Here in the states we recently celebrated Thanksgiving. What was I thankful for this year? A couple of quiet days off to catch up on music! We actually had so many musicians contact us in the last couple of weeks that we’ve had to delay their inclusion in our monthly roundup until December’s issue. Grab a set of headphones, pour your warm beverage of choice, and get comfortable. Here we go…

Marcus Singletary – Live on Sunset

November 5th marked the release of LA-based musician Marcus Singletary’s latest album, Live on Sunset. The 7-track set was recorded at LA’s Whisky a Go-Go, a club that’s hosted some classic rock legends going back decades. Singletary’s classic rock and blues stylings are in full force in the live version of Mercury Blues below.

The Foreign Films - Fall of the Summer Heart

By far the longest single we’ve featured on The Indie Mine, Fall of the Summer Heart by The Foreign Films is an eight-part cycle. Filled with strong 60s pop influences, this epic track  took a full year to record and will be part of TFF’s next album, The Record Collector, due out in April of 2014.

Skytown Riot – Soul or System

Earning comparisons to Muse and Coldplay, Knoxville, TN-based Skytown Riot continued to make news this past month. The alt-rock band released their anthemic album Soul or System in mid-November. The album was the culmination of a long process which included rounding out the final lineup of band members back in 2012. The track  “Runaway Princess” has been gaining some notoriety amongst the gaming community for use in fan-made videos, and you can have a listen below.

The Almighty Rhombus – Lucid Living

The Almighty Rhombus makes a return appearance in our music roundup feature having previously caught our attention twice before. This time around the band has released a new album, Lucid Living. Whereas their previous album held a pretty consistent pop sound, this setlist is all over the place with tracks ranging from garage band to psychedelic. When it comes to the band’s sound, I honestly can’t decide if I prefer the high-energy style of songs like “Down South” or the more mellow surf band-ish “Blank”. Check out the album and decide for yourself.

Echotape – “Pushing Your Faith/The Weak”

Formed in the south of the UK in 2010, Echotape is working hard to build on the success of their debut EP, Sky Above Quarley Hill. That brings us to “Pushing Your Faith/The Weak”, the latest AA single from their Hexolagy series.  Check out the alt-rock single below, and keep an eye out for their next release,  “Last King of England”, due out in mid-December.

Forgotten Fix - Disconnect

Forgotten Fix is a very new band, having just formed in Summer 2013. What they may lack in experience, they certainly make up for in drive and efficiency. The synth rock band from Montréal managed to put together a five-track album, Disconnect, in just five days. I’ve included the single “The Problem With Unity” because it has some of the most fun synth work out of the setlist.

Kettū – “Oxytocin”

Otso “Ozoh”  Haavisto is another returning member to our music roundup feature, but this time he’s working under the project name Kettū. His first release under this new project is the glo-fi/chillwave single “Oxytocin”. I really dug his previous work back in April, and that hasn’t changed with this new track. It has that same laid-back, ambient style that I think would fit perfectly on a puzzle game soundtrack.

Ummagma – “Rotation/Live and Let Die”

It’s the month of return guests! Ummagma has been featured on the site a handful of times, and the Ukrainian-Canadian duo is back with a new single containing two tracks, “Rotation” and “Live and Let Die”. Their addictively hypnotic “dreamgaze” sound combines elements of a few different genres including electronic, synth pop, and rock. The single isn’t actually released yet (due out Dec. 9th), but you can have a listen to “Rotation” early.

Clockwork Noise – Whethermachines

While Clockwork Noise released their debut album Whethermachines back in May, it was still a work-in-progress. November saw that project reach its culmination with the release of the final track “The Tourists”. The band likes to experiment with the juxtaposition of opposites, and that’s never more apparent than with the infusion of string instrumentation into the modern, alt-rock “A Wake Up Serenade”.

JproD – “A Million Feelings”

JproD is a rap/hip-hop artist from the New England area.  As with many indie artists, JproD bases his music off of his lifestyle and life experiences while also taking inspiration from different cultures and musical genres. His latest project is entitled “Regal” and he recently released two singles from that project: “Trill Shit, I Really Mean That” and “A Million Feelings”. We’ve included the latter of the two. WARNING: NSFW.

Fronz Arp - deepseabigcitysmallroom

Fronz made our music roundup early in 2013 with the release of his album Fronz Arp is a Tiny Crooked Orchestra. The Australian artist is back with a brand new album, deepseabigycitysmallroom. The 7-track EP captures the essence of his time living in New York aided by the fact that was it was written in, recorded in, and even performed using bits of furniture in an East Harlem apartment. While a little less poppy than his previous release, the new album is still Bowie-esque with a pleasant, folk singer-songwriter style.

Street Cleaner - Street Cleaner

Described as the soundtrack for an 1980s movie that never was, Street Cleaner’s self-titled album tells the story of detective/vigilante Jack Slade trying to clean up the seedy underbelly of San Diego. The 13 tracks exude the guitar riffs and synth sounds that the 80s were known for and fit in perfectly with the action movie and video game soundtracks of that era. While video game composer Jesse Bishop was responsible for writing each of the songs, a number of other musicians also contributed to the album.

Charles Bordeaux – Fables

Fables is the latest EP from NY-based singer/songwriter Charles Bordeaux. Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, this three-track narrative tells a story of gratitude through a farmer and the personification of Time. The album is a mix of electronic, dream pop, shoegaze and other similar genres, and it has a mild psychedelic edge to it. The first track, “Sandman”, has been included for your listening pleasure.

Womb – “Baby Don’t Love Me”

Garage jazz/blues is probably the most apt description for the musical stylings of Womb. While the band was busy touring this summer, they still found the time to put together a debut music video for the single “Baby Don’t Love Me”. The video is of the humorous variety and features the band getting the living hell beat out of them by a spiteful girlfriend.

James Keyes - The Middle

James Keyes is another musician from the New England area, specifically Connecticut. November 23rd marked the release of his third album, the first since mid-2011.  The Middle is a 12-track mélange of blues, rock, folk, and country, and the unifying element is the Waits-esque vocal talent of Keyes himself. At its core it’s a bit of Americana. My favorite track is “The Traveler” which I’ve included because it’s fun and I enjoyed the instrumentation, particularly the bass.

Illitry – “Kingdom Perverted”

As with a number of the other bands, Illitry has previously been featured in our monthly music roundups. The two-piece band from Hamilton, ON is back this month with a new single, “Kingdom Perverted”. The track – with its mix of electronica and organic sounds – is from their debut album which is set to come out early next year.

Invasions – “Rosy”

We actually brought you coverage of “Rosy” in last month’s music roundup. Invasions’ surf rock style is back in a brand new music video for the single. The video features a 60s pool party theme and 8mm recordings.

Unconditional Arms - Kinship

All music serves as a creative outlet, but not all of it tells a story. Kinship by Unconditional Arms was written by musician Jeffrey Wright as a celebration of the birth of his son. It’s a 6-track, fully instrumental album that explores the emotions Wright uncovered during this momentous period of his life. We’ve included the first track, “The Family Tree”, below.

Mindy Gledhill - Pocketful of Poetry

With a successful Pledge Music Campaign, trips from LA to Morocco to Japan, and appearing on a Grammy-nominated album, it’s safe to say that things are going well for musician Mindy Gledhill. September saw the release of her latest album, Pocketful of Poetry. While the songs vary in tone, for the most part the album is a plucky mix of pop and folk.

CalatrilloZ – “Lords of Misery”

While some musical acts are considered performances, the London-based quintet CalatrilloZ takes it up a few levels. They manage to blend metal and prog rock with a flair for opera including costumes, acting, and some serious stage design. The band recently made news by releasing their single “Lords of Misery” which you can listen to below.

Claudio Cataldi – Homing Season

Every month it seems like we’re being introduced to a new subgenre of music, and in November we have Claudio Cataldi to thank for bringing us acid-folk. Cataldi’s musical stylings also incorporate shoegaze, and both can be found within his new album Homing Season. Although the album came out in September, even in November it still manages to capture a bit of the feel of the autumnal season.

Fitness Club Fiasco – “Goldmine” (Jon Lawless remix)

I don’t love all of the music that hits our inbox, but every month there are usually a couple of albums or singles that I put on repeat while working on this website long after putting together this roundup feature. Back in June I included Fitness Club Fiasco’s “Goldmine”, a catchy single that won me over and I still listen to frequently. Jon Lawless of First Rate People took his own stab at the song this month, and you can hear the remix results below.

Ben McKenzie - Stand Down Son

While still performing live with His Broken Bones,  Stand Down Son marks the first solo EP release by Toronto singer-songwriter Ben McKenzie. The six-track setlist is a bit of Springsteen and Petty as it takes a longing, bittersweet look at the past, present, and future.

Shintaro Haioka - Harumi

Electronica musician Shintaro Haioka has followed up his earlier 2013 EP Blowin’ in the Wind with another EP, Harumi. Once again, Haioka draws upon his Japanese background with this six-track set. The artist combines traditional Japanese instrumentation like the koto zither and hyshigi percussion with modern effects and sound processing.

20 Days In - Propagation

Late October saw the release of the third EP from Philly-based 20 Days In. The five-piece band unveiled Propagation, a deviation from the group’s usual hardcore sound. The three tracks included in this EP steer more towards the alternative and progressive sides of rock, but they still retain the aggressive tone the band has become known for.

Mark Martyre - London

We started doing these monthly roundups back in February, and musician Mark Martyre was one of the 11 musical acts that we included in that inaugural edition. London is the latest album to be released by Martyre, following up on the success of last year’s Down, Record. As with Martyre’s previous efforts, London‘s ten tracks showcase his talents as a songwriter and Waits-like vocal style.

 
I would be shocked, absolutely shocked if there’s a reader that didn’t find something they enjoyed in the list above. We really ran the gamut of genres and subgenres this month. There was so much music, in fact, that we’re planning on shaking up the format for these monthly roundups starting with January’s edition (December’s will likely remain the same). Show your support for these wonderful bands by listening to, downloading, and purchasing their music. And don’t forget to leave a comment for us about who you liked.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Our indie music coverage here on The Indie Mine must be getting noticed, because we’re being contacted by a lot more bands and public relations reps than we’re used to. So much so, in fact, that we can’t possibly cover every new album, single, or other news story in fine detail. However, rather than risk missing out on helping you discover something good, we present to our readers this month’s indie music news roundup. As you’ll see, there’s definitely a Canadian theme running below, and the genres are so disparate that I think there’s a little something for everyone. Sit back and have a listen to these great artists.

Old English – Prose & Kahns

Back on February 5th, Ontario-based band Old English released their first album, Prose & Kahns. While most indie bands start off with a small EP, Old English has produced an album containing a whopping 11 tracks, the first of which we’ve included below. Readers who are into brit-rock, shoegaze, electro-pop, or folk will want to give this a listen. The full album can be heard through Bandcamp.

City and The Sea – Action Figures

Late last year we brought our readers news about a post-apocalyptic-themed music video released by City and The Sea. Well, more than two years after their last EP release, this band from Hamilton, Ontario has launched a new EP, Action Figures. The band’s lineup has been retooled since their last album, and we’ve included one of the tracks for your listening pleasure.

Mark Martyre – Down, Record

The Canadian music scene is very much alive and well as evidenced by our third Canadian musical act in a row. Mark Martyre actually released his latest album Down, Record back in September of last year, but we only just found out about it. My first thought upon hearing the album was Tom Waits, and fans of him and the folk genre in general should give the album a listen.

JonnyDebt – Prince of the Golden Horseshoe

This 11-track album from Ontario-based group JonnyDebt actually released right at the start of 2013, but the band’s been hard at work since the release including debuting a music video for the track “Bronze”. The  band strives to bring a lot of energy, and you can get a taste of that in the track below.

Kovak – “Radiate”

Electro-pop band Kovak released their latest single “Radiate” back on February 11th. The UK group from Brighton has drawn comparisons to Blondie, and work on their full debut album is expected to wrap up this spring. Since the release of “Radiate”, they’ve also unveiled a remixed version by producer Youth. You can have a listen to the original below.

Anchor & Bear – Anchor & Bear

Last summer, I had the pleasure of listening to Brian Bringelson’s album Shipwrecked Commotion under the project name Paul Starling. The California-based singer has now formed the duo Anchor & Bear with girlfriend Katy Pearson aka Bearkat. Their folk rock album of the same name released in early February. The playful setlist is as toe-tapping and easy on the ears as anything you’ll listen to this year. Because this is a collaboration, we’ve included tracks featuring each of the artists below.

A*Star – “Flashbulb” and “Black and Blue”

Similar to our last act, A*Star features another musical couple, Perry Pelonero and Kim Welsh. Their self-named genre ‘Arenagaze’ combines indie-rock and dreampop. They’ll be releasing two split 7″ vinyl singles, one in each of the next two months. For now, though, their individual tracks are available to listen to via Bandcamp. We’ve included “Black and Blue” below.

Marie Avery - The Fire

Marie Avery is another Ontario-based musician, and just a few weeks ago released her 5-track album The Fire. The album covers the trials and tribulations of the last four years of Avery’s life. The songs feature the theme of duality, and we’ve included the first track, “Heavy”, to give a sense of what this artist’s music is all about.

Illitry - “Goshen”

Illitry is all about capturing sounds and turning them into music. Their first single “Goshen” was released a few weeks ago, and the Canadian band is currently touring Toronto, Hamilton, and a few other locales. They seem to have a fondness for blending traditional instrumental sound with electronic music, and you can check out their single right here.

The Hotelles – “Movie Reel” and “She Hasn’t Slept For Weeks”

Last December, we brought you news of The Hotelles releasing their new EP Ignore Me. The band is following up that high-energy album with A/B side single “Movie Reel” and “She Hasn’t Slept For Weeks”. The release date is scheduled for March 4th, but the tracks are available to listen to now.

Glass Ampp - Half Empty

We round out our look at February with a new album from Toronto-based Glass Ampp. The 5-track EP Half Empty shows off their reverence for classic rock guitarists and releases March 9th. In the meantime, have a listen to “I Know U Know” off the album.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.