Happy Sunday. Hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend, and you’re ready for another super week starting tomorrow. We thank you for your support of our Get it or Forget it series. We thoroughly enjoy introducing you to new artists, and for the opportunity to help you decide which ones to support. Here are three more for your consideration.
Artist Name: Float Here Forever
Album Name: Inexhaustible
Label: ALP Music
Genre: Alternative Rock
Track Listing: 1. Inexhaustible; 2. Tranquilize; 3. Goliath; 4. Echolocation; 5. Cobra Eyes
Publicist: None
Review: Float Here Forever sounds like so many other alternative rock bands – lots of passion but an unrefined musical presentation. While the drumming of Nick Marco is first rate, nothing else truly separates these guys from their peers. Judging from the number of fans they have on their Facebook music page (42), they also haven’t yet learned the art of marketing and building a fan base in their native Detroit, which has always had an intense love for indie music. Hopefully their new tunes will help awaken the sleeping fans around them. All the five songs on this upcoming EP, which will be released on June 20 are good, but not outstanding, with the exception of “Goliath,” which sounds like it would make a great live performance. We think that this band has potential to break out of the crowded alternative rock scene, but simply needs more time to hone their skills and develop a dedicated fan base.
Recommendation: Keep your eyes out for this band in the future. They remind me of the Not Ready for Primetime Players that used to be an integral part of Saturday Night Live. They eventually became powerhouses, and we think these guys may yet attain that status. In the meantime, unless you are a die-hard alt-rock fan, you should just Forget them.
Artist Name: Ian Mahan
Album Name: Rockford
Label: Self-released
Genre: Singer-songwriter pop
Track Listing: 1. Come Around; 2. I’m not Me; 3. Dear Louise; 4. Rockford; 5. Bet and Pray; 6. Elmhurst (feat. Stellan)
Publicist: None
Review: We discovered this Denver-based artist when he opened a show for our friend Nina Storey at The Soiled Dove Underground. His storytelling blew us away, with outstanding musical arrangements that perfectly complement his soaring vocals. This is Mahan’s sophomore release, and we feel like he will be a player on the indie music scene for many years to come. He opens up this strong EP with the amazing “Come Around,” and then proceeds to make each successive tune better than the previous one. His vocals are reminiscent of John Mayer, and his songs are radio ready and perfect for placement in television and film. The EP will be released on June 23. By all means, if you have the chance to see him perform live, we highly recommend you do it – you will be sorry if you don’t.
Recommendation: Ian Mahan has been added to our short list of the best male singer-songwriters in indie music today. If you don’t rush out and Get it, we think you should have your head examined.
Artist Name: Banditos
Album Name: Visionland
Label: Blood Shot Records
Genre: Indie Rock
Track Listing: 1. Fine Fine Day; 2. Strange Heart; 3. Visionland; 4. Thick n’ Thin; 5. Healin’ Slow; 6. Lonely Boy; 7. Fun all Night; 8. When it Rains; 9. Still and Quiet; 10. DDT
Publicist: Josh Zanger
Review: Nashville/Birmingham based indie rock band Banditos are not scared to rock your world. With just enough “southern style” rock to make it interesting, they have a unique sound that provides the perfect chill factor for a hot summer night under the stars. We were especially blown away by the voice of Mary Beth Richardson, who took us by surprise with her Janis Joplin meets Lynyrd Skynyrd sound on “Strange Heart.” Trust us when we tell you that this band will blow away any preconceived notions of what an indie band can deliver. We think they are poised to take their music mainstream, and think they would be a fun band to see perform live. Make sure you are first in line to purchase the new album when it is released on June 23. Other worthy tracks include the title track, the stirring ballad “Healin’ Slow,” “Lonely Boy,” “Fun all Night,” and “Still and Quiet.”
Recommendation: You simply must Get this album. It is head and shoulders above its peers in the indie rock genre, and we believe this band will go far. We encourage you to hop on their bandwagon now.
