Price: 8 euro cc

You know the score at this stage. Indiecater releases something and a couple of seconds later it is playing on your music player. That’s the immediacy of downloads and it is also the reason we have been able to keep our prices low. Despite all the advantages of mp3s though they are not the prettiest things to show your friends what a beacon of cool you are. Lots of you have told us this and today we are moving into stage two in the evolution of the label. From mid October we will be in possession of our first run of CD’s, a couple of weeks later the second release to be given the physical treatment will arrive. Our first foray is what we are here for today however and it is the CD version of Candy Claw’s ‘In The Dream Of The Sea Life’. Hopefully at this stage you’ve established how great the Fort Collins act are, the reviews alone will show you we are not alone in our love of them. Their CD will be selling for €9 (which will include worldwide postage) but you can pre-order it for €8 today and as soon as the stock arrives we will post it on to you. Your pre-order will also include the download version of the album so you can enjoy it straight away before giving it the full stereo treatment in October.

Price: 7 euro (CC)

Listen To The Whole Compilation!

Free Download: Sweet Jane – Blackboots & Blackhearts

Indiecater Volume IV is our fifth compilation (the links to its predecessors are in the sidebar) and is probably our most ambitious one so far with a total of 19 tracks featuring the cream of the underground. Most of the tracks are of the indie rock/jangle pop variety although there are dashes of electronica and experimentation throughout. The hope is that it will give some much deserved exposure to these great artists and encourage people like you into further investigation of their back catalogue. Every one of the songs has appeared on our sister blog mp3hugger at one stage or another so we are delighted to make an official statement of our love for them! The majority of the sale price goes directly back to the bands so you can be safe in the knowledge that you are supporting independent music. Included in the download bundle are all 19 tracks, the original artwork and an information sheet.

We’d like to say a big thank you to all the contributing artists and their gracious labels for making this compilation possible. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have putting it all together.

Here is the full tracklisting (the first digital comp with 2 sides!)

Side A

1 Sofia Talvik – My James Dean (Stockholm)
2 Subplots – Politis (Dublin)
3 Marching Band – Aggravate (Linköping)
4 Office – Dominoes (Detroit)
5 Languis – Times Are Changing (Buenos Aires)
6 Mitchell Museum – Warning Bells (Glasgow)
7 The Love Language – Lalita (Chapel Hill)
8 FM Belfast – Underwear (Reykjavík)
9 The Second Hand Marching Band – A Dance To Half Death (Glasgow)

Side B

10 Princeton – Ms. Bentwich (Eagle Rock)
11 The Uglysuit – Chicago (Oklahoma)
12 Roofwalkers – Tear Down The Tents (Washington)
13 Warpaint – Bille Holiday (Los Angeles)
14 Black Nielson – Love Song To Chan Marshall (Southampton)
15 Sweet Jane – Blackboots & Blackhearts (Dublin)
16 Zinedines – Twice Upon A Time (Muro)
17 Delorentos – Solitude (Dublin)
18 Honeyheads – Out Of Marseille (Hamburg)
19 Shout Out Out Out Out – Guilt Trips Sink Ships (Edmonton)

Early Press

Knox Road

…plenty of underground gems…

Elsewhere
Primeros Pasitos, Thumped, Hits In The Car, Strange Glue.

]]> http://www.indiecater.com/2009/08/indiecater-volume-iv/feed/ 0 http://www.indiecater.com/2009/08/candy-claws-in-the-dream-of-the-sea-life/ http://www.indiecater.com/2009/08/candy-claws-in-the-dream-of-the-sea-life/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:20:25 +0000 indiecater http://www.indiecater.com/?p=1824

Price: 4 euro (CC)

Play The Whole Album!

Free Download: Candy Claws – Catamaran

We found Candy Claws bathing in the waters off San Esteban near the shimmering Panda Valentine archipelago and they quickly stole our hearts. Their debut album is our first dip into electronica and we think you’ll be enamoured. You know how that genre sometimes gives the impression that the machines hold sway, well ‘In The Dream Of The Sea Life’ wrestles the initiative firmly back in our favour. When you hear the ocean, it’s actually the sound of real ocean and those vocals, although somewhat digitised, are so inherently human it makes you feel good to be on the right side of artificiality. What is he talking about I hear you say; well this is just an ordinary man exuberant on the heart wrenching persuasion of this album. I listen and I sink into bliss. ‘In The Dream Of The Sea Life’ is as innovative as it is tuneful and in our estimation is one of 2009′s finest works. The album has been completely remastered for the occasion including brand new artwork.

As a special treat we have a limited edition CD, signed by the band, to give away to 10 people. The winners will be picked at random from those who buy the album over the next few weeks.

Ryan from Candy Claws now tells us the story behind ‘In The Dream Of The Sea Life’.

Aloha! Ryan here from Candy Claws. A little about ourselves and the album… Kay and I spent our first two years as a band writing and recording the music. It always had a nautical theme, perhaps because of the mystery of the ocean. Then I discovered Rachel Carson’s book, ‘The Sea Around Us’, hidden away on a shelf at my grandparents’ house, and the whole album came into focus. Miss Carson’s book, though scientific non-fiction, is imbued with such beauty and mystery, written in such elegant prose it feels more like poetry, a hymn to the sea. That’s what we were feeling for in our recordings, too, so we decided to make the album a ‘musical companion’ to the book. In June of 2008, Kay and I went to Italy with her high school art class, and recorded ocean sounds on the shores of Portovenere and Monterosso. Then in October I went to the Philippines with my mom, sister, and grandmother to meet our extended family for the first time. I recorded more ocean sounds at San Fernando and San Esteban on the island of Luzon. It was important to us to include sounds we had recorded ourselves, in places we loved, because sound effects tend to be gimmicky, but this way it seemed a lot more personal, and it’s exciting to be able to say the album was recorded in three different countries! Anyway, we made all the music in Fort Collins at a place called Flashy Storm, which is also called Ryan’s Bedroom when I go to sleep. Our favorite bands at the time, who really influenced the sound: the Beach Boys, Starflyer 59, the Lassie Foundation, My Bloody Valentine, Cornelius, and maybe you can guess a few more? Well, thanks for listening! See you soon!

(If you’d like to download this video and have bought the album just get in touch and we’ll send it on!)

Early Press

Cat On The Wall Interview
The Devil Has The Best Tuna Interview

Fense Post

…one of the most exceptional new bands to hit the scene this year…

Asleep On The Compost Heap

…it’s gorgeous…it’s the real deal…

Forest Gospel

…a completely wonderful surprise…

Knox Road

…incredible island-infused dream pop…

Newdust

…I can safely put this on the “Best of 2009″ list…

Elsewhere
Beer & Bands, De Ongeletterde Wanhoop, So The Wind Won’t Blow It All Away, Das Klienicum, Not So Fresh, Olive Music, Pretty Much Amazing!, The Needle Drop, Hot Biscuits, Everett True, See What You Hear, A Future In Noise, Stop Sleeping, You, The Philler, Swear I’m Not Paul.

Price: 4 euro (Currency Converter)

Have you heard many records lately that feel just at home when the sun is warm as when the snowflakes are about to form? Not many I’d wager but ‘California Trail’ is about to seamlessly fill that gap in your music collection. Adam & Darcie are a husband and wife team so it seems particularly apt that their vocals should complement each other so irresistibly. Both take on lead vocals at various points throughout but it is rare to find one voice operating unaccompanied. This is an album full of lush harmonies, delicate (and often intricate) instrumentation and a running order that never breaks the beautifully soothing flow. As the world around gets increasingly besotted by electro retro giddiness Adam & Darcie’s sophomore proves to be a calming antidote. ‘California Trail’ is getting its debut on indiecater, something that makes us feel very proud. We hope you like it as much as we do.

We recently asked Adam and Darcie to give us the lowdown on their writing and recording process and here’s what they said.

Adam and Darcie on writing:

Darcie: I’m very melody driven. Adam can construct a beautiful guitar part but until it has a strong melody that I can’t resist singing, it’s like a faceless person. Often, when I write a song I start with the melody.

Adam: For me it’s usually a matter of picking up a guitar and letting my fingers do whatever they want until something is sparked. After being moulded a while you start to see a song come to life. It’s always exciting to see what they’re going to be like, like they have a personality of they’re own. It’s also a great release in that you can express, comment, lament, celebrate, etc. whatever is going on in and around you in an almost subconscious way.

Adam and Darcie on recording:

Darcie: I usually saunter in, tell Adam to push the button, do a take, and then go back to my knitting. Truthfully, Adam is responsible for the flesh and bones of every song. Sometimes it takes a really long time because I’ll keep cracking up about a bum note or get defensive when Adam tells me I need another take. My parts usually get laid down 3/4 of the way into a song and Adam will then write a few more cool instrumentations over them.

Adam: At home. In the living room. The bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen, etc. In the spaces we live. As a result you can occasionally hear a chair squeak, or on our new album, the sound of our son in the background… they’re very subtle, and few and far between but when they’re there it doesn’t bother me.

Listen To California Trail!

Free Download: Adam & Darcie – Hands/Mind

Early Press

The Music Ninja Interview
Cluas Interview
Newdust Interview

The Churn

…Joy Zipper-esque warm indiepop…

Glorious Noise

…lovely, orchestral pop…

Elsewhere
Tenacious T, Scottish Friction, Lito Music, Das Klienicum, The Velvet Rut.

Price: 4 euro (Currency Converter)

Fans of a certain act from Manchester should be wearing a broad smile on seeing the name of this band. And if you are at all partial to tunes that are embellished with rolling harmonies and flowing jangle that particular facial expression should remain steady over the course of ‘The Seven Seas’ (it’s a Polaris Prize nominee after all!). Rishi Dhir is a veteran of the music scene, although ‘The Seven Seas’ is his first record since leaving the High Dials in 2006. Sounds to us like the break has done him real good because Rishi has managed to whip up an album of jangle pop delights with Elephant Stone. Not only that but he has also put his recent immersion into the world of the sitar to great use, with those Eastern influences forming an integral part of the album. ‘The Seven Seas’ is awash with great moments and its arrival at this time of the year means that summer just got a whole lot brighter. You can download the album and artwork for just €4, a small price to have you kissing the cotton clouds.

Listen To The Seven Seas!

Free Download: Elephant Stone – I Am Blind

Press Quotes

Quick Critique

…drifting from bliss to euphoria…

The Decibel Tolls

…punchy jangle pop and Indian-chic psychedelic flourishes…

Waved Rumor

…summery pop anthems…

Elsewhere
Tenacious T, Leonard’s Lair, The Midnight Cafe, Scottish Friction, Coast Is Clear, Ears Of The Beholder, Swear I’m Not Paul, Lito Music, The Philler, Indiependent Music, Eldur Og Is, Largehearted Boy, Speed Of Dark

Price: 2.50 euro (Currency Converter)

EP#5 from South Ambulance and there’s a sea change occurring. The melodies are still in abundance but this time they come fitted with a more pervasive sense of melancholy. If you peruse the lyric sheet from our past encounters there’s no mistaking that despite their hook filled tunes South Ambulance certainly have a skewed view of the world. You could miss it though as so often the words are masked by a jangling gaiety. EP#5 sees the gloom spread its tentacles and while the tunes are as pristine as ever you may find less occasion to grab your partner by the hand. The download bundle also includes two jaunty tracks called ‘Circling With Thee’ and ‘Rabid Ghost’ which up to this point were unreleased. Their spiralling choruses are worth the price of the EP alone. We adore South Ambulance, we really do. The hope is that you will too.

Rather than convolute with their thoughts on EP#5 South Ambulance decided that this quote from Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘A Descent Into The Maelstrom’ would suffice.

“Our first slide into the abyss itself, from the belt of foam above, had carried us to a great distance down the slope; but our farther descent was by no means proportionate. Round and round we swept – not with any uniform movement – but in dizzying swings and jerks, that sent us sometimes only a few hundred yards – sometimes nearly the complete circuit of the whirl. Our progress downward, at each revolution, was slow, but very perceptible.”

Tracklisting

1) Dear Mutiny
2) They Stick Together
3) What The Doctor Said
4) The Stay Away
5) Circling With Thee
6) Rabid Ghost

Listen To EP#5!

Free Download: South Ambulance – Dear Mutiny

You can listen to and purchase South Ambulance’s last EP with us (EP#4) over here.

Press Quotes

Citizen Dick

‘…bouncing bass line, softly delineated harmonies, catchy-as-hell melody and spiraling, gorgeous closing moments…’

Eardrums Music

‘…I liked South Ambulance in their Labrador days, but I think they are even better in 2009…’

Indie Music Filter

‘…love how this gloomy almost sea-shanty builds while maintaining that 6 beat clang…’

Elsewhere
Pasta Primavera, Tenacious Timothy, 5acts, Eldur Og Is, Soundsxp, Indie-mp3, Bleek Spook, Das Klienicum, Swear I’m Not Paul, Indiependent Music

Price: 4 euro (Currency Converter)

It’s been a couple of years since that great Canadian invasion, a remarkable period around the middle of the decade when it appeared as if
every new exciting act emanated from that part of the world. Things have quietened considerably but now and then something wonderful emerges. Hamilton is at the epicentre this time and the Rest are the ones pulling the strings. Curiously we came to know about this collective via their electronica side project Allegories but one listen to ‘Walk On Water’ quickly had us refocusing. The song is taken from the bands second album ‘Everyone All At Once’ which has been blessed with an epic grandeur that reveals umpteen secrets on close inspection. It is hymnal and flamboyant at the same time and evokes early U2 and that great fire of 2005 while still carefully negotiating its own path. We’ve been in touch with front man Adam Bentley for a couple of years but when we suggested that he consider digitally releasing ‘Everyone All At Once’ through indiecater we weren’t necessarily expecting a positive. When it arrived we quickly scanned the nearest thesaurus to find ingenious words that could adequately describe this wonderful album. Unfortunately they haven’t been invented yet so you’ll have to take our word for it. If that’s not worth the web it’s written on then you can stream the whole album to make up your own mind!

But first here is Adam giving us some of his inner thoughts about the record:

‘Everyone All At Once took shape over a two-year period of writing, recording and being patient. Sparked by a collective need for improvement and progression from out debut album Atlantis, Oh Our Saviour, we headed to a remote family cottage to write and focus on music. The results, we believe, are the best music any of us have been a part of, representing a period of excitement and growth in the band, and for a change this growth does not involve an additional member joining our ranks.

This is an album that we feel as strongly about each and every track, and in a world of expanding music more focused on the quick instant pleasures, we hope that you can completely fall into these pieces, finding new ways to listen, and varied interpretations around each word, tone, rhythm and melody.’

Listen To Everyone All At Once!

Press Quotes

Indie Rock Cafe

‘…full of harmonies, melodies and day-dream symphonies…’

Herohill

‘…the band’s melodies move along like ocean waves…’

Bringer of Song

‘…a cinematic energy, a driving-scene-montage thrum to the song that pulls me in…’

Elsewhere
Leonard’s Lair, Side One: Track One, Stop Sleeping, Yo, Swear I’m Not Paul

Price: 2.50 euro (Currency Converter)

We think the best time of the year to listen to indie pop is during the summer. What better way to experience sweet melodies than when the sun is shining and most people are on a 2 week sabbatical away from crust earning activity. This year our mission was to source the perfect summer soundtrack and we could think of no better band to achieve that aspiration than the Very Most. The Idaho outfit have had a productive 2009 with ‘Summer’ representing the 2nd instalment of a 4 part seasonal themed project they’ve undertaken with indiecater (part one is here). With the Very Most the rewards are instant (and enduring), their lyrics are universally joyous and the instrumentation is masterfully tailored by chief song writer Jeremy Jensen. We always find it a little incomprehensible that their pop nuggets aren’t the stuff of daytime radio playlist makers dreams. We’d love you to spread the word because the world needs tunes like these to cheer it up.

As ever you can listen to every song on this release and even download the sunshinetastic ‘You’re In Love With The Sun’ for free. If you’re suitably impressed at that stage all you have to do is part with €2.50 and all 4 tracks will be yours forever!

A big thank you to Julia Green for creating the EP’s wonderful artwork. If you’d like to read the lyrics from the EP click here.

Listen To Summer!

Free Download: The Very Most – You’re In Love With The Sun

***Spring/Summer EP Deal***

Add the Spring & Summer EP’s to your shopping cart and use the discount code ‘springsummer’ to get 50 cents off the total price. That’s 2 EP’s for €4.50!!

Press Quotes

Powerpopaholic

‘…gently tailored pop touched by magic.’

Another Form of Relief

‘…a thing of beauty…’

Venntertainment

‘will have you dreaming of sunny, sandy beaches and carefree days of youth…’

Elsewhere
Quick Critique, Popistant, Tenacious T, Russell’s Reviews, I Am The Crime, 180 Grados Largehearted Boy, The Culture of Me, Lito Music, Swear I’m Not Paul

Price: 2.50 euro (Currency Converter)

There is nothing more satisfying for a music blogger than to be there at the beginning of something special. It has happened once already and our instincts are telling us that lightning could be about to strike again with this new duo from Meath/Dublin called The Ambience Affair. Jamie Clarke and Marc Gallagher have only been playing together for a few months but their debut recording is something to behold. The 4 track ‘Fragile Things’ EP was released as a handmade limited edition in February and we got wind of the title track soon afterwards. My first impression was that it didn’t sound like an Irish band, especially one taking its first tentative steps. Here were 2 young lads sculpting experimental sounds that on closer inspection also revealed wonderful tuneage. That the instrumentation is mostly acoustic makes what happens sound all the more exciting. Add in Jamie’s intense vocal bursts and you have a recipe that will have the listener salivating for the Ambience Affairs’ next bold move. The sparkle is evident for all to see and we’re confident that this is the beginning of something really special.

Jamie gave us a bio for the band and an account of how the EP was made.

“The Ambience Affair are a two-piece from Meath/Dublin who combine looped vocals & guitars together with driving rhythms to create songs that are both captivating and original. The EP ‘Fragile Things’ was recorded in 3 days in Dublin and was the band’s first ever experience recording.They’ve been together 10 months after Jamie met Marc in the music shop Jamie had just started working in. Jamie was looking for a drummer previous to this and Marc came to one of his solo gigs and decided there was enough there to start the band.

-Jamie”

Listen To The Fragile Things EP!

Free Download: The Ambience Affair – Fragile Things

Press Quotes

Venntertainment

‘Layered guitar over immediate vocals and tight-as-a-duck’s-arse drums…’

love shack, baby

‘it’s happy/sad/angry all at the same time and it makes me want to dance and cry…’

Elsewhere
Swear I’m Not Paul, Largehearted Boy

Price: 2.50 euro (Currency Converter)

Ever since we laid ears on ‘Die 5times Times5’ back in 2005 we knew this band were special. Who else could pour vitriol so eloquently within the confines of a shoegazetastic tune? The track was taken from South Ambulance’s self-titled debut and what a magical piece of work it was (much like everything that Labrador turns its hand to in fact). Fast forward 4 years and it really puts a siren in our emergency vehicle to be able to offer up the bands latest series of EP’s. EP#5 and EP#6 will be along later in the year but for now we can celebrate in the melody doused aroma of EP#4. South Ambulance come from Sweden so you know the goods on offer will be quality. What makes this digital release even sweeter is the bonus track ‘Kinky Love’. This is a cover of the venerable Pale Saints track (which in itself was a cover of the Nancy Sinatra original) and is every bit as good as the original. And as an ageing shoegaze fan myself I feel comfortable in that assertion. EP#4 costs just €2.50 which makes it cheaper than chips and a good deal less fattening.

We spoke to the band recently and they told us about the EP.

“Hello everybody. Sitting in the attic among our half forgotten fortune telling accessories on one particularly windy night, we decided to lay some cards. After some turning and reading in the halflight it was clear it’s high time you all heard more from us, South Ambulance. While we were at it we dusted our age old Ouija board as well to give it a go. It repeatedly spelled out the well-used number 3, and so this is the number of EPs we’ve recorded, and which we’re proud to release through Indiecater this spring. We’re starting out with EP#4, which contains songs of little contemplations on death, desperate space travelling, and sudden ageing.

/South Ambulance, March 2009″

Listen To EP#4!

Free Download: South Ambulance – Davy Crockett

Press Quotes

indie-mp3

‘blissful 13 and a bit minutes…’

Fingertips

‘Friendly, skewed, comfortably messy, unexpectedly melodic…’

How Marvellous

‘it’s all tuneful & harmonious & vocal ‘ba ba ba’s'…’

Elsewhere
Indie Surfer, Indiependent Music, The Velvet Rut, Lyrique La Discorde, Burning World, Coast Is Clear, bleek spook