Archive for the ‘Alternative’ Category
This Glaswegian group have been together just two years and have already made frothing fans of critics back home thanks to two big singles – “Daddy’s Gone” and “Go Square Go!” – songs that swelled with feedback and honeyed melodies. Their sound calls to mind of early (read: pre-Oasis) Creation Records with touches of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s noise assault and much more up-front, emotive vocals. Try the track “Geraldine” and get ready for your new favorite band.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
The 88 are a Los Angeles-based band who have been causing a bit of ruckus down in the Southlands thanks to their fist-pumping power pop. Take a listen to the band’s embracing of the British theatrics of bands like Queen, the Kinks, and T.Rex and you’ll know immediately why you should care.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Last night’s buzz has faded and this Brooklyn-based duo is here to narrate the comedown. The subject matter of “Detroit” is dark but the indie-rock tune glitters — befitting of a group calling itself Black Gold. Follow the stripped-down verses to lilting, harmony-driven choruses and hold on for the final verse, with its merry-go-round pianos and crashing cymbals.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
This South American group has been together since the late ’90s, making a name for itself under the more extravagant title of Orgasmic Bliss. Influenced by the post-punk, dark, moody alt-rock of the ’80s, Volumen Cero has created a new, wiry take on these sounds while adding its own touches. “El Mar” is an expansive, raw track that’s underpinned by jittery guitars and noir atmospherics.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
On “Buildings — Mountains”, the first track from the album Keep Color, this Kansas City group create a new kind of ornate pop that dazzles with electronic touches and emotional pull. The group make for a dreamy listen with a sound that has a mysterious coastal feel (despite their landlocked roots). The perfect soundtrack to setting sail into unknown territories.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
This is one of our favorite tracks from the Black Kids’ debut, Partie Traumatic, an album overflowing with highly danceable neo-wave pop. “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You” is an infectious, synth-covered mix of joyous indie-pop with bubbly melodies and Go! Team-inspired cheers.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Kerli’s “Walking On Air” might give you goosebumps. This Estonian storyteller sounds a bit like Björk as she paints an ethereal picture of a “little creepy town” that could be the setting for Tim Burton’s next movie. The steady clip-clopping drums give way to a weightless chorus that colors this eerie electronica track with shades of pop bliss.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
“Go On, Say It” is an exemplary bit of minimalist melancholy from the Portland duo known as Blind Pilot. Acoustic guitars, brushed drums, strings, and chiming percussion combine to create a sweet bit of pleading heartbreak. The song comes from the album 3 Rounds and a Sound, and the album is a new favorite around here – working in the same areas as the Shins or Death Cab for Cutie, but with a more homespun, folk feel.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
This Liverpool trio offer up some sound advice on this track taken from the group’s full-length “The Wombats Proudly Present: A Guid to Love, Loss and Desperation.” The track is a spiky little post-punk dance celebration that finds a little bit of joy in the legendary Manchester group’s influential dirges. The irony is not lost on the Wombats, who sound like they’re having an amazing time – adding plenty of Motown-style rhythms underneath the soulful, jangling clatter.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Seattle-based indie rockers the Blakes don’t so much perform their songs as swagger through them. “Two Times” is a case in point, a track that allegedly caught the ear of indie rock luminary Iggy Pop who was moved to say “This s**t is good”. We can’t help but agree. The song takes a while to get to the chorus but once there, you find yourself wishing it would never leave. Grunge this most certainly is not but the music exudes a certain undeniable authenticity – clearly the work of a band that has paid its dues. And what could be cooler than a band named after William Blake?
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
