Spring is sprung and the music keeps rolling in. We came across a lot of singles and albums this month including a ton from the UK. It wasn’t easy picking out favorites for March, but the intrepid staff of The Indie Mine stepped up to the challenge. Have a look at our picks for best single and album of March below, and be sure to catch all of the other music news a little further down.
Staff Picks
Single(s) of the Month:
“Fuchsia” – Schonwald
Although the name Schonwald sounds decidedly of German origin, the Italian duo have just released the equally elusive track, “Fuchsia.” The track is saturated with hazy synth and multiple layers of reverb, giving the song a dream-like quality that will give you goosebumps.
“Love and Your Name” (Fastback Session #3) – &Yet
Seattle chamber pop/indie folk act & Yet give a rousing performance at Fastback Studios in this month's installment of the Fastback Sessions. Driven by Dane Ueland's evocative vocalizations, “Love and Your Name” is a dynamic piece of melodic storytelling in the vein of Stars' “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”. Watch the performance on Session #3 of the Fastback Sessions Youtube series, or have a listen to the recording on Bandcamp.
“Talking My Soul” – 5j Barrow
Perhaps it's the success of musical ensembles like Arcade Fire, but it seems that more and more bands are using a wider variety of string instrumentation in their music. Well, I for one love it, and perhaps that's why my pick for single of the month came down to "Talking My Soul" and "Love and Your Name". The latter was chosen by Lux, so I'm going for the former which comes to us courtesy of New York sextet 5j Barrow. You can tell just how much fun the band's having during this track, and I can't wait to hear the rest of their upcoming album, due out in June.
Album(s) of the Month:
Reconstruction - STACEY
Singer-songwriter STACEY's newest release is a reconstruction of her eponymous album featuring alternate mixes courtesy of YDID and Style of Tigers. STACEY's girlish, Vanessa Carlton-esque vocals take a step back to make way for sparse electronic idiosyncrasies and synth washes that not only complement her piano instrumentions, but give the tracks a new sort of spacey energy. Although the synth and reverb at times come across as heavy-handed, the EP still retains STACEY's signature relaxed minimalism and intimacy. The YDID mix of “Calling Me” is available on Soundcloud, and the full album can be download for free through STACEY's Facebook page.
Inside the Ghost Machine – Anda Volley
Avant-garde singer-songwriter, Anda Volley, pulls out a strong set of songs in her debut album, Inside the Ghost Machine. With intelligent, creative lyrics and unique vocal style, Inside the Ghost Machine can be dark in a surprisingly catchy way. Volley’s pseudo-spoken word vocal style and hypnotizing guitar riffs are typically paired with haunting lyrics that flirt with the darker themes of life. “Laura Inside the Ghost Machine” is a prime example of this, and is one of the strongest tracks of the album.
Istedgade - Satellites
If you checked out our music picks from last month, this album choice shouldn't be a big surprise. "Neon Sun" was my selection for single of the month and one of four songs off of the band's latest EP. Although that track was the highlight of the set, the remaining tracks also make a strong showing. From start to finish, I love the way the band blends alternative and electronica sounds into a cohesive style.
Other Music
Singles:
Rose Berlin of SPC ECO releases dark synth singles “Burn It Down” and “Ray of Sun” under new project B O F C
London’s The Love Barons release debut single “Happy Together”
Indie disco band Stickman Cartel release new single “These Eyes”
New single “Jupiter” released by electro disco group OMFG Zombies
Eclectic musician Terracotta Blue releases trio of singles – “Feelin’ It”, “I’d Do”, and “Shieldmaiden”
Illitry shoots music video with Southern Southerns for electronic rock single “White Noise”
Kings of Lowertown take to Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans to shoot music video for “Mississippi Flood”
Upbeat indie band Nude release new single “Oh My Lady” off EP The Rockfield Live Demonstrations
Katie Bulley release music video for single “Up and In” to fundraise for new album
Cross-Atlantic duo These Curious Thoughts unveil video for song “Brain In A Jar”
Charles Bordeaux’s soulful “Bloodpacts” gets a reinvented remix as “Weeds”
Albums/EPs:
Indie rock group Navy Skies dives into punk rock roots to release The New War EP
Rock quintet The Folk release debut LP We All Say, the culmination of a three-part series
Composer Abstraction releases Just Drive Mixtape OST for indie game Just Drive
Mexico City-based alt-rock band Killvan releases 12-track album Spine Damage
Upstairs!! creates new album Honesty as part of recent Rpm Challenge event
2KM2 releases eclectic album for single “What’s Comin?” along with various remixes
Night Industries is a new EP from musical act Plastique de Reve
Four piece pop-punk band Dugout releases latest album Where There Used To Be Meaning
Singer/songwriter Nick Foster gearing up for busy year with album The Glowing Heart
Into the Night marks the first full release from the UK’s The Greasy Slicks
The mysterious Flaunt releases new EP It’s Such A Joke including multiple remixes
Atmospheric EP Shades of Light unveiled by Nadsat (formerly Flashboy)
Modeplex releases 3-track EP Lights along with a pair of remixes
French rock/blues duo Lady Flint release five-track, self-titled EP
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