Wonder Villains – “Marshall”

Derry City’s anti-pop quartet Wonder Villains are what modern pop music should hope to be but so often is not – they’re actually fun. Born in a Northern Ireland high school in 2009, they are preparing to release their first full album, Rocky, in June, and the band seems to have really solidified their character. Sprinkled with Mother Mother-esque vocal flourishes, Wonder Villains have all the charm and color of Tilly and the Wall and the no-nonsense lyricism and energy of The Wombats – but they are indisputably one-of-a-kind. Still drifting in the ambiguous grey area between adolescence and adulthood, the group’s sound is mature beyond their years, yet they never once come off as self-indulgent or pretentious.

While it may be common practice for reviewers to grasp at straws for something favorable to say or to over-inflate their sentiments in order to inspire interest in their writing and appease others, it is important to me that I am honest about my opinions and that I give credit only where credit is due. That being said, from the moment Eimear Coyle’s infectious vocals came in over the pumping pop-punk guitar and bright synth, I felt a sneaking suspicion that I had stumbled upon something truly special, and I had no choice but to share it. My impression was validated when, several songs into their discography, my exceptionally discerning boyfriend declared with an almost evangelical enthusiasm, “I love this!” “Marshall” is refreshingly modern, yet it strikes all of the right nostalgia chords that make music stick with you for a long, long time.

“Marshall” is currently available for streaming on Soundcloud, or, for the full experience, have a look at the foursome’s freshly released music video for “Marshall” on Youtube.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

“Accolade” is the energetic debut track from Stickman Cartel.

London-based Stickman Cartel have been hard at work on their upcoming single, “Accolade.” Their debut track features pulsating synth, funky bass, and soulful vocals. Singer Ben Friedman’s conviction is strong in both his vocals and writing with lyrics like, “It’s a drop in your ocean – give me the accolade I deserve.”

But don’t let all of the lyrical venting fool you – “Accolade” is definitely a dance track. It’s fun, catchy, and it’s meant to get your feet moving. The song starts with “Baba O’Riley” style keyboards as the tension mounts, giving way to a burst of energetic beats in the chorus. The band officially considers their style as “indie disco” and it’s a fairly apt description. There are definitely some 70s influences with the guitars, and the drums consistently carry a strong disco cadence.

Stickman Cartel have also been known for translating their dance sound into high energy live performances. For those of you across the pond, the band will be holding a launch party on August 28th at The Waiting Room in London. If you can’t make the show, you can still stream “Accolade” here until its official release on September 2nd.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Family Trees is the charming debut album from Mountaineer!

Mountaineer! is the solo project from California-based artist, Danny Poissant. During the last six months of his senior year at the University of California, Poissant was also toiling away at writing, recording, and mixing his first album, Family Trees. The ten song debut album is pretty ambitious considering Poissant was also busy, you know, finishing his college degree. Although the sound quality is decisively lo-fi (given it was recorded with “crappy instruments” and his laptop microphone) there is a clear amount of thought and effort that went into the entire songwriting process.

On the surface, Family Trees is mostly a lighthearted and quirky album, but it’s also very reflective on the experiences of young adulthood. Musically, the first half of the album is the most childlike and whimsical featuring softer sounds and twinkling xylophone. Tracks like “Cetacea” especially capture the innocence and wonder of childhood. The lyrics, however, tend to stray into the darker end of the spectrum. A strong example of this change is in “Sleepy Ghosts” when Poissant recalls, “You asked me what it’s like to die/I wish I did, but I don’t know/Just bury me, it’s getting cold.”

The album shifts mid-way with “The Rain Song” which has a grittier feel compared to its predecessors. The second half is more mature and exotic with ukulele and Spanish-style acoustic guitar. Vocals tend to take a backseat to the guitar and rolling percussion, but Poissant’s style is very similar to Meric Long of The Dodos. Unfortunately, the vocals are only present in a handful of songs, and it would have been nice to hear more.

Overall, Mountaineer! is an intriguing debut project with a range of styles that makes it more than just lo-fi. There are elements of rock, pop, folk, and even world music that keeps things fresh and interesting.

Family Trees is out now and available as a name your own price download from Bandcamp.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.