Darren Tan

Modern Guilt dives in with folky opener “Orphans”. It has a distant bass sound in the beginning. Once the guitar enters and Beck voices out, the track just hits the jackpot like that. It produces a country-like atmosphere to it, folk and country rock altogether.

Late Of The Pier’s Fantasy Black Channel opens with roaring guitar instrumental “Hot Tent Blues”. It seems that Late Of The Pier have been using a sampler to make this track. The guitar on this track revives the 80s rock scene where it’s filled with pitching and echoic guitar.

Twenty One welcomes us with opener “Hideaway”. It starts off with some sirens, as if some houses or buildings are on fire and waiting for the arrival of Firemen. Before long, the bass just comes in with a lazy and draggy sound to it joined by steady drum beats. It has this disco feeling too.

A Mouthful has an album appetizer that everyone of us will definitely give at least a thumb-up to it. In “Playground Hustle”, a group of children cover most of the singing part while Olivia just adds in some extra weights here and there. The music in this track is exceptional as well.

Elephant Shell has a good opening with “Centennial”. In the few seconds upon opening, you can hear the sound of a malfunctioned robot. The robot might be stuck or jammed somewhere, i thought to myself. Shortly, the draggy keyboard and Dave Monks just come in. Centennial is not a fast tempo track, but the guitar and bass seem to be able to work this track out.

A Hundred Million Suns opens with “If There’s A Rocket Tie Me To It”. It starts off in the distance with the help of synthesizers and gradually sounds louder and gets into the track when the correct momentum hits on. When the guitar comes on, it sounds really good before Gary comes on with his trademark husky yet soft vocals.

Weezer (The Red Album) has a crunchy opening with “Troublemaker”. The opening guitar strumming sounds like “The Good Life” from Pinkerton. Rivers just sings in a fast pace to catch up with the guitar and drum beat. While singing the verse, the bass will come in at certain beats and produces sounds as if the thunder is going to strike.

You & Me kicks off with “Dónde Está la Playa”. The combination of the bass and the organ is quite good. At first listen, it sounded really weird. But after a few listens, my perception towards the music in the background as Hamilton sings on totally changed.

Darren Tan is a huge avid fan of indie music, indie bands and indie artists. With Indiesurf.com he wants to share his thoughts, comments, reviews and opinions on the latest (and past/old) indie music, indie bands and indie artists with the world and you. You are also invited to share your views as well, so he'll see you at Indiesurf.com.

This Is Alphabeat makes me go dancing with their album opener "Fantastic 6". When the music comes on, Alphabeat can be heard voicing, "Ah... Ah... Woo...". With the 80s atmosphere, i find Fantastic 6 a very good track, especially in the chorus where Alphabeat's Anders SG and Stine did a double together, "...Twenty four seven, from Heaven, they'll be watching over all of us, the international, professionals...".

Fleet Foxes will keep your heart at peace with “Sun It Rises”. With some steady guitar and drum playing. It wouldn’t need long before you find yourself liking this song. From the lyrics where Robin went “Red squirrel in the morning, red squirrel in the evening, red squirrel in the morning, i’m comin’ to take you home, the sun rises over my head, in the morning, with the hold me, dear, into the night, sun, it will rise, soon enough…” I don’t really know what it meants, but one thing’s for

A Mouthful has an album appetizer that everyone of us will definitely give at least a thumb-up to it. In “Playground Hustle”, a group of children cover most of the singing part while Olivia just adds in some extra weights here and there. The music in this track is exceptional as well.

Vampire Weekend is really cute at “Mansard Roof”. Some non-stop drum beats, clever percussion, catchy and cute guitar hooks. There were some moments that their guitar playing styles reminded me of The Strokes.

Desire welcomes us in a slow emotional instrumental starter, “Mercy”. It is pure piano-playing in different keys throughout this track. It’s like Andrew is trying to tell us a story with each different note.

St. Judes kicks off with “Aftershow”. A dark-like atmosphere track that at the beginning, it resembles “Hunting for Witches” by Bloc Party. Take notice at the bass in this song. I somehow find it very groovy in a dark way. Very suitable for the villain role in a movie.

Swimming let us in with the well-performed “Abandon”. I like the way the guitar opens with the handclaps, giving you indication that this song will instantly click with you.

This Is Alphabeat makes me go dancing with their album opener "Fantastic 6". When the music comes on, Alphabeat can be heard voicing, "Ah... Ah... Woo...". With the 80s atmosphere, i find Fantastic 6 a very good track, especially in the chorus where Alphabeat's Anders SG and Stine did a double together, "...Twenty four seven, from Heaven, they'll be watching over all of us, the international, professionals...".

The album opens with “Darling, Please Come Home” which is such an infectious track that i think it’s one of the best tracks on the album. The guitar of this track keeps repeating in a tempo and pace that is so friendly to our ears and i can’t help it but mocking to play a guitar whenever i listen to this song.

Raise The Dead crunches us with the epic title track, “Raise The Dead”. A track that is so delicious that it will gobble you down when Alex explodes in the chorus. The title of this song itself raise our eyebrows and making us wondering what would it mean.

The Stand Ins is such a matured album that even Adult and Elderly People will fall in love with it. It's definitely a perfect album for my parents' wedding anniversary. :-) It has 3 tracks which are pure instrumentals.

St. Judes kicks off with “Aftershow”. A dark-like atmosphere track that at the beginning, it resembles “Hunting for Witches” by Bloc Party. Take notice at the bass in this song. I somehow find it very groovy in a dark way. Very suitable for the villain role in a movie.

The album opens with “Darling, Please Come Home” which is such an infectious track that i think it’s one of the best tracks on the album. The guitar of this track keeps repeating in a tempo and pace that is so friendly to our ears and i can’t help it but mocking to play a guitar whenever i listen to this song.

Darren Tan is a huge avid fan of indie music, indie bands and indie artists. With Indiesurf.com he wants to share his thoughts, comments, reviews and opinions on the latest (and past/old) indie music, indie bands and indie artists with the world and you. You are also invited to share your views as well, so he'll see you at Indiesurf.com.

Their title track, "Confessor" starts off with Adam Baker singing "Pack up and leave..." When it comes to the chorus, everything seems so right, Adam sings in a voice that somehow sounds so soft to my ears.

The Stand Ins is such a matured album that even Adult and Elderly People will fall in love with it. It's definitely a perfect album for my parents' wedding anniversary. :-) It has 3 tracks which are pure instrumentals.

Vampire Weekend is really cute at “Mansard Roof”. Some non-stop drum beats, clever percussion, catchy and cute guitar hooks. There were some moments that their guitar playing styles reminded me of The Strokes.

Emergency begins with the guitar-packed “This Is An Emergency". Matt Bowman can be heard singing, “Don’t make me go, don’t make me go home…” This Is An Emergency is the type of song where it started quiet and slow, eventually when everything is right, it got louder and all the rest of The Pigeon Detectives joined in with, “This Is An Emergency…”.

Desire welcomes us in a slow emotional instrumental starter, “Mercy”. It is pure piano-playing in different keys throughout this track. It’s like Andrew is trying to tell us a story with each different note.

Furr opened with the rather unforgettable “Sleepytime In The Western World”. This song doesn’t really have a chorus, the only thing that made it so special is Eric’s singing and the music that follows through, especially the piano and the percussions.

We Have Cause To Be Uneasy drives into our thoughts with “Ten Dead Dogs”. Preston is really blessed with such beautiful voice that fits in so prefectly singing ballads like Ten Dead Dogs. This track is more of an indie pop/rock ballad.