This is Indie Rock - The Best Bands You've Never Heard Of, Various Artists
I think most will agree that compilations have both their good and bad points, but this new debut comp from Deep Elm features none of the expected monotony and excels in all the areas you want – strong music, strong bands and the chance to discover the next big thing. With the exception of ‘Clair De Lune’, the other eleven artists on show were completely new to me and thanks to the wonder of the tracks on show, it has motivated me to delve further into their back catalogues and discover more. So job one is certainly done then.
It is the sheer diversity of tracks on show which instantly astounds though. From the mellow and soothing ‘The Blind King’ to the thrashy ‘Siva’ there is something on here which will appeal to anyone willing to lend an ear. It is this type of divergence which is the biggest selling point and picking out average efforts is easier said than done. Detailing the stronger efforts though could take a while, so instead I’ll simply list a few that should be vying for your attention.
To begin with the spastic sounds of ‘Dino Velvet’ instantly light up the opening half of the album as the frenzied instrumental sections explode, even finding time for a welcome electronic section at the end which is pulled off with great aplomb. ‘Joanna Erdes’ on the other hand show how to make affectionate indie jazz if you will, which is a welcome change from some of the more guitar orientated efforts. Finally ‘The Kidcrash’ end on a funky high and wrap up a cracking journey into the realms of unheard music.
Deep Elm already has a great stranglehold over other labels in showcasing some of the finest talent in the business and they have pulled another comp put the bag with ‘This is Indie Rock’. From start to finish a high level is maintained and it makes you realise how much untapped talent there is around the world. And as long as Deep Elm has their way, we’ll keep hearing about it.
Jay
Deep Elm Records
