Since the New Young Pony Club debuted their 2007 album, Fantastic Playroom, newfound fans have found themselves with bated breath for the upstart band to once again bring forth another consistently steady lineup of contagious beats. After 3 years of painful silence, on second thought, eardrum recovery, NYPC has once again delivered, this time with even more substance to back up their head-bobbing ebb and flow. The Optimist, as their second CD is titled, makes good on its clever name, coming together across each individual track to form a savvy, cohesive record, a more complete work than their already praiseworthy first effort. (more…)

Athens, GA, in addition to being consistently ranked among the top college towns in the world, is a hotbed for local music that breaks big on a national scene. Home to now famous acts across a variety of genres such as R.E.M., the B-52′s, Bubba Sparxxx, Drive-By Truckers, Widespread Panic, among a host of others, music industry ears constantly leaning towards the northeast Georgia town in hopes of hearing the next big sound to come out of Bulldawg Country. Here’s a look at a distinct band that brings something a little different to the table.The District Attorneys play music with a quirky, original and clever approach, never accused of taking themselves too seriously. In short, the DAs (no legal background) make music that’s just plain fun to listen to. (more…)

With the advent of the internet as an easy to use promotional tool for the Everyband, not to mention leaps and bounds in terms of consumer grade studio equipment, making it possible to reach professional quality sounds in a true garage setting, the indie music scene is alive and well across the country. In fact, independent music production has never before been so within reach of mainstream commercial success. As a result, it can become tough to define exactly what qualifies as indie music, as even different individuals who claim to be tuned in to the genre may differ in exactly what that means.In its purest form, indie musicians are artists true to their trade, valuing the control of their music above sheer financial reward. Of course, who is to blame someone for being paid lucratively to follow their passion? As a fundamental principle, indie bands maintain control of their music as much as possible, often relying on channels outside of mainstream influence to be heard, whether it’s simple word of mouth, airplay on independent or college radio stations that cater less to major labels, and tour dates in lesser known venues, particularly at the upstart of a career. As a generalization, the term indie can be attributed to any musician within the network of independent record labels and/or underground music scene. (more…)