follow.an.indie.band.WEDNESDAY!

We haven’t celebrated Follow An Indie Band Wednesday in quite awhile, so why not pick it back up again (at least for this week, I’m not much for committing)?

dunno who took it but robin murray posted this pic on clash music

First up tonight is Sky Larkin, lovely people from Leeds who play rock’n'roll.  I used to not love girl singers (excuse me, FEMALE VOCALISTS) because…I don’t know why, they were boring or I was jealous or something, but that was back in my stupid days, and now I appreciate them exponentially, especially when they are not just cute fun poppy twee but are kick ass rock’n'roll!!  I would say Sky Larkin is pretty much both.  It’s no surprise I like them, as they are on the Wichita Recordings label along with some of our faves.  They’ve got a cool mix of peppy/grunge, and I like it.  They’ve also just announced a North American tour, and as I live in the middle of nowhere, they probably aren’t coming here, but maybe they’re coming to you.  Check out their myspace–I like “Antibodies” but it’s all fantastic.

it is important that you know this image is from last.fm!

Moving on to something a bit different.  Bombay Bicycle Club is also from the UK and they’re pretty great, too.  They’ve got the cathartic sound I’m always looking for, complete with harmonic progressions that imply some understanding of how music actually works, driving rhythms, freaking awesome (read: raw, not your usual boring) vocals, and lyrics like poetry.  I’m actually kind of mad that I’ve never heard these guys before.  You will be too.

also from last.fm!! omg!!

And finally, I admit that I’m cheating and didn’t find these guys on FAIBW, but I just heard The Jealous Sea the other day and have been listening to them at work.  They’re wonderful.  With The Jealous Sea (is the “the” supposed to be capitalized?  Have we come to a conclusion on this yet?), we’re entering the realm of true indie pop/I think we’re at least bordering twee.  The guy/girl vox are reminiscent of Belle & Sebastian with a bit more “guitar jangle.”  Mostly they’re just precious, with adorable little lyrics and melodies, and a bit of sass.  So, thanks guys.

The end.  You can watch this video of Bombay Bicycle Club if you want.  It’s pretty good, there’s Italian Ice Cream in it and boys in dorky jeans and everything.

P.S. My friend (slash this kid at the school where I work…haha, just kidding, Reid!  Except not about the school thing!) is playing a show in Virginia Beach Friday so if you do happen to live in the area, you should most definitely check it out.  Annnd here is a link to the Tangier Island myspace page, because despite being like a month old and having only one recording, they are actually really talented.

I have a headache

Why don’t these drafts save themselves?  Then, when 10000 people are trying to talk to you on Facebook, and you are trying to write, and every time a new person says something to you the stupid post tries to delete itself, it won’t succeed, because it will be saved.  But no, I write half a post and the freaking thing deletes itself.  It was a nice post too, and I was actually trying, despite the fact that I am tired and lazy and I have plans with my sister tonight.  So forgive me, but I’m feeling a bit…spastic.

Anyway, its faibw, and that means follow an indie band wednesday, or maybe it can mean other things if you want it to.  Whatever, people, it’s your world and it’s the internet, so it’s whatever the crap you want it to be.  Freedom.

Here is your first band: The Quelle Source.  I don’t actually have to say anything about this band because they have French in their name, and therefore their goodness speaks for itself.  Wait, it isn’t French.  It’s German.  But seriously, I have some trouble with languages, like when I thought “Dance Serene” by The Hard to Get had French in it but it was actually Portugese and then I just felt silly because oh good lord, I took a few semesters of French and really should be able to decipher these things, but you know, this is just proof that I need to stop working and start learning because every day that I stare at a computer screen and answer phones, my brains are withering away to dust and they will fall out of my ears and cover the ground and become one with the earth.  I guess that’s not so bad.  Anyway, The  Quelle Source is a bit more emo than we are usually discussing, but they aren’t actually emo, I’m just trying to give you some sort of context (and failing, I admit it).  Maybe this is better–the first time I listened to them, they reminded me of Guster’s Ruby Falls, and now I am starting to hear differences (like when you see someone for the first time and they remind you of someone else you know but the more you get to know them, the more you’re like, actually they don’t look like that person at all).  The lead singer’s voice kind of sounds like Adam Gardner though.  Anyway, I don’t know, listen to “Onna’s Lullaby” because it is beautiful.

[this is where I hit "save draft" so I don't lose it again]

[holy crap you are not going to believe this--it happened again--thank god i saved it]

I have a lot to say about this next band.  Toy Horses, hello, I am not only going to talk about your music (shocker) but I am also going to ask a favor of you.  When I was in Wales for a weekend during my semester in London (these guys are from Cardiff!), I was supposed to make it to Cardiff and I did not.  The reason I did not make it is because I was horseback riding (umm, ponyback riding?) somewhere in the middle of Caerphilly and Cardiff, and I fell off, and I had to spend 3 (THREE!) nights in a Welsh hospital because I broke my wrist and had to get surgery, and I am even debating uploading a picture of myself with my bright pink cast and/or just a picture of my badass scar to prove it, but right now I think that is kind of a weird idea.  Maybe I’ll put it on Facebook, only for our fans.  Anyway, I think it is interesting that you are from Wales and your name is Toy Horses and I am just wondering if maybe you could somehow make it up to me, for instance, can I come hang out with you in Wales?  I’m done talking in second person now, and I will talk about music.  Muchos gracias.  Merci beaucoup.  Love, Kristin.   But seriously (not that that wasn’t serious), Toy Horses is fantastic.  Quirky but radio-friendly indie pop…”uke-fuelled,” which is never a bad thing.  The lyrics are lovely and charming, and the acoustic style is, well, just what I like.  “Last Chance” is probably my favorite.  Because I’m a bit of a sap.

Finally we have Essay Like Nephew.  Essay Like Nephew is wonderfully chill, a smidge ethereal, and at one point I was like, hmm he sounds like Alan Rickman (at least on “China Pop”) and while let’s be honest, have you ever heard anyone who sounds like Alan Rickman?, he’s got a really fantastic voice.  I appreciate the quirky lyrics and the folk influence, and also the free downloads!  This is definitely a talented group.  Go get you some free music.

Well, I know this is full of more stories and random bullcrap than you ever wanted, but seriously, listen to these bands and don’t read my ridiculous writing.  You should read Eric’s last post, though.

Harry Potter + The Dodo’s + Choir of Young Believers

I’d like to start this Aren’t You Glad It’s Now You Can Listen to Indie Music Wednesday by Finding Bands on Twitter By Searching #FAIBW by saying that yes, I did go to a midnight showing of Harry Potter last night, and no, they did not start on time because despite the fact that they play hundreds of movies every day that are boring and ordinary and start exactly on time and work perfectly well, when they have a midnight showing of something people desperately want to see, of course something will be fishy with the film reel and the start time will be delayed, and although Eric can (and does) survive quite well on very little sleep, I do not, and so I have been dying all day at work and now I am dying some more trying to put coherent thoughts together.

I’m sorry, was  that irrelevant?

The Dodo’s have been around for awhile, but they came up on FAIBW today, and I found them, not surprisingly, more than worthy of a mention.  This is especially fitting for FAIBW, which is always a place to find not just new music but also free music, because their new album “Time to Die,” which comes out *technically* on July 28th digitally and in September physically, is streaming here now.  Over and over again I will apologize for making fun of Fleet Foxes–I really do like them, I swear, we just make fun of them all the time, don’t we?–but again, we’ve got a band that rivals Fleet Foxes in sound and then overcomes them with authenticity.  I recommend “The Strums,” which will charm you with its melancholic drive, “Two Medicines,” and “Troll Nacht,” because it is beast.  Also, while you’re listening, read the comments because they are funny.  We need some more funny comments on this blog.

Choir of Young Believers have also been around for awhile, so I guess that’s just where we stand with FAIBW today!  These guys are from Denmark, which is always a plus, and their sound is delicious, with lovely strings and subtle dissonances and mellow vocals.  It isn’t often that you hear something truly beautiful.  “Under the Moon” and “Why Must It Always Be This Way” are my favorites on their myspace page, but I suspect I’ll be checking out their album very soon.

So, I’m only leaving you with two bands tonight, but one of them has an entire album for you to stream for free, so I don’t feel too horrible about that.  I think there is enough substance in both artistic endeavors to leave it.

Shh, talk about Slow Club in your Library Voices

Follow An Indie Band Wednesday!

(Thanks to thepoptimist.com for the logo idea)

Guess what guys!  If you work at a semi-normal workplace, you get Friday off, so today is sort of like … not Wednesday, and tomorrow is sort  of like Friday!

And it’s “listen to indie music and have a great Wednesday”, which is my new name for “follow an indie band Wednesday” because I’m getting tired of calling it that.  I’m not very big on commitment.  That’s okay, though, because this day allows me to be as random as I need to be.  So with that, I have some highlights and some housekeeping things for you today!

1. 5 months f rom today, December 1st, is Free-E-Day, which is an online indie culture festival being hosted by Year Zero Writers.  This is a pretty freaking awesome idea, and I hope to see it come to fruition in an even more brilliant way than anyone expects.  Basically, artists will contribute books, music, photography, etc etc etc, and they will be available to the public for free!  If you’re an artist, this is a great way for you to put your stuff out there, and if you’re a lover of the arts (as Eric and I most definitely are), this is a great way to find something new and groundbreaking.  For more information, check out the website here.  Also, remember that when you talk about it, you have to say it sort of like this: “FreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Day!”  It’s much more fun that way, trust me.

2. Right now I am listening to Library Voices. I’ve been coming to a realization…it’s like waking up from a dream…that I have a thing for Canadian music.  How to describe them?  They’ve got the tension between playfulness and self-awareness that we all admire about the Magnetic Fields, with a brilliantly indie-pop sound and a free but catchy structure, which isn’t the easiest balance in the world to accomplish.  Their little a cappella melody at the beginning of “Drinking Games” is precious, and they also clap and ooh and aah and count off in Spanish and reference The Unbearable Lightness of Being and make the synths sound cool.  Yeah, that’s hot.

3. 5 days till the new Slow Club album! Yeah So will be released on July 6, 2009, and somehow I just know it’s going to be the most wonderful thing you’ve heard all year so far.  Can you believe it’s already July?  Yeah, me neither.  I can’t keep up.  Anyway, let me tell you what Yeah So is going to be like.  Charles and Rebecca are going to charm you with their vocal chemistry and their playful, creative, honest lyrics.  You’ll dance around even if you never dance, you’ll blast it from your car even though folk is not usually blasted, and you will make all of your friends listen to it.  Some tracks may also make you cry.  And if you have ever listened to the musical The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown, which is probably like…one of you…”Sorry About the Doom” is going to sound like “I’m Still Hurting.”  And if you check out “Dance Till the Morning Light” on their myspace, there is going to be an even better version.  Jus’ sayin’.  On Monday you better invest a few bucks in this album, because if Paste magazine comes to their senses, it will be on the top-25 list of 2009 at least.

4. Another gem of FAIBW is Ra Ra Riot. They’re from Syracuse but they have a bit of a London sound, reminiscent of the Kooks.  Violin and cello are prominent elements of their distinct ethereal indie rock, and even though the lyrics are kind of weird, they’re also pretty  cool.  I should have more to say about them, but I am getting antsy.

5. Here is a video of Slow Club to get you excited about the new album (if my writing isn’t exciting enough for you).  “Because You Are Dead” will be on it!

USA! USA! USA!

Even for a pathological depressive like me, today has been a good day. The United States have crushed Spain in the Confederations Cup (that right there is a week’s worth of good news); I have spent most of the day listening to God Help the Girl, Belle & Sebastian, and Bjork; I found an article on frontal lobe development co-authored by Natalie Portman online; and I read Hamlet during my lunch break. All of these things and more have combined to blot most of the negative aspects of young-adulthood from my cosciousness, even the corrupt and shallow FHM 100 sexiest women list released today, which unfairly favors women with long hair (OK, so maybe I’m still bitter about some things). But I am content enough to at least make an attempt at a #faibw post today.

Alright, let’s see. Here’s a nice one for you. Sun Airway, from Philadelphia. Very chill (an adjective I hate to use, because it is not an adjective) and I like that. All of their music that I have heard today has a distinct air of familiarity and I cannot figure out why. I am pretty sure I’ve never actually heard any of this before. I suppose it sort of reminds me of the Postal Service (Oh, no! Was that a Death Cab reference?), but with better vocals and (upon first listening, I would say) slightly more rhythmical complexity. You should really check this out. Also, you can download their EP, Oh, Naoko here. (Coincidentally, I have a little bit of a crush on Naoko Mori and an even bigger crush on her character from Torchwood.)

I can’t believe we haven’t had a Swiss band on here yet (I don’t think). Well, we do now. According to their MySpace, CHOO CHOO are from Bern. They have an organist in their band and she is a girl. Two points! (A friend of mine who is an organist visited me at work today, another good thing about today.) I love their fusion of 60s rock and contemporary garage, aaaaand they list The Monkees amongst the bands they listen to, and where would we be without Davy Jones and Mike Nesmith’s mother? (For starters, we’d be short two Pirates movies and about a billion gallons of Liquid Paper.) So give them a listen, I am really digging “Safe & Warm” [see video below].

Inlight have the sort of sound that I’m pretty sure can only come from Britain. You know, that pop/rock quality that lands just to the left of epic, but in a good way. There’s a slight thread of Pink Floydiness that runs through these songs, many of which can be downloaded for free under the “audio” tab on their website, and great relentless, non-annoying drumming persists through “Icarus” (one of two tracks making titular allusions to classical mythology, which is awesome). Also, they’ve opened for Alphabeat, and, yes, I love Alphabeat. One thing I don’t like about Inlight: they are now band number 472 on the list of “Bands I Am Not Likely To See Live Any Time Soon Because They Live In Places I Am Too Poor To Visit”. (My BIANLTSLATSBTLIPIATPTV list is getting really long and that is beginning to cloud my positive opinion of today’s events.)

It’s UK Day at FAIBW!

Hello, everyone!  Please forgive us for not covering Follow An Indie Band Wednesday (FAIBW…fyi) last week!!  We are eternally apologetic.  Tonight will not disappoint because tonight I noticed that many of the best from FAIBW are from the United Kingdom and I am thereby declaring today UK Day at FAIBW.  Do I have the authority for that?  Well…yes.

We Were Promised Jetpacks hails from Glasgow, Scotland.  I had never heard them before tonight and I’m ready to purchase everything they’ve got out.  Too bad I am poor.  Anyway, We Were Promised Jetpacks can be described as tight alternative indie, with driving guitar and cathartic build.  I’m  in love with the listening experience here…the intense amalgamation of talent and passion.  Between the four songs on their myspace page, I can’t pick one favorite–everything they’ve got is so completely together, and their hearts are completely in it.  They strike the glorious balance between power and fragility, something that doesn’t always fall into place with other bands.  Also, Eric and I decidedly love Scottish accents, although he will be less than thrilled that these are boy accents and not girl ones.

My next UK favorite of the day is Dinosaur Pile-Up.  These alternative indie Brits have not let me down except in picking a weird band name (boys are weird).  They have especially not let me down in their attractive myspace profile picture–it is QUITE sexy.  But seriously…I was going to say that Dinosaur Pile-Up is pretty similar to We Were Promised Jetpacks in its drive, but their heavier guitars and darker vocals really make that a stretch, so I won’t say it.  They’re more grunge than melodramatic, but they’re absolutely adorable nonetheless.  And very rock’n'roll.  Also, I really want one of those cool tshirts.   White, size small, please.  Who is going to make that happen?  They’re so rock’n'roll!!  And maybe some Clash-inspired lyrics?  Did I make that up?

Finally, in keeping with tonight’s trend of inexplicable band names, United Kingdom origins, and a more alternative vibe than you usually get from Miss Indie Folk (that’s my new nickname, btw), here is Scientist The Orange Pip!  Actually, Scientist The Orange Pip is, while still alternative  indie, not too far from crossing border into emo, but their innovative sound and rhythmic play prevents them from getting there and emotionally convinces me, which is something most emo (read: Dashboard Confessional) fails to do.  However, if you have emo leanings, this may be your thing.  The changes in “Lupitas Observation” rival The Format’s ability to brilliantly cater to ADHD listeners, so obviously I recommend it, and “Proof of Propensity” has a great sound as well, a bit different from their other songs.  I think my favorite thing about these guys, though, is their background vox.  Is that weird?  They’re fun, biotches.  So, button up those skinny jeans, smudge that eyeliner, and freaking check it out.

Thanks The_Recommender, Miss_Cain, and NatGuy for winning suggestions this week.  Thanks to the UK for producing such fabulous music.  See ya next week for Follow An Indie Band Wednesday!  (Unless of course something cooler comes up, in which case you should be here anyway, shouldn’t you?)

Follow An Indie Band Wednesday: The Best Day of the Week!

Hello and welcome to Follow An Indie Band Wednesday highlights!

First, some “housekeeping” that isn’t really housekeeping.  Tonight, Eric is too pissed to write (Do we listen to indie music because we are depressed, or are we depressed because we listen to indie music?  I don’t know, John Cusack, I just don’t know) so I am bringing you some fantastic bands to become obsessed with.  Also, if you listen to my mix from Monday now, even though it is Wednesday, I will not harass you about it next Monday.

Anyway, back to Follow An Indie Band Wednesday!  Last week, due to Malta Mayhem, we had to give up our routine and fill our day with Maltese music; today, we are back on Twitter listening to tons of free tracks and myspace pages of great indie bands, and there’s pretty much something for everyone!  You can check it out here, and if you don’t feel like blindly listening to everything posted or if you just really value our opinions (can’t blame you for that), here are some highlights:

We here at The Indie Handbook have multiple musical personalities, and while sometimes I just need some delicious girlie twee, I can be pretty badass.  And Transfer is for when I’m needing something badass.  I’m tempted to call them rockabilly, but that’d be way too extreme…they’re western rock with a bit of grunge.  I like the mellow feel of “Like a Feather” and the build on “A Bitter Pill,” so those are my recommendations for this fine Wednesday evening.  Also, the vox on “Sinking Sailing” remind me vaguely of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out,” which is always a good thing.  Transfer comes from San Diego, so if you’re a local, I suggest you go find them and be friends with them.  At the moment, I’m begging for an east coast tour…

Now for something completely different…The Aquamen, because all their songs are named after drinks!  But seriously, they are, but also seriously, you’ve been looking for your fun summer music, and I am giving it to you now.  Thank me.  Or better yet, thank the Aquamen.  You know that song “Tequila” where the only thing you do is dance around and then yell “Tequila” in the middle of it?  This is way better.  As San Francisco natives, these guys have learned to capture the beach in sound–it’s a tiny bit garage and a lot of sassy guitar, with very few lyrics, but you don’t care.    Think of a more drunken Ruby Suns.  The Aquamen are playing your quintessential surfing summer drinking tunes and you will listen to them and you will love them.

Alright, I may have been seduced by his precious myspace page.  The adorable picture, the explanation that “Pop plays the six string while Pop plays the blues”…I’m just cute-ed out.  Maybe Pop Pop just started this project recently and joined myspace less than a month ago, maybe Pop Pop is what some people call their grandpas, I don’t care. The Indie Handbook is about what we like, and I like this, and you very well may like it as well.  It is lo-fi, acoustic, the lyrics are lovely, and Alex Thraikill has a voice bursting with character, almost reminiscent of The Mountain Goats.  It’s just so adorably likeable.   You can follow him on Twitter, too.

While you’re listening to Pop Pop, check out his friend Oberhofer.  This is why we like Follow An Indie Band Wednesday…everyone’s got friends!  Oberhofer’s wildness reminds me of the Born Ruffians…the vocals on “I Could Go,” for instance.  It’s very free, kind of dancey, and the lyrics are sassy, and as we all know, sassy lyrics (think Dear & The Headlights) are some of my favorite things in the world.  I could go on, but this post is taking me forever to write and I wish you would all just listen when I tell you to!!  And I’m telling you to!!

Thanks for reading and hopefully listening to our highlights!  This blog is worthless if you do zero listening.  Also, we want to emphasize again that we adore your comments and want to hear all your thoughts!  Seriously.  Just go for it, tangent in our comments.  We’ll love it (or at least I will, and it’s mostly my opinion that matters.  Eric just does badass interviews.)

Much love, my dear musical friends!

Big things for TIH this week, including #faibw

The last 48 hours have been big for us. There’s the Facebook page. Show us how much you love us and become our fan and tell your friends to do the same (we have a target we are trying to reach, but I am not telling you what it is). There is also a potentially big anouncement (for me, anyway), but I am not telling you about that yet until it’s official, either. And then there’s Follow an Indie Band Wednesday, which I will tell you about, because it’s Wednesday (or at least it was when I started writing this).

Bitter Things – Yes, it’s true, we have told you about Bitter Things before and technically, I am the one who nominated them for #faibw on Twitter today, but this is a day to give them your attention. Why? Because they have posted four new tracks to their MySpace and I love these songs. It’s the same Bitter Things, but with a slightly more garage-y sound and a bluesy guitar quality (some overdrive/compression). And if you pinch your left earlobe and squint, you can hear a bit of the White Stripes, especially on “Run Rabbit Run”, but “The God of Lovers & Drunks” is my favourite. Well done, Bitter Things. Now, when can we expect an LP from you?

Swimming in Speakers – It took me about 30 seconds to get into this, but once I did, I was hooked. At first glance, “In Knowing”, the lead track on the band’s MySpace, sounds like it is going to grow into some straightforward(?) electro-twee, but the entrance of Meadow Eliz’s vocals prove that there is a lot more to this New York quartet. Comparisons to CocoRosie are easily (and accurately) drawn. For those of you who think CocoRosie is too mainstream, you will be glad to know that “In Knowing” bears a strikingly pleasant resemblance to the atmosphere of “Dragonfly” by Universal Hall Pass.

The Foxes – Straight up indie rock, which admittedly, like this band, is not unheard of. But they sound well polished and, yes, I like that too. Allow me to explain myself. Here are some lyrics from “Trauma Town”: “I don’t want to have to explain myself to idiots to flatter their bravado”. How can you not love that? That’s how I felt most of the day Tuesday. They’ve got a new single out called “Bill Hicks”, presumably named for the late comedian. You can stream both tracks, as well as others, on their homepage and Facebook. You can watch the video for “Trauma Town” below.

Follow An Indie Band Wednesday!

Well here we are, another Wednesday, another FAIBW! In case you’re not hip with the acronyms and/or twitter, FAIBW is Follow An Indie Band Wednesday on Twitter (search #faibw and find tons of great music!)…and I’m sorry you failed to celebrate it! Good thing we’re here to catch you up with the highlights!

Among many great artists, you will find some of my faves of the day…

What Made Milwaukee Famous
So What Made Milwaukee Famous isn’t completely unknown (finding the unknowns is the best thing about FAIB), but they’re still a great indie folk rock band! I’m digging the call and response on “Sweet Lady” (call & response always makes for a great drinking song) and “Sultan” has great line…is that a music majory thing to say? I’m loving the keyboard! And the driving bass line!

Nicole Atkins & The Sea
I’m not sure if I should have heard of Nicole Atkins before or not, but now I have and I am loving her voice! It is beautiful, rich, and chock full of emotion–if I had to make a comparison, I could point to Fiona Apple or Aimee Mann but I’d rather not, because she really is incredibly unique. Her voice + what sounds like a full orchestra behind her = Broadway for indie rock [in a good way]. I’m not sure if she was classically trained or not, but lord she sounds fabulous. American Idol can suck it. Check out “Maybe Tonight” and “The Way It Is.”

The Gin Riots
The Gin Riots have a dancey London Saturday night feel, and if BritPowerPop is a genre, I guess that’s what they are?  They remind me a bit of the Kooks, but less manufactured.  I love when a band provides release…don’t get me wrong, twee is fabulous, but there’s something to be said for pure catharsis, and The Gin Riots definitely provide that.  My faves are “Pretty Little Things” and “I Didn’t Mean It.”

Yves Klein Blue
Yves Klein Blue only has 3 songs on their myspace, but those 3 songs are enough to tell me that they are going somewhere, and there will definitely be more to come.  Their lyrics are sassy which is always fantastic, and they’re from Australia, so Michael Tomlinson’s accent adds something to the overall aesthetic that we Americans just love.  As for the music, the genre could be classified simply as indie rock, but they’ve got a dancey, throwback feel.  Keep your eyes and ears open (we will too!) because their debut album comes out late June!  Also, they’ve got an advert on their myspace that says “Want us to play a gig at your house party?”  Um, yes.  Will you fly to the States to play for my house party slash wedding?  Mmkthat’dbegreatthanks. 

That’s all for this week, folks!  Thanks for listening!  Tune in next week!!

Something to like about today.

Sometimes I don’t like anything about Wednesdays.  Today was especially rancid as far as Wednesdays go.  And yet, here is something to make Wednesdays better:

Follow An Indie Band Wednesday! (exclamation point mine)

The list of things I like about Twitter is growing.  Visit http://search.twitter.com and search “#faibw” — here is what you find: all of the indie cred you ever wanted!  People post links of their favorite indie bands, often unsigned, and even tons of free downloads, and they put “#faibw” at the end of their post.  That way, when you search for it, you get all of these indie music posts!  You can even play a fun game called “How Indie Am I?” where you count all the artists you know, and then marvel at your own ignorance.  Here’s a tip–make yourself feel better by hiding it from your friends, and then name-dropping all the bands they don’t know!

Just kidding.  I obviously think you should share the wealth.  Sorry for the sass, it was a bad day!  Here are some highlights from Follow An Indie Band Wednesday!

The Secret Life of Sofia — slightly minimalistic (makes me think of Phillip Glass), great lyrics (check “Moose Collision”), dark and delicate, quiet energy…the video is cool, too.

Michou — Canadian folk-rock, lovely voice, adorable lyrics (a bit sappy at times, but not obnoxious, so that’s always a plus for me), interesting & subtle harmonies (not your same ole same ole!), also is that trumpet and violin I hear?…”Control” reminds me of an acoustic Panic! and I also particularly enjoy “St. Mary’s Park” and “In Passing,” but that’s just the kind of day it’s been, now isn’t it?

Snowsera — keep your eye on these guys, they probably won’t be “indie” for long, but they’ve got a cool sound, comparable to The Hush Sound, Maroon 5 (ish), and Bitter Things (did you see this post?).  You get the impression that they really like to rock out.  For your viewing pleasure:

The Substitutes — And finally, as my descriptions get lamer because my laptop is dying and so is my attention span, here is a band we somehow skipped during Dutch Week and also the lead singer’s voice sounds like Conor Oberst.  Check out “Summer’s Here Kids,” because geez kids, it pretty much is.  Apparently Paste Magazine likes them; it won’t kill you to give them a listen.

There are your highlights for F.A.I.B.W.  Take advantage of them.  Spread the indie love, because indie is all about the love (read: it is not about impressing your friends or making other people feel stupid (unless they are)).  Tune in next Wednesday for more!!