Over the course of the last three weeks, we’ve given you an A to Z preview of the best of SXSW. Our ears are still numb, after listening to mp3′s of every single band playing the festival. With SXSW finally here, we thought we’d give you a round-up of the ten bands we deem to be “the best”. Whether you’re coming down to Austin or sitting at home in….London, Paris or Beijing, we suggest you check out these bands. Click on the band name to find out more about the band. In our opinion, these are the bands that combine great music with great live reputations. These are the bands that will leave a lasting impression on SXSW and the music industry for years to come.

#1- Warpaint

#2- Surfer Blood

#3- The Boxer Rebellion

#4- The Soft Pack

#5- Lovvers

#6- Band of Horses

#7- The Ganjas

#8- Avi Buffalo

#9- Grand Analog

#10- Kilians

When we first interviewed The Boxer Rebellion back in March of 2009, we found a band that was humble, yet clearly on the verge of greatness. The release of their second album, Union put them on the top of the iTunes alternative charts in the U.S. and U.K. despite not being signed to a record label. Since then, the momentum has continued to grow and with their appearance at this years South By Southwest, they are being touted as the “band to watch” by many of the major music magazines. Comparisons to early U2 and The Verve don’t begin to describe the depth and emotion of this fantastic band. With their impending show in our hometown of Dallas, Texas, the band took some time to reflect on the past year and give us a taste of what is yet to come.

We took this opportunity to launch our partnership with iTunes, which will allow us to bring you weekly interviews with some great musicians of the past and present. Since TBR, were one of the first bands we inteviewed when the site launched a couple of years ago, we thought they were the perfect candidate for this first podcast.

You can download the podcast here via iTunes.

Alternately, you can listen to the interview here on the website.
The Dumbing of America interview with The Boxer Rebellion

To order the music of The Boxer Rebellion via iTunes, click here

To order tickets to see The Boxer Rebellion at the House of Blues Dallas on March 16th, click here

And so it begins. Every year, we listen to mp3′s of every band scheduled to appear at SXSW. We then present you with an A to Z preview of the bands that we think should earn your attention. Whether you’re coming down to SXSW (recommended!) or just looking for new music, there’s no better time of year. There’s a variety of music here, so buckle up for some different sounds. We’ll be previewing two letters per day, which’ll take us right up to SXSW Music Week. Then we’ll give you our picks for the “Ten bands you must see at SXSW!”. In the meantime, let’s dig right in with a healthy helping of delicious music.

The band: A Sunny Day In Glasgow
Where are they from: Philadelphia/Sydney
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/sunnydayinglasgow

The band: Abe Vigoda
Where are they from: Los Angeles
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/abevigoda

The band: Adam Franklin
Where are they from: New York/London
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/toshackhighway
TDOA Interview here

The band: An Horse
Where are they from: Australia
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/anhorse
TDOA Interview here

The band: And So I Watch You From Afar
Where are they from: Ireland
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/andsoiwatchyoufromafar

The band: Apteka
Where are they from: Chicago, IL
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/apteka

The band: Arborea
Where are they from: Maine
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/arborea2

The band: Avi Buffalo
Where are they from: Long Beach, CA
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/avibuffalo

The band: Band of Horses
Where are they from: North and South Carolina
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/bandofhorses

The band: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Where are they from: California
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/blackrebelmotorcycleclub

The band: Black Sheep
Where are they from: Queens/NYC
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/blacksheep

The band: Blessure Grave
Where are they from: San Diego
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/blessuregravesd

The band: Boat Beam
Where are they from: Spain
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/boatbeam

TDOA Interview: Here

The band: The Boxer Rebellion
Where are they from: London
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/theboxerrebellion
TDOA Interview: Here

The band: Breakestra
Where are they from: Los Angeles, CA
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/breakestra

The band: Broadcast 2000
Where are they from: London
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/broadcast2000

The band: The Bronx
Where are they from: Los Angeles
Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/thebronx

In the end, we think this was truly a great year for music. We would argue that this was the year of the new band, with 75% of our top 20 consisting of debut albums. As we started going through this list, we recognized that we’d interviewed many of the bands listed. As you know, based on our refusal to accept advertising, we’ve been adamant in our refusal to be influenced by labels, promoters, etc.. Frankly, when we heard some of these albums, we were on the phone trying to track the bands down for an interview. Thus you can always assume that the interviews you read are truly from our favorite bands. We hope that there are a few in here that are new to you and that we help to expand your horizons in the same way that these groups have.

1. Alberta Cross- Broken Side of Time

2. The Boxer Rebellion- Union

3. Heat-Ray- Love All Over

4. Lovvers- OCD Go Go Go Girls

5. Fruit Bats- The Ruminant Band

6. Royal Treatment Plant- Hope Is Not Enough

7. Boat Beam- Puzzle Shapes

8. The Mountain Goats- The Life of the World to Come

9. The XX- S/T

10. The Big Pink- A Brief History of Love

11. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- S/T

12. Julian Plenti- …Is Skyscraper

13. Jason Lytle- Yours Truly, The Commander

14. The Joy Formidable- A Ballon Called Morning

15. Gliss- Devotion/Implosion

16. Grand Analog- Metropolis Is Burning

17. The Black Box Revelation- Set Your Head On Fire

18. Ten City Nation- At The Still Point

19. Jaydiohead- S/T

Jaydiohead – 99 Anthems from Max Tannone on Vimeo.

20. It Hugs Back- Inside Your Guitar

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As we’ve watched others post their top 10′s of the decade, we’ve been a bit flummoxed. Other than the obvious Radiohead choice, we seem to disagree with the cool kids once again. We believe that faithful readers of this site will find our picks logical and a perfect fit for their own taste. There’s no politics in these picks, no succumbing to the arm-twisting of certain labels who are trying to grow the future of their brand…. I mean band. If you write great melodies and believe that emotion IS music, then you’re likely to find yourself on this list. And with that…. the top ten.

10) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- BRMC (2001)
Recommend Track: Whatever Happened To My Rock n Roll?
Why We Love It: While we loved the 90′s, it was clearly time to shake off the Pavement/Nirvana indie plaid. IBRMC used their first album to reintroduce the world to songs that didn’t follow the “loud/soft/loud” formula that bands like Smashing Pumpkins had run into the ground. They challenged listeners without the Strokes-like tendency to worry about their “look” more than their sound. A classic.

9) Bloc Party- Silent Alarm (2005)
Recommended Track: Like Eating Glass
Why We Love It: While the sound of this decade frequently became homogenized, Bloc Party were one of the few bands who people couldn’t emulate. With one of the best drummers in rock and guitar riffs that veered from Gang of Four genius to a sound unlike any other, they made a record that will stand the test of time for decades to come.

8)The Boxer Rebellion- Exits (2005)
Recommended Track: Watermelon
Why We Love It: On their first self-released album, The Boxer Rebellion were able to create sounds and emotions that took U2 decades and millions of dollars to put on record. Any band that can draw comparisons to The Verve and U2 without hesitation is likely to create the kind of masterpiece that this record was.

To read our interview with TBR, click here.

No songs available on Lala.com (for shame!), so here’s the video for Watermelon:

7) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- Baby 81 (2007)
Recommended Track: Lien On Your Dreams
Why We Love It: Is it politically incorrect to say that this is our favorite Black Rebel Motorcycle Club record? While their contemporaries were busy spewing out the same style of music for the umpteeth time, BRMC added and edge and immediacy to this record that threatened to reach through the speakers and tear you apart. While you can argue with some of our selections, there is no reason why this album shouldn’t be in the top 10 of every music critic in the world.

6) The Duke Spirit- Cuts Across The Land (2004)
Recommended Track:
Why We Love It: On their first record, they took the concept of a Kim Deal-only Pixies record and created an album so unique and so magnificent that they created their own genre. Whether they intended this path is doubtful, but they became the most interesting band of the decade by making a sound that seemed unconcerned with their references and left music critics to spend the decade running to catch up. Expect them to be the band of the decade in the 2020 wrap-ups, as Spin and Rolling Stone finally catch on.

5) Calla- Strength In Numbers (2007)
Recommended Track: Bronson
Why We Love It: Perhaps it was their classification as slo-core that scared people away. By the time they released Strength In Numbers, they’d moved away from their beautiful codeine-like pace (which we loved) and produced a record that was jarring, yet mesmerizing. Vocalist/ guitarist Aurelio Valle has always had a knack for writing beautiful vocal melodies that linger over the cacophony of sound that he creates with the band. On this record, they reached perfection and left the world gasping for more.

To read our interview with Calla, click here.

4) Alberta Cross- Broken Side of Time (2009)
Recommended Track: ATX
Why We Love It: The critics don’t have a clue. Whether classifying them as “southern rock” or just failing to recognize the majesty of this record, they do a disservice to music listeners around the world. When I first heard this record, it moved me in a way I hadn’t been moved since the first time I heard The Verve’s “A Storm In Heaven”. Like that record, there are layers and layers of music to peel away on this record. Guitars, vocals, keyboards and drum rhythms combine to create what is easily the most beautiful record of the decade.

To read our interview with Alberta Cross, click here.

3) Radiohead- Kid A (2000)
Recommended Track: National Anthem
Why We Love It: A genius record, borne from their hatred of being… Radiohead. Thom Yorke has said that he’d “completely had it with melody. I just wanted rhythm.” Eschewing guitars and aiming to create an electronic record, they took a risk that could have ended them. Instead it gave them the courage to set the course they sailed for the remainder of the decade. You can argue with us over it’s place as the “best” Radiohead record of the decade, but you can’t argue it’s significance in their career path.

2) The Duke Spirit- Neptune (2008)
Recommended Track: Step and the Walk
Why We Love It: Clearly one of the most under-rated bands in the world. The Duke Spirit’s second record showed no signs of a sophomore slump. Liela Moss earns her reputation as one of the greatest singers in rock, but it’s her ability to control the push and pull of a song that sets her apart. Impossible to categorize, they write rock songs that are pure and honest with every member of the band adding their own aural treat for their listeners.

1) Interpol- Turn On The Bright Lights (2002)
Recommended Track: PDA
Why We Love It: Our favorite record of the decade, if for no other reason than it’s track by track consistency. While they’ve never shaken the Joy Division comparisons, Paul Banks writes vocal melodies which were never a strength of Ian Curtis. To be compared favorably to one of the greatest bands in history is nothing to be ashamed of. Nor should they be punished for the plethora of bands that tried to follow them down the path. Daniel Kessler’s guitar work, coupled with the best rhythm section of the decade created perfect songs for a perfect record.

View our picks for #31-40 here
View our picks for #21-30 here.
View our picks for #11-20 here.

Follow us on Twitter or Facebook to get a preview of upcoming interviews, music news and behind the scenes stories about our interviews.

As we progress down our path of the loveliest music of the decade, we’ll give you a bit more detail on the records we’ve chosen. While we were infatuated with numbers 31-40 (which you can read here), we’re ready to go to battle over every selection from 1 to 30. Not a bad song on any of these albums, if you ask us. You can listen to the entire album of each of these by registering with Lala.com…. but you knew that, right? While we don’t claim this to be a defining document of merit, we think you’ll find this list worthy of debate and perhaps will steer you to a record that you hadn’t heard before.

You can view our picks for 31 thru 40 here.

30) Fujiya & Miyagi- Transparent Things (2006)
Recommended Track: Sucker Punch
Why We Like It: Quite frankly, we’re not big fans of the kraut rock genre which many critics pigeon-hole this band into and think the reference does them a disservice. We think of this as electronic music for analog people. Coupled with the great vocals of David Best, this album has more soul than any other release of the decade.

29) Sarah Harmer- All of Our Names (2004)
Recommended Track: Greeting Card Aisle
Why We Like It: Every single element of this record is gorgeous. Categorized as Adult Alternative by people to stupid to hear its’ genius, it mixes Sarah’s beautiful vocals with guitar parts that harmonize so well, it’ll give you goosebumps. She plays guitars, bass and drums which account for the perfect syncopation of these beautifully complex songs.

28) Robbers On High Street- Tree City (2005)
Recommended Track: Japanese Girls
Why We Like It: An album filled with perfectly crafted pop songs will always make our top albums list. Erroneously lumped with bands like The Strokes and Interpol, this band is less concerned with looking cool and more concerned with making complex melodies that would make the Paul’s (McCartney and Weller) proud.

27) Interpol- Our Love To Admire (2007)
Recommended Track: The Heinrich Maneuver
Why We Like It: Interpol were a key part of the Joy Division revival in this decade. But to think of them merely in those terms, would be to do yourself a disservice. Sam Fogarino proved himself to be one of the most interesting drummers in rock in the 00′s. Rhythms that didn’t just follow the beat in traditional rock fashion, they pushed and pulled the music in ways that left you feeling out of balance and euphoric simultaneously. Couple that with Daniel Kessler’s incredible ability to write riffs that sound so simple, but are unlike any other guitarist in rock. This, their third album helped ease the pain of a sophomore slump and re-established them as one of the best bands of the decade.

26) Franz Ferdinand- S/T (2004)
Recommended Track: Take Me Out
Why We Like It: Another band who’s meteoric rise and fall tell you more about the hypocrisy of the music business, than about actual talent. As Interpol broke and it became unfashionable to be happy, FF reminded us that music can be fun and playful.

25) The Walkmen- Bows + Arrows (2004)
Recommended Track: The Rat
Why We Like It: Drunken, sloppy sounding music that helped re-establish the importance of emotion in music. Where the 90′s were largely a happy era, musically The Walkmen showed us that angst can be melodic and beautiful.

24) Nine Black Alps- Everything Is (2005)
Recommended Track: Get Your Guns
Why We Like It: When this album came out, we considered it a guilty pleasure. In retrospect, it stands up as a sole vote for the continuation of grunge in the new millennium. Equal parts Sub Pop circa Nirvana and Swervedriver, this group was great at what it did and were a welcome respite from the Creed, Train grunge-dreck that was contributing to the dumbing….
To read our interview with NBA, click here.

23) Grandaddy- The Sophtware Slump (2000)
Recommended Track: The Crystal Lake
Why We Like It: Had they not gotten in their own way, Grandaddy could have easily ruled the world throughout the decade. With keyboards that referenced Phillip Glass and vocal/guitar stylings that echoed a more stoned version of Pavement, they crafted beautiful songs that could reduce you to tears.

22) The Boxer Rebellion- Union (2009)
Recommended Track: Evacuate
Why We Like It: If U2 still had to live from paycheck to paycheck, this is how they’d sound. TBR has the ability to sound epic and fragile within the same song. Alternately blood-thirsty and dreamy, this second album for the group was self-released by the band on iTunes, where it promptly went to #1 on the Alternative charts in the U.S. and U.K.. The best band that nobody seems to know about.
To read our interview with TBR, click here.

21) Coldplay- Parachutes (2000)
Recommended Track: Shiver
Why We Like It: Because we wanted to draw a big bulls-eye on our back? In fact, we would argue that when The Verve broke up, Coldplay attempted to fill the void by using their dreamy soundscapes. The imagery on this record is dark and abrasive, far from the delusions of grandeur that they exhibited in future albums. A great example of a band that all the ‘cool kids’ embraced initially and now refuse to admit that they like them. We’re sticking to our guns and saying that this first album was brilliant. After that…

Follow us on Twitter or Facebook to get a preview of upcoming interviews, music news and behind the scenes stories about our interviews.

Initially, I resisted this concept of a mid-year top ten.  It seemed like a cheap concept for websites with nothing to talk about.  But then I started looking at the lists onmy favorite websites and realized that none of the albums I like were getting any attention.  Given that this has been the best year for new releases since….the eighties (?!), I felt a need to throw my two cents into the ring.  What follows is a list that I’d be proud to publish if this was December 31st.  The prospect of six more months of great music, is truly exciting.

1) The Boxer Rebellion: Union- If you loved The Verve and remember when it was still cool to like U2, you ought to be listening to this band.  This self-released album topped the U.S. and U.K. ITunes charts the week it debuted.  I’d like to think that TBR is our little secret, but I suspect there are a lot of you out there.

2) The Pains of Being Pure At Heart: Self-Titled- As British as The Boxer Rebellion sound, THOBPAH bring a sound that is distinctly super American chunky.  Great melodies that merge with an indie sensibility that is far from self-indulgent.

3) Gliss: Devotion/Implosion- Like watching the most beautiful carousel you’ve ever seen, Gliss switch instruments and vocal duties effortlessly and make you swoon every time.  How much do I love the re-emergence of the distortion pedal in music?  In a year where the great ideas of the 80′s are given new life, Gliss simulatneously seem original yet nostalgic.  I hate to throw the  JAMC reference around this list too much, but they were a brilliant band and Gliss make me realize what they’d have  become with better vocals and less self-indulgence.

4) An Horse: Rearrange Beds- 2-piece from Australia that harkens back to the best of The Spinanes (look it up.  you’ll love it.).  I interviewed them days after they first arrived in America after this album was released.  With an appearance on Letterman and accolades from numerous magazines, we can expect An Horse to be on many year-end lists for many years to come.  Deservedly so.

5) White Lies- To Lose My Life: Equal parts The Teardrop Explodes, Joy Division and Interpol.  Certainly enough to make Brandon Flowers shut up forever (hopefully…).  I had predicted that this would be my album of the year after hearing a few cuts.  If I have any complaint, it’s that the second half of the record is a little uneven.  Still a tremendous effort, though.

6) Zee Avi- Zee Avi-  This one snuck on the list at the last second!  I posted her brilliant cover of “First of the Gang” previously and just got a copy of the album this week.  Since then, I’ve had it on an endless loop.  Prepare to here a voice that will melt you in a second.  To compare someone’s voice to Billie Holiday isn’t something I would do on a whim.  The album alternates from moody, to playful, to beautiful in a way that seems natural.  An amazing debut.  Prepare to read about her for the next six months and the rest of your life.

7) East Hundred- Passenger: Erroneously posted in our revised ‘Best of 2008′, this was actually released in January of 2009.  Why this band isn’t on a major label is one of this years’ great mysteries.  Perfect vocal melodies from Beril Guceri coupled with a band that can write music that isn’t dependent on ‘hooks’, yet sticks in your head.  Quite a combination and a recipe for a great album.

Crocodiles- Summer of Hate: Fresh off their network debut on Carson Daly’s televsion show, this is a band with unbelievable potential.  Their resemblence to Psychocandy/ Mary Chain-style is eerie.  When they release their ‘Darklands’ expect them to be huge.

9) Jason Lytle- Yours Truly The Commuter: Yes, it’s the singer from Grandaddy.  Yes, it’s as good as anything Grandaddy did.  Anything other questions?

10) Gomez- A New Tide: I’ve intentionally posted this video which just shows the album cover, while the opening track plays.  Perhaps the best “pop” song I’ve heard in years.  Close your eyes and let this soak into your eardrums.

Continuing the theme of our previous post…

We’ve been on board for The Boxer Rebellion for a couple of years now.  In January we documented their ascension to the top of the ITunes charts in America and England without having a record deal.  Since then, the “cool kids” haven’t made a single mention of the band.  Hmm, no label support/ no mention on the hip blogs….I’m sure it’s a coincidence.

Nontheless, the band continues to amaze.  The Apple store in London hosted a session with them in March.  It was the first appearance by an unsigned band at the Apple store.  Apple was thrilled enough with the performance to release it as a 9-song album.  That’s right, TBR already have a live album and you still don’t have their picture pasted to your wall.  Shame on you.

The album is a great mix of the first two records and proves that their brilliance isn’t a studio trick.  Not sense the first time I saw The Verve tour with A Storm In Heaven, have I seen a band take their blissed-out genius out of the studio and drive it on the road with such emotion.  Concurrently, they’ve posted their M Session for all to see and we’ve got it here:

[brightcove vid=17382844001&exp=1127703951&w=486&h=412]

And now it’s time to pull out our Ouija board and predict what’s going to happen in the next seven days.  The band is playing three dates in the U.S. next week; April 21st at The Troubador in L.A. and April 23-24 at the Mercury Lounge in NYC.  Magic Ouija board says the “cool kids” will stumble into these shows, be blown away by the band and spend the rest of the week telling us about this cool band they’re here to tell you about.

If you live within a 100 mile radius of these two towns, do yourself a favor and get to these shows.  You’ll be able to tell people you saw this amazing band at a small club, long before they were on the cover of…..Rolling Stone.

You can purchase the live LP here:

To purchase tickets go here:

First of all, thanks to all of you for the great responses we’ve been getting to the interviews we’ve been publishing.  Bands, labels, promoters, blogs and more have been more than kind.  Trust me, the pleasure has been all ours!

On the first post that ever appeared on this website, we waxed poetic about The Boxer Rebellion’s Exit album which was released in 2005.  More recently we’ve taken the labels to task for failing to sign TBR prior to the release of their new album, “Union”.  We also trumpeted the news, when this unsigned band topped the US and British ITunes charts once Union was released.  There music shares the brilliance of early Verve and bears similarities to early U2.  Like U2, at the point of the release of Under A Blood Red Sky, The Boxer Rebellion are at the cusp of something mammoth.  They’ve built a passionate following by making great music without using the machinery of the music industry to get there.  We got an opportunity to speak with guitarist Todd Howe, to gauge where the band’s plans for global domination will take them next.

TDOA:  I’ve enjoyed the band since the first album came out and thought the band was my private little secret.  The release of Union put you at the top of the ITunes charts in America and England.  I don’t read the British music magazines like I used to, so I wouldn’t be conscious of the coverage you’ve received since the first album.  Nonetheless, how do you explain how the album was able to crack the charts so quickly after the albums’ release?

TH: It was really a combination of things. Our fans are pretty diehard fans. The first album Exits really grew on the underground after its release as it was virtually impossible to find in a physical format. We really worked hard on building our fanbase while we were recording the album, making demos available for fans, giving away b-sides, releasing a vinyl version of Evacuate. I guess all of this, coupled with the iTunes Single of The Week and album exposure we got from iTunes really did the job. I’m most proud of the fact that so many people liked what they heard and made their own decision to buy the album.

TDOA:  You shopped the album to a few labels that passed on it.  Is there a sense of vindication now?  Has anyone come back to you to beg forgiveness and shower your with gifts so that you’ll sign with them?

TH: I don’t really give record labels much thought at all these days. We were shunned for a long time and we have heavy trust issues outside our little circle. The vindication comes from the way the music was able to do the talking. I feel completely vindicated!

TDOA:  You’re playing dates in LA and New York, but don’t have any other U.S. dates scheduled. What gives?  Was there ever thought to playing a huge showcase, like South By Southwest?

TH: It really boiled down to money, unfortunately. We are still completely inependent so it makes it hard for us to tour extensively in the US right now. We are working on a bigger tour right now though. Given the chance we would tour the US relentlessly. LA and NYC is a great start for us.

TDOA: Let’s talk about the music.  I was first attracted to TBR when they were compared to The Verve.  I hate pigeonholing a band but I think there are some similarities to “Storm In Heaven” Verve.  Having said that I think the newest album shares the “epic” quality of early (pre-Unforgettable Fire) U2.  Do you hear the comparisons and who are your influences?

TH: I absolutely adore that Verve record, but I didn’t actually listen to it until a few years ago so its not really a direct influence. Hard to believe, I know. The ideas behind and principles of that sound are very similar though. As for U2, I was very heavily into “Under A Blood Red Sky” and early U2. Its an album I go back to all the time. Its also become very uncool to say you even like U2 these days, lest I be criticised, but I really couldn’t give a toss about that. I think the U2 references would come from my guitar sound. I also think we’ve developed a style of our own now.

TDOA:  Can you talk about the songwriting process of the band? What comes first; lyrics, vocal melodies, bass or guitar melodies?

TH: As far as songwriting goes, its an anything goes, scenario. We’re all open to whatever works best and its pretty diplomatic. Flashing Red Light Means Go and Silent Movie were pretty much complete musically and melodically when Nathan brought them in, it was just arrangement and how it sounded best. I wrote The Gospel of Goro Adachi and recorded it in my bedroom, Nathan actually sung most of it there too. Semi-Automatic was all of us jamming around. We always wanted to write a song that didn’t change chords but was still interesting. Its lyrically my favourite song we’ve done. As for lyrics, its usually always Nathan, who writes the lyrics once the vocal melody is found. We always talk about them and he asks our opinion of them. We all have to be happy with everything basically. You can’t play a song live that you don’t like. Well I can’t anyway.

TDOA: Piers drumming reminds me of Echo and the Bunnymen’s Pete De Freitas whom I regard as one of the great rock drummers of all-time.  What drummers influenced his style?

TH: I remember him mentioning that Animal from The Muppets was a key influence…… Also that girl from The Corrs. Seriously, Bonham, Steve White

TDOA: Your guitar parts have the great ability to shift from the attack of ‘Evacuate’ to the calm beauty of ‘Flashing Red Light Means Go’.  Can you tell us about your setup (guitars, amps, effects) for the guitar geeks who read us?  Any thoughts on your influences?

TH: I use a boost pedal and a distortion. A Marshall Blues Breaker and a Boss Distortion. The heavy parts are full distortion. I use 2 delay pedals, that’s the key for me. I run through a Line 6 DL4 on a tape echo setting that I tweaked. Then I run that through a Boss DD3 Delay on an 800 Millisecond setting. I also use a Digitech Whammy for The Absentee and on Spitting Fire.

TDOA: I love the video for Evacuate.  For a band without any label support you seem to make videos and records that appear to have “expensive” production values.  How do you do it?

TH: As far as sound goes we strive for the biggest sound possible. I’m really into production myself and on this record I really pushed Tom (Morris – co-producer) for what I wanted sound wise. He was great and I thought he did an absolutely amazing job. The music has to sound like it comes from another place otherwise its not convincing. As for the videos, we had some great friends who helped us out and they’re really passionate about what they do, as well as our music. Dan Morgan (Evacuate) is very good at using all sorts of 35mm adaptors for his digital setup. Grant Berry (Semi-Automatic) is a great animator. He did the video for nothing. He and Dan worked together on Broken Glass and we spent 60 pounds on that video. Evacuate cost 1,500 pounds.We just like the epic, cinematic vibe. I think it works for us.

TDOA: What other bands are you guys listening to these days?

TH: I’m into The Race at the moment. They are so underrated. Also Pela from Brooklyn. Their album is absolutely amazing. Those guys really deserve a lot of success.

TDOA: You have a brutal tour schedule ahead.  Beyond that what plans does the band have?  Are we going to have another long wait for a new album?

TH: This album took so long more from circumstances we were in. It won’t be 4 years before the next record that’s for sure. We’re looking at Festivals in Summer, releasing the record properly through a good label and really pushing it. We’re ready to tour our asses off now so the rebellion is coming!

If it wasn’t already obvious, Union is available for purchase via ITunes.

Every once in a while I’ll take a look at the ITunes top 10 album chart.  I find this to be a far more accurate indicator of what people are listening to.  Billboard and all the other charting companies don’t factor ITunes sales into their figures.  That’s a shocking oversight given the dominance Apple has gained thru ITunes.

Does anybody really even buy cd’s anymore? Now that Apple has removed all the DRM’s from their music, there’s just no reason to buy a cd at a retail outlet anymore.

Thus a review of the ITunes top 10 albums is usually good for a laugh and a shake of the head.  When what did my wonderous eyes see?  After soundtracks occupying the top three spots, we find:

4) David Cook (another posterboy for TDOA)

5) Taylor Swift (which is ony suitable for girls under the age of 6)

6) Lady GaGa (no idea. don’t care)

7) Kanye West (Puff Daddy for the new millineum)
The Boxer Rebellion…..

In 2005, I put The Boxer Rebellion’s first album ‘Exits’ was #1 on my top ten best albums list.  I first listened to them when I heard they bore similarities to early (Storm In Heaven) Verve.  I felt like they had a little more punch (a good thing) and a little less drugs (which I could go either way on…) than Verve (I refuse to use the ‘The’ moniker they were legally forced to use).  I did everything I could do to keep track of them; MySpace, Facebook, bookmarking their website.  Alas, there were no new albums.  In the middle of 2008 they posted demos of some new songs which were brilliant.  But they didn’t have a label (did I mention the music industry is dumb?) and the British media didn’t spend anytime reporting on them, so I had no idea what was going on.  American bloggers were too busy drooling over bands like Vampire Weekend to worry about it, which wasn’t surprising since they missed the boat on Exits when it came out.

Finally, in late 2008 The Boxer Rebellion announced that they would self-release their album.  They took the bold step of doing a purely digital release on ITunes (kudos to ITunes for taking a bit of a risk themselves).  The new album ‘Union’ is even better than the first; soaring vocals, guitars that drift from ethereal to piercing without it ever sounding forced (yes, I’m talking about you David Evans).  The biggest difference though was a driving rhythm section that makes even the smallest speakers burst from their cabinets.  It’s truly a great album, on par with the epic ‘A Storm In Heaven’ by Verve, which launched their career.

And yet, you won’t hear about it unless you look at ITunes.  Billboard and all the British charts won’t put TBR on their charts because they haven’t issued a physical copy of the album.  It doesn’t matter that TBR now has the best selling alternative album in England and the United States.  All of this would confirm the idiocy of the music industry, but an even greater question comes to mind.  How is that all the A&R people at every label in the world have passed on TBR?  Since I heard three of the songs this summer, I knew this album would be great.  It’s the job of A&R people to listen to this kind of stuff and sign bands that can make them money.  Instead of focusing on the next Jonas Brothers, how about a band with a unique (for the list we’re talking about) sound?

Dumb

Here’s the video for their first single ‘Evacuate’