Indie Band Guru

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.

  Portland, Oregon based indie-folk rockers Blitzen Trapper have announced a release date for their upcoming album on Sub-Pop Records.  The new album will be titled Destroyer Of The Void and is set to be released on June 8. 2010.  As a teaser, they have also made available the single ‘Heaven & Earth’ for free download.  Listen to it here first!  Then click the down arrow to download the song for free.

Blitzen Trapper – Heaven And Earth

Indie folk rockers Blitzen Trapper

They also announced some new tour dates:

06-02 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Concert House
06-03 Missoula, MT – The Palace
06-04 Bozeman, MT – The Filling Station
06-06 Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
06-07 Omaha, NE – Slowdown
06-09 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
06-10 Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music Festival
06-13 Charlotte, NC – Casbah at Tremont Music Hall
06-14 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
06-15 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero Theatre
06-16 New York, NY – Webster Hall
06-18 Lancaster, PA – TBA
06-19 Pittsburgh, PA – Diesel Club
06-20 Cincinnati, OH – TBA
06-21 St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
06-22 Kansas City, MO – Record Bar
06-24 Aspen, CO – TBA
06-27 Albuquerque, NM – TBA
06-28 Phoenix, AZ – TBA
06-29 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
07-01-02 Quincy, CA – High Sierra Music Festival

  It has been a long time since we heard anything from Canadian indie rockers Broken Social Scene.  5 years in fact.  Luckily we will not have to wait for the May 4th release of their new album, Forgiveness Rock Record,to hear the first single.  The band has made the song ‘World Sick’ available for free download on their website.  Here is the link for all to enjoy (click on the cover art to get the song):

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

 The song is quite an epic at over 6 and a half minutes long but still a good listen if you can make it past the first minute of build up.

Also announced were some tour dates in the U.S. before they head over to Europe.  Here they are:

03-14 Elkton, FL – Harvest of Hope
03-18 Austin, TX – Stubb’s BBQ
03-19 Austin, TX – The Parish
05-01 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
05-03 Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theatre
05-07 New York, NY – Webster Hall

Enjoy and let us know what you think of ‘World Sick’

  The Gorillaz have made thier new album Plastic Beach available for a first listen on the National Public Radio website. 

 Listen to it here Gorillaz – Plastic Beach 

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach cover art

Plastic Beach re-unites Damon Albarn, of the band Blur and comic book artist Jamie Hewlett, best known for his work on Tank Girl.  This project dreamed up back in 1998 is back with a bang.  Plastic beach includes a huge list of guest stars, creating yet another well-crafted and dance-friendly set of songs. Here, Albarn and company’s songs demonstrate a genre-bending collection of glitchy club beats and hip-hop grooves, augmented by brass, glitzy synthesizers and Asian- and Arabic-tinged orchestral harmonies.

From the first voice you hear on the album, namely Snoop Dog, you get a good feel that this will be an album you will find yourself listening to a lot in 2010.  Indie Band Guru strongly recommends you give the album a listen.  Do it now and post your thoughts below in our comments section:

I came across audio of the band Beach House performing a new/unreleased song live.  The song is called “The Arrangement” from the 4 song Zebra EP out on April 17th.  Rumor is ‘The Arrangement’ will also be a B-side on a 12 inch single due out the same day.  The song is a little bland for my taste but I love getting music 2 months before it is released.  Take a listen.