Wednesday, April 10, 2013

I is for Indie


Most of us automatically assume that, to be a notable artist in the music world, you have to get yourself signed to a label.
Hollywood, Columbia, take your pick.
But is that really the case?
No, as a matter of fact, it is not.
Some of the best written lyrics and tunes come from Indie bands.
For instance, Coldplay, The Killers, MGMT, Jimmy Eat World and more are all indie bands, AKA unsigned to a label.
So, no, you really do not have to be signed to a label to get noticed, especially now-a-days in a technological world where one tweet can get you thousands of followers.
So let’s pick out a couple Indie bands and go from there!


Action Item

A combination of pop, rock and a hint of blues, Action Item has created a sound all their own.
The New Jersey band formed in 2007 with a powerhouse of Brian Cag (Guitar/Vocals), Anthony Li (Guitar/Cello/Vocals), Mark Shami (Keyboard/Vocals), Dan Brozek (Drums) & David Buczkowski is the band to look out for!
Songs like the two featured off of The Stronger The Love Somewhere Out There and When Everything Falls Back Down are downright catchy and have meaningful lyrics. These boys definitely don’t do anything halfway and their work ethic and dedication is outstanding!
They’ve released a total of 3 EPs and have sold over 22,000 copies of their second EP, The Stronger The Love. They recently released their 3rd EP Resolution and have also started project Brave, based off their song Brave. The project donates a percentage of the earnings towards STOMP OUT BULLYING, which is an organization that helps put an end to bullying.
So definitely make sure to check them and watch out for them on the Warped Tour! Definitely try to meet them, because these guys love meeting their fans!


Neon Trees

You have probably heard these guys, whether you realize it or not. You may recognize these lyrics, “It started with a whisper, it happened when I kissed her.”
It seems to be a pretty popular song entitled Everybody Talks and is done none other than the Neon Trees off their second album Picture Show.
I don’t think one word and one word only could describe this band from Provo, Utah; fun, enthusiastic. Those could definitely be used. The bands songs are definitely bouncy and catchy, a term I seem to use often.
But I guess most of the music I like to pick is mostly happy, fun and bouncy. Who doesn’t love a good dance tune?
So, once again, check this Indie band out and enjoy listening to their music!

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7 comments:

  1. Rowena4/11/13, 4:51 PM

    Hi Kim, I've not heard of either of those bands but will try and remember to check them out on iTunes later. I love indie music, especially Coldplay and the killers, I'm going to see the killers soon :)
    http://designsbyrow.blogspot.com/

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  2. Linda Roy4/13/13, 6:31 PM

    Hi Kim. I'm glad to have found you - a fellow musician - and "I"tonically on the day you posted about indie music. I've got an Indie band called Jehova Waitresses and I write about it on my humor blog Mod Mom Beyond IndieDom, among other things. I'm doing a music themed AtoZ as well, but mine is of the snarky, taking the piss variety. I whole heartedly agree with the sentiments of your post and I wish more people realized that. Our society is so obsessed with going big or going home. I've been at this a long time and I can tell you that you can definitely accomplish a lot without a major label deal. Looking forward to reading more. :)

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  3. Lance4/13/13, 6:41 PM

    Found you through Linda, above. I'm a bad guitar player who write about music a lot. I recently published a novel about an indie female rock musician. Great stuff here.

    My current favorite Indie popular rock bands are Arctic Monkeys and the Shins. They have great lyrics and good guitar players.

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  4. Havalah Turner | Sisters, What!4/15/13, 9:02 AM

    I love indie bands and I love neon trees. I had no idea they were from Provo. I've never heard of Action ITem, but I'm going to try them out.

    Sisters, Sisters

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  5. Anonymous4/16/13, 5:09 AM

    Neon Trees came to Louisville a bit ago and I wanted to go so bad to see them but I wasn't about to go downtown ALONE. I'm brave...but not stupid. Still, I regret not getting a chance to see them. There are a lot of brilliant bands out that are Indi. :)

    Nice post!

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  6. Kate @ Another Clean Slate4/16/13, 5:14 PM

    Definitely some great indie music out there- thanks for sharing!

    Stopping by from the A-Z Challenge!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Arlee Bird4/17/13, 4:53 PM

    I don't keep up with music like I used to, but I'll agree that the Indie music scene produces some great material.

    Lee
    An A to Z Co-Host
    Tossing It Out

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