Independent Music Discoveries, Issue #22

Untied States - Other - Georgia, USA
I keep doing a double-take every time I see the band name - note the Untied, though that is surely the point! I tend to raise an eyebrow at bands that put their genre as 'Other', but this is one case where a group is concocting something unique. With their description reading "a barrage of driving samples, interlaced melodic sheets of guitars, and just-enough disciplined noise", Untied States are perhaps best-described as what a shoegaze band forced to play garage rock might sound like, though even that is too-narrow pigeonholing for what this band are really up to, which is quite unique to themselves; as remarked by Ohmpark: "it is so mindbogglingly unlike anything else". Their forthcoming album Instant Everything, Constant Nothing is due out 10/19/2009 (their fourth LP), makes for enjoyable, and somehow challenging, listening. My favorite track here is frantic, near-tribal "Take Time For Always". Instant Everything... bears repeated listening - look for it on the Best of '09 list here later this year!

We are the Willows - Indie / Folk / Pop - Minnesota, USA
We are the Willows' (Peter Miller, from Red Fox Grey Fox) A Collection of Sounds and Something Like the Plague is a fragile work of art, the music delicately crafted and airy. The songs flow into each other with a dreamlike sweetness - it's impressive indeed that something sounding so far removed from technology and cluttered modernity like this can be made in 2009. Recommended track: "Knots & Nots That Are Tied and Tangled". I'm impressed!

The Sky Drops - Indie / Psychedelic / Shoegaze - Delaware, USA
The Sky Drops, described as a "gaze-grunge duo", have recently released their debut LP Bourgeois Beat. The Sky Drops are proficient in creating dreamy soundscapes, fitting in well with this week's post. There's something of a 60s-vibe about and and effortless cool - take a listen to
"Truth Is" and you'll hear what I mean.