Category: Indie Music Pick

ho hey by the lumineers

The Lumineers. Haven’t heard of them? You will. Their self-entitled album was released last April, and if what I write doesn’t entice you to listen to it…do it anyways. I was lucky enough to discover them last November and have been avidly following them ever since. So imagine my joy when I heard they were going to be playing a free show in Chicago, just a few stops up the red line from me. Yeah, I was going to that show, even if I had to skip Italian class. (Don’t worry, I didn’t.)

When I arrived the show had already started, but you wouldn’t know it from the outside. The place wasn’t crowded at all, and when I arrived the security guard said it wouldn’t matter if I was VIP or not. That’s just how close we all were. It couldn’t have been more than a hundred people there. That small of crowd either makes or breaks a show. It definitely made this one. Everyone there loved the energy The Lumineers gave off. It was early afternoon in a small bar, but they still put in the same effort they had at their big show the night before.

They are true musicians. You can hear it in their album. They use a variety of instruments, sound great together, and love to involve the audience in their music making. And in concert, they were exactly that. Whether it was their cute love song – Ho Hey – or their funny, slightly “drunkard’s tale” – Classy Girls – we, the audience, were every bit a part of the music as the band themselves.

While some go to concerts to see entertainers, myself included, The Lumineers offer a nice reprieve. They are more about their heartfelt, relatable lyrics, varying their sound from slow, chill, dream-like, to upbeat, thigh slapping, folk, than they are about impressing you with their “mad” guitar skills or perfectly timed transitions. The band itself has such great dynamic that it feels as if you’re sitting in on a group of friends just playing music together than at an actual concert. A really talented group of friends that is.

So if you’re into that folky guitar, tambourine, cello mix, check ‘em out. Or if you’re looking for something that doesn’t sound like it’s been edited to the max, check ‘em out. And if you’re just looking for something new, CHECK ‘EM OUT!

– Noelle Smiley

shields by grizzly bear

from the fiery 12/8 blues opener (‘sleeping ute’) to the steely melancholic closer (‘sun in your eyes’), brooklyn weirdos grizzly bear’s new release shields takes familiar forms and perfectly lovely melodies and ends up with an album that has the potential for much wider appeal than previous efforts while staying true to their textural eccentricities.

band of horses go raw on mirage rock


Today indie darlings Band of Horses released their fourth studio album “Mirage Rock”. For fans of the bands first two studio albums “Everything All the Time” and “Cease to Begin” fair warning this one is a complete departure from the whimsical sound of their early works. The band seems to be continuing with the harder hitting direction they began driving towards in 2010 with the release of their third album “Infinite Arms”. On “Mirage Rock” crashing piano crescendos and dreamy synth have been replaced by folksy southern guitar riffs and drum beats that really get you moving.

Lead singer Ben Bridwell delivers once again, less echo-y than we’ve heard him on previous works and more raspy and raw. His vocals give the album a genuine feel that most modern music is missing. Bridwell remains as impactful as ever which is no small feat in an industry that’s turned many artists into over processed auto-tuned ghosts of their former artistic selves. On the final track of the album ‘Heartbreak on the 101’ Bridwell really shines. He is reminiscent of an early Neil Young, pulling you in close with the sound of his honesty and then breaking your heart just like he always intended to.

“Mirage Rock” opens with the album’s first single ‘Knock Knock’. It’s a fun catchy tune that makes you want to bob your head and sing along to the oooh’s. The tracks flow nicely together throughout and the album has a nice balance of upbeat sing-alongs and ones that would be more appropriate to listen to alone on a rainy day. Unlike their previous albums, of the twelve songs that compose their latest effort more than half are fast paced and pleasantly upbeat.

Band of Horses has always been a band that doesn’t sound like anyone else out there, and they continue that impressive legacy with “Mirage Rock”. The songs grow on you the more you listen to them and you can’t help but be pulled in. It’s the kind of album that would be fitting to listen to on a long road trip through the middle of nowhere while the sun dips below the horizon. Congratulations Band of Horses on your return, you’ve been sincerely missed and we’re so glad to have you back.

– Heather Clark

dinosaur jr. new album i bet on sky

 

i bet on sky, dinosaur jr.’s first album in three years and nearly twenty-eight years after their debut, sounds surprisingly raw and fresh, especially compared to their mid-career efforts. eternally wiping the sleep out of his eyes, j. mascis’s low key vocals and super melodic (and completely fuzzed out) lead guitar lines are just as likable and listenable as ever. original rhythm section bassist lou barlow and drummer murph complete the lineup. stream the entire album here. tour dates here. buy it tomorrow from jagjaguwar.

let’s talk about agent ribbons [video]

Released on 9/11/12, Let Them Talk by Agent Ribbons is five song EP teaser of the full-length album that is coming in 2013. The girls are still bringing a vintage style into their songs with easy listening, and relaxing grooves that will automatically put you in a good mood. Check out the video for their latest single “Family Haircut” below.

– Julie White