This show will probably be the most interesting thing you hear this Friday. I mean it. No, seriously. If you don’t believe me, take a listen for yourself…
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Girl in a Coma, New Mexico, Buddy Banter, and others at Bar Pink – Friday September 13th
According to their Spotify bio, Girl in a Coma named themselves after a the Smiths song and bonded over their love of Nirvana. I am in love with their penchant for covering 60s songs with the perfect modern interpretation. They’ve had ups and downs throughout their musical career, but when Joan Jett signs you to her label (Blackheart Records), you know you’re doing something very right.
New Mexico has self-branded themselves as a “Four piece torture chamber ensemble”, but there’s nothing torturous about their alt rock music that dips between modern upbeat riffs and groovy throwbacks. They urge you to listen to their music to find out what they sound like, but here’s a hint: lovers of bands like Interpol and Bloc Party will most likely jump on the train to New Mexico.
Rounding out this lineup are some famous Southern Cali acts like Buddy Banter and Irontom, so make sure you get there early to party with all the amazing music happening tonight!
For more information on the San Diego Music Thing, including the full lineup and how to buy tickets and passes, check out the official website.
There is absolutely no reason for you to have a boring, dreary weekend when you’ve got the San Diego Music Thing bringing more bands than I can count on more stages even imagined. The fact that it’s also happening on Friday the 13th is kind of amazing, especially when you’ve got bands like these playing…
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FIDLAR, The Widows, Sculpin, The Frights at Queen Bee’s – Friday September 13th
FIDLAR is quickly becoming my new favorite thing. With music that is energetic and driving, guitar riffs riddled with shreds, and lyrics that chant out anthems of unrest and disorder, FIDLAR is definitely bringing the punk rock party to San Diego. They’re in the middle of a massive tour now, and they were recently featured on MTV’s Buzzworthy, so if you miss this performance you might have to kick yourself for it. Bonus points: Their FB page’s about section reads “FUCK IT DOG LIFE’S A RISK”.
The Widows is one of those bands where every single member is a badass music lover, and it shows in their music and live performances. They consistently churn out song after song of ska/punk fusion guaranteed to get your feet moving, so if you like a little party to go along with your rock, then you’re in the right place.
Warming up the crowd are punk rock acts Sculpin and The Frights, both bands that I promise will elevate your heart rate in the best way possible. Sculpin is solidly punk, with driving drum beats and searing, growling vocals; and The Frights bring on retro vibes with their surf rock approach.
For more information on the San Diego Music Thing, including the full lineup and how to buy tickets and passes, check out the official website.
In case you didn’t know, it was my birthday this week (I’m a 9/11 baby…is that such a thing now?), and while I didn’t celebrate that much, it did keep me busy enough to step away from weekend show reviews. But never fear! TGIF and the weekend is here!
Let me discuss three amazing reasons to be at the Soda Bar today…
The Creepy Creeps, The Burning of Rome, Tape Deck Mountain and others at Soda Bar – Friday the 13th
Insert really spooky Friday the 13th reference here. Or, experience one in the flesh tonight at Soda Bar, for a rock ‘n roll party that is worthy of the number 13. Headliners The Creepy Creeps are definitely on my radar — mostly because I’m a huge Halloween and horror movie fanatic, but also because their tunes are the perfect mix of high energy, punk, and yes, eery appeal. They’re along the lines of rockabilly, if those rockabilly tunes was the backdrop for a zombie surfing party. Their eccentric onstage costumes only help to drive their music to the surreal.
The Burning of Rome has lit their own fire in the local San Diego music scene, and with their recent San Diego Music Award nomination, they’re a must-see on my list. Watch them live if you enjoy music that will blow your mind. They’re often eloquent without being too polished, atmospheric without being too abstract, and they occasionally shred with gritty 70s rock vibes. I can’t help but love this band.
Adding to the rock ‘n roll dance party is Tape Deck Mountain, who have seamlessly mixed grungy guitar riffs with ethereal vocals and melodies, wavering on the gentle one moment, and then breaking into the mystical force of rock in the next. Their tunes are the perfect companions of music lovers, since every note is absolutely thrilling to the ears.
There are other exciting bands on this lineup so get there early and spend your Friday the 13th in style!
For more information on the San Diego Music Thing, including the full lineup and how to buy tickets and passes, check out the official website.
Each day I’m going to discuss a San Diego Music Thing performance that you can’t miss, so that you are — hopefully — ready for this overwhelmingly awesome music festival this weekend. But a week isn’t even enough time to go through everything, because that is how big this fest really is!
Still, I can offer some highlights, so that you can make a very well-informed decision on who you should see first. Actually, just duplicate yourself and see them all. It’s for the best that way!
Starting off…
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Manuok, Ed Ghost Tucker, Boy King at Whistle Stop Bar – Friday September 13th
San Diego’s indie pop love child, Manuok, is a music project that really showcases just what this music scene can offer. Feel proud to be a So Cal music lover as you sway along to the crooning voice of the brains behind this solo project, multi-instrumentalist Scott Mercado. Legendary, impeccable, mellow and fascinating are just a few spot-on adjectives that come to mind.
Ed Ghost Tucker is the kind of act that immediately pulls you in — with a genre-bending approach to music that is mostly folky-surf tunes with a hint of jazz appeal. Smart and alluring, their music is the perfect backdrop to nearly any venue. When performing live, Ed Ghost Tucker knows how to control their volume and dynamic, adding perspective to music that is already beaming with depth. If you enjoy beachy vibes and the jazzy version of Vampire Weekend, Ed Ghost Tucker will not disappoint you.
Rounding out this trifecta of awesome sauce is Boy King, a rock ‘n roll based group that isn’t afraid to bring a bit of an edge to the party. With guitar riffs like Wolfmother and The Black Keys, and lead singer Megan Liscomb channeling a 70s rock goddess, Boy King is sure to prove they’re royalty among local rock ‘n roll.
For more information on the San Diego Music Thing, including the full lineup and how to purchases tickets and passes, check out the official website.
Do you need a new obsession in your life? Well good news, The Frail have just released a new music video, and they’re continuing to steal the hearts of fans everywhere in the process.
Modern music never ceases to amaze me, because in a world where people claim “nothing is original” there are bands like The Frail, continuing to push those boundaries and create catchy, unique music.
And their fans must agree, because after a very successful Kickstarter to fund their latest music video, the final product was released to brilliantly warm reception.
We got the chance to speak with The Frail about their genre-bending tunes, couch surfing in Bankers Hill (yes, really!), and what to expect from their full length album, LoveDeathLegend — to be released soon!
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TheIndieSD.com: I love the classical influence on the song “Count on This”. How did you come up with this idea?
The idea of blending classical French music with electronic music seemed so perfect at the time. It created a bitter sweet/uplifting feel to it.
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TISD: To say that your music defies traditional genre boundaries is very true! Where do you draw influences from when you’re writing or in the studio?
Well in the past it was just Kevin and I emailing back and forth writing parts and singing and mapping out the songs. But now we work with Different Fur Studio owner and producer Patrick Brown on a lot of the newer material. We listen to a lot of different pop music, and then bands like M83, The Drums, Phoenix, Kavinsky, Queen, really all over the place!
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TISD: You’ve already had the chance to tour with some amazing acts (Moby, Hot Chip, Justice). Are there any other artists that you’d love to have the opportunity to share the stage with in the future?
We’ve been listening to a lot of bands like The Neighbourhood, Delorean, Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club, any of those would be awesome! (We’re here and ready wink wink nudge nudge)
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TISD: Tell me about some of the amazing shows you’ve had recently. Any really memorable moments on stage so far?
One really awesome show we played recently was in our hometown of San Francisco at The Great American Music Hall. We have always wanted to play there but never really had the opportunity pop up until a couple months ago. That place is legendary and we were able to play with some amazing friends: Doe Eye, Tremor Low, and of course our very good friends Parallels (We were on a mini tour with them at the time). It was definitely a highlight!
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TISD:The Firefly EP is magical, in my opinion. Your sound is definitely unique and inspiring. What can your fans expect from your future full length release, LoveDeathLegend? Will you be expanding on and exploring even more upbeat genres and themes?
Well we have really pushed forward with our musical style in regards to LoveDeathLegend. I think it touches on some of the older material while really pushing us a bit further in the pop genre. LoveDeathLegend has a lot more live instrumentation and everything sound a lot bigger than the older records. Expect a fun record that pushes our music to a place it hadn’t really been before.
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TISD: Which song is the very first song you wrote for The Frail?
It’s a toss up between “Who Am I” and “Count On This”, both on the Count On This EP on Tricycle Records :)!
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TISD: Being that you found each other on Craigslist, how was the band dynamic when you first started to create music? How quickly did you fall into your groove when you started writing with each other?
Kevin and I have a weird way of knowing what each other are thinking musically. It was really basic at first. Kevin had written a few tracks and we adjusted the structure of those songs together to make them fit vocals. From there we really started songs, we were both writing back and forth and it kind of fell into place. Being that we are a full band it’s a bit more challenging but definitely produces a well rounded sound at this point. It’s always a work in progress though and we are always looking to improve our songwriting or reach new heights.
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TISD: Your latest video “Back to Me” had a very successful Kickstarter campaign backing it up. How does it feel to have such steady fans and heavy support for your music?
We feel extremely lucky that we’ve had supporters on both Kickstarter & Indiegogo! We really couldn’t have done any of this without them, so needless to say without them we wouldn’t be anywhere. So they are the ones that control this band and we are so grateful to have them be apart of this.
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TISD: And the end product is amazing, by the way. There seem to be a lot of deeper themes covered in the video. How did you go about making this video? What stories did you want to depict in this video?
Well the song is about a time in my life when I was actually dating someone in San Diego and practically living on a friend’s couch in Bankers Hill. It was a leap of faith kind of thing and definitely eye opening. The video took the pieces of the song that reflect that. Wanting to be somewhere else and just going for it while trying to escape what you called home before. We really really love San Diego by the way. (Shout out to Marshall)
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TISD: What do you hope to achieve in 2014? How do you hope fans will react to LoveDeathLegend?
Well we hope to have released LoveDeathLegend by then and to be on the road non stop. We are actually headed back into the studio in November to work on new material with Patrick at Different Fur. So you might even see an EP before the full length. We’re just having fun playing shows and writing music. As far as the reception to LoveDeathLegend goes, we hope people like it. It’s pretty different from all our other material and touches a lot of different genres so we think there’s a little something for everyone in it!
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Make sure to follow The Frail via their official site or their Facebook page for updates on the new album, LoveDeathLegend. And let us know what you think of their video in the comments below.
The internet pretty much freaked out when Arcade fire won Album of the Year in 2011.
Recently, indie artists and independent labels have dominated the music world and proven that the little guys can acquire big fame, too. But despite all of this, many still wonder if independent music can continue to grow, or if a lot of these instances were simply “the right song at the right time”. And if it’s the latter, do we know if independent bands such as Arcade Fire will continue to gain recognition, or turn themselves into one hit wonders manipulated by mainstream media?
Independent artists and labels already have one thing going for them: they’re allowed to focus on sheer talent. Perhaps major labels are so used to racking in money and using a lot of that money to fuel expensive tours and production costs, they’ve grown too big to allow error. They can’t take the time to focus on an artist who might be good but won’t make any money — or else they’re out billions.
Can you imagine being out of billions of dollars because you decided to sign nothing but really talented artists for, let’s say for sake of argument, a year? That’s the world of big media. If it isn’t making them money, they simply don’t have time for it. And so continues the well oiled machine.
This could be why independent artists are having such a great decade. These acts are able to reach markets and achieve greatness that before did not come easily without the backing of a major label: from Macklemore, who set unprecedented records for an independent artist on the Billboard charts, to Arcade Fire winning Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammys and Mumford & Sons claiming the award this year. (Majority of the Grammy Album of the Year winners and Nominees are definitely on major labels.) And they’re doing it because the public really loves good music.
Most people like to argue that pop music ruined the creative, talented music market. I don’t believe one genre came in and wrecked it for everyone. I believe in cycles. In the 70s, disco haters might have come to the same conclusion, spurning the fad and citing it for ruining the time of 60s singer and songwriters.
The same could be said of heavy metal and nu-metal, both of which dominated mainstream charts in the 90s following the era of the 80s R&B revival and the “golden age of hip hop”.
My point is, popular music and fads will always be there. But so will the fearless, talented, and modern music makers who are passionate about the craft of creating a song. We’re lucky to have a market that has finally opened up to the “little guys”, so we can see independent labels create sell-out shows, unsigned hip hop artists make thousands on their own mix tapes, and yes, indie rock bands beat out millionaires to win a Grammy, effectively making them not so little anymore.
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So far, Arcade Fire is stirring up very deep conversations about their release today, “Reflektor”
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What do you think about this? Do you think independent music will continue to have its glory in the bigger music market? Or will the mainstream media take over again someday and shut them out?
How did I not know about this until recently? Who was hiding this amazing musical event from my ears? Despite floating around the internet for weeks now, I’ve just recently learned of Tears for Fears‘ cover of Arcade Fire’s “Ready to Start”, and it is glorious. Eargasm overload. Or maybe I am a bit overzealous, but seriously, this cover caught my attention immediately and now I can’t get it out of my head.
Tears for Fears is already a timeless force to be reckoned with, as they continue to have a strong fan base and have even helped to inspire such artists from Kimbra to Kanye West. But to hear their recent venture really reminds you that this 80s group is the coolest ever in any decade.
They chose a perfect song, and T4F is able to pull out some of the beautiful moments of Arcade Fire’s melody, while adding in their own playful, unexpected air that the New Wave duo is known for.
But don’t read into it too much. Just listen and try hard to keep your mind from exploding.
There are some really amazing albums coming out next week, and one of them is by indie pop darling Mandolyn Mae. She exudes a delicate, honest approach to music that makes her tunes both heartfelt and hauntingly emotional. Not only is she capable of tackling her favorite hardcore songs and giving them a completely different approach, but also, Mandolyn Mae is dedicated and inspiring, two traits that resonate beautifully through her work. Below, she discusses exactly what inspires her the most, her intense love for Beyonce, and what we can expect from this budding musician, as she gets ready for her full length album, Once, to arrive next week.
TheIndieSD: How did you go about choosing the cover songs for your EP Cover2Cover?
Mandolyn Mae: People wouldn’t peg me as a hardcore music listener, but I’ve been listening to heavy music since I was 12. So when we were trying to decide which songs to do I thought I’d pick from songs that I love. There is also a very large diversity in the songs I chose so we could reach people that were in different age ranges. Like the guys that grew up on Further Seems Forever and the guys like me who grew up on Underoath.
TISD: Why did you decide to start off with a cover album? Was it a project that you always wanted to do?
MM: I actually didn’t start out with a cover album! My very first step into the music world was an EP of all originals called “The Thief”. It’s not online or anything, you can only get it at my shows [so] not many people know about it. But why I chose to do this cover album was because my dad was a hardcore music producer and my very first concert was at a hardcore show with the full on moshing and everything! That was when I was 13. Anyway, when we sat down to think about what my next music step would be it seemed fitting that we would do something out of the box but also something really close to my heart. It was REALLY fun recreating these songs!
Mae’s rendition of Of Mice & Men’s “Second & Sebring” is the perfect example of how to recreate a song.
TISD: What musical experience did you have before Cover2Cover. When did you first start performing and songwriting, and what was that like?
MM: Well my first tour that I went on was with Alive In Standby and Trees Above Mandalay and that was SO much fun. They’re all such fun, sweet and professional guys. It was definitely a great first tour for me to be on. Then after that I was on a little bit of a tour with Sparks the Rescue, Rookie of the Year, Jimmie Deghan and my friend Tidewater and that was awesome as well. I loved being on the road with all of those guys. Those were both before Cover2Cover.
TISD: What inspires your songwriting process the most?
MM: My faith is a huge deal to me, so I’d say that that’s a big part of my inspiration. God has held my hand through every moment in my life, both good and bad, and why would I NOT want to share that, you know? Love also inspires. Being loved is something that every person desires so I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t inspire me.
TISD: Your single “Hurricane” is particularly uplifting! Are you inspired by your religion when you write songs?
MM: Yes I very much am. Like I said in the previous question, I love sharing the story of how I’ve done none of this on my own; I’ve been lead. God shows up in the most inconvenient times sometimes, but it changed you forever.
TISD: Are there any artists that you really want to collaborate with or plan to collaborate with in the near future?
MM: Well I don’t know of any future collaborations, but my DREAM collaboration would be with Dallas Green of City and Colour. He’s such a musical inspiration to me, plus he’s a fellow Canadian, so that’s a plus. His writing is ridiculously incredible. I’ve always said that he can break my heart and put it back together all in one song. If you can do that to somebody, you’re doing music right.
TISD: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
MM: Ah! So many! Dallas Green is a huge one. Mat Kearney, Ellie Goulding and Jeff Buckley. Oh, and can I just say I also have an intense love for Beyonce? She’s like my ideal self. If I were a diva and were married to Jay-Z. Like I don’t want to be her in the creepy/stalker way, I want to be like her in the sweet, loving and kind way. You know what I’m talking about!
TISD: I know you play the ukulele on stage quite often. Are there any other instruments you play and incorporate into your music or your live performances?
MM: Well, kind of. I dabble in the world of keys but I wouldn’t classify myself as a “keys player” quite yet. I do have a wonderful fella that plays beside me at almost every show and we double up on ukuleles and that’s always so much fun!
TISD: You had the chance to perform at SXSW as a part of their acoustic series. Tell me about that experience! What kind of reception did you see for your music?
MM: SXSW was so much fun!! I didn’t really get to see much of it because we drove down, then drove back home and that’s like a 13 hours drive both ways, but what I did see was amazing. So many people that loved every kind of music. It was incredible. What was really fun for me was the night before I played, City and Colour played across the street. I wanted to kiss the ground. Such a fun experience and people seemed to like what I was doing as well. It’s an incredible memory that I’m going to be holding onto for a long time.
TISD: I believe Warped Tour is up next for you. Are you excited about the tour? Will you be speaking with and meeting your fans while you are there?
MM: Yes! I will be playing in Kansas City July 23 and then St. Louis the 24. I’m insanely excited!! I would absolutely love to meet people while I’m there. That’ll be the best part!
TISD: What do you have planned after Warped Tour?
MM: As of now everything is kind of up in the air, but hopefully something soon!
Mandolyn Mae’s next release, Once, will be out next week via Easy Killer Records. In the meantime, preview the album by listening to the beautiful track “The Only Person Alive” at GuitarWorld.com.
Guilty pleasures aren’t that guilty if you’re proud of them, and trust me, I am always proud to share a pop artist who gets it right! And best of all, I’ve got you covered if you need something to do this weekend.
Lenka, who’s been on a first name basis with the world since beginning her solo music career, has been awfully busy since “The Show” put her on the pop music map.
She followed up her self-titled debut with the just as catchy and poppy Two, an album that may have suffered the “sophomore slump” . While it’s extremely fun and the lyrics are very smart, overall it’s lacking creativity and follows similar two-beat patterns throughout most of the songs. Here’s where this pop story becomes an uplifting tale. Lenka’s latest release, Shadows, seems to offer everything we were hoping for from her earlier release. Shadows offers diversity while painting a magical scene from the very start, with “Nothing Here But Love.” The entire album plays on atmospheric sensibilities that Lenka describes as “lullabies for adults”. But don’t expect to nod off after you hear how beautifully crafted and uplifting the album can be. Tunes like “Find a Way to You” and “Two Heartbeats” playfully bounce around in rhythms like an intricate music box, while dipping into minor keys at just the right moment to cause the perfect amount of tension. That tension is what makes this album Lenka’s deepest repertoire of songs yet.
Pop music that is deep. That is when any artist in any genre gets it right, and in my opinion, artists like Lenka should be the definition of great music.
“Like a Quaker in a strip club, I was enamored with this new discovery and I wanted more.”
Being one who is typically not on the cutting edge of most technological trends, I was relatively late to the Spotify bandwagon. In fact I was well invested and sufficiently pleased with my Pandora account and had no reason to fix something that wasn’t broken—or so I thought. With great hesitancy I relinquished what little virtual privacy I once held to Spotify, but in return I would gain a doorway to a world of musical discover. But instead of yammering on about the majestic musical database, I would rather discuss Atlas Genius, an Australian based indie-pop band whose new album When it Was Now was released last month and whose popularity have gone from 0 to 60 in half a quarter beat—for those of you who can’t add fractions well, that’s really fast.
Taking an atypical approach to music, the foursome focused on building a studio that would facilitate creativity and songwriting years before they ever performed live as Atlas Genius. Brothers Michael and Keith Jeffries carefully designed their workspace exactly the way they wanted not really knowing where it would lead them. After two years of building and playing at local pubs to finance their dream studio, their musical mecca was finally in place where they would write and produce their EP Through the Glass and eventually their full-length debut When it Was Now.
Unsuspecting and unaware of what was to come, when their featured song “Trojans” came up on Spotify, I was hooked like a fat kid in an all-you-can-eat doughnut shop. Their aptly named hit song permeated my psyche much like the Trojan horse did the once thriving Spartan fortress. Hours later I couldn’t help but unconsciously hum the melody, which was quite frustrating considering I didn’t know but a few lyrics. The relatively simplistic song elements were powerful enough to get my toe tapping and my soul dancing. Like a Quaker in a strip club, I was enamored with this new discovery and I wanted more.
Much to the surprise of the guys from down under, “Trojans” was an instant hit. Soon after sharing their catchy tune on sites such as Triple J Unearthed, Sound Cloud and iTunes, the song began attracting attention from labels, publishers, and a barrage of others in the music industry. However, the guys were so wrapped up in their college studies they didn’t bother to check the band email. Fortunately, once they had, Atlas Genius was more focused on music than they ever had been—paving the way to two major tours, a major label contract and a full-length album.
Although When it was Now, which released mid February, is a fun album to listen to, it is anything but revolutionary. Their overall approach to the album falls a bit on the formulaic side and may not speak to the music snob continually boasting about “the band that’s gonna change it all.” That being said, for the guy/gal who loves music that simply sounds good (I know, totally subjective) and is well written (how egocentric is this guy?), Atlas Genius will always be the band that may not be at the top of the list, but will certainly bring the fun.
Their full length album When it Was Now is available now on iTunes and other music retailers.
View Photos of Atlas Genius, live at The House of Blues San Diego on March 18th. Photos by Christian Rodas, Soul Venture Productions.
Click photos to launch full-screen.
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
According to their Spotify bio, Girl in a Coma named themselves after a the Smiths song and bonded over their love of Nirvana. I am in love with their penchant for covering 60s songs with the perfect modern interpretation. They’ve had ups and downs throughout their musical career, but when Joan Jett signs you to her label (Blackheart Records), you know you’re doing something very right.
Do you need a new obsession in your life? Well good news, The Frail have just released a new music video, and they’re continuing to steal the hearts of fans everywhere in the process.
Guilty pleasures aren’t that guilty if you’re proud of them, and trust me, I am always proud to share a pop artist who gets it right! And best of all, I’ve got you covered if you need something to do this weekend.
The Indie 