Best of Folk Pt. 1:

I've decided i might do a 4 part series on the best of folk out at the moment.

So if you don't like folk you should read this anyway as you probably have the wrong impression about it!

Horse Feathers:

How i have waited for a band to capture an American Colonial sound like Horse Feather's have accomplished. The album House With No Home is drenched with beautiful violins, guitar and heart wrenching boy/girl vocal harmonies.

I will do a full review of Horse Feathers at a later date because i really love their new album. Until then enjoy the following.

Stand out track is Curs of Weed's:

The Weepies


What a great band! Simple and to the point with lovely boy girl harmonies, The Weepies have produced some really catchy pop/folk songs. Have a listen to:

The World Spins Madly On:

http://theweepies.com/

http://horsefeatherstheband.com/

90's Band's You Need to Know: The Gerbils

Ok. So i only stumbled across them by accident. I was listening to a joint cover by them and Neutral Milk Hotel and was absolutely blown away by the song writing.


 Really you have to have a listen this band! The song Glue off the Album Are You Sleepy? is extremely good both lyrically, musically and the chorus builds to a point where i get shivers when i hear it.


"And I will scream, she hears me
 I will tell myself she loves me 
 And all the lies and fears 
 Will stick to me like glue"


Here is the Original:

Neutral Milk Hotel/The Gerbils Cover:

The Rest of the album is in a similar lo-fi folk style. If you are into Neutral Milk Hotel then you will absolutely love this band.

Just amazing!

Before Vampire Weekend there were the The Zombies

It's amazing how after so many years a band like The Zombies can still sound so fresh. It's as if each song was created and recorded yesterday, the only hint of it being from the 60's is the period three part harmony's.

If you haven't ever heard of The Zombies  or have and simply can't be bothered buying all their music than their greatest hits album is the way to go.

As a rule i HATE greatest hits albums, however i really think The Zombies Greatest Hits has actually been handled with a little care and love and it actually meshes well as an album.

Lead singer Colin Blunstone's voice is so crisp and smooth, and The Zombies really excel at their melodic beach sound. It's worth at least having a listen to the following two songs.

She's Not There:

Tell Her No:

Love them!

Most Inventive Film Clip Ever?

I saw this film clip a few months ago and thought it was great. It is was made by the band Hollerado for their new song Americanarama. Not the greatest song i've come past by any means but its listenable and the film clip is actually so rad.

Major props for actually being able to rhyme Philadelphia into a song.

Very Cool.

Yellow Ostrich. A bird and a band you've probably never heard of.

Yellow Ostrich is a band you can easily fall in love with. Described as bedroom-folk, Yellow Ostrich certainly has a raw sound despite many of the tracks being overlayed with various pre-recorded harmonies and loops. 

The best way to describe Yellow Ostrich is perhaps a toned down lo-fi Darwin Deez.  The new album The Mistress was produced entirely in the lead singer Alex Schaaf's closet. 

Despite being little claustrophobic at times due to the use of Alex’s compressed vocals and subtle static throughout the album, The Mistress really delivers some lovely simple folk songs that will get easily stuck in your head for many days.

Stand out tracks are Hold On and Whale

Whale:

Also have a listen to the track Bread from their EP Fade Cave. It is really beautiful. Both the Album and EP are free if you click on the band camp link. Or if you really like their music you can pay whatever you feel is worthy!

http://yellowostrich.bandcamp.com/

I think i might go and have a listen to them right now!

Listen to The Woods

Good folk music can sometimes be hard to come by. The Woods however are great. Their new EP titled EP Logue is both richly recorded and contemplative. Even a little experimental.

The EP only consists of five small songs, however each song deserves to be listened to.

The best part is that the EP is free. Click below to download!

 Download The EP Logue Free

So put those headphones on and just lay and listen on your bed.

Hope you like....

Oh and due to the popularity of another band named WOODS, The Woods will no longer be know by their name in future projects. 

The Maccabees

The Maccabees are both as underrated as you can be, and as good as indie rock gets. Just like the band got their name by randomly selecting a word out of the bible, i found about these guys during a random conversation with my friend Callum.

The album "Colour It In" is filled to the absolute brim with catchy riffs and melodies. It's one of those albums you can just press play and tap your foot to the whole way through. 

First Love:

Food for your ears.

Have You Heard? Freelance Whales

Freelance Whales are a band i never thought i would like. I don't know why, maybe it was the fact that their debut album Weathervanes was too well produced and highly polished for my liking. Maybe it was a hesitation at the use of synth effects on the album or it could have been because i just didn't like the "post emo" label attached to the band.

Either way, after listening to the album from start to finish i realised that Weathervanes was probably the most underrated album of 2010. It's more indie pop then post-emo, however i can see the resemblance to the original emo bands of the 90's and 00's. Perhaps the best way to describe them is Postal Service goes Folk.

A strange but intriguing blend of folk and synth instruments combine to make a compelling album. The harmonies are superb and so are the lyrics. The hooks in this album will grab from the moment you hear them and grow every listen after. Have a listen to these two tracks, but its really worth listening to the album through.

If you like indie pop songs with great hooks then Freelance Whales will do it for you.

Starring:

Generator Second Floor:

and this is to show how good they are live:

Have fun!

Why? Why Not?

Thats pretty much all i can say about the very clever indie hip hop/rock band Why?

Clever lyrics and clever hooks.

"i sleep on my back cos its good for the spine, and coffin rehearsal."

Fatalist Palmistry:

If you like indie music and hip/hop than you should have a listen.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.

This band really is for the painfully alone. Simple electric piano riffs and programmed drum loops, backed by the Owen Ashworth's, pained, often gruff vocals can leave you feeling a little depressed. But then again sometimes you need to.


I am definitely a lyrics person and CFTPA is lyrically excellent band. They are matter of fact and powerful, each song as interesting as the next. A few songs are less then a minute long, for example "The Only Way to Cry" yet have a very simple truth to them. 


a man goes to the movies
& buys every seat in the house
he cries alone in the darkness
until the end credits roll
he says i know it seems extravagant
but have you ever tried
man it's the only way to cry 


The stand out song from the album Etiquette is "I love you Creedence" and the chorus pretty much sums the song up.


and this September I'll be 26 years old
& El's still the only one besides my dad
who's ever said I love you Creedence


I love you Creedence:

If you are like me, you will have them on repeat.

Sleep Decade

I don't understand how a band like Sleep Decade isn't more popular then it is. The Ambient/Pop band from Geelong have some really interesting tracks and a very unique sound.

I only heard of them through my wonderful friend Karah who grew up in the same area as them. Even so, the only way i could listen to their music was either through their myspace page or Cd's sold at the band's gigs.

Luck for us, all that has changed as you can now download Sleep Decades "Spilt Ink - EP" off iTunes for a cool $6.76. If your only going to buy one or two songs have a listen to Colour Between the Lines and Mexico on my Front Porch. The whole EP is good, and cheap. Lash out and support local music!

Colour Between the Lines:

A Band Neither Big or Scary.

Big Scary is a band with a lot of potential. I first heard their songs at the start of last year but never investigated further. However i was pleasantly surprised after seeing them support the Hungry Kids of Hungary gig.

The band consists of only two people (much alike the Flight of the Conchords but cooler). Tom (he) and Jo (she). Tom the lead singer, plays guitar and piano while Jo plays drums. Their music ranges from the upbeat indie rock "Apple Song" which will get you singing the chorus over and over, to the poppy "Falling Away".

I find that Tom's vocals are reminiscent of Buckley's. Although not as refined in range, his tone is very similar especially in songs such as Hey Somebody. I highly recommend you get to a Big Scary gig, you wont be disappointed.

The Apple Song:

Falling Away:

Big Scary. More then just a good band name. Download them now!

Kid's, Plagiarism is not O.K Part 1/6

So after hearing so much plagiarised music i have decided to do a sporadic 6-part (or more) series on artists you should delete from your iPod in defiance. We all learned that plagiarism is not o.k in elementary school, yet why are bands able to get away with it when we can't? So i am taking a stand and busting bands which i think ripped other hard working artists! Starting with...

Augie March - One Crowded Hour.

I know, I like(d) their music but there is no denying some amount of plagiarism. Now it's not only the fact that they have ripped off a song, but the fact that they stole it from the music villain of the nineties, Natalie Imbruglia. Embarrasing? Yes.

Have a listen yourself. Here is Augie March:

And Natalie Imbruglia's Original:

It might.... might be a coincidence.

Riot in the streets.

Music You Must Own: Neutral Milk Hotel

I don't think i could sleep tonight if i didn't make my first music post about Neutral Milk Hotel. I love this band more than you can imagine. If you have never heard of them, first read this brief history and then please go and buy their album as soon as you can. You really need them on your iPod.

Neutral Milk Hotel was formed by lead singer and guitarist Jeff Mangum in the early 90's. They made one EP and two albums. The most interesting thing about NMH is that despite growing success the band broke up in 1999 never performing again. The cause for the breakup is thought to be due to Jeff Mangum's disenchantment with touring and the music press. Later on he also suffered a nervous breakdown.

"In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" was the bands second album and was released to critical acclaim. To this day it is still regarded as one of the best albums amongst indie circles. The album is fascinating from start to finish and is largely inspired by the story of Anne Frank. 

Here is the most appealing song on the record (King of Carrot Flowers Part 1, 2 & 3) but each song, despite the eclectic and often overpowering sound, grows on you on each listen and never gets old. 

Have a listen to Oh Comely and Two Headed Boy Part 1 and 2 as well if the above link captures your ear! Possibly the greatest thing about NMH is that many songs were never studio recorded, instead captured live at impromptu performances at friends birthday parties or radio shows. There aren't many other band's in existence which have been as influential in the indie music scene today. We can only hope that one day Jeff tours and records again!

Goodnight.

What is this?

If you hate Kesha, Coldplay or any other mainstream music which makes you want to gnash your teeth into powder then this is the blog for you. If you want to hit every kid who says that he loves this new indie band called Kings of Leon then this is the blog for you.  If you sometimes feel like saying "Hey! Listen to this, Indie Kid!" then you have found the right place. This blog will contain my opinions on the best and worst new and old music i find or rediscover.  I like my music. I hope you do too. Enjoy.