Well, dangit. Sorry folks! Life has been pulling me every which way. Conventions, starting up a business, file hosts a-changin’. All sorts of things denying you your weekly dose of music! So, to make it up to you guys and gals, I’ve prepared an extra large dose of Indie Paws love! Lots of buzz to catch up on, and this is the best way I think I can pass it on, so ENJOY! :)

Wild Light – California On My Mind (2009, ???, New Hampshire) Wild Light formed in New Hampshire in 2005 after meeting in high school and made their name playing the clubs of Boston. Band member Timothy Kyle was previously a member of Arcade Fire, performing on their early EP. In late 2007 they supported the band on their European tour.

Hotels – Hydra (2009, Seattle, Washington) Hotels is a bit of anomaly, in that from what I can gather, the lead singer splits his time between two sets of musicians in an attempt to make an interestingly diverse musical sound. With members in New York City, and others in Seattle, Blake Madden somehow ties this all together and has made a really stellar sophomore album “Where Hearts Go Broke”, which was released on Valentines Day…coincidence?

Or, The Whale – Call and Response (2007, San Francisco, California) Perhaps a bit country, but what good music doesn’t try it’s best to incorporate what works for a genre into something new? Or, The Whale is a prime example of this, as their sounds a bit country, a bit pop, and just all around enjoyable. This song can be found on their “Light Poles and Pines” (debut) album.

The Kooks – Victoria (2009) This song can be found on one of the two “must get” compilation charity albums released this spring, “War Child – Heroes”. Chock full of indie bands we all know and love, the neat thing about this album is that every song is a cover. Why is this a good thing? Well, the original artists chose which hip new bands they wanted to cover their original works. For example this song, The Kinks chose The Kooks to cover “Victoria”…perhaps because their names sound so similar, but I doubt it. BTW, all the proceeds from this album go towards helping children that have suffered as result of war.

The Picture – Deer Crossing (2009, Brooklyn, New York) After hearing this song, I immediately purchased “The Picture”’s latest EP “Bluebirds” and was not disappointed in it one bit. So far, it’s one of the best EPs, if not albums I’ve heard this year. I fully expect this album to make one of my “Best of” lists at the end of the year.

Vetiver – Everyday (2009, San Francisco, California) Vetiver is a bit folk, and a bit pop and have toured with artist such as Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom. This song can be found on their “Tight Knit” album, released last month.

Odawas – Harmless Lover’s Discourse (2009, Bloomington, Indiana) Odawas? Until earlier this week, I’d never heard of them. Now, I own all three of their albums and their debut EP. Ambient, enjoyable music, it reminds me of other bands at times, but definately defining their own niche. You can find “Harmless Lover’s Discourse” on their latest album “The Blue Depths”.

Fanfarlo – I’m a Pilot (2009, London, England) Another valentines day release, Fanfarlo released their first full length album “Reservoir”. This London based band is known for songs that start out a bit slow, but just grow in complexity as the song ticks the seconds down. If you like this song/album, they released their EP “Look Both Ways” back in 2006.

Sin Fang Bous – Catch the Light (2009, Reykjavik, Iceland) This can be found on the first solo album by Sunbear’s vocalist Sindri Már Sigfússon, “Clangour”, which was released last month. Not heard much from Sunbear or the rest of this album, but I’m definitely marking it on my “to buy” list.

The Books (feat. Jose Gonzalez) – Cello Song (2009) This can be found on the highly anticipated 2 disc charity album “Dark Was The Night”. The folks from “The National” got a bunch of today’s hottest indie bands together to donate a track to this album, whose proceeds go toward supporting AIDS research.

De Rosa – Nocturne For An Absentee (2008, Bellshill, Scotland) De Rosa was formed by main songwriter Martin John Henry in the early 2000’s. With two albums under their belt, De Rosa combines a modern indie rock sound with Henry’s personal lyrics and amazing vocals. You can find this song on their latest album, “Prevention”.

My Morning Jacket – El Caporal (2009) Another song found on “Dark Was The Night”, My Morning Jacket brings us “El Caporal”. I am a total sucker for Jim James vocal styling for a long long time now. The fact that My Morning Jacket (amongst many others) was one of the main reasons for my anticipation of this album.

The Boy Least Likely To – I Box Up All the Butterflies (2009, Wendover, England) Wow. The album art for this release is coated in sugar. Go Tank Bunny! If you love Twee Pop, you won’t be disappointed by “The Boy Least Likely To”’s latest album “The Law of the Playground”. Jof Owen and Pete Hobbs combine all manor of upbeat sounds to produce one solid, enjoyable album.

Tags: De Rosa, Fanfarlo, Hotels, Jose Gonzalez, My Morning Jacket, Odawas, Or the Whale, Sin Fang Bous, The Books, The Boy Least Likely To, The Kooks, The Picture, Vetiver, Wild Light

This entry was posted on Monday, March 16th, 2009 at 2:56 pm and is filed under Friday Fix, Song Ramble. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.