The Dunwells - Colour My Mind

1. Who are The Dunwells? 

The Dunwells are an indie folk/indie pop band from Leeds, England. They have been making music since 2009 and have two albums. Colour My Mind bursts off their latest E.P. Colour My Mind (Dec’17). The Dunwells combine elements of both American and British music traditions.

2. What kind of song is Colour My Mind?

Colour My Mind is an indie pop song that builds into a big, chest beating, chorus. With hints of gospel the song is saccharine, middle of the road pap, but ultimately irresistible.

3. Who do The Dunwells sound like?

Mumford & Sons, Bronze Radio Return, and Fleet Foxes.

4. What has the music press said about Colour My Mind?

“A band that blend together to deliver some stunning harmonies”- Indie Band Guru. 

“Stellar vocals” – Indie Obsessive. 

 “Pure joy” – Flick Of The Finger. 

5. Which bands have influenced The Dunwells?

Bob Dylan, Motown, Crowded House, Foy Vance, and Elbow.

6. Why should I listen to Colour My Mind? 

Because the song has an interesting blend of musical traditions. Because you love heart warming, singalong, indie pop with soaring choruses.

7. Do the band have any more bangers?

Hey Now, Fire Down and Battling Life.

8. Any more?

Nah.

The Family Crest are an orchestral indie folk/rock band from San Francisco, California. They have been together since 2008 and have recorded two albums. The Family Crest are similar to Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear. Sparks is the lead single from the E.P. Prelude To War (April'17). Paste Magazine described Sparks as, “A thunderous opener with a galloping, racing pace.” The song is breathtaking and emotional.

Royal Canoe - Walk Out On The Water

1.    Who are the lads?

Royal Canoe are an indie pop band from Winnipeg, Canada. They have been making tunes to get down to since 2010. Walk Out On The Water (Sept'16) is a single from their third album Something Got Lost Between Here And The Orbit (Sept'16). 

2. What have they got to shout about?

Walk Out On The Water burbles along saturated in saccharine-sweet pop and unremarkable until the gospel chorus arrives. And it's a beauty. Like a fat rail; instant gratification and you'll be coming back for more far too soon.

3. Who do Royal Canoe sound like? 

The tune minds of Strangers You Know, The Young Wild or even Yeasayer.  Indie Shuffle were feeling tUnE-yArDs, Mura Masa and Hozier. Opinions. Everyone's got one.

4. What have the pricks in the press said about Walk Out On The Water?

“Fun, experimental surprises” – Ride The Tempo. 

“The chorus provides a hook that runs through your mind for hours” – The Nu World. 

“A pretty unique sound” – Indie Shuffle.

5. Which bands have put the soul into Royal Canoe?

The big influences on Royal Canoe are Beck, The Knife and Outkast. Dr Dre and Snoop Dog are thereabouts too. 

6. Why should I give Walk Out On The Water a moment of my precious time?

Indie pop. Gospel. That's the good stuff right there. A song with emotional haft and to get you on the good foot too. The chorus is a treasure.

7. Do Royal Canoe have any more good songs?

Not for my money.

8. Any more words muppet?

The album Something Lost Between Here And There was co-produced between the band and Ben H Allen who has done nine to five for Cee Lo Green, Bombay Bicycle Club. M.I.A. and Deerhunter among others. 

“I’m strong enough to bleed”

Only Real is Niall Galvin, an indie pop rock musician with a fat wedge of hip hop elements in his music. His music is similar to Beck and he has mad love for Kanye West, Dangermouse and Grimes as well as guitar music. Only Real have released one album, Jerk At The End Of The Line (2015). On that album is You Can't Get Happy, one of two hit songs off the album and a song that Stereogum described as “melodic rap sung lyrics while riding a dreamy pop groove.”

“Do you think of me at all?”

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - The Young Wild

The Young Wild’s Not A One (Feb’15) is a fucking stomping tune. The white boy gospel soundalike over a big ass dragging drum beat and quiet loud Pixies dynamic is coupled with, ‘we’re taking ourselves seriously’ expansive lyrics, to make a righteously awesome tune. It's a banger.

 

 

Starting a song with big 80’s pop synths, ballad style, is a statement of intent and sure enough there isn’t any grit here. It’s big, airy and soulful. You’re either on board or not. If you're on the good ship lollipop you turn up the volume as you drive down the highway singing “not,not, not a one” as you embrace the tune’s epicness. This indie clap and stamp romp is one of the best indie tunes of 2015.

“They’re never gonna take us alive,

Together in the great unknown”

 

The Young Wild are a modern rock band from San Diego and Los Angeles. They have been making tunes since 2014 and have a short player in the vault. Not A One is a standalone single.

Shit you need to know:

Not A Onehas been described as a “spiritual” song and “a foot stomping anthem.”

The Young Wild’s music has attracted labels like "catchy chantable pop.”

On the topic of Not A One the tunesmith opined, “This song is for people who are in a place that don’t feel it’s where they want to be, whether it’s socially, based on location, or emotionally.”

Of their craft the singer and songwriter said,“we want to make it reminiscent of music we heard as 80’s babies growing up.”

As for influences...the band might not hate Bruce Springsteen or the Tree Rings but that’s just conjecture. The facts are the band really like Feist, the Allman Brothers and Michael Jackson.

Other goodies from The Young Wild are Moment Goes and Silhouette.

 

Slippery seconds is Switchfoot because they were touring partners with The Young Wild. This is the best barn burner from the hugely popular Californian alternative rockers.

Hold on to your seats, here's Mess Of Me (2009).

“I am my own affliction
I am my own disease
There ain't no drug that they could sell
Ah, there ain't no drug to make me well”

 

 

 

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - Wulf

 

The first thought listening to Wulf's Fire (Nov’14) is that there is an epic grandeur created by this piano to the fore indie rock song. It’s spectacular. Like One Republic maybe. Remember Apologize? No me neither. How about J Roddy and the Business, Don’t Break The Needle? Well you fucking should, that’s gold right there son. Well piano, on rare occasions, works a fucking treat in indie tunes, as observed in that Boxed In song reviewed last week, and it sure as shit works here. This is on a par with Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino for piano awesomeness.

 

Back to the song in hand. A stomping beat kicks Fire off with great piano sweeps and then the song drops to a whisper, wringing the alternating quiet loud dynamic for every drip of sweaty goodness. A song dealing with depression it sure is all encompassing and that may just be the point. Don’t be put off, in every life a little rain must fall, and if it creates amazing songs like this, thank fuck, cos this is one of the best god damn indie songs of 2015.

“If I burn all these bridges to ground
Now would you come find me?”

 

Wulf are an indie rock band who come from London and have been destroying it since 2013. Fire comes charging off their debut short player Lairs (Feb’15). They describe their genre as “Hammering Pianos”.

Shit you need to know:

Listening to Fire Indie Shuffle were minded of good Jack White songs and said the band are “…akin to any stadium rock band a’la Arctic Monkeys or early Muse”.

The band themselves simply said their song is, “Gospel. Rocking. Piano!”

The band have been compared to early Cold War Kids and Clash Music said they are “rooted in pop classicalism” and are “strident, confident…” Clash Music also felt the song Lairs was heavily influenced by Paul McCartney.

Wulf supported the New York indie rock band American Authors in 2014.

The trio have all taken Wulf for their last name, at least on their Facebook page, possibly in homage to The Ramones or just for camaraderie, either way it's a hot stepping move.

If you want to check out more Wulf Waves is pretty good.

 

 

Stirring the porridge today is the indie rock band American Authors. Hard to choose between all their good tunes but for pure fun try Hit It (2013).

"Up and down, jump off the deep end..."

  

 

 

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - The Charlatans

The Charlatan’s Come Home Baby (Dec’14) starts out all big bass and drums with the guitar as able assistant. But the soft emotive voice of Tim Burgess really carries Come Home Baby to the promised land. Come Home Baby creates a moody movie soundtrack moment, something chill and existential. Come Home Baby won't make you scream like a girly boy, run out and bend over for The Charlatans. But it is very good.
 

The chorus comes on a little stronger, the tempo lifts and the song ends with a choir in support in a celebratory mood. Nice. A song celebrating love and it's rehabilitation, a cool tune for relaxing moments, Come Home Baby is one of the best indie songs of 2015.

“We are working it through,

Solution for you and for me,

Nothing between what will be”

The Charlatans are an English indie rock band started in 1988 from a very small town Northwich, in Cheshire. Come Home Baby is the third single off their twelfth, you read that correctly same as the months in the year, album Modern Nature (Jan’15).

Shit you need to know:

People have said Come Home Baby has a, “…soul groove, a hint of bouncing disco rhythm” and a “…big, bright sing-a-long chorus of joyous vocals backed with soaring harmonies.”

Modern Nature was produced by the band and Jim Spencer, famous for working with Oasis, New Order, The Cribs and The Vaccines.

The Charlatans got three drummers in to replace the one who died of a brain tumour. One from New Order, one from the Verve and one from Factory Floor.

 

The Guardian reviewer thought Modern Nature best album of The Charlatans' career saying they “…come good on their upbeat promise.”

 

Clash magazine were more circumspect saying Modern Nature was a step forward in the evolution of the band and that it has seventies disco and gospel influences. The band have said they wanted to make a more soulful record.

 

The singer has mentioned Shaun Ryder of The Happy Mondays as a huge influence as well as The Stone Roses, Iggy Pop, Ian Curtis and Mick Jagger. Apparently the band pitch a tent to Bob Dylan too.

 

The Charlatans will probably be forever synonymous with The Stone Roses, but also other Brit Pop bands of the early nineties like The Inspiral Carpets, Ride and The Wonder Stuff.

 

The Charlatans supported The Who and The Rolling Stones in big ass stadium concerts in 2007.

 

The Charlatans’singer, and barber dodger, quite liked his drugs. At one time he moved in with his drug dealer and had a habit of asking people to blow cocaine up his shit box.

 

The Charlatans tunes to make you a believer are The Only One I Know, So Oh, How High and One To Another.

 

Sloppy seconds is a little bit more of the Manchester sound and the indie rock band Wonder Stuff with their only UK number one Dizzy (1991). A fun bubbly pop number.

“The first time that I saw you girl

I knew that I just had to make you mine”

 

 

 

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - The Score

The Score's Oh My Love (Jan’15) sees grown men banging on about love and they “feel my heart beatin out my chest” in this self-described ‘carefree Sunday Cali’ song. It'll either make you want to chuck chunks or singalong.

 

Oh My Love is cheesier than your neglected granddad's dick-flap. Yet with the happy factor dialled up to, wait, that's off the fucking charts, and a dose of big drum, this song totally pulls it off, thanks in main to a bit of a gospel ring to the vocals.This song should have been a sunshine and cool breeze summer radio classic.

“Oh my love let me be your fire
We're a thousand miles up and about to get higher
Feel my heart beating out my chest
You're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed”

 

Eddie Anthony and Edan Dover are a crafty pair of musical careerists with big press behind them, “Everything about this band tells us they are on the verge of exploding…”.

The Score have two E.P.’s and this stand alone single to their name. But all things being equal, this is the hit.

Ingredients in The Score's potpourri include playing pop punk tunes by the likes of Taking Back Sunday and Fall Out Boy. One of the dudes is into jazz piano and they both like soul music.

Shit you need to know:

Both men were quite successful in New York City but gave it all up to find the big time in Tinsel Town. Oh the derring-do of these bold two. Bet they are enjoying the beaches.

Are you feeling the love? Are you looking to score more? Try this goody, Catching Fire (Mar’15).

 
What I can offer you after that aperitif is the main fucking course. One of the chosen few, one of the greatest punk bands to ever grace the earth, the Korean ska-punks and heroes of the republic, Crying Nut. This is their run for cover, fan favourite Ride The Horse (1998).

These big bosses have plenty of high calibre in the case if you want to go dipping in their well of goodness.

 

Good bastards to a man and rock legends all.

 

The Best Indie Songs of 2014 - The Kooks

Don’t over think this one, just enjoy The Kooks Down (April '14). No, it’s not better than Naïve but is a little bit funky, a little bit gospel and a little bit rock’n’roll. Suspend disbelief and the cringe reflex and just get …down down diggy de down down.diggy de down down.

 

 

The Kooks are from Brighton, England and have been getting jiggy with it for ten years, yes really, a decade.

Self-described genre-hoppers, this month The Kooks released their fourth album Listen which includes the bangers It Was London, Forgive and Forget and Around Town.



The Kooks and The Kaiser Chiefs go together like S&M and whips so with no further ado here is The Kaiser Cheif’s best barn burner I Predict A Riot (2004).