Independent Music Discoveries, Issue #14

The latest installment from our continuing series...:

Wheat - Rock / Folk Rock / Indie - Massachusetts, USA
Wheat are a group of guys that may very well have the "quirky indie rock" thing down pat (Rolling Stone thinks so, and they're Pitchfork-approved), though there is certainly more to them than that. Listening to "H.O.T.T." (which stands for 'half of the time'), the opening track from their upcoming album White Ink, Blck Ink due July 21st, reveals Wheat's exceptional knack for catchiness, positive vibes and the strong urge to sing along manifesting in the listener without fail.

Golau Glau - Indie / Electronica / Folk - Wales, UK
'Ethereal' is a word thrown around quite a bit in music journalism, but Golau Glau are truly deserving of the adjective. This music seems to exist somewhere between a tropical island and the heavens above ("Soft Silver Young"), feathery, drifting, and altgoether lovely ("La Dame Blanche").
Their beautiful new release Arianna, which I would strongly recommend grabbing, is available for free streaming and download at Last.fm.

Static Brigade - Indie / Electro / Pop - England, UK / Maryland / Washington D.C., USA
Static Brigade are fast becoming appreciated on the East Coast for their blend of all the best elements of electro-pop, past and present, as well as the fact that they've played gigs with the likes of Natalie Portman's Shaved Head and The Ting Tings. Check out "Destroy Something Else" and "White Noise", from their upcoming July EP, and get ready to dance!

Malbec - Indie / Rock / Hip-Hop - California, USA
Malbec, a five piece Los Angeles band, recently released a string of EPs, one per month, called The Answering Machine EPs, all of which are available to download at their official site. Their summery, though melancholic, sound is best exemplified in "The Answering Machine". You can check out a host of music videos and artwork related to The Answering Machine EPs over at their Vimeo group. (thanks to Eugenia for the recommendation!)

93MillionMilesFromTheSun - Shoegaze / Indie / Electronica - Doncaster, UK
Shoegaze-esque music appears to be in high gear in 2009, but how much of it should be pared down to copyists and the true champions of the genre? 93MillionMilesFromTheSun, without doubt, belong in the second category, as they are interested in pushing the genre forward, and meeting more than enough expectation for guitar-fuzz dramatics in a dreamworld of sound. Have a listen to "Darke Star" from their debut release. (thanks to Marcel for the recommendation!)