Indy CD and Vinyl

The future of the indie music world post-Person Pitch/Merriweather Post Pavilion? We might just be seeing/hearing it in young (freshman at IU) Bloomington, Indiana-based Spirit Spine. At least Joseph Denney is being honest when he lists Panda Bear as an influence. Well, the work is so early it's hard to say where it will mature to, but it's definitely got potential and fans of those two albums might find something to love.

The following is the story of the Matt Mitchell Project. While the stories you are about to hear are true, the characters have been changed to protect their anonymity.

The Matt Mitchell Project was started on a cold December day in 2007, when Travis Kold Kut Moore talked Matt Mitchell into grabbing his guitar and accompanying him on a trip to Azmyth recording studio, where by chance Travis had just started working at. After a brief tour of the studio, Travis and Matt began to discuss their musical influences and backgrounds. Travis was fan to the hip hop and rap scene while Matt was more into the British guitar band sound and older music. Travis and Matt decided it would be fun to combine their influences and try to create a sound that had not yet been heard by human ears. Hip Hop beats and keyboards mixed with strumming guitars and heartfelt vocals. Out of this Back to Me was created. A smooth, guitar strummed melody with hip hop beats and a grizzly organ sound that only took about two hours to create. After letting a select few family members and friends hear this new creation, Travis and Matt decided it was their responsibility to forge onward and create an entire album of music for all to enjoy. Thus the Matt Mitchell Project was born. With this birth a creative monster was hatched and within four months, Life in Stereo and This Town were created. Before Travis and Matt could move on to new songs, Life in Stereo was picked by a record label out of South Africa, Stereo FX, to be remixed and have this newly remixed version and the original version released on their label. Life in Stereo was released for digital distribution on September 30th, 2008 on nearly 400 international distribution sites.

Wondering what was taking place in his studio at night, Azmyth owner Ryan Adkins decided he wanted to get in on the hot sounds and play bass for the group thus making the duo now a trio. Ryans golden ear and rolling bass line was an excellent addition to the group and they continued to create new sounds and songs for what is to be their first self titled studio album. Along the way there have been more songs created and two new members have been added, David Glenn on lead guitar and Micah Beckwith on drums, to make the Matt Mitchell Project a full band. In the time since December 2007 the Matt Mitchell Project has been playing live shows around the Midwest, building a solid fan base, and continuing to work for the release of their album due out on September 1, 2009

Lush string arrangements; a flare for the exotic; a symphonic scope. These are elements most would not expect could be paired with hook-driven piano rock - most, except for Wolfy.

Wolfy exhibits a refined quality that is uniquely mature, especially given their relatively short time together. Their quickly growing repertoire are solid examples of catchy pop hooks and strong musical craftsmanship. To an already rocking sound comprised of crashing keys, in-the-pocket bass and driving drums, Wolfy adds flourishing strings, sweeping synthscapes and dulcet vocal melodies to round it all out. This small trio has a really big sound.

First glance comparisons to the piano-driven rock of Coldplay, the sweet melodic sensibility of Keane, and the solid basslines of U2 abound - yet nevertheless, Wolfy demonstrates a creative and developed sound that is entirely their own.

Sanuk started when Hopkins and Kissinger decided to play live shows with some original material. Sophie started singing with Hopkins and Kissinger at their live shows soon thereafter. Bassists and drummers were met along the way but none meshed as well as Collignon and O'Connor did. Thus, Sanuk's lineup was set in early January of '08. The band worked on writing and performing their songs as best they could and slowly worked their way out of the coffee shops they played acoustic sets in across Indianapolis. By the spring of '08 Sanuk was really gathering a formidable fan base. And with that force behind them they started working in the studio on what would be the seeds of their debut album, "Honey, I have news...". Throughout the summer of '08 Sanuk played festival after festival with new band-mates: David Linard, Randall Suggs, Liz Fohl, and Michael Preuschl. With a lineup of 9 people, Sanuk turned heads and pleased ears all summer long, expanding their fan base even more. All proceeds from their shows went to finishing up their album and in November of '08 they did just that. Sanuk is very proud of their work, and on January 10th allowed all of their fans share the excitement with them at their CD Release Show. Today, Sanuk continues to perform around town at various venues promoting, "Honey, I have news..." and new songs already in the works for their second album.
 

Elsinore is a Midwestern band emerging from a tunnel of transition via the Athens-of-the-Midwest: Champaign, IL. After spending 3 years writing Americana/Folk songs with an acoustic guitar, the band decided to turn up the knobs and stake claim on some land in the frontier of indie-rock. Letting song-craft be his guide, Ryan Groff has created an honest and lovely album full of passionate choruses, catchy pop hooks and joyful 4 part harmonies that speaks from the heart of the midwest. Bottom line: this band is impressive.

We are the band Mary Claire. We just released our album "The Mary Claire Albumetta", which can mostly listened to here on Myspace, and is available for purchase on iTunes. We're interested in playing for people, so if you're interested in listening to us, then give us a shout. -The Mary Claires
 

Eric Radoux is multi-faceted, experimental pop from a man armed with a voice, guitar, trumpet, percussion, and a smattering of electronics. Inspired in equal doses by acoustic roots music and the most avant-garde electronic compositions, as well as everything in between, performances involve live looping, whirling, twirling, and what one lovely lady has described as “chocolate-voiced” singing. These live experiences are building a steadily growing audience in the Midwest. Having shared a stage with Mahjongg, Paleface, and Jacob Slichter (Semisonic), among many others, and having even joined Pattern Is Movement on vocals and trumpet for a cover of Beirut’s “Postcards From Italy,” he strikes a masterful balance of momentum, melody, innovation and old-fashioned goodness. He is the third bed of the Goldilocks three: just right, until the bears arrive.

The Post Script is a funk-laced blues rock band from Indianapolis, IN made up of life-long musicians. Matt Corken, Blain “The Beast” Crawford, and Abe Shanehsaz joined forces to create a musical fusion that has taken the Indy music scene by storm. Combining influences from jam bands to blues artists, funk acts to rock icons, The Post Script is guaranteed to tickle your jam bone with a triple threat of catchy songs, solid musicianship, and indescribable jams. After nearly two years of playing together, Matt, Blain, and Abe were joined by percussionist Andy Rumschlag to add an extra dash of spice to the sonic stew that is The Post Script. The four will be releasing their first full-length album, Seasons Change, recorded at The Pop Machine of Broadripple, IN due out during the summer of 2009, so keep your eyes and ears peeled. The Post Script has opened for national act Plain White T’s, played for a RadioNOW 100.9 Coke Zero special event, been featured by IndyConcerts.com. This summer they embark on a tour of the midwest and beyond. The Post Script is also scheduled to play the Annual National Shrimp Festival this October in Gulf Shores, Alabama for two nights.