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Creepoid’s EP is odd.

It feels like atmosphere, but it’s also dark and sinister. And creepy.

For fans of indie rock who have a dark side…

Songs by a few bands with potential…

Skunkmello-Live at Arlene’s Grocery

A collection of strong garage-rock/bluesy covers and originals. I especially like their choices (Jesus Just Left Chicago is probably my second favorite ZZ Top song, right after I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide). If you like this one, they’ve got a more recent bootleg also available free on Bandcamp and several other releases. Watch these guys, they’re cooking and ready to boil.

Irie Idea

It’s like quiet punk reggae blues. Like when Sublime would break into one of their more accessible acoustic moments. The songwriting isn’t quite where it needs to be yet, and the vocals need to get some heft (sing from the belly, not the head), but you can see there’s definitely something here. It’s a band worth watching.

Simon Adams

And I’ll close with the most traditional of the three bands I’m reviewing today. A nice, sweet, quiet EP by Simon Adams.

And the more I listen to this one, the more I like it. Most music submitted to me goes right through me and I never want to hear it again. Some sticks to the ribs or sounds instantly familiar, and those bands usually get posted on. Then there are rare ones, like The Paths, that come back to me later in the week. I find a lick or a lyric stuck in my head and I ask, “What was that song I was listening to?”

The Paths’ sound is what I think of first when I think of indie rock. It’s got a creeping bass line, but it’s not slow. Vocals are thick and heavy, but sound young. More Joe Strummer ballad than Tom Waits depression.
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Someone should create a genre of music that’s called “Ambient Soul.” Oh, wait. Here’s Astronautica.

The band mixes hip hop(ish) beats, soul vocals, and sounds that feel ambient at their most laid back, and electronica at their most upbeat (which is still extremely laid back).

I’m digging it.

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Andy Blunda, formerly of both Palo Alto and Fastball, has released his second EP, with a strong 1980s, smooth vibe.

Awesome.

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