Great Lake Swimmers is a band based in Toronto, Canada (represent). I recently saw them live in Thunder Bay and it was awesome. The good thing about indie bands is that most of them are great live. They sort of have to be in order to get and maintain a strong following. I’ve never met a meeker soul, however, than Tony Dekker, the flawless lead singer. It was really refreshing to meet someone so talented yet so humble. Our picture together was pretty awkward (I wish I could find it but it’s on a friend’s camera at the moment.)

Anyway, these guys have four albums and two EPs.

Genre:

• Indie Rock
• Sadcore
• Folk Rock

Members:

• Tony Dekker –> Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, lead vocals
• Erik Arnesen –> Banjo, electric guitar, harmonium
• Julie Fader –> Keyboard, vocals
• Bret Higgins –> Upright bass
• Greg Millson –> Drums

From the album Ongiara:

Your Rocky Spine

From the album Bodies and Minds:

To Leave it Behind

From the album Great Lake Swimmers:

Moving Pictures, Silent Films

From the album Lost Channels:

Concrete Heart

The new video for Stealing Tomorrow…

Regina Spektor was born in Moscow, Russia before emigrating to New York in 1989 with her family. The singer/songwriter/pianist has made five albums and two EPs. She’s also contributed to numerous notable compilations.

Genres:

• Anti-folk
• Alternative
• Indie Rock
• Acoustic
• Blues

From the album Soviet Kitsch:

Us

Carbon Monoxide

From the album Begin to Hope:

Samson

Bartender

From the album Far:

The video for Laughing With

Rogue Wave formed in Oakland, California in 2002. Up to date, they’ve made three Albums and two EPs. They’re currently touring the States.

Genre:

• Indie Rock
• Lo-fi
• Indie Pop

Current Members:

• Zach Rogue –> vocals, guitar, wurlitzer
• Pat Spurgeon –> drums, keyboard, samples, vocals
• Dominic East –> guitar, pedal steel, vocals
• Cameron Jasper –> bass

From the album Descended Like Vultures:

Publish My Love

Temporary

From the album Asleep at Heaven’s Gate:

Like I Needed

A single released in 2006:

Eyes

And the video…

The Duke Spirit, an English rock band,  formed in 2003. They’ve made two albums and four EPs thus far and are currently touring through Europe, the States and Australia.

Genre: Alternative Rock

Members:

• Liela Moss – -> vocals, tambourine, harmonica, piano
• Luke Ford –>guitar, backing vocals, farfisa
• Toby Butler –> guitar, Bass guitar, backing vocals, farfisa organ, vox jaguar,
• Olly ‘The Kid’ Betts –> drums, glockenspiel, percussion, piano, backing vocals

From the EP Roll, Spirit, Roll:

Drinking You In

From the Album Neptune:

The Step and the Walk

The music video

From the Album Cuts Across the Land:

Cuts Across the Land

Fleet Foxes is a Seattle-based band with two EPs and a debut album. The band formed in 2006 and is currently on tour in the States.

Members:

• Robin Pecknold –>lead vocals, guitar
• Skyler Skjelset  –>lead guitar
• Christian Wargo –>bass, guitar, vocals
• Casey Wescott –>keyboards, vocals
• Josh Tillman –>drums, vocals, arrangements

Genre:

• Folk Rock
• Indie Pop
• Baroque Pop

From the EP Sun Giant:

Mykonos

From the album Fleet Foxes:

White Winter Hymnal

BLACK CAB SESSIONS features great artists in an especially unique venue (the back seat of a black cab). Check out their site: http://www.blackcabsessions.com/sessions.php

Fleet Foxes cover Judee Sill’s Crayon Angels

I watch a lot of television and one of my recent favorite shows is Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie”.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           It’s quirky, it’s crude and it’s endearing.

Plot

This show follows the life of its main character (Nurse Jackie). We see her struggle and kick ass both at work and at home. She’s edgy, tough, compassionate and lovable, yet she’s far from perfect. Some of Jackie’s decisions make one question her moral compass, however, it’s impossible not to root for her in the end.

The ensemble cast is especially wonderful and dynamic. They really add a lot to an already good series.

I suggest you give this dark comedy a try. It’s rockin’ my socks off so far!

Opening Sequence:

Beach House is a “lo-fi” duo consisting of Alex Scally (guitar/keyboards) and Victoria Legrand (vocals/keyboards). They formed in Baltimore in 2005 and have been gorgeous ever since.

Beach House has two albums under its belt (both awesome).

From the album Devotion:

D.A.R.L.I.N.G.

From the Album Beach House:

Childhood