Yeah Yeah Yeahs

FOXTROTT: Shields EP

I just died and went to electro pop heaven after hearing Foxtrott‘s latest EP, Shields. The three-track collection captivates the ears with a plethora of highly infectious tunes crafted all the way from Montreal, Canada.

The Jesse Minute: Shut Up and Play

Describing themselves as a "female fronted 5 piece pop punk killing machine with nothing to lose" seems quite accurate. The Jesse Minute is a band that loves throbbing energy and some fun punk hooks. Shut Up and Play was released two years ago in 2010 but it's still an album that'll get punk fans excited. Throwing catchy hooks, jangly guitars and sweet female vocals in the fray, the band makes it hard not to bob up and down as you listen to each track. Perfect for some basement party you're throwing or if you simply want to get in touch with your pop punk roots.

Shaking Through: Selected Tracks Vol 1 & 2

When emerging indie artists collaborate into a pristine musical project, you can only expect nothing but the best. Produced by Weathervane Music and WXPN in Philadephia, Shaking Through: Selected Tracks Volumes 1 & 2 is part of a documentary series that shows the birth song of 10 indie bands each year. This particular album is a selection from well loved tracks from the first two installments.

Keep Tidy: Basement Mold EP

Keep Tidy is a Vancouver band that will satisfy your craving for hardcore, balls-on rock. With female-led vocals, the band reminds me of a cross between The Distillers and a very loud and uninhibited, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They are made up of Brett, Dustin, Kyle and Shmoo; most of the members aren't new in the scene. They actually belonged to various other bands in the local Vancouver rock scene before coming together to create this fast paced, loud record that seems to be made up of nothing but a whirlwind of sound.

Bloody Lovely Audrey: Animal EP

If you love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and looking for an indie band alternative that comes close, Bloody Lovely Audrey should be first on your list. The band is made up of Sinead Curry - Vocals, Rob Cleary - Guitars, Andy Cavenagh - Bass and Seb Guajardo - Drums. In the words of their bassist, their sound would be the outcome "if Nirvana, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Queens of the Stone Age had a baby…and drank heavily during the pregnancy." This is quite accurate since their music is a great blend of stoner rock, slight hipster with female-led vocals. You'd imagine them as playing in some cool downtown club with plenty of rock lovin' from the crowd.