Category Archives: Indie

01.12.11
by

Take A Trip Down Under With Amanda Palmer

Always looking for a way to push the envelope, Australian native Amanda Palmer has certainly done it again with the release of her latest album Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under.  In her new single, “Map of Tasmania”, Palmer not only disses a former lover for his love of the Aussie treat vegemite, but also gives praise to a woman’s nether regions.   

Finishing a long drawn out battle to be released from her major label record contract, Amanda has set the Internet ablaze with her unique way of sharing her music with the rest of the world.  Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under will be released physically in her native of Australia through Liberator on January 21st, but fans will also be able to download the album electronically and choose how much they would like to pay. 

In support of her new album, she will be touring Australia and New Zealand throughout January and February which includes a stop at MONO FOMA Festival in Tasmania.  Check out all of her latest information on her Web site.

01.12.11
by

Song of the Day: “(Into The) Modern Mystery” – Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin vs. Sound of Arrows


Into The Modern Mystery (Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin vs. Sound of Arrows) by NickGarcia

01.12.11
by

Pepper Rabbit Reap A Bountiful Video for “Harvest Moon”

Thanks to the likes of Beirut and Edward Sharpe’s traveling circus, french horns, tubas, harpsichords, pump organs and other self-consciously nontraditional instruments have rounded up a substantial little corner of the indie realm. Regardless of this sub-genre’s forefathers exhausting any remaining ingenuity Balkan/freak/avant folk could possibly offer, more and more musicians seem to be deeming themselves multi-instrumentalists these days.  Pepper Rabbit is a great example of a band putting out what you can call good music – as long as you choose to disregard anything that came out before it, or at least, not care. The point is, there’s nothing about Pepper Rabbit’s “Harvest Moon” that hasn’t been heard before, nor does it really succeed as a homage to the music that inspired it.  It simply exists; relevant by association.  Oh well.. watch the video (directed by Alex Disenhof and David Altobelli) at the link below:

http://stereogum.com/612712/pepper-rabbit-harvest-moon-video/mp3s/

If you found this post to reek of cynicism and want me to shove it up my own ass, you should know Pepper Rabbit’s debut LP, Beauregard is out now on Kanine Records and here are some tour dates with Ra Ra Riot for good measure:

Pepper Rabbit 2011 Tour Dates
1/22 – Harlows – Sacramento, CA*
1/23 – Gundlach Bundschu Winery – Sonoma, CA*
1/25 – WOW Hall – Eugene, OR*
1/26 – Hawthorne – Portland, OR*
1/27 –  Neumos – Seattle, WA*
3/23 – Low Brow – El Paso, TX**
3/24 – The Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ**
3/25 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA**
3/27 – Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA**
3/29 – Holocene – Portland, OR**
3/30 – Crocodile Cafe – Seattle, WA**
4/1 – Filling Station – Bozeman, MT**
4/2 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT**
4/3 – Hi Dive – Denver, CO**
* w/ Ra Ra Riot
**w/ Miniature Tigers
01.12.11
by

Tristen Announces Winter Tour


Singer and songwriter Tristen has announced dates for an upcoming tour in support of her new album Charlatans At The Garden Gate set to release on February 1st on American Myth Recordings.  Ready to share her unique sound, which has been dubbed as “Neo Traditionalist Pop”, Tristen and fellow band mates will take to the road beginning January 21st in her current musical hometown of Nashville, TN before venturing off to various cities further south and along the west coast. 

Tristen followed her passion of songwriting and left her home in Chicago to become a part of the network of young artists that has grown from the city’s deep roots in country music.  She quickly penned the songs that would create her new album with the help of friends and producer Jeremy Ferguson.  Tristen is quickly making a name for herself with this delightful new album and has already garnered the attention of media from the likes of KCRW, Nylon, Paste, Nashville Scene, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today’s Pop Candy, just to name a few.

For a free download of the 3 song Eager For Your Love 7″ fans can visit Tristen’s Web site.

JANUARY
21 – Nashville, TN – The Basement (Album Release Show)
22 – Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s
25 – Houston, TX – The Mink
26 – Fort Worth, TX – Lola’s Sixth
28 – Santa Fe, NM – Corazon
29 – Tucson, AZ – Solar Culture Gallery
30 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
 
FEBRUARY
01 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
02 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
03 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy and Harriets
04 – Temecula, CA – The Public House
05 – Phoenix, AZ – The Trunkspace
07 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk

01.11.11
by

Album Review: Libby Koch “The Shadow of This Town”

It’s only right that true Alt-Country music hails from the South. Carrying the torch is Libby Koch, a Houston, TX singer/songwriter that will draw you in with her country, bluegrass, and folk brand of music. Koch has just released the enchanting album The Shadow of This Town and the Texas staple is finally starting to branch out to the rest of the world.

Starting off the record is the captivating song “Lonesome Bound,” which sets the perfect tone with a harmonica. Already the listener will be drawn in. Koch’s voice isn’t soft as it has a rather raspy tone to it, even while she is hitting high notes. “Walk Away” has a driving beat behind it that you will not be able to resist tapping your foot to. One thing the listener will notice about Koch is her Southern accent. It comes out clear in her vocals and it is charming to say the least. It allows her to put a unique twist into her music that doesn’t tire.

“Texas Saturday” brings a dose of kitsch to the album, and it’s not a bad thing, though it tends not to fit into the album lyrically. The words are playful but come off as a bit childish. Telling the story of a Saturday night in Texas, the song takes the seriousness away from the music on the record in general. Picking it back up is the title track, “Shadow of This Town,” which shows Koch’s ability to write a great song. The slow picking of the guitar and brushes used on the drums set the mood for the track and it must sound even more effective in a live setting.

“Still in Love” is a touching piece that comes right from the heart. Lyrics such as “I got a thousand songs to sing you if you stay” come off as romantic and sincere. This is the standout track on this record as it showcases Koch beautifully both vocally and musically. And yes, there is a hint of banjo in there. “Too Damn Hard,” which is a low tempo song, continues to carry on the audacity of what Koch is trying to do. She doesn’t play by any rules but her own, and that is what makes a successful musician. Though the album rarely deviates from the path it was set on, it not only works, but it works well. “Settle Down” brings the energy back up and carries in with that classic harmonica that the listener will hear throughout the record. The down-down-up-up strokes of the guitar add life into a song that could come off as dull otherwise.

“Starting to See” begins with a slide guitar in a haunting tone. A new twist on the album begins when harmonies enter and the sorrowful song about heartbreak invokes the emotion in Koch’s voice. On the other side of the spectrum is “Here By My Side,” which is the complete opposite of having sadness. The track picks up not only vocally but musically with its fast paced tempo in which Libby doesn’t have a second to catch her breath. “Tonight,” continues on this route and will have the listener out of their chair and dancing in no time. Infused with a great deal of country, it will appeal to everyone no matter what type of music they enjoy. It shows another side that we haven’t seen of Koch before but seemingly it fits.

Closing out the album is “Feelin’ Good Again,” which seems like an homage to her entire piece of work. Ending with the same harmonica that carried the album in, Libby Koch managed to make a record that knows almost no boundaries with The Shadow of This Town. She plays by her own rules, and that is what will set her apart from the others and get her through to the top, where she rightfully belongs.