week without internet, lol). I thought instead of diving into something new I would post on one of my favorite bands of all time. The almighty Curve. Curve was always one of those bands that just never seemed to catch the right breaks in my opinion. No matter how good of a single or EP, or how awesome an album they put out, they just did not get the same reverence as a Lush, or a Jesus and Mary Chain, or hell, a Slowdive (maybe Chapterhouse? lol). As the 90's wore on, corporate pop shit like Garbage would do the same thing that Curve was doing and make millions off of it. Where's the justice in this world? Seriously though, Toni and Dean put out some of the best songs during the shoegaze heyday of the 90's and much like Lush, they shifted their sound a bit as the genre was winding its shot at mainstream popularity down. I still remember the first time I encountered Curve on MTV's 120 Minutes. Good old Dave Kendall showed the video for Coast is Clear and I was hooked. So here's some of my favorite Curve songs, I hope you can take from them enough interest to go out and find some of their albums. I know you'll not be disappointed if you do.

MP3: Curve - Already Yours

MP3: Curve - Think & Act

MP3: Curve - I Speak Your Every Word

MP3: Curve - No Escape From Heaven

And here's a few videos I found on YouTube. God that place is great.

Curve - Fait Accompli



Curve - Clipped



Curve - Ten Little Girls



Curve - Coast is Clear



Curve - Horror Head

Transmissionary Six

So I've been without net access for the past week. Its been hell. Pure and simple hell. I've not had to use dial-up as my primary means of communication in quite some time and this past week killed me. Note to self, do not piss off the cable company, lol. So anyways, I've got soooo many bands to post on I don't really know where to start. I guess first up is gonna be Transmissionary Six. I've enjoyed this bands album during my downtime this week. Which has been a blessing in a way. I've gotten so used to downloading songs from CDs i already own that having to actually pop a disc into a player is sort of foreign to me. But this band has had me throwing the discman on repeat several times this week. The band calls Seattle, WA home so that gives them quite a bit of leeway in terms of just what they sound like. They are a fiarly straightfoward rock band. Not the usual fare I normally gravitate too, but I think part of why I like them so much lies in the sound of the following song I've uloaded for your listening pleasure....


MP3: Transmissionary Six - Radar

Here's their myspace and their homepage. Check out their label, Roslyn Recordings for info on how to get the new album.

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• music
• indie
• rock