This is the thread where I champion relatively unheard of bands new albums that aren't really on any radar instead of creating a thread for them that no one really replies to. I won't be talking about the Patrick Wolf or Nick Caves of the world or even the Vampire Weekends and Fleet Foxes that get alot of hype from just around the internet in general. Though I may make exceptions for releases I feel are particularly fantastic and not that hyped around here but deserve more attention.

Headlights "Some Racing, Some Stopping"
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...headlights.jpg
Label: Polyvinyl
Genre: Dream-Pop
For fans of: Earlimart, Grandaddy, Grand Archives

They're nothing groundbreaking or original but it is quality indie-pop and the slightly folk edge it has makes it more unique than other hyped acts doing a similar sort of thing. It kind of reminds me of a more melodic and dreamy Death Cab for Cutie but with a male/female duet to put in a very mainstream context.

MySpace.com - Headlights - CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS - Indie / Pop / Rock - www.myspace.com/headlights



Evangelicals "The Evening Descends"
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...ngdescends.jpg
Label: Dead Oceans Records
Genre: Indie-Pop/Experimental

I just found out this band is actually on tour with Headlights, so it's cool they're albums are being hyped one after the other. I don't know who to compare this to or say it sounds like because there is so many influences and different styles at work here from like, Of Montreal maybe? to the Flaming Lips to some Radiohead stuff like 15 Step to even Marvin Gaye. Forget Vampire Weekend, this band is the most creative band of 08 (so far).

MySpace.com - Evangelicals - NORMAN, Oklahoma - Soul - www.myspace.com/evangelicals

Headlights sound a lot like Maritime and Evangelicals sound like Youth Group kind of. I'm really digging Headlights. If you have any indiefolk lined up for this bump it up to next, please?


Edit: Woah Headlights is on Polyvinyl? I don't really like this whole were definitely not indiemo Polyvinyl. Because I'm grumpy and don't like change.

I think I need to take a leaf out of your book Re: post presentation. I have posted so many new bands on here that have just died a death because of the lacklustre appearance of the original post. A sticky could be in order.

I'll h00k you up now.

She & Him "Volume 1"
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...heandhim-1.jpg
Label: Merge Records
Genre: Country/Folk/Pop
For fans of: Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, Jens Lekman, Bright Eyes (Lifted, Wide Awake, Cassadaga)

This has by far been one of my favorite releases of the year so far. Zooey Deschanel has a gorgeous smokey voice and it melts me like honey or something meltable. It's a really retro soulful release covering a variety of genres from pop to country and its very well done and very addictive so yeah check it out.

MySpace.com - She & Him - US - Indie / Country / Pop - www.myspace.com/sheandhim

It's hella creative, yeah, but the album is uneven and inconsistent imo. It has a few very good tracks and unfortunately a large number of not so great ones (which I'd be half inclined to call "duds" though said term may be inappropriate), that seem to almost suggest a questionable ability to develop their obviously ample ideas into coherent, dexterous indie pop songs.

Have you tried Alegranza! by El Guincho btw?

Thao Nguyen with the Get Down Stay Down "We Brave Bee Stings And All"
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...res__/thao.jpg
Label: Kill Rock Stars
Genre: Indie-Pop/Folk
For fans of: Cat Power, Feist, Tilly and the Wall

Like Cat Power but happy, like Feist but good, It's Thao Nguyen with the Get Down Stay Down. This is one of my favorite releases of 08 currently and one of my favorite releases currently, ever since I heard it two hours ago I've been listening to it on repeat =]. I basically described the sound so uh, yeah check it out it's solid and fun and happy.

MySpace.com - Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Wash, DC/ San Francisco - Indie / Folk / Pop - www.myspace.com/thaomusic

im really enjoying Headlights. amazing band and she has an amazing voice.

Yeah I just listened to their 2 songs on myspace and, jah they are amazing.

A Weather "Cove"
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...res__/cove.jpg
Label: Team-Love
Genre: Slowcore, Indie-Folk
For fans of: Carissa's Wierd, Elliott Smith, Iron and Wine

Hushed and quiet like fellow Portland indie musician Elliott Smith (RIP) before them A Weather have created an album with a stark and quiet intimacy you don't usually see on Team-Love. There's nothing very country or even very Omaha-esque about them, which is a very good thing. This band is very much a Pacific Northwest act, melancholic and obviously a product of Nick Drake's Pink Moon. I expect great things from A Weather.

MySpace.com - A Weather - PORTLAND, Oregon - Indie / Acoustic / Rock - www.myspace.com/aweathermusic

Album me Batman! I mean Ethan. They're very purty, soft, personal and catchy and purty. I'm currently stuck in a folkish phase and this fits.

Dittoditto!

Grand Archives "The Grand Archives"
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...ndarchives.jpg
Label: Sub-Pop
Genre: Slowcore, Indie-Roots (hints of country, folk, etc)
For fans of: The Elected, Elliott Smith, The Shins

I've been hyping this album alot so most of you are probably slightly familiar with this but I'll repeat it anyway. Grand Archives was founded and is basically centered around singer/songwriter Mat Brooke formerly the guitarist for Band of Horses and also the founding member of fellow hyped-all-the-time-by-ethan mellow rockers Carissa's Wierd. They've also toured with Modest Mouse where I got to see them for the first time last year. They're phenomenal live, I've seen them two other times since then.

Their sound is actually kind of similar to A Weather, they're both "slowcore (or sadcore)" I feel kind of pretentious using that term because I really hate dislike introducing brand new genres but on different ends of the stick. Grand Archives is a lot less rough and it's obvious Mat Brooke is no stranger to recording or the studio or songwriting, he shows to be well experienced and comfortable on this album. There's more instruments here, while A Weather was a bedroom type thing Grand Archives is very much an in-the-studio band but that's not an insult by any means. Their sound is characterized by harmonized vocals and often very hypnotic songs and like Carissa's Wierd very melancholic song, though that's more of a mood and less of a sound thing because they're more upbeat.



I was at this show =] oh I also want to note so far this is my favorite album of 2008.

MySpace.com - GRAND ARCHIVES - SEATTLE - Rock - www.myspace.com/grandarchives

^I'm finally convinced that I should check them out
I've always ignored them, and I'm not quite sure why
But their songs on myspace are cool
So I'll get the album

I'm falling behind and I have all these albums to post about that are just building up so I really have no excuse here. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Los Campesinos! But since they're receiving such attention (on here at least, mainly by Rainard and myself though) I won't waste much time on them I'll just say they're fun shouty and amazing indie-pop and worth checking out if you want to have a good time while listening to music.


Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin "Pershing"
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a..._/pershing.jpg
Label: Polyvinyl
Genre: Indie-Pop/Rock
For fans of: Voxtrot, Bishop Allen, Oh No! Oh My!

Full of quick witticisms in vain of lyricists such as Morrissey and Stuart Murdoch Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is breaking no new ground but why does that matter? They've released two albums full of fantastic solid indie-pop and for some reason manage to remain under the radar while bands doing the same thing but with much less elegance manage to get more attention. Oh well, check it out and change this.

MySpace.com - Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - SPRINGFIELD, US - Pop - www.myspace.com/boris

the evangelicals and the grand archives are the standout ones for me.

need. more. variety.

I'm kind of annoyed with myself for forgetting Skeleton Man but oh well. Maybe I'll do a part 2 next week. Here's ten awesome songs from this year so far though:

1. Patrick Wolf "Wargames Demo"
2. Tilly and the Wall "Beat Control"
3. Hercules and Love Affair "Blind"
4. Thao Nguyen with the Get Down Stay Down "Beat (health, Life and fire)"
5. Los Campesinos! "This Is How You Spell "Hahaha, We Destroyed The Hopes And Dreams Of A Generation Of Faux-Romantics""
6. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!"
7. She & Him "Sentimental Heart"
8. Grand Archives "Sleepdriving"
10. Guillemots "Kriss Kross"

hxxp://www.mediafire.com/?imm2stvzljm

could you point me towards this, by any chance?

safe for this. nice bit o' Tilly