Archive for the Indie Folk Category
 I am anxiously awaiting the release of Iron & Wine’s new album, Shepherd’s Dog. The band’s website says that the album is due out 9.25.2007 and I just can’t wait. My experiences with Our Endless Numbered Days and Woman King have been good ones and I’m sure that Shepherd’s Dog will be just as cool.
Iron & Wine is Sam Beam with a little bit of female vocal help from his sister Sarah Beam. In the true Indie spirit, Beam single-handedly wrote, recorded, and produced his debut album The Creek Drank The Cradle and is totally committed to his music. Since his debut, Beam has added other band members and instruments to his studio recordings as he explores his folk sound.
Be prepared to slow things down a little with Iron & Wine, sit back and enjoy the floating acoustic guitars delicately wrapped with soothing vocals. On a personal note, I got married two weeks ago and Iron & Wine is just sappy enough to get me thinking about love and relationships but not enough to cause nausea. The feeling that pervades much of the music produced by this band is kind of dreamy and whimsical. The album cover for Our Endless Numbered Days is a depiction of Sam Beam laying in the grass resting/dreaming/relaxing and that is exactly the mood that his music will put you in.
Favorite songs are “Jezebel,” “Love and Some Verses,” “Promise What You Will,” and their cover of The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights.”
If you like Iron & Wine, try: Sufjan Stevens, Jose Gonzalez, Andrew Bird.
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 I don’t really know why I am so surprised by Okkervil River. Maybe it’s because they are from Texas (I don’t know of another Indie band from Texas, especially a band this amazing! Post a comment if you know of one), maybe it’s because the band has an organ (I am of the opinion that adding a rock organ to a band instantly increases it’s awesomeness), or maybe it’s because they write really solid Indie Rock. Whatever the reason, they are refreshingly good.
Their sound is a good mix of Indie Rock with some elements of Indie Folk infused throughout and laced with hauntingly mellow vocals and lyrics. I kinda hate to use the word “country” in any post, but the overall feel from lots of Okkervil River’s songs is kind of that of a backwoods bar band, very deliberate and dark.
Okkervil River has released some really great albums, (you really need to hear Black Sheep Boy) and they plan to release a new album in August. The band has also announced its Fall ‘07 tour schedule which you can check out on their website. Also, the band will release The Stage Names on Aug. 7th.
I’m also thoroughly impressed that so many of Okkervil River’s songs are available free for download…
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 José González takes simple guitar parts and makes them sound intricate and interesting. Debuting on the scene with a style and tone that modernizes classic groups like Simon and Garfunkel; Jose Gonzalez writes rich Indie folk music on his classical guitar to sooth the soul.
In spite of his name Jose Gonzalez was actually born in Sweden and uses his American-European roots to come up with interesting melodies alongside covers. The young artist has a solid command of his guitar and is able to make use of subtle emphasis to add an extra dimension to his guitar playing. His cover of “Heartbeats” (originally by The Knife) has gained recognition and been featured in an award winning commercial for Bravia. It seems strange to link to a commercial but if anyone hasn’t seen this they need to. It’s beautiful. (Click on read more)
His debut album (and only album at the time of writing), Veneer, is full of a subtle passion that any music lover can appreciate.
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It’s really hard to put into words how I feel about Sufjan’s music but I guess that’s just it, his music makes me feel, it’s emotional.
Sufjan is talented on some pretty rad instruments, most notably the banjo. He also plays the French horn, the guitar, various woodwinds, the drums, and the piano. Not only is he proficient on the instruments that he plays, but he is also able to write music that truly highlights the sounds of each instrument.
Sufjan Stevens is given credit for his part in the reviving folk music in the Indie realm. He has also set a very lofty goal of producing an album for each of the 50 nifty United States. He’s done Michigan and Illinois and we already enjoy loads of good music.
If you like Sufjan Stevens try: Andrew Bird, Tobias Froberg, and Jose Gonzalez.
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 Seriously, this guy is amazing! Andrew Bird is an accomplished violinist who is able to add that instrument along with some very impressive whistling to create a sound all his own. This is music that is hard to classify, there just aren’t that many artists out there that are doing what Bird is doing and it might be easier to list instruments that he can’t play instead of those that he can. His music can rock, it can make you cry, it can be fun, and at times, it can be ethereal; it’s just takes you somewhere else.
One thing that Bird and I have in common is that we both learned to play the violin by the Suzuki method which directly leads to one of our major differences, he is amazing on the violin and I gave up before I was 7!
It’s been a long road but Andrew Bird has worked himself into the Indie spotlight with albums like Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs and his latest release Armchair Apocrypha. Favorite tracks include “Sovay,” “Skin, Is My” and “Fake Palindromes” but to be honest, you really can’t go wrong with Mr. Bird.
Download “Heretics” from Armchair Apocrypha.
If you like Andrew Bird try: Sufjan Stevens, Jose Gonzalez, Tobias Froberg
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Kalai (Kaniela Ka lei Ali’i ‘O’Kalani Kala’i) was born in Hawaii, but raised primarily in Alaska. His musical styles include blues, folk rock, and acoustic. His fans usually also like Ben Harper, G. Love, Israel, Damien Rice, and he is much better than that annoying Jack Johnson. Give your ears the soothing sounds of “On My Mind” (available on his Myspace page). You can’t forget a crowd favorite, “Fear Not the Wild Things,” which combined with the music from the rest of his albums will convince you as it has me, that Kalai brings a new standard to the singer/songwriter category of Indie music. He has a super smooth and controlled voice, and is almost surgical with his clean and crisp guitar playing.
Nicknamed “The Hand” because of an enormous hemangioma that grew on his hand as a child, he has had to learn to live with constant pain in the affected area’s of his hand which he usually keeps wrapped and medicated. His sound is a mix of the areas and cultures which have influenced him through his life; the laid-back sounds of the Polynesian culture as well as the blues and folk styles of the mainland. One thing common in Blues music that Kalai is an expert at is ad-libbed, on-site song writing. Just as a he makes a joke or tells a story, he can immediately flow that story or joke into a completely original song.
On stage and in person, he is one of the funniest musicians you may ever meet, aside from Stephen Lynch of course. His humor and vocal tones when he is making jokes and teasing, have a strange but welcome familiarity, just like that of the late Mitch Hedberg. Even in the middle of a live performance, he once took a short time to make fun of me as I had to leave to take a phone call from a friend who was meeting me at the concert. By short time I mean 15 minutes, and by make fun of me I mean thoroughly embarrass.
If you are a big fan, leave a comment with your favorite songs and why you like Kalai.
Label type: Indie
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 Be forewarned: If you like mainstream bubble gum that you hear on your local Top 40’s radio station, you may not appreciate the wonder that is Beirut. I need you to trust me on this one, Beirut is worth a listen.
Beirut is a full-fledged Orkestar (orchestra) consisting of instruments ranging from accordions to cellos, and mandolins to trumpets. The band is headed up by Zach Condon, a 21-year-old from Santa Fe, New Mexico (of all places!) The music on their first album, Gulag Orkestar, is melodic and intensely emotional, carrying with it a feeling of a far off land and a much different culture. This music reminds me of the soundtrack to Everything Is Illuminated, but a review of that awesome movie is for another blog, another day.
My favorite song is “Scenic World” from the Lon Gisland EP (not Long Island) and other noteable tracks include “Mount Worclai (Idle Days),” “After the Curtain,” and “Elephant Gun” all from Gulag Orkestar.
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