Royal Bangs
The Royal Bangs are a band for Knoxville, TN playing catchy indie pop rock.
Tiger City
Maserati
Richard Buckner
With lyrics that read like e.e. cummings poems and a husky voice that cracks on key, Richard Buckner has been a model of consistency during his nearly 20-year career. Relying largely on alternate guitar tunings and his singular vocal delivery, Buckner’s music is simultaneously haunting and comforting, like a big bear hug from a crazy ex-boyfriend. As he prepares for a 2010 release, Buckner is clearing the vaults with digital rereleases via Merge Records ofBloomed (1994), The Hill (2000) and Impasse (2002). – The Pitch
For Fans Of: J. Tillman, Ryan Adams, Josh Ritter
Cassie Morgan & The Lonely Pine
2009 Riverfront Times Best Female Singer-Songwriter winner.
NOMO
A sounds which can only be described as a blurry mix of instrumental jazz, polyrhythmic funk, and arfo-beat with the heart of a college party band. Anyway you choose to describe its weird, danceable, and down-right enjoyable. With citied influcences including Alice Coltrane, Can, Funkadelic, Talking Heads, and the obvious one Fela Kuti.
Since coming together under the leadership of Elliott Bergman in 2003 at the University of Michigan NOMO has recorded six albums. 4 of which since beign signed to Ubiquity Records . The most recent, Invisible Cities “serves as something of a breath-catching moment for a band that’s taken a giant leap on each of its albums, bringing some of the thunder back while further elaborating on the progress made on Ghost Rock” (pitchfork.com). Over the past couple year they havve been touring like mad, playing shows with a list of people as varied as their sound (Earth Wind and Fire to Dan Deacon) and building up quite a rep for putting on amazing live shows.
For Fans Of: Talking Heads, Tortoise, Fela Kuti, Moondog
Joe Pug
One of the most surprising facts about singer-songwriter Joe Pug is that he’s only 23 years old. Not only does Chicago-based singer have a beautifully mature voice, but the lyrics on Pug’s debut EP, Nation of Heat, possess wisdom seemingly beyond his age. Pair that with his powerful songwriting and it’s nearly impossible to avoid drawing comparisons between Pug and folk legends like Bob Dylan or contemporaries like Josh Ritter. – npr
For Fans Of: Wilco, Josh Ritter, Bob Dylan
Or, The Whale
For Fans Of: Camper Van Beethoven
Sea Wolf
Getting its name from Jack London’s 1904 novel, Sea Wolf is the brainchild of Alex Brown. As a founding member of the group Irving he began to find that some of his songs were not suited for the sound of that band, so Sea Wolf came about. Although its more of a solo act with a revolving group of accompanying artist. It has ”evolved organically from its hermetic origins in Alex Brown Church’s living room into a muscular, full-bodied musical entity with passion to burn” (Dangerbird Records).
I think Annie from the RFT descirbes his sound best as “Dreamy Cali indie rock. Live, like Bright Eyes flavored with DeVotchKa’s Balkan flair”.
For Fans Of: Andrew Bird, The Decemberist, Neutral Milk Hotel
Mirah
For Fans Of: Rilo Kiley, Kimya Dawson, Devendra Barnhart, Laura Viers
Norfolk & Western
Norfolk and Western are from Portland, Oregon and play folk music that includes, as part of its stage set-up and sound ensemble, a turn-of the-century Victrola Grammaphone… In the early days Norfolk and Western’s sound was whispery, intimate, elegant folk music laced with creaky old instruments and atmospheric sound collages. The band still retains glimmers of this original form, but with their latest release, A Gilded Age, they defy their usual descriptors and comparisons… The interplay between light and dark, loud and soft—is expertly realized by Norfolk and Western both on this record and during their enthralling live show, which features band members frequently switching instruments and film accompaniment. - lastfm.com
For Fans Of: Laura Gibson, Horse Feathers, Calexico
El Ten Eleven
A two-man Los Angeles sound machine, El Ten Eleven was previously known for stoney instrumentals, courting fans of post-rock. But on their third effort, These Promises Are Being Videotaped, a switch to dance has been paying off. Deciding to join the likes of LCD Soundsystem and Justice, they do create music to sway to under multicolored lights. Only instead of making electronic music with electronics, L-1011 is doing it with just drums and bass.
For Fans Of: Ratatat, Bronzed Chorus, LCD Soundsystem, Explosion in the Sky
Grandchildren
Japandriods
