Indie Alternative Rock: March 2011

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Avett Brothers

"Alternative." "Bluegrass." "Indie." "Folk." "Pop." "Country." "Rock." What do these words have in common?

For one thing, they are all genres of music. But they are also all labels given to an eclectic band from Concord North Carolina, The Avett Brothers.

The Avett Brothers flawlessly combine precise percussion, sweet piano parts, plucky banjos, orchestral instruments, and even some hard core guitar lines with harmonious vocals. This may sound random and eccentric, but it suits members Seth and Scott Avett, Bob Crawford, Joe Kwon, and Jacob Edwards just fine.

Although their sound in each song is a little different, catchy lyrics and superb delivery are prevalent. Their music is easy to sing along with and highlights relatable emotions like love, want, and regret.

In "The Perfect Space," the song is chill and quiet, with a soothing violin and cello supporting the sincere vocals. But suddenly, the tempo speeds up, the piano and percussion come in, and the singing becomes louder and more upbeat (with some screaming for emphasis). But as the song again regresses to a slower pace, they still maintain the same appeal and good qualities without losing the listener's interest.

A more popular song, "I and Love and You," has charmed listeners with it's carrying piano line and uplifting message. Scott and Seth Avett's voices blend together seamlessly to create a warm sound that fits their introspective lyrics perfectly. They are so synchronized, it's easy to believe that they are brothers.

But if blended vocals and relaxing instrumentals are not what you are looking for, try "Kick Drum Heart." With a pulsating bass drum punctuating the singing, the piano part and the rhythymic tambourine keep the music pulsing and provides a more upbeat sound while still retaining The Avett Brother's trademark sound.

Because of their diverse and varied style, The Avett Brothers have a little something for everyone. Even if country music is usually not your thing, or if you find banjo music minorly annoying, give The Avett Brothers a chance. Their music is always interesting, yet easy to listen to. So get out of your usual music "comfort zone," set up a Pandora station for The Avett Brothers, and get ready for a unique musical experience.

Links:
Website: http://www.theavettbrothers.com/us/home
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theavettbrothers
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theavettbrothers

And if you like The Avett Brothers...be sure to check out Mumford and Sons

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Nevershoutnever

Christofer Drew Ingle of Nevershoutnever

Now don't freak out. We know that the name of this artist tells us not to do this...but we're shouting crazy things for Never Shout Never. He knows what he's doing. Never Shout Never is the master of love songs, romantic music, etc. If you need advice on how to ask your secret crush to prom, or if you're ready to make things serious, please take lessons from the songs of Never Shout Never.

Love has been what music is about for years. Artists sing of new love, old love, lost love, imaginary love, etc. It seems like it would get old right? Not if the ways we express the idea change. Never Shout Never takes a bubblegum feel and adds it to hissing along tunes to give the full romantic effect. Lets take a closer look.

Never Shout Never is famous for his "body percussion." In some of his songs, there are sections where he snaps his fingers or claps his hands. This idea creates the genius effect of the audience or listener getting involved. For instance..If you were at a campfire or together with friends, and someone pulled out a guitar and got people to start clapping to the song, the environment would be a great place to be. The use of these body percussions allow the listener to feel involved, and from the romantic side of things, the girls that Never Shout Never is singing to feel closer to the artist with these cool beats.

The most important part of Never Shout Never's songs are his lyrics. They're very simple and straightforward, because to be honest, not all fans can understand the metaphors that some artists use in their songs. Never Shout Never makes everything easy by giving easy lyrics to listen to and sing along to as well. When the song is simple, catchy, and easy to sing along to, that's when fans go nuts for the artist. In this case, Never Shout Never is constantly bombarded with his crazy female fans.

We selected a few of our favorite Never Shout Never songs for you to take a listen to:

Cheatercheaterbestfriendeater

Never Shout Never is basically the ladies man. He shows his sensative side in his songs and plays great music for his fans. His fans, of course, love his music almost as much as they love him. With the use of these "body beats," or "body percussion," he can involve his audience, and his lyrics give the fans something easy to understand. If you're not going nuts over this artist yet, go listen to his music. It's great stuff. You gotta hear it to believe it.

Links:
Website: http://www.nevershoutnever.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nevershoutnever
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/nevershoutnever

Saturday, March 19, 2011

The New Politics

"You walk the streets, never feel no guilt, you make your money selling guns on the playground. I'm so ashamed 'cause we're all the same, killing in the name, money is a game now. And you're buying bombs and we pay the price, eat your lies and we feed it to the children. Is this what you want? Is this what you need? You're gonna kill us all to make peace."

-New Politics, "Dignity."

Just chew on that quote for a while.... Does it make you want to make an impact on the world? If so; good! That is exactly what the New Politics are looking for. In an age when a lot of music sounds similar and lyrics are only skin deep, the New Politics are trying to give a voice and promote change to a generation.

The New Politics consist of three Danish musicians, Soren, David, and Poul, who believe in taking risks and doing what you love. And they do just that through their music and parkour influenced videos. Their song "Dignity" shows off their impressive and somewhat aggressive sound. The instrumental is heavy and sets the tone for the in your face lyrics. Vocals alternate between singing/screaming to rapping, which rather than being excessive, just seems to emphasize the point trying to be made.

Another trademark New Politics' track is "Yeah Yeah Yeah." In this song they utilize dark guitar chords, pounding drums, and a pulsating bass line that carries the whole song, and for some strange reason, it really suits them. For some bands this would be chaos and dischord, but for the New Politics, it makes their music all the more poignant.

And on a completely unrelated note, The New Politics utilize the crazy talents of their vocalist David Boyds. To name a few (but not nearly all) of his stunts, running backflips off of buildings, headstands (singing all the while), and spinning on his head on top of amps. Needless to say, the New Politics live can be quite an experience.

Links:
Website: http://www.newpoliticsrock.com/us/home
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/newpoliticsrock
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/newpolitics

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Weezer

The nerds of rock n' roll. Weezer has left a huge footprint in the industry with they're geeky appearances and their trendy music. They've been featured on pop radio stations with "Beverly Hills," they've been given movie deals with the recent song "Memories," and they've owned the indie scene with their unique style. These guys are different, but people love it.

From day one, Weezer's amazing sound has rocked the Indie world. But what makes them so good? The answer to this question is the relation between their music and their fans. They're songs emmit crazy feelings and wishes that most listeners can relate to. For instance, "Beverly Hills," one of their more popular songs talks about the wish of living a famous life in a great city. It's basically the rockstar dream. Now quickly close your eyes and imagine the average American. They want money. They want popularity. They want recognition. These ideas are found even in the high school system. Weezer shows their listeners that it's ok to want these awesome things in life. It may sound a little bit materialistic...but the music is great so we support it.

Another example of their music relating to listeners is "Memories," from the Jackass 3D soundtrack. This song is all about the "good times," or the "old days." Everyone in the world has memories that they would love to re-live. Even if its a small one, the thought of that memory is amazing. Weezer's song just makes that memory even better. They play that song like they mean it.

Here are five of our favorite Weezer tunes:

1. Buddy Holly

2. Island in the Sun

3. Beverly Hills

4. If You're Wondering If I Want To, I Want To

5. Memories

So if you have wishes of fame, lost memories you miss, or just a love for great music, please go listen to Weezer. We, the Indie Team, don't think we need to explain why they play good music. You'll hear it when you listen. We just want to reel you in with the bait of great taste. These guys appeal to everyone, and hopefully you'll become the latest Weezer fan. Do you have any personal relations to any of Weezer's songs?

Links:
Website: http://weezer.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/weezer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/weezer

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Franz Ferdinand

Few people know that Franz Ferdinand was an archduke of Austria-Hungary who was assasinated by a radical Serbian terrorist group in 1914... But sadly, even less people associate the name "Franz Ferdinand" with a solid alternative rock band from the U.K.

Best known for their song, "No You Girls", Franz Ferdinand has a sound quite their own, with infectious melodies, catchy lyrics, beats you can dance to, and a pulsating bass. And they are able to effortlessly do this without losing any elements of classic alt rock.

A song that perfectly exemplifies the eclectic style of Franz Ferdinand is "Do You Want To". The song starts off with a loud, almost grating guitar line and the vocals of Alex Kapranos and builds to a fuller, more supported sound. But the heavy guitar riff remains prevalent throughout the whole song, keeping the upbeat tempo and perfectly backing the vocals.

Since forming in 2002 in Glasglow Scotland, Franz Ferdinand has enjoyed great success in the U.K. with some recognition in the United States. Their 3 released albums are Franz Ferdinand, You Could Have It So Much Better, and Tonight:Franz Ferdinand. They are currently recording a 4th album, but prefer not to overpublicize the release date.

Yet another great song, "Take Me Out" begins with a slightly darker sounding intro than the previously mentioned tracks, but shortly returns to the rythmic melody signature of the band. This song, along with most of their other music, practically begs you to jam along with the band as you enter into the frenzy that is known as Franz Ferdinand.

Links:
Website: http://www.franzferdinand.co.uk/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/franzferdinand
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/officialfranzferdinand

Jet

The modern day hard rockers. The sons of ACDC. The men who took the idea of the rock n' roll and carried on the legacy of great rock n' roll bands. Jet has been rocking the modern age with songs like "Cold Hard Bitch," and "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is." These songs are original yet similar to older rock n' roll ideas at the same time. If you're in the mood for some great music, listen to Jet. Lets analyze two songs that make Jet amazing.

"Cold Hard Bitch," is an amazing track. The song has a guitar part that has great tone while it plays its own beat. Along with the guitar beat, the drums are solid, heavy, and simple. These are the main ideas of older rock n' roll. To be honest...some of the old rock n' roll can get a little old, but with new recording techniques and our modern sound, Jet has transformed the genre into an art form. This song re-iterates ideas such as band cutouts/vocal solos, and strong scratchy vocals. In the verses of this song, the band cuts out after the intro to bring in the melodies of the vocals. After these cutouts, the band comes back in on a different starting chord, giving the song variety. These verses are somewhat quieter with intensity, but when the chorus comes in, you really wish you were at the Jet concert.

Another great song that shows the rockin' qualities of Jet is "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is." This songs is amazing because it brings in modern ideas to an old genre. The song is bases around distorted bass. The intro is even distored bass! The sound is amazing. During the verses, the distorted bass is layered with a crazy cowbell on the quarter notes and the vocals are falsetto. All of these ideas don't seem like a good mix, but the quiet verse sets up the blasting chorus, which has the huge intense voice of the vocals, and the meaty distortion of the guitar.

Cold Hard Bitch - Jet

Do you miss the days of hard rock n' roll? Do you want to hear the great sounds of bands such as ACDC? If so, you really need to listen to Jet. They're revolutionizing the music industry by keeping the old styles instead of converting to the new alternative. And if you don't miss those old songs, it's still a great idea to listen to the band. As we explained in the previous paragraph, Jet uses modern ideas to appeal to all listeners. Jet is today's obligation. (Oh, and of course, you can't forget to listen to everyone's favorite "Are You Gonna Be My Girl")

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is - Jet Are You Gonna Be My Girl LIVE - Jet

Links:

Website: http://www.jettheband.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jet

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jettheband

Monday, March 14, 2011

Imogen Heap (Song: Hide and Seek)

Imogen Heap

There's always that one song that you'll never forget. It'll be in your head for the rest of your life. It isn't like that popular song on the radio. It doesn't catch on real fast and lose interest at the same rate. It isnt...normal. The song that we have in mind to fit this description is "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap. There is no other song like this one. Filled with a complex simplicity, "Hide and Seek," has become one of our favorite tracks. What's so good about it though?

It's an empty song. There's only one instrument. The voice of Imogen Heap is the only aspect of the song that actually gives sound to the listener. A song with just singing? Nothing else? It probably sounds like a stupid idea if you're hearing it for the first time. But the amazing thing about the idea is that it's great. Singing without music behind you can be awkward. The audience might feel uncomfortable, the listener in general might not want to hear it, and the musician might not want to perform it. But for some reason, when Imogen Heap made this idea their own, it turned into an Indie phenomenon. Lets check it out.

The reason that the idea of "just voice" is so cool is because Imogen Heap uses a wierd effect. When she sings this song, the effect allows the voice track to add different harmonies. The idea has some connection with ehr keyboard. We don't know the details to the effect, but whenever she sings, her harmonies sorround the main voice. It's a fantastic sound. On top of the effect, Imogen Heap doesn't sing her song like a "normal song." She has differenct melodies. There aren't any set verses or choruses. Basically nothing repeats itself like a regular song does. It's amazing. You really just have to listen to it to fall in love.

Imogen Heap has left her mark in music history with this revolutionary song. No one in the world will ever be able to compose something similar. If you ever have the time, please look up the song and listen to it over and over again. The first time listening is love at first sight. And the rest? Well the song grows on you like a disease. So go listen! This is a musical emergency.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Forever the Sickest Kids

Forever The Sickest Kids

Forever the Sickest kids will cure you of all music sickness. Radio stations and oline websites are playing mainstream pop music that's getting old. So we really need to be thankful for this great band that came into the music industry. If you aren't familiar with this band, they play great punk/pop music. These guys know how to rock.

Lets be honest. Most people are tired of punk bands like Fall out Boy "wanna be's." So when people are asked to listen to another punk/pop band like Forever the Sickest Kids, the request doesn't go over very well. Well we're going to give you a few reasons to listen to this band over and over again.

Forever The Sickest Kids [+digital booklet]

Here's the main reason you should listen to Forever the Sickest Kids. They aren't a whiney punk band. They don't dress like depressed gothics or flamboyant rock stars and they don't sing like they're about to cry. They're music is the definition of a party. They're guitars have a meaty sound. They're lead singer projects his voice with great musicality and volume. The presence of this band is amazing. Even if you're just listening to them on your Ipod, they take over your mind. You'll fall in love from the start.

Even with they're presence, there is so much more that makes this band great. They're live show is one of the best I've seen. And it's not because of the quality of their music. When they play on stage, they try to give the effect of a party. When they play, it looks like they're having more fun then the audience is. It really is a sight to see. When the lead singer is making wierd faces at some parts, and the guitar players are switching guitars and bass guitars between each other, you know it's a lot more than just a concert. It's a show.

Basically this band is fun to listen to. If you really want the full effect of Forever the Sickest Kids, then listen to the song: "She likes." This song has sing along choruses and softer verses that allow the choruses to blast you in the face when they come in. If you're not dancing or bobbing your head by the end of the song, then we don't know what to do to cure you of music sickness.

Like this band? Give us some links to some videos you enjoyed by commenting on this post!

Website: http://foreverthesickestkids.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/foreverthesickestkids
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ForeverTheSickestKids
Purevolume: http://www.purevolume.com/new/foreverthesickestkids

Friday, March 11, 2011

Top Ten List

Waiting for the End by Linkin Park - Our Number 1 Song Choice

Here on Indie Alternative Rock, sometimes we like to provide our readers with a top ten list of different things. We're hoping these lists can provide you with some cool songs, bands, or just music in general that can broaden your music knowledge or taste. Not only are these great songs, but some are also the coolest videos we've seen in a while. These lists aren't going to be posted very often, so check them out as much as you can! Click on the song names for a link to the song download. And if you have an idea for a top ten list that you would like us to post, comment! We love hearing from you and love learning about new music as well!

Top Ten Indie/Alternative Songs

According to the Indie Team

1. Waiting For The End (Linkin Park)