Indie: Mirah and K Records

I can distinctly remember listening to (a)spera by Mirah one day two summers ago while driving back home after dropping my mom off at work. I don't remember exactly why I had done this since she works in the city and I work in the suburbs but it happened.

Driving down Elston during late morning with this album playing was oddly peaceful. I'm sure the fact that Elston has no CTA bus also contributed to the mood.

Anyways, that's what Mirah is, not even just this one album. They are very mellow and soothing, not something I would usually choose to put on a summer playlist. But if your car has A/C, I would recommend listening to them to reach maximum amounts of chill.

Mirah belong to K Records, an independent label hailing form Olympia, Washington. The list of artists who have worked with K Records is expanisve, including such acts like Kimya Dawson of Moldy Peaches fame, Talulah Gosh, Tiger Trap, Bikini Kill and more.

The label is opposed to corporate control over music and so strictly supports independent music and underground DIY culture. This documentary was made with the label as its subject.

While I watch that, you should definitely have a listen to Mirah.

Indie: Carissa's Wierd

Carissa's Wierd, a "sadcore" band from Seattle, are so weird in fact that they intentionally spelled the adjective wrong in their title. Very clever.

With the band's relevance and current popularity, it is hard to believe that they formed in 1995. I still listen to a band that began playing when I was 2!

A mix of shoegaze and sad, quiet and slow tunes comprise the band's discography, which spans 6 full length albums, 2 singles and 2 compilations with each Broken Rekids and Keep Recordings.

Jenn Ghetto, one of the band's vocalists, moved on to form the band 'S' and other vocalist Mat Brooke with Ben Bridwell went on to form the popular 'Band of Horses.'

This is a great band to fall asleep to after a long day or when you've had a trying day emotionally. I would know this from experience, of course.

Here is a perfect song that showcases Ghetto's delicate and soft vocals: