INDIE ROCK SONGS

This is the first installment of New Indie and Alternative MP3 Releases, highlighting musicians and bands that hardly ever get the cred they deserve.

The Garlands debut single is available for free, legal download thanks to Cosy Recordings and

MP3: David - The Garlands

Play or download a bonus track You Never Notice Me - The Garlands

The EP, which features a cover version of George Michael's Freedom, is limited to 300 copies, so if you like the band, go to Cloudberry Records.

Cleveland's psychedelic indie pop band The Dreadful Yawns have released a new single:

MP3: I Thought One Kiss -The Dreadful Yawns

MP3: Creeper from Island's new album Arm's Way due out on ANTI May 20, 2008.

MP3: Tears Run Rings - Mind The Wires from the band's debut release Always, Sometimes, Seldom, Never on ClairRecords

MP3: The Sun Ain't the Same - Afternoon Naps from the group's forthcoming EP (title not known). If you liked that tune also check out this bonus track: Clean Bill of Health - Afternoon Naps

MP3: Leviathan, Bound from new album Rook slated for release on Matador Records on June 3


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To get indie rock songs, videos, concert and festival listings, album reviews, playlists, news and much more throughout 2008, get the Indie Rock Songs feed.

Labels: 2008 Indie Rock Songs, Afternoon Naps, Free Indie Rock MP3s, Shearwater, Tears Run Rings

This week's half dozen free and legal MP3s include songs from AM Syndicate, Black Mountain, HIJK, Grand Ole Party, The Big Sleep and The Two Man Gentlemen Band. Enjoy.

AM Syndicate: "The Neighbor and His Wife" [mp3] from Liberation

The Big Sleep: "Pinkies" [mp3] from Sleep Forever

Black Mountain: "Tyrants" [mp3] from In The Future

Grand Ole Party: "Nasty Habits" [mp3] from Humanimals

HIJK: "Alibi" [mp3] from The Pen and The Letter

The Two Man Gentlemen Band: "William Howard Taft" [mp3] from Heavy Petting

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To get indie rock songs, videos, concert and festival listings, album reviews, playlists, news and much more throughout 2008, get the Indie Rock Songs feed.

Labels: 2008 Indie Rock Songs, AM Syndicate, Free MP3s, Grand Ole Party, HIJK, Indie Rock 2008, Legal MP3s

So it is a bit annoying that a group with such marvelously crafted pop, rock and funkadelic sounds would chose a name that does not reflect their music or stage presence. Part of me wants to call it pretentious, but it's just plain puzzling, and I haven't been able to find an interview were the band members are challenged on the name.

In today's Internet-dominated music world, a band needs to be extra savvy about what it takes to be credible and how to optimize name-branding on the Internet with the goal of attracting fans to their official websites, MySpace pages, Facebook profiles and so on. Picking the right name for a band nowadays requires careful thinking and a good level of online marketing and promotion.

Notwithstanding, to be more 'indie' about this matter, let's say we just forget that they are going to have problems promoting themselves based on their name.

At the end of the day it's just plain disingenuous to choose such a name as Vicious Vicious for a band who's online promotional photos show them holding yellow balloons and whose music is more candy than cane. Sorry metal heads - and even rock fans - Vicious Vicious are not vicious by any stretch of the imagination.

The proof is in the pudding (but I still must say there music is awesome). The best way to get to know the band's music is to go to their official site where their music plays at a non-stop stream (unless you kill it of course).

Editor's note: Personally, I found myself listening to the stream at least twice over during an hour and a half period - and this is coming from someone who still has loads of great music to review, not to mention all of the submissions by postal mail (artists and labels: please do not send me emails with audio attachments; they will be stripped by my email program, please send music you'd like me to review to Box #722, RE, CA 95044.

Since the release of their latest album Parade in September 2007, songs like "Rain Parade", "Ho Baby" and other well-produced indie pop songs have increased the band's popularity.
According to Vicious Vicious' official website, Applewick and the others are working on new material for yet another album to possibly be released in 2008. Let's hope so, because these guys are on a serious roll.

Labels: 2008 Indie Rock Songs, Indie Rock Songs, Minneapolis Indie Artists, MP3s, Parade Stream, Releases, Streams, Vicious Vicious