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.

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.