Indie Update

With help from his friends, Cary Brothers offers listening music in the folk ballad genre along with more percussion/guitar influenced rock ballads. In many cases, Brothers puts emphasis on acoustic guitar, soft percussion meant to hold the music and dynamics that are only possible with a soft beginning. "If You Were Here" begins with the softest of guitar and vocal, builds to strong pseudo-finish, then drops to the softness of the song’s start. This attention to structure may be one of the most important factors in Brothers’ popularity. But you can’t discount his experienced voice, often balanced by clear female vocals. "Ride" and "Blue Eyes" are a fantastic listen.

Brothers, a native of Nashville, uses influences of the 70s and 80s, along with a nod to New Wave, for his recorded efforts. He has been fortunate to see numerous uses of his songs on major television shows and he has worked with KT Tunstall, Imogen Heap and Liz Phair. Fine company indeed.

While Brothers is obviously the drawing card with this music, the "band" consists of a number of singers and musicians. Regulars are Jason Kanakis-guitar, Marco Meneghin-drums, and Matt DelVecchio-bass. The constantly changing/rotating cast includes more than a dozen contributors.

Brothers latest effort, Who You Are, (2007) features a song of the same name, the much-more-electric "Who You Are."But whether he is adding drums and electric guitar or strumming with a few friends, Brothers tries to deliver a message through his lyrics. He is currently involved in a massive tour that runs through three months (October, November, December)

Cary Brothers on MySpace

Tags: cary brothers, indie music, independent music, music, indie

Hey, "The Art of Losing" (2003) is a great song! Oh yeah, if you have listened to American Hi-Fi you already know that. I think TV’s Craig Ferguson would like this music. Oh yeah, he does.

But what is American Hi-Fi up to now? According to a journal entry by the band, they are working on a new album, while a couple of the members will be on the road with the Best of Both Worlds Tour (Miley Cyrus). "The Rescue" a 2006 effort, features some fine vocals (again) and a nice effort at lyrical communication. Just about everyone will enjoy the fun of "The Geeks Get The Girls." (2005)

Step back a couple of more years, to 2001, and consider "Another Perfect Day" a tune that begins with nice acoustic guitar and vocals. The song builds in intensity a bit, and the lyrics carry their angst throughout. Stacy Jones and Brian Nolan provide ear-catching rhythms on each tune, whether it’s the solid backup of "Another Perfect Day" or the great rhythms of "The Art of Losing."

The guitar from Jamie Arentzen in the 2001 song sort of reminds the listener of how Elliot Easton (The Cars) fits his guitar licks into a song without taking over a lead. Good clean stuff. Drew Parsons on bass hits the mark on "The Art of Losing" though most listeners won’t appreciate the contribution. Suggestion for those who haven’t listened to this experienced group – give a listen to "Flavor of the Weak" from 2001. The guitar is dynamite and the song’s message is worth considering. Note: Other musicians associated with American Hi-Fi: Jason Sutter.

As this hard-working group continues its professional existence, it will be interesting to see what the new collection has to offer.

 American Hi-Fi On MySpace

Tags: indie music, indie, music, american hi-fi, independent music

Personal note: A few years ago I went to Danville, Illinois to listen, at close range, to a hammerin’ group called Mustard Plug. As it turned out, I bought a T-shirt that had the indie label name on it, along with the great band name.

All Time Low is not Mustard Plug. Songs such as "Six Feet Under The Stars" are not a lot like music from that earlier group. The connection is that apparently the indie label, Hopeless Records, likes to take on talent and highlight it, as it has done with both bands. "Dear Maria Count Me In" not only has the high energy that All Time Low fans appreciate, it has a subtle rhythm change that will attract the attention of those music lovers who notice such things.

"Jasey Rae Acoustic" has a little different flavor, primarily because it is what the name implies – acoustic. The guitar work is fine, as are the vocals. The overall feel separates this tune from some of the others such as "Coffee Shop Soundtrack."

With a bass player named Zack Dangerous, you have to have some punk blood flowing through the band veins. And what’s with those briefs!? Oh well, they are young.

As the lyric states, "There’s a story at the bottom of this bottle."

All time low on MySpace

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The current lineup of A Heartwell Ending is based in Long Beach, California, the product of break ups in several local bands and the reformation as A Heartwell Ending. As band members emphasize, the concept of this project has been kept alive through hard work and focus, in spite of numerous changes in personnel that may have slowed things down.

Currently working with indie label Stand And Deliver, A Heartwell Ending combines clean vocals with energetic drumming and some keyboard work as well. The group has shared the stage with numerous other acts, including Mayday Parade, Bayside, Bleed The Dream and As Cities Burn.

"Realizations a Bitch" and "If Looks Could Kill" each give the listener a different feeling, but in the end A Heartwell Ending is a rock band defined by energy, exuberance and so on. The youthful openness of this group is more than evident in the public relations photo of the unclad members covering their "members." Drums stand out on "If Looks Could Kill" along with the percussion/back beat of "Memory" That song is different, to say the least. While the group works on a full-length collection of songs, A Heartwell Ending is also planning a tour of Canada. Suffice to say this group is still growing.

A Heartwell Ending on My Space

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This Providence entered the indie music scene from one of the hotbeds of youth music, Seattle, so be prepared for a bit of strong emotion and angst-filled lyrics. In fact, original members Dan Young (vocals, guitar) and Phil Cobrea (bass) make it a point to investigate and discuss personal/social issues in their music. But somewhere in the recipe listeners will find a dark sense of humor mixed with unique vocals ("A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing") as well as straightforward rock ("Card House Dreamer").

It may just be the choice of songs listened to but Our World’s Divorce (2004)might be just a bit more aggressive than the self-titled Our Providence from 2006. The vocal work is already strong in the earlier collection, such as with the singing on "Everyday." The atmosphere of that song is quite a contrast to the ballad-like "My Beautiful Rescue" from the later CD.

The current band biography includes Gavin Phillips on guitar and Ryan Tapert on drums, a slight change from the original. But the group seems content with the current makeup, planning a tour that will include Chicago, Minneapolis and Cleveland before several stops along the east coast (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island etc.). The current CD is a full-length effort on Fueled By Ramen.

This Providence on MySpace

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