[MP3's] Bell X1, Floorian, The Junior League, The Shattered Hopes, Ralpheene

Wow, there is a wealth of new indie music out there and a bunch that have not been covered by any blogs. I have listened to so many new albums over the last few weeks and it has been awesome. Amazon.com always has some good specials and you can get mp3 digital downloads from them for a pretty cheap price. Check it out.

Indie rock Irish trio Bell X1 were formed in 1999 out of the ashes of the fairly popular band Juniper which included critically-acclaimed folk artist Damien Rice. 2006's successful Flock saw the band create a unique sound mainly driven from post-Radiohead rock. Their music was far from derivative and they created a niche for themselves. 2009's Blue Lights On The Runway has the band taking, at some moments, a slight turn towards electronica. They haven't lost their focus though, still maintaining a penchant for sweet melodies and introspective lyrics. However, the album touches upon a unique mix of styles, from Talking Heads influenced quirkiness to straight indie ballads reminiscent of bands like Coldplay and Keane. "Blow Ins" falls into the later category with its piano-led, melancholic vibes. There are no ground breaking surprises here but rather an all together cohesive album. Overall, a worthwhile listen!

mp3 Blow Ins

Bell X1 - Blue Lights on the Runway (2009)


Cleveland's quintet Floorian's 2004 debut What The Buzzing showcased the bands own flavor of the psych/drone genre of music. This genre of music which was once odd and strange has now morphed into a subculture of its own. And, Floorian stick closely to the boundaries of this genre/subculture. Five years later, the band has released new material on 09's More Fiend. The "acid trip" sound on their debut has evolved somewhat on this mostly instrumental album but the trademark psych/drone/space-rock influences are still well intact. There are hints of metal, psychedelic, Eastern, and even Shoegaze traits on this heady album. Tracks like "Never Even" shows the band at its best, starting from a slow ethereal feel before moving into a heavier, fuzzed out direction. The LP overall has a dark, creepiness feel to it and should easily satisfy the space-cadet in all of us!

mp3 Never Even

Floorian - More Fiend (2009)


The Junior League is the work of New Orleans based multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Joe Adragna. 2006's critically acclaimed debut Catchy "garnered The Junior League a nomination in the category of 'Best Emerging Artist' in New Orleans' Gambit Magazine's Big Easy Awards, and made offBeat Magazine's 'Top 50 Louisiana cds of 2006' list". This is definitely music for power-pop fans. The music blends classic pop-rock, jangle and garage into a nice package. 09's Smile Shoot Smile has Adragna further honing his wonderful pop sensibilities. The album contains plenty of sharp pop tunes that are cleanly produced and well written. "It's The End" is a classic, cranking up the volume amid strong guitar riffs. I love power-pop and am so glad that there are bands like The Junior League that do it so right!

mp3 It's The End

The Junior League - Smile Shoot Smile (2009)


The Shattered Hopes revive what is all good about punk rock by infusing back in "innate social protest via vicious black humor", something that is missing in a lot of punk bands today. Their 2009 debut Noise Annoys is punk rock with crackling roots, highly influenced by bands like: Violent Femmes, Cramps, B-52's, The Ramones, and The Aquabats. The result is quirky twangy songs, with funny lyrics, complimented by stout guitar riffs and a tight rhythm section. There's a lot of fun to be had with tunes like "Stop It!" with its strong nods to the aforementioned influencing bands. This is a promising debut and one that puts the fun back into punk rock!

mp3 Stop It!

The Shattered Hopes - Noise Annoys (2009)


Quiet Seems Asleep is the debut release from the El Paso, Texas trio - Ralpheene. This is indie at its finest, 100% homemade and recorded independently by the band themselves. The band lists influences proudly on their MySpace page: Radiohead, (early) Weezer, Pixies, and Fugazi. Ralpheene have a raw not over produced sound which is a mix of pop, rock, and the music of their influences. It all comes together nicely though with a melodic punch and all the hooks in the right places. For something that took three years to make, produced on a self-funded budget, and recorded in bedrooms/bathrooms, comes off quite nicely indeed!

mp3 All I Want

Ralpheene - Quiet Seems Asleep (2009)