Between an (indie) rock and a hard place

Alright, a little something different (for now). I'm gonna see what you think of trying a little indie rock on for size. But first, a few quick words about the indie rock scene. There are lots of good indie bands out there worth checking out that don't attract as many wookies as, say, String Cheese. Stephen Malkmus is a fantastic live show. Secret Machines are indescribable. Of course, just like the jamband scene, a handful of the fans can tend to be annoying. But indie rockers won't bug you endlessly for "pharmies", but they'll sure as hell make you feel like crap if you've never heard of some random band from Portland who put out one EP 15 years ago on Merge Records. Anyway, the two acts below, are more indie, but that doesn't mean they can't write a good song or two. Ben Lee is Australian and I heard this song on the radio (XM, that is) the other day and loved it. I'm sure it is probably the indie rock equivalent of "Touch Of Grey" or "Bouncin' Round The Room," but hey, it's catchy as hell.

"Catch My Disease" - Ben Lee Denver, CO 3/21/05

Download the whole show here.

As for Spoon, I saw them down in Austin for South By Southwest. They've been around since the 90s and were the "Surprise Artist" one night at some showcase. People seemed pretty happy. I think the jamband equivalent would be if, say, Galactic played a surprise show in New Orleans one night.

"Everything Hits At Once" - Spoon, Englewood, CO 6/14/05

Download the whole show here.