A place that's built on noise and needs

Bombay Bicycle Club played their first show in Chicago last week at the Subterranean, in front of a very enthusiastic packed house. Let's hope they come back again really soon.

I don't know how I forgot to post about these guys earlier, but in case you completely missed the boat last May, Friendly Fires dropped their sophomore album Pala, and it is so excellent that I decided to blog it late just in case. This trio of English boys from St. Albans sure knows how to jam, and their powerful brand of indie dance defies you not to tap your toe. If you're into Cut Copy or M83, you will go nutty over the driving synthpop of this album, and you will definitely want to catch them the next time they do a U.S. tour. Unfortunately, their record label is notoriously meticulous in keeping their tracks off the web, so I had to resort to these user uploads. They are definitely worth your time all the same:

I hear you screaming out to the light

Young the Giant brought down a sold out house at the Riviera Theater on Thursday (with opener Walk the Moon), courtesy of MTVU.

Today's progressive indie rock outfit is a 4-piece from D.C. with an attitude and an especially attuned sense of musical style. U.S. Royalty carefully crafts each song as a purely unique and original inspiration, and their renowned production team headed by Gus Oberg (The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr., Bloc Party) made sure the final product of their debut LP released last January, MIRRORS, fully conveys that passion and dedication. Sliding up and down the scale from Blues-y psychedelia to perfectly harmonized indie folk, these boys pour enough heart and energy into these tracks to fuel any mood throughout your day. Check these smooth ones:

Equestrian by usroyalty

Monte Carlo by usroyalty

A voice is speaking from the marrow of our bones

Take the deep, rhythmic electro-pop indie that is so trendy right now and throw in some soaring 80's glam rock to imagine something almost as magical and moving as Brooklyn's duo Warm Ghost. Their multi-instrumentality and mastery of sound design shines through every track on their debut album, Narrows, released in September. While often grouped with the chillwave movement (think Washed Out, Toro y Moi) or the broader dream pop revival (e.g. Beach House, The xx), these guys are really pioneering their own genre and defying any solid classification.The slow songs are profound and inspired, the fast songs catchy and danceable; it was so hard to choose which songs to give you, I had to pick my top two for listening:

Warm Ghost - Inside and Out by Sound Thinking


Warm Ghost - GTWS by Craze

AND this video, because it was too good to not share. If you are sensitive to artsy nudity, you might want to skip this one.



If you dig what you hear, they are offering a few tracks for FREE right on Amazon. I gotcha hook up HERE.

It's a bloody hill and a broken wall

Australia has been pumping out a steady stream of incredibly talented new groups lately, and this is another one that epitomizes the movement. Falling somewhere on the spectrum between Fleet Foxes, Local Natives, and Mumford & Sons, but with their own completely unique and brilliant twist, Sydney-based Boy & Bear are definitely the next big thing in indie folk. When one of my closest friends introduced me to a song of theirs on youtube last year, I was impressed but unconvinced that they would find their own niche in the scene. With a wonderful knack for catchy harmonies, driving rhythms, and impressive instrumental combinations, they have done exactly that. Throw in some beautifully crafted lyrics, and this 5-piece's debut LP Moonfire (released in August) is bound to take off in no time. The whole album honestly deserves your undivided attention, but start off with these two tracks:

Boy & Bear- Feeding Line by MMMusic

(This second one has an excellent longer intro that was shortened for your listening convenience, not by my choice.)

Boy & Bear - Milk 'N' Sticks by Music As Usual

You know it's all in your head

In case you haven't been on turntable.fm much lately, Generationals released a new LP last March, Actor-Caster, that has gradually become a huge indie favorite. Slightly less lo-fi than their debut of 2009, the album demonstrates that these New Orleans kids have developed their style while maintaining their unique sound. The old school beach rock vibe is definitely still prevalent, but the hooks are more sophisticated and the instrumentation is more... well, it's just more. Each new track has its own flavor, and they experimented with different rhythms and production styles to create something truly interesting and remarkable. The entire songlist warrants a listen from beginning to end (except maybe "Yours Forever"; that track is really annoying and out of place with the rest of the album), and I had a very difficult time choosing which two to give you, but start with these and then promise me you will check out the rest.

Generationals - I Promise by Sound Thinking

Generationals - Black and White by Sound Thinking