indie scent

Great songs from indie bands and labels that don't mind sharing the occasional song online, in four categories:

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

That's Just Rank

Two Ton Boa -- Cash Machine (4.5mb mp3 from the band's SXSW '07 page)
Another bass-heavy beauty here, with two full minutes of twists and turns -- jazzy, bluesy grooves, odd electronic clicks and beeps, and a singer alternating between lounge singing and spitting yells -- before it builds to a truly wonderful sort of pop-harmony chorus. After 30 seconds of that pure genius, it drops right back down into the cool weirdness of the first two minutes. If it ended there, I probably wouldn't have given it a second listen, but thankfully they gave us a second chorus to hook us forever.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

The Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)

This is an old song already, and all the buzz on these guys is about their new album, which I've been really into lately. But there's a sort of unbridled passion and total intensity in this performance that gives me goosebumps: The Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies) on the Much Music Awards.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Heavier Aromas

31Knots -- Man Become Me (5.2mb mp3 from the band's site)
Although not a heavy song in the metal vein, there's an incredible, raw intensity here that can only be called heavy. Fantastic drumming, aggressive bass work that you can actually hear, some cool repeated guitar lines with distortion when it matters, and a seriously angry dude hollering. Fans of Tool will appreciate the mix here, I think.

It's not all rage, though -- the quiet parts of the song are simple and smooth, giving you a breather before you get knocked on your ass again. Then in the last minute, things go totally off the rails. This isn't particularly accessible music, but it's worth sticking with them until you can really appreciate it.