There’s a special joy in pulling together this monthly feature and going over all of the emails and music submissions. One of the best parts is seeing up-and-coming musicians continue to produce music month after month and year after year. June’s Music Roundup includes a number of musicians that have been featured here before. For some, it’s their third or fourth trip back. That being said, there’s also a number of great new artists making their debut appearance on The Indie Mine.

In all, this was our biggest month ever for music. We hope you’ll take the time to check out our Staff Picks and all of the other deserving bands included a little further down. Let us know what your Song of Summer is by leaving a comment. Happy listening!

Staff Picks

Single(s) of the Month:

“Help Yourself” – Go Life

Jennifer

Go Life has returned with a brand new single just in time for the summer. \“Help Yourself\” is a relaxing, down-tempo track that features mellow electronic drum beats and dreamy vocals. In just a few months, Rhys Viney’s presence as a solo artist has grown exponentially, delivering a rich listening experiencing for fans of chillwave and dream pop..

“What the French Call ‘Les Incompétents’” - Waterbodies

Lux

Ontario garage rock trio Waterbodies put out a fresh track this month, \“What the French Call 'Les Incompétents'", whose name is a homage to the 90's classic Home Alone. Despite the somewhat trite lyricism, the single has a great balance of pumping bass and distortion, reminiscent of Favourite Worst Nightmare-era Arctic Monkeys, and The Wombats-style \“woo woos\”. Give it a listen on Soundcloud or Bandcamp.

“Hades” – Fitness Club Fiasco

Brandon

Picking a favorite single this month was an arduous task. A number of musicians made return trips to the Music Roundup with worthy releases. Honorable mentions go out to Jonny Debt and Kings of Lowertown, but my pick this month is "Hades" by Toronto-based Fitness Club Fiasco. Last June, the band produced one of my favorite tracks of 2013 in "Goldmine", and "Hades" marks the 2nd release from their upcoming album. While the new song employs the underlying synthpop sound and generous use of harmonies that have become the band's signature style, "Hades" marks a departure in tone, moving from a high energy arrangement to a low-key feel. I'm eager to hear what FCF has up their sleeve next.

Album(s) of the Month:

Rocky - Wonder Villains

Lux

Derry City party-pop quartet Wonder Villains released their first full-length record, Rocky, on the 23rd, whose track list features my pick for single of the month back in February, \“Marshall\”, along with an almost definitive catalog of their previously released hits, including \“TV\”, \“33\”, and \“Zola\”. The central part of the album encompasses the extent of their new material, which is unfortunately weak, but passable, in comparison. The new songs, including \“Fiction\”, a sad, sparkling, Imogen Heap-like slow jam, diverge from their typically energetic, upbeat fare and take a turn towards melancholy. Despite the piecemeal nature of the album, Rocky is standout for June and certainly deserves a listen or two (or twelve), particularly if you're unfamiliar with Wonder Villains' previous releases. Rocky is available for purchase on iTunes or Amazon.

EP 1 – Gdansk

Jennifer

Gdansk’s EP 1 is a polished mix of the ethereal and deep. The Toronto quartet blends dark and brooding elements with beautiful melodies that create a haunting atmosphere. The opening track, \“Mariner’s Cross\” sets the tone with a slow and deliberate drum beat, balanced by the gentle melodies and soothing vocals. As the EP progresses, there is a noticeable increase in intensity, particularly with \“Babel\”. EP 1 closes with \“Live Away\” which is both heartfelt and uplifting, bringing the entire EP full circle..

Mary – Ivory Hours

Brandon

Ivory Hours' 6-track EP Mary is a bit of a strange animal. By and large, the alt pop group maintains a catchy, upbeat sound throughout the setlist.  However, many of the songs include themes of loss and sadness. It's an interesting juxtaposition and just one reason I selected the EP as my staff pick for the month. Lovely harmonies featuring vocalists Luke and Annie Roes pervade each of the tracks. The instrumental work shines as well. I particularly enjoyed the bass line on "Young Blood" and the opening guitar licks of "The Attic". It all spells a successful release for the talented musicians from London, Ontario.

Other Music

Singles:

By Definition releases rock/metal single “Warrior” off album The Concerns of Moral Man

Single “Salo” marks the debut of Paul Nicholson’s new pop, piano-led act Oxford Style

2-piece grunge/punk band MAD ONES release “Leather Rug“, lead single off upcoming LP Sanciety

Soulful indie pop act Wayne William releases new single “Don’t Fade Away” from upcoming album The Parade

Canadian rocker Jonny Debt releases “Purple Heart“, s single seven years in the making

Kings of Lowertown record gritty new single “Blues Haul” in an Ottawa Valley farmhouse

Metal bands Wolvhammer and Krieg release 7″ split

Kye Alfred Hillig creates “Licorice the Dog” demo during sprint tour

Seattle-based troubadour Daniel G. Harmann records live version of single “Foreverever”

With a music video banned in Turkey, The Shanks release single “German Heavy Metal Girl”

Terracotta Blue continues his series of Purple Summer singles with “Last Night”

Albums/EPs:

Indie pop duo Six Years readies release of new album Rivers

Four-piece, all girl, blues rock band Rouge releases four-track EP Edge of the Bed

Edinburgh’s Wozniak releases shoegaze/post-punk EP Pikes Peak

Manufactured Consent marks third release from London-based septet State of Play

Disco visionary Rayko releases 10-track album Rebirth

High energy pop rock band Tokyo Taboo release new EP Porno Star

Canadian musician riot nrrd releases 14-track song-cycle settle

Shoegaze/rock/pop artists Ceremony release new EP Birds

New England brother duo The Cautious Arc release self-titled debut album

Dance music veteran Bobmo releases club/acid techno album New Dawn

After multiple single releases in 2014, 5j Barrow releases From the Dim, Sweet Light

Psychedelic rock band The Eye Jabs release new modern garage rock album Songs From the Fourth Dimension

House music specialist Tunnelvision follows up first EP of 2014 with first full album, Sky Swallower

Brooklyn-based, multi-instrumentalist Jon Autry releases full length album Beautifully Broken

KLANGLIEBE veteran Klangschwester releases new EP Keep Loving Me as part of duo Go Astray

West Palm Beach alt rock band The Drip Effect releases album Dinosaur

Music veterans combine to form Royal Tusk and release new six-song EP Mountain

Canadian grunge/punk band CHAMPION LOVER release self-titled LP

Electric dance artist Airsouth releases EP Deep Space Bird featuring vocalist Elegy Parks

Blurred City Lights follows up 2013′s EP Neon Glow with full length album Anamorphic

Indie pop artists The Mothers are set to release their debut, self-titled album

Singer-songwriter solo artist Jacob Caporali releases indie alt rock album Running From My Shadow

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Another month has come and gone and that means it’s time once again to sit back and reflect on the music that’s touched our lives. Okay, that might be going a bit too far. We really did come across a number of bands that caught our eye (or at least our ears). I encourage all of our readers to listen to the full list of musicians. You might just find something that surprises you.

Ummagma – “Lama” remix

The Canadian-Ukrainian duo of Shauna McLarnon and Alexx Kretov has been busy since releasing two digital LPs in July 2012. Their latest project is a remix of their single “Lama” from their Antigravity album. The remix is done by Jane Woodman – a shoegaze/darkwave musician from San Francisco – and features a slightly darker spin on the dreampop-infused original version. Both of Ummagma’s albums - Ummagma and Antigravity - are available in their entirety (for free!) through their Bandcamp site, and we’ve included the “Lama” remix below.

Sam English - Dungeon Hearts OST

It’s a special treat when we can cover video game music composers on the site because it combines two of our areas of interest. Enter Sam English, the composer behind the soundtrack for Dungeon Hearts, a recently-released multi-platform game that combines match-3 mechanics with RPG staples. This is the kind of sound I’d love to hear in a new Zelda game, and you can judge for yourself by listening to the track below or by checking out the full album.

Fronz Arp – Fronz Arp is a Tiny Crooked Orchestra

It’s easy to figure out where the David Bowie comparisons come from after hearing just a few notes from Fronz Arp. The poppy sound and catchy beats certainly bring to mind one of Britain’s finest. The album Fronz Arp is a Tiny Crooked Orchestra has a unique name, but it also has an interesting backstory. The album was released one song at a time, with each track debuting two weeks after the previous one. All told, 27 tracks were released over two volumes, and you can listen to the first album below.

Amber Edgar – Honey & Sorrow

Last month we highlighted a number of talented solo musicians from the great white north (Canada), and we have another here in the form of Amber Edgar. Edgar released the album Honey & Sorrow in early March. Though only two tracks, listeners get a chance to hear this artist speed things up and slow things down as she delivers a little slice of life about the troubles that follow us all. Although the first track shares the album’s name, I really enjoyed the second track more and included it below. Have a listen to Edgar pour her heart out in “Troubles”.

Blurred City Lights – Neon Glow

The creative process ebbs and flows with artists. Sometimes developing a concept can take a lifetime. In the case of Blurred City Lights it took 10 days for Dean Garcia and Jarek Leskiewicz to release their debut EP Neon Glow. Even more interesting is that the 5-track album was created via email and file sharing. Amazing! The highlight of the album for me is “Circles” which rightly earns comparisons to a little band called Pink Floyd. BCL is also offering “Symbiotic Anxiety Attacks (Feels So High Mix Feat Rose Berlin)” as a free download.

Navy Skies – Cut My Teeth

Like Blurred City Lights, Navy Skies has gone with a different approach in creating their latest album, Cut My Teeth. Rather than creating their sound through the typical highly-filtered studio production process, this 2-track album captures the band’s energy in a more raw, realistic approach. In fact, everything but the vocals was recorded live off the floor. Of the two tracks, I preferred “Ontario Winds”. Perhaps that’s because of its comparable sound to that of the Foo Fighters, one of my favorite mainstream alt-rock bands. You can check out both tracks in the player below.

The Almighty Rhombus – The Almighty Rhombus

I love bands with personality. After being introduced to The Almighty Rhombus as a ‘supergroup’ from Greater Sudbury (Ontario, Canada), I of course had to see what they were all about. Their recently-released self-titled album contains five tracks with a poppy, upbeat sound. I can see why they play to packed bars as their music is conducive to dancing and having a few pints. After years of listening to Boston, I’m still tickled by any band that includes a distinctive organ sound which The Almighty Rhombus does here to great effect. Although I enjoyed the entire album, I couldn’t pick a favorite track. Have a listen to the full album and see if you can decide.

Dallas David - Benson

Coming to us from the hotbed of indie culture that’s Portland, Oregon is Dallas David. In mid-March, David released his 13-track album Benson. I don’t think there’s an artist in this list that shows more diversity than David. In fact, I can’t even properly categorize the artist’s genre. It’s a mix of acoustic rock, funk, pop, and R&B, and when combined with David’s vocals the closest sound it brings to my mind is Prince. I love the mix of electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and synthesizers, and it’s hard not to smile at tracks like “The Biscuit Works”, “Salmon Fillet”, and “Kittens”. It’s not just the titles as many of the songs are full of humorous lyrics and subject matter. It’s not quite as outlandish as The Lonely Island, but some of these songs are downright funny. Have a listen to David’s songwriting talent.

Doug MacDonald – ReORGANized Quartet

Our last entry in this month’s roundup is Doug MacDonald and his recent album ReORGANized Quartet. The L.A.-area jazz guitarist reestablishes the vibe he created back in 1997′s Organ-izing, and includes musicians Clarence Webb, Bobby Pierce, Rodger Neumann, and Harold Acey. The organ might not be the first instrument that comes to mind when one thinks of jazz, but I really dig the sound when combined with Webb’s tenor saxophone. If you’re a fan of the genre, this is a great album to check out. Unfortunately we weren’t able to include any of the tracks in this article, but you can preview the full album here.

Do you have any favorites in the list above? Were there any artists you were exposed to in March that you’d care to share with us? We love discussing all things indie music, so leave a comment below.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.