Athens66: 1/1/09

How Guilty can you Get with A.C. Newman?

A.C. Newman is no stranger to those even with the slightest knowledge of the indie scene. He has been around since the ‘90s with his first band Superconductor but his real break came initially with Zumpano and especially at the start of the millennium with the acclaimed New Pornographers, where he’s been the true leader ever since. After recording two albums with the Pornographers, Newman managed to release his debut solo album back in 2004 titled The Slow Wonder. In a similarly timely fashion, after a couple more albums with his superband, he is back with his sophomore solo outtake (out January 2009 on Matador label).

A.C. Newman - Submarines of Stockholm

Get Guilty is a showcase for Newman’s obvious talent to create memorable tunes with such an ease. The album kick offs with the grand entrance of opening track There are Maybe Ten or Twelve where Newman proclaims us to “make of that what you will” and sets the pace of what is to follow; a genuine indie trip that flirts more with pop rather than rock. Rhythm, simple guitar riffs and vocals on the forefront are definitely more dominant in this record as to Newman’s work with the New Pornographers. The album fits somewhere between the classic borders of power-pop and pop underground, leaning more on the first territory.

A.C. Newman - There are Maybe Ten or Twelve

In general, Newman’s solo follow-up album is a classic power-pop album that has all the right elements but is lacking in the details. Most of the melodies are beautiful and instantly enjoyable; however they lack the depth that would make this album withstand the sands of time. Most of the tracks are based on a single guitar riff and the production is more on the minimalistic side, which unfortunately is evident in a number of songs. Newman’s lyrics remain witty as ever but also lack the depth as his compositions. If you put all these together, Get Guilty is a solid offering which however doesn’t add much to Newman’s already successful career and will easily be forgotten amongst his first solo attempt and the New Pornographer’s work (which we are expecting as well quite soon).

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R.I.P. Charles Wesley Cooper III

We just read the news from their MySpace page, that Charles Wesley Cooper (one of the two members of Telefon Tel Aviv) passed away on January 22nd at the age of 31. The message was posted by his partner in music Joshua Eustis. The original announcement can be found here.

Telefon Tel Aviv - Stay away from being Maybe

A hand in the Sky (En Hand i Himlen) from Jonathan Johansson

Yes, I got into this one as well. Jonathan Johansson is the new pop sensation from (where else) Sweden and his single En Hand i Himlen is just amazingly addictive (you've been warned). Here is his first official video and we'll be waiting for his album out on the 9th of February from Hybris label (I already pre-ordered it from the links you can find at the end of the post). Will be back with more details once I get my hands on it. God damn Sweden...

Jonathan Johansson - En Hand i Himlen

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The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are More than Welcomed

Alex, Kip, Kurt, and Peggy make up the New York band the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Together since 2007, the band is releasing on February 3rd their self-titled debut on Slubmberland label and is probably the best debut i've heard so far this year (and the best album for that case). Their music has a nostalgic feel of shoegaze and noise pop, combined with a bit of chamber pop. Something like Belle and Sebastian clashed with My Bloody Valentine!

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Hey Paul

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - This Love is Fucking Right!

Sure there are numberless influences to be spotted on their debut but who cares when it all sounds so beautiful and fresh. I've been trying to find words to describe or explain why I enjoyed this album so much but the plain truth is that this one is simply a joyful record that you want to listen to again and again. I've read a number of reviews while trying to describe this feeling I get from the album, but the best one came from 17 seconds which rightfully states that "the band hail from New York City but this is an album that feels like it’s spiritual home is Glasgow". Yeap...can't help but fall in love with a pure at heart Glasgow album...

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Mazen Kerbaj report from the 13th Babel Comics Festival

Yesterday we decided to visit the 13th Babel comic festival down at Technopolis (on the last day of the festival...in the typical Greek way). I have to say, while the festival was quite well organized and the venue more than suits the needs of a comic-fans gathering, the actual content on display was a bit of a let-down. With the exception of the Greek artists, the rest were not really the best of breed or latest creations. If you add to all this a room dedicated to Russian-Ukrainian comics (which are fine but the whole fantasy-theme of this era is really not my taste) and a very poor up sales section (which mostly offered the same bullshit comics you can find in most neighborhood stores), the whole festival came rather short on expectations.

Florence and the Machine - Postcards From Italy (Beirut Cover)

One of the few highlights of the festival for me was a section on Lebanon artists, including a center-stage stand/wall dedicated to Mazen Kerbaj's work. Mazen is from Beirut and along with his comic creations (in March 2000 he releases some of his more personal works in his Journal 1999 -a dairy in comics' format- and since then has self-published eight other books and many short stories) he is a dedicated musician and founder of the MILL association that curates since IRTIJAL an annual international festival for free music in Beirut as well as various concerts and events. Check out his site and blog for more samples of his work, which as you can see is mostly political satire.

Get Well Soon - We Are Safe Inside While They Burn Down Our House

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5...4...3...2...1...Reprise

I've been trying to see this little Norwegian gem for quite some time now. Finally last night I found some (late) time and pressed the play button on this one; an action I should have done a long time ago. Reprise is written and directed by Norwegian director Joachim Trier. The plot revolves around two young wannabe-authors and their lives in modern Oslo. Ambition, love, friends, mental instability, anxiety for the future and an eagerness to differ from the crowd are just some of the pieces of the puzzle behind this wonderful film.

Le Tigre - Deceptacon

Reprise starts off with the two leading characters (best friends Philip and Erik) just before they are ready to mail their first novels to publishers. What follows is a mix of flashbacks and alternative futures that leads to failure and success for both friends. This creative use of Nouvelle Vague and modern cinematography gives the film both freshness and edge. While the plot unrolls, we see the two friends taking different paths. Philip's book immediately becomes a hit but can't handle the success and quickly falls into a mix of depression and psychosis (hinged by his parallel obsession for the love of his life Kari). On the other end, Erik quickly faces rejection and while supporting his friend, drudges to improve his writting style and sort out his personal life. Supporting the two main characters, a number of subplots unveil, mainly focusing on the lifes of some common (and not so common) sterotypes of 20-something friends that slowly apart as everyone is trying to figure their purpose in modern society. Although the plot may sound a bit too serious and stiff, the directive style of Trier is so captivating that makes the film both intruiging and a entertaining. If you combine the plot and directive style, you'll see that at the end Reprise boils down to a nostalgic trip on early adulthood and how our plans and dreams (work, love, friends) for the future constantly evolve. Throw in an amazing soundtrack which includes tracks from Joy Division, Le Tigre and post-punk and you got an amazing film that utterly caught my attention. I won't spoil you with the end or how the story really unfolds but I'll tell you just one thing...if you haven't seen this already don't delay it anymore!

Kingsbury GiveAway

Kingsbury are a band from Florida that's been touring and recording for more than a couple of years now. They released their first 2 EPs back in 2006 and followed up with their first full album entitled The Great Compromise. The band is now back with a new EP titled Lie to Me.

Kingsbury - Lie to Me

Kingsbury - The Great Compromise

The band's music is a mix of progressive rock, folk and indie rock. They have quite an interesting songwriting ability, focusing a lot in creating a solid flow instead of just blending different styles. Don't expect however a monolithic approach since their songs do differ and make up for an interesting offer. In general, I found their music very accessible and immediately got into their personal style and rhythm.

Kingsbury - The Open Sea

Kingsbury - This Place is Coming Down

One of the great things about Kingsbury is that they have embraced the digital age and have made all their material available for free from their site. You can find the links to all EPs and LP on the end of this post, along with the band's site and link to donate some money if you (like me) enjoyed what you listened. Nice move..

Artist.Site Artist.Donate
DownloadFree.LieToMe
DownloadFree.TheGreatCompromise
DownloadFree.TheOpenSea
DownloadFree.ThisPlaceIsComingDown

A Song for Peace

Yesterday our friend Michalis suggested we dedicate a song for the war in Palestine as part of another blogo-post-game that started from another friendly blog. Usually I don't take part in such threads (with the exception of the top albums as voted by Greek bloggers that gone4sure started). Nevertheless, I promised to give this one a go.

My view on the Palestine issue has already been stated in a couple of previous posts, so today I'll just stick to dedicating Palace Brother's track You Will Miss Me When I Burn and wish that the violence ends soon (don't bet on it though despite the temporary pullout). Any fellow bloggers that wish to respond with a dedication of their own, please free to join in..

Palace Brothers - You Will Miss Me When I Burn

When you have no one
No one can hurt you
When you have no one
No one can hurt you

In the corner there is light
That is good for you
And behind you, I have warned you
There are awful things

Will you miss me when I burn
And will you eye me with a longing?
It is longing that I feel
To be missed or to be real

When you have no one
No one can hurt you
When you have no one
No one can hurt you

Will you miss me when I burn
And will you close the others' eyes
It would be such a favor
If you would blind them

There is absence, there is lack
There are wolves here abound
You will miss me
When I turn around

When you have no one
No one can hurt you
When you have no one
No one can hurt you

Top Obamicon Album Covers

Thanks to our friends Homo Ludens and Mr. Arkadin over at PoPoCulture I've been stuck all morning with this stupid (yet addictive) little application from Paste magazine called Obamicon. So I thought I'd give it a go in our own Athens66 way (music that is). So here are the album covers from some of last year's best albums as seen through the Obama way.

PS. I guess we could have a vote on which one would make the best Obamicon cover...just leave your vote as a comment!!

Telefon Tel Aviv eager to Immolate Yourself

Telefon Tel Aviv is an electronic duo from New Orleans. They released their first full LP back in 2001 and followed up in 2004 with Map of What is Effortless (both out on Hefty label). Their music blends IDM with ambient and caught the public's attention especially with their sophmore album. Their sound always reminded me somewhat of Anything but the Girl with its mix of computer-generated electro and ambient vocals.

Telefon Tel Aviv - The Birds

The guys are now back with their third album after their switch to Bpitch Control label. The offering is called Immolate Yourself and will be out on February 3rd. I've goten the chance to get a peek at their new material and first impressions are wary encouraging. It seems that their change in labels also brought a change in style, moving away from expiremntal IDM into more pop and ambient electro.

Telefon Tel Aviv - Helen of Troy

Immolate Yourself is heavily based on synths and powerful yet smoothing vocals. I have to agree with b-webb's review that this change shows similarities with M83. The album is in general more joyful than their previous attempts and is quite keen on the pop side, destined for more airplay. The beats are a notch higher and the vocals are more uplifting and dance savvy. All this without however discarding their ambient past. I have to say that this change works in most tracks, although at some point you get the feeling of a build-up and climax that is never fully delivered.

PS. These YouTube trailers are starting to become quite a popular promotional concept nowadays. So here are a couple provided by Bpitch Control.

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Antony & The Johnsons keep The Crying Light

Antony Hegarty is by far one of my favorite voices in music (along with Tinderstick's Stuart Staples, Tom Waits and Tori Amos). After his debut in 2000 with Antony and the Johnsons (mainstream re-release on Secretly Canadian in 2004) and masterpiece follow-up I Am a Bird Now in 2005, a lot of people have been on the wait for his comeback (especially after his hit successful collaboration with Hercules and the Love Affair last year).

Antony & The Johnsons - Another World

On January 21st Antony is releasing his 3rd studio album titled The Crying Light, which includes a couple of songs from his Another World EP that was released a couple of months ago. And although I've had a copy of it for a couple of weeks now, I just found the time and serenity to give it a dedicated go (you can never rush into an Antony record).

Antony & The Johnsons - Aeon

The Crying Light is by far Antony's more melodic and emotional album to date. While feeling despair and melancholy are still dominant, the record also allows glimpses of light and hope. Antony's voice is again on the forefront on all tracks (as it should) while the music charmingly backs him up. If we are to be a bit skeptic, the album has an amazing homogeneity but this is also it's main drawback. All of the tracks offer a dreamy trip through sorrow and pain but no single one really stands out as was the case with his sophomore release. To others however, this may prove the real high point of the record, since it's by far his most detailed and solid work so far. Only exception to this is Aeon, which sets a stronger more powerful pace. One thing's for certain; Antony has once again sincerely opened up and offered us another set of tracks to haunt our thoughts and dreams during the endless hours.

PS. The album art features a 1977 portrait of renowned Butoh dancer, Kazuo Ohno (to whom Antony has dedicated the album)here in the usual awful quality

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Animal Collectie rocking at the Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective is one of the most known bands around the blogsphere, with thousands of devoted bloggers hailing every new album either as Animal or as solo side projects (especially Panda Bear’s). A look at 2007’s best-of posts around the internet will quickly reveal the momentum of this avant-garde/experimental/noise-rock trio (a trio nowdays since the departure of Deakin back in 2007).

Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes

Merriweather Post Pavilion (titled after the nearby outdoor concert venue in Columbia, Maryland) is their eighth studio album and has been in the making for the past year. The album was highly anticipated after the unprecedented success in 2007 with Strawberry Jam (which marked the switch from FatCat Records to Domino Records) and especially after the solo work of Panda Bear with his masterpiece Person Pitch (which even received the Album of the Year praise by Pitchfork). The album was announced by the band back in October of 2008 and is set for release on the 20th of January (although they have already included most of the tracks in their live shows for quite a while now).

Animal Collective - Brothersport

The album differs quite in many ways from their previous work. First of all, their sound has shifted vastly toward the electronic side, with samplers, synths and electronic drums dominating most of the tracks. On a second level, their music has lost a lot of its previous noise-rock elements and it now sounds more like psychedelic (or even sunshine) pop. All these make Merriweather one of their most accessible albums to date. Don’t be fooled however, this ain’t a mainstream-pop album by far; experimental and noise marks are still evident all over the album in a classic Animal fashion. Their new style seems to be progressing their sound into a more mainstream pattern and influences from last year’s indie/world/folk newcomers such as Vampire Weekend and Fleet Foxes seem to have affected the Collective (in my humble opinion). To be honest, this shift makes their album even more accessible for me as well; I love the Animals but their albums always required far more attention than I could offer most of the time. This one I can easily see popping in my playlist much more often than previous records and this is (or seems to be) a definite plus. Along with Franz Ferdinand’s release, it seems that Domino Records are embracing 2009 with quite a handful of pleasant surprises, with Merriweather Post Pavilion certainly being one of those.

PS. I just saw this unofficial (crappy) video to the new track My Girls, only to remember that I had uploaded this track on YouTube back in November after their live here in Athens. You can find the video here in the usual awful quality

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Franz Ferdinand are throwing a party Tonight

Alex Kapranos and his gang are finally back! Franz Ferdinand are releasing their (much anticipated) third album titled Tonight on the 26th of January (out on Domino label). We were excited to hear these news and eager to get our hands on their new material, although the last album was kinda of a disappointment for us.

~~Franz Ferdinand - Lucid Dreams~~

The lads from Glasgow have allegedly been working on this album since late 2007 and had already introduced some of their tracks in live shows in order to get the fans' feedback. So did all this preparation and anticipation actually pay off? To sum it up in a few words...FUCKING YEAH!!

~~Franz Ferdinand - Bite Hard~~

First of all, Tonight sounds amazingly fresh. Love it or hate it, their sound has progressed and incorporates a lot more dance/neo-disco elements than before, without losing touch with their new-wave/indie basis. All tracks are full of energy (with the exception of the last couple of songs which are on the melodic/ballad side) and sound like the guys had a blast creating this material. For the hard-rock indie fans of Franz, this album may disappoint them even more than the previous due to their style twist. To those however that are open to a fresh sound, Tonight has the right elements of rock, dance and new-wave and will quickly get you into Ferdinand's new party style. After a number of spins (with more certainly following) I felt like I've just been out partying all night, with the occasional stops down the pubs for some refueling. If this isn't refreshing and satisfying then what? Besides, Franz have always been a genuine fun group that built their success more on the excitement and energy of their music than on complex compositions and cogitative lyrics. So they're back on the right track..at least for me. Cheers lads!

PS. Just got hooked to the 80's intro of Twilight Omens and the electro ending of Lucid Dreams (unfortunately the version I post here is shorter and doesn't include this)

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Following the Revolutionary Road

A follow-up review on another film I recently saw, Sam Mendes's Revolutionary Road. The director of American Beauty is back with a beautiful tale about a young couple in the 50's which is trying to get away from the American cliches of the era. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are teamed up again after the Titanic portraying an everyday couple that is trying to run away from the stereotypes of suburban life; the neighborhood housewife-devoted mother and the successful-hardworking business man-father.

The whole movie is masterfully directed by Mendes, with strong characters that Slowly build up and set the dilemmas. Also, Leonardo and Kate are quite a joy together on-screen (although I've never been a real fan of Leonardo's acting abilities). The movie has many similarities to Mende's masterpiece American Beauty, since it is centered around the mid-life crisis and lost dreams of American families, in a past era this time and a clearer focus on the dreams and ambitions we seem to neglect as we grow up. A lovely movie that is definitely more than a joy to watch but lacks in details to make it really stand-out (the plot is a bit too similar to previous movies of Mendes and also the chemistry [and acting] between Kate and Leonardo could have been slightly more intense and bold).

PS. The music in the trailer is from the 60's classic Wild Is the Wind from Nina Simone while the soundtrack and music score by Thomas Newmna, who has produced (amongst many others) the score for American Beauty and the opening titles in Six-Feet Under

Free Gaza

No change (as expected) from this front. The assault is now on its 17th day (3rd week) and despite global outcry Israel is continuing bombing Gaza (with white phosphorus) and pushing even reservist troops into civilian towns. The death toll has risen to at least 884 (half of which women and children) and around 3,860 injured (413 of them in critical condition). On the other hand, Israel's casualty toll has reached 13 people, three of which civilians. Still we continue to demonstrate (see photos below from Saturday) along with millions around the globe. This blood will not be on our hands..

Coming soon...

One of our favorite artists is finally back with a new album in 2009. More from Antony & The Johnsons and his latest album The Crying Light soon..

Gaza Strip Genocide

When you thought that things couldn't get any worst in this fucked up world, along comes Israel with yet another "defensive" war. As always, the UN, EU and US stand back and enjoy the bloodbath. What else could anyone else expect..there are no oil rigs in Gaza so who cares how many innocent civilian lives are sacrificed. And I'm definitely not just blaming Israel for its short-term selective memory, since I find all western (and eastern) countries equally responsible for every murdered life in Gaza. A population of 1.5 million people trapped inside closed borders waiting each minute to be bombard, shot or slowly die from hunger and lack of medical supplies. A true genocide with the blessings of the post-war "civilized" nations.

Israel shelled Gaza Palestinians after evacuating them, UN says:
According to testimonies gathered by the UN, Israeli soldiers evacuated around 110 Palestinians to a single-storey house in Zeitoun, south-east Gaza. The evacuees were instructed to stay indoors for their own safety but 24 hours later the Israeli army shelled the house with rockets. Around half the Palestinians sheltering in the house were children, OCHA said.

UN: No Hamas Fighters in Bombed Gaza School:
United Nations investigators say they have uncovered no evidence to support a claim by the Israeli military that Hamas fighters were holed up in a Gaza school, prompting a deadly attack by Israeli forces that killed 40 civilians, many of them children.

How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe:
A rogue state habitually violates international law, possesses weapons of mass destruction and practises terrorism - the use of violence against civilians for political purposes. Israel fulfils all of these three criteria; the cap fits and it must wear it. Israel's real aim is not peaceful coexistence with its Palestinian neighbours but military domination.

Ambient Dreams from Kyte

Kyte is a new and upcoming band from Leicestershire. They have already released a self titled EP and have followed up with a second EP titled Two Sparks, Two Stars EP.

Their sound is pure ambient pop in the likes of Sigur Ros (similarities or influences as I prefer to call them are more than obvious). Regardless of all this, I found their EP really great and looking forward to their first full album (whenever that may be). Then we'll be able to truly see if they are able to differentiate themselves from the Icelandic kings and progress their style. If you care to oversee the similarities you will soon discover that Kyte actually bring their own personal style to the genre with more electronic elements and a bit more powerful and straightforward. Let's just wait and see..

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Is it too late for The New Year?

This should have been the first post to open up the new year here in Athens66. Never mind that though, this album is still worth posting about. It could have actually even been a contender for our Top 100 albums of the year if we hadn't ignored it the entire year (only to discover it on the last week of December).

This is the self-titled (but actually their third release) album from The New Year; an indie rock band from Texas that was basically born after the breakup of the slowcore band Bedhead. The album was released at the start of September on Touch and Go records and retains the slowcore principles of previous records. As expected, the album slowly builds up and in some cases even lets loose. The melodies all blend in perfectly while the lyrics are somewhat on the light side. The album is a real joy to listen and is one of the few albums I've heard recently that actually feels like a complete work. It gradually builds on to you and doesn't let go until the end of the record. Guess the belated start to the new year was worth it.

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Who wants to be a Slumdog Millionaire?

It's been ages since I last did a movie review here in Athens66 (it's been a bloody long time since I did a proper review in general but that's another story). Nevertheless, I just couldn't leave this one without a post. I decided yesterday (along with my other half) to finally see Danny Boyle's (yeap..the old Trainspotting chap) latest film Slumdog Millionaire. And what a joy it was (Danny is back on track after a long period of pointless movies)

M.I.A. - O... Saya

His latest film revolves around the life of a poor Indian muslim Jamal Malik and his journey from the slums of Mumbai to the sets of the TV show "Who want to be a Millionaire". The plot is slowly unfolding Jamal's life through the game show's questions and leads from the slams and poverty in India to the hope for a better future for a whole nation. Boyle has come up with a masterpiece, with a stunning scenario that is both entertaining and emotional. Through Jamal's tale we get a chance to see the tough life a lot of kids go through in India but also the hope for a better future. I truly enjoyed this one...thumbs up all the way!!

Belfast Dance from Iceland

You all know that this blog has am obsession with music coming from the northern countries. So it will not be any surprise that today we are featuring a band from lovely ReykjavÃk, Iceland. Strange sounds, ambient music and mystical vocals is what you usually expect from this almost-frozen land.

Think again, cause FM Belfast have nothing to do with this Icelandic stereotype. This is a head-on electronic dance band with full beats, silly covers and great uplifting spirit. They remind me more of their Swedish neighbors Knife than any other Icelanders (with the exception perhaps of Gus Gus' sense of humor). If you let yourself loose and don't take their music too seriously, their debut How to Make Friends is a real party blaster. I personally loved it!!

FM Belfast - Synthia

FM Belfast - Tropical

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Riding on the Asteroids Galaxy Tour

Hailing from Copenhagen-Denmark, this duo broke into the music scene with the TV advert of Apple's iPod Touch. They even played in last year's Roskilde Festival (although we didn't quite spotted that and naturally missed them). They continue the Nordic tradition of fun electro-pop groups with cheerful tunes and uplifting lyrics. Their single Around the Bend is dangerously addictive so be warned. They still only have a couple of singles out but it won't be long before they try to cash-in with their first full length LP. So let's wait and see if they manage to survive the sudden buzz and come up with a descent debut...

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Sunday night out with Monika

If you got no plans for tonight (and live in Athens) then I guess the best idea is a trip downtown to Bar Guru Bar around 22:00 where Monika is playing (free entrance courtesy of City 99,5 radio). Hope I'll make it and actually fit upstairs (since the bar ain't that big).

Worthy Killers

Finally a new Killers song worthy listening over and over again. A Crippling Blow appears as a b-side to their single Human and reminds us of the good old days of Hot Fuss rather than their latest dance/rock twist of style.

Looking back at Thee More Shallows

I thought of starting out the new year with a post from the past instead of the future. Today's clip comes from San Francisco's Three More Shallows. A genuine indie band that somehow I hadn't noticed all these years (even though they already have 3 full records). I've probably heard a track from them in the past but never really came back to check up on their stuff. The band blends indie with progressive accompanied by the haunting vocals of Dee Kesler. The best thing I've heard so far this year (a shame it took me so much time to discover them).