They say records are made to be broken. Well, September was bursting at the seams with new music and that’s evident by the fact that we included a whopping 17 bands in our latest music news roundup. Electronic music made a strong resurgence after disappearing a bit for the last few months. Alternative, rock, soul, pop, and more can also be found in this month’s inclusions. Grab a drink and a set of headphones then sit back and listen to the music of September 2013.

Ions in the Ether – (Un)titled

Adam Joseph White starts off our coverage this month with the release of his 4-track EP (Un)titled. Working under the pseudonym Ions in the Ether, White has had a very busy year in the electronic music scene. This EP is one of a handful produced just this summer alone. I’m not a huge aficionado of electronica, but I was fondly reminded of Jim Guthrie’s Sword & Sorcery soundtrack.  Have a listen to White’s synth stylings below.

Future History – Lungs

What’s creepier than little kids? Little kids in creepy animal masks playing around old haunted cabins. That’s just a glimpse into what can be found in the music video for Future History’s single “With Haste”. That track is part of the band’s album Lungs, slated to come out this October.

Dúo del Sol – hello Kaleidoscope

Javier Orman and Tom Farrell make up the duo of Dúo del Sol, though the classical musicians are accompanied  by a number of other talented artists on their latest release, hello Kaleidoscope. The 11-track album has latin and jazz elements though it’s really music of the world at large. I particularly enjoyed the high-energy “Cualquiera”, though the first track – “Never the Same River Twice” – is quite simply a beautiful song.

The Almighty Rhombus – “Blank”

The Almighty Rhombus makes their triumphant return to our music news roundup, last appearing in March’s edition. This time around the band has released a new single, “Blank”, which is one of the tracks off of their upcoming album Lucid Living. While the album’s not slated to come out until the end of October, readers/listeners can check out “Blank” and its Summery feel below or via the associated music video.

Crashing Colors – Crashing Colors

It’s been an adventurous Summer for Crashing Colors. The Houston-based band recently moved shop to London just a few months after releasing their self-titled album. The 6-track EP features the band’s delightfully eclectic mix of soul, blues, rock, electronic, and other musical genres. Have a listen and try to pick out your own favorite elements.

Max Bergé – Fox’s Wedding Weather

Electronic singer-songwriter Max Bergé makes it onto this month’s list with his latest EP, Fox’s Wedding Weather. The 5-track electronic EP is emphasized by driving synth and bass, but it’s Bergé’s vocals that take center stage on each of the tracks. Check out the video below that includes samples of each of the tracks along with some behind-the-scenes insight into the artist’s creative process.

Trevor and The Joneses – There Was Lightning

Pounding drums, driving bass, wailing guitar, and of course vocals make Trevor and The Joneses the very definition of a rock band. Their 10-track album There Was Lightning released back in May, but only recently came to our attention. I always say better late than never, so have a listen and enjoy.

Postcode – The ZebrATP

Last month we came across our first band based on Isle of Man, Post War Stories. September brings us Postcode and their 7-track album The ZebrATP. The alt-rock/’zebracore’ album was inspired by the band’s recent visits to the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival and also led to a music video for final track “Goodbye Minehead”.

For Esmé – “Cinque Terre”

We covered For Esmé back in our July Roundup for their self-titled debut album. The band is back with their first music video, this time for single “Cinque Terre”. Fall weather may be approaching, but the video extends the outdoor season with a Summery feel. Have a look and a listen.

SPC ECO – “Fallen Stars”

Staff music writer Jennifer reviewed SPC ECO’s previous release – “Delusional Waste” - a couple of months ago, but the duo is back with another single, “Fallen Stars”. This epic track hits you with layers of music coming from all directions. As with the previous single, this track is a part of the band’s upcoming album Sirens and Satellites, due out in late October.

Running Red Lights – “Mulberry Love”

Running Red Lights has been together quite a long time. Seven years in fact. Despite that longevity, “Mulberry Love” marks the band’s first release. The catchy alt-rock/pop track will be part of RRL’s debut album, tentatively due out in January. In the meantime, have a listen below.

Action Cube – The Bits Detective

Action Cube is a project from Chicago-based musician Robert Carey. Carey has played in a handful of area bands including Jesus and the Devil as well as Battlestations. The Bits Detective is Carey’s first album since going solo. It’s also the byproduct of a laptop and bedroom recording studio which creates the album’s lo-fi electronic/rock sound. Carey humorously comments that “broken guitars, borrowed microphones, cheap effects and general ignorance informed the entire process.” My favorite track on the album is “Like The Young” which I’ve included here.

Kojo ‘Easy’ Damptey – Daylight Robbery

It’s been over a year since the last time Kojo Damptey made an appearance on The Indie Mine. At long last Damptey returns with the 10-track EP Daylight Robbery. As with the artist’s previous efforts, this new album has a strong focus on issues that affect the world at large. The Ghana-born musician keeps his finger on the pulse of hot-button issues like racial injustice, but also incorporates brighter subjects like love. The album as a whole has hip hop, soul, and reggae influences, while also including spoken word tracks like “Are We Minorities?”.

Sun Stone Revolvers – Spaceship X

Old is new again with Sun Stone Revolvers. Often drawing comparisons to classic rock mainstays, Sun Stone Revolvers released their latest album Spaceship X in mid-September. With a total of 10 tracks, SSR manages to put a bit of a psychedelic spin on the genre. The band also has a music video for the single “America”. Included below is the title track, though I actually enjoyed “Born Again” the most.

Erland – On Our Side

Erland is an alternative/folk/americana ensemble from Santa Barbara, California. Earlier this year, the band was able to get their debut album On Our Side crowdfunded and released. The album features a dozen tracks which the band performs in a style that’s drawn comparisons to well-known musical acts like Wilco.

Kloq – “High”

Classifying their musical genre as ‘punktronic’, Kloq has reinvented themselves with their recent work. The solo project evolved by adding lead vocalist Dean Goodwin, drummer Alex Baker, and bassist Tim Jackson to band founder Oz Morsley. The band has released a music video for single “High” and are set to launch a new album in mid-October.

Pete Van Dyk & the Second Hand Band – “Shake Me”/”Plan B”

Pete Van Dyk & the Second Hand Band are another set of veterans in our music roundup series having previously made the list in May. The band is back with their first 7″ record which contains songs “Shake Me”, “Plan B”, and bonus track “To the Night”. For those unfamiliar with the band, they have a magically southern rock sound despite hailing from Hamilton, ON. Don’t believe me? Have a listen.

That’s it for September. I warned you there was a lot of music, but hopefully you found some favorites. Feel free to share those with us. If there’s a band or genre you’d like to see covered in greater depth, let us know about that too. See you all next month.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Intensity and beauty collide with SPC ECO’s newest single, “Delusional Waste.”

SPC ECO (pronounced Space Echo) is comprised of Rose Berlin (vocals, lyrics) and Dean Garcia (formerly of Curve on bass, drums, keyboards, programming). Berlin and Garcia have been churning out a mix of electronic and shoegaze tracks together since 2008, and recently the duo released their latest single, “Delusional Waste.”

“Delusional Waste” is sublimely ethereal with delicate vocals that surprise you with the bold declaration, “You’re a f*cking waste of space.” Despite some intense lyrics from Berlin, the track has plenty of catchy synthpop melodies and club-worthy rhythms. Garcia’s experience and Berlin’s raw, beautiful approach to songwriting blend well to create an eclectic summertime track with both depth and pop sensibilities.

There are also five other remixes of the track, including a house mix from Lady Barcelona and a more dark, industrial version by PigGYfUck. You can now download “Delusional Waste” along with an extended album mix and the other remixes at their Bandcamp page.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

With 16 bands and solo acts, June’s music roundup was an epic month for us here at The Indie Mine. Or so we thought. July brought us 17 artists including a handful who’ve graced these articles before. Folk was as prevalent as ever, but “swamp rock” and hip hop emerged as popular genres. Our neighbors to the north (Canada) provided ample representation, but we had a number of artists from across the global make an appearance. So, once again there’s a bit of something for everyone. Grab your headphones and have a listen while we walk you through the music we discovered in July 2013.

The Coppertone – “Young Blood”

Amanda Zelina – better known as The Coppertone – has taken an interesting path towards indie status. After signing a record contract a few years ago, she wanted to break free and take back ownership of her own songs. That effort produced “Young Blood”, a single to help celebrate an indiegogo campaign to take back her creative works. That campaign would prove a success, and you can check out the song below or the lyric video.

For Esmé - For Esmé

It’s not often new artists hit all the right notes in their debut album, but songwriter Martha Meredith manages to do so under the project For Esmé. Staff music writer Jennifer Roger reviewed the album saying “there are definitely a few fun and whimsical moments, but by and large the album is a sophisticated one”. The inspirations for Meredith’s work include Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor, and Emily Haines, and you can have a listen below. 

Explorers - No Inertia

We took some liberties with the inclusion of Explorers and their album No Inertia. The band actually released the 6-track set more than a year ago, but this is the first time we’ve come across them so they’re new to us! Their indie progressive rock sound takes its inspiration from Blink-182 to Led Zeppelin and I particularly enjoyed “Bear”. Ignore the album name and artwork (I had to share an outdated Bandcamp widget) and have a listen to the full set while awaiting the band’s second album that will be released “soon”.

Flamingo Bay – “Serpentine”

It wouldn’t be an Indie Mine Music Roundup if we didn’t manage to stumble across yet another talented band that’s set up shop in Hamilton, Ontario. The trio of Flamingo Bay have released a two-song single named “Serpentine”. The tracks feature a lively, entertaining “northern swamp rock” sound. The band is currently working on their debut album Loco Pony and these two songs will be part of that release in autumn of this year. In the meantime, you can have a look and take a listen to their new video.

SPC ECO – “Delusional Waste”

The band SPC ECO (pronounced SPACE ECHO) has an interesting backstory. The band is a father-daughter duo with Rose Berlin handling vocals and lyrics and Dean Garcia handling the instrumental work along with the engineering and producing. They’ve been releasing albums for about five ears now and the most recent, Push, was covered by a number of different radio and internet outlets. Their latest single, “Delusional Waste” features a synth-pop sound, but with a heavy focus on Berlin’s vocals. It’s the first track off their next album, slated for release later this year. The music video for “Delusional Waste” can be found here.

Mega Ran – Japan Tour

This isn’t our first time discussing Mega Ran on The Indie Mine, but it’s the first time he’s been included in a music article. Confused? Back in mid-2012, the nerdcore rapper partnered with Lunar Giant Studios to create Mega Ran in Language Arts: The Game. The Mega Man superfan made news again this past month with a Kickstarter campaign for a chip-hop remix tour in Japan. With the following he has, it’s no surprise the campaign was successful. Even if you’re not a fan of rap music, the Mega Ran Japan Tour album’s still likely to appeal to classic gaming fans.

The Dirty Nil – Summer Mixtape Vol. 2: Covers

The Dirty Nil has released its second mixtape this Summer, and this compilation is all covers. Featuring songs from an eclectic mix of artists like Iggy Pop and Merle Haggard, the four-track rock album manages to highlight the destructive sound and theme of the band. Hit the music video and make sure to crank the volume up for full effect.

The Box Tiger - Set Fire

Big things are happening this August for The Box Tiger. The indie rock band based out of both Toronto and Portland, ME has  been together for nearly four years, but the lineup has seen multiple changes. However, August 6th will see the culmination of their hard work with release of their debut album, Set Fire. Featuring the lead vocals of Sonia Sturino and instrumental work of bandmates Jordan Stowell and Marcus Cipparrone (Ben Tran would join later and did do the album art), have a listen to a few of the tracks from the 10-song album.

Mountaineer! – Family Trees

Mountaineer! also makes their album debut this month with the release of Family Trees. Mountaineer! is the solo project from California-based Danny Poissant. In Jennifer’s review, she deemed it “mostly a lighthearted and quirky album, but it’s also very reflective on the experiences of young adulthood”. Rock, pop, folk, and world music all make an appearance in the eclectic mix of ten tracks.

The Hotelles – Show You Around

We’re actually pretty familiar with The Hotelles’ work having covered them multiple times including back in February’s Music Roundup. The British rock trio is back with another EP titled Show You Around. I’m consistently surprised by the sound coming from these guys considering their young age, but they’ve continued to improve with each new release. This three-track set continues that trajectory.

David & Clara – “Don’t You Want To Be Famous”

David & Clara makes a return trip to our music roundup having been included in May’s edition. “Don’t You Want To Be Famous” is the latest single from the human/laptop duo. The latest track continues the band’s trademark combination of David’s vocals and backup music/effects from “Clara”. If you happen to live in the Tempe, AZ area, you can catch David & Clara at the city’s Center for the Arts on their open mic nights which will pick up again in September.

Latka – My Bright Heart

Latka makes their first appearance on The Indie Mine. Members of the four-piece band from Winnipeg, Manitoba have been together for years and released multiple EPs. However, July 6th marked the release of the full band’s debut album, My Bright Heart. The eight tracks of pop rock – and a sprinkle of punk – buzz with a variety of instrumentation (violin!) backing up the vocals.

Alex Leggett – Captain

Folk/pop artist Alex Leggett hails from Gananoque, ON and makes the music roundup with his most recent album, Captain. The five-track set of songs features the singer/songwriters’ strong vocal talents which are accompanied by an often uptempo combination of acoustic guitar, double bass, and percussion. I’ve included title track “Captain” below, but the toe-tapping “Wicked Things” is my personal favorite song off the album. Have a listen and find your own favorite.

Bonzie - Rift Into The Secret Of Things

Chicago-based Nina Ferraro, aka Bonzie, is one of the youngest musicians to make our list this month. That youth belies what she’s accomplished in her young career having opened for Iron and Wine and performed at Summerfest 2013. August 13th marks the launch of her debut album, Rift Into The Secret of Things. You can check out the music video for “Felix” which features a male harmony part by The Milk Carton Kids’ Joey Ryan, or have a listen to the track below.

The Woodwards – “The Wood”

The Woodwards are back! It was just last month that we highlighted their folk noir single “Nothing”. Much like “Nothing”, “The Wood” is all about Peter Schuyff’s vocals and the entertaining lyrics in general. This track, though, features a stronger blues sound thanks to the guitar and bass work. It’s also part of The Woodwards II, the next album from the group which is due out in late October.

Nate “Suave” Cameron – “No Justice No Peace”

Another returning musician from last month’s roundup is Nate “Suave” Cameron. Suave has returned with “No Justice No Peace”, a single made from the artist’s internal reflection on the Trayvon Martin case and trial. Once again accompanied by collaborator Prospek, and with the help of DC hip hop artist Kam Royal, Suave shares a story about trust, oppression, and freedom. In an effort to share a song that’s so close to his heart, Suave has made the song available to download for free.

Trash The Brand - Trash The Brand

With so many different genres covered, surely there must’ve been something that tickled your eardrums. Have any favorites from the list above? Any other lesser known or indie bands that caught your attention in July? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We’ll see you back here next month.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.