The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - River City Extension

River City Extension are an indie rock band from Toms River, New Jersey who marry elements of 70's rock, Americana and folk to make indie opuses. They cite their influences as Bruce Springsteen and Yeungling while liking artists like Paul Simon to My Morning Jacket to Reni Magritte. There is a little of Blinded By The Light in the featured track.

White Blackmail (March'15) juxtaposes crying guitar and a maudlin vocal in tone and lyric,"I've been down so long I don't know what I'm fighting for", with a jiggy beat that leads to a final ecstatic indie all in. There are even a few bars of violin and piano to intensify the dramatic weight. Listen carefully for a 'whoa' and a 'hey'. That's indie gold right there son. Good as gold. Just like a Compton pimp, River City Extension use all the tricks and White Blackmail is gonna love you up. Hard. White Blackmail is a spine tingling majestic bird taking flight and one of the best indie songs of 2015.

"For you my heart will always bleed

I love you honey, take what you want from me".

 

 

 

Shit you really need to know:

River City Extension have been together since 2007 and White Blackmail is off their third long player Deliverance.

The band have described White Blackmail as about being in an abusive relationship with their art.

The album Deliverance is about conquering self-doubt through self-worth and is "passionate" and "expansive" according to this review and having "bits and pieces of awe and wonder" by Under The Gun Review.

River City Extension have been compared to Counting Crows and Vampire Weekend. Others are brought to mind of Mumford and Sons and The Avett Brothers.

The band have been touring with Air Traffic Controller to promote their new album this year.

River City Extension do nice things like hand writing their lyrics for fans and making personalized mixtapes of their songs for fans.

The not to be missed River City Extension songs are Our New Intelligence and If You Need Me Back In Brooklyn.

Slippery seconds is the best indie song of 2014. Period. The Californian indie rockers Cold War Kids and their appropriately named gem First (2014).

“There comes a time, in a short life
Turn it around, get a rewrite”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus Dimed Out (April’15) is as written on the tin: balls to the wall for three minutes. Furious punk with a plenitude of melodies running under, around and inside it. It even has a violin. But it doesn’t have 80’s synths and girly man vocals. So there’s that. The vocals are a bit buried but tough tits. 

For lovers of God honest punk rock here is a song about reveling  in hedonism and giving it everything you got. You should give it everything too. Any punks out their will be happy as a pig in shit with this head-banger. Run out and get this one because this rampant fucking rocker is one of the best indie tunes of 2015 and any year for that matter.

“I'll incite a riot, fire flying all around
When I'm crying out, I'm howling with the wild hounds”

 

Titus Andronicus fights out of New York by way of Glen Rock, New Jersey. They are a punk band who have been pumping out the hard rocking tunes since 2005. Dimed Out is the first single from their concept rock opera album A Lamentable Tragedy (July’15). A double CD and triple LP. The greatest album Titus Andronicus have created to date and the greatest album of 2015.

Shit you need to know:

Rolling Stone described Dimed Out as “blending the breakneck, bare bones stylings with the ambitious orchestral flourishes”. Flood Magazine called it “a passionately delivered anthem”.

The new album includes a Pogues cover A Pair Of Pale Brown Eyes.

A lot of the bands earlier songs were inspired by reading Albert Camus.

Bands mentioned as influences are The Pogues, The Pixies, Neutral Milk, Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones. On the leftfield Patrick Stickles was influenced by the awesome Big Country.

Patrick Sickles is a rather cerebral man who embraces topics ranging from philosophy and Nietzsche, history, psychology and socio-political issues.

The lead singer Patrick Stickles is a manic depressive and said in the past “there were some dark times, you know? I was just fucked up.” Not surprising perhaps they have been through fifteen former members before settling on this five.

Need some more raucous brilliance? Try the screamers A More Perfect Union or In A Big City. From Lamentable Tragedy don't neglect to enjoy the brilliance of the classic rocking Fatal Flaw , No Future Part IV : No Future Triumphant , I Lost My Mind and Come On Siobhan.

Stirring the porridge is Fall Out Boy. Hugely successful pop punk rock band from Wilmette, Illinois and proof that there is no justice in this life while the fickle breezes of public taste blow .