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

Jennifer

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

Lux

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

Brandon

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

Lux

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

Jennifer

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 

Brandon

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

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

For many people, December is the heart of the holiday season. However, that doesn’t mean that the only music to listen to is about jingling bells and a fat guy in a red suit. There were plenty of bands releasing new albums, singles, music videos or otherwise making news.  Have a look at a few noteworthy releases that we came across during the past month.

Future History – Lungs

Recorded in the backwoods of Ontario, CA, Future History’s Lungs is a channeling of the changing of seasons. Following the success of last year’s Loss:/self, the four-member band released this latest album in late November. Eight tracks of alt rock goodness await those who listen. You can also check out the music video for single “Without (You)” here.

Nate “Suave” Cameron – “Let Me Dream”

Suave makes another return visit to our music roundup feature, most recently being featured back in July’s edition. As with previous releases, “Let Me Dream” is a team-up with New Orleans-based producer Prospek. Suave continues his message of making the world a better place, this time by encouraging listeners to ascend above the problems of their individual worlds. The single features the vocal stylings of Suave along with Prospek, Coco Dank, and Chuck (of Private Pile) manning the instrumentation.

Christine Leakey – “My Heart Has Been Broken By One Unfit To Name”

Although December is typically associated with a different set of holidays, Christine Leakey’s latest offering “My Heart Has Been Broken By One Unfit To Name” conjures up a mood more associated with Halloween. This makes sense considering it was released at the end of October. The single is laced with creepy sounds and vocals, though it maintains a bit of a jazz feel. Have a listen below, and you can also check out the music video here.

go nogo – Things Ain’t Right

go nogo is the musical brainchild of Markus “Fred” Scholl and guitarist Eric Scheimer. In December the duo released their EP Things Ain’t Right, but it’s not your typical compilation. The six tracks include the single “Things Ain’t Right” along with five interesting remixes that vary widely in how much they deviate from the original.

Abstraction – Do This Justice

Do This Justice sprang from the creative whirlwind that was this past November’s NaSoAlMo competition. Musicians like Abstraction were challenged with creating an entire album within the span of one calendar month. What emerged from that was a set of nine tracks which include everything from synth punk to spoken word. We’ve included the first track, “Got My Game”, but I’d recommend listening to the whole album since it’s so diverse.

Go Life – “I’m Not Really Here”/”Waves”

Earlier in December staff editor Jennifer reviewed two new singles from UK musician Rhys Viney who is working under the name Go Life. “I’m Not Really Here” and “Waves” both feature prominent synth sound, but whereas the former mixes in some chillwave, the latter includes underlying surf guitar. Check out the full review here.

YUCA - Rebuilding the Fallen Empire

Langley, Canada-based YUCA are no strangers to the indie music scene. In fact, the band has been rocking for a solid five years now. In October the band released their latest album, Rebuilding the Fallen Empire. Their sound reminds me most of Muse, though you can pick out a few other bands like U2 (especially in the vocals) in their influences.

Illitry – “Kingdom Perverted”

Last month we brought you news of Illitry’s latest single, “Kingdom Perverted”. Well, the band’s back again this month. After spending some quality time in an old textile mill, the group has released of a new music video for the song which you can check out below.

STACEY - Stacey

Stacey is the self-titled debut EP from musician STACEY. The five-song set contains motifs of longing, regret, and unrequited love, with STACEY’s vocals leading the way over a piano backdrop. The album released in early December and interestingly enough is available for sale on specially-designed USB cards.

Dugout – On Our Own

We’ve discovered a number of new bands thanks to the folks at Painted Ox Records. In December they brought us news about Dugout, a Pennsylvania-based punk band.  The group released their EP On Our Own back in June, but recently created a music video for one of the tracks, “Towamencin”. Check out the video then have a listen to the EP’s intro, “H.B.D.”.

Various Artists - Tinsel Machine

The holiday season is drawing to a close, but if you haven’t had your fill of the music, then Tinsel Machine might just be the album you’re looking for. The album contains 17 tracks from various artists under the Small Bear Records label including Postcode whom we’ve previously covered. The songs aren’t the typical Christmas fare you’d hear over the radio, so it does offer some nice variety if you’re tired of the same old, same old.

Velvet Ants - Solt Olio

Velvet Ants might be one of the longest-tenured bands we’ve featured in our music roundup series, but the band’s seen some big transformations recently. At one point lead man Ian Margolycz was the only one working on their latest project. Eventually producer Jordon Zadorozny signed up along with musicians Erik Sakmar, Dave Dunham, and Robert Vazquez. What they created together is Solt Olio, an alt. rock/nu wave album with a dozen entertaining tracks.

Steffan Rundquist - Steffan Rundquist

Steffan Rundquist is making his Indie Mine debut with the acoustic album bearing his name. The Swedish-born musician has put together a set of six tracks featuring elements of ska and reggae. Each song is a part of Rundquist’s personal story and showcase his new age lifestyle and spiritualism.

Femmepop – “Timescapes”

“Timescapes” is a collaboration between UK artist Margaret O’Sullivan (aka Femmepop) and Timecop1983. It also marks the third time this year she’s released a new single. While Femmepop handled the vocals and lyrics, Timecop1983 handled the music. What they’ve produced together is a single loaded with an 80s pop feel. We’ve got a full review in the works so check back soon.

Lojah - Pub Songs on Palafox

Pub Songs on Palafox is the low-fi EP from Jay Moody aka Lojah. While the four songs heavily embody Lojah’s Irish heritage, there are also Caribbean and world music influences to be heard. The EP is currently available as a free download for the holiday season, and we’ve included it in its entirety below.

Various Artists - Pluviôse

Pluviôse marks the 2nd album included in this month’s music roundup that consists of the works of a variety of musicians. In this case, the nine tracks all come from bands under the Seashell Records label. The musicians come from all around the world, and their sounds consist of a mix of dream pop, folk, and shoegaze. We’ve included the first track below, but I recommend listening to the whole album since it’s not just one artist.

Leptus - From My Kirkbride Cubicle

Mid-December saw the release of Leptus’ latest album, From My Kirkbride Cubicle. The Massachusetts-based act has combined elements of punk and alt rock to create 13 tracks with a low-key, ambient feel. The band is a bit of a mystery to me, but this appears to be its first album in in more than half a decade.

Malka – “Mirame”/”Mientras se Respira”

Malka is a bit of an interesting story. We’ve covered a lot of bands that fall under the shoegaze and/or dream pop genres, but Malka is the first that sings entirely in Spanish. The group is based in New York City, and they recently debuted two new singles: “Mirame” and “Mientras se Respira”.

The Almighty Rhombus – “House Burns Down”

The Almighty Rhombus returns to our music roundup for the fourth time in 2013. Last month saw the release of their album Lucid Living, and the band has since created a music video for “House Burns Down” featuring a pretty entertaining barroom brawl.

LOVETAX - LOVETAX

Back in September,  Jennifer reviewed Try Solitude, the solo album from musician Jeff Tomassen. Jeff is back again but under a side project by the name of LOVETAX. The album of the same name was released on December 1st and includes five tracks with a mix of chillwave, dream pop, and other styles. The opening track “Our Neurosis” has been included for your groovy, ambient listening pleasure.

Unconditional Arms – “No Nerves”

Last month we included Unconditional Arms for the release of the album Kinship. Musician Jeffrey Wright is back already with a new single, “No Nerves”. Whereas Kinship was written to celebrate the birth of his son, this new instrumental rock track was put out for two of his friends that were recently engaged.

Green Mountain Road Band - Lend A Hand

I debated whether to include Lend A Hand in this month’s music roundup. While the Green Mountain Road Band hasn’t officially released the six-track EP yet, they have posted half of the songs off of it with the others just days away from joining them. Despite hailing from the great, white north (aka Canada), the band puts a nice blend of southern rock and blues into their work. Have a listen.

 
Well, that’s the end of 2013. As you start 2014, make a resolution to open yourself up to experiencing more new music. Checking out our monthly music roundup is a good place to start. Make sure you come back for January’s edition. We’re planning some exciting changes to the format, and we’ll hopefully be able to pull that together by the end of the month. Thanks for visiting, and if you feel so inclined, leave a comment about what music YOU enjoyed.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.