Indie Music Universe

Dirty Projectors are an experimental indie rock collective led by Dave Longstreth accompanied by a shifting cast of band members.

Longstreth's first album, The Graceful Fallen Mango, was released under his own name and introduced his distinctive arrangements of both lo-fi and hi-fi production. The next year Longstreth fully minted the "Dirty Projectors" moniker with the release of The Glad Fact on the Western Vinyl label. In 2005, the band released The Getty Address, a concept album about musician Don Henley that features extensive orchestral and choral accompaniment. The diverse, more stripped-down New Attitude EP followed in 2006 and featured inklings of the band's later vocal interplay and use of intricate guitar work reminiscent of Ali Farka Touré's.

In 2007 the band released Rise Above, an album of Black Flag songs as reimagined from memory. The album introduced the band's distinctive contrast between Longstreth's soaring vocals and the tight harmonies of Amber Coffman and Susanna Waiche (later replaced by Angel Deradoorian). In 2007 the band also performed songs from that album for a Take-Away Show acoustic video session shot by Vincent Moon.

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Popularity: 17% [?]

TronMe media player (http://www.tronme.com) is free, downloadable software that allows users to control and remix their favorite music and record an interactive music video to go with it. The latest release of the player provides an auto play function. This turns the TronMe player into a home music system. Once the player is open, users don’t need to press anything their music plays automatically and the software will remix the tracks based on the .ivs file and the information analyzed from the webcam with stunning visual effects. Control can be regained at any time, to select new instruments or parts, but it is not necessary. Users can move to the music and see what happens then share it online.

The software is growing well with a hundred new users each day. With this new technology, users are able to play their own favorite mp3 tracks with an interactive add-on file format known as .ivs. These tracks can then be used on the TronMe player.

Patrick Levy Rosenthal, 3D Solar’s CEO said, "If an mp3 file is a gem stone, then to convert it to interactive is to add loops to it so you can see new dimensions shining from it. Every time your track is remixed it is like watching your stone from a different angle showing endless possibilities, bursts of light and color."

After installation, the software will list all of the mp3 tracks on each user’s PC and will provide notice if other users already found interesting loops in a particular song. Therefore, users can decide to use the same loops for their tracks with the TronMe player. If the user subscribe with a small monthly fee he can use all of these along with plenty of new versions uploaded daily.

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Popularity: 12% [?]

By Ashley Eliot (Ash)

Put aside the stereotypes that you’ve heard about Orange County. We don’t just produce punk bands and silly reality shows. We actually do have a music scene and a great one in fact. A variety of sounds from talented indie bands can be found at these hidden gems: Detroit Bar, eVocal, La Cave and The Gypsy Lounge. OC’s music scene is evolving and if you don’t start keeping up, you’re going to miss out on the beautiful music taking place here. These are 15 bands on the rise. There are still a TON more artists making their mark in Orange County. I guess you’ll just have to go there and find them yourself or listen to UC Irvine’s independent radio station KUCI 88.9 FM (www.kuci.org) for my Orange County music show called Press Pass Music (www.kuci.org/presspass), Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m. PST.  

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Popularity: 42% [?]

Portland, OR (June 24, 2009):  Willamette Week’s Musicfest NW announces this year’s festival line-up which will be held at various venues around the Portland, OR metropolitan area on September 16, 17, 18 & 19. Do note all shows are first come first-served. Please visit http://musicfestnw.com/tix for details on performers and where to purchase passes.

MFNW continues its tradition of supporting diverse genres that will appeal to every music fan.  It’s also a great opportunity to visit one of the best cities in America.

On the heels of the most successful MFNW to date, MFNW 2009 launches with nothing but the hope of a bigger and better festival. MFNW’s ultimate aim is to provide Portland with a unique and special musical experience that features all types of acts including nationally renowned artists while still honoring and supporting the special musical scene of the Northwest.

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Popularity: 21% [?]

God Help The Girl  by God Help the Girl

After the success of the most recent Belle And Sebastian album, "The Life Pursuit", band leader/singer/songwriter Stuart Murdoch decided to pursue his dream of writing a rock musical scored for female singers. After auditioning vocalists via Internet contests, he made his choices and, with all members of Belle And Sebastian backing him up, recorded this breathtaking record. It combines the strengths and feel of early Belle And Sebastian records in a broader musical palette, which draws equally on musicals, 60s girl groups, 80s indie, and most of all, classic pop.

Beacons Of Ancestorship  by Tortoise

Their first new record in over five years. Tortoise have been expanding the definition of rock music for over fifteen years. "Beacons" gives nods to techno, punk, electro, lo-fi noise, cut up beats, heavily processed synths, and mournful, elegiac dirges. CD version is presented in a 4-panel mini-LP style jacket.

Dragonslayer  by Sunset Rubdown

Sunset Rubdown was once the moniker under which Spencer Krug released lo-fi solo recordings. The project has long since evolved into a full band, and "Dragonslayer" is the third full-length. The musicianship is unassisted by studio magic, and the songs are left to justify for themselves their own screwy pop-rock existence.

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Popularity: 16% [?]

Off interstate 66 in the far northern end of Virginia, a winding road leads past houses separated by farms and thickly spread trees. There, almost every night a group of young musicians practice in a garage packed with instruments and speakers.  Solace Sovay’s songs come at you like a light gust of wind which gradually increases, urging you to stop and reflect on the moment.

Their first EP (self-titled) takes on an indie rock style, but with a folk rock twist. Self recorded in an unheated garage in the dead of winter, the young musicians would spend weeks layering different instruments on to a simple machine.  Electric and acoustic guitars are binned together with percussion, heart shaking bass, echoing pianos, wailing pedal steels and a haunting cello.

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Popularity: 15% [?]

By Kristin Anderson

Alright you festie fanatics, I know you're just twitching with excitement about all the summer music festivals going on. Being a seasoned festival fanatic myself, I have put together a realistic survival guide to attending that will cut down on any disruptions in your outdoor celebration. And who doesn't love some dirty-footed outdoor fun?      

Things not to forget, and why…

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Popularity: 28% [?]

By Kristin Anderson

Indie fans stop running in place. On June 23, Kava Kava, who hail from Yorkshire UK, are releasing their first U.S album, Forwards, on Midnight Swimming. Having started as a four-piece psychedelic funk band gracing the underground festival and party scene, KAVA KAVA has now expanded into a six piece force to be reckoned with — that fully realizes a distinct and unique sound that is bringing the indie music scene to its knees.

The vocals of singer Pat Fulgoni, who sounds like a masculine angel, are accompanied by a revolving line-up that includes Matt Bond (guitar), Martin Chung (bass), Chris Corrigan (drums), Steve Davies and Ian Bailey (horn section) alongside vocals, guitars, electronica, brass, strings and a  funky rhythm section.  The combination of lead singer Pat Fulgoni and the unified expression of sound will rip you from time and space and let you fall into a state of dream sequence. Filled with raw power and energy, this music moves. You are sure to move with it..

Fulgoni has done quite a few collaborations on his own, lending his voice to several songs released by Hospital Records and Subliminal Soup Records. The single Beliefs off of Nu:Tones's "Back of Beyond" album reached #17 on the singles chart in the UK and featured vocals by Pat. Smooth as glass and desperately funky, Kava Kava is ripping through sound barriers and embedding themselves in mainstream culture.

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Popularity: 47% [?]

For Immediate Release

Contact: caroline@motormouthmedia.com

“dreamy, ambient indie rock built upon layers of subtle grooves and unique instrumentation.” - Alternative Press

“All swirling guitars and dreamy harmonies, they have a serious Brit-rock/shoegaze sensibility reminiscent of Doves. We expect big things” – Stereogum

 As Tall As Lions are back with You Can’t Take It With You, the highly anticipated follow up to 2006’s self-titled full-length. As Tall As Lions already has a solid fanbase in place and has been supported by writers at Alternative Press, Stereogum, Death & Taxes and Spin among many others. The NY-based band has shared the stage with Superdrag, Circa Survive and Sparta where crowds arrived early on each evening due to the band’s huge buzz. They will be playing a special hometown headlining show on June 30 at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom.

The third full-length album by New York’s As Tall as Lions, You Can’t Take It With You, is a thoughtful, textured tour de force of soundscapes, vocal harmonies, melodies and insightful lyrics about the modern world.  The songs’ subject matter faces head-on the politics of God, love, war, and the human condition while examining everyday struggles such as anxiety, isolation, and money." With You Can’t Take It With You, the band; vocalist-guitarist Dan Nigro, guitarist Saen Fitzgerald, bassist Julio Tavarez and drummer Cliff Sarcona, has made its smartest and most impressive album to date.

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Popularity: 20% [?]

Born into poverty to a single mother in Jamaica, Dwayne Whyte and his family moved to the Bronx, NY at the tender age of two in search of a better life.  With no father figure in his household, Dwayne witnessed his mother manage working excessive hours at multiple jobs to provide for his family.  In 1994, Dwayne and his mother moved to Baltimore, MD.  He found the mean streets at an early age, and became consumed by the life.  While his mother worked at night, he was roaming the street corners selling drugs and hustling anything he could get his hands on.  Once Dwayne's mother became aware of his new found hobby, she decided to move her family back to the Bronx to keep him from the Baltimore street life.

Turbulence

While back in the Bronx, Dwayne became even more drawn to the streets; this is where he found rap. What started out as free-styling for fun would eventually become the ground work for the artist now known as Graffix. Although his talents were unmistakable, Graffix did not take his craft seriously at first. In fact, Graffix did not start writing rhymes until his then favorite artist, 2pac was killed.  He felt that the hip hop scene was becoming too much of a cliché with gimmick songs being mistaken for real hip hop masterpieces.  At this point Graffix knew exactly what he wanted to do with his talent.  Unluckily for him, he faced another obstacle in life.  Graffix and his family became homeless and were forced to move from shelter to shelter in New York City.

At the age of eighteen, Graffix moved back to Baltimore on his own, to begin a new life.  He started working a regular 9 to 5 job and also began making music.  While Graffix juggled with work and rap, he still remained drawn to the streets.  As a result, he was arrested numerous times, although he managed to escape long term imprisonment.  Around the same period Graffix was introduced to Sluggerz Entertainment, LLC by a close friend.  He was asked to audition on the spot.  After he finished spitting some of his verses and freestyles, he was offered a contract the same day.

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Popularity: 20% [?]