The Bleachers Conjure (2008)
No, we’re not talking Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers. For a few years a couple decades back, this under-the-radar indie outfit put out a series of tasteful discs that sounded like nothing else happening here then—or really, since. Frontman Joe Maloney reminded us of Robyn Hitchcock, and multi-instrumentalist Marco Brizuela composed and produced like a guy who helped run a cool record store … which he did. spoti.fi/3966hSq. –Spencer Patterson
Caravels Floorboards (2011)
Listening to this nine-song release (termed an EP at the time but more like a mini-album in retrospect), you can practically see the artful hardcore band’s five members writhing around on a stage, preparing to explode— along with their throng of close-pressed fans— at the peak moment of “Snake Plissken.” caravels.bandcamp.com. –SP
A Crowd of Small Adventures The Evil Archipelago (2007)
Songwriter Jackson Wilcox would go on to create slicker and more grandiose projects, but there’s an innocent exuberance to his debut EP— coupled with an explosion of interesting ideas—emblematic of the local indie scene at the time. “Bang Bang” was the showstopper, but “The Hungry Dead” remains the mind-blower. acrowdofsmalladventures.bandcamp.com. –SP
Hassan Not Him Again (2018)
The Fat Black and Awesome MC puts a disclaimer on his latest LP: “Nothing was taken serious during the recording of this album.” The rapper has always doused his bars with a heaping dose of Go F*ck Yourself, but he balances that tell-it-like-it-is humor with real-world critiques. Drawn from current events, sports, politics, sex and film, nothing’s off-limits here. hassan1.bandcamp.com. –Leslie Ventura
Holding Onto Sound The Sea (2011)
The furious energy with which this beloved punk outfit performed wouldn’t seem possible to replicate on record, but longtimers Bennett Mains, Zabi Naqshband and Vanessa Tidwell—bolstered by then-new arrival Bob Gates—pulled it off, over the course of 40 explosive minutes that blow by like five. holdingontosound.bandcamp.com. –SP
Indigo Kidd Sad Daze in Happy Valley (2017)
When Indigo Kidd first moved here from Washington, its members weren’t even 21. Since then, the guys have grown up, played shows, toured and fulfilled the promise of their arrival with this superb album. Frontman Eli Curtsinger’s Danzig-like vocals pair perfectly with the group’s emo-hued power-pop, helping you remember what drew you—and them—to Vegas’ indie scene in the first place. indigokidd.bandcamp.com. –LV
Peachole In Pigment (2019)
Sole member and songwriter Fish Mahoney channels snotty rock ’n’ roll and millennial malaise to make avant-garde bedroom punk that makes the world a little more bearable. “Dear Baphomet, I Want a Cat” is sinister and snarky, while “Ginger Queen” and “Kick Me Nicky” capture the feelings of modern misanthropy. If Lisa Frank had a weird twin who played guitar, this is what she’d sound like. peachole.bandcamp.com. –LV
Rusty Maples Make Way (2012)
The indie folk outfit’s last project to feature cellist Courtney Waldron Daehne showcased the band’s live spirit and candor, along with its anthemic choruses and emotive callbacks. Brothers Blair and Ian Dewane paint a picture of a weathered Western landscape. “You work till you’re broken and sift through the wreckage/I’m gonna work till I’m broken and give in to bullsh*t,” Blair sings on highlight “Monsoon.” rustymaples.bandcamp.com. –LV
The Silver State YRUYMI (2020)
The Vegas-born trio is back in one place, and this new album finds the musicians experimenting with synthesized instrumentation and unique time signatures, crafting beautiful songs about navigating change. Fans of ’90s college rock and Americana-tinged indie should find lots to love. thesilverstate.bandcamp.com. –LV
Jacob Smigel New Mexico (2007)
Dr. Smigel—seriously, he’s a physician now—once served as Las Vegas’ chief musical outsider, weaving weird tapestries from his own experiences and found-sound relics he discovered thrifting and dumpster diving. On this genius record, he takes us to an adobe cabin in the Land of Enchantment, singing of eating mandarin oranges and punching his stomach when it growls. jacobsmigel.bandcamp.com. –SP
