Indie Band Guru

With what began as a childhood project that combined brothers Sean and Jimmy Galloway’s first names, The Shimmies has now created a self-appointed genre for itself, lovingly referred to as “home school rock.”  Much the way a home schooled child’s take on a book may have less to do with the collective opinion of their peers, The Shimmies’ take on pop music stands apart from the collective pretense of the so-called “indie” generation.  Sean and Jimmy started out in the late 90’s as an acoustic two piece, and before that, as kids trying to perfect difficult harmonies by panning Simon and Garfunkel’s Wednesday Morning 3AM on their small cassette deck boom box. They’ve since plugged in and added younger brother Stephen on bass and long time friend Jack Gingerich on drums.
The Shimmies – Friendly Fire by fanaticpro

Chico, California’s The Shimmiesis have been gearing up to release a new EP, “GrowingUp Roanoke: Beloved B-Sides,” a companion to their last album To All Beloved Enemies recording sessions, featuring four of the 15 songs feverishly recorded duringthat withering 100+ degree Northern California summer of 2009.

The Shimmies (L-R):Stephen Galloway, Sean Galloway, Jack Gingerich, Jimmy Galloway. Photo: Caleab Noh.

Comprised of three original songs and one cover (of The Shimmies’best friend-band The Delta Mirror’s“And The Radio Played On”),the tracks on “Growing Up Roanoke”evoke the same thread of emotional chaos and vulnerability that has seen the band compared to The Avett Brothers,Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, Jeff Buckley, and Sigur Ros.

The Shimmies sound and style that was established on To All Beloved Enemies was best exemplified in the band’s emotionally haunting song “Judas” and it’s accompanying video directed by Brandon Vedder, helmerof clips by Pearl Jam and Sleater-Kinney.

The Shimmies have a couple of California dates coming up including a couple with The Delta Mirror:

07/01 Sebastopol, CA @ Aubergine’s  w/ Samvega, Little Lost Boys
07/14 Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite w/ The Delta Mirror
07/16 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar w/ The Delta Mirror

“GrowingUp Roanoke: Beloved B-Sides” was released yesterday.  It gets the Indie Band Guru seal of approval and should be heard by all.

Visit The Shimmies site to get a taste and find out more info at http://www.theshimmies.com

It was a tough choice after seeing almost too many shows but my favorite show of CMJ 2010 was The Drums at Webster Hall.  Obviously I had heard The Drums record after all the buzz they had been getting but never saw any video of their live show.  Not knowing exactly what to expect I decided to check out their show on Wednesday, Oct 20th.  Let me tell you the full story….

Wednesday started with some CMJ panels and then the official press mixer at Hotel On Rivington.  Good party, but I didn’t really know anyone so it was a little strange.  Soon enough I met two other “lost souls” that seemed to not know anyone either.  Alex, a writer for AOL Spinner, and Melissa, A DJ/writer from California.

The music snob crew

It is great to meet other music snobs.  We all wanted to check out The Drums/Surfer Blood show so off we went.  We all assumed our press badges would get us into Webster Hall without a problem.  Wrong! Seems we needed a seperate ticket to get upstairs to the main show.  There were some lesser showcases that we got into on the lower floors but decided we must get into the show we wanted to see.  We scoped out different ways to get upstairs but all were guarded by large security man.  Until we discovered a back staircase with a velvet rope in front of it, but no guard.  We went for it and made it, even strolling past some security as we got to the top of the stairs.  Remember, just act like you belong!  We were in and climbed to the balcony to get a better view right behind the sound board.

Now for the show.  The Drums came out and the crowd erupted.  The influence of 80′s new wave was immediate, as the band came out wearing satin jackets, converse Chuck Taylors, and rolled up jeans.   Then they burst into music and the image was complete.  Lead singer, Jonathan Pierce, slithered all over the stage, swinging the mic and singing on his tippy-toes.  He made it hard for the audience to look away from him.  Very engaging.  He introduced the song It Will All End In Tears by saying “this is a song about a girl I hate very, very,very much.”  I got a very ‘Joy Division’ feel from them, which is a very good thing in my opinion.  Fun, upbeat dance music with semi-depressing lyrics.   I recommend you go out and get their self titled album immediately and get to a live performance the next time they are within 100 miles of your hometown.

Here is a video of them performing their hit “Let’s Go Surfing”at KEXP’s day stage at the Ace Hotel, New York, as part of the CMJ music marathon 2010.  Small stage with no room to move but hopefully you get the idea.

We know the latest Band Of Horses album Infinite Arms has been out for a little while now but we were able to secure the video for the song ‘Compliments’ as well as mp3 previews of ‘Laredo’ and ‘Factory’. There is also a Making of Infinite Arms video included. Take a look and listen and if you don’t own the album yet, go get it!

Bronze is a new band, with a new EP and it’s fucking fantastic. A must have for indie pop rock lovers. Formed from remains of post-punk band Detachment Kit, out of Chicago, Charlie H. Davis and Ian Menard assembled Bronze in Brooklyn along with Jeff Birch and Ian MacDermut. Their debut show was at Brooklyn Bowl in early January of 2010 with Free Energy, who recently told Pitchfork Bronze was their “favorite new band”.

Get a copy of the new Bronze EP free. Just click the pic

This five song self-titled EP has a tasteful balance of fleshed out electronic loops and live rock instrumentation. Influences range from New Order, Brian Eno and T. Rex- but their sound comes together in their own well-thought, multi-dimensional pop arrangements. With consistently strong vocal hooks and compelling harmonies on every track this is a no-skip recording.

Bronze opens with the track “Horses”, an enticing delayed electric guitar intro leading to the entrance of the ‘take action’ drumbeats. Another solid track, “Sunny Day,” has a wistful vocal break that seems to fade out down an empty urban street. “Count To Two” stands out on it’s own, containing more of a standard rock band format in the vain of the late Detachment Kit, but with some fresh, smart background ooohs and awwhs intertwined with lead vocals. The song ends and your body lingers, dangles between tracks, waiting for the next song to kick in so you can keep moving.

Bronze delivers a solid release here and the best thing about it is that you can down load it for free at www.bronze.bandcamp.com. Get some new music into your shuffle, you wont regret this one, Bronze also has some cool shows coming up at CMJ this year. You can see them live OCT 20 @ Public Assembly, OCT 21 @ Pianos or OCT 23 at the Deli Magazine Showcase @ Spike Hill. This is a great new band to follow, stay up to date here: www.myspace.com/bronzemusic or on Facebook.

And don’t forget to tell everyone you heard about Bronze from Indie Band Guru first!

Indie Band Guru wanted to introduce you to another hard-working band that has their shit together and seems just about ready to take off.  We recently had the chance to speak with NY/NJ alternative rock band The Nico Blues about promoting themselves, gaining a fanbase, and their take on the independent music scene today.

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Here are their words that they wanted to share with the Indie band Guru readers:

-Basically, The Nico Blues strategy right now is to play as many shows as we can and sell our CD’s for $5 each at shows to get it in the hands of as many people as we can.  However, unlike most bands we have our music up on our website for free download.  As a relatively unknown indie band, this is the best way to gain fans.  Get your music on their IPods and computers.  The music can also be streamed so the only people downloading it are people that geniunely dig the music.  Sometimes we’ll play two shows in a day.  One time this summer the band played in Philly on Friday night, Queens Saturday afternoon, and Baltimore Saturday night.  The reasoning for this is that for the most part we’re not playing any amazing places.  Aside from shows in NYC and North Jersey, we’re usually playing dive bars or relatively dilapidated places.  However, the more shows a band plays, the greater the chance of some of those shows being good.  The truth is that we’ve played some amazing shows for crazy kids in dive bars, while in other dive bars we’ve played for practically no one besides the sound guy.  Actually, the first song on our album “Three’s A Crowd” is about playing your heart out no matter how few people are there to see you.  Any band that wasn’t born in to having some sort of connection in the music industry can certainly relate.

Bands also need to utilize social networks like Facebook and Twitter.  We’ve actually gained a lot of fans from both and its a perfect way to stay in touch and relate to your fanbase.  Showing that you care about them as much as they care about you will only benefit the band.  Also, emailing music blogs and hoping that the people behind the blog like the music is a great way to get exposure.  A lot won’t answer, some will say it’s not their thing, but, if you’re good, there will be some blogs that will promote the band.  Music blogs have a HUGE impact on up-and-coming artists and 9 out of 10 times, they’re the ones who know about a great band first.

Finally and perhaps most important, up-and-coming bands need to be nice to everyone they meet, for the most part.  You can’t be a primadonna jerkoff and expect people to like you.  If you’re nice to people and other bands, then they’ll ask you to be a part of their shows.  It really goes a long way in booking yourself.  Punk rock is freedom and you don’t have to play “punk rock” to share in its ideals.  However, all DIY indie bands need to share in its idealism.  In my humble opinion, anyone looking to start a band should read the book “Our Band Could Be Your Life” by Michael Azerrad.  He’s a great writer and it is one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read.  Not to mention, every band mentioned in that book is amazing.

-The Nico Blues are an alternative rock band from New York/New Jersey. The band has just released their debut album on their own Tiny Giant Records imprint titled “Blame the Boredom, Blame the Basements”. This album was recorded, produced, and mixed by the band in their home studio. The Nico Blues are influenced by rock, folk, and punk bands from the 1950’s to 2010. All of their music can be downloaded free at their website TheNicoBlues.com

A Raven’s Sorrow is an interesting band out of Boston, that sings about whether life is worth living.  The trio, Jason Percival, Jeff Glazier, and Joseph Cox, expect to release their debut album Chrysalis this winter.

“It is a funny thing how all of our regrets, anxieties, fears, and discontent fill us with such a strong desire to escape life, but yet also make us feel alive,” says Percival. “Perhaps it is this struggle between wanting to make an end yet feeling obligated to endure that makes us human, and ultimately gives unyielding truth to the music we create. “

The band finally decided to move forward with the production of the final releases of “Chrysalis.”  And that led Jeff to thinking: “Why have I been holding off for so long on producing and recording the final versions?”

Here are his thoughts on the subject:

With respect to releasing albums, I think there are two kinds of artists out there.  First there are those who tend to release albums rapidly.  I see them everywhere around me.  Constantly buzzing with ideas, throwing whatever comes to mind to the wind, creating new music every few days.  They churn out albums as if they’re a dime a dozen.  Then there are artists who make every record a painstaking experience because they want to ensure it’s exactly right before releasing it to the world.  That they have dotted every “i” and crossed every “t,” and that they are saying exactly what they mean.  They are what we call perfectionists, and can take an eternity to make their next musical statement.

But I got to thinking, is that really why I’ve been holding off for so long?

Nearly all of my songs come from the demons of my past.  I basically live there.  It’s all that I know, and reliving all of that anger, guilt and fear is virtually all that I love.  I think it’s fair to say that collectively the two albums cover almost everything meaningful I’ve experienced.  Leaving nothing new to write about.  And now, sitting here in thought, I can only come to conclude that perhaps by holding onto them I am, in a sense, keeping myself there, in a safe, comforting place.  A sort of distraction or a shelter, if you would.  A way to avoid having to create new experiences.   A way to avoid moving on.  I believe that for some people, moving on may never be possible.

In the Indie Band Guru’s opinion, these are the two extremes that artists fall into, but they must find a way to enter the middle ground of turning out high quality music regularly without oversaturating the market with songs that are not of their best quality.  We are looking forward to seeing where Chrysalis falls in this spectrum when it comes out this winter.

A Raven’s Sorrow has a great facebook site that can be found at www.facebook.com/aravenssorrow

Also check out www.arsband.com

Brooklyn’s own Sleigh Bells are stirring up some buzz again, right in time for the release of their 1st album Treats.  They have made the song ‘Tell ‘Em’ available as a free download on their website www.infinitybells.com.

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Beware before you hit play, the song is like a punch in the face!  From the first electro double bass drum beat ‘Tell ‘Em’ has you reeling and off-guard.  Then the sweet vocals of Alexis Krauss lure you in further and you are hooked for good.

I love it when a band finds a way to fuse together different genres to make something powerful.  Sleigh Bells has done it with their heavy metal riffs mixing with electro dance club drum beats then a soft semi-rapping vocal in a voice that doesn’t seem to fit in, but oh it does.  One description of their sound that I really liked was Wartime Dance. 

Go get your free download of ‘Tell ‘Em’ now at www.infinitybells.com.  The new  album Treats will be out on May 11th.  Get your ass out there and get it!  And don’t forget to see them live when they come to your town.  It is a show not to be missed.

The upcoming album by Seattle progressive-pop rockers Minus The Bear is now available for a free listen here at Indie Band Guru thanks to KCRW.  The new album, OMNI, is the bands fourth album, but first with new label Dangerbird Records.  It will be officially released on May 4th, 2010.

Formed in 2001, Minus the Bear earned immediate attention with their distinctive prog-pop hybrid, featuring swirling synths and multi-layered guitar acrobatics. The band was prolific from the start and let loose with a series of EPs and albums, each drawing acclaim and a host of new fans. They embraced the road and began touring extensively, building up a dedicated fan base and discovering the powerful connection they could make when playing live.

The new album features the quirky time signatures, hyperactive riffs, and prodigious hooks characteristic of the band’s earlier work.  OMNI may be the album that helps them crossover to an even larger audience.  There are some indie-pop darlings in there. 

What do you think?

Well it seems as if LCD Soundsystem and their record label have given up trying to hide the new album ‘This Is Happening from the leakers and now have made the entire album available as a free stream on their website:

 Click here to listen to This Is Happening

Give it a listen but don’t fret because I was a little alarmed for the first minute and a half into the album as well.  But when the synth beat kicks into the first song ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ you will know LCD Soundsystem is back. The second song is the 1st single ‘Drunk Girls’ that you have probably heard all over the radio already. It is a song that will be staying in your head for a while.
Listen and Enjoy!

PS. I was having trouble with the website on Internet Explorer but it worked just fine on Firefox.

http://www.lcdsoundsystem.com/thisishappening/

Let us know what you think about the album.

We see many actors try to crossover into the music world, especially in the pop genre where they can have their voice so overproduced that nobody will notice that they can not sing. That is why I took notice when Zooey Deschanel entered the indie music world with M. Ward to form She & Him.

She had shown some singing chops in her movies before, most notably in Elf with Will Ferrell and The Go-Getter where she met M. Ward.  Now She & Him have released their second album Volume Two back on March 23rd and it seems to be another good one, I believe even better than the first. 

She & Him have announced tour dates for the spring of 2010.  They dazzled at SXSW again and will perform at music festivals such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Savannah and Sasquatch. 

Above is a live recording of She & Him at the Sirius XMU studios from a couple weeks ago.  Stripped down i think her voice sounds even better.  It reminds me a little of June Carter Cash which is always a good thing.  She is living up to the new ‘Omaha Sound’ label and I feel will be singing for years to come.

Bottom Line:  This cute chick can sing!