Thursday

The Redbucks- From Beijing with Bluegrass


Bluegrass music is a quintessential piece of the American music canon. For many listeners, when the banjo, fiddle, and mandolin strike up a tune their psyche is drawn into a bygone American era; a simpler time when the music reflected the artist’s existence as a muleskinner, coal miner, moon shiner, or farmer, to name a few of the classic tropes. Bluegrass is a form of storytelling that reminds the listener of a strong and deeply authentic American culture. So at first glance it might seem odd to find Bluegrass in Beijing, China. Yet, The Redbucks, China’s first bluegrass band, have taken Beijing by storm.

The Redbuck’s story reflects the remarkable times we live in. A group of ex-pats in China, banded together by a shared love of American music, created a wildly authentic and polished Bluegrass album in Beijing! The Redbucks grew a substantial following from their live shows, livened up by baiju (rice whiskey) and beer, regularly drawing audiences of ex-pats and Beijingers into their celebration of Americana. The Redbucks have recently gone on hiatus, as half the band has returned to the U.S. (surely to the lament of their fans in Beijing) but luckily not before releasing their masterful 2010 album, All That Glitters.


Despite the uniqueness of The Redbucks, their story is as much connected to tradition as the songs that they sing. You hear a celebration of place and experience that reflect the bands understanding of the Bluegrass tradition while simultaneously adding their own distinctive take on that tradition. Their original tunes add to the living culture that is old time string music.

A Google search of “The Redbucks” will return reviews and endless
praise from both ex-pat and Chinese media, yet they return to silence here in their homeland. For The Redbucks this silence probably does not matter. They are true musicians who make good music for the sake of making music. They are players through and through. But on behalf of their stateside audience, I’d like to suggest that it might be time to get the band back together for a tour of the country whose culture they so wonderfully shared with China. Regardless of what happens, I highly recommend giving All That Glitters a play.

Check out  All That Glitters by The Redbucks on iTunes

For more on the Redbucks visit http://www.theredbucks.com/

Special thanks to Andrew Kirkland, indieAndie's chief Ol' Timey correspondent!

Tuesday

Another indie-mag? In the words of Borat, "But why"?

To understand why we felt the need for another indie music blog, you must first understand what Andie means by "indie". Call us old-school, but we feel that independence is an indispensable element of indie-music. And, when we say "indie", we are not talking about a musical genre. It is true that there are already plenty of magazines and blogs about the "indie genre", and many of them are great. But by focussing on a specific genre - by treating "indie" as a style of music - they are severely limiting the amount of independent artists that they can showcase. Furthermore, most of the bands that are being featured in "indie" magazines, record stores, radio stations, etc., don't need any more promotion. (As a little editorial side note, I think you could make a solid claim that "indie", as a genre, is a concept that the music industry invented to help with marketing.) But this is no slight against bands that do get shelved under "indie" on iTunes. I get pumped when I hear 'Float On' blasting through the loud speakers at a pro football game, but let's get real; what connection do bands like Modest Mouse, Death Cab or MGMT (signed to Epic, Columbia and Atlantic/Warner respectively) have to the original meaning of the term "indie"?

Look, I like those three bands a lot and I'm not going to get too worked up over a music category; categories in art all seem kind of pointless to me, and some are down right ridiculous (e.g. Beard-Rock, Neo-Psychodelia, Screamo). But indie means something more than the way it is used "in the parlance of our times" (-The Dude). Take away any aesthetic understanding of indie-music, and you will find a simple ideology of independence; complete autonomy of the artist, in the name of creative freedom, even at the expense of record sales! 

It is the independent artists, who are not featured in 'Pitchfork' or played in H&Ms, who can always use another venue, no matter how small, to show off their talents. And that is why another "indie-mag", that uses the original meaning of "indie", is of true value in the world of art. This magazine will attempt to showcase beauty and talent, from any musical genre, that you would otherwise have to scour the depths of the interwebs to find. So please subscribe, and share the articles and the bands you like on here with your friends. Word of mouth and the internet can save music from the music industry, but that's a topic for another post!

Monday

Auriemma- Artist Spotlight #1

Richie Auriemma is a dominant force in the online independent music community, with thousands of fans, a constant stream of new material and what seems like a permanent spot at #1 on Reverbnation's rock charts for Bellingham, WA. Richie's songs are carefully crafted, but also raw; allowing that human element to flow through every second of his music. But the music is only half of the story of Auriemma's success. Richie's dynamic personality, endless enthusiasm and love of new music, have helped him become a bona fide web of connectivity within the world of independent music. From personal messages to mass-emails, Richie tirelessly helps hundreds of independent artists reach thousands of hungry music fans all over the globe. Richie perfectly embodies the spirit of the "indie" movement, which he is so proud to be a part of! So we can't think of a better artist to feature in our first posting of indieAndie's artist spotlight!

Listen to "Jersey" by Auriemma



For more music by and information on Auriemma visit http://www.reverbnation.com/auriemma

Sunday

Indie-electronica from down under! Highroad No. 28

Hailing from Sydney Australia, Highroad No. 28 serves up an eclectic mix of lo-fi indie rock, ethereal ambience, controlled electronic chaos, and what can only be described as 'something else'. From their probing and earnest lyrics to their unconventional use of technology and instrumentation, Highroad No. 28 delivers an intensely personal and unique product. If you are into indie-alternative-ambient-electronica-rock (it is hard to categorize these guys; it's almost like they've declared war on genres), original song-writing or thought provoking lyrics, check out Highroad No. 28's 2008 release Stumbling To Divinity. And stay tuned as a new album, The Will To Endure, is set to drop this year! 


Listen to "2.28 [2010]"


check out their latest songs @ http://www.reverbnation.com/highroadno28