Eiafuawn, an acronym for “Everything Is All Fucked Up And What Not”, remains a mystery to most. Whether that’s a good thing or bad, I’ve not decided, but what I can say is it’s hard not spreading the word of this mysterious, 1-man band from California’s Silicon Valley. Recording mostly on analog, four-track machines, Eiafuawn averages one live show a year, and even less released material. Eiafuawn’s limited edition CD and LP are available now, for those of you who want to know a little bit more, and share in the dreamy adventures of the bedroom recordist, with the fine beard.

Watch the video

As a former member of some of the most influential bands in 1990s punk (Swing Kids, GoGoGo Airheart, Tristeza and The Locust), Jimmy LaValle has been around the block and then some. Starting in 1998, with LaValle’s improvised debut LP (on a vintage Roland drum machine no less), The Album Leaf slowly became LaValle’s main vehicle, finding him releasing on highly-regarded labels such as Tigerstyle, City Slang and Sub Pop.

Watch the video

Needing no explanation, Arcade Fire burst on to the scene several years ago with their career-making LP “Funeral” on Tropics favorite, Merge Records (go North Carolina!). Their single “Laika” is beautifully accompanied by a lovely animated video which complements perfectly a song named after everyone’s favorite cosmonaut hound.

Watch the video

Hailing from Tokyo, Japan, Yucca produce some of the purest indie-rock this side of Akihabara. With releases on abcdefg*records and several extremely well-made videos, I’d certainly love to tell you more about them, if only I understood more Japanese.

Watch the video

Remixed by Spring Heel Jack on Tortoise’s 1998 “Remixed” LP, “Galapagos” was transformed brilliantly into a dancefloor classic by the UK electronic duo. Though “Remixed” is full of shining versions of Tortoise tracks, the Spring Heel Jack version goes above and beyond transforming Tortoise into a potential dance hit machine.

Watch the video

Formed in 1995, Club 8 originally hit it big with a string of Euro techno tracks, with the sweetly sung vocals of Karolina overtop, with “Missing You” being a huge dancefloor track and receiving excellent remixes by the likes of JVKM and Sweet Trip (Note: How I discovered Club 8). With their later albums however, Club 8 shifted gears, taking things a bit slower, dreamier and poppier, with the blissful track “Love In December” leading the way.

Watch the video

From the early-90s on to the early 2000s, Unwound was an under-rated ball of distorted guitars, amazing drum timing and rolling bass lines like you wouldn’t believe. Though they toured the world, released numerous albums and singles, Unwound could never seem to get the respect they deserved. Releasing on the legendary Kill Rock Stars label and Honey Bear Records (run by Lance of J. Church), Unwound burned out way before their time and certainly way before they had the chance to surf the wave of the MySpace generation. “Scarlette” is a track off of the band’s final (and self-recorded) album, “Leaves Turn Inside You”, which brought Unwound to new experimental heights and unfortunately gave us just a taste of what the feature could have held for the Washington power trio.

Watch the video

After acclaimed stints in Eric’s Trip, her solo output as Broken Girl and her solo efforts using her own name, Julie Doiron joined The Wooden Stars, an influential Canadian indie rock group, on an LP which launched Julie’s career, receiving critical praise and even a Juno award in March of 2000. Julie, an Acadian descendant, spends much of her time with her three children in the sleepy town of Sackville, New Bruinswick (Canada), where she writes music as well as publishes books of her photographs and paintings. Julie’s latest album, “Woke Myself Up” is currently in the running for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize, which we wish her the best of luck on! The Wooden Stars spread out to focus on other projects after their collaboration with Doiron, though they have gotten back together several times for reunion shows.

Watch the video

Moving on and up, Radioinactive and Antimc are members of the highly-influential underground hip hop scene that’s putting LA back on the map of underground music. Collaborating with the likes of Daedelus and Busdriver, Radioinactive and Antimc are bringing indie rock, underground hip hop and stylish beards into the mainstream, with their mix of delicious electronics, turntabalism and slippery rhymes. Look forward for the next video of their collaborations to find out exactly where they are moving in this video from the duo’s LP on Much Records.

Watch the video

Hailing from Norway and bringing with them a unique understanding of melody, rhythm and electronics, Salvatore are a little-known, though extremely amazing group of post rock experimentalists with a huge sound and great live shows. With previous albums recorded and mixed by John McEntire (Tortoise) and the honor of opening for Tortoise’s European tour 2005, Salvatore takes their time in perfecting their new releases, which is why we’ve waiting years for their newest LP, “Days of Rage”, to hit store shelves, but it’s here and after a few listens, it’s been well worth the wait.

Watch the video