Mixest – The Best Way To Discover Indie Bands As They Surface

Mixest

Name: Mixest
URL: http://www.mixest.com

By now, you probably have your favorite sites for finding independent talent. Maybe you resort to this one, or maybe you have bookmarked some other website that serves that purpose. There are enough of these spread all over the WWW to keep everybody happy. And you can argue whether or not the one I am reviewing now is indeed “the best way to discover indie bands” as I say in the title. But I frankly don’t think there is one which  is as easy to get to grips with as Mixest. When you land on its homepage a clip will start playing automatically for you to enjoy. When that song finishes, another will begin playing. And so on. You aren’t required to input anything or hit a single key if you don’t want to. You can head straight to the site and leave it open as you go your merry way. When (and if) something that has you tapping your feet and/or banging your head starts playing it is a mere matter of clicking on the window again to see who it is, and make a mental note.

But the best parts of the whole service are unearthed only when you are willing to interact a little with the service, of course. You can favorite each single track that you like, and you can even use a “Block” button in order to prevent someone who is as tuneful as The Vibrators ever coming through again.

In order to favorite anything you must first create your own account. That costs nothing – just pick a username and a password and you will become a Mixest user as quickly and sure as night follows day. From then on, you will be ready to start building a library of indie artists of its very own.

Soundays (Uruguayan Independent Artist)

Logo Soundays

Soundays Are Pepelo Curcio (vocals and guitar), Fede Sacarelo (guitar), Juanma Oholeguy (drums) and Diego Placeres (bass).

Soundays Are Pepelo Curcio (vocals and guitar), Fede Sacarelo (guitar), Juanma Oholeguy (drums) and Diego Placeres (bass).

There is a 1975 movie named “Dog Day Afternoon” which tells the story of a pair of bankrobbers who are led by Sonny Wortzik (played by Al Pacino). The movie was directed by Sidney Lumet, and it is still considered a seminal work in the history of anti-establishment films.

I remember that movie every single time I come across any Uruguayan brit pop band. It is the perfect summation of what these bands are attempting to do over here, and I specially think of the scene in which Pacino starts screaming “Attica! Attica!” (an allusion to the Attica Prison riots) in a desperate attempt to make those who have been forced into their company to join them and fight against the system. It just reminds me all too clearly of the fight that such Uruguayan bands aim to put up, and the reactions they cause for all the right and wrong reasons.

I was already disenchanted with the first wave of brit pop bands that emerged in Uruguay (led by Astroboy and Boomerang), if only because those bands always propounded that paying an unveiled homage was synonymous with being creative, and that singing in English challenged the status quo of Uruguayan music. It did not. The ways those bands imitated the music created elsewhere only spoke of a lack of imagination, and it polarized the music scene in a way that meant you couldn’t like La Vela Puerca or No Te Va Gustar if you listened to the Beatles or The Who. I just wonder how many of the musicians involved in Astroboy or Boomerang actually realized that the favorite album of Sebastián Teysera (La Vela Puerca’s singer) was no other than “Tommy” by The Who.

Soundays is a little different from these bands because their influences are certainly wider and that they are very good instrumentalists, but the band is not far removed from other Uruguayan ensembles that sing in English in the sense that you don’t have a thorough understanding of who they are when you listen to their songs. When you listen to their latest EP (“OLHA”; it can be downloaded for free on their site), you just get a mix of styles and influences that don’t add to a cohesive identity. You get to know the bands they appreciate, not the band that they think they are, or the performers that they want to become.

The British influence is all over “Colourful Face” and “Locked Love”, songs that are reminiscent of bands like Blur and Franz Ferdinand – and not necessarily in the best way. For its part, “To Hawaii” adds a West Coast vibe through harmonies that are a bit uneasy, as is the garage rock of “She Feels Like The Weather” (a cut that sounds like The Jam at their most primeval). But it must be said that both “Ghost In My Town” and “Don’t Matter If It Hurts Lights Will Guide Us To The Sun” are distinguished compositions that elicit full-on performances. The latter in particular provides their drummer with a ready chance to take off, and I have to say he is one of the most exciting Uruguayan drummers I have listened to in quite some time. Continue reading

SeeJoeRock – A Social Networking Site For Indie Musicians

SeeJoeRock
Name: SeeJoeRock
URL: http://www.seejoerock.com

Forget about “America’s Got Talent”, the Internet is where the chances of being discovered lie for any young performer (Greyson Chance) or for those who did never get the exposure in their day (Steve Moore). There is something incredibly idyllic about it all- it is the knowledge that if you are good, you are making it. The Internet obliterates the loathsome meet-and-greet tradition that places all the emphasis on who you know, and not on what you can do. And new performers know it by now.

I think that is the reason why there are lots of social sites for indie musicians available. Well, this is a new one – and it is quite comprehensive if you ask me. Bands can create their own profile pages, upload their songs, stream their videos and create a calendar that highlights upcoming gigs. They interact both with fellow musicians and with members of the public while doing it all. And they also do get a chance to interact with industry professionals. That is a possibility that is not offered in that many networks for indie musicians as far as I can tell. Continue reading