Max Freedman
53 articles written by Max Freedman
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Hundred Waters – The Moon Rang Like a Bell
As though Beyonce’s completely out-of-nowhere release of her self-titled album in late 2013 wasn’t untraditional enough, here’s something to up the ante: Hundred Waters celebrated their sophomore release, The Moon Rang Like a Bell, with a free three-day festival...
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Makthaverskan – II
Although Makthaverskan’s American presence wasn’t established until recently, their career has spanned the last five years. They released their self-titled début way back in 2009, but now this Swedish goth punk band is finally invading the music industry’s largest...
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tUnE-yArDs – Nikki Nack
Few musicians have transitioned from cult artist to critical wunderkind as quickly as tUnE-yArDs, the creative moniker of Connecticut’s Merrill Garbus, did in early 2011. Before her sophomore album w h o k i l l was announced in...
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Wye Oak – Shriek
Shriek, the fourth full-length from Baltimore dream pop duo Wye Oak, represents a drastic change for a band that never needed one in the first place. Just a few years ago in 2011, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack were...
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Kelis – Food
First, let’s address the elephant in the room. You’re on a website called Way Too Indie, where you’re reading a review of the newest album by Kelis, the artist whose 2003 hit “Milkshake” was a major label product that...
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Todd Terje – It’s Album Time
Todd Terje was probably born in the late 1970s, so it’s interesting that his music sounds like a lost document from that era. More than that, though, Terje’s entire aura is straight up 70s. A Google image search of...
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Sharkmuffin – 1097 EP
As of April 2013, Sharkmuffin were kind of like the Dr. Octagon of the garage rock, noise pop, and lo-fi scenes. Their She-Gods of Champagne Valley EP they released that month showcased Tarra Thiessen singing about hilariously disturbing topics...
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Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else
Given the self-loathing angst of Cloud Nothing’s 2012 masterpiece Attack on Memory, it might be surprising to learn that frontman and songwriter Dylan Baldi has a fantastic sense of humor. “Listened to the leak of that new cloud nothings...
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Ava Luna – Electric Balloon
For someone who’s career is all about listening, Carlos Hernandez, de facto leader of Ava Luna, sure likes to watch. He’s a bit voyeuristic in his role for Ava Luna’s “Ice Level” video, stating that his character “watches from...
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Perfect Pussy – Say Yes to Love
“Are you going to call me a cunt? Are you going to tell me I’m ugly? Well, here’s my band name—do your worst, motherfucker.” This is the attitude of Meredith Graves, frontwoman of the bold, confrontational Syracuse five-piece Perfect...
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Real Estate – Atlas
Considering that Real Estate write almost exclusively about suburban life and are known to reference their home state of New Jersey decently often (“Suburban Dogs” features the couplet “Carry me back to sweet Jersey/back where I long to be”),...
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Eagulls – Eagulls
For a band named after a bird (and a pun on Don Henley’s crew), Eagulls sure are fascinated by the human body. In September 2013, this British outfit released a music video for single “Nerve Endings” that depicted a...
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St. Vincent – St. Vincent
How’s this for a compliment? Rolling Stone recently deemed St. Vincent “the most thrilling solo artist in indie rock right now.” It’s no small feat to receive this level of respect from one of the best-established cultural publications of...
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Phantogram – Voices
Phantogram’s career to date has proven that an artist’s musical approaches can be scattershot and haphazard without coming off messy or amateurish. Their debut LP Eyelid Movies dabbled in a wide range of styles: faintly dark, electro-tinged dream pop,...
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Isle of Rhodes – Affirmation Caravan EP
Confidence can go a long way. Rising NYC outfit Isle of Rhodes is absolutely not lacking in this department: the self-described “hardest-hitting keyboard duo in NYC” wouldn’t apply such a statement to themselves if they had low self-esteem. Or...