Some of the best indie music venues in the country are a bit off the beaten path so if you’re sick of New York and LA, try out one of these other local hotspots. Get out your get wildblue and pack a bag, thoughsome of these great indie locations are quite a haul
Athens, GA – With more indie music venues than any small town should have, Athens is the music capitol of the south. There are cheap drinks, cheap shows and (more…)

Cage The Elephant is a five person band that hails from the southern state Kentucky. They emerged in 2008 with their self-titled debut album, their single “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” topped the charts in both the USA and UK. The group is hard to pinpoint to a specific genre, many would call them funk and punk rock and roll. Known for their very intense live performances, heavy guitar riffs and mixing in soul; they quickly garnered an underground following.

The band (more…)

Destroyer’s album Kaputt has a very unique and interesting sound. It is a mix of soft rock, romantic pop, and jazz that reminds the listener of an earlier time. The songs are deep, witty, and lyric-rich. This provides for a unusual experience that become better the farther into the album the listener gets. Two popular songs on the album include “Bay of Pigs” and “Chinatown.”

The Washington Post called the Kaputt album “Destroyer’s most impressive achievement to date.” And for good reason. The album is a (more…)

Sam Beam is a great crooner for the band Iron and Wine, fitting the ’70′s style groove of the music well. Iron and Wine started out in 2002, then, after releasing thier fourth studio album “The Shepheds Dog” in 2007, suddenly stopped making albums until now. “Kiss each other Clean” was released in January 2011 (courtesy of Warner Bros), making a great comeback with a mixture of old and new funk.

The amazing imagery starts with the very brilliant album cover, and continues through most of the songs. Favorite songs of “Kiss each (more…)

We love the “Black Rabbits” because they are one of Indie’s newest rock bands not selling out to auto-tuning technology. Their music is punchy featuring an energetic rhythm launching a listener into days of past with simplicity reminiscent of “The Turtles” combined with deep musical voices and harmonies comparable to “The Pixies.”

Although they lack global recognition (for now), this upcoming young band is obviously influenced by trendy bands of early “pop rock” like “The Monkees,” “The Animals,” and even “The Beatles.” Despite early influences heard (more…)

The idea had taken greater than 12 months of carefully protected discussions, however Dark Night of the Soul, a mystical recording by Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse plus David Lynch, ultimately received the official launch during the springtime in ’09, in spite of an unspecified argument among EMI Records and also developer Brian Burton (a. k. a. Danger Mouse). The recording was introduced July 13, 2010.

Danger Mouse and Mark Linkous (a. k. a. Sparklehorse) initially developed the concept meant for Dark Night of the Soul when performing collectively in the 2006 Sparklehorse recording Dreamt for Light Years (more…)

With the release of their sophomore effort Say It, Born Ruffians remain firmly entrenched in their ability to blend catchy pop hooks with often humorously jaded lyrics but also veer their hipster ship into some formerly uncharted waters. Vocalist Luke Lolande sounds less restrained, though the album itself is far more sparse than earlier work, and while some make the claim he has become a worse vocalist others may hear a voice that is far more willing to take risks with range and delivery. With (more…)

To aspiring artists, cracking the million sales mark for an album may seem like a dream come true, but what about achieving one million downloads? Many indie bands are taking that route to get their music heard, and the strategy worked marvelously for Sick of Sarah. The girls just reached the million download milestone, and in the process set a record as the all-time most-seeded Torrent.

It was simply a matter of cost-benefit, according to bassist Jamie Holm. She says (more…)

Some bands rely so heavily on poignant lyricism, it makes you wonder whether poetry or music is its root intent. The art rock musings of The Braids are unmistakably musical at heart, with lyrics seemingly stemming naturally out of melodious background rhythm. Would this album be a success without a single accompanying written word sung aloud? The bet hear is yes, but not to take away from the lyrics themselves, which are both thought-provoking in nature with impressive vocals complementary in sound.Only 7 songs long, Native Speaker‘s songs are a collection of calculated musical marathons rather than sprints, with tracks nearing the 9 minute mark and none shorter than 4 minutes and 25 seconds. Were we to offer a single criticism to The Braids second release, perhaps a minute here and there could be shaved in the spirit of time-saving, while still accomplishing a song’s objective. However, if left to choose between tossing out cookie cutter tracks for the sake of volume alone or Native Speaker as it stands, we would unquestionably opt for the 7 thoroughly developed, albeit longer, songs. (more…)

If an Indie spirit, wit and little twang sound like your bag, the Well Hungarians find themselves very musically endowed. Let’s be honest, with a name like “Well Hungarians” you can expect a boatload of confidence and ballsy performance on stage. Though the group does not hail from Eastern Europe as one might mistakenly surmise, their composite Far East St. Louis background, past the point where rap turns to rural, brings a sound straight from the Heartland. A blend of Southern Rock and Midwestern realism, the double edged band brings both lyrics that evoke a grounded sense of truth complete with a tune that brings crowds up out of their seat.Active since 1993, the New Hungarians released their first studio album in 1999, titled Framed. Though what most listeners would consider the bands breakthrough didn’t come until 5 years later in 2004, the Well Hungarians came out with Sorry ‘Bout the Mess, headlined by the title track. “Sorry ‘Bout the Mess,” describes the toll heartbreak can take on not only the mind but one’s surroundings. From spic and span to a dysfunctional pig sty, it typifies the effect one breakup can have across all aspects of life. The “mess” in question refers not only to physical surroundings but a general post-breakup state of affairs, including the questionable decision making that results all too often. An easily relatable song for listeners, the both inviting and apologetic “Sorry ‘Bout the Mess” helped the band to strike chords with new audiences, greatly raising the group’s profile. Just one of four nationally charting singles, it’s joined by “Rock ‘n Roll Singer,” “Betty Rides Around” and 2007 single release “Diamonds and Love” as the group’s most recognizable hits. (more…)