Allen Stone - You just gotta hear this guy!

Every once in a while an artist comes along that you simply have to tell your friends about; not because they’re cool, or because you saw a great show or because of some outrageous stunt paparazzi caught on film, but because their talent blew your mind! One such artist is Allen Stone. 

In an age when the most popular singers rely on auto-tune to stay on key, it is high time that a pitch-perfect performer like Allen Stone steps into the national spotlight with a voice that would only be diminished by digital processing. A voice, filled with pain and ecstasy, that requires you to stop, listen and feel. His style and success harkens back to the days of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, and it is no surprise that those are two of his inspirations. What is surprising is that Stone, a 20 something white-boy out of rural Washington in 2012, is being compared to Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Sam Cooke, Bill Withers—by the biggest publications in the world. Even more surprising is that little indieAndie is even able to review this guy who received praise from MTV, CNN, NPR, The New York Times, Billboard, and reached #2 on iTunes R&B/Soul charts, because (get this) he accomplished all of this as an independent artist!!! That is almost as inspiring as his music. Well, maybe not quite. In any case, you’ve just got to hear this guy. 

Seattle's Josh Niehaus reflects on the 90s in Zanadu.

Another great and truly independent artist out of Seattle; perhaps the Olympia Brewing Company is right about the water up there. Josh Niehaus couples his gift of song writing with a polished production value uncharacteristically high for an unsigned artist. To top it off, Josh writes about his music in a way that we, at IndieAndie, couldn't have done better ourselves. So, without further ado, this week's spotlight is a repost of a spot Josh Niehaus wrote about his song Zanadu; a tribute to growing up in Seattle. 

-andie

Growing up in Seattle during the nineties was the best! Well, maybe it would’ve been cooler to be in Paris in 1789 or in Greenwhich Village in 1968. But, if you had to spend your teen years alive during the 1990's, you couldn't hope for a better place to do in it than Seattle. I can already feel the non-Seattle-ites rolling their eyes, and saying, "how can you possibly back that up?" Well, to understand what was so great about Seattle in the 90's, let's take a look at the popular culture that it emerged out of, my first decade, the 80's; a time when the counter cultural revolution was but a fading memory, and in its place stood an empowered GOP with Reagan at the helm. A time when the airwaves were saturated with synthesizers and drum machines. A time when Eddie Van Halen melted peoples faces with some of the most iconic guitar shredding ever played. In other words, it was a time when the spirit of rock and roll was being suffocated under a nation's desperate plea for order and conservatism. A time when the chaos of rock’s sound was quantized into new-wave dance fluff by primitive computers. And a time when the men and women who yielded rock’s most powerful weapon, the Axe, were all trying to be Van Halen. But luckily the cultural tides shifted as I entered into the 90's, and Seattle was at the center of this movement.

From the muddy banks of the Wishkaw to Puget Sound, the 90’s were ruled by flannel wearing, garage dwelling, skateboard riding junkies from Seattle, whose appearance left but one title; Grunge! Grunge was a genuine form of expression, free from consonant fluff, cheesy synthesizers and overly-reverberated drum kits. Free from ostentation, affectation and record label subordination. It was a tiny movement that housed a few creative geniuses who sounded nothing like the billboard bands of their times, yet astonishingly took over the charts. Of course the labels caught on, as they always do, and began mass-producing Nirvana knock-offs by the mid to late nineties. But there was a time, in my childhood, in my city, were there was a genuine artistic movement that the whole world wanted a piece of. A time when I could ride my skateboard down 'The Ave' to buy comic books at Zanadu, bump into Krist Novoselic at Cellophane Square, see Pearl Jam in concert for free, or, sadly, attend a community wide vigil for Kurt Cobain; the unofficial poet laureate of our city’s scene. 


My song Zanadu is a tribute to growing up in my city during this era. The song ends with a simple notion that 'all good things must come to an end'. Grunge is dead. And Although I am left with only memories, the music lives on as a reminder of how lucky I was to grow up within the pages of music history. 

Check out more music and videos by Josh Niehaus on Facebook or Reverbnation. 

Everybody Smokes In Hell - new release from Ottawa's John Carroll!

John Carroll is a seasoned songwriter from Canada's Capital with an indie track record to be proud of! His first two release The True Confessions of an Infamous Liar (2003) and Lost Radio (2008) sold a combined 5,000 copies (directly from artist to fans!!!) and paved the way for what is sure to be an epic release party/concert on January 14th in Ottawa for his latest album, Everybody Smokes in Hell. This newest addition to Carroll’s catalogue harmoniously combines influences from country blues, folk roots and rock n’ roll. It was recorded live at Ottawa’s Little Bullhorn Studios with back up players Fred Guignon on lap slide, Olivier Fairfield on drums and Philippe Charbonneau on the stand up bass (AKA Epic Proportions). The project was recorded using “Dave Draves’ meticulous old-school process of recording to tape before converting tracks to digital”, which no doubt helped capture the raw and honest musicality of John Carroll and gave the album a warmth fitting of its title. 

Everybody Smokes in Hell is now available to preview and purchase on John Carroll’s website http://www.johncarrollmusic.com/ 

Happy listening and make sure to be at the Blacksheep Inn if you are in Ontario on January 14th! 

The Imaginary Cities of Manitoba

No, this post's title is not a stab at the size of Brandon or Winnipeg, the two largest (but perhaps too small to be accurately called) cities in Canada's lake-ridden prairie province, Manitoba. But what the "Heart of the Continent" lacks in population it more than makes up for in flora, fauna, tall-grass and a "suspiciously good" musical act, Imaginary Cities. 

The group formed after a fortuitous encounter between founding members Rusty Matyas and Marti Sarbit. The relationship quickly blossomed into local gigging, a critically praised debut album and an international tour opening for The Pixies, all within a fantastically short period of time. In under two years, Imaginary Cities has risen to Canada's national stage and put out an album that caused a CBC host to declare "I F#%*ing love this band." This is a band that I fully expect to see great things and big moves from in the next year or two. But enough prophecy and praise from me, you simply need to hear their album Temporary Resident and see for yourself. 

For more on Imaginary Cities check out http://www.myspace.com/imaginarycitiesmusic 

The Bad Lamps and the Music of Summer!

While it may seem a bit cliché, as the days heat up I always find myself searching for the perfect summertime tunes to listen to while driving with the windows down, sunglasses on, and the wind in my hair. And this summer I’m definitely adding The Bad Lamps to my playlist. 

The Bad Lamps are a Los Angeles based duo consisting of Patrick Martinez on guitars and vocals and George Russell on the drum machine and synth. They have self-tagged their music as dance, electronic, folk, hippie pop, and Los Angeles — all very appropriate descriptions of their style. 

The Bad Lamps throw a healthy mix of organic instrumentation, electronic beats, and catchy lyrics into their music to create a sound as warm and sunny as the city they take their inspiration from. The Bad Lamps latest release, Soultronic EP, is now available on Bandcamp, and has a maturity and consistency to it usually reserved for albums. Their patent sound of dry electric guitar signal (coming in hot enough for a little digital distortion) juxtaposed with ambient synths and a crisp beat, are the perfect foundation for their raw, present and unaffected vocals. 

Listening to The Bad Lamps my body can’t help but move to the beat, while my mind is stirred by the lyrics, which capture the tenor of a generation struggling to find its way in a time and place of obscured definition. This combination inspires a carefree attitude in myself that makes me want to blow off work and enjoy the summer heat to the fullest. And on that note, I’m getting out of here, and I encourage you to download Soultronic EP and do the same! 

Ottawa’s got Soul!

John Carroll is a seasoned songwriter and composer with 25 years of experience at his back and an active voice in Ottawa's music scene. Carroll is a true performer and a staple at The Chateau Lafayette, where his folk-tales and blues-riffs can be heard every Wednesday night. As a songwriter and poet, Carroll fits comfortably into a variety of genres and time-periods, all the while synthesizing the eclectic elements in his music into a coherent, contemporary and colorful sound. His tune "Lost Radio", off of his like-titled 2008 album, is a magnificent piece of songwriting—his melancholic sound couples perfectly with the hopeful lyrics to create an overwhelming sense of beauty. 

While listening to his recordings an incredible desire arose within me to see him live and I can only imagine how great those Wednesday nights at The Chateau Lafayette must be. Keep telling your stories John Carroll! We here at IndieAndie will keep listening and invite our readers to do the same. 

Check out and download music by John Carroll @ cdbaby or at his website http://johncarroll.ca/

John Carroll has released two full length solo albums "The True Confessions of an Infamous Liar," in 2003, and "Lost Radio," in 2008. Carroll has a forthcoming album with his band the Epic Proportions, due out this Fall.

"Lost Radio" by John Carroll

Worlds of sound collide at the crossroads of America.

Upon listening to Jordan Danielsen's music for the first time I was struck with a familiarity that caught me off guard. My mind went racing, throughout America, across the Atlantic and over the last six decades of music, to place all of the rich sounds and ideas that I was hearing, which to my surprise, were coming out of Iowa, circa 2011! 

Danielsen's sound is undeniably rich in Rock and Roll tradition. He bucks the sound-trend that so many of today's 'indie' bands conform to in the pursuit of contemporaneity (new and deliberately unique instrumentation and vocals, synthesized sounds, etc.) in favor of tried and true themes that have been working for Rock and Rollers since the birth of the genre. Danielsen serves up a cocktail of upbeat acoustic rhythm guitar, funky backing horns, soulful solos, smooth vocal crooning, rhythmic singing, country twang, blue notes, nostalgia, optimism... and like all good cocktails, it goes down easy and feels great! Danielsen's music is a welcome reminder that ordinary elements- a straightforward melody, standard time signature, heartfelt lyrics, etc.- can add up to something quite extraordinary. And that music that sounds good, and feels good, will always have a market. Speaking of which... you can find Danielsen's latest album Night Alone In The City @ iTunes and other online stores. 

Check out "Company" by Jordan Danielsen

"Summer of 99"

For more of Jordan Danielsen's music head to Reverbnation.

Jordan Danielsen may be coming to your town soon!
Check out the tour schedule below and don't miss a night good music and fun.

Cathie Appel: A Voice From Above (or at least North of the US).

Toronto based singer
Cathie Appel 

Lots of questions, thoughts and emotions rush forward when I listen to the beautiful voice of Cathie Appel; the former lead singer of the now defunct alternative band from Toronto, Seagoe. For starters, I wonder why a band with such great music and heart-wrenching lyrics fell apart, and I am dumbfounded by the recording industry's failure to gobble them up. Whatever the reasons may be, I am very thankful that they did exist for a while and that a few of their late night jam sessions turned into productive recording sessions, which bore a slew of wonderful songs that feature the extraordinary talent of Cathie Appel.

Cathie's voice is simple and almost painfully beautiful. She conveys such a deep message through her vocals that her lyrics are simply 'icing on the cake'! Upon listening to Cathie sing 'Hold You Again' a quote from Baudelaire jumped to my mind, in which the poet said, "I can barely conceive of a type of beauty in which there is no meloncholy". Cathie's longing is palpable and it leaves me powerless to remain in whatever mood I was in before listening to her sing- unless of course I was already overcome with beauty. This is powerful stuff people, but don't hold back, you can't overdose on good music!

I hope you enjoy listening to Cathie Appel as much as I do, and I encourage you to friend, fan, follow, like, and send messages of encouragement and support as Cathie (hopefully soon) embarks on her next project!

Listen to 'Hold You Again'

For more on Cathie Appel visit her Reverbnation page or friend her on myspace.

T Dawn takes us Beyond The Dawn.

T Dawn is a gifted singer/songwriter/musician out of Riverside, CA, with a massive online presence. Her music is drenched in the epic-rock-ballad tradition of the 80's, yet she keeps a foot firmly grounded in the now. T Dawn has a hauntingly soulful and dynamic voice, which gives her entire catalogue a patently distinct 'T Dawn sound'. 

But her music is only a part of T Dawn's 'indie' success story. T Dawn is an ardent advocate of independent music and musicians. She tirelessly puts herself out there for the world to discover, and works hard to help prop up the independent artists she meets along her journey. She is the host of Beyond the Dawn, a radio show that features independent musicians from around the world (including some of our own spotlighted artists!) So do yourself a favor and take a moment to enjoy T Dawn's music, check out Beyond the Dawn, and support an artist who has helped support so many others! 

Listen to T Dawn's new single Controlled By Vanity

Listen to T Dawn's Crash Down, a beautiful ambient ballad. It has about 20 seconds of silence at the beginning so just chill and get ready to chill even harder! 

Listen to T Dawn's Highest Light; a pretty acoustic ballad with a strong vocal performance.

Check out T Dawn's radio show, Beyond The Dawn.

Guns of Nevada prove that Seattle still rocks!

There has been a totally unintentional bias towards bands from the Northwest recently, especially Seattle. But don't assume that this is out of laziness. We are scouring the Earth for great independent acts as you read this, and we promise that other regions will be featured soon :) But the fact is that independent Rock and Roll is burgeoning anew out of the once great music mecca! And since 2007, the Guns of Nevada have been leaving their mark all over Seattle's vivacious soundscape. 

The Guns of Nevada are "true believers in PBR: Punk, Blues, Rock". They playfully admit to "stealing from the likes of the Ramones, AC/DC and The Man in Black", but their unique blend of punk rock, alt-country, a dash of Americana, and high-voltage energy, produces something greater than a simple combination of their influences. They have created a sound that makes you want to move and howl! Rock fans around the Northwest do yourself a favor and head out to see the Guns of Nevada live (click here for upcoming shows). The rest of ya'll, enjoy the Guns of Nevada from afar, and don't fight the stirring in your soul.

Listen to "Ain't No Story" by the Guns of Nevada. 

To top it all off, their 'record label' is listed as 

"Label?.... we don't need no steenking label". Oh yeah Andie Likey! 

This post was written by Andie's chief rock corresponded Shia. 

Tiger Love: located on the corner of indie and indie.

Tiger Love is putting the independent back into indie! They have all the markings of a contemporary "indie band"; the unkempt look, the marriage of organic instrumentation and raw playing, with precise electronic sequences and synthesizers, the humorous lyrics and hilarious videos... But unlike most bands from the "indie genre"- who look as good, sound as polished and have as large of a following- Tiger Love breaks the mold by actually being independent! Of course that may not be the case by the time you read this; they are widely marketable, and (from what we gather) are on the hunt for a label. And as much as we at indieAndie hate to hear that, we can't blame them. They have "the goods" and they have acquired a good amount of success on their own. And if they feel a label will help them reach the next rung in their career, we wish them the best of luck. After all, good musicians who work at music professionally deserve to make a decent living (we just wish it didn't take a label to do that, or that labels didn't suck the creativity and money out of their musicians). But all titles/labels/speculation aside, Tiger Love is simply a good band that makes you want to get up and dance, and for the time being we're happy they are a part of the independent music world! 

Tiger Love has less information online about themselves than any band we have ever come across. Their entire bio reads, "New band and an upcoming pop sensation 'Tiger Love', formed in 2010 by brothers Roy and Gigi, and underage drummer Loral." Instead of unnecessary commentary (which is our department) they let their music and their videos do the talking for them- so take a listen! 

Under Control by Tiger Love

indieAndie is thrilled to share an independent band with so much commercial potential! Whatever the future holds for this bunch, we wish them all the success and creative control the music industry has to offer. 

Pussy Cocaine by Tiger Love

Grunge is alive in the music of Chad Robinson

From the second I pressed play on Chad Robinson's Beatslave, a syncopated and heavy acoustic grunge ballad in drop D♭, I was transported back to my early days as a music lover growing up in Seattle in the 90's. His sound is somewhat reminiscent of Alice In Chains, with virtuosic and dark guitar playing, accompanied by rough but sweet melodic vocals floating above. 

In the true indie spirit, Chad records, produces, promotes and markets his own music from his home in WA. This independence allows Robinson the freedom to give away Beatslave for free right here on indieAndie through his Reverbnation music player (see below)!

 

indieAndie is so thrilled to be sharing this music with our readers for free, that we would like to make up an award for Chad. So... Chad Robinson is the first recipient of the coveted indieAndie "Keeping Grunge Alive" award, for creating music that transports us to a better place!

Check out Beatslave by Chad Robinson on iTunes.

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!

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

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