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 

Check out this movie, Before The Music Dies.

How can we reconcile that we live in a time when high quality recordings can be produced from home and the largest distributors in history (iTunes and Amazon) are open to all artists, yet popular music is increasingly formulaic and radio playlists are shrinking? How is it that major labels no longer control the modes of production or the channels of distribution of music, while remaining in control of nearly all the music that moves through those channels with force and ends up on the charts? Before The Music Dies is a fascinating documentary that addresses many of the questions that leave today's artists and music lovers perplexed and disheartened.

From the consolidation of power in the music industry, to the takeover of executive posts at major record labels by MBAs with no appreciation for music, to the rise of MTV and a visual orientation to music, to technology that makes it easy to cover up and correct lousy performances, to our culture's growing emphasis on physical beauty and youth, to our youth's tranquil acceptance of musical formulas and craving of more of the same... Before The Music Dies rounds up majors, indies, fans and executives, and pieces together an in depth understanding of how the music industry evolved into something that pumps out what Bob Dylan has labeled "pollution". It is a fascinating and well-told story, filled with interviews, archival footage, live performances and humor.

So next time you have a movie night, fire up indieAndie, turn on Before The Music Dies, hit the full screen button, and then let us know what you thought, and what you think the future holds! Desperate times call for imaginative solutions.

Having trouble viewing the video above? Check it out directly @ http://www.hulu.com/watch/62945/before-the-music-dies. For our readers in countries that block hulu, we hope you can find this movie somewhere else online. In the meantime check out the trailer on Youtube.

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! 

indieAndie turns 3000!

indieAndie has reached it's 3000th view count! 

A turning point for indieAndie.

We are very encouraged by the interest in the articles, and show of support for the artists we have featured on our budding web project so far. Like all things young, we are staying hungry and growing fast! 

Keep up to date on artist spotlight, production tips and articles on the music industry by following us on twitter! Simply click the button below. 

Follow @indieAndiemusic

And stay tuned for new and exciting features, like podcasts and venue revues! Thanks for your support and keep on sending us those suggestions! 

-Shia Sommer, Editor-in-Chief

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.