Our indie music coverage here on The Indie Mine must be getting noticed, because we’re being contacted by a lot more bands and public relations reps than we’re used to. So much so, in fact, that we can’t possibly cover every new album, single, or other news story in fine detail. However, rather than risk missing out on helping you discover something good, we present to our readers this month’s indie music news roundup. As you’ll see, there’s definitely a Canadian theme running below, and the genres are so disparate that I think there’s a little something for everyone. Sit back and have a listen to these great artists.
Old English – Prose & Kahns
Back on February 5th, Ontario-based band Old English released their first album, Prose & Kahns. While most indie bands start off with a small EP, Old English has produced an album containing a whopping 11 tracks, the first of which we’ve included below. Readers who are into brit-rock, shoegaze, electro-pop, or folk will want to give this a listen. The full album can be heard through Bandcamp.
City and The Sea – Action Figures
Late last year we brought our readers news about a post-apocalyptic-themed music video released by City and The Sea. Well, more than two years after their last EP release, this band from Hamilton, Ontario has launched a new EP, Action Figures. The band’s lineup has been retooled since their last album, and we’ve included one of the tracks for your listening pleasure.
Mark Martyre – Down, Record
The Canadian music scene is very much alive and well as evidenced by our third Canadian musical act in a row. Mark Martyre actually released his latest album Down, Record back in September of last year, but we only just found out about it. My first thought upon hearing the album was Tom Waits, and fans of him and the folk genre in general should give the album a listen.
JonnyDebt – Prince of the Golden Horseshoe
This 11-track album from Ontario-based group JonnyDebt actually released right at the start of 2013, but the band’s been hard at work since the release including debuting a music video for the track “Bronze”. The band strives to bring a lot of energy, and you can get a taste of that in the track below.
Kovak – “Radiate”
Electro-pop band Kovak released their latest single “Radiate” back on February 11th. The UK group from Brighton has drawn comparisons to Blondie, and work on their full debut album is expected to wrap up this spring. Since the release of “Radiate”, they’ve also unveiled a remixed version by producer Youth. You can have a listen to the original below.
Anchor & Bear – Anchor & Bear
Last summer, I had the pleasure of listening to Brian Bringelson’s album Shipwrecked Commotion under the project name Paul Starling. The California-based singer has now formed the duo Anchor & Bear with girlfriend Katy Pearson aka Bearkat. Their folk rock album of the same name released in early February. The playful setlist is as toe-tapping and easy on the ears as anything you’ll listen to this year. Because this is a collaboration, we’ve included tracks featuring each of the artists below.
A*Star – “Flashbulb” and “Black and Blue”
Similar to our last act, A*Star features another musical couple, Perry Pelonero and Kim Welsh. Their self-named genre ‘Arenagaze’ combines indie-rock and dreampop. They’ll be releasing two split 7″ vinyl singles, one in each of the next two months. For now, though, their individual tracks are available to listen to via Bandcamp. We’ve included “Black and Blue” below.
Marie Avery - The Fire
Marie Avery is another Ontario-based musician, and just a few weeks ago released her 5-track album The Fire. The album covers the trials and tribulations of the last four years of Avery’s life. The songs feature the theme of duality, and we’ve included the first track, “Heavy”, to give a sense of what this artist’s music is all about.
Illitry - “Goshen”
Illitry is all about capturing sounds and turning them into music. Their first single “Goshen” was released a few weeks ago, and the Canadian band is currently touring Toronto, Hamilton, and a few other locales. They seem to have a fondness for blending traditional instrumental sound with electronic music, and you can check out their single right here.
The Hotelles – “Movie Reel” and “She Hasn’t Slept For Weeks”
Last December, we brought you news of The Hotelles releasing their new EP Ignore Me. The band is following up that high-energy album with A/B side single “Movie Reel” and “She Hasn’t Slept For Weeks”. The release date is scheduled for March 4th, but the tracks are available to listen to now.
Glass Ampp - Half Empty
We round out our look at February with a new album from Toronto-based Glass Ampp. The 5-track EP Half Empty shows off their reverence for classic rock guitarists and releases March 9th. In the meantime, have a listen to “I Know U Know” off the album.
© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] a second appearance in our monthly roundup feature, having previously gained our attention back in February. The shoegaze/dreampop duo from Chicago is back with 2-track EP Any Given Moon. The two tracks [...]
[…] marks the 1-year anniversary of when we started doing these music roundup features. We’ve come a long way thanks to the […]