Underground Bands and Indie Music Reviews

One of the questions that bears examining relates to indie groups, and what makes for a great group. Now, there are many indie groups of varying styles and skill levels, with some being obviously better than others.

I’m not really someone who hates mainstream music or derides indie bands that are good that end up making it big. In fact, I think the ones that make it biog do so because of their quality. I think the following factors make for a great indie group.

-Heart. Obviously, heart is something that is tricky to pin down, but when a group cares about their music, you can tell. Such love and devotion to the craft makes the music so much better. The difference is palpable.

-Uniqueness. While bands that make it big are often derided for being familair, i would argue that every group need sa unique aspect in order to do well. Such uniqueness is something to be prized for sure.

-Perseverance. The groups that work the hardest do the best.

In a way, I think its all of these traits that makes up a good indie group. It’s one of the main reasons why I don’t begrudge the groups that make it big. The effort and hard work and soul that goes into the process is something that is an investment into bigger things, with the dreams of the band riding heavily on it.

Righto! Today we’re gonna have a look at The Vaccines, and go over their influence on the indie genre.

Formed in 2010, The Vaccines have managed to rapidly climb in prominence in the least year, earning awards and accolades for their musical efforts. The band manages to blend several genres together while featuring an energetic punk feeling combined with a bit of their one style.

Their first album recently came out this year, featuring some of the hottest songs from the UK. While not predominant yet, The Vaccines are setting themselves up to become much greater than they currently are.

All in all, The Vaccines are shaping up to be a good contemproary Ramones for a new generation, and they are innovating along the way. This is a band to watch, since they have managed to gather so many accolades in the space of a year. Give them a try, and enjoy some of the bettering offerings of English indie music.

British Indie folk band Noah and the Whale lit up west-side Salt Lake City Thursday night with over an hour of “fun, fun, fun” and a generally- rocking time. The club-turned-music-hall “In the Venue” provided an up-close-and-personal experience with a band known mostly for light lyrics and jovial fiddling, yet whose depth continued to impress me as the night wore on.

Starting-tunes such as “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “Love of an Orchestra” soon gave way to somber, more melancholy melodies that accompanied slower beats and heart-felt lyrics. Those familiar with the Scottish Indie band “Frightened Rabbit” and American Indie rock band “The National” would recognize a similar depth of emotion that only profound lyrics and minor chords/keys can convey. It was a beautiful experience with a band that makes beautiful music.

There was a draw back, though, which at least came from the audience and not from the band, and that is that the biggest cheer from the audience came for “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N”, the first official single released from their new album, Last Night on Earth (March ’11). The song is by far the most popular off of their new CD, which I had actually never heard and up to this point, of the concert that is, had impressed me with the breadth of sound.

The opening beat reminded me of something I would hear on SLC’s 97.1, the kind of music made to make money instead of made to express and convey emotion. I immediately turned to my buddy and expressed this sentiment as swarms of teenagers gleefully danced and swayed to the jaded beats of past and present ‘hits.’ I guess I sometimes would like to forget that the music industry is, well, just that; I would prefer for music to be something individually experienced and thus varying in our likes/dislikes. Needless to say, and hence the need for this website, I was/am sorely disappointed.

But in order to maintain a positive tone on this review, 2 thumbs up for Noah and the Whale. They put on a great show in a venue that probably wasn’t meant for them, going so far as to say, “It was a 24 hour long bus ride from Vancouver, but I can tell you it was really worth it” and “You’re probably one of the best audiences we’ve ever had” (don’t quote him on it, ‘cuz the current city is always the best, right??!!). Their new CD is generally impressive, carrying on a great quality of work and continuing to expand the range of this particular Indie band.

For those true Indie lovers, Bahamas opened the show with half an hour of good roots Indie music. The Canadian musician gave off a great vibe and a had a great performance to boot.

To Bahamas, great opening, and to Noah and the Whale, fantastic finish.