New Jersey's Real Estate

The post-music conference landscape has always been a game of snakes and ladders – who is getting signed, who bombed out, whose star is on the ascent, and whose isn’t – and this year is no exception in the weeks after CMJ. Though in fact the last six months or so has been a busy one for the independent label sector.

CMJ or not, possibly top of the heap in terms of allure for indies, is New Jersey band Real Estate. Coming off the back of a highly rated 7″ single via everyone’s favorite hipster label, True Panther Sounds, the band has a veritable who’s who of top shelf indies in the hunt. You name it, they’re probably there. And also garnering a lot of buzz is JEFF the Brotherhood. The Nashville combo of course feature former members of buzz band Be Your Own Pet, which only heightens the interest. There may even be some major labels sniffing around.

Much beloved Scottish noisemongers Mogwai recently announced a switch from one premiere indie to another – departing their long-time home at Matador Records for Sub Pop, oddly enough, a full twelve years or so after the Seattle label first approached the band about signing them. But Mogwai are another in the list of what seems like 320 new bands that Sub Pop has signed recently, which also includes Northwest hip hop crew Shabazz Palaces – a baffling move considering the label’s lack of success when it comes to anything outside their traditional indie rock fare. And supposedly, after remaining aloof for a long period of time, word on the street is that Sub Pop may have entered the fray surrounding buzzy Seattle six piece The Head and the Heart. And even their sub-label Hardly Art seems to be busy, signing San Francisco’s Hunx and his Punx and possibly sniffing around Australia’s Circle Pit.

Though pundits will be aghast if hilariously awful LA group Teen, Inc sign with XL, as has been rumored, the list of bands newly inked to indies continues… LA’s Pepper Rabbit joined the roster at Kanine Records (of course original home of Surfer Blood and Chairlift), with the band releasing its debut album Beauregard in October. Meanwhile old skool punk rockers OFF! (with a line-up including Keith Morris of the Circle Jerks, Steve McDonald of Redd Kross and Dimitri Coats of the Burning Brides) inked with Vice, Pittsburgh’s 1,2,3 made French Kiss Records their home after doing a 45 for UK’s tastemaker Chess Club label and husband and wife duo Tennis joined the ever expanding (and diversifying) list of bands on Fat Possum. And totally flying under the radar, balladeer Sean Rowe reportedly signed with Epitaph’s Anti imprint.

One free agent though, who should be on the top of everyone’s shopping list, is LA combo White Sea (featuring sometime M83 member Morgan Kibby). If the debut EP (which can be found for free here) is any indication, maybe it wont be too long before they become another addition to the ‘newly inked’ column.

- Cool Hand Luke

Weezer Going To An Indie For Next Release?

Who’s signing where, and what does it mean?  Indie acts going to majors, major label artists aligning with indies, and both systems vying to nab the same unsigned bands… Looking back at recent months there is a veritable mixed bag. There are artists with a history of at least a few successful indie releases under their belts, like Band of Horses and Iron & Wine, who have recently made the jump to major labels, Columbia and Warner Bros. respectively, while other acts like Spoon and Arcade Fire seem to continually be content on indies… Elsewhere new act Surfer Blood appears to have already made the move to a major; just 6-months following the Kanine Records release of the band’s debut album, the group had racked up enough sales and touring numbers to garner serious interest from multiple labels…  This while unsigned acts with no real sales or tour history like GroupLove and DOM, are currently being courted by both major labels and indies, seemingly so as to not miss out on what could be… What about the reverse trend? Not counting heritage acts, or the exhaustingly-debated pay-what-you-want path taken by Radiohead and NIN among others, one could point to recent examples in Interpol and Wilco as once major label artists now leaving for an indie (their own new label in the case of Wilco). But will there be more to come (or go, as it is)? Word on the street is that longtime Universal artist, Weezer, who released all seven of their previous studio albums on DGC and Geffen, are making a move to a big indie label for their next album. Hmmm… And finally where do the two now meet? A new project to watch unfold will be The Secret Sisters, who recently finished recording their debut with producers Dave Cobb and T-Bone Burnett.  A large buzz  is building with the news that the first single from the duo will be released via the Jack White helmed Third Man Records, with the full-length already slated to come out on Universal Republic this fall… Stay Tuned.

Dangerbird Records Signs Manchester's Delphic

The balmy Los Angeles weather had a whole stack of music fans and industry folk checking out bands on the rise, eating bacon-wrapped hot dogs and generally hanging out in historic Echo Park for the recent inaugural Waved Out Festival at the Echo/Echoplex. Kudos to the folks at Spaceland, who with help from Aquarium Drunkard put on the eastside event that was full of good vibes and from what we’re told is the first of what will be a series of similar affairs coming in 2010. Think of a mini-version of NY’s Siren Festival. The ‘one admission’ ticket across the two venues encouraged people to check out acts that they otherwise might have not investigated. This included local up-and-comers Gamblehouse and Atlanta’s The Coathangers, who came out with classic Pacific Northwest 90’s Riot grrrl rock swagger. The surprise of the day was San Francisco’s psychedelic Moon Duo – the two-piece is buzzing after some Pitchfork love for their recent SXSW shows. The all-day event was topped off with sets from Best Coast, the nom de plume of L.A. local Bethany Cosentino who has over 20k digital downloads and more than a couple premier indie labels in pursuit, followed by one of this year’s most-talked about acts at SXSW, Surfer Blood.  The latter played to a packed room, including a heavy contingent of top brass from Warner Bros. Records. Their release Astrocoast has sold over 20k on Kanine Records, and many are wondering if they will be the next act from the indie to be launched onto a major label following Chairlift’s promotion to Columbia Records…

More from the indie label front as Dangerbird Records continues their signing spree. After recently announcing the addition of both Minus the Bear and Hot Hot Heat to their expanding roster, this week they added more international flavor by signing Manchester’s Delphic. The combo’s new album Acolyte debuted in the UK top 10 earlier this year and will see a June release in the states.

- Cool Hand Luke