Indie Music Universe

Travis DeVries is the driving force leading the new Brooklyn based band, deVries.  He released their debut album, “Death to God,” in 2009 on Noise on Noise, and the response by reviewers has been unanimously positive.  The online webzine Incendiary Magazine went as far as to declare it, “probably the greatest Manchester album never to have been made in Manchester.”  Most recently, UK based Young Rebel, added them to their March online play list, and hailed Travis as “a great talent.”

Travis DeVries comes from Seattle, where for a decade, he had been the lead singer and songwriter of legendary shoegaze band, The Turn-ons.  In 2009, Spin magazine listed them in it’s “100 Greatest Bands You (Probably) Never Heard.”  And long before that, Peter Buck of R.E.M. declared them, “simply my favorite new Seattle band,” in an article for Q Magazine.

He moved to NYC in the summer of 2008 after the recording of Death to God was completed, and continued deVries there with a new line-up of talented musicians (Sean Gibbons, lead guitar; Martin Glazier, guitar; Johnny Lancia, bass; & Kuki Kooks, drums). They are playing shows throughout Brooklyn to growing popularity and enthusiasm, and writing new songs to be recorded later this year for a future release.  They are also looking forward to hitting the road and tour come summer. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 6% [?]

Single Parents is the project of three friends: Fernando Dotta, Anderson Lima and Rafael Farah. Based out of São Paulo, Brazil, the band was formed in 2008 via a partnership between Fernando (vocals, guitar) and Anderson (bass).

After playing together for a couple of months, Fernando moved to Brighton, UK, where he began to compose songs in English on acoustic guitar, and continued his transatlantic musical exchange with Anderson.

Once rejoined in Brazil, the duo gathered demos produced over these six months they were apart to start working on final versions.

Single Parents became a trio in March 2009 when Rafael Farah (drums) joined the band. “We melded our styles and genres, focusing on Britrock and American alternative rock from the 90’s.”, says Fernando.

The band released their debut EP in December 2009, titled Could You Explain?, including four tracks written in English, whose distinct  and identifiable influences contribute to shape their musical identity. Farah comments: “We selected the demo versions that best embody the project’s aim, working on them for months before heading into the studio”.

As the EP’s title suggests, the band does not intend to restrict their sound to specific references, but to give each track a unique feel. “We came up with different structures for each song, where the theme and ambience change throughout. That is the contradiction we’re looking to express in our compositions”, highlights Anderson.

The band is currently rehearsing in studio, warming up for gigs in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 12% [?]

The middle of five children, Winslow Bright grew up in Dallas, Texas where she began her commercial acting and print career at the age of two. By the time she was fifteen she convinced her parents to allow her to move to Los Angeles to audition for TV and film. While in L.A. she made contacts with individuals in the music industry and quickly started her singing and songwriting career. Winslow’s song collaborations have found their way to the daytime soap operas “All My Children” and “The Young and The Restless,” and she continues to build on her publishing catalog (ASCAP.)

Upon her return to Dallas during her sophomore year in high school, Winslow began working on her first album with local indie singer-songwriter-producer, Salim Nourallah (Old ‘97’s “Blame It On Gravity.”) Winslow’s 11-song debut album, “Lovable,” is a result of countless writing and recording sessions with Nourallah over a two-year period. “Lovable’s” song list includes 7 original tunes co-written by Winslow and Nourallah, who offers up two of his own songs, as well as the cover of Kirsty MacColl’s 1979 “They Don’t Know.” The album provides listeners a mix of mid-century retro sounds with enduring themes of unrequited love. Bright’s co-write, “Could You Be My Baby,” beckons memories of Roy Orbison with its sweeping, melodramatic vocals.

Winslow’s live performances in Dallas include The Granada Theater, Club Dada, The Door, and gigs at North Park Center and American Airlines’ Victory Park for the 2009 AFI Dallas International Film Festival. Now a freshman in college, Winslow continues her musical journey at NYU’s Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, where she also joins in on jam sessions at New York venues such as The Bitter End. She recently received a nomination for Best Band Venue Poster for her “Lovable” CD release at The Granada Theater from The Independent Music Awards. Fans can vote for the poster by going to www.winslowbright.com or www.myspace.com/winslowbright.

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Popularity: 14% [?]

Jared McCloud's natural, earthy tone and thought provoking lyrics showcase his talent and ability to draw his audiences into his story. Starting his musical career in "Hard Rock" bands, Jared decided to go solo, and released a self produced record while playing all over his native Connecticut to promote it. Honing his skill in small venues and coffee houses alike, Jared grew his fan base and wowed large music halls with his live performances. Picked up by Sling Slang Records in 2008, McCloud began touring all over the Northeast as well as performing on radio and television. More recently McCloud released his latest record, "Romance Of The Atlantic" and put together a live band to further enforce his vision.

Today, McCloud continues to tour the East coast, graduating to bigger and more prestigious venues. Be it with his wonderful band, or just a guitar for a solo performance, he strives to experiment and tweak his live performance, making sure the listener has gotten all they can from the song.

With this arsenal of new and exciting music and his "anytime-anywhere" gigging attitude, expect to hear a lot more from Jared McCloud.

Instrumentation:

Solo show:

Jared McCloud- All guitars, vocals Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 14% [?]

deVries (pro. devreese; Dutch def. from/of the North) is the new band of singer/writer/guitarist Travis DeVries of Seattle band The Turn-ons.  The August '09 issue of Spin magazine list The Turn-ons in its 100 "greatest bands you've (probably) never heard." Peter Buck of R.E.M. described them as “…simply my favorite new Seattle band. If I said that their sound was a combination of the Velvets, T. Rex and Spiritualized with a dash of Yo La Tengo, it wouldn’t do them justice [Q Magazine]." The Turn-ons played sold out shows with widely-known indie bands such as The Strokes, BRMC, Interpol, and played their last show with The Jesus & Mary Chain in '08.

Travis moved to NYC in the summer of '08 after recording "Death to God" in Seattle.  Death to God was produced and mixed by Turn-ons’ producer and member, Erik Blood(The Moondoggies, Tea Cozies, Romance). It was then mixed by legendary producer, Kramer(Galaxy 500, Low, Sufian Stevens).  Upon receiving the tracks for mastering, Kramer enthusiastically proclaimed “Travis, you’re a fucking genius.  This music is just too good” and “this shit is amazing.”

deVries' sound hearkens back to the reining days of Britpop/Madchester bands such as The Stone Roses and Suede.  Travis' lyrics touch on a wide range of social and human conditions and emotions of which he feels strongly about.  His songs range in issues from trans-gender children(Boys are Bores), to global warming(Slowing Down), and hints of economic upheaval(Black Thursday Repeat).  His gift of weaving lush orchestration & intensely personal lyrics is a reminder of how music can save your soul.

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Popularity: 34% [?]

"If you feel you’ve been going through the motions, take your hands & just let go." 21 year old Tulsa native, Jonathan Van Risseghem sings on his full length release The Motions. The motion of his career has greatly accelerated recently, as he experiences a fast growing following.

Within 6 months of releasing The Motions, Van Risseghem has been regularily played on a variety of Westwood One and Clear Channel radio stations across the nation. Title track, "The Motions" has been added to frequent rotation in Delta Airlines national/worldwide in-flight radio and boarding entertainment as well as broadcast on 17,000+ (AMC and Cinemark and more) theatres as pre-movie entertainment. Van Risseghem's songs are also featured on the KNYZ104.5 compilation CD, the Hollywood Music In Media Awards Compilation CD, and voted for KHTT106.9 Listener's Choice.

Perhaps it's something about the excessively commercial nature of pop music these days that make people want to reach back in time. Or, maybe it is just the music itself – spirited, direct, colorful. Whatever it is, Van Risseghem taps that energy of yesterday’s music with it’s tones & rhythms, producing a rich-textured sound topped off with an engaging vocal delivery. He joins these solid arrangements with ear catching melodies in any chart topper of today’s music.

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Popularity: 28% [?]

Beware Fashionable Women (BFW to their friends), collectively are respectable musicians who possess the ability to be the worst celebrities.  They are four guys who look exactly like any other four guys you would find in a local ma and pa music shop or record store. 

No, you won’t find their picture gracing the cover of their album.  Their sweaters hold as much appeal as their faces do.  What you will find however is a collection of songs that cover all the bases of the great potential of indie rock (whatever that means anymore). 

BFW appreciate the irony of They Might Be Giants, the dire lyrical nature of The Eels, and the melodic sweetness of Elvis Costello.  Why must a band only encompass one version of that vague idea that is pop music?  BFW understands that labels, managers, bookers, and indeed the listening public would much prefer a band that stuck to one thing and repeated themselves into oblivion.  This is why BFW is destined for failure.  The inclusion of jazz voicings, Beach Boy harmonies, and Latin rhythms is only a sliver of the variety the band explores to break up the monotony that often defines their genre. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 19% [?]

By Kristin Anderson

Greetings you indie gluttons. Get ready to hear my latest obsession. Brooklynites, the Ludlow Lions have stolen the spotlight with the new LP "No Stories," and are quickly marking their territory as Kings of the Indie Forest.

No Stories is a brilliant delivery of sweet and lyrical confessions. Wrapped in a rock-pop sleeve, the album is a storybook in itself. Honestly, it took me a minute to get a hold of the sound, but as the songs played — I was won over. Already having started earning rave reviews from the press, Owl Magazine gave No Stories an excellent rating of 4 1/2. And most recently, they were mentioned on Brooklyn Vegan in connection to Nakatomi Plaza, which Ludlow Lions current bass player Oscar Albis Rodgriguez used to play in before they disbanded.  

Indie blood pumps these fellas into sound-making fruition. From the first song, some unspoken familiarity and movement clutches you and gets you right in the mood. Original lyrics, poetic and far from overdone, the dosage is right and the delivery executed with a genuinely unified and familiar sound. Topping my list for favorite tracks, I couldn’t get past "Treasure of the Guerra Madre." Call me a lover of the slow reminiscent Doors, trippin’ in the desert sound, but this song travels through a rise and fall with a guitar clinging to hope, like a sweet prayer of some sort. This song alone solidifies this band as a indie staple. 

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Popularity: 13% [?]

By Kristin Anderson

Brace yourself my little indie music monkeys. In a defiant search for authenticity and a passionate attempt at leaving a real mark, SUDDYN has graced us with some real indie gold. This band most certainly means to stay around by connecting with its audience and proving its dedication by delivering a sound from the depths of their rocker souls.

I got the pleasure of listening to the EP "Dark Lights," which was recorded in Grouse Lodge (an exceptional residential studio which has been home to some amazing artists like Snow Patrol, Muse, REM and Michael Jackson to name a few!). “Dark Lights" was mastered by John Davis, whose clients include Snow Patrol, Artic Monkeys, REM and Led Zeppelin.

These two Montauk brothers and two Irish childhood friends came together and SUDDYN was born. Combining a emotionally driven sound with style and intensity that infuses the music with a deep sense of drama, these artists have not forfeited true passion in exchange for the security of a stamped out pop sound. With influences like Radiohead, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, U2, Muse, Queen, ELO, Remy Zero, Led Zepplin, Harry Chapin, Gordon Lightfoot, The Guess Who, T. Rex, Beck, Bowie, Spacehog, etc…. it is no surprise that SUDDYN has drawn on the influences of the talent in our music roots to initiate a sound worthy of rock anthems.

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Popularity: 17% [?]

Tim Lacy and The Cherubs are back with the best one to date. Two years in the making, "BLISTERENE" captures the sound of a world gone a bit too far. This newer version of TMC has Mike Sciotto (Jefferson Starship, Marty Balin, Sun Red Sun W/ Ray Gillen, John McCoy) taking the drum slot. "I went back into my past to see who would be best suited to take this to the next level. I contacted Mike Sciotto, a long time friend who goes back to when we were teens. Mike has been living and breathing drums for as long as I can remember. We both have the same tastes and a high regard for production value. It makes a great match."

The new CD also features some scorching guitar work by Guitar God Nick Moroch (David Sanborn,Vanessa Williams,David Bowie). "It’s just great to have your friends come over and lay down some tracks. Nicky is one fantastic player. I’m proud to have laid down some work with him side by side! He did some amazing work on this CD."

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Popularity: 20% [?]