INDIE ROCK SONGS

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

The RAC mix of The Shins "Sleeping Lessons" track is much like the original - dreamy, melodic and engaging, starting off slowly with lo-fi vocals and guitar and harp strings coupled with ambient keyboard interludes and a bad bass line.

More than half way through the song, the enthusiastic climax - a driving, infectious chorus - reaches exhilarating heights.

By the time it all winds down, listeners may find themselves wanting that forward-marching chorus and up tempo beat to keep going, much the way Arcade Fire's "Neighborhoods" song trio does.

In fact, "Sleeping Lessons" has the unmistakable feel of Arcade Fire's now-famous style of sweeping, indie chamber pop-rock music. To be featured on the cover of Time magazine must say something, but if Arcade Fire made Time, The Shins should definitely get their cover (or should they? eems to be quite the rage these days.


Rather, "Sleeping Lessons" ends much like it started - unpretentious and soothing, even slightly psychedelic, sprinkled with metered harp and guitar strumming that slowly fade behind the megaphone-style lo-fi vocals.

Nevertheless, the failure to capitalize on the driving and infectious chorus that makes the song so memorable was a miscalculation on the part of The Shins. The boys of the band could have really taken the mix to its logical next level - extending the beat, if you will, but they didn't. I so wanted them to embrace the chorus and run with it for a few minutes, rather than little over one minute.

This "failure to communicate" to the masses leaves the door wide open for some electronica deejay or need-a-hit band to do a butcher-job style cover version of "Sleeping Lessons" some day should The Shins ever fall from grace (no signs of that yet and eagerly awaiting the next album).

When you consider The Shins' enormous global popularity in rock music now, it is not a stretch to imagine this song ending up in a Volkswagen, Toyota or GM commercial. Ugh, right?

It's amazing what you can do with one finger - like point out who's to blame for that.

Vinyl lovers alert: This RAC mix is recorded from vinyl; if it's not, prove me wrong because I hear the signature snap, crackle and pop of vinyl in the beginning of this mix, but not on the official music video version.

Labels: Artists, Best Indie Songs, MP3s, Remixes, The Shins, Top 100