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.

February marks the 1-year anniversary of when we started doing these music roundup features. We’ve come a long way thanks to the contributions of music staff writers Jennifer and Lux. And I’d be doing a discourtesy if I didn’t thank all of the musicians out there for spreading the news by sharing the articles with followers and fellow bands.

This month we saw and heard a lot of new music coming in from the UK and Canada, but there were artists all over the world making their presence known. Have a listen to our staff picks for February, but be sure to check out all of the highlights from the past month further down. Please keep in mind that some of these releases may be a month (or three) old but only reached our ears in the last few weeks.

Staff Picks

Single(s) of the Month:

“Follow Me” – Illitry

Jennifer

Last month, Illitry’s cover of Scott Ore’s “If I Am Wrong” proved to be an impressive transformation of an already great track with powerful emotion. This month, Illitry pulls at my heartstrings again with their new song, “Follow Me.” The Canadian duo successfully blend electronic beats and rock elements to create an intense and soulful track, with jazzy undertones and smooth harmonies.

“Marshall” – Wonder Villains

Lux

Derry City's anti-pop quartet Wonder Villains are about to release their first full album, Rocky, and this track suggests that they have really hit their stride. With an artfully balanced assemblage of synth, pop-punk guitar, and infectious vocals, the track feels fresh and modern in a way that many pop songs just don't. "Marshall" is currently streaming on Soundcloud, and the music video is available on Youtube. The official release is scheduled for March 24th. Rocky is due on the 23rd of June.

“Neon Sun” – Satellites

Brandon

Honorable mentions go to David Dino White's "Bounce" (linked to later) as well as Jordan Venn and the Slizneys' "Time Machine" with its great Lego-centric music video (link also found later). My pick for the month, though, goes to "Neon Sun" by Satellites. This catchy single will be included on the band's upcoming EP Istedgade, and it includes a visually stunning video directed by Yibi Hu of Moving Image Exchange.

Album(s) of the Month:

Every Which Way But Loose – Her Dark Lions

Lux

Every Which Way But Loose is the debut album from psychedelic folk rock band Her Dark Lions. While the second half – sing-songy spoken word over sparse, ambient instrumentation – is rather heavy on the psychedelia, the tasteful distortion, unobtrusive lyrics, and traditionally pleasant musicality of the meat of the album gives it an accessibility akin to that of Fruit Bats or Fleet Foxes. At times, particularly on "His Bed", Jesse Thorsen's vocals are oddly reminiscent of Alex Turner's wistful croons on tracks like Arctic Monkeys' "No. 1 Party Anthem", while other, more soulful tunes ("Long Road") have a very Blind Melon feel. The full album is currently available on Youtube, and the official release is slated for March 21st.

Flying and the silence – Nheap

Jennifer

Flying and the silence is a beautiful down tempo album from Italian artist, Massimo Discepoli. In 2007, Discepoli began creating music under the moniker, Nheap. This latest release by Nheap is a well-blended mix of jazz, electronic, and post-rock that creates enthralling soundscapes for the listener. With avant-garde and experimental elements, each track invokes images of vivid scenery full of lush and colorful environments. This makes Flying and the silence more of an experience than just a session of listening to an album; it transcends the ordinary with dynamic instrumentation and imaginative composition that is pleasing to both the ears and the mind.

Serve Yourself - Small Engine Repair 

Brandon

Picking a favorite album this month was once again a tough task. Dark Mean's Samuel and the Phoenix and Albino's The Great Unwashed each are worthy of repeated listenings and I recommend hitting their links later in this feature. In the end I chose Small Engine Repair's Serve Yourself. The album meanders between alternative and folk, and each of those genres are represented well in "Serve Yourself" and "Hey, Best Friend", respectively. They also happen to be my two favorite tracks out of the dozen included in the set.

Other Music

Singles:

British electro-indie-pop group Satellite Stories releases new single “Lights Go Low”

Rubberlips releases ‘Twisted Tongue Remix’ of funky disco single “The Traveller”

Multiple remixes created for go nogo’s “And The Devil Too”

London duo Six Years (a side project of Rubicks) record new single “Till Then” for early March release

“Bounce” marks third independent release by Ontario musician David Dino White

Feral Ghost releases voyeuristically-themed single “Secret Eyes”

Manchester electro rock duo High Horses release debut single “In Colour and Grey”

For Esmé produces iPhone-recorded music video for single “250″

Psychedelic rock duo Sonic Kimono releases single “Coffee and Cake” from upcoming album Movers & Shakers

Green Mountain Road Band lets slip sneak release of single “Down The Road” off upcoming EP Gypsy Woman

Solo artist Rory Stewart publishes music video for single “Cadillac” off last year’s solo LP

LA-based Zach Alwin releases debut pop single “Arrived”

Femmepop and Timecop1983 team up again to create new single “Our Time”

Former Big Strides front man Marcus O’Neill releases single “Regrets, Secrets” off upcoming album Way Beyond The Sugar Beet

Metal band Neuronspoiler publish music video for single “Through Hell We March”

Lisbon-based Kilindu releases Latin/World Music fusion single “O Que o Futuro Nos Traz (What the Future Brings)”

Albums/EPs:

Sterling, VA-based punk/grunge band Tideland releases new full length album Lull

Punk/grunge band The Dirty Nil releases 5-track EP Smite

4-track EP Samuel The Phoenix released by Canadian folk trio Dark Mean

Michael and the Wild Roses release American Matador companion album Tango Blues

Washington-based alt-rock band Pastel Motel releases a dozen tracks in new album Subject is Subjective

Canadian musician Jared Lucow self-produces debut album 27 Lost In Heaven

Alt-rock group Jordan Venn and the Slizneys release 12-track album Certified Organic

Singer-songwriter Rachael Kennedy releases CD for The In Between EP

WHOOP-Szo releases double album Qallunaat/Odemin, recorded in the Canadian arctic

Experimental act Black Walls explores the metaphysical in new album Communion

Joel Strauss releases Don’t Lose That Feeling, an 11-track alternative/acoustic LP

London-based urban folk band Albino releases EP The Great Unwashed

Postcode continues its Zebracore stylings with Zebratronic, their third album release

Swiss musician Jaylis releases a dozen tracks in rock/folk album Precious as the Diamonds

UK shoegaze/dreampop band The Virgance unveil debut album Lost Continent

Electronica/dance music artist DAV!D & Clara releases 11-track album Emotion Machine

Benjamin Hughes’ project Night Windows releases three tracks off upcoming alternative album Musicassette/Magnetic Memory

Swamp rock/southern blues band The zzips readies new EP Expect the Worst for late March official release

Toronto-based, acoustic punk band Revisionist releases new EP Coasting

Roladex releases ‘futuristic-mechanized pop’ album Anthems for the Micro-Age

Well that’s it for February. A short month that wasn’t short on music. Hope you enjoyed, and be sure to let us know which artists you enjoyed by leaving a comment!

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.