Awesome independent music

I've created this thread on Clorius' suggestion, after I shared some very cool music that he found to his liking. The music in question was none other than NASA's album, Remembering The Future.

You can check it out at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/nasa

I will also thoroughly recommend Kilowatts & Vanek's RawQ: http://cdbaby.com/cd/kilowattsvanek

They are both released by independent labels, and suffice to say, are far more talented (and sound way better) than most mainstream albums. Check it out.

:doublethu

 

Thx for linking me to that page, where i was able to hear a sample of their music.

I hope this thread will turn out with many post of ppl linking to pages, with some samples in it, like the one you gave me.

The music they play on the radio is allmost the same all the time i think, so new imput is allways good to get.

:clap: .. and tjeck out the massive new smileys, but if your no dial-up you better not. :crazy:

 

Thanks :headfones
I didn't like NASA, too "synthpopsy" for me.
But I liked Vanek & Kilowatts, and haven't heard about them before. They even have a 1 hour long liveset up for free download on their site, wow.

I'd like to contribute something to this thread, but I'm not really sure about the "independent" part. There are big "indie" labels too, something like Warp for good electronic music is like Sony-BMG for mainstream po(o)p.
Anyway I can't name anything like those two, because that's not the kind of music that fits my usual mood. And "awesome" for me usually means "impossible to listen to" or "boring" for everyone else, so... :no: :crazy:

 

Not that anyone here possibly cares... but anyway...

Just to reassert that there is lots of quality music out there, most of which you can never know.

Somehow I managed to totally miss this awesome double album when it was released. Despite the fact that some of it's tracks were in the Matrix OSTs (and the album was even nominated for the Grammy 2004 in some worthless category, didn't win though). Ok, maybe because of this fact.

Even though the album isn't commercial in any way.

Eh so it is Rob Dougan's "Furious Angels", released in 2002-2003.

Usually I don't like orchestral music, nor do I like male vocals. But the mix of live orchestrated music, trip-hop beats and brooding lyrics sung by a dude, who sounds like he was smoking cheapest smokes and drinking for his entire life, is incredibly cool.

The album has very exaustive record in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furious_Angels)... who coulda thought.

Hic...
...Can I staaay and say nothing at all... At aaaall...

 

CD Baby is a great site. I would highly reccomend both 'Daughter Darling' and 'Katy vs. Evil' from their site.

Also, here is one of my favourite Canadian groups: www.microbunny.com

 

Oh yea, CDbaby... nice selection they have... found there some old favourites (Sarah Fimm, Two loons for tea, Hungry Lucy...) back from the days when mp3.com didn't suck. Too bad I'm broke, hah.
Daugther Darling is effin great.
Microbunny is effin awesome too, but it seems that this band is pretty much un-known, un-promoted and un-merchandised outside of Canada, which is damn sad. Or am i wrong? Btw what does their first album sound like (as I understand they are streaming songs only from 'Dead Stars' on their site)?

 

Glad you like them. The main guy that does all the writing, sampling [actually, sampling is a little misleading as he creates all of his own sounds... so in effect he is sampling himself], guitar and keyboard work used to be part of King Cobb Steelie... another underappreciated Canadian indie group that has some great material. My favourite album by them is 'Project Twinkle' which is back when Al Okada was still part of the group. Since he has left they havent really put out anything spectacular, but it is still better than anything they are playing on Much Music.

Microbunny's first self titled album is great as well, perhaps even a little better. If you are having a hard time tracking it down, you should be able to find it on soulseek. A friend of mine in Brasil also runs a trip hop site that has some samples from the first album.

www.tripofagia.com

If you click on the reviews section, you can read a review that I wrote about their second album Dead Stars.

 

Heh one more question. I was reading different reviews and infos on the web and got confused about vocalists. Some sources are contradictory. There is Tamara Williamson, and there is Rebecca Campbell (listed as a member of the crew in official site)... Which did which album? Or did Tamara do both albums and then left?

Btw nice review. :thumbsup: Pretty much the truth from what samples I've heard so far.

 

Tamara did vocals on both albums... I wasnt aware she had left. :blink:

*dashes wildly to the microbunny website*

EDIT: Hmmm, just got back from the microbunny website and I see no mention of this Rebecca... where did you read about her?

 

Well, I clicked on 'Lineup' (between 'Sound' and 'Home' at the bottom left)...

Some infos on the web were also listing this Rebecca as vocalist (I guess the most recent ones?), and no mention of Tamara. Forgot the exact links, I was just googling.

 

Ah, I see it now... weird. I guess Tamara went back to her solo stuff. I hope this Rebecca chick is up to snuff.

 

Since we started talk about artists of local renown and not some worldwide available stuff... Do you know Lюк ('luk', 'lyuk' or whatever) album 'Lemon'? Feelgood cocktail of lounge, funk, reggae and whatnot :headfones Cool stuff.

 

Never heard of it, but it sounds like fun. You are probably a big Theivery Corporation fan arent you? [I love them]

I'll check out lyuk... if you havent heard it yet, I strongly recommend either of Quantic Soul Orchestra's albums.

 

Can't call myself a fan (haven't checked their latest album yet, something that would be unforgivable for a fan, no? ), but I love them too.

Lyuk is quite different tho. Actually I don't think I have anything else like that in my collection. I prefer dark music most of the time, and that's what they are certainly not. Somehow I was talking with one dude about different sorts of music, and I asked if he knows any feelgood music that would make smile and charge the batteries for whole day when you listen to it with headphones on a bus or in a car on the way to work. And he said Lюк "Lemon"...
They are from Ukraine. So no english-only texts, and if you are bothered when you can't understand lyrics (I know some ppl are, although myself I have no problems listening to spanish/french/whatever tunes even if I don't understand at all, as long as the tune is good), then it might be a problem. On this particular album it's not that important though - lyrics are intentionally goofy, in ukrainian, french, russian and occasional english word, very heavy on scat and skit, so voice is used as music instrument, not as a means to send some profound message.
Felt in love with lushy beautiful voice of the chick vocalist though.
Also I was impressed with studiowork. They use lots of very different synth samples and sounds, some very oldschool, yet it doesn't feel annoying. Some well placed scratches or backward samples, not to show off, but just because it feels right. And so on.

Not sure if it's possible to purchase their album outside of ex-SovietUnion space, maybe here - xttp://www.petershop.com/en/catalogue/audiocd/lyuk/lemon.html (haven't tried myself so no guarantees, also no idea about shipping costs lol). Two latest albums are available in mp3 at an unofficial fan site xttp://luk-musik.narod.ru/stuff/sound.htm. Funny thing is the group is linking to this fan site on their official page (xttp://luk.com.ua) so I don't know, maybe they are ok about it, or simply don't give a damn about piracy... although again, the speed for non-russian IPs is atrocious, something like 0.5 kb/s and would take a couple of days to download. Downloading from here would be better choice:
xttp://www.mozgoff.net/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=4
(all links changed for security reasons, replace first symbol x into h).

If you like it and have a need for translation of songnames, feel free to ask.

 

hm...
if you guys are into Memento Materia synthy stuff, I highly recommend checking out the band Interlace on Memento Materia's sublabel Prototyp.
Their latest album, Imago, is awesome - at least for being the post industrial synthy type of music in the vein of Too Dark Park and The Process era Skinny Puppy...

If you're into crazy, insane and aggressive art punk/hardcore/indie rock (artcore?) try checking out Racebannon from Ohio. They're pretty messed up

And if you want it REALLY crazy, check out the canadian nutso Schizoid's All Things Are Connected. Genre-wise, it's umm a really weird mashup of hip hop/punk/black metal/digital hardcore/nintendo/electro/power noise/50s-60s commercial jingles... but it works really well

Also in this vein, if you like Atari Teenage Riot and Panic DHH, be sure to check out Ambassador 21 from Belarus. I have no idea what the hell they're saying most of the time, and when their lyrics are in english, they don't make sense at all (which also makes it kind of cute hee), but damn dude... they kick ass

If you like your music dark and dismal, you should really also check out

Sophia's "Deconstruction of the World"

Iszoloscope and Ah Cama-Sotz's Chtulhu-inspired album "Camanecroscope". Bleak, bleak, heavy death-grinding dark ambient/noise with lots of evil, elder god summoning chanting that i suspect intends to kill you. I see this as the perfect soundtrack for a trek into the Underdark!

Christian industrial band Sanctum's "Let's Eat" ... i think this is the only Christian industrial band that I know, and it's also one of my favourite bands. I do like their previous albums better, but the new one is their most accessible.

Haus Arafna's "Butterfly" and also "Children of God" ... beautiful stuff, though a bit hard on the ears if you're not used to stuff like this. Not all of it is that harsh though, some of it is almost david lynch-like jazzy lounge-music.
If you like music in the militant dark ambient and power electronics genres, I really recommend that you also check out IRM and Genocide Organ.

Dälek's "Absence". Some of the best noise-rock and industrial inspired hip hop I've ever heard. Actually, it's the only noise-rock/industrial/hip hop I've ever heard, and it's effin' brilliant!! ... Anyone know of any other bands in this genre?
(not counting Techno Animal and DHR-stuff)

If you want medieval-like militant music complete with a warmongering monk choir, check out Gae Bolg's "Tintagel" and "John Barleycorn Must Die". Their mix of medieval and militant industrial is highly entertaining!

Umm... yeah.