Indie Update

This Austin, Texas group certainly does not try to imitate, nor does its sound fit with some of the too fresh pop rock of the last five or six years. There is a taste of techno/David Bowie/British punk here as well. If you don’t believe it, just listen to "Firecracker Ova Looven" remix. I was not sure what I listened to at first, but I liked it. "Firecracker" (Playlouder 2007) is rather fascinating, actually. The keyboard creativity makes these tunes work, holding the crisp vocals together. Some may argue that this is not new or fresh. Others will not be so sure.

"Every Day" starts out innocently enough, a melodic tune that is easy on the ears. But why does this group’s music bring Andy Warhol and Devo to mind? I can’t quite make the connection. There’s something disconnected in there, frightening in the way that Warhol’s view of reality was. Then there’s that song "Your Biggest Fan" which for some reason reminds me of Donovan Leitch (Mellow Yellow), even of the Beatles in their Sgt. Pepper days.

Band members include Jason Chronis, Mitch Calvert, Matt Simon, Jared Van Fleet and Ramesh Srivastava. First formed about five years ago, Voxtrot only recently released a full menu of tunes for their growing number of fans.

Voxtrot at MySpace

Tags: music, voxtrot, indie, indie music, independent music

In most records of the alternative music scene, the 1990s is considered a decade of explosion for this genre. In keeping with that theme, Jim DeRogatis penned a book that drew immediate attention on publication. "Milk It" (De Capo Press 2003) was soon hailed as a "cool book" (Gina Vivinetto, St. Petersburg Times) and a book of truth that pulled no punches (Dave Chamberlain, New City).

His subjects included Kurt Cobain just months before he died, Arrested Development (DeRogatis said this group best "updated" the feeling of Woodstock ‘69), and Pearl Jam. This very brief list of subjects from DeRogatis’ tenure as pop music critic for the Chicago Sun Times does little to show the breadth and depth of the writing this fellow offered in the Alternative Nation decade.

So what is DeRogatis up to now, during this explosion of indie music that includes everything from legitimate rock/alternative groups to single artists who just want someone to listen to them? In 2002 he was still at the Sun Times as pop music critic and hosted a radio show called Sound Opinions. In 2006 he published a book about the Flaming Lips: "Staring At Sound: The True Story of Oklahoma’s Flaming Lips" (Broadway Books 2006). Apparently he still has something to say about the fascinating world of alternative and independent label music. www.jimdero.com

Tags: music, indie, independent music, indie music

It seems this New Jersey pop/rock band has had a fairly nice run of things in the last four or five years, with CDs in 2003 ( Reinventing A Lost Art), 2005 (New American Saint) and the most recent 2007 offering (The Promise In Compromise). The crisp rock style of Tokyo Rose has been reasonably popular in this period, but still the new CD is partly a reaction to the unkept promises we find around us everyday.

On their Web sites and in interviews, band members have expressed the disappointment in some of their music industry experiences. Yet, the new CD is not a screaming/growling angry collection. In fact, "Right As Rain" has some nice guitar breathers in it and is quite melodic. Overall, the band’s sound is still crisp, with a tight snare beat on this tune.

"A Pound Of Silver" is not noticeably different in style or finished sound, while "Less Than Four" has a more attention-getting start. The rhythm in this tune is up a notch and that’s OK. There is also a bit more guitar exhibition here. The bass work on "611 Life Lesson" is good, though the band settles into the meat of the song and "611 Life Lesson" is similar to the first-mentioned tunes.

"We Can Be Best Friends Tonight" may be the most noticeable/memorable song because of the real difference in sound. There is some good drumming here, such as with the shuffle beat. Current band members are Ryan Dominguez (vocals/guitar), Chris Poulsen (bass), Jake Margolis (drums). The group has had numerous line-up changes since its inception in 1999.

The group’s "sound" is not surprising, considering influences of jimmy eat world, fall out boy, taking back Sunday. A lengthy tour continues through January and part of February, covering a good portion of the eastern U.S.

Tokyo Rose at MySpace

Tags: tokyo rose, independent music, indie, music, indie music

I just was notified that the Indie Venue Bible has been released. This is a directory aimed at touring artists providing listings of over 26,000 music venues and 2000 booking agents in the US and Canada.

The venue directory includes anything from clubs to churches and community centers. There are even over 1000 colleges if you are thinking of starting a college tour.

The product is from our friends over at The Indie Bible which has been a proven tool for independent artists.

Tags: independent music, indie music, music, indie

With the goal of making fun music that is still clever (according to their Web information) Jonezetta achieves that to some degree with "Love That Carries Me" from Popularity (Tooth and Nail, 2006). The straightforward beat and a rhythm that is not complex carry this tune. "Bringin’ It Back" from the same CD, is also simple pleasure. The Jackson, Mississippi group does not try to overdrive its rock and roll, letting uncomplicated vocals and lyrics do the work.

In contrast, Imagination starts off a bit more slowly, a listening ballad at first. Things pick up somewhat as the song moves on, to more closely resemble the other selections from this CD. "Man In A 3k Suit" blisters it a bit more, attacking "Mr. Bigshot." But all seem to serve the goal of keeping music intelligent and danceable at the same time.

Robert Chisolm is the Jonezetta face up front, trying to encourage the crowds to participate and break down barriers between individuals. As the band describes it, the idea of having a musical group started as a "lark" and turned serious when the individuals found that their idea could achieve something more. Members listed on the current Web site include Kyle Howe, Ty Garvey and Tim Jordan.

The band recently played as part of the Unsilent Night (December 28 – Plano, Texas) and plans to play additional dates in the great city of Austin, Texas again. Keep an ear out for ‘em.

Jonezetta at MySpace

Tags: music, indie, independent music, indie music, jonezetta