2018 Indie Albums
Jesper Sahu
Now, we consider indie music to be a vibe. An ethos. A way of life. A smudgy kohl eyeliner or a cigarette hanging jauntily out the side of your mouth but never actually being lit. Over the past four decades of breathing in its aural smog, plenty of legends have been born, and with them some truly groundbreaking, generation-defining records. From the jagged, anti-establishment creations of the '80s to the frenetic hedonism of post-Y2K adolescence, indie music has always acted as a soundtrack for the youth of the times, carving itself out amongst the culture and politics of the day.
Julian Casablancas' vocal performance on this album is a conversation that needs to be had. I can only imagine someone hearing it for the first time and being completely mesmerised by his vocals, especially on the title track Is This It, the vocal effects on his voice come through very well. Then it gets to the second verse and that baseline comes in to finish the job up. There are so many songs on that album which I wish I had written.
This record again touches on the subgenres of indie music and the productions you can tap into as an artist. I feel Digitalism execute that perfectly. My favourite song is Pogo, the vocal delivery and the electronic baseline on that record can not be overlooked. It reminds me of parties I used to go to, hearing it all the time, also hearing it on video games such as FIFA. Definitely up there for me.
Set to release his debut album How To Make A Master Peace in March 2024, Peace's work is described as 'a pastiche of the alternative music the British artist was raised on'. His ability to translate these influences into his own unique live performance captivated our audiences at both Rough Trade East and Record Store Day last year, leaving us very much looking forward to hosting the artist again for three Rough Trade in-stores celebrating his debut. The rising artist is poised to further showcase his knack for creating anthems, a rowdy and unique energy which rivals the commanding nature of the indie giants he is so inspired by.
Red Sun Titans is the sound of a band re-born, with the energy and inspiration from the past in their back pockets, Gengahr feel refreshed, with a bright, independent outlook for the future. Allowing them to embrace the idea of being the underdogs, the album is so good because of its message of Gengahr being a group of friends finding joy in doing what they love.
This Is Why is totally conscious where its dialogue is concerned. On past Paramore albums, with youth as an excuse, seldom was there a nod and a wink. Adulthood is covered in nods and winks, the new concealers for pimples, the self-aware enlightenment that breaks up panic. Their latest runs off of its enlightenment like an energy drink, reflectively, catchily, with a crazy heart that continues to necessitate any day that a new Paramore album is released.
The debut album from Island of Love shows them to be gearing up to become masters of their craft. Providing something that is both noisy and boisterous yet effortlessly creating quieter to elevate the power of its louder parts, the album is the sound of a band that has worked tirelessly to be in the position that they are today. Perfectly capturing the balance of an album that was written in a bedroom yet homed in live shows, Island of Love have produced a near-perfect debut that is sure to see them reach new heights.
On her her second studio album Light, Dark, Light Again, Angie McMahon collaborated with Grammy nominated producer Brad Cook to capture the chaos of life in each song, guided by a self-driven tenderness. Timing vs time is the theme, and she reminds us that time is a construct that shifts and transforms. This idea holds particularly true in an era where there is pressure on us to create art rapidly and post it on social media before the day ends. It took four years for Angie McMahon to give us another album, and she made every minute worth the wait.
Abram was one of the first guys we met when we started Austin Town Hall back in 2008. At the time, he was fronting local band Great Nostalgic, but now he has 3 incredible albums under his own name along with his work in Feverbones. His debut solo effort from a few years ago is still a local highlight.
The year was 1981, which seems like a lifetime ago but actually feels like a blink of the eye. After graduating from Berklee, I moved to Los Angeles with everything I owned: two guitars, a degree in arranging, my juicer, a few books, and some clothes. I was on a mission fueled by pure desire and ambition. That move was the second culture shock of my young life. The first occurred when I moved from my hometown of Miami, to Boston, to study at Berklee. In both of these moves, I was exposed to a new level of musicianship achieved by merging natural talent with hard work. Being exposed to so many gifted musicians changed how I perceived what was possible to achieve in my development as a musician and artist. I saw the extraordinary level of talent in the musicians around me, and more important, how high the bar had been set for excellence.
My cross-country drive from Boston to Los Angeles was a metamorphosis. As I drove toward my yet-unborn career, my past faded with each mile and the future grew closer with every new day. I moved to Los Angeles with the singular goal of creating the highest-quality music that I could possibly make. I know many other musicians with a similar story. One of my first jobs was working with the Crusaders, assisting pianist Joe Sample with arranging and orchestrations, and eventually playing guitar on one of the band's albums. That first year, I also toured with Billy Preston. Through the years, I've gotten to know some of the top studio musicians in the world.
Along the way, I've toured with other artists, worked as a session musician, and written and recorded music for film and television. I released the albums Bimini and Say Yes under my own name. I also cowrote and produced an album called Shall We Dance? for the pop-electronica group Baila, and collaborated on Sleep Suite, an album at the opposite end of the musical spectrum.
I'm continually writing and recording vocal and instrumental songs. The inspiration for my latest album, Buddha's Ear, came when I was working with Keb' Mo', who has become a good friend. We were sitting on his back porch passing an acoustic guitar back and forth when he asked me when I was going to start my next album. I told him I had been thinking a lot about it but was uncertain of what musical direction to take. He simply said, "I think it's time." We grabbed a second guitar and wrote the song "Mandela," which ended up being my first single on radio. We wrote it right there on the porch with two acoustic guitars-old school. We wanted to write something that would set the tone for my new album and thought it would be fun to also feature another friend, Mindi Abair '91, on alto sax.
I took some time to think about what kind of album I'd make, what I wanted it to sound like, and who I wanted to play on it. I also thought about how to pay for it and promote and market it without label support. When I shifted from thinking about it to doing it, I knew that it would be important to allow some creative time, and to let the music guide me to which instrumentation would work best on each song.
I had a clear picture of which musicians I would bring in and left the space for them to add their own touches to the music. I am a big believer in casting the right player for each song. My recording band of world-class musicians included Abraham Laboriel '72 (bass), John Robinson '75 (drums), Greg Manning '92 (keyboards), Luis Conte (percussion), Gerald Albright and Mindi Abair (saxophones), as well as special-guest vocalists Keb' Mo', Melanie Taylor, and Melissa Manchester. I also recorded a string quartet at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles and a cello quartet in my studio.
I consider myself a pop musician with a jazz background. The music that I write is a direct response to what I hear and see around me. It's always been important to me to become exposed to different cultures, styles, and perspectives. Growing up in Miami gave me a good start in seeing the musical connections that bind all of us together. The more I get around, the more clear that connection becomes. I love to write when I travel, and when I return home, my own take on the experience comes out in the solitude of my recording studio. Once in a while, I'm awoken or tapped on the shoulder by a melody or a lyric. And when that happens, I make it a point to give a warm welcome to these unexpected visitors.
Some songs like "Mandela," "Buddha's Ear" and "Gettin' Ready to Get Ready" target the smooth-jazz market, but others like "The Blue Pearl" and "Tulum" clearly fall outside the format. The only preconceived idea I had for the album was that I wanted it to sound great. I wanted to make an audiophile album with some extraordinary musicians and capture what I hope others will feel are memorable melodies, played with a lot of heart.
The music for Buddha's Ear was written and recorded over a period of two years, from writing the first song on the back porch to mastering with Bernie Grundman. During that time, I brought in a lot of amazing musician friends to record their parts. I chose each one because I enjoy the music they make. Having my own studio allowed me the luxury of layering the guitar and keyboard parts striving to create an organic live feel for everyone else to play to. Since I know these musicians really well and because they are all so gifted, I was able to imagine what they might play and leave the space in the arrangements for them to do it. The sessions were a blast.
Tradition might have dictated that the foundation of the tracks would have been recorded first. But after recording the guitars, horns, and keyboards, I took the tracks to John Robinson's studio to have John and Abraham Laboriel record live drums and bass. That was a day I won't forget. It was a long, but very musical, day. Magic happens when those two play together. A few weeks later, I went to Luis Conte's studio to record percussion and, from there, to Hollywood's iconic Capitol Studios to record the string quartet. We finished additional overdubs at various studios, mixed everything at my studio with engineer Peter Kelsey, and completed mastering with Bernie Grundman.
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