Portraits of Breaking Laces in New York City on January 21, 2010 New York (Credit Jen Maler/Retna)

Willem Hartong, singer, guitarist and songwriter for the Brooklyn-based indie rock band, Breaking Laces, cannot give a straight definition of what constitutes indie music, but alongside bassist Rob Chojnacki and drummer Seth Masarsky, he can show everyone at the Rockwood Music Hall this Thursday what the band is all about.

Tomorrow’s show will begin Breaking Laces’ CD release tour for their new album “When You Find Out.” From this specific album the boys have been favoring tracks such as “What We Need”, “We Can Be Great”, and “When You Find Out”.

Hartong described how Breaking Laces began about five years ago when he recorded a solo album and then took the initiative to call Chojnacki and Masarsky to see if they were up for the challenge to begin producing their own tunes.

However, Breaking Laces’ soundtracks cannot be contained in one genre. Hartong labeled the trio as independent. He said their music is a mixture of acoustic, pop, and rock.

In a nutshell, he described their music as, “Simple acoustic pop rock that is multi-layered with poetic blind ambition.”

Credit Jen Maler/Retna)

When You Find Out differs from the band’s earlier albums such as Sohcahtoa and Operation Income because it’s fuller and more thought out.

“What’s cool about it is that we didn’t run out of time,” Hartong said. “Running out of time is frustrating.”

The boys continued to discuss how many musical influences and role models they have in the music industry. A few names that were mentioned were Radiohead, Built to Spill, The Lemonheads, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, and Weezer.

“I think we’re in position to take a big leap that we both need and deserve,” Hartong stated. Breaking Laces is looking to have bigger shows with bigger audiences. Hartong is taking a step up since singing in a choir when he was in 8th grade.

After the first tour date in NY, Breaking Laces will be playing at All Asia in Boston on Friday. The band prefers to go on extended tours with other bands, similar to one they previously pursued in the UK, but Breaking Laces will continue to play 19 more shows throughout America for their current tour.

Hartong said, “We’re really good on the road. I can’t wait to get out there and start playing every day.” Other than overcoming the obstacles of finding filling, healthy, and satisfying snacks from convenience stores and fighting over who gets their own hotel room, the boys of Breaking Laces are looking forward to their upcoming shows.

“My favorite gig is the next one,” Hartong declared as he showed his enthusiasm for the band’s future tour dates.

For more information on Breaking Laces and their CD release tour for When You Find Out, visit their homepage at breakinglaces.com or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

NEW YORK — We made it! Blast closed out the 2010 CMJ Music Marathon with a full day and night of music in Brooklyn and Manhattan on Saturday, and emerged scarred for life in the best way possible.

Brooklyn Vegan showcase: We started the afternoon at Public Assembly in Williamsburg, where a number of acts, including Ted Leo, Wild Nothing, Titus Andronicus and Marnie Stern, graced two stages. But the real story of the day was a jaw-dropping performance by Big Freedia.

Big Freedia, for the uninformed, is a transgendered rapper who is part of the New Orleans queer rap movement known as “Sissy Bounce.” Her songs (including the aptly-named “Azz Everywhere,” which feature chant-y call-and-response flows), are perfectly catchy on their own, but it’s the dancing that really puts the “bounce” into this genre. There’s no two ways about it — Big Freedia’s rump-shaking defies all knowledge of physics, gravity and, frankly, reality. Do NOT try this at home.

As the audience (who had been plied with free vodka, bourbon and Magic Hat all afternoon) looked on, entranced, horrified or something in between, Freedia and a small entourage of dancers booty-popped around the stage, at one point breaking into a version of “Empire State of Mind.” As she bent over and gyrated in between verses, Big Freedia’s metal studded belt caught the stage lighting and pulsed as quickly as a strobe light — and I wouldn’t be surprised if it caused some seizures, too. Clad in a plaid shirt, grey jeans and sporting a fabulously side-swiped hairstyle with a single blond streak, this “Queen Diva” provided the perfect entertainment to round out the week (pun intended). If sissy bounce is wrong, we don’t want to be right.

Thieving Irons: Later in the evening, while killing time between performances, Blast stumbled upon the pleasant surprise of  Thieving Irons (the solo project of former Pela guitarist Nate Martinez) at Rockwood Music Hall. Although the crowd unfortunately neglected to appreciate the subtleties of a venue like Rockwood Music Hall, Martinez and his Thieving Irons bandmates pushed through their set with grace and a great deal of visual interest. Martinez’ voice, reminiscent of Neil Young but with the raspy vocal turns of Bruce Springsteen, leads a collection of songs evocative of a mellower, trippier Band of Horses. Slide and electric guitars, a dulcimer, a trumpet and an EVI (electric valve instrument) all made for an aesthetically pleasing experience. The music stands out, but the vocal harmonies can be somewhat lacking — not of skill or technique, but rather of imagination and experimentation. While the EVI did an excellent job of compensating for this void, Martinez might better serve his unique vision by pushing the parameters of harmony and bringing the vocal component up to par with the rest of the band.

Alcoholic Faith Mission: Bringing CMJ 2010 to a close was Alcoholic Faith Mission at Fat Baby. On Blast’s list of must-sees, this six-piece band from Denmark did not disappoint the crowded club on Saturday night. From peaceful to raucous to explosive and back again, AFM employs a random collection of instruments – glockenspiel, trombone, and accordion – that help to create the undulation that is the band’s sound. Dark, melancholic and sometimes sarcastic lyrics cut through the ups and downs of the music with precise juxtaposition. “Nut in Your Eye,” for example, begins in a surprisingly mellow, melodious manner. Ultimately, though, what takes Alcoholic Faith Mission from a good band to a great band is the obvious camaraderie among its members – a noticeable reverence each player seems to have for the next, still apparent through the thick guise of sex, booze and (indie) rock ‘n’ roll.

Blast photographer Sarah Berman contributed to this article.

NEW YORK — On Friday, we decided to switch things up a little bit and attend some of the afternoon showcases CMJ had to offer. Pianos, in particular, had a great lineup as part of the Planetary Group/Future Sounds Day Party.

The Jezabels: We wandered in just in time to see The Jezabels, a stellar four-piece from Sydney, Australia. Singer Hayley Mary sounds like a hybrid of Kate Bush and Sara Quin (and bears a strong resemblance to the latter). The band’s percussive, piano-laden atmospheric music swelled to fill the tiny performance space, and Mary alternately displayed swagger, prancing around the stage in a black leather jacket, and vulnerability through her high-pitched intonations.

Fake Problems: This quartet from Naples, Florida plays straightforward rock with a blues bent, a la The Gaslight Anthem. But they aren’t afraid to throw in a hook or even stray into pop-punk territory every now and then. Singer Chris Farren, clad in a tight-fitting polo shirt, gives off a boy next door vibe, but that doesn’t overshadow the passion behind his songs.

Two Hours Traffic: Closing out the afternoon performances was this band from Prince Edward Island, Canada. The group plays mostly Weezer-esque rock (without the nerd aesthetic), but when singer Liam Corcoran picks up an acoustic guitar, a couple of the songs border on country. Either way, the music is toe-tapping and catchy, with plenty of oohs and aahs. And when the members harmonize, they’re quite reminiscent of another clean-cut, good-looking (fab) foursome.

Photos by Sarah Be for Blast Magazine

NEW YORK — Borrowing a page from the ’90s grunge handbook, Empires plays passionate, straightforward rock free of any gimmicks and pretense. The DIY quartet take a no-nonsense approach to their music, having financed, recorded and distributed their debut record, “HOWL,” independently in 2008. Their latest effort, an EP titled Bang, earned the group a slot on this year’s CMJ roster, where they’re sure to make a mark. Here’s some basic info about Empires, courtesy of frontman Sean Van Vleet.

BLAST: Describe your sound in 10 words or less.

SEAN VAN VLEET: The Hulk at a dinner party. No napkin.

BLAST: Which three artists are your biggest influences?

SVV: Radiohead, any recorded blues out of the’ 30s (lately), Jimi Hendrix

BLAST: What’s your favorite album of 2010 so far?

SVV: Not sure about album, but “Comin Through” by The War on Drugs is the tune doing it for me lately. If their album is anything like that song, that’s it gonna be it.

BLAST: If you were going to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, which three albums would you bring with you?

SVV: “I Want You” by Marvin Gaye, Best of Robert Johnson (not sure it exists, but I’d make sure all 29 songs were together), “The Bends” by Radiohead

BLAST: Name a song you wish you’d written.

SVV: “Heroes,” David Bowie

BLAST: Name something non-musical that has inspired your songwriting.

SVV: “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. If you don’t read this book, you will never truly live.

BLAST: What was your first concert?

SVV: Lenny Kravitz and The Black Crowes. Not bad for an introduction, huh?

BLAST: What’s the number one thing you can’t live without on the road?

SVV: Mike Kodak, our tour manager. He’s a thing…trust me. One love, Mike!

BLAST: If you could ban one artist from ever making music again (or ever having made music), who would it be?

SVV: Eddie Murphy. Everything else about him rules.

BLAST: Which other acts are you hoping to see during CMJ Week?

SVV: Ghostface Killah, can’t wait!

NEW YORK — For Brooklyn trio My Other Friend, CMJ is the perfect launching pad to build buzz for their forthcoming debut album, “Burning Bright Tonight.” The band has perfected an emotional blend of orchestral indie and garage rock.

Singer/guitarist Andy Simmons recently shed some light on the group’s influences.

BLAST: Describe your sound in 10 words or less.

ANDY SIMMONS: If ELO wrote the soundtrack to “Blade Runner.” That’s us.

BLAST: Which three artists are your biggest influences?

AS: Carey Mercer from Frog Eyes, Roy Orbison and Bruce Springsteen.

BLAST: What’s your favorite album of 2010 so far?

AS: It’s a tie between (Beach House’s) “Teen Dream” and (Arcade Fire’s) “The Suburbs.”

BLAST: If you were going to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, which three albums would you bring with you?

AS: Yikes, tough question. I’m going to go with (Bruce Springsteen’s) “Born to Run,” (Radiohead’s) “OK Computer” and (Stevie Wonder’s) “Songs in the Key of Life.”

BLAST: Name a song you wish you’d written.

AS: “Common People” by Pulp. I effing love that song.

BLAST: Name something non-musical that has inspired your songwriting.

AS: The Tennessee Williams play “Orpheus Descending.” It’s beautiful.

BLAST: What was your first concert?

AS: Billy Joel and Elton John. I must have been 8 or 9. My dad took me.

BLAST: What’s the number one thing you can’t live without on the road?

AS: The ultimate road soda: the juice of one lime, two cans of Tecate, four dashes of Tabasco. Serve in a Big Gulp cup over ice, and enjoy!

BLAST: If you could ban one artist from ever making music again (or ever having made music), who would it be?

AS: Easy! The Eagles

BLAST: Which other acts are you hoping to see during CMJ Week?

AS: Bear Hands, Frankie Rose, The Yes Way

My Other Friend plays Wednesday at 1 a.m. (technically Thursday) at Webster Hall, and Thursday at 8:15 p.m. at Spike Hill.

NEW YORK — It is generally frowned upon to not know if you’re coming or going. But in the case of “The Big Island,” the sophomore offering from Brooklyn-based Americana-indie band Motel Motel, it’s a super power. The band has somehow mastered the ability to make listeners feel nostalgic for home and for the sense of familiarity, yet ready and yearning to embark on a great voyage of things and places unfamiliar.

Motel Motel’s songs contain strong vocals and heartfelt orchestral chords, and just about every song on “The Big Island” has a joyous and powerful energy. Classifying the quintet as a “rock band” doesn’t fully describe them, but they are also not what one thinks of when they hear the words “indie Brooklyn band.” Even though when you get off the subway to see one of their shows, one of their audience members may glare at you for being in your work suit or not having stylish bed bug bites, Motel Motel is anything but another stale hipster band. They are completely original, and any influences one may hear in their music probably comes from the band’s similar experiences or level of talent as other great musicians.

Motel Motel is a modern rock band that ties in an indie edge with the sprawling sounds of the great west. The album makes listeners feel as though they can live in this dream time of comfort when they felt “home,” even just for a few moments. Their vocal harmonies are so soul shaking that they seem to unite the listener with some higher human emotion. If nostalgia were an instrument, one of the five musicians that make up Motel Motel would be a master at playing it.

Yet the band’s western twang and sudden key changes make the listener feel as if they are exploring uncharted territory. Their songs are like some kind of untamed ocean, where the water under your boat starts out with one motion and takes sudden unknown turns. Whether the waters are quieting down, or ripples begin to turn into a tempestuous tirade, the one thing that is certain is that you don’t know what nature has in store for you and your journey. No one song on “The Big Island” ends with the same sound, tone or emotion it began with, making the music as mysterious yet natural as the aforementioned sea. And like the ocean, no matter what direction the “waves” are moving, the music seems to seamlessly flow.

This nomadic quality may have something to do with the Motel Motel’s members seemingly making up some sort of mini Rock ‘n’ Roll House of Representatives. They each hail from a different state and represent almost every time zone the country has to offer.

“I think because we’re all from all over the place, I think we all kind of speak to different experiences and have sort of a sentimental sense of the road and traveling and that kind of thing,” said Mickey Theis, one of the band’s guitarist and vocalists. “All of us I think have that. We all came to New York because we were unsatisfied I guess with where we were living and I think this band has taken us different places.”

Motel Motel’s first album “New Denver” sounds more chaotic and a bit edgier than the band’s second feat. “New Denver” sounds like the result of scooping up the island of New York City and suddenly dropping it in a big square state out west. “The Big Island” has an easier and more joyful yet longingly sound. The latest album definitely depicts different perspectives, ones that are sometimes working together and sometimes working in discordance. This element is one reason “The Big Island” is so unique.

“We’ve known each other for so long we kind of discovered a way to work with each other. Its not as beautiful as it may appear, we argue a lot, we fight a lot, just yesterday we got into some pretty intense arguments,” said Eric Engel, guitarist and lead vocalist. “It’s a lot of intense moments we have that make decisions. But when it does work out and it does come together, it’s beautiful,” Eric said.

It is hard to miss the influence of Hawaiian sounds on the album. It is not to say that “The Big Island” is going to be part of your Sublime/Jack Johnson/311 “Surfs Up!” play list next summer, but it does have elements of what most would consider a “beachy” vibe. It incorporates Hawaiian themes in a very grand way, perhaps in the way that you would describe an epic wave would crash into the shore in Hawaii vs that experience in New Jersey. This sound melts into the album seamlessly thanks to an instrument called the Pedal steel, a string instrument with a reputation for being extremely difficult to play. Many of the band members expressed how impressed they are with keyboardist Erik Gundel’s ability to effortlessly play such a complicated instrument.

“The Big Island’s” Hawaiian influences have no doubt to do with guitarist/bassist Timothy “Timo” Sullivan’s growing up in the Aloha State. The band said that on this album, the duty of creating lyrics naturally fell more so in the hands of Timothy and Eric Engel.

“My dad is a fisherman,” Sullivan said, “and he fishes at night, so my idea of Hawaii is like dark oceans and scary waves and very epic. So it wasn’t conscience at first, it became conscience, that we were trying to make an album that really swelled and was epic. Where the Hawaiian most came into play was (in the song) ‘Kaimanu,’ because that’s the name of my dads boat. … So we pictured it like (the sounds and lyrics of the song) would be him sailing into the ocean. But we never named that song ‘Kaimanu’ until the end, we always pictured it would be a song about the ocean, but it all fell together.”

The Hawaiian theme doesn’t stop there. Many of the songs have the Island’s mythology, imagery or culture entwined with its notes. Another song on the album, “Keauhou,” references a harbor, and urban legends about a Hawaiian King, King Kamehameha, who was said to carry a giant rock 40 miles just to prove he could be king. This is a story that well known to Hawaiians according to Timothy, and storytelling such as this is what this album does so well.

This is a prime example of the familial feel many of the songs have, and perhaps it is because we can sense it is familiar to someone somewhere. To those non-Hawaiians, it seems like an exciting story from a far away land, but to someone else, it’s a story from home. One constant theme on “The Big Island” is its push-pull feeling of reminiscence and the exploration of lands and emotions unknown. The album has something identifiable and familiar for everyone, and something mysterious and exciting for everyone else.

“(“Keauhou”) is about leaving from a harbor, that harbor always struck me as a really desolate sad harbor to leave. As you dock all you can see are rocks, but as you turn around and jetty the corner, the ocean just opens up,” Sullivan said, reflecting on his trips to and from the Keauhou harbor.

The one criticism that must be bestowed upon Motel Motel is that it is probably easier to spot King Kamehameha carrying that rock than it is to catch the band performing live. But the band has a number of upcoming shows in New York. Seeing the band play live is an experience that no one should miss. Motel Motel’s bodies and instruments simply explode with gleeful movements and noises respectively, and the feeling fills the entire room to the brim. No matter what the venue, Motel Motel’s live performances completely transforms any space, making the audience forget how they almost got shanked passing the scary Brooklyn truck yard by a vacant lot to get to the venue, and brings them to some sun filled, sweet and lovely beach or mountainside.

This band and this sound is exactly what New York City needs — a safe haven from the hustle and sometimes harsh atmosphere of our “Not quite as big” island. Motel Motel brings the ocean to our parched ears, and serves as an oasis in our urban desert.

Upcoming Motel Motel shows:

• October 21, 10 p.m., Bowery Hotel Arcade 44 Party (CMJ)
• October 21, 11 p.m., Spike Hill in Williamsburg (CMJ)
• November 13, 9 p.m., Bruar Falls with Tuning
• November 20, 9 p.m., Pianos-Start Magazine Presents Roadside Graves with Motel Motel and Dinosaur Feathers
• December 15, 10 p.m., Grasslands with Depreciation Guild

A sold out Bank of America Pavilion hosted Boston’s final big gig of the summer on Sunday night. Indie Ivy League tour de force, Vampire Weekend, brought two albums worth of polished live material to the impressive venue and threw in some extra treats especially tailored for their Massachusetts audience.

From the top of the set the Columbia University alums, turned internationally renowned hit makers, made their intentions clear. Kicking things off with the exuberant "Holiday" (the latest single from the number one album, "Contra"), allowed the crowd to begin to put the fairly brisk temperature of the waterfront to the back of their minds. "Its still summer, you know," front man, Ezra Koenig, reminded the audience after the afro-beat ridden, Caped-inspired number, "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa."

Despite possibly having to compete with a lack of weather more befitting of the summery hits of their first LP, a mid-September show in Boston is in many ways the ideal setting for these collegiate favorites. With a fresh crop of boat shoe-wearing undergrads once again occupying dormitories all over the city, there seems no better way to kick off the semester than with a live show from the band that have defined the college sound since their breakthrough in 2006. Though Vampire Weekend themselves may have moved away from the sound of the quad with their most recent material, they are still able to appreciate the importance of their freshman fans. Before drummer Christopher Tomson began to drop his foot on the quick, muffled bass intro of "Campus" (a song of unrequited love for a professor of Romantic lit, from the self-titled first album), Koenig dedicated the song to "all the students" and the ensuing cheer made clear just what a big percentage of the crowd would be attending classes the following day.

While the sing-a-long moments of tracks like "M79" and "One (Blake’s Got a New Face)" from their first album pleased the crowd on a mass scale, the newer material provided a showcase of the band’s musical skill and the clever ways in which they have evolved over two full-length releases. Koenig’s use of auto-tune on "California English" worked better live than expected, thanks to the lovely, crisp sound that venue provides; bassist Chris Baio showed off his musical prowess on "Taxi Cab" by switching to the cello, and the samples and beats created by Rostam Batmanglij (keys) and Christopher Tomson on "Diplomat’s Son," somewhat miraculously, inspired much of the preppy crowd to attempt a hip-hop style two-step.

Whether in attendance to help sing the hits of the first album or appreciate the intricacies of the second, there were moments on Sunday at which Vampire Weekend managed to get everyone’s feet moving and mouths grinning. A surprising cover of Bruce Springsteen’s "I’m Going Down" may have been performed on the festival circuit this summer, but nonetheless, was so well accompanied by the breeze of the near by water that it felt like a gift to the Bean Town audience. Whether or not covering The Boss is something Vampire Weekend has been doing all over the world this summer, during the encore they provided an explicit ode to Boston. "You can’t play this song in Cincinnati" Koenig explained before leaping into the little known, cult EP track, "Boston (Ladies of Cambridge)." The song galvanized the crowd better than any other of the night and, as if they needed it, won them even more respect amongst their Boston based fans.

NEW YORK — It’s with some hesitation that I describe The Bloodsugars as an indie band from Brooklyn — even though they are — for fear that they will be lumped in with Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, and the rest of the seemingly infinite lineup of artistes du jour from the borough.

But before you give in to the knee-jerk, eye-rolling, "Next!" reaction, know this: The Bloodsugars, for all intents and purposes, are not your typical Brooklyn indie band. For one thing, they know how to have fun. They aren’t above writing straightforward, catchy pop songs. Rather than co-opting and trying to re-fashion influences from past decades, The Bloodsugars proudly wear their musical inspirations on their sleeves, as evidenced by their debut full-length, I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On, which was released Nov. 17. (Also, your parents might like them — as I discovered this past Thanksgiving.)

I Can’t Go On, which borrows a phrase from Samuel Beckett, is an aural time machine, transporting the best elements of songs from the ‘70s and ‘80s and melding them seamlessly with components of modern funk, R&B and electronica. If Toto and Paul Simon procreated, for instance, it might sound something like the handclap-heavy "The Pedestrian Boogie," while the falsetto chorus of "Girls At" seems like it was transported from the ‘70s.

Bloodsugars frontman and chief songwriter (and diabetic, hence the band’s name) Jason Rabinowitz allows his velvety vocals to be buoyed by the backing music rather than overshadowing his bandmates, who more than compensate for whatever he may lack in range. Keyboardist Matt Katz adds an extra dimension to songs like the calypso-esque, earwormy "Happiness" and the wistful "I Want It Back." And look no further than the wonderful, play-on-repeat-worthy first single and lead-off track "Light at the End of the Tunnel" to showcase the tight rhythm section of bassist Brendan O’Grady and drummer Kenneth Salters.

Though Rabinowitz occasionally veers into cutesy territory ("If I knew where you lived, I’d move to your neighborhood," is the album’s second line), his lyrical prowess really comes through on more sentimental tunes like the tender album closer "Before the Accident." Like the record and The Bloodsugars themselves, it’s sweetness with just the right amount of spice.

NEW YORK — Though the Toronto quintet Still Life Still have been playing together in one form or another for 10 years, they just released their debut LP this past August. And even that came about practically by accident.

"We just hit the studio to demo," drummer Aaron Romaniuk told Blast in an interview during last month’s CMJ Music Marathon. "We weren’t even using our own gear."

The one or two songs they were slated to record eventually expanded into their first full-length: "Girls Come Too."

Still Life Still’s sound is louder and catchier than that of most of their labelmates on Canadian powerhouse label Arts & Crafts. With influences that include Animal Collective and Pavement, they blend a shoegazer sensibility with plenty of pop hooks.

Growing up together in East York, Ontario, the four founding members were just 13 when they decided to start the band on a whim.

"We just bought instruments and decided we were a band," said guitarist/vocalist Eric Young. "We didn’t even know how to play them."

They appointed Brendon Saarinen lead singer, since he had some minor guitar experience and had already written a few songs.

"He read me one of his songs at lunchtime at school," Romaniuk recalled. "I was like, ‘We’re gonna be rich! This is fantastic!’"

Although fame and fortune didn’t find them immediately, the group (Romaniuk, Young, Saarinen and bassist Derek Paulin) began playing local bars — as soon as they were old enough — and eventually began recording demos, none of which they bothered releasing.

Saarinen is a prolific writer who’s penned thousands of songs, some of which he uses in a separate solo project, his bandmates say.

"If he didn’t write, he would go crazy," according to Aaron Romaniuk.

Romaniuk convinced his brother Josh to join the group about five years ago, rounding out the current lineup.

"I was just always around," explained Josh, who handles keyboards and percussion.

"We let him in on the tambourine and he worked his way up," his brother quipped.

Feeling like they’ve "conquered Toronto," Still Life Still plans to play more shows in the States in 2010.

When Casey Cohen and Matt Stotland had little money and even fewer industry connections when they started their musical charity, The Yellow Bird Project.

The friends, who met as high school students in Montreal, essentially began cold-calling musicians they admired and asking them to participate by creating designs for T-shirts, the proceeds of which would go to a charity of their choice.

“It was really that kind of DIY approach” Cohen said. “We knew nobody.”

“The key was getting that first band to sign on” Stotland added.

That initial “yes” came from Devendra Banhart, and many others soon followed.

“I didn’t think we would actually (get the project off the ground), but if he’s willing to do it, there’s no reason why we can’t” Cohen remembers thinking after getting an enthusiastic note “in all caps” from Banhart in response to their request.

Soon, they found that word of mouth about their project was spreading like wildfire among the insular indie rock world. Some artists they contacted had been working independently on illustrations; others, including The National, already had T-shirt designs prepped and ready to go.

But they heard some “no”s along the way, too.

“Most of them have a reason that’s justifiable” Cohen explained. “Some said they don’t have artistic inclination.”

Thus far, the Yellow Bird Project has raised money for organizations like Art for Change, AIDS Society of Canada, Safe Space, and Free Arts for Abused Children.

Cohen and Stotland recently expanded their venture from clothing to create a children’s activity book dubbed the “Indie Rock Coloring Book.” Parents looking to up their “cool” quotient will be glad to hear that the finished product includes music-inspired illustrations and activities from indie darlings like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bon Iver and Rilo Kiley. (Cohen and Stotland like to quote The National’s Matt Berninger, who once said “I’ve decided to have kids just so I’ll have somebody to give this book to.”)

While the Yellow Bird Project is currently just a side project for both Cohen and Stotland, they each hope to turn music-related charity work (or is it the other way around?) into a full-time career. Stotland, who has a background in computer science, still lives in Montreal and does freelance computer programming; Cohen studied philosophy in college and now resides in London, where he works for a marketing agency.

The two 25-year-olds are still two unassuming music fans who can’t hide their excitement about working with artists they enjoy and admire.

“We just really like music” Stotland said. “This project just sort of fell into our laps.”

They celebrated the book’s September release with launch parties in New York City, Montreal and at the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco.

“It’s basically our favorite bands (who participate)” Cohen said. “To have people who want to be a part of that “¦ It’s quite cool where this has taken us.”

The Indie Rock Coloring Book is available at various online and retail locations, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and at www.yellowbirdproject.com.

“Music for Men” the fourth album (and major label debut) from disco-rock trio Gossip, is being hyped as the album that might garner the group a widespread following. But it’s hard to imagine portly frontwoman Beth Ditto and her bandmates — whom she recently described as coming from a punk scene of “striking vegan radicals” — as ever being part of the mainstream. And that’s not a bad thing.

For “Music for Men” which has an official release date of October 6 but was made available digitally and overseas earlier this year, Ditto, guitarist Brace Paine and drummer Hannah Blilie enlisted legendary producer Rick Rubin (incidentally, they’ve also dropped the “The” from their name). The polished result is a non-stop dance party, a delirious fusion of blues, punk and disco elements.

On much of the album, synthesizers and keyboards outnumber guitars. The band shamelessly draws from artists like Blondie and Donna Summer — and makes it work. Fans of (The) Gossip’s breakout album, 2006′s “Standing in the Way of Control” will salivate over first single “Heavy Cross” undeniably the album’s catchiest, strongest track, anchored by radiant palm-muted guitar work courtesy of Paine.

Charmingly, Ditto’s self-confidence matches her girth, and the sultry opening track, “Dimestore Diamond” contains a favorite metaphor of hers, painting a portrait of the titular heroine’s transformation from coal to diamond; she dons low-cut sweaters, short skirts and a “homemade haircut” but still “shines like the real thing.”

But Ditto also adopts a rarely-seen confessional tone on many songs, particularly on songs like “For Keeps” and “Love Long Distance.” It’s a bit disarming to hear Ditto, a native Arkansan who is perhaps most known as an outspoken champion of feminism and LGBT rights, sing lovesick lines like “I call your number twice, but it rang and rang / Against my best friend’s advice, I should be ashamed.”

Some might view the album’s tongue-in-cheek title and gender-bending artwork in the liner notes as a political statement on their own, but Ditto also scratches the surface of gender politics on the punkish “8th Wonder” referencing a time “before girls knew they weren’t pretty yet “¦ before boys knew they weren’t tough enough.”

The sassy singer also returns to her grassroots activist roots on the punchy “Pop Goes the World” promising, “We’ll start a demonstration / Or we’ll create a scene / Make noise from our frustration.” It’s a relief to know that Gossip haven’t lost sight of their politics in the pursuit of mass appeal.

Amy Millan is part of that Canadian indie consortium that features a rotating cast of musicians in various musical acts acts. Best known for her work in Broken Social Scene and Stars, Millan’s latest solo offering, “Masters of the Burial” allows her to explore her more folksy, country side, but the album features guest spots from several members of her musical family, including Leslie Feist and members of Stars, The Stills and Apostle of Hustle, among others.

“‘Solo work’ is a bit of a fib” Millan writes in the record’s press notes. “Without this community, the record would be a lonely, less interesting listen.”

Millan says she penned the songs on “Masters” while in a state of limbo, when she was no longer touring but lacked a permanent place to stay and was calling friends’ couches home. She sounds world-weary on the album opener “Bruised Ghosts” and does her best Neko Case folk chanteuse impression on a cover of Sarah Harner’s “Old Perfume.” (The album also contains covers of songs by bluegrass artists Richard Hawley and Jenny Whiteley.)

The wistful “Low Sail” finds Millan promising, “Though we’re losing time / I’ll find my way back to you.”

Though the songs were written in Montreal, “Masters of the Burial” captures the feel of a sleepy Southern town, with mournful violins and twangy fingerpicking. But Millan knows how to play to her indie rock fans as well “" her country-tinged rendition of Death Cab for Cutie’s fatalistic lullaby “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” is more upbeat than the original and seamlessly incorporates a slide guitar.

Millan herself characterized the album as “the dark of nigh. It’s the sound of someone climbing into bed, the soundtrack of the time in between when the candle burns out and your dreams begin. “¦ Light the fire, pour up one more, draw the curtains and tuck in.”

Though the place she laid her head was only temporary, “Masters of the Burial” indicates that Millan made the most of the impermanence.

The members of Los Angeles quartet Division Day found themselves at a crossroads in the aftermath of their first album, 2006′s “Beartrap Island, on which they admit they were trying to create a sound that would have mass appeal. Although it earned them a mention on the new incarnation of “Beverly Hills, 90210″ the pop-leaning musical path on which they had embarked left the members feeling disillusioned.

After splitting with their record label and deciding to self-finance their next album — “Visitation” out August 18 — the group found themselves with nothing to prove and nothing to lose as they were writing and recording the songs that would become “Visitation.” And it shows, with the result being a collection of uninhibited tracks that fuse the contemplative navel-gaze stylings of Radiohead with foreboding arrangements and frequently sinister vocals.

“Visitation” overall has a much darker tone than the band’s previous offering. The unnerving title track, for instance, describes the invasion of an unwanted, Grim Reaper-like guest whose status as real or imagined is left unclear. But nowhere is the new direction more evident than on “Surrender” an anxious blend of pre-programmed drums, processed vocals and other computerized effects.

“Planchette” starts as a subdued acoustic number, but eventually morphs into the band’s version of a power ballad, with singer Rohner Segnitz’s voice and a splintering guitar solo floating above the piano and crashing cymbals that keep the song grounded.

Softly bringing the album to a close is the ominously-titled “Black Crow. Segnitz bookends the song by initially singing “How did you find me? “¦ You come with a weapon” and eventually pleading with the bird by the end, “Don’t go.” It’s as if he’s embraced the dark and disturbing, and “Visitation” will likely inspire listeners to do the same.

Tour stories from San Francisco based indie-pop group Loquat sound a lot more like a haphazard family vacation with a tight budget than a trip to perform in cities around the U.S.

“We crash in the crappiest places and eat the crappiest food,” admits vocalist Kylee Swenson, an editor at Remix Magazine by day who scrapes together her vacation days to take to the road.

She affectionately refers to one of the digs of choice as “The Crime Scene Inn” for its seedy demeanor. The group has a roadie to help lug the gear – also known as a friend who won’t demand a high wage or complain much.

And to get from point A to point B, they class it up with a 15-seater van, where Swenson’s bandmates take turns sleeping so their equipment doesn’t get targeted by thugs.

Swenson skirts that duty, being the lone woman on board, but that’s about the extent of the kid glove treatment. “I’ve learned to thicken my skin a bit. These guys are tough on me,” she says.

Even the band’s sound has toughened up in recent years, since the release of their first full-length studio album in 2005, “It’s Yours to Keep.” That’s due in part to the two turbulent years that preceded their sophomore effort,”Secrets of the Sea,” released this fall on Talking House Records. The result is a bit of a biting undertone, without straying too far from the qualities that made their earlier music work, a mix of harmonies, electronically enhanced beats, and the tambour of Swenson’s Chrissie Hynde-esque vocals.

“My way of dealing with a lot of things is to basically write a song,” she says, which is how subject matters including the mortality of friends and loved ones snuck their way into so many of the band’s latest songs.

Swenson penned “In My Sleep” after the death of a longtime friend from a heroin overdose, when she kept encountering a presence in her kitchen. Swenson’s mother is a conduit for ghosts, she says, and it utterly unafraid of the supernatural. But Swenson didn’t feel she was up to the task. “I can’t handle it,” she says. “I can talk to you in my sleep.”

In the same way, “Sit Sideways” is a musical memorial to the father of a friend who recently passed away. “How do you console a friend when it’s, like, a parent?” The solution: rent two houseboats and party for three days straight. “My mom was not thrilled with that,” Swenson says. “Sometimes you need a distraction of some kind.”

But then she pauses. “I don’t want to lump myself in as “ËœLoquat is the band that talks about dead people’” she laughs.

Swenson grew up in Orno, Minnesota, but the harsh climate took its toll. “I’d taken one too many insane winters scraping the shit out of the windshield,” she says, and even had to serve some detention for being late on account of the weather. So after graduation she headed for Santa Clara University, an hour south of San Francisco, to major in English and German.

Swenson spent three months post-college living in Germany and working as a maid. “While it was pretty crappy, it was insanely fun,” she says, with plenty of time to bike, play tennis, and party all night between changing dirty sheets and cleaning up after strangers.

Now she calls San Francisco home.

For Bobby Gallivan, deciding on a career has clearly proven difficult. The lead singer of Chicago quintet Bound Stems teaches high school history when he’s not on the road or in the studio with his bandmates (a summer vacation once included a performance at Lollapalooza). The rest of the group (guitarist Dan Fleury, bassist/keyboardist Dan Radzicki, drummer Evan Sult and multi-instrumentalist Janie Porche) also left behind their day jobs – as technicians, Web designers, and the like – to tour behind their debut album, 2006′s “Appreciation Night.”

Bound Stems’ sophomore effort, “The Family Afloat,” out September 9, makes a convincing case that Gallivan and company could have made their livings practicing psychology and family dynamics. Unifying the record are repeated references to childhood (“I grew up the same way you did”) and the inescapable pull of home (“We said she’s got one foot out the door”).

The album also showcases Gallivan’s academic background on tracks like “Winston,” a folksy number that offers a glimpse into the friendship between the British prime minister and President Roosevelt, name-dropping both leaders (and Churchill’s wife Clementine) along the way.

“The Family Afloat” has the nostalgic, musical scrapbook feel of Arcade Fire’s “Funeral,” but doesn’t quite live up to the latter’s grandeur. The overlapping vocals on album closer “Sugar City Magic” evoke the feeling of a chaotic household full of relatives struggling to be heard over one another. “Welcome to our home … I’ve been keepin’ this family afloat for years,” Porche intones in the background.

Musically, each track has its bright moments, but many appear to be disjointed; the attempt to blend art-rock instrumentation and catchy choruses isn’t always successful. Even after repeated plays, it’s difficult to commit a single track in its entirety to memory. But, if nothing else, “The Family Afloat” allows Gallivan and company to impart neatly-packaged lessons in relationships – both personal and political.

Already, 2008 is shaping up to be a banner year for Canadian indie rockers The Stills, and their third album, “Oceans Will Rise,” hasn’t even hit shelves yet. In July, the Montreal quintet was tapped to open for Paul McCartney at Quebec City’s 400th Anniversary Concert and received positive reviews for the performance (“The group rocked for its life during the high-profile gig,” proclaimed the Montreal Gazette.)

When “Oceans” is released on August 19th, there’s a good chance The Stills’ summertime good fortune will continue. It’s their strongest record to date, coming on the heels of 2003′s “Logic Will Break Your Heart” and 2006′s “Without Feathers.”

The band’s official site describes them as a “rock band with an ‘80s sound,” but traces of early ‘90s grunge influences are also scattered throughout.

The album kicks things off with “Don’t Talk Down,” which, after brazenly borrowing an opening riff from The Smiths’ “A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours,” redeems itself by segueing into a bouncy, memorable ditty.

Singers Tim Fletcher and Dave Hamelin have stated that the title “Oceans Will Rise” refers to the fragility of humans as compared to the vast strength of nature. But the album seems to at least challenge, if not defy, that very notion, with several tracks packing a fairly powerful wallop. Take the grandiose first single “Being Here,” for example, which is back-to-basics rock ‘n’ roll, with Springsteen-esque guitar riffs and vocals encircling the repetitive, yet impossibly catchy chorus. Likewise, the surging “Hands on Fire” is structured like a wave, starting small before crashing down with a tsunami of a chorus.

Lyrically, however, “Oceans Will Rise” is a different story, as apocalyptic themes abound. “Dinosaurs” opens with the phrase “The clouds are thunder and lightning / The oceans level will rise / The earth will shake / Your windows will break.” The confessional “Everything I Build” takes things down a notch, with the mournful refrain, “I watched from the hill as it burned to the ground / I can still the smoke from my train out of town.”

Drummer Julian Blais provides highlights on a number of tracks, most notably on the aptly-titled “Snakecharming the Masses,” which mesmerizes the listener with a tribal beat. Rounding out the lineup are keyboardist Liam O’Neil and bassist Olivier Corbeil.

It might be hard to top the being the opening act for Sir Paul, but with “Oceans Will Rise,” The Stills will likely continue riding a wave of success.

“Donkey,” the sophomore album by Brazilian critical darlings CSS, kicks off with the line, “Oh my God, it’s so hot.”

It’s a fitting observation, since “Donkey,” which was released on July 25th,  is a quintessential summer record. Judging from their music, life for the members of CSS is a nonstop party. But what else would you expect from a group hailing from Sao Paulo, where the average winter temperature is 71 degrees? “Donkey” transports the listener into their world, even if it is for just 40 minutes.

In 11 concise tracks, with none surpassing the four-minute mark, the album provides the ideal soundtrack for a day at the beach, backyard barbecue, or any number of summer activities that involve dancing, drinking and overall indulgence. There’s nary a ballad in sight, and mononymous 24-year-old lead singer Lovefoxxx (nee Luisa Matsushita) gleefully chants lyrics like, “I’m gonna jump onto the table / And dance my ass off ‘til I die.”

Those sentiments and others come courtesy of bassist/vocalist Adrian Cintra, the band’s sole male member and chief songwriter, who also produced “Donkey.” (The other three members are keyboardists/guitarists Ana Rezende dos Anjos, Carolina Parra and Luiza Sa).

CSS has gained a steady international following thanks to its widely-hailed debut, and performances with artists including Gwen Stefani and Ladytron. Casual U.S. listeners may be familiar with the band thanks to the song “Music is My Hot, Hot Sex,” which was featured in an iPod Touch ad last year (but may be mistakenly thought of by some as being titled “Music is My Boyfriend”).

Their acronym stands for “Cansei de Ser Sexy,” which means “Tired of Being Sexy” in Portuguese. (The band borrowed their name from a phrase Beyonce once allegedly used to describe herself.)

Lovefoxxx, a pop icon in Europe and South America who is engaged to Simon Taylor-Davis of the group Klaxons, sings all the songs on “Donkey” in her non-native English. But her Portuguese accent adds a special flavor to lines like “Kiss you in the photo booth / Duct tape you in my roof.”

Opener “Jager Yoga” includes delightfully nonsensical phrases like “Desperate Living, Hairspray / Baltimore with Tanqueray / Live your life John Waters’ way.” “Let’s Reggae All Night” makes it hard to resist the urge to do just that, as Lovefoxxx suggests, “If you are my friend, we can drink in the afternoon / That’s cool.” Even on the more serious “Rat is Dead (Rage),” the band’s having much more fun than should be allowed on a song about an abusive relationship.

On the “I Love the ‘80s” sounding “Move,” complete with syncopated hand claps, Lovefoxxx repeats, “You’d better get your move on.” It’s an invitation that, throughout “Donkey,” is impossible to ignore.

When I heard that Death Cab for Cutie’s “Narrow Stairs,” which was released last month, was the number one album in the country, my first thought was, “I wonder what Seth Cohen would think.”

The fictional character and Death Cab uber-fan from the late television sitcom, “The O.C.” arguably set the wheels in motion for the indie darling’s mainstream success (the New York Times’ comically highbrow description of the group is “a bookish indie-rock quartet from Seattle”).

The band’s residency at the top of the charts was short-lived — one week, before they were overtaken by 3 Doors Down — but significant. The members of Death Cab for Cutie (singer Ben Gibbard, guitarist Chris Walla, bassist Nick Harmer and drummer Jason McGerr) have found themselves in that precarious position that independent bands both court and are simultaneously wary of — achieving undeniable mainstream success, and all the pressures and less-than-admirable associations that come with it. After all, wasn’t the number-one slot a position occupied by Mariah Carey only a few weeks prior?

But one thing no one can accuse Death Cab for Cutie of doing is altering its sound to reach a larger fan base. If anything, the band’s done the opposite; exploring new directions in terms of song structure and demonstrating a fearless disregard for the risk of alienating listeners.

Need an example? How about the band’s decision to release “I Will Possess Your Heart,” an eight-and-a-half-minute epic, as the album’s first single? A daring move to say the least, but one that works, thanks in large part to the groovy bassline courtesy of Harmer that anchors the extended jam.

“Narrow Stairs” revisits Gibbard’s knack for touching metaphors, most notably on “Your New Twin Sized Bed.” “You look so defeated lying there in your new twin sized bed,” he muses, “With a single pillow underneath your single head.” On the bouncy “No Sunlight” (this record’s “Soul Meets Body”) the singer cements his position as potentially the only vocalist who can make the line “The optimist died inside of me” sound gleeful.

For all the relationship troubles Gibbard speaks of in his songs, he has an uncanny ability to understand the female psyche. The subject of “Cath … ” is a bride who suddenly realizes her life is nothing like she imagined it would be. “Cath, it seems that you lived someone else’s dream / In a hand-me-down wedding dress / Where the things that could have been are repressed,” Gibbard sings. Longtime fans will likely wonder if the woman is a younger incarnation of the subject of Transatlanticism’s “Death of an Interior Decorator.”

Overall, “Narrow Stairs” is a good record that, on more than one occasion, achieves greatness (see: “Grapevine Fires,” a bittersweet waltz that encapsulates Gibbard and his bandmates’ ability to turn poetry into song). Walla’s pristine production, per usual, creates a unified whole, elevating the album into a tightly-woven collection. But unfortunately, “Narrow Stairs” doesn’t live up to the high standard the band set for itself with such four-star releases as 2003′s “Transatlanticism” and 2005′s Grammy-nominated “Plans.” That said, at least from this listener’s perspective, it would be difficult — if not impossible — for any of their subsequent albums to do so.

There’s a chance that, five years from now, fans will look at the moment that “Narrow Stairs” became a chart-topper as the moment Death Cab for Cutie jumped the shark. Whether that’s the case or not, the fact remains that the foursome is still making music of a caliber which far surpasses that of their new contemporaries’.

Death Cab for Cutie Tour Dates:

Jun 2 Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jun 3 Millenium Park Pritzker Pavilion Chicago, Illinois
Jun 4 Fox Theatre Detroit, Michigan
Jun 6 Jacques Cartier Pier Montreal, Quebec
Jun 7 Toronto Olympic Island Toronto, Ontario
Jun 9 Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia, Maryland
Jun 10 McCarren Park Pool Brooklyn, New York
Jun 12 Mann Center for Performing Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jun 13 Plain Dealer Pavilion Cleveland, Ohio
Jun 14 The Lawn at White River State Indianapolis, Indiana
Jun 15 Bonnaroo Manchester, Tennessee
Jun 17 Nokia Theatre Grand Prairie, Texas
Jun 19 Mesa Amphitheatre Mesa, Arizona
Jun 20 SDSU Open Air Theatre San Diego, California
Jun 21 Greek Theatre Berkeley Berkeley, California
Jun 23 Nokia Theatre Los Angeles, California
Jun 24 Santa Barbara Bowl Santa Barbara, California

International dates:

Jul 3 Quart Festival Kristiansand
Jul 5 Arvikafestivalen Arvika
Jul 7 Alhambra Paris
Jul 8 Riverenhof (Open Air) Antwerp
Jul 9 Live Music Hall Cologne
Jul 10 Melkweg Amsterdam
Jul 11 Kesselhaus Berlin
Jul 12 Grosse Freiheit 36 Hamburg
Jul 15 Birmingham Academy Birmingham
Jul 16 Manchester Apollo Manchester
Jul 17 Brixton Academy Brixton, London
Jul 18 Latitude Festival @ Henham Park Southwold, London and South East
Jul 20 Benicassim Festival Benicassim, Castell³n
Jul 27 Pemberton Festival Pemberton, BC
Aug 9 Summer Sonic Festival Tokyo
Aug 10 Summer Sonic Festival Osaka
Aug 17 The Palace Melbourne, Victoria
Aug 18 The Enmore Newtown, New South Wales
Aug 20 Metropolis Fremantle, Western Australia
Aug 22 The Tivoli Fortitude Valley, Queensland

With regard to “Antidotes,” the debut album from British indie outfit Foals, the sentiment “if you’ve heard one song, you’ve heard them all,” isn’t an entirely unfair assessment. Fortunately for the band, they’ve honed a winning formula of upbeat dance-rock, with a sound that invites comparison to groups like Bloc Party, The Rapture and occasionally Hot Hot Heat. As a result, while “Antidotes” feels a bit repetitive, it’s still an enjoyable listen.

After forming in Oxford, England in 2005, Foals exploded onto the British music scene with “Hummer” and “Mathletics” — two bonus tracks included on “Antidotes,” which was released in the States on April 8, two weeks after it dropped in the UK.

The quintet of twentysomethings (singer/guitarist Yannis Philippakis, keyboardist Edwin Congreave, bassist Walter Gervers, guitarist Jimmy Smith and drummer Jack Bevan) graced the cover of British music mag NME earlier this year. The publication, in its ever-hyperbolic wisdom, hailed Foals as one of the bands that will “define the year.” No pressure there.

For now at least, Foals appear to be shying away from the hype. (“We’re not interested in fulfilling other people’s expectations,” Philippakis told NME.)

To be fair, “Antidotes” isn’t entirely uniform. The twinkling guitars and breathy vocals on “Olympic Airwaves,” and the brooding rhythm of “Electric Bloom,” provide a reprieve from the otherwise mostly buoyant tracks.

Philippakis’ lyrics are often indistinguishable – obscured by his bandmates’ instruments and his thick British accent. But it appears the band is more focused on the melody of its songs than the sentiment behind them (perhaps evidenced by the fact that only scribbled snippets of the lyrics are included in the record’s liner notes).

The album could be tighter, with half of the 14 tracks surpass the four-minute mark. This hampers some of the stronger offerings like “Two Steps Twice.” A restless alert advisory is in order for the song, which clocks in at 4:40, but takes nearly two minutes to really get going. But listeners who resist the temptation to press the skip button will be rewarded with a fever pitch of bouncy rhythms, as Philippakis barks, “That’s one step, one step, two step!”

The concise “Cassius,” on the other hand, jumps into hip-shaking mode from the get go and offers three-plus minutes of pulsing beats. There’s no hope for anyone who resists the urge to, at a minimum, tap a foot to this one.

For British rock bands of late, the Next Big Thing tag has been more of a blessing than a curse (Arctic Monkeys, anyone?). But although Philippakis says he isn’t interested in meeting expectations, if the audience’s enthusiasm at a recent sold-out show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom is any indication, he and his bandmates might not have a choice.

Tour dates:

May 01 Showplace Theatre, Buffalo, NY
May 05 Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT
May 06 Middle East, Cambridge, MA (downstairs)
May 07 Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ
May 08 Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY
May 22 Pop Scene, San Francisco, CA
May 24 Troubadour, Hollywood, CA
May 25 Brick by Brick, San Diego, CA
May 28 Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
May 30 Neumos, Seattle, WA