Indie Music Mix of the Moment

So I decided as I always do every month or so that I need to keep this thing going. Whether or not I can keep this up we will see. But without further hesitation, here are a few tunes that have been getting some heavy rotation in my iTunes recently.

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“Remember the Mountain Bed” – - Billy Bragg & Wilco

This is one of my favorite tunes to relax and chill out to.  In fact, this entire album does the same thing for me. And so does the first album in the set. Wow, what a great 2-CD combination. What started as a concept to put to life a handful of Woody Guthrie’s un-released lyrics evolved into a compilation of amazing folk lyrics set to music through the musical genious’ of Billy Bragg and the ever-relentless Wilco. Taking some of his best lyrics (all of which were just written down and never put to music!), the legendary Billy Bragg teamed up with Chicago natives and alt-country-at-heart band Wilco to make the magical words come to life. After the tremendous success of the first album, Mermaid Avenue, Billy Bragg and Wilco decided to go at it another time to release Mermaid Avenue Vol. II. This song can’t really be described too much by myself, which doesn’t happen to often. I’ll let Jeff Tweedy and the rest of the guys do the talking for ya. This is folk music at its best. Enjoy.

“Remember the Mountain Bed” – Billy Bragg & Wilco

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” Ain’t Gonna Lose You ” – - Brett Dennen

Here is my favorite track off of the latest release from Brett Dennen. After receiving a ton of critical acclaim after his first two albums, Brett Dennen and So Much More, Brett is back and sounding better than ever. This kid first caught my ear after randomly hearing one of his early tracks while surfing the web a few years back. After landing a spot on tour with such performers as John Mayer and Guster, he has evolved from an opening act into a full-on stage presence of his own. Seeing him this past summer at Rothbury Music Festival definitely added to his spectra of musical originality, playing a bitching set in the hot Michigan summer heat, all while getting what seemed to be pretty drunk along the way. Constantly hailed as a new age folk singer, following the likes of Bob Dylan and influenced by the modern-day singers such as Jack Johnson and John Mayer, Brett Dennen has created his own style of music. Using his quirky-teenager voice accompanied with gripping and visual lyrics, Brett has quickly evolved into a new breed of singer/songwriters. Definitely a great song to listen to and reminisce about that special someone. Enjoy.

“Ain’t Gonna Lose You” – Brett Dennen

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” Let’s Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and be Loved) ” – - Bright Eyes

I figure any collection that is going to be  deemed “Indie” and include great singer/song-writers would not be complete without the greatest (and personal favorite) singer/song-writer our the current day, Conor Oberst. I could write for days about Conor and his band Bright Eyes, but I’m sure if you found this site prowling the web you could easily find more information about Bright Eyes as well. So with that being said, I am not going to describe him or this song too much. In fact I am going to let you experience Bright Eyes yourself and take what you want from it. What has become a constantly changing and evolving project of Conor Oberst, Bright Eyes has definitely taken the music industry over. The problem is most people have never heard of them. I hope you enjoy, and if you do, then you are one song into a vast musical library of songs from the man who has shaped my musical tastes and influences. Ladies and Gentlemen, Conor Oberst.

“Let’s Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and be Loved)” – Bright Eyes

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” West Coast ” – - Coconut Records

Why not finish out a nice little 4-pack with one of my favorite bands to have discovered for me by my friends. At first listen, many people who enjoy indie films might think they recognize the voice of the lead singer. If you listen carefully enough, and watch enough movies and tv, you might be able to guess who it is. I will admit I had no idea until I wikipedia’d that shit because I was in love with the music and wanted to find out more about the band. Well as I discovered, it turns out that the brains/voice/musical genious behind Coconut Records is none other than Jason Schwartzman. Debuting in 2006, Jason and Coconut Records first gained notoriety after being played on the ever-popular The OC back when it was still on the air (sorry it had to begin like that Jason).  Getting a great plug in the film Cloverfield (again, sorry Jason), the band gained more attention and is currently being rumored to record a new album, Davy, supposedly releasing in 2009. With Jason composing a majority of the tracks, production by Mike Einzinger of Incubus, guest appearances by the likes of Brandon Boyd and Zooey Deschanel, this album has all the makings of a California record.

“West Coast” – Coconut Records

Indie Music Mix of the Moment

I know there has not been a post in 2 months. School and other things have gotten the best of me, but I am wanting to get this site up and running again, so I decided to start making more posts of just random songs, thoughts and insights as much as possible.

Let’s open up this post by reviewing a few songs that majority of people have probably never heard of. It’s a shame that more people don’t try to explore different musical genres and discover new artists, but hopefully my little slice of the internet can serve as a guide for those trying to expand their musical minds.

“Grounds for Divorce” – Elbow

This song gives off a Moby meets The Black Keys meets Beck with a side of Gorillaz. The strong influence of distorted slide guitar as well as the deep tones and simple rhythms of the drums and base create a heavy beat that is complimented with clean vocals and scattered lyrics. The music itself resembles the Southern-Rock vibe of the Black Keys. The heavy beats and echoing vocals remind me of Moby and the unique rhythms of Beck. I threw in the Gorillaz reference due to the lead singer singing vocals that could be put on any Gorillaz track. Enjoy.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/0ktjnj1uf2kg/n0nbxk0g0jt/34+-+Elbow+-+Grounds+For+Divorce.mp3]

“F-ked Up Kids” – Kevin Drew

I really enjoy the subtlety of this song, from the vocals to the mellow and upbeat rhythm. The simple off-tempo beat resembles many of the Indie bands that are starting to get big today (especially those from the UK). Kevin’s vocals compliment the song perfectly, creating a sense of withholding of the full power of the song from the listener. By this, I mean how the song seems to progress and I could see a strong vocal movement (Bono-ish?) happening at various parts of the song, but Kevin keeps the vocals on the same level. This keeps me intrigued as a listener and provides an up-beat song that is mellow enough to relax to.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/jfvy3sxjzapg/nfwyi39ynbn/27+-+Kevin+Drew+-+F-ked+Up+Kids.mp3]

“Fuego!” – Murder By Death

From the very beginning, the strumming guitars teased me into thinking this might be another The Killers-esque type of song. The entrance of an older-sounding voice by lead singer Adam Turla create a sound similar to that of Johnny Cash back in his day. The simple tempo resembles The Killers in many ways, yet the difference vocals and lyrics of Murder By Death create a very different type of song. Although the song is somewhat dark in its nature, it is definitely one to check out.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/wvdnvwjw02vg/b3y3yzvfvit/29+-+Murder+By+Death+-+Fuego%21.mp3]

“Coat Check Dream Song” – Bright Eyes

Conor Oberst is hands-down one of the most progressive and creative musical icons of our time. It’s funny how even though that statement would be agreed upon by many people, majority of music listeners have never heard of Bright Eyes, nevertheless its lead singer Conor Oberst. Off of the newest album Cassadaga, Bright Eyes delivers an album full of influence from Country and Americana, and then comes through with this gem. The beat of this song is nothing I have ever really heard from Bright Eyes, having a off-tempo rhythm complimented with the mellow and flowing voices that can be found on every Bright Eyes album. Definitely a must-have for Bright Eyes fans, and especially for those trying to check out a completely new type of mellow alt-rock.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/dvebg3yhxvng/zpyzidomy4i/18+-+Bright+Eyes+-+Coat+Check+Dream+Song.mp3]

“Invisible” – Modest Mouse
Energy, emotion, and subtlety. These words may not completely work together in most musical descriptions, but for Modest Mouse I think they work great. For those who have heard Modest Mouse before, you know of their distinctive melodies back by empowering vocals. Isaac Brock and the boys delivered yet another great Modest Mouse album with We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. The traditional catchy and distinct guitar melodies are present on this song, along with Brock’s unique vocals (some might get anoyed with the slight-screaming that comes out on some songs, but I love the uniqueness). Yet another great Modest Mouse song that gets you up off of your ass and makes you want to just rock out.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/jd9c5ze0gn9g/0cqdcqtqykn/52+-+Modest+Mouse+-+Invisible.mp3]