This is one of those moments that, as a music journalist, I’ve been personally waiting on for a long time.

I’ve known the guys in LightParade on a personal level for a while now, and have been a fan of various incarnations of bands that they’ve been in (Leeland and The Blinding, among others). So, when I found out that Aaron Eaves and Jeremiah Wood (a founding member of Leeland) were working together on this project, I knew that it would be something that would blow up in a big way for them.

And, in this line of thought, I’m not alone:

Everyone needs to follow LightParade. They’re going to be huge! – Stephen Christian, Anberlin

Vocalist Tyler Susaras enlivens you with images of space and the fantastic, deftly drawing parallels to the realm of everyday experience. Soaring choruses collide with multifaceted harmonies in songs that are both driving and iridescent, with melodies that are memorable in their pop spirit. As guitarists, Wood and Susuras each bring a distinctive energy to their songs, playing off of one another in a way that, when coupled with the hard-hitting percussion by Grady Saxman and Aaron Eaves’s heavy basslines, pushes each song into new terrain of velocity and tone. Personally, I’ve found there to be a very European glimmer to the tracks I’ve heard. You can tell they are fans of stadium bands like Coldplay, Muse, and U2, but have kept the sound from being overly pretentious.

Recently, the guys have gotten the opportunity to co-write with some major players in the industry. Knowing (and hearing) the pedigree of songwriting and arrangement this band has, along with help from guys like Joshua Moore (Caedmon’s Call/Derek Webb), and Stephen Christian (Anberlin), it’s going to be one of those albums that gets talked about before it ever gets on the store shelves.

In the near future, you can catch LightParade at the legendary South By Southwest music week, in a showcase hosted by Connect The Dots (www.ctheds.com) on March 18th, and then they’ll be taking the stage with a recent favorite of mine, Barcelona, in Denton, TX at Andy’s on March 20th.

To finish, I’ll leave you with two singles that, until today, have been previously unreleased. You heard it here first, folks.

Saint Era:

Paint The Stars:

Every band (especially when it comes to indie bands), no matter what they might say, has a few key artists that they are influenced by, and most of the time, with some careful listening, you can pick out those influences in their music. So, when it comes to influences coming out in your music, how much is too much?

Recently, there has been some chatter around the internet that the electro-pop diva Ke$ha ripped off established French club-scene diva Uffie. More specifically, Justice’s track featuring Uffie called The Party:

To me, there’s definitely a similarity in the way Ke$sha’s vocal track on Tik Tok sounds:

Most people have never heard of Uffie, but she’s a huge club hit presence in the UK and Europe, and has been popular since 2006 or so. Ke$ha is relatively new on the scene, but has a been a background player for several years, doing backing vocals on track by Flo Rida and writing lyrics for pop artists like Miley Cyrus and The Veronicas.

Let us know what you think. Is Ke$ha ripping of an industry veteran, or is it just coincidence that they sound so similar?

As indie music enthusiasts, who are we if not lovers? With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, we want to know what your favorite indie love songs are.  Ok, ok, I want to know.  Here are a few of my favorites.

• Question by the Old 97s
• Falling Is Like This by Ani diFranco
• Hold Your Breath by Morning Runner
• Red Right Ankle by the Decemberists
• Just Like Honey by Jesus and Mary Chain
• Half Light by Athlete
• Living of Love by the Avett Brothers
• All I Need by Radiohead
• Just Like We Do by Eisley
• I Summon You by Spoon

Share yours!

The Japandroids are just…big.

Big guitars. Big drums. Big vocals.

Oddly enough, there are only two of them, but that doesn’t matter. It’s super-heavy sounding and big noise pop. Vocally, they kind of lean toward Modest Mouseness, belting out every line as if it’s the last thing they’ll ever be able to speak. With the completely obliterated guitars and drums that are being beaten beyond thier last breath, all of the sonic destruction works. Don’t expect to hear a glossy, crisp, and clean track from these guys. Every bit of it is full throttle and nothing less.

Until very recently, the Japandriods were realitive unknowns, even in the explosive Vancouver scene. However, along with a strange sequence of events (emergency surgeries, stolen gear, and national TV appearances), they’ve managed to book a huge UK/Europe tour, with a second leg in the US that includes an appearance at South By Southwest.

You can get Japandroid’s new album, Post-Nothing today at Amazon.

Japandroids – Young Hearts Spark Fire

Today’s a mellow day, so I’m casting my vote for The Pressure Room.

From The Pressure Room’s MySpace:

Formed in September 2006, The Pressure Room are a London based 5-piece. The band manage to take the guitar/bass/drums/piano/vocals format to new levels through their use of soundtrack-esque piano and guitar scapes, break-beat rhythm sections and haunting vocal melodies. Despite the originality of the sound, they also know how to deliver an infectious riff and anthemic chorus.

Personally, I find it’s really piano-driven (much like Coldplay), with sparing (but powerful) doses of strings and guitar. It’s music that, when you put it on, forces you to come down from whatever adrenaline high you’re currently succumbing to.

You can download a 4 track EP here.

The Pressure Room – Somersault

Delphic is already a big deal in the UK (it’s no secret that England is overflowing with great artists), but with the debut album, Acolyte, they are likely to get a huge following stateside. If you’re into dance-rock with lots of synths, keys, and samples like The Rapture,…or even The Killers, check out a few tracks on the Amazon.com MP3 store now!

Delphic – Doubt

The Local Natives are a bit like Fleet Fox, a bit like Band Of Horses, and a little like mid-period Talking Heads. Cascading harmonies (think Beach Boys), and a new album that just released in the UK this past November (they are touring Europe to support it right now), and The Local Natives are on track to make some real headway when they get back to the US.

The Local Natives – Sun Hands

What artists out there has the BEST indie rock hairstyle that you know of?

Leave us a comment with who you think represents the best hair in indie music! We’ll compile the results later and make a poll.

There are just no words to describe how weird this is. The guy sounds like Barry White and Don LaFontaine had a lovechild.

Catman Cohen Indie Music at MySpace.com

Organic, washed in spring reverb, and an easy listen. Don’t expect a slick, shiny, pop song from these guys. It’s rough, but so full of soul that it doesn’t matter.

Holiday Shores on MySpace

Download Holiday Shores – Phones Don’t Feud