Just for one minute stop thinking that Cher killed the vocoder and revel in the heavy beats of ‘Berlin’ from Alaska in Winter. It is comes as a present from one Brandon Bethancourt via his new LP ‘Holiday’ which was conceived while under a haze of intoxication. Surprising that because ‘Berlin’ is remarkably clear headed in what it has to achieve, namely bringing the masses back to the dancefloor through a mix of intelligent processed sounds. Unlike his last LP there’s no Zach Condon (aka Beirut) and since it was recorded in the city of the songs title (techno central) you can probably expect less of a Balkan influence. The truth be told that scene has probably run its course and dance could do with several well-aimed kicks up the backside like this. KD

Alaska In Winter - Berlin

Watch The Video To Balkan Lowrider Anthem

More Info: Myspace
Buy Songs: Alaska In Winter
Year: 2008

Between the sparse crowd, awkward between song patter, blinding stage lighting somehow Cass McCombs conspired to being close to inspired last night in Whelan’s. The challenge had been put to him by the undercard from Dublin called Villagers. Only caught the final part of their set but it was highly promising stuff, a galley of players each putting distinguished performances in on some really stunning songs. These are certainly ones to watch for 2009. Cass McCombs opening rockabilly soundings might have signalled a flat show to come but the 3 piece slowly turned things around. And how, as the lights were completely extinguished and the pretty jangle of ‘Equinox’ swelled our ears it became one of those rare moments (‘Not The Way’ and ‘Sacred Heart’ were equally mesmerising). McCombs and his small band might not be the greatest showmen ever but when you concentrate on the sound they make you’ve got to start believing that they are a very important creative indeed. KD

Cass McCombs - Equinox

Watch The Video To Sacred Heart

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Cass McCombs
Year: 2005

Seems sorta appropriate alright that the Parties should come from San Francisco. I’m sure they’ve dispensed with the flowers in their hair but they are still indebted to the sound from the era when that sort of practise was de rigueur. To heighten the sense of retro you’ll hear the Velvet Underground/Byrds in their guitar tuneage and the slew of sweet harmonies just tend to illuminate the psychedelic blissfulness. Their new is album is titled ‘Can’t Come Down’ so you can probably guess what is contained within. Everything about this band has been culled from the past but rather than scoff at their barefaced cheek I merely tap away my frustration. In fact this is probably the sound that the Brian Jonestown Massacre would make if they were happy souls. KD

The Parties - Yours And Mine

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The Parties
Year:

If I was pushed on what strand of indie gives me the most pleasure I’d have to say it is indie pop. Sort of like what Teenage Fanclub and the Very Most do whenever they step into a studio. In essence you know what you are going to get and for me that it is just bliss and also the easiest way to achieve mood enhancement. Basement Apartment fit neatly into that category, they never a put a song to bed before it has the requisite number of melodic hooks and beautifully turned out riffs. Vince Caro is the main man and it’s his soft vocals you hear on ‘Into My World’, which is taken from the band’s incredible Transistor! LP which was released in 2004. KD

Basement Apartment - Into My World

Watch The Video To Empty Skies

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Basement Apartment
Year: 2004

This is absolutely magic from way back in 1993, a time when Chris Martin was only dreaming up those giant chords and even bigger choruses. While not quite on that scale the Reegs ‘The Nasty Side’ is still a thing of unparalleled beauty that falls in and out of its own melodic consciousness. The Reegs comprised of Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding and came together out of the ashes of the much heralded (but rarely heard) Manchester band the Chameleons. Fielding also had the distinction of playing with Dave Gedge from the Wedding Present’s in their first band together called SEN (never ones for great band names this Manchester/Leeds lot!). ‘The Nasty Side’ was taken from the Reegs seconds and final album ‘Rock The Magic Rock’ and retains a keen contemporary edge and even though it stretches to over 6 minutes you’ll likely never want it to end. The atmosphere and mood is as breathtaking as the jangling instruments and cooing vocals. KD

The Reegs - The Nasty Side

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Reegs
Year: 1994

I have been preoccupied with other matters over the last few evenings. In fact at this stage I am totally shattered. I’ve moved indiecater over to new platform and given it a facelift, hasn’t fully healed yet but the scabs will fall away over the next few days. D’ya know as time has gone by I am spending more and more time on indiecater. Originally it was a nice diversion, now it’s still nice but the diversion has become a whole lot more time consuming. The compilations that kicked off the label have now been joined by a trio of album reissues from artists we adore. The reissues come from times past but they are so good we believe they can still have a bright future. Anyway, indiecater (the label, gasp!) will have some really great reissues over the next few months. There’ll be one next week and on December 1st ‘An Indiecater Christmas’ will be birthed. This Christmas collection of indie frivolity is really shaping up to be a classic and most of the tunes are brand new and recorded especially for the occasion! Anyway, mp3hugger will be back to normal by tomorrow and to entertain us until then here is Dublin band the Idiots and the Spacemen 3/ Rollerskate Skinny sounding ‘I Should Go’ from their 1995 self-titled LP. KD

The Idiots - I Should Go

More Info: Irish Music Central
Year: 1995

Lowfish is Toronto producer Gregory De Rocher in full operatic flow. His use of vintage analog devices has to be commended, as has his love for such electro gods as OMD. ‘Frozen & Broken’ is the title track from his latest LP and a dextrous piece of industry it is too. The bulging synths may have you pining for large warehouses and given the right conditions you could see this track’s kinetic energy coursing through a heavy mass of slinky beings. For those of us decidedly less slinky in stature it is a grandiose reminder about how much those explorers of new sonic directions Orbital used to move us in the strangest of ways. Right now this is just breathtaking. KD

Lowfish - Frozen & Broken

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Lowfish
Year: 2008

Ok, this has gone on for quite long enough. I have forgotten the amount of times Hush Arbors have hoved into earshot and I’ve smiled then moved onto something else of less worth. The point I have been consistently missing is that Keith Wood (for he is Hush Arbors) deserves more than scattered listens borne out of rudimentary shuffles. His lo-fi music sounds positively vintage but is about perfect for the moods that frame sunday afternoons or exhausted bodies in general. It’s as if Simon & Garfunkel had taken a break from the studio and their hugely talented lackey had snapped up the opportunity to record his offbeat compositions. The power of Hush Arbors is not immediately obvious but the stream of consciousness that is produced is as tranquil as it is nerve jangling. Hold this back for a special moment or just buy Hush Arbors brand new self titled LP for total immersion. KD

Hush Arbors - Where The Black Bear Hides In The Sky

Watch The Video To The Light

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Hush Arbors
Year: 2004 & 2007

Should really have put the sound of summer to bed by now but let’s cherish the dying embers to the Stereolabfantastic sound of Marshmallow Coast. Sadly it seems that the Denver collective are no longer with us but the jazz trained M Coast lead man Andy Gonzales has left us with a lovely set of peppy brickbusters. Emily Growden sings like a chanteuse of repute on ‘Sail Around The World’ while the music around her swoops and flutters like a thousand well behaved hummingbirds. This is something ultra groovy for dance moves that don’t distinguish themselves while in company. KD

Marshmallow Coast - Sail Around The World

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Marshmallow Coast
Year: 2006

Oldfield, Peters, Cooper, Sperry and Lakes – so very rock and rock don’t you think? These five make up the Dayton outfit known as Captain of Industry and although I’m only parachuting into their creative output at album number 3, 2008’s ‘The Bronze’, I already know I am going to be lapping up their back catalogue with glee. ‘Face Full Of A Head Full Of Hair’ may be a bonkers title but the song itself is a masterclass in well-executed indie pop. There are melodious flourishes aplenty and the whole thing scuttles along in such a carefree way it almost seems a shame that it has to end. This is a creative jam that should form the bread and butter of any self respecting music fan’s collection. KD

Captain Of Industry - Face Full Of A Head Full Of Hair

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Captain Of Industry
Year: 2008

It’s funny the first thing that popped into my head when I heard this was ‘Time To Pretend’. The two are pretty different but they both single-handedly boost the happiness index wherever they are played so that must be it. If anything I prefer ‘Warning Bells’ and given it was recorded in Glasgow you’ve got to award extra points to the foursome for making it sound so tropical and cosy (like the Monkees). Make no mistake this could be huge, perched effortlessly in an evening’s worth of the finest indie music down your local dungeon or delighting daytime radio enthusiasts used to soggy cabbage. Two of the Mitchell boys used to be in a band called Afterchristmas, so it is somewhat ironic that their predicted (call me the indie Nostradamus) worldwide acclaim should occur in the weeks just preceding the jolly season. This is the magic new sound of young Scotland. KD

Mitchell Museum - Warning Bells

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Mitchell Museum
Year: 2008

Fancy some cobweb banishing audio? Well you’ve come to the right page because Simon Says No! don’t do quiet, unless you are sentence that reads quite fabulous. They don’t sound particularly Norwegian either for an Oslo band but then their influences come from a much more southerly direction. This type of fuzzy guitar bluster and thunderous marching beats will always find favour in my heart and it is assembled so well you’d almost imagine you were in the company of a set of veterans. As it is ‘Sleeping Heart’ is the work of 4 young bucks who wear their influences on their sleeves and their guitars in the tumble dryer. This is bold and quite brilliant and in many ways somewhat reassuring. The band's 'Ahoi De Angst' EP is out very soon. KD

Simon Says No! - Sleeping Heart

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Simon Says No!
Year: 2008

I was only speaking to another music blogger the other evening about how the second half of 2008 has being remarkable for Irish releases. Up to September it was shaping up to be an awful year but since then notable releases have come thick and fast. Tonight’s case for the defense comes courtesy of Dublin instrumentalists Halfset, who while never reinventing the wheel still produce a slick range of emotive sound. ‘Another Way Of Being There’ is their sophomore and is awash with pleasant turns, there are no post-rock crescendos but their quiet pulses of ingenuity do have a strangely hypnotic quality. And with that the corners have been chipped off all those childhood parish hall half set nightmares. KD

Halfset - Prairie

Watch The Video To Another Way of Being There

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Halfset
Year: 2008

I’ve been looking for a tune like this for a while. A proper anthem that’s not just superficially satisfying but also comes with enough meat on its bones to warrant dedicated revisits. The source is a Brooklyn band named Falcon and they come with an interesting story and a back catalogue that they haven't even come close to fully recording yet (read their bio, it’s a pretty interesting story). Half of the band is made up of members from another New York outfit called Longwave (you may have heard of them). ‘The Sandfighter’ is the opening track from their debut EP and is heart crushingly lovely all the way from Neil Rosen’s piercing vocals to the sparkling instrumentation. Undeniably one of the songs of the year. KD

Falcon - The Sandfighter

Watch The Video

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Falcon
Year: 2008

For our 6th release on the indiecater label we’ve plumped for a Dublin band who’ve filled our nights and days with glee ever since their debut ‘Youth Is Wasted On The Young’ dropped in 2005. Our love for their indie pop gems all began with this song ‘Waves To The Shore’, a classic of its kind that may remind you of the cutest Belle & Sebastian romp. It is dosed in melodies, ancient organ refrains and the most dewey eyed boy/girl harmonies imaginable. The album is available to stream and buy over at indiecater for the pocket friendly price of €3.50. We’ve even introduced a discount option where you can get a few bob off if you purchase more than one of our records. See, you can still have access to the best music even in these recessionary times! KD

Michael Knight - Waves To The Shore

Watch The Video To Leaving Town

More Info: Indiecater
Buy Songs: Michael Knight
Year: 2008

Distil indie down to its purest form and out would pop the Sea Urchins. They were signed to Sarah Records and this song has the distinction of being the fabled label’s first release. ‘Pristine Christine’ has got the lot, the lo-fi fuzzyness, the fey boy vocals, the jangling guitars and the words about a girl who was just out of reach. I hadn’t heard this in years until I happened upon it quite by chance and suddenly realised how much I’d missed it. I’m sure the beauty could be lost on some but sometimes it’s the simple ones that become the most memorable. A glowing beacon from the past. KD

The Sea Urchins - Pristine Christine

More Info: Myspace
Year: 1987

As I’ve previously mentioned given Bradford Cox’s prolific nature you could easily power a blog with his giveaway recordings alone. Hardly bargain basement in nature either, just listen to his southern baptist remix of Stereolab’s ‘Neon Beanbag’ and you’ll see why he could yet become the messiah. The remix came about as Atlas Sound supported Stereolab on the early part of their North American tour. It must have been fun because that the only impression you could get from listening to ‘Neon Beanbag’. That and a hint of reindeer bells and you could have the best lead-into-christmas tuneage around. Stereolab's 11th album 'Chemical Chords' is out now.

4 minutes later, I’ve just heard the original version and apart from the baptist at the start there ain’t much new ground so let’s say on this one at least we are genuflecting towards Stereolab’s genius. KD

Stereolab - Neon Beanbag (Atlas Sound Remix)

Watch The Video

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Stereolab
Year: 2008

If this blog has done anything for me it’s opened my ears to music from places I never expected to find it. Bologna isn’t widely renowned for its supply of indie stalwarts but A Classic Education are slowly beginning to change all that. I’ve had a particular affinity for this band having spoken on several occasions to lead singer Jonathan Clancy. The personal touch really makes a difference and A Classic Education strike me a particularly blog friendly type of act. Could pay dividends but I’m sure given their strike rate of great songs they may soon have more than just us fawning over them. ‘We Could Always Run To Hawaii’ is their latest tune, a freebie to keep us tied over until the next record. And a chipper little thing it is too, the sort of 2 and a half minutes that’ll always find favour with those partial to some splendid indie pop. KD

A Classic Education - We Can Always Run To Hawaii

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: A Classic Education
Year: 2008

Ryan Schmale is only young so he may still get a little frightened by scary movies. I know I was at his age but then I didn’t have 3 records to my name by then so he may have lived life a bit more. Schmale runs the good ship That Ghost and I only rumbled this beauty because of the night that was in it. And now I am so glad it’s Halloween because this is a lo-fi wonder, the sort that could become a sleeper hit in indie circles due to it’s uncommonly tunesome nature despite the hiss. It’s taken from his album ‘Young Fridays’ which was released earlier this month on twosyllable records. KD

That Ghost - Open Windows

Watch The Video

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: That Ghost
Year: 2008

I feel a bit more comfortable playing this song around Halloween because to be honest it scares me a little. Now I am a grown man but there is something undeniably creepy about the music that Asbury make. They’ve got that travelling vaudeville circus (with its inherent freaks and mysterious creatures) down to a T, something that those scousers Space were equally adept at pulling off. Asbury are from the other side of the world mind, L.A. to be precise and it’s David Franklin’s tortured voice that defines ‘Distance is the Difference’. I can confidently predict that this won't be on daytime radio but tune in beyond the witching hour and you’ll probably hear it haunting a scatter of lonesome DJ’s. KD

Asbury - Distance is the Difference

Watch The Video To Covered In Acrylic

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Asbury
Year: 2007