Top Indie Rock Tracks of 2013 {Part 2}

June 7, 2013 in Alternative, Free downloads, Garage Rock, Grunge, independent bands, Indie, Psychedelic Rock, Punk, Reggae, Rock, Shoegaze, Ska, Top 2013

{PART 1}

Black Bird Hum – “Mad World” (Gary Jules cover) {Rock/Reggae}

You have to give credit to a band that can take one of the most depressing songs known to mankind and then give it an upbeat, reggae strum. The track is off their new Mad World EP which was released in February, and you can purchase it for $10.14 (or each individual track for $1.69) via iTunes.

The Sorry Shop – “Star Rising” {Psych Rock/Shoegaze} + Free downloads

We Canadians are all about our sorrys, so obviously we’re going to be all about these Rio Grande superstars. This song is off their second full-length album Mnemonic Syncretism, and you can download the entire release for free over at their Bandcamp page.

Emergency Door Release – “Mad For It” {Alternative Rock}

If you’ve been following our Top 5 Indie Tracks of the Week series then you’ve probably already heard this highlarious song (you know…the one about a girl who doesn’t know her boyfriend loves the dick?) If you like the song you can download it for as little as £1 here.

This Other Kingdom – “I’m Still Here” {Alternative Rock}

If The Black Angels’ vocalist impregnated Iggy Pop, and then Iggy gave birth to a baby that sounded like a cross between Johnny Ramone and Josh Homme, then that baby would be called This Other Kingdom. This song is off the band’s recent SUNLIGHT EP, and you can download it as a name-your-price download here.

WILD WILD WETS – “Criminal Blue” {Garage Rock}

WILD WILD WETS are the second best thing to come out of San Diego in a long, long time (besides Ron Burgundy, of course), and although their sound is predominantly garage rock you can hear tinges of borderline rockabilly as well. If you like the song you can download it as a name-your-price download here.

I Don’t Speak French – “We Are The People” {Pop/Rock}

They don’t speak French and I don’t speak French, so if you don’t speak French let’s all listen to I Don’t Speak French together shall we? This song was released as a single last month, and you can purchase it for 9 Swedish Krona (or $1.38) via iTunes here.

Mumblr – “Space God” {Garage Rock/Fuzz Punk}

The strange and slightly awkward (yet epic) EP cover was the first thing to draw our attention towards this Philadelphia-based group, but once we heard this track it was stuck in our head for weeks. To purchase their new (appropriately titled) Nutter EP as a name-your-price download click here.

The Vickers – “She’s Lost” {Psych Rock}

Florence may be known for gelato and the Statue of David, but if this band keeps up the good tuneage it will be known for spawning the almighty Vickers as well. If you like the song as much as we do then make sure you buy it for as little as €1 over at their Bandcamp page.

Sonny Tripp – “Grace in An Airport” {Pop/Rock}

This is another indie track we’re revisiting on RMD (which may or may not have something to do with the PUPPPYYYYY!!!! on the album cover). The track is off their recent Shape Up EP which you can purchase as name-your-price download here.

alansmithee – “Surplus” {Psych Rock}

At first we thought this dude was secretly Craig Nicholls of The Vines, but then we realized that that he’s probably locked away in a mental institution somewhere and the vocalist is actually Alan Smithee (followed by Allen Smithee on guitar, Allun Smithee on drums, Allin Smithee on bass…who would’ve thunk?) To buy the song for ₤0.49 click here.

Bernard Et Bianca – “Karelia” {Alternative Rock} + Free download

The Swedes have done it yet again and continue to blow our minds with their Scandinavian swag. This song is the second single from their debut album White Mountain Lies which was just released on May 13th, and you can download the song for free in the player below.

Heyrocco – “Elsewhere” {Alternative Rock}

We’ve already declared our profound love for Heyrocco when we covered two of their tracks last year, so we were pretty stoked when we saw that they were releasing some new material. The song was released as a single this past January, and you can purchase it as a name-your-price download here.

Theo Verney – “Waterfalls” {Psych Rock/Grunge}

It’s not too often that we personally write an artist back to tell them how much we loved their music, but this one was an exception. This song is off his debut six-track T.V. EP which was just released on Italian Beach Babes Records, and you can purchase the release for ₤4.74 at his Bandcamp page.

Dig the Kid – “Ring in the Dead” {Pop/Rock}

This Oakland-based group just released their new EP Ring In The Dead, and they also just wrapped up a performance at the Sunset Sessions Rock in San Diego. If you dig the song you can purchase it as a name-your-price download here.

{PART 1}

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Tags: Australia, Brighton, California, Canada, Charleston, Dublin, England, Florence, free mp3 downloads, Glasgow, Ireland, Italy, Newcastle, Newfoundland, Oakland, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Rio Grande, San Diego, Scandinavia, Scotland, South Carolina, Sweden, Sydney, The South, UK
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Top Albums of 2013 {Part 2}

May 30, 2013 in Alt-Folk, Dream Pop, Electronic, Electropop, Experimental, Folk, Garage Rock, Hip Hop, Pop, Psychedelic Rock, Punk, Rap, Rock, Surf Punk, Surf Rock, Top 2013, Tribal

{PART 1}

Thee Oh Sees – Floating Coffin

RIYL: Black Lips, The Stooges, The Black Angels

Floating Coffin is the kind of album that will force you to feel all sorts of emotions and reactions. One minute you’re snickering along with the lyrics and then the next minute you’re curled up in the fetal position scared out of your skull. So hang on tight and enjoy the ride, because you’re in for one helluva listening experience.

Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse

RIYL: Mumford & Sons, Band of Horses

Frightened Rabbit exploded onto the “indie” scene a few years back, and with this new album it’s clear that they don’t show signs of stopping anytime soon. Pedestrian Verse is surprisingly a lot more complex and mature than their previous record (The Winter Of Mixed Drinks), so it’s no wonder why so many people have praised the Scots for this latest release.

The Knife – Shaking The Habitual

RIYL: Björk, Austra

Every second of this album was meticulously planned out, recorded, regurgitated, and then regurgitated all over again. The lyrics are perhaps the best part of the album though, and with a focus on greed, power, fame and even the monarchy, some of the tracks are bound to spark some kind of reaction out of you…so you best be preparing yourself.

Youth Lagoon – Wondrous Bughouse

RIYL: Wild Nothing, Deerhunter, The Flaming Lips

To say that this group’s mainman Trevor Powers is a blooming genius is an understatement. Listening to this album is more like being on a carnival ride high on acid, and it’s definitely way, way out there in the experimental sense. But if you open up your mind and ears to the album it will have the ability to change your perception of how music is supposed to be created.

FIDLAR – FIDLAR

fidlar

RIYL: The Black Lips, Thee Oh Sees, The Hives

It’s more of a greatest hits compilation of the band’s EPs than a new album, but if you haven’t heard of FIDLAR before then this release would be the best way to pop that FIDLAR cherry. In typical FIDLAR fashion, all of the songs on the album focus on three things: Weed, booze and skateboarding. So if you care about any of these then this album will be like your Holy Bible.

Ra Ra Riot – Beta Love

RIYL: Vampire Weekend, Hot Chip

All the indie kids have been slobbering over Ra Ra Riot for quite some time now, so obviously this album was bound to get a ton of coverage from the second it was released. It’s been praised as being one of the best electropoppy albums to come out of 2013 thus far, plus with a music video like this it’s hard not to be swooned by the Syracuse-based geniuses.

Beach Fossils – Clash The Truth

RIYL: The Drums, Surfer Blood, Sea Pinks

Out of all the awesome indie rock releases to come out of 2013 so far, Clash The Truth is not one you should let slip through your fingers. The band (AKA Dustin Payseur) continues to forge new trails in the recently popular surf rock movement, yet his new album is packed full of such a variety of tunes it’s hard to find one bad song on it.

Phoenix – Bankrupt!

RIYL: Empire of the Sun, Two Door Cinema Club

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was one of the biggest releases in 2009, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Bankrupt! has become one of the most definitive 2013 releases to date. If the album title is supposed to be a not-so-subtle reference to their current financial situation then the band must be dirty rotten liars, because at this point Phoenix has made Versailles more famous than the palace itself.

Deerhunter – Monomania

RIYL: The Vines, Sonic Youth

Hate ‘em or love ‘em, Deerhunter deserves just as much credit as their fellow Atlanta-based psych rockers the Black Lips (and coming from us…that’s saying a lot). The band continues to craft impressive, complex tunes that will leave you feeling stunned and wondering how songs this awesome couldn’t have been written before. (“Neon Junkyard”? I rest my case.)

Ghostface Killah – Twelve Reasons to Die

RIYL: Wu-Tang Clan, Mos Def, Nas

The fact that this release is a concept album based around a comic book is badass in itself, but it also proves that Wu-Tang leftovers are a dish best served cold (three years is a long time the hippity hop world after all). Some critics have even claimed that the album is the best release to happen to the rap community in a long time, so for that reason alone this album deserves 36 minutes of your time.

Phosphorescent – Muchacho

RIYL: Bruce Springsteen, Kurt Vile

Muchacho came out of nowhere for us, and once we gave it a listen we understood why the release has been on the receiving end of a ton of good reviews these past couple of months. Besides the tear-jerker-of-a-song “Song For Zula,” there’s a wide range of songs and genres on the album so you’re bound to find at least one track that you like.

Wavves – Afraid Of Heights

RIYL: Nirvana, The Vines

Wavves have always been up there alongside Surfer Blood and The Drums as the champions of this decade’s indie rock movement, so naturally this release was praised by both fans and critics alike. It might not be as epic as their previous album King Of The Beach, but as long as Wavves keep making good tunes, we’ll still be listening.

The Men – New Moon

RIYL: The Stooges, Ramones, Brian Jonestown Massacre

This is the first time we’ve ever listened to an album from The Men (don’t judge), and although some tracks are better than others, the ones that are good are really fucking good. Not to mention that the album skims through a variety of different genres, featuring everything from classic rock, grunge and even a little alt-country (not to mention a whooole lotta punk).

Iceage - You’re Nothing

RIYL: WU LYF, Holograms

A few tracks into You’re Nothing you realize that these dudes aren’t messing around. The album is definitely one of the most badass punk records to come out of 2013 (so far), so if you’re down for listening to some hardcore Danish punk we recommend that you give this album a good listen from start to finish.

The National – Trouble Will Find Me

RIYL: Tom Waits, The Walkmen, Bruce Springsteen

Trouble Will Find Me is the kind of album that will suck you in from the start (thanks to the hauntingly beautiful opener “I Should Live In Salt”). Some people may be turned off by the slower tracks on the album, so it’s really a matter of whether you’re already a hardcore fan of the group or not (are they any other kinds of National fans?)

{PART 1}

Tags: Atlanta, Boise, Brooklyn, California, Cincinnati, Denmark, France, Georgia, Idaho, Los Angeles, Midwest, New York, Ohio, San Diego, San Francisco, Scandinavia, Scotland, Staten Island, Stockholm, Sweden, Syracuse, The South, UK, Versailles
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Top new tracks: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Black Flag, Camera Obscura + CHVRCHES remix MS MR

May 17, 2013 in Dream Pop, Electropop, Funk, Garage Rock, Hardcore, Pop, Punk, R&B, Rap, Soul, Synthpop

Lauryn Hill – “Neurotic Society” {Rap}

Looks like that $1 million dollar deal with Sony finally paid off, because Lauryn Hill is back and ready to pay off the taxman yo!! This is the first of five new songs Hill is supposed to release as per her deal with Sony, and although the song sounds rushed and forced, if it helps feed the grandchildren of Bob Marley then I’m game. And no, the irony of the song title is not lost on me.

MS MR – “Hurricane” (CHVRCHES remix) {Synthpop}

Let’s see here…We love MS MR and we love CHVRCHES, so it makes sense that the CHVRCHES remix of the hot new MS MR single is a double dose of awesome. And just in case you didn’t already know, MS MR’s brand spankin’ new full-length Secondhand Rapture was released on May 14th, and you can purchase it via iTunes here.

The Weeknd – “Kiss Land” {R&B}

After weeks of teasing fans about a mysterious debut LP which will be released later this year, Toronto’s Abel Tesfaye surprised everyone by posting his forthcoming album’s title track online yesterday. And in classic Weeknd style, the topic of the song is about (you guessed it) sex, sex and more sex!

Black Flag – “Down in the Dirt” {Punk/Hardcore}

Not to be confused with FLAG (consisting of the Black Flag leftovers Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, and Bill Stevenson) the newly membered punk legends have officially unveiled their first single in what seems like a gazillion years. No word yet as to when their new album is going to be released, but if you dig the song you can download it here.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – “Retreat!” {Funk/Soul}

Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings have finally given fans a taste of what to expect from their forthcoming album. The 11-piece (yes, there is 11 of them) won’t be releasing their new album Give The People What They Want until August 6th, but if you pre-order the release here you will get an immediate download of “Retreat!” sent directly to your Inbox.

Say Lou Lou – “Fool Of Me” ft. Chet Faker {Dream/Electropop}

Everyone’s been talking about this new track from the twinsies (Eleketra and Miranda Kilbey), who are based out of both Australia and Sweden. The track features the mega Melbourne-based electronic artist Chet Faker, and you can watch the music video for the single here.

Camera Obscura – “Fifth in Line to the Throne” {Pop/Rock}

With all the big releases slated for 2013, we almost forgot that Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura are releasing a new album in June, which is bound to generate a lot of buzz in the music blogosphere. The release is titled Desire Lines, and will be out June 3rd (in Europe) and June 4th (in the U.S.).

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Tags: Australia, Brooklyn, California, Canada, Edinburgh, Glasgow, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Scandinavia, Scotland, Stockholm, Sweden, Toronto, UK
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Top 5 indie tracks of the week

April 29, 2013 in Alt-Folk, Experimental, Folk, Free downloads, Garage Rock, independent bands, Indie, Pop, Rap, Rock

We Are The West – “Hammer” {Alt-Folk}

As soon as we read that this Los Angeles-based duo recorded their music in storm drains and performed on sheep farms we just had to check them out; (because nothing is as badass as performing on a sheep farm). This track is off the second release of a four-part album of recordings, and you can purchase it for as little as $3 or each individual track for $1 here.

Wooly Mammoth – “Gold” {Pop/Rock} + Free downloads

Originally from Woodstock (no, the Canadian Woodstock silly) this band’s brand spankin’ new record North Shore is currently available as a free download at their Bandcamp page (although we highly recommend you buy it as a name-your-price download here). The group is prepping to play at various shows in London, Kitchener and Toronto; to stay up to date on their upcoming concerts check out their Facebook page.

NO CODA – “Holy War” {Alternative Rock} + Free download

With music so awesome it will fit like a glove in your eardrums, these Swedish noise rockers won’t be releasing their debut album until later this year, but in the mean time you can download this track for free via Soundcloud (and make sure you give them some “Like” love on Facebook and follow them on Tumblr too).

Gatas & Sorvetes – “Highlights On You” {Garage Rock} + Free downloads

It’s not too often we get submissions from Brazil, but a lo-fi surfy garage rock band from Brazil? Now that’s something special. This track is off the group’s brand new four-track EP Headbanger, which is currently being offered as a free download at the group’s Bandcamp page.

Benin City – “My Love” {Experimental/Rap}

Named after a Nigerian state capital, this “fused genre band” has been on the receiving end of some remixing love from Paper Tiger, Spoek Mathambo’s Nicolaas Van Reenen and Dan le Sac, so it’s about time these guys got some love from RMD as well. This single is off their debut album Fires In The Park (produced by Marc Pell of Micachu and the Shapes) which is out on June 24th.

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Tags: Brazil, California, Canada, free mp3 downloads, Los Angeles, Ontario, Scandinavia, South America, Sweden
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Top 5 indie tracks of the week

April 15, 2013 in Ambient, Classic Rock, Electronic, Experimental, Folk, Free downloads, Hip Hop, Indie, Rap, Synthpop

Silent Movie Criminal – “In The End All Might Makes Sense” {Synthpop}

We have no shame in expressing our love for Swedish synthpop, so you best be preparing yourselves for some solid synth. This track is off the group’s brand new neon kitty-covered album In the End All Might Make Sense, which you can purchase as a name-your-price download here.

Filbert – “Between Seams” {Indie Folk} + Free downloads

We were sold on Filbert as soon as we read that they were an “indie backpacker band,” but turns out their album Chronographic is totally wicked and packed full of all sorts of interesting psychedelic/indie-licious folk tracks. The album is only going to be available as a free download for a limited amount of time, so get on that shit by clicking here.

God Tiny – “Fearless” {Classic Rock}

Ever since the release of their 2010 album The Angel Headed Outsiders, God Tiny has been pretty busy touring the country in a psychedelic school bus (true story); but now the Brooklyners are back with a brand new EP consisting of lost and found recordings that were written while they were on the road. To buy this track and/or their new EP Nomadic Creator as a name-your-price download click here.

Lennox Row – “Oblivion Without Gravity” {Ambient/Electronic}

Combining jazzy, soulful vocals with some downtempo ambient beats, this track is off the Polish duo’s brand new EP Sounds Of Our Flights, which they just released independently on April 7th. You can purchase the EP for 15 PLN (or $4.87 CAD) at their Bandcamp page.

Smiff – “Where I Don’t Wanna Be” ft. Ko {Rap/Hip Hop}

This is the first official single off the Ontario-based artist’s brand new mixtape A Real P.O.W. (Piece of Work), which is described as having “an abundance of heavy bass [and] high tempo tunes for the club;” (Translation: it’s awesome). The track features Smiff’s No Nights Off labelmate Ko, and was produced by DJ Damaja.

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Tags: Brooklyn, California, Canada, free mp3 downloads, Krakow, Ontario, Poland, Scandinavia, Sweden, Toronto
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Top new tracks: James Blake, Pond, CHVRCHES, Shout Out Louds + The Black Angels strike again

February 8, 2013 in Blues, Electropop, Experimental, Free downloads, Hip Hop, Instrumental, Pop, R&B, Rock, Soul, Top 2013, Tribal Rock

Pond – “Giant Tortoise” {Psych Rock}

Mimicking the sound of their fellow Aussie psych rock giants Tame Impala (which isn’t surprising given that the group is Tame Impala’s “side project”), this track is off Pond’s forthcoming album Hobo Rocket which is due out this spring via Modular People. And in case you didn’t already know, each of the members will also be releasing their own solo albums/side projects on the same day; (read more about it here).

Mikal Cronin – “Shout it Out” {Pop/Rock}

Mikal Cronin is perhaps known best for his work with Ty Segall (as well as for wearing this pimp tie-dye t-shirt), but his forthcoming album MCII is bound to get a lot of people talking once it’s released. The album is out May 7th (in the US) and May 13th (in Europe) via Merge Records.

CHVRCHES – “Recover” {Electropop}

It’s not too often we hear a lot of awesome synth come out of Scotland, so we were pretty stoked when we first stumbled upon this Glasgow-based group a few months back. This is the third single off their debut Recover EP which is being released March 26th on Glassnote Records.

TEEN – “Ambient” {Instrumental/Experimental} + Free download

Apparently this track missed the cut on TEEN’s 2012 album, so the band decided to surprise fans by releasing it as individual single last week. Plus they’ve posted the song as a free download as well, so make sure you snag that shit.

Unravel – “Am I a Love Addict?” {R&B/Hip Hop} + Free download

The “mysterious” Budapest-based producer known as Unravel debuted this track a few days ago simply describing the track as “belt lights and lost melodies from Budapest.” To check out more of Unravel’s tracks on Soundcloud click here.

Shout Out Louds – “Illusions” {Pop/Rock}

Even though their new album (Optica) isn’t out until February 26th, the group have already released not one, but three singles off their new album. You can listen to the other two singles (“Walking in Your Footsteps” and “Blue Ice”) by clicking here and here.

James Blake – “Retrograde” {Electronic/R&B}

Right on the heels of the announcement that James Blake will be releasing his sophomore album this April, Zane Lowe’s BBC 1 show surprised everyone yesterday by premiering the first official single off his new album. Outgrown will be released on April 8th; listen to the preview of its first single below:

The Black Angels – “Don’t Play with Guns” {Tribal Rock}

The almighty Black Angels have finally revealed the first single (written about the 2012 Aurora theatre shooting) off their forthcoming album Indigo Meadow which is due out April 1st; to purchase the song for $0.99 via iTunes here.

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Tags: Athens, Austin, Australia, Budapest, England, free mp3 downloads, Georgia, Glasgow, Hungary, London, New York, Perth, Scandinavia, Scotland, Stockholm, Sweden, Texas, The South, UK
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Top 5 indie tracks of the week

February 5, 2013 in Celtic, Folk, Free downloads, Hip Hop, Instrumental, Jazz, Pop, Punk, Rap, Rock, Synthpop

Mad Ones – “Miracle Intention” {Punk/Rock} + Free download

What sold us on this Ontario-based duo was reading that one of the members used to play in Clothes Make the Man, but with tunes that sound a little bit FIDLAR, a whole lotta Black Lips and even slightly Stooges, it’s hard not to fall in love with such as a recipe for awesomeness. You can download “Miracle Intention” for free here or purchase their Burning Window EP for $4.95 here.

Mark Timmins – “Hey You” {Pop/Folk}

Perhaps we’re a little biased because we made a promise to cover Mark’s tunes after a cider-induced night at a Celtic pub in Scotland, but turns out his music is actually good and he didn’t have to twist our arm after all; (well, not really…) Mark is originally from Australia but is now based in Germany, and you can buy his recent Six Songs EP for €4 or each individual track for €1 here.

Muko P – “Reality Rap” (ft. Don Dada & Don Jaga) {Rap/Hip Hop} + Free downloads

Previously known as SikTouch, Muko P is a North London-based/Congolese-born rap artist who has worked with the likes of Fearless Dukuman, Chany, Xara, and many more. “Reality Rap” is off is off his most recent release My Mixtape, which you can stream in full at his ReverbNation page or download for free here.

Melodies in Mono – “Lift Me Up” {Synthpop} + Free downloads

Sweden has always been known for its wondrous cheesy synthpop, and Melodies in Mono is no exception. The one-man-band (led by Max Ekholm) is based out of Stockholm, and you can download a ton of his other synthpoppy tracks for free at his Soundcloud page.

Trent Freeman – “Jungle Gym” {Folk/Celtic}

Blurring the lines between jazz and folk, this instrumental tune is off Freeman’s critically-acclaimed 2012 album Rock Paper Scissors, a release which helped him win the 2012 Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards; (not to mention that he is also a member of the Western Canadian Music Award-winning group The Fretless which you can read more about here). To purchase Rock Paper Scissors for $9.99 click here.