Music

Plastic People: Pink Narcissus

Listening to Plastic People at first may seem weird. However, with the weird accent, folksy and gypsy 80s style sound, it's hard not to notice this band's unique sound. The group hails from France and are currently unsigned. Manned by Frenchman, Sèbastien Ficagna, who is basically the one-man crew of Plastic People. This sophomore album reflects a hipster indie 80s vibe throughout the record. The songs are danceable and easy to like even at first listen. To top it off, the vocals echo a Robert Smith feel which adds to the cool, retro sound. Great album to check out.

Magellan’s Folly: Of The People, By The People, For The People

Magellan's Folly may not be the type of band that blows you away on first listen, but they do have a certain grace and appeal to their music that makes you want to pay attention. The band's aim is to get their message across and that is to "get people all across the world to pay attention to the world around them." This might seem like a highly ambitious goal but then again, music is a universal language. Hailing from Minnesota, this duo creates an acoustic indie pop sound infused with a political message. They try and capture the audiences attention with the rawness of their sound as well as the message they bring. If you're looking for a twist in your typical indie acoustic affair, take a listen to this one.

Ära Krâ: Ferne Tage

Prepare for some mayhem when listening to Ära Krâ. This death metal band from Germany knows how to knock your socks off or wipe sleep from your eyes in an instant. I'm not exactly an expert in the metal genre, in fact my musical exposure to the genre is limited to Children of Bodom, In Flames and Lamb of God -if you count them as death metal. Nevertheless, Ferne Tage or roughly translated, "Distant Days," is a pretty solid album filled with hardcore rock with good beats and ass-kicking vocals. The album is available for free download on the band's Bandcamp page. Give it a listen.

Quentin: A Gig At The Dachshund Breeder’s Club House

Quentin is a German band that spits out punk rock tracks that you might not understand but is definitely a hell-of-a-lot-of fun to listen to. This three piece German band has definitely got spunk and tons of attitude. A Gig At The Dachshund Breeder's Club House is said to be more than one-year in the making yet it seems to be the product of a spontaneous live performance or get together in the studio. It has plenty of energy, attitude and a touch of cheekiness here and there. Definitely a cool 7-track compilation worth checking out. It's a bit of pop, Brit rock, new wave and punk all rolled into one interesting and upbeat record. Give it a download.

Fall Walk Run: Throwing It All Away

One of my most favorite discovery this year, Fall Walk Run makes me want to run around and frolick in a beautiful sea of grass and flowers. Throwing It All Away is the debut EP for the duo. Made up of Lawrence Harvey and Stuart Eaves, this acoustic duo hails from Wolverhampton, England. Their debut is a beautiful compilation of indie acoustic pop music that is catchy and easy to listen to. Inspired by artists like Jason Mraz, Ben Lee and Feist; the duo seems set in soaring high this year. With music this good, it's hard not to think they might just make it.

Daniel Berges & The Windsurfers – Drop By Drop

Daniel Berges & The Windsurfers comes out with their debut album, Drop By Drop. The record is a beautiful mix of pop, punk rock, alternative and a bit of jazzy blues. The group first got together back in August of 2010. Since then, they've been steadily performing live gigs that are known to "raise the temperature." Drop By Drop is the first album for the group and so far they are making quite an impression. Experimenting with pop, rock, blues and even jazz; the band is eager to show what they're capable of. The album is available as a free download on Jamendo and licensed under Creative Commons. Give it a listen.

Mutts – The Tells Of Parallels

The Mutts play a unique version of the blues that centers around the bottom end of Bob Buckstaff on bass, Chris Faller on Drums and Mike Maimone on keys and rasping and roaring vocals. Tells Of Parallels is Mutts third EP and finds this very tight band stretching their brand of the blues to incorporate more experimental elements that takes them away from the blues and into their own musical territory. Mike's vocals are reminiscent of Tom Waits but louder and with a more aggressive delivery. This Chicago based trio deliver a unique EP.

The Larsens Lupins : Heaven Is Worse

The Larsens Lupins are a cool trio that are trying to keep the spirit of 60s rockabilly alive. Formed back in 2007, these indie rockabilly dudes first recorded the album, Heaven is Worse, back in 2009 but they re-recorded all of the songs and fine tuned them the following year. The boys incorporate a good variety of genres in their songs. From punk, 60s rockabilly, to 70s psychedelic rock; you'll find it right in this compilation. Every song has its own stamp of personality and reflects on the various musical interests each of the group members have. Definitely a fun compilation to have.