New Outlook

I've begun writing for a website known as Our Vinyl.com

Anyway, I will start taking the articles I have written for that website and also post them here on my blog.

It won't all be indie music, but at least it will give you new music which is what I originally intended this website to be.

"Up All Night"

It had been eight years since pop-punk super group Blink-182 had released any new music. When the band took an indefinite hiatus in 2005, many fans were worried they would never hear another new song from the trio again. However, in 2009 tragedy hit drummer Travis Barker, and the band announced that blink-182 would once again be reunited to release a new album.

Come 2011 and fans were still waiting for the band’s promised reunion album. “Up All Night”, their first single in eight years, has helped feed the craving of every hungry fan. It represents a new, more mature band that listeners only got a glimpse of in the band’s 2003 self-titled album. The single comes in hard with a driving guitar and pounding drums, but then shifts to something more distinctive. Using a matured pop-punk style the song, “Up All Night” perfectly compliments singer and guitarist Tom Delonge’s unique voice and style. Bassist Mark Hoppus supplies the necessary backup vocals to Delonge, and helps take the song to the next level. 

“Up All Night” is the first single released promoting Blink-182’s new album Neighborhoods due out September 27^th. 

Reforming Site...Be Back Soon!

Hey guys!

We're just revamping the site, editing the format, and making it obviously THE go to place for everything indie music related. Check Back Soon!

Thanks for your patience.

Before Indie Was Indie

The other day I was thinking who I thought really the first indie bands were. After much debate and listening through my extensive music library, I believe I've come to a conclusion. In my mind one of the first, if not the first indie band was The Velvet Underground and Nico. This music project with Lou Reed by Andy Warhol was the first real indie band. There was no major label that they originally signed with. It was an experiment. That's what all indie music is to me, an experiment. It may not have had a label or even much of a following (I mean that's why it's indie, right), but it was indie. Warhol wanted to use a new canvas to experiment with his art and he did it through Reed, Nico, and the other musicians. The Velvet Underground was a hell of an experiment too. I read a book about a year or two ago called Please Kill Me and it's about this whole punk movement from the 60's through to today. In the book there was an extensive chronicling of The Velvet Underground. According to the book they were major contributors to fueling the punk rock movement of the day, but to me they also unintentionally introduced the world to indie music. Their original album The Velvet Underground & Nico was at first widely ignored. No one had even really heard of the band, but since then it has grown enormously in popularity. It was an experiment, an experiment whose results never truly presented themselves until years even decades later. Anyway, they had an extremely unique sound and weren't widely popular until much later. Also they were an experiment, and isn't that what indie is? An experiment. It's goal is to try and create some music that's not mainstream and utilizes a completely unique sound. On all of these parts The Velvet Underground and Nico were successful.

Pitchfork Festival

Hey guys, so I just heard of this little indie concert fesitival in Grant Park in Chicago called Pitchfork Festival. It's July 15th-17th and some of the bands are definitely worth checking out. On the 15th Animal Collective will be headlining, which I'm pretty stoked about because I've heard they're amazing live. Also on the the 16th one of my favorite indie bands will be playing, Fleet Foxes. Personally I believe that they have one of the most unique sounds that I have ever heard. On the 17th Tv On The Radio is headlining which in my mind is a solid lineup. Other bands like The Dismemberment Plan will be playing, so if you're an indie music lover such as myself it'll definitely be a concert worth checking out. I've heard there may even be some indie type rap by artists like G-Side and Curren$y. Needless to say I'm excited to be getting tickets to go, and I'll definitely be writing about the festival while I'm there, and I'll also review some of the artists while I'm there. Single day tickets start at only $45 a day, so get 'em while they're still there. I'm attaching the Pitchfork web site so that you guys can all check it out, and like I said there will be more to come!


http://www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com/

Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights...The Sleeping Giant at Pointfest

So I went to Pointfest a couple of weeks ago with my brother, and honestly I was expecting to hear mainly hardcore bands (considering Korn, Papa Roach, Hollywood Undead, SevenDust, and Finger Eleven headlined), but I ran into one band that stood out. A rock'n soul band, Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights definitely stood out. Being fairly new to the music scene not many fans have heard of them before. Their first album they released independently, Hot Trottin' in 2007 was recorded almost immediately after the band was formed. The 2nd album released with Atlantic Records, Pardon Me allowed the band a little more exposure into the public eye. Anyway, the show these guys put on was incredible! Opening with their popular single Pardon Me (the song with which their 2nd album was named after) they were able to immediately engage the audience in their music. With the whole crowd dancing and singing together there wasn't one person who seemed sad or disheartened that a rock'n soul band would be playing at an alternative rock festival. Throughout their show each musician performed insane solos, and frontman Jonathan Tyler even pulled out a rock harmonica solo that left the crowd in sheer disbelief. Closing with their hit Gypsy Woman (which peaked at 27 on the US Rock Charts) left the crowd feeling pumped and excited. I don't think anyone had really expected to hear such a talented soul band on a side-stage like they played on. Their recorded stuff is nearly as good as they are live, and after seeing just how great they are I definitely have become a fan of Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights. I couldn't find a download site for any of their recorded stuff, but if you go to the band's website they have live show recordings that you can snag for free. I will post up a youtube video  of the band playing Gypsy Woman, so at least you can have some immediate gratification.

Band Site: http://www.jonathantylermusic.com/

Ben Sollee: A Change Is Gonna Come...And Hopefully It's Here To Stay

The other day I was just surfin' the web and stumbled upon this new artist, Ben Sollee. Needless to say he's got one of the most unique sounds that I've ever heard. Mixing almost a fusion of rock, jazz, and soul he creates a truly new sound for the music world. When an artist catches my ear I like to read up on them and learn more about their style. According to wikipedia Sollee signed to Sub-Pop records and is considered a groundbreaking cellist and vocalist. After some bouts in various folk acts and shortly after he released an album with his folk quartet Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet, Sollee released his moderately successful EP If You're Gonna Leave My Country. This 2008 EP Sollee released ended up leading to his first solo album Learning to Bend. Oftentimes Sollee's music is politically driven dealing with everything from politics, social messages, and environmental issues. NPR named Ben Sollee as one of the greatest unknown modern artists in 2007. Needless to say Sollee is demonstrating impressive musical and songwriting talent. In this recent post by Sollee he covers the iconic Sam Cooke song A Change Is Gonna Come. I look forward to hearing more from this fairly unheard of artist, until then I'm posting a link to his Sam Cooke tribute.

http://www.hulkshare.com/xhcgf11ezc9y

(Just click download in the top right, I promise this is legit)