Bellaport - Awesome Indie Band

I don't want to be "that guy" who goes on forums to advertise, but today I am, and for a good reason. Some friends of mine have a band called Bellaport, and they are a load of awesome. Most of their current songs are instrumental but they are currently working in vocals. The songs they have already made/recorded are very very catchy and original (and I am NOT just saying that because they're my friends).

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Bellaport

Twitter (yet to be used): http://twitter.com/BellaportBand

Youtube (only 1 vid as of now, more to come): http://www.youtube.com/BellaportBand

Short edit of song "Rest": http://www.mediafire.com/?54m92jbptll7cu6 (VERY VERY good in my opinion)

Members are Mason Spong, Jay Dotson, Brad Pregeant, Aaron Bell, Tory Lacayo, and Matt Dallmann. 

White Lies - Indie Band From London

There is something about a band that calls West London home. First the Beatles from Liverpool and now White lies from North Ealing. Each has their own place in music history, albeit in different musical eras.

White Lies was formed in 2005 by Charles Cave and Jack-Lawrence-Brown. Both of these fine young chaps came from Pitshanger Village in North Ealing. They played together for the first time in a school talent show. That's primary school, not high school, so these two have been together for some time now.

Two years down the road, Harry McVeigh joined up and they began playing local weekend gigs under the name Fear of Flying. This "weekend thing" kept the 3 friends very busy (they were all around the age of 15 now) and also earned Fear of Flying a supporting position with three local headliners; The Maccabees, Laura Marlin and Jamie T.

In 2006, Fear of Flying released two double sided singles with an Indie label named Young and Lost Club. One was "Routemaster/Round 3" on August 7 and "Three's a Crowd/Forget-Me-Nots" on December 6 of the same year.

On August 10, 2007, Fear of Flying appeared at the Underage Festival in England's Victoria Park.

After that show, the band members were all slated to begin college, so took a gap year during which they explored a new, darker, more mature sound. States bassist Charles Cave, "I felt as though I couldn't write about anything personal, so I would make up semi-comical stories that weren't really important to anyone, not even me."

That year, in October, Fear of Flying was suddenly disbanded. The band's MySpace page announced boldly that "Fear of Flying is DEAD ... White Lies is alive! " The name change was mainly to address the members increase in maturity both as individuals and as musicians. The new sound and lyrics were of a much more honed, sharp clarity.

During a radio interview, Jack Brown said, "We just thought that we should perform these songs as a different band. We had songs that we felt weren't suitable for the band that we were in and we thought White Lies would be the perfect vehicle for the songs." This puts the change in name in pretty good perspective, I think.

Their first live gig as White Lies proved to be a most fruitful one, indeed as several A&R Records execs were in attendance. The band was inundated with record deal offers and finally signed with Fiction Records.

The next almost two years were an absolute blur of live shows, television appearances and marathon practice sessions. Numerous festivals were the order of the day and culminated in White Lies first ever tour as a headliner to 13 United Kingdom venues throughout 2008.

Their debut album, To Lose My Life, was released in the UK January 2009 and made White Lies the first British band to score a number one album in 2009. March 2009 saw the album's release in the USA. A single, Farewell to the Fairground, included a "B" side cover of Kanye West's Love Lockdown.

The band continues to tour actively and is said to have a style that is "quite danceable Indie." Among the many obvious influences are the Talking Heads, Editors, Tears for Fears and The Killers. Another album, Death 2 x 7, is slated for UK release in December 2009. The following US release is greatly anticipated.

Three of the Best Indie Rock Bands of the Decade

This has been a long decade's worth of music. It's pretty crazy to think about the fact that the decade is nearly over. Has that much really happened over the course of the last 10 years? If it has, it's gone by really quickly and I can't believe it's almost over.

Having said that, there's been a ton of great indie rock music looking back and we've been privileged enough to enjoy the emergence of some great indie rock bands that should go down as legends when all is said and done. Here are three of the more best indie rock bands of the decade.

Wilco. Their alt-country, twangy sound was emulated by so many bands over the course of the decade and they might be responsible for the trends that emerged as a result. This is one of the best bands out there and they continue to churn out great music.

The White Stripes. This is garage rock at its core, and they've been there since the beginning of the decade. Jack and Meg White create a monster sound with just the two of them, and people absolutely love their music. Their bluesy rock is definitely music at its finest.

Radiohead. While they emerged in the 90s, it's fair to say that some of their most meaningful work has taken place over the course of the last 10 years. This is a legendary band that truly evolved as times changed - and it's fair to say that they evolved for the better.

3 Breakthrough Indie Rock Bands to Keep an Eye on in 2010

I love the power of the Internet. Thanks to music blogging and digital technology, it seems like just about everything is kept track of online. This is so different from the music culture of the 1990s that depended on MTV and magazines, not to mention radio stations that all played the same songs.

I'm a big indie rock lover as a result and I try to keep an eye on some of the bands that I believe will be the next thing. The earlier I can enjoy their music, the better. Besides, it also gives me the opportunity to see them live before they're huge, and I love seeing concerts in smaller venues. I feel closer to the bands this way.

Anyway, here are three indie rock bands that I'd suggest keeping an eye on in 2010. I would be surprised if any one of these three bands didn't end up making it big.

3. Mumford and Sons. Their debut release, Sigh No More, received critical acclaim in England but was just released here in late 2009. Still, it's a very fun listen as the band blends indie rock with bluegrass. The banjo playing gives this group an original sound.

2. Avi Buffalo. These indie rockers are very young, but extremely talented at that. Catchy hooks that blend classic pop with a modern sound make Avi Buffalo a fresh band to definitely keep an eye on next year.

1. Surfer Blood. I had the privilege of hearing a few songs from their upcoming debut release, and I can't wait to hear the rest. These guys hail from South Florida, and their sound is a blend of garage rock and lo-fi sounds. This is one of my favorite new bands out there, without a doubt.