Archive for indie rock

Introducing: Click Track

Posted in Local Love, Mind Inversion Exclusive, Video with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, July 19, 2012 by TSN

For some time I had been anticipating a video from a local band, Click Track.  Straight out of La Crosse, WI.  Now that I have seen and heard, I realize this band hails with edgy creativity and promising tune.

I had no idea at how the video would go or how the new song would sound.  I was exposed to the above.  I am greatly surprised at the catchiness of the song and the quality of the video, I felt it necessary to share with you, my friends at Mindinversion.net.

Local Love presents Click Track.

Click Track Facebook Page

Click Track Reverbnation

These are some place to check out more songs, tour dates, and news on Click Track.

Click Track frontman Ryan Conrad and drummer Nick Elstad have hit it right with Dangerous Children.  They have been writing songs and creating music for sometime, playing venues in La Crosse, and elsewhere in the Midwest.  Bars, like The Cavalier, places intimate and very up close and personal.  I have known Conrad to have been writing and creating music, at least, for the past 10 years, in various acts (One point I even had the pleasure of being in a band with Conrad).  Seen em’ (Click Track) live a few times and they put on a high energy, professionally done show, with some fun.  The live show is intense and memorable, and their sound is original, at times haunting.

The song Dangerous Children is pleasantly catchy and the video is done well.  It has a hint of low-budget underground artsy film, but it remains highly effective and the songwriting speaks to quality.  I can appreciate a sense of art in production, with the progression and listenability of big league acts.  A song I can relate to and listen to many times before coming to a conclusion.

For a bit Conrad had been telling me to give his music a listen, I have known him forever and decided to.  I had not expected it to sound so new, so crisp, and so realistic.  I was happily enthusiastic.  I was intrigued, the Dangerous Children video showcases Click Track and the city of La Crosse, and a library, these are 3 positives in my book.

La Crosse is a city with a lot of musical acts, but at times, sadly, with little progression and distinguishability within the ranks and genres.

However, that is not entirely true, thanks to Click Track.

If anything Click Track is a testament that the music scene in La Crosse is changing for the better-their video speaks to said change.  Click Track is a breakthrough Indie rock band coming out of La Crosse, something I consider great, and they are pointed in the right direction.  They deserve a listen, and for the creative video they deserve a share.

Okay, so they have a megaphone, they wear suits, and they are from La Crosse, WI.  Need I say more?

The retro feel of the video, and the simple yet catchy sound have me inspired, Click Track.  As Click Track shows, there is clear potential in the Midwest for indie garage rock.

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Grammys: Excited or Disappointed?

Posted in Music News, News with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Sunday, January 15, 2012 by Eric Gilardi

With this year’s Grammy Awards coming up in less than a month I am unsure if indie rock and electronic music fans should be excited or disappointed in the recent popularity gains in the past few years. Just last year Arcade Fire won Album of the Year for The Suburbs. This was one of the first signs that other forms of music were gaining a mass popularity.

Now this year, you have Skrillex breaking through with the music genre and in your face sound of dubstep. The electronic artist is up for 5 Grammy’s this year, an unprecedented number for any artist in the electronic music industry. Bon Iver  the popular indie rock group fronted by Eau Claire, Wisconsin’s own Justin Vernon is up for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist to name a few. The Grammy community must think that he is a new artist because they just discovered his music or his music has gained enough popularity that we will now acknowledge you. Bon Iver’s music has been making sweet love to my ears since 2008 so it really isn’t new to me or anyone else who has had their ears violated by Bon Iver’s music. The song “Holocene” is one of my favorites from 2011 so I can see why it has elevated them to Grammy status.

What are the contributing factors to why these artists are gaining popularity? In my opinion, technology happened. As many people leave their normal avenues to discover new music this trend is going to continue. The addition of Sirius XM into many people’s homes, workplaces and automobiles has helped spread new musical knowledge. Also, music sites such as Pandora, Last.fm, Spotify and Rdio(just to name a few) have also helped in the discovery of these artists and bands. The only thing I can see good out of all this is that I might actually tune in on February 12. Will you be watching?

Sonic Youth & Yeah Yeah Yeahs plan separate summer tours to pass through First Avenue

Posted in Concert Dates with tags , , , , , , , , , on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 by Ryan Buege

Really, we all know that I don’t need to do anything more for this post than list the dates for these two separate summertime shows that our friends at First Avenue booked this week. I can guarantee these will sell out in no time, because anyone who wants to see these bands live definitely knows how rare these Minnesota visits are for the longtime indie rock gods in Sonic Youth (on July 21) and the constantly rising star of Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (on May 30). Tickets for both shows will be available this Saturday, May 2nd. Pay attention to first-ave.com for the link or just drop by their box office!

May 30, 2009
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN
Doors @ 6 / All Ages

July 21, 2009
Sonic Youth
First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN
Doors @ 7 / 18+

Non-Minnesota residents, keep reading! All of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Sonic Youth shows that are booked so far are listed after the link… Continue reading