Not sure how this connection came to be, but Karen Black is angling her way into indie rock. At the very least, her appearance/duet on Cass McCombs‘ recent Dreams Come True Girl adds a certain surreal level to this tune and video.  The song itself is a sweet channeling of Ricky Nelson, and I just think it’s very cool…

Staying with the laid back vibe, the New Jersey band Real Estate has been getting a fair amount of coverage lately.  I went to the Jersey Shore this past summer and wish I had known about these guys then.  A hazy, lazy brand of surf inspired rock that would serve as the perfect backdrop as you hang out on the dunes with some beer and friends.  Aptly named Beach Comber is my personal favorite.

Kind of staying on the beach, the Florida band Surfer Blood just came onto my radar.  They say they’re not surfers, and their music wouldn’t be classified as surf rock, so don’t be mislead.  I’d say their music is straight up indie rock-pop, with some nods to 80’s arena rock (one reference I heard about their song Swim was to the ’supergroup’ Asia.  I can’t deny the accuracy, but somehow it’s not a bad thing here!).  Aside from that, Floating Vibes may be my favorite song of the moment.

Finally, one of my posts wouldn’t be complete without something a little more brash; enter Turbo Fruits.  This trio is headed up by Jonas Stein, formerly of the Nashville high school punk band Be Your Own Pet.  These guys are just playing fun, garage/punk/rock music that plays on a bunch of references, but none too heavily to get them pigeon holed.  Naked With You, a bit of a Who-inspired garage rocker, is getting some notable airtime in the UK.  The one that hooked me is the stoner-confessional Mama’s Mad Cos I Fried My Brain – both can be heard on their myspace page.

In the meantime, here’s a very under-produced live version of Mama’s Mad where it’s obvious the boys got ‘up’ for the performance.

Many lead singers can take the leap to solo stardom and, in the process, decimate the group they left behind (think Sting). Others, even though their solo work all but duplicates the group’s sound, flail (think Ian McCullough of Echo and The Bunnymen). Still, it’s obvious that a lead singer would be drawn to a “solo” project, often only “solo” with regard to album credits and royalties.

Julian Casablancas

Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas released Phrazes For The Young October 25th on iTunes (November 3 for the mp3 challenged), and it could easily be mistaken for a collection of Strokes B-sides. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, as I love their signature sound, which Julian is largely responsible for, with his vocals that seem to sung into an underperforming antique microphone that’s set up down the hall from the recording session. The single, “11th Dimension”, is terrific, combining that vocal with what sounds like a New Order sample (and a bridge that seems lifted from Phoenix’s Thomas Mars).

The Strokes are like The Beatles of indie rock, what with the wealth of material released as side and solo projects. Every member has released at least one project, and there are noteworthy cuts on all of them (take that, Ringo).  If you like The Strokes, you’ll likely enjo y Phrazes For The Young (buy it HERE) as well as releases from Albert Hammond Jr., Nikolai Fraiture, and Fabrizio Moretti (lead guitarist Nick Valensi has contributed to tracks by Devendra Banhart and Regina Spektor).

Paul Banks, a/k/a Julian Plenti

Another Julian, Julian Plenti, is an alias for Paul Banks, lead singer of Interpol, and he released Julian Plenti is…Skyscraper on August 4th (buy it HERE). I find this material a little more accessible than Interpol, oft compared to Joy Division. I’ve featured Interpol songs “Narc”, “Slow Hand” and “Rest My Chemistry” on past compilations, and I don’t hear the disembodied Joy Division quality as strongly as some, but whatever Ian Curtis channeling there is has been toned down considerably on …Skyscraper. Here’s the single, “Fun That We Had”:

Fyfe Dangerfield

Fyfe Dangerfield (now that sounds like an alias!) is the lead singer for guiLLeMoTs, featured on 9/2006’s Volume 7 with “Trains To Brazil”.  His solo release, Fly Yellow Moon isn’t slated for release till January 2010 but “She Needs Me” is already in full rotation on Passport Approved. This solo work seems the most removed from the “parent” band of the three mentioned here, and it’s an unabashed stab at pop radio, a la Gerry Rafferty (man, I’m old). That doesn’t bother me too much, though nearly five minutes of it are more than enough. Even at that bloated length, it seems to not want to end, though it seems to be trying from around 3:59 (3:20 would’ve been plenty, imho). Not for sale yet, but more info available at his website. Here’s the track:

Internet Forever’s MySpace page notes that they are “good at songs, bad at fidelity.”  I know nothing about their personal affairs, but I’m sure the fidelity comment doesn’t mean they’re all cheating.  Instead, they write concise pop songs with rough-around-the-edges production values.  But unlike other lo-fi bands of the moment, the wall of noise doesn’t overwhelm.  The cleanest and catchiest entry is Pages of Books (found on their MySpace page) – which hints at some of more recent popular girl brit-pop.  Break Bones is also a great schoolyard romp…
This next entry may fall under the heading of paying my djeddieo.com rent.  God Help The Girl is a nostalgic indie-pop tip of the cap to 60’s girl pop.  The side project of Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch, he uses this vehicle for songs that he felt didn’t fit the B&S model.  On the whole, maybe a little pastiche, but the song Funny Little Frog is a gem on any playing field.

Finally, a friend has been pushing the Royal Alberta Advantage on me for months.  I finally gave in to my initial cool reactions and gave them a real chance.  Lesson learned.  Their album Hometowns is a great listen.  Blending both indie-folk acoustic strumming with some sharper guitar parts (a la Bloc Party), topped off with a fairly unique (if you don’t count Neutral Milk Hotel or Clem Snide) vocal styling; this is a very enjoyable album that plays upon its own themes to create a consistently entertaining whole.  In The Summertime is one of the more subdued entries, but gives a great glimpse of what this band has to offer.

P.S.  The time is nigh… NY is near… run eddieO run.  Good luck my friend.