The Kavanaghs

It was the sheer fun in the music that drew me to the band and a distinctive guitar opener to their track ‘Tonight‘ that I haven’t heard since Plastic Bertrand had me smiling with Ça plane pour moi, back in the late ’70s. The Kavanaghs may well be a band rooted in the influences of ’60s bands, but they are so much more than a retrospective.

Some immense guitar blends with a preppy pace to ensure the listener finds themselves looking like a nodding dog. The music is smartly put together, as they handle tempo switches easily mid-way though tracks. The use of piano adds a timbre of innocence to the sound as neatly paced drumming tells the story behind the music, driving the cadences and direction of the tracks.

At their best The Kavanaghs play solid rock guitar to dance tempo, yet they are adroit on the slower numbers,  where the musical abilities of the band members is given a wider space to be showcased.

website

… Just in case you think I have lost the plot, compare the two guitar openings and let me know what you think:

For more of the best in indie music from across the globe join the indie bands blog on twitter.

Baby Scream

Val Doonican came to mind watching the band sit as Baby Scream played, but it makes sense. The complex instrumentation singles out the band for a listen. Would the tortured English be better in native Spanish, well to my ears probably yes, but that is a minor point when sat alongside the superb compositions.

There is a sense that all is well while listening to the band, times gone past, good memories and a future which looks as comforting, deflecting the audience away from a world in turmoil, thank you Baby Scream for reminding me there is more to life than the here and now.

This is music for a night with friends and I can find myself drawn to a relaxing evening, an easy supper and the wine flowing freely. Not that it becomes wallpaper paste, there is far more to offer. Baby Scream delve in to the recesses of back catalogues and pose relevant music for the listener. An engaging instrumental meanders across the good times, as conversation flows, driven on by the feel good factor that is Baby Scream.

website

The LP Secret Place is available on *

For the best emerging bands from around the world join the indie bands blog on twitter.

*Purchases made through the link will result in the indie bands blog earning a commission.

No Offense Intended

Through the many iterations of No Offense Intended; Fabolia, Jose and Alvaro have been a constant since ’08.

As a rock indie band, this conglomeration has some space to climb in a crowded sphere, but there is an essential core which hits the mark and no, I can’t nail it. Is it the effervescent guitar which spits out flames, or perhaps that bass which as it degrades pulls the ears to the floor? Ivan, who joined in ’10 sits the band squarely in the US space and I can understand this, but he has a far more reaching vocal which would reverberate far widely if only the telescope stopped heading North or over to Julio Iglesias.

There is some superb scratch which the band explore, intriguing and interesting and yet I feel unfulfilled. No Offense Intended are a band who have so much to offer and some sublime tracks to share with the world.

Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, else known as Simón Bolívar, sits as a symbol for Bolivia, even though he was Venezuelan based and I just wish No Offense Intended would get more to the core of where they sit, as when they stop looking North, they are sublime and need no reference points.

website

Join the indie bands blog on twitter for more music, or join tim whale on twitter for more politics.

When I write about bands younger than the blog, it makes me smile at how the world evolves. Once upon a time the indie bands blog was the newest squeeky clean hopeful on the block and now at the ripe old age of 2 there are newer spaces than us. It’s been a roller-coaster couple of years, Julie who carefully dissected the colour combinations on the site and kept sanity when I lost mine, is now dead. Thank you Julie for the dreams we share/d, the site will never die until we are both dust.

The New Beans

Argentina on the indie bands blog has become synonymous with The Velvet Underground, The New Beans spread wings to a wider space as core alternative rock springs like a new born lamb from the speakers. There is a freshness and enthusiasm for life that reminds me of the tight springing wool on a lamb. No, no idea where these allusions come from either but it makes sense, well, to me anyway.

The New Beans use the keys to powerful effect as they explore a new world around them (yes I am going to extend this reference further). The music breaks between sharp, fresh, considerate and hesitant spaces with comfort, as the four musicians take the listener on a journey of discovery. There is no jaded cynicism behind their material, it is emotionally constructed, with the band working in unison as they deliver a maturity beyond 12 months.

A band to follow with interest.

website

With an eponymous LP already released and available on *, New Beans have staked a space in the pantheon of …. We do have something to say.

Join the indie bands blog on twitter to keep up to date with the world of indie.

*Purchases made through the link will result in the indie bands blog earning a commission.

Indica

Far more than a simple indie rock out-fit, Indica who take their name from a ’60s avant art-gallery in London, wrap together a melange of sound, which superficially exposes a Gordion Knot, yet as easily as Alexander solved the puzzle, they seamlessly transport the listener on a voyage of discovery.

It is of no surprise they reference a ’60s art gallery – Indica are deft exponents of spreading beaded cushions on which the audience is invited to recline as the psychedelic influences wave through the brain and they are not a throw-back to a by-gone era, rather a highly relevant and up to the mark ensemble.

Vocals breeze out in their native Spanish, which demands my ears work a little harder, but they are not strained as the whirls of colours relax and raise the dopamine levels. Some highly creative use of instrumentation enables the band to explore spaces that shouldn’t be possible.

facebook page

South America and Argentina in particular continue to throw up some superbly creative artists and it is a pleasure to add Indica to that find – appreciate the contact Cesar. If you know of bands, as yet unexplored on the indie bands blog, just drop a note using our contact form.

Join the indie bands blog on twitter to keep up to date with the best in indie music

gbrl

Prior to  worrying about ‘unformed’, lets take a step back – this website is to here to explose new music and Gabriel is exploring spaces, with considerable musical adroitness.

This is completely raw out-put as gbrl seeks to find a space in which to express the emotive vitality. The purity of the stance makes this a viable sound. This is music  based on personal retrospective which Gabriel explores superbly with an open construct on guitar, which is harnessed by the synth, bringing shape to the whole sound.

gbrl has all the essential ingredient for some superb experimental material, if only Gabriel will come out of the shadow.

01 – CONTROL by gbrl

Many thanks to Clara V (again) from Vaqueros Paganos for the rapid translation.

Join our free newsletter for more of the best indie music from around the world

Andreia Dias by gabriel wickbold

Her lyrics about crazy love stories, social connections, tinged with a sharp sense of perspective, are typically sung to a Samba influenced beat. Her clear and sharp voice rises above the hypnotic beat, delivering a real sense of enjoyment.

Far more than a Samba singer, Andreia Dias, adds a creative spark that takes this far above being purely music to provide a background for dancers. The out-put has sufficient depth and range to add some real interest, as the music paints images with her voice providing the paint-brush, highlighting accents and colours as the sound sweeps forward.

With some great interpretation, the overall effect is of a hugely capable songwriter, who has a keen eye to dramatic effects, without becoming self-obsessed.

Even for non-Portuguese speakers the out-put is highly accessible.

website

Vol.2 by Andeia Dias is available on *

Join our free newsletter to keep up to date with the best indie music from around the world.

* Purchases made through the link will result in the indie bands blog earning a commission

Monica Agena (vocal and guitar), Hagape Cakau (bass and backing vocals) teamed up with Caju (drums and backing vocals) and Gianni Dias (guitar and backing vocals). Monica was a session guitarist before forming Moxine and songs develop through the guitar riff.

Moxine

Singing in English, rather than Portuguese, Moxine superbly display their craft to a wide audience. Influences from rock and samba beats are merged creatively to generate a sound which works on so many levels.

Not setting out to revolutionize music, Moxine have successfully fused a mix of tempos to create music which can only draw a smile and a sense of well-being. Their out-put is undoubtedly commercially attractive, which as reader’s of the blog will know causes an immediate cause for concern, but they rise above this challenge, as they have a natural and honest sound.

myspace page

With a recent EP, Electric Kiss, having been released and an ever growing popularity in Brazil, I look forward to catching them in the UK soon.

For more great indie bands from around the world, join our facebook page.

Periplo

Having focused primarily on recording material, he has so far produced two EPs and one album (currently working on a second album) which are all released under creative commons Licence and created at home, it wasn’t until 2009, that Periplo started to play in live venues.

His material draws on a diversity of influences and the output is fairly diverse. Having spent much time listening to American and British bands, his English lyric sits comfortably on top of the sound.

In much of his music I find myself in a space which is intended to be unknown and slightly threatening. There is an air of desolation surrounding the resulting output. Well constructed and challenging to the listener, Periplo is an artist who has set his stall and is accomplished at what he is seeking to deliver.  His album, Música permutante brings in numerous effects and instruments, all surrounding a ’70s space theme. His more recent EP, Cuerdas uses just vocal and guitar.

Cuerdas by Periplo

Currently working on a film score, it will be interesting to see where Periplo heads next.

For more of the best indie music around the world follow me on twitter.

DeLasAguas

DeLasAguas play relentless music, which demands the full attention of what is more a participator than a listener. Their live sets are characterised by continual music, with neither a pause nor dialogue between tracks. They aim quite simply to challenge the audience.

This could all fall down as pretentious nonsense, were it not for the fact that these guys can play and play well. They are able to create tracks with enormous content and deliver dramatic speed changes in mid chord, with the whole band staying absolutely together.

It is great to hear this type of experimentation with not just the music, but combining the visual elements as an integral part of the whole piece.

DLA – Florencia Bajo Las Aguas from Javi Devitt on Vimeo.

band website

The South American indie scene and in particular the bands from Argentina are pushing the creative boundaries as much as the bands from Scandinavia and deserves a much higher consideration from websites like the indie bands blog.