Northern Invasion

Photo By Brianna Hughes
Last fall, I booked an indie showcase in Pennsylvania. A couple of the NYC bands that played will be coming through the area over the next couple of days and I wanted to quickly mention both of them.

Wakey!Wakey! is Mike Grubbs and a supporting cast. Their music is best described as piano pop. Mike's heartfelt ballads and intelligent lyrics are sure to draw just about anybody in. Check out a couple of mp3s below and feel free to grab free downloads of his covers EP and a live show.

9/24/08: Black Cat, Washington, DC

If you like your indie rock with a good bit of energy, a dash of pop and plenty of keys, you may want to check out Bridges and Powerlines. They will be heading south for a few dates, put on a great show and they are always looking to say hello.

9/24/08: The Fire, Philadelphia, PA
9/25/08: Velvet Lounge, Washington, DC


mp3: Wakey!Wakey! - Falling Apart (Live)
mp3: Wakey!Wakey! - Say It Ain't So (Weezer Cover)
mp3: Bridges and Powerlines - Floods and Fields

Some December Releases

December hasn't produced many albums this year, but there are a few worth noting. On the big name front, Wu Tang Clan finally released 8 Diagrams and members of Weezer and Radiohead released solo albums. On the more underground side of things, there were some good releases from The Dimes, Wakey! Wakey!, and DC's Meredith Bragg.

Meredith Bragg

Silver Sonya - "My Absent Will"

Wu-Tang Clan

8 Diagrams - "Stick Me For My Riches"

The Dimes

The Silent Generation - "Catch Me Jumping"

Wakey! Wakey!

Silent As A Movie - "LGA"

Rivers Cuomo

Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo - "Wanda (You're My Only Love)"

Jonny Greenwood

There Will Be Blood (Soundtrack) - "There Will Be Blood"

indie at the abbey: NYC's Indie Pop Invasion

Tonight is another round of indie at the abbey at The Abbey Bar in Harrisburg. It also happens to be my birthday show and one of my favorite bills to date. NYC indie pop is all the rage tonight, as the evening features Wakey!Wakey! and Brooklyn’s The Epochs. The show starts at 9, admission is just $2 and there are $2 off Belgians all evening long. You can even register to win a free tattoo.


A friend turned me on to The Epochs a little over a year ago. They are basically mellow indie mixed with synth and falsetto vocals. I once told somebody that they were the indie rock Bee Gees, but cooler. I think I'll stick to that. They just completed 6 shows at CMJ and will be touring most of December. Their CD drops in January and the buzz has begun to grow. As word of their killer live show starts to spread, it's only going to get bigger. See them now, so you can be one of the first.

For those of you elsewhere in IA's region of coverage, you can check them out next month with Middle Distance Runner and Mobius Band:

12/13: Lo-Fi Social Club, Baltimore
12/14: Rock and Roll Hotel, DC
12/15: North Star Bar, Philly

Mouths To Feed
Opposite Sides


Wakey!Wakey! is one of New York's best kept secrets. A mutual friend introduced me to Mike and his intelligent piano pop. Fortunately, I was able to convince him to make a trip south. I've been told that he puts on a great show, so come check him out on one of his rare escapes from the island. You won't be disappointed.

Falling Apart (Live)
Apology Song (Decemberists cover)


Upcoming Shows:

11/14/07
Tartufi (San Francisco, CA)
Low Red Land (San Francisco, CA)

11/28/07
Canadian Invasion (Philadelphia, PA)
Monogold (Brooklyn, NY)

12/05/07
The Jaguar Club (Brooklyn, NY)
The Shackeltons (Chambersburg, PA)

This series is brought to you by IA, Jersey Mike Presents, WiAB Records and Appalachian Brewing Company. It is sponsored by our friends at 717 Tattoo.