MP3: GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS "See You on the Moon!" (Insound) For those baby mamas and daddies out there who want their children to be so much cooler than the paste eaters who listen to Wiggles songs, See You on the Moon! is a compilation kid-friendly songs by indie bands. The cheeriness of Great Lake Swimmers was a natural choice for the title track, but the album also features tracks by Broken Social Scene, Kid Koala, Junior Boys, Sufjan Steven and others. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Thursday, March 30, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: THE ROGERS SISTERS "Never Learn to Fly" (Insound) Brooklyn's The Roger Sisters released their second full-length CD earlier this month. Here's a track from the album, Invisible Deck, which showcases their angular, garage rock style. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS "Gravity's Gone" (New West) Drive-By Truckers take a bit of the alt out of their alt-country sound (and add a touch of Van Morrison) on this track from their forthcoming album A Blessing and a Curse, out April 18. tags: music | mp3 | country posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: NEW AMSTERDAMS "Turn Out the Light". New Amsterdams' Story Like a Scar was released last week in stores. Check out this soft-hearted neo-Americana album track, which delivers their pleasant and subtle twist on roots rock. (Vagrant) tags: music | mp3 | roots rock posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: MARGOT AND THE NUCLEAR SO AND SO'S "Skeleton Key". Perhaps the best break-up song since Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," this track from Margot and the Nuclear So and So's is post-relationship empowerment for sensitive indie kids. (Artemis) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: BILLY BRAGG "Bush War Blues". Billy Bragg updates Leadbelly's 1938 civil rights protest song "Bourgeois Blues." He's been performing the Bush/Iraq War-condemning song on his current tour and recently recorded the track in studio. (Yep Roc) tags: music | mp3 | folk rock posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: LADYHAWK British Columbia's Ladyhawk are exactly the type of band I expect and hope to see performing in the basement of a dank rock-n-roll dive bar. Timeless riffs and catchy melodies with a youthful edge -- it's the kind of stuff that makes this liquor drinker want to grab a brewsky. Their U.S. debut is being released by Jagjaguwar in June. The original Canada-only version is already available on tiny label Storyboard. (Jagjaguwar / Storyboard) "The Dugout" "Came in Brave" tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: THE HEAVY BLINKERS "Try Telling That To My Baby". Canada's The Heavy Blinkers showcase their summery harmonic vocals on this lovely little track that's part twee pop and part 70s sitcom theme song. (Toolshed) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: EVERY MOVE A PICTURE "Signs of Life". Not so long ago, finding good upbeat dance music for the hipster crowd was nearly impossible. (No, mild shoulder sways for The Strokes and Interpol don't count.) But now it seems like every other indie band's goal is to get some movement happening in those skinny jeans. And this track - a hypnotic, beat-driven new wave-inspired gem - from Every Move a Picture's debut EP is sure to rip a few Wranglers. (Insound) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie dance posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: SHANNON STEPHENS "I'll Be Glad". Indie folk singer/songwriter Shannon Stephens, who used to be bandmates with Sufjan Stevens in Marzuki, leans heavily toward the traditional on this track from her self-titled collection of solo songs. (Asthmatic Kitty) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | folk posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: MEASLES MUMPS RUBELLA From their recently released album Fantastic Success, here are two enjoyable dance punk tracks by New York via D.C. band Measles Mumps Rubella that succeed in being both aggressive and haunting. (MeaslesMumpsRubella.com) "Fantastic Success" "Algorithm of Desire" tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | dance punk posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: THE RED KRAYOLA "Cruise Boat". Mayo Thomson's The Red Krayola has been frollicking in rock's underground for decades. This quirky, retro track is from Introduction, the band's forthcoming album of all new music. (Drag City) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: ANTLERAND Here are two tracks from Portland band Antlerand (formerly Invisible), from their recently released debut album Branches. (Invisible-Music) "Brighter Rays/Goddam Your Energy" "Now It's a Year" tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: THE LIKE YOUNG "For Money or Love". The polished punk duo of Amanda and Joe Ziemba releases the debut CD Last Secrets on May 9. (Polyvinyl) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | pop punk posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: BLACK HEART PROCESSION "Not Just Words". The Spell, Black Heart Procession's fifth full-length CD since forming in 1997, releases on May 9 on Touch and Go. Listen to this beatifully melancholy track from the album. (Toolshed) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Saturday, March 18, 2006 | [permalink] STREAM: YEAH YEAH YEAHS Show Your Bones. Listen to the entire highly-anticipated new Yeah Yeah Yeahs CD (out March 28). (Myspace) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: DANIELSON "Did I Step On Your Trumpet?". The oddball experimental charisma of the Danielson name returns on the upcoming album Ships, available on May 9. (Secretly Canadian) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: DEAD HEART BLOOM Dead Heart Bloom (.zip). Former Phaser frontman Boris Skalsky, aka Dead Heart Bloom, offers his entire new album free of charge. The CD is a mixed bag of silvery, textured songwriting pulling from several eras of alternative and pop/rock, all held together by solid craftmanship. (DeadHeartBloom) Download each track individually here. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE Etiquette is the fourth full-length collection of meloncholy melodies and simple synths from Oakland-native Owen Ashworth. (CFTPA) "Young Shields" "Cold White Christmas" tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY? "Emptyhead". It's classic punk backed by loops and glitches on this track from the band's recently released debut album Boo Hoo Hoo Boo. (TheyShootHorses.org) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: CALEXICO "Cruel". The beauty displayed on Calexco's 2004 release Feast of Wire was largely a result of the band's masterful blend of contemporary folk and Southwestern music. Their latest album Garden Ruin (on which this track appears) departs some of that geograpically distict sound, but I'm not so sure their new wandering sound puts them in the right direction - or for that matter, any direction at all. (Toolshed) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: LA ROCCA "Sing Song Sung". Melodic punk-influenced indie rock from Dubliners La Rocca, off their recently released debut EP of the same name. (Dangerbird) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: PARTS & LABOR "A Great Divide". Through all the rowdiness and noise Parts & Labor maintains a certain level of charm to balance their spirited aggression. This song is from Stay Afraid, which is available on April 11. (Jagjaguwar) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: MATMOS "Roses and Teeth for Ludwig Wittgenstein". The first track from Matmos' upcoming album The Rose Has Teeth In The Mouth Of The Beast, a concept record that is a series of "sound portraits" of people the duo admires. (Matador) tags: music | mp3 | avant rock | electronic posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: BELLTOWER "Two Divided by Zero". Indie folk artist Bridgit DeCook covers this Pet Shop Boys song on her debut EP Sweet Fruit . (Asthmatic Kitty) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | folk posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: APOLLO NOVE "Inexplicata". Brazilian producer Apollo Nove updates the mod lounge Tropicalia sound on this track from the new disc Res Inexplicata Volans. (Insound) tags: music | mp3 posted on Saturday, March 04, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: NEKO CASE "Hold On, Hold On". This hauntingly beautiful pop song is another track from the Canadian siren's new album Fox Confessor Bring the Flood. (Anti) See also: MP3: NEKO CASE: "Star Witness" tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Wednesday, March 01, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: BAND OF HORSES "The Funeral". If there were such thing as an arena rock anthem in the indie world, it would be this surging, excessively dramatic track from Band of Horses' latest album Everything All the Time (out of March 21). And like all the best of arena rock, it's hard not to be blow away by the big sound. (Sub Pop) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Wednesday, March 01, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: ALOHA "Your Eyes". A neo-psychedelic prog rock track from Aloha's fourth release Some Echoes. (Polyvinyl) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Wednesday, March 01, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: MIDSTATES "Under There". This aptly named Chicago band plays melancholy tunes that are kind of like a brighter version of shoegaze. Their album Boxing Twilight was just released in stores last week. (MidstatesMusic.com) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Wednesday, March 01, 2006 | [permalink]