Here is a song from a real deal indie girl musician, songwriter and soul sister named Rosa Pullman. The first time I caught her live many years ago at the Enterprise Fish Company, I just knew she had something special. She did have any music up online back then, but now she does. Here is one of those songs, titled Daydreaming, that captures that essence of what I felt the first time I heard her. Players include Spencer Wright on bass, Matty Alger on drums, Mitch Grainger on electric guitar with Rosa Pullman on vocals and Wurlitzer piano. It was recorded and mixed by Mitch Grainger. Congrats to Rosa and her collaborators, for the song recently made it onto rotation in Starbucks! Hope you enjoy.
Learned about Short Sleeve Heart while listening to opening acts for Train co-founder Rob Hotchkiss who played at The Mint back on Friday January 29 2016. Liked this particular song titled Lone Lee. Hope you do to!
Below are the two most recently released Darwin Deez music videos from his new record titled Double Down. The first song below is titled The Mess She Made
Back in April 2012, we wrote about and featured the music and videos of Sting's daughter, Eliot Sumner. At that time her act was known as I Blame Coco. Click here to view that post. A lot has happened since then.
Eliot Sumner has been paying her music dues the old fashioned way, through trial and error. In Part I, below, Eliot explains that with her previous I Blame Coco material, after it was released and she listened to it, she felt "no relation to it". That is part of the trial and error music journey she joined before her adult life began.
But if you were ever a fan of her father and his band The Police, you will see and hear a bit of the Sting gene in Eliot. But, she is all original and not copping someone else's groove, including her father's. And it's a real delight to listen to, both that material she has moved on from, as well as the present.
Most recently, director John Lindquist, in association with legendary i-D Magazine which is now part of the growing & influential Vice media network, followed Eliot in Europe where she is the supporting act for Lykke Li's tour.
Tracks featured in the three candid videos below include Come Friday, Halfway to Hell, Wobbler and Information. All are originals written by Eliot Sumner.
Eliot Sumner's bandmates are Nick Benton (guitar), Jan Blumentrath (keys) and Adam Gammage (drums). We don't have links on the first two bandmates, yet, but you can connect direct with Adam Gammage at facebook.com/AdamGammageDrummer and at adamgammage.blogspot.co.uk where he has all sorts of great music links.
Those who were part of the production with Director/DP/Editor John Lindquist include:
Director of Photography: Isaac Eastgate
First Assistant Camera: Joe Bird
B camera: Liboni Munnings
Editor: Tom Chick
Sound mix: Ania Przygoda
Additional dialogue interview: Scott Normand
Associate producer: Shabana Mansuri
Special thanks to Ellie Shaw, Gavin Maxwell (Backline tech) and Sarah Boardman.
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Following up on a lead took us to the following artist and companies in The Netherlands. First, we were led to Tin Ear Management. Just below is an act they handle that is on the Quadrofoon label/imprint. Their artist calls his act Man From The South.
Please click the play button of the video below and choose the
high-resolution & full screen options. When this music video
ends, it will automatically be followed by many more excellent curated music videos. Press forward to
skip any video or click the reverse button to replay or return to
previous songs. Or, exit full screen mode to browse pick a new video.
Man From The South - Before The Flood (Track #1 on his Paeonia Album)
Ariel Scherbacovsky and Sagit Shir are Hank & Cupcakes, a unique indie husband and wife duo that founded their act in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2008, eventually stationing themselves in Brooklyn, New York. They happen to be the first act I ever followed on Twitter. I first featured them in 2011 here and here. Their most recent record is titled CA$H 4 GOLD. They are in the middle of a U.S. tour. Please check the dates at the bottom of this post. Just below are the official videos from this most recent record that have so far been released.
Please click the play button of the first video below and choose
the high-resolution & full screen options. When the first
music video ends, it will automatically be followed by the other
videos, and several more hours of excellent music videos if you choose
to let it roll. Press forward to skip any video or click the reverse
button to replay or return to previous songs, or exit fullscreen to choose a new video.
When one looks at the depth of Bob Marley's life, music and beliefs, it is clear he was a true indie leader of the Rastafarian movement and the entire world of music, not just reggae.
He was also a pioneer and leader for the reform of marijuana laws in an era where people routinely were imprisoned for a joint or a seed. He believed, as the U.S. government already knew but failed to mention, that marijuana and it's cannabinoid byproducts have healing powers.
Bob Marley was the ultimate indie artist who stuck to his principals that guided his light and shaped his sound. His family has chosen to carry on his legacy, while building their own through music and the Movement of Jah People, which they carry on with integrity at every turn. Bob Marley's music lives on, possibly stronger than when he was alive.
In honor of the 70th birthday of the humble legend, Bob Marley, the The Indies Network of music sites are all featuring classic and current music films and love from fans around the world throughout this week leading up to and beyond February 6, 2015.
Bob Marley painting courtesy of Shawn Voelker - ShawnVoelker.Com
There was a 60 Minutes with Dan Rather special on the Rastafarian movement that was shot in 1980 while Bob was alive, and was broadcast after his death in 1981. It included a segment on the life and influence of Bob Marley on music, politics and religion. It seems clear that he and the movement was seen as a threat by many in "the establishment", meaning those politicians, religious and other powerful figures throughout the world who talk about freedom, peace and love, but actually back tyranny and war.
It is unfortunate to see that issues of justice and peace in third world countries that Bob Marley championed long before he was given a UN Peace medal, have been pushed to the wayside by the powers that be.
However, if Bob Marley were alive today, he would no doubt be pleased with the direction of the decriminalization of marijuana and how far his family has carried onward with the movement. The Estate of Bob Marley has joined with the U.S. based Privateer Holdings, to create the world's first global Cannabis brand known as Marley Natural as a result of the rapid decriminalization and end of the prohibition of marijuana in the United States. We are living in new times, indeed.
Now here are some handpicked videos. Please turn up the volume.
Just below is an excellent live concert film of Bob Marley & The Wailers performing Trenchtown Rock, live at the Rainbow Theatre in London, England. "One good thing about music, when it hits you fell no pain... So hit me with music, hit me with music, hit me with music now..."
Bob Marley and The Wailers - Trenchtown Rock
On April 30, 1976, Bob Marley & The Wailers released the Rastaman Vibration album. the next two videos, Positive Vibration and Roots, Rock, Reggae, were on that record. Newly remastered singles, as well as the entire record, are available.
BUY MUSIC & MERCH DIRECT FROM ARTISTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE :)
A big thanks to Shawn Voelker for permission to use his artwork featured above. Connect direct with Shawn at ShawnVoelker.Com or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
Here is a act of substance out of Austin that we somehow never noticed until today. His name is Nakia and he has been around and has been paying his dues diligently. He has a whole story on the about page of his website.
I like this first live take video below and how director Jonathan Jackson captures, for the first few moments before the music begins, the vibe of the The Sahara Lounge, a music venue in Far East Austin, Texas. Appropriate for a song where Nakia shows off an undeniable Austin sound. Pieces and Castles was written by Nakia and Barry Goldberg, and produced in association with Johnny Lee Schell.
Nakia - Pieces And Castles
The next live take below was recorded during a Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill's during SXSW a few years back. Can't help but think of Joe Cocker a little bit.
Nakie - Parachute
And, here is one final live take that is a little reminicent of Chet Baker's vocal styling... Nakia sits down for for a recording filmed by Ehud Lazin with One On One during the Outlaw Roadshow.
Nakia - Get Hercules
A big kudos and thank you to Music Fog, Jonathan Jackson of One Point Pictures and Ehud Lazin of One On One for filming the above clips so well and making them available.
Off of the Silver Scream Records imprint is a interesting female bassist, composer, and singer named Olivia Anna Livki who also is known as LiVKi. She was born in Poland and raised in the Black Forest of Germany.
This first song below titled Dark Blonde Rises, is sort of an anthem song. The second song below which might be my fave, is titled Tel Aviv, hints at David Byrne and the Talking Heads meets Frank Zappa with Moon Unit. Instead, it's a cool girl with a bass.
Here is a great find out of Glasgow, England. The band is known as Casual Sex. Their members are Sam Smith, Ed Wood, Peter Masson & Chris McCrory. Just below is their music video to their song titled A Perfect Storm.
The-Indies is proud to present a sweet 2011 video of artist Benjamin Clementine busking in a subway station in Paris. It was filmed by Corinne Damas Sandiford with a Blackberry with no editing. (Since we first added this post to The Indes in 2015, Mr. Clementine's music career has received widespread acclaim).
Please click the play button of the video below and choose the
high-resolution & full screen options. When this music video
ends, it will automatically be followed by many more excellent curated music videos. Press forward to
skip any video or click the reverse button to replay or return to
previous songs. Or, exit full screen mode to pick a new video.
Benjamin Clementine - No Woman, No Cry (Bob Marley Cover)
Here is a obscure, but cool indie rock band out of Capriolo in Lombardia, Italy, known as The Credo. The group appears to have only been active for a short period in 2009, and then disappeared.... poof, gone.
From the independent On Repeat Records imprint, below is a far out video by the English electro pop act known as Little Boots, a solo project by Victoria Hesketh. The song is titled Taste It. It's track #1 from her 4 song EP named Business Pleasure.
Off the prolific U.K. based indie label Mr. Bongo is a tasty groove artist named Hollie Cook who self describes her music as tropical pop.
Cook is of extremely credible music industry lineage. Her father is Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. Her mother, Jeni, was a back up singer in Boy George's Culture Club, one of the most grooving soulful pop bands of all time. To top it off, Boy George is Hollie Cook's godfather.
Since about 2006, when she stepped into the music business, she has collaborated with a wide range of people, paid her dues and covered a lot of ground.
As a solo artist, she has released three albums on the Mr. Bongo imprint. The most recent release is titled Twice. The tracks featured below include the music video for the song titled Postman which is track #5 on the album, the music video to Looking For Real Love which is track #6 on the album. Featured last is the title track to the album, Twice, which happens to be track #8. There is no video for that one yet.
Here is one from a hot U.K. based indie label known as Tru Thoughts Recordings. One of their acts, out of Colombia, is known as Quantic, which is the moniker of a British chap named Will Holland. He crafts his music from his studio in the highlands of Bogota.
Cover to Quantic's album titled Magnetica - Artwork by Stephen Serrato
This colorful video, just below, is filled with people and festival street scenes in Colombia and is put to a song titled Duvidó from Quantic's album titled Magnetica. The song features Pongo Love, a stage name given to the Angolan artist Engrácia Domingues by her father, as a tribute to the Congolese singer M'Pongo Love.
This song is dope. And important.... @draze206 — Macklemore (@macklemore)
The Indies is proud to present a song where the groove is infectious and the photography is brilliant. What Draze raps about seems to be a sign of the times. This isn't some left against right thing. It's the story that so many across America rightfully claim as some on Wall Street have been bailed out at the expense of Main Streets that have become more like Mean Streets of change through gentrification by those propped up by yet another bubble driven by artificially low interest rates and a big flow of cash into the hands of those who should have been forced into bankruptcy when the last bubble popped. This re-pump of the many U.S. economic bubbles has displaced a great many people that hardly anyone talks about. Some call it progress while others like Draze call it something else.
A indie film titled Omar hit the big league after being nominated for an Oscar for "Best Foreign Language Film" of 2014.
The film was directed by Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad, who also was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2006 with his film titled Paradise Now.
Omar is really the deepest of love stories at it's roots, but is full of real danger, non stop suspense, paranoia of not knowing who to trust, mind games and bitter betrayal.
The character Omar (Adam Bakri) must scale a separation wall if and when he wants to meet up with the love of his life named Nadja who is played by actress Leem Lubany.
The film is really heavy and portrays Omar and his friends as freedom fighters against the Israeli occupation. It's violent and harsh with action and heart pounding scenes that don't let up through to the last frame. While the film offers no solutions to the ongoing conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians, it's a must see and a very well done film with many layers of depth.
