Indie Mania

Hi friends!!!

Boy has it been a long time since I last posted, and I can't tell you how psyched I am to be back on top of things. The last month has been a whirlwind, to say the least, but looks like it's easy going from here on out and back to regular posts.

Anyways - wanted to update you all on some good bands that have been swirling around lately. These guys are all much more emo/indie than I have been listening to over the last year (much more Clap Your Hands/Shins/Mates of State than We Are Scientists/Hard-Fi/Bloc Party). But truth be told there's something so soothing about an experimental, melodic, different and slightly intruiging group of songs, which is what each of these bands has put together.

First is Camera Obscura - a group of 6 Scottish lads and lasses who recently put out their third album "Let's Get Out of This Country". The six bandmates have an easy sound that makes for a cohesive group of singles, starting with the extremely catchy "Lloyd I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken" to "I Need All the Friends I Can Get" and the song from the title "Let's Get Out of This Country." Lead singer TracyAnne Campbell has a mesmerizing voice - it's soft and sweet but pulls you in at the same time, using lyrics that ring true of poignant moments in life like letting go of love. The band prop up TracyAnne's vocals with just the right amount of support, and the album is an easy addition to any collection. I will note that when I saw them at the Bowery last month they were less than stellar live - CO doesn't seem to quite have the chemistry onstage that they do in the recording studio, but regardless the album is a must have for the end of summer slow days.

http://www.camera-obscura.net/

Second band to note is Dirty on Purpose. These guys have a little more poppy edge than CO, they've played with The Arcade Fire, CYHSY, Dr. Dog (currently touring with The Raconteurs) and more. There's a nice simplicity to this band - their guitars don't veer off too wildly, and their vocals sounds like the bandmates are dancing around one another, but they add in horns to several of their songs, and simultaneously can take what at first sounds like a one note song and bridge it into a stronger, harder riff. They recently released Helleljuah Sirens, a nice compilation of their range of songs - from easy to hard, somewhat eclectic to a little more predictable. They are currrently touring and will be at South Street Seaport with The Spinto Band for free on Sept 1.

http://www.myspace.com/dirtyonpurpose

Last, but certainly not least, is Band of Horses. These guys have been making the circuit for a while now, and I'm pretty sure I've even mentioned them in this forum, but only recently have I actually started listening to the group and the buzz surrounding them. The foursome from Seattle in many ways is carrying on the tradition of great alternative bands coming from the rainy city. While they don't wear any plaid or flannel, their music is often melancholic and pensive, but surprisingly not in the way you might expect. They seem to me a funny combination of several bands - they have the unique guitar solos that I hear in Tapes n' Tapes, and the vocals could've come off of a Death Cab album, but the combination doesn't sound overplayed or used. Band of Horses has their own unique aesthetic, and the result is an album that has held its own with critics and fans alike. Horses are making an appearance in NYC in November at Webster Hall, and I will most certainly be there.

http://www.myspace.com/bandofhorses