|
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
|
Crumwood - Avert Your Eyes (self released) [audio]
One man, Syd Heap, is behind the Crumwood moniker and he utilizes a some of Rhode Island's renowned indie performers, including Dave Narcizo of Throwing Muses and members of The Masons as a production team. The title track somehow manages to mesh together Bobby McFarren and the Flaming Lips; at other points The Doobie Brothers jamming with Air. With over 70 minutes of music, there are touches of the acoustic strumming of The Grateful Dead, the grandeur of Yes, the eclecticism of Beck as well as some bits of Wilco and Blind Melon.
- mark
|
|
Released 01.27.2010
|
|
|
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
|
Sonya Cotton - Red River (self released) [upcoming shows] [audio]
Sonya Cotton has delivered another lovely album, keeping her overall identity intact while growing as a songwriter and performer. Rife with metaphor, spare yet lush, "Red River" has more complex arrangements than her previous work - a full band joins in instrumentation and vocals - but maintains her hushed folk sensibilities. In fact, many of the songs feel almost like hymns (and I thought that even before I noticed that one has "hymn" in its name). You should hear her voice.
- meredith
|
|
Released 09.01.2009
|
|
|
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
|
Circulatory System - Signal Morning (Cloud Recordings) [audio]
Brace yourself for a 46-minute ride of psychedelia in its most potent form. Signal Morning, the new Circulatory System record, has infinite forward movement, a creation with such depth that it begs for multiple listening sessions. Meticulously crafted riffs off fuzzy guitars, four-track tape manipulations, and deranged lyrical fury coalesce to form the most complex, wholly new record of the year. This album breathes musical brilliance and imperfect elegance. I say, seven years well-spent. Long live Elephant Six.
- corey c
|
|
Released 09.08.2009
|
|
|
Thursday, November 12, 2009
|
Coming Soon - Ghost Train Tragedy (Kitchen) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The bad news is that Ghost Train Tragedy is, at fifteen tracks, about five tracks too long. And even at ten tracks, there would still be some filler. The good news is that when Coming Soon is on, they are really on. "Moonchild" and "Walking" are both challenging and entirely familiar, portraying the band as supremely confident musicmakers who could hold their own against any '80s guitar band we now worship. Maybe one day, they'll get the formula down for an entire album's worth of material as good as their best songs are now.
- paul
|
|
Released 09.08.2009
|
|
|
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
|
Califone - All My Friends Are Funeral Singers (Dead Oceans) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Califone is a sophisticated band with an old school sound. Their new album All My Friends Are Funeral Singers demonstrates how they have mastered the mixing of traditional blues and soul with electronic and rock flourishes. Tim Rutili's tortured vocals align perfectly with the brilliant musical arrangements, helping to construct Califone's always interesting style. "Giving Away the Bride," "Buñuel," "Ape-Like" and the title track are all crucial entries into the Califone canon.
- corey c
|
|
Released 10.06.2009
|
|
|
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
|
Cheap Trick - The Latest (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
This is not as good as any album Cheap Trick made in the 1970's, but it's probably better than anything they've made since the 1980's. First, the good. The loud 'n' fast songs really feel like the band is having fun banging them out, and that's contagious for the listener. Now the bad. The best of these songs, "When the Lights Are Out," is a Slade cover and was recorded in 1976. Also, half of The Latest is comprised of ballads. Slowed-down Cheap Trick is usually good too, but never so much in one place. Likeable, not loveable.
- paul
|
|
Released 06.23.2009
|
|
|
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
|
thecocknbullkid - Querelle EP (I Am Sound) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Anita Blay performs as thecocknbullkid, mashing up the sound of Prince's numerous '80s protégés (like The Time and Vanity 6) with modern electronics and styles. The resulting Querelle ep is dripping with midnight sensuality. No detail has been overlooked, from the wavy synths and thumping bass to the mantra-like phrasing and counter-melodic passages in every song. Blay has been on my radar for about a year now, so I was glad to finally see this released. Next up, an album. I hope I don't have to wait another year.
- paul
|
|
Released 08.04.2009
|
|
|
Friday, August 14, 2009
|
The Cave Singers - Welcome Joy (Matador) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The Cave Singers originally sounded to me like this flowing, shapeless folk band performing songs that were more concepts than actual songs. Two years and one new album later, they've sculpted that shapeless quality into something really wonderful. Pete Quirk's vocals have traveled down from his head to his diaphragm, adding a deeper dimension to the sound while the melodies move in unanticipated ways all through Welcome Joy. Indie folk is an overcrowded scene for sure, but The Cave Singers deserve to be noticed.
- paul
|
|
Released 08.18.2009
|
|
|
Thursday, July 30, 2009
|
Cheap Red (555 Recordings) [audio] [upcoming shows]
This is female-fronted, sugary-sweet indie pop with an unexpected "fuck" thrown in here and there, as well as some strings, organ, and whistling. Song styles vary, from the Beach Boys-ish handclaps and off-kilter harmonies of "The Mitten" to the tribute to lo-fi feedback-laced garage rock of "Let's Get Tammy Wynette" to the bouncy keyboard-driven pop of "3 Day Drunk." But they all have some common traits: sloppy, endearing, and catchy. It's bundled with a remix disc featuring Kid606, DJ Downfall and King Prussia among others.
- mark
|
|
Released 07.28.2009
|
|
|
Monday, July 27, 2009
|
Cornershop - Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast (Ample Play) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Fifteen years on from their first album, Cornershop is kind of like comfort food. Tjinder Singh's ability to channel the freewheeling British '60s without ever sounding like a nostalgia act is always admirable and almost as often rewarding. On Judy, the first new full-length since 2002, a brilliant light burns at the core of these songs. It's a genuinely fun album to hear; familiar throughout, yet something surprising at every turn. I wish they'd give us one every year, but I'll settle for every seven.
- paul
|
|
Released 07.28.2009
|
|
|
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
|
Carcrashlander - Mountains on Our Backs (Jealous Butcher) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Because Lou Barlow and Jessamine never actually had a side project, just the eight minutes of this album's opening title track should shut you up. You get a dose of heavy Opal-like psych rock, vocals with a stoned deadpan delivery, a horn section over a bed of feedback and then an epic guitar freak out to close it out. This entire album has keyboards that give it a trippy vibe, but also imagine heavier moments similar to Priest Driven Ambulance-era Flaming Lips or Sebadoh.
- mark
|
|
Released 06.02.2009
|
|
|
Thursday, July 02, 2009
|
The Chatham Singers - Juju Claudius (Damaged Goods) [audio]
Out of the ten thousand or so albums Billy Childish has released since the 1970s, I've heard only a few. What stands out, though, is how Childish is always so on-point with anything he attempts. The Chatham Singers, his latest collaborative project, digs deep into the well of blues, folk and gospel sounds. He and his wife Julie Hamper (with help from bandmates including Blur's Graham Coxon) coax the past out of the present. The ghosts of Hank Williams and The Carter Family inhabit every second of Juju Claudius.
- paul
|
|
Released 04.14.2009
|
|
|
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
|
Condo Fucks - Fuckbook (Matador) [audio]
Yo La Tengo is good. Sometimes. Under the pen name "Condo Fucks", they suck. I think it's supposed to be sloppy in a good way, or maybe lo-fi in a highbrow way? Maybe it's like twenty years ago when "bad" meant "good"... but this is just plain "lousy" (meaning "honestly really lousy"). We could use a garage rock revival, but this comes off as just trying to prove they own a 4-track. It reminds me of when I thought I was a punk rocker in high school: my friends recording on 4-tracks sucked and Yo La Tengo was for squares.
- cormac
|
|
Released 03.24.2009
|
|
|
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
|
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (Anti-) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The fact of the matter is Neko Case is a great singer. What's disappointing is that the songs she writes herself, as opposed to her work in The New Pornographers or songs she covers, squander her immaculate gifts. Middle Cyclone consists of songs that more closely resemble sketches than finished works, and no matter how strongly she sings them, they still float away from memory almost immediately. One other gripe about Middle Cyclone? At 15 tracks, its purity is compromised. Less might've been so much more.
- paul
|
|
Released 03.03.2009
|
|
|
Monday, May 18, 2009
|
Cheap Star - Speaking Like an Elephant (Z & Zoé) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Does Cheap Star sound so much like The Posies because Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer produced their album, or did Stringfellow and Auer produce Cheap Star's album because they sound so much like The Posies? It's an infinite riddle. What's important here is someone picking up where The Posies left off, writing perfect power pop with sublime harmonies and messy fuzz guitar that had gone acutely unreplicated until now. Speaking Like an Elephant is a total must-have.
- paul
|
|
Released 02.24.2009
|
|
|
Monday, April 27, 2009
|
Cash Cash - Take it to the Floor (Universal Republic) [audio] [upcoming shows]
This band looks ridiculous. Like it's Halloween, or tonight there's some sort of '80s-themed party. They're also trying to pass off their Timberlake-inspired music as punk rock to the Warped Tour kids this summer. This is electronic pop that has been filtered more than top shelf vodka. It's so overly-produced it's almost embarrassing to listen to. With on-point vocals and catchy melodies, this is the type of band that could rival The Format if they leave the bells and whistles alone, or N'Sync if they don't.
- cormac
|
|
Released 01.20.2009
|
|
|
Friday, April 10, 2009
|
Cœur de Pirate (Grosse Boîte) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Parlez-vous Francais? Who cares?!?! Quebec's Béatrice Martin not only speaks French, she sings French, and it's just about impossible not to be awestruck by her captivating piano-pop songs. The debut full length from this 18 year-old demonstrates her range as a singer/songwriter who's able to write songs that sound both melancholy and jubilant, traditional and modern. At worst this is a collection of cute songs, and at best it's the #1 foreign pop album of the year.
- cormac
|
|
Released 04.14.2009
|
|
|
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
|
Chris Cornell - Scream (Interscope) [audio] [upcoming shows]
If you give it enough time, eventually every singer/songwriter will break down and make their own McCartney II. Scream is that album for Chris Cornell, and if you plan on listening, understand that it will require a lot of patience. This is not so much a solo record as it is a 50/50 collaboration between Cornell and Timbaland. The in-the-studio experimentation has produced a sound of electronic/alternative R&B, similar to Gnarls Barkley, but not nearly as interesting, or perhaps The Postal Service, but not nearly as good.
- cormac
|
|
Released 03.10.2009
|
|
|
Monday, February 23, 2009
|
Company of Thieves - Ordinary Riches (Wind-Up) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The alternative rock leanings of Company of Thieves are highlighted by a highly creative songwriting style. All of the songs on this album are dynamic and surprisingly polished for a freshman release. Genevieve Schatz's breathy vocals sound spectacular on outstanding tracks such as "Oscar Wilde", "Under the Umbrella", and "New Letters." These tracks are truly brilliant and help set the flow of the entire album. This is a damned good recording from a very promising new act.
- j.p.
|
|
Released 02.24.2009
|
|
|
Monday, February 02, 2009
|
Crooked Fingers - Forfeit/Fortune (Constant Artists, Inc.) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Yet another musical reinvention, this highly orchestrated collection gets help from members of Silver Jews, DeVotchKa and tourmate Neko Case. "Cannibals" and "Modern Dislocation" sound more like his earlier material, but everything else is a jarring hodge podge of sax and trumpet solos, piano flourishes, carnival barker shouts, strings, distorted percussion, and radio broadcast-like vocals. Where Calexico are the kings of Mexicali, this release takes a more extreme approach to embracing horn heavy gypsy-carny-indie rock.
- mark
|
|
Released 10.07.2008
|
|
|
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
|
Cat Power - Dark End of the Street EP (Matador) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Chan Marshall's marriage to an idealized Memphis sound has been a rocky one, wherein she steals the best of it and it, in return, steals the best of her. Neither partner comes out a winner. The fact that the songs on Dark End of the Street were scratched from Jukebox speaks to their supreme dullness; a shame, considering the singer and the source material. This is nothing but a missed opportunity.
- paul
|
|
Released 12.09.2008
|
|
|
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
|
The Cure - 4:13 Dream (Geffen) [audio] [upcoming shows]
If you've had the misfortune of remaining a Cure fan in the years since Wish was released, you've been rewarded with disappointment after disappointment (something that comes with the territory, surely). But now, at last, Fat Bob and the reunited line-up from the late '80s are back with an album that's surprisingly light; comprised of short, upbeat songs and basic arrangements that sound like the singles of old. Modern production traps aside, this is almost as good a record as they used to make.
- paul
|
|
Released 10.28.2008
|
|
|
Friday, September 19, 2008
|
Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty (Downtown) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Maybe you already downloaded "Something is Not Right With Me," the song Cold War Kids were giving away for free all summer. Did you like it? STOP. GO NO FURTHER. The rest of Loyalty to Loyalty is a complete and catastrophic mess. This band turns a deaf ear to melody in favor of droning, seemingly endless piano-centric jams that belong in only the worst, most depressing and sparsely attended dive bar in the world. I will never listen to this again as long as I live.
- paul
|
|
Released 09.23.2008
|
|
|
Monday, September 08, 2008
|
Cars Can Be Blue - Doubly Unbeatable (Happy Happy Birthday to Me) [audio] [upcoming shows]
When Western Massachusetts involuntarily relinquished Cars Can Be Blue to the state of Georgia a couple years back, it received absolutely nothing in return until now. This dynamic duo is finally releasing their sophomoric sophomore release Doubly Unbeatable on Athens' twee-rific Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records. They're back with totally fun, often filthy, lo-fi pop reminiscent of bands like Go Sailor and Dressy Bessy. There are enough two minute songs of dirty bubblegum here to make you happily dance away a good half hour, so get to it.
- cormac
|
|
Released 08.12.2008
|
|
|
Monday, August 25, 2008
|
Conveniens - Clear (self released) [audio]
Clear starts off slow and it's not until the fourth track "Da Da Ack" that the audio madness begins with fractured middle eastern influenced chaos. This is followed by blistering sax solos, indecipherable ramblings, an accordion playing sparing melodies, slap dash drumming, the soundtrack to the seventh inning stretch in hell and while "Electroflux" is nine and a half minutes of free jazz mayhem, "Cadium Red" follows it by unleashing a soothing mesh of John Tesh-like piano flourishes making sweet coerced love to Zamfir and his flute.
- mark
|
|
Released 05.06.2008
|
|
|
Monday, August 18, 2008
|
Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning - Something for All of Us (Arts & Crafts) [audio] [upcoming shows]
If you're a Broken Social Scene fanatic, Something for All of Us is a definite addition to the catalogue. BSS co-founder Brendan Canning takes the reins for the first time and proves that he has what it takes to lead the way. A diverse album, ranging from a disco-influenced track to some classic BSS sounds, Something for All of Us is the equivalent of a fantastic collage of Broken Social Scene's discography thus far.
- melody
|
|
Released 07.22.2008
|
|
|
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
|
CSS - Donkey (Sub Pop) [audio] [upcoming shows]
You know how children lose much of their fun, youthful appeal once they begin to grow up and mature? Well that's the feeling I get whenever I listen to CSS's newest album Donkey. Sure, maturity and change is essential to most artists but, in CSS's case, it just doesn't translate well. With the exception of a few signature catchy tunes, the majority of the album just lacks that unique spunk that we loved so much.
- melody
|
|
Released 07.22.2008
|
|
|
Thursday, July 31, 2008
|
The Cobra-Matics - Under the Hood (Original Recipe) [audio]
Recorded back in 2005-06, The Cobra-Matics sat on this until blues legend Duke Robillard agreed to co-produce. With virtuoso playing on every instrument, this album is a time machine back to the late '50s, pasting together high energy swing, blues and rockabilly—perfect for authentic swing dancers or intense toe tapping. "Rocker" takes the AC/DC classic and filters it through the rockabilly lens. Released on The Colonel's own Original Recipe Recordings, you can expect many more quality throwback recordings from the label in the future.
- mark
|
|
Released 05.27.2008
|
|
|
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
|
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Sunday at Devil Dirt (V2 Music) [upcoming shows]
The first collaboration between these two was a belabored borefest that hardly reflected well on those who blindly praised it. However, this second effort from Campbell and Lanegan actually does deliver on what that the first album only hinted at recreating. Sunday at Devil Dirt sounds brilliantly tossed-off, and the looser arrangements free the other She & Him to enjoy the possibilities of their chosen format.
- troy
|
|
Released 05.06.2008
|
|
|
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
|
Paddy Casey - Addicted to Company, Pt. 1 (RCA Victor) [audio] [upcoming shows]
It's not altogether surprising that a busker-styled singer/songwriter like Paddy Casey has had difficulty making a dent on the American pop music consciousness, because we're certainly already overrun with our own hordes of them. The fact that he's deliriously popular in his native Ireland makes no difference. A shame, really, because I've enjoyed him since his debut album nine years ago. He's not rough around the edges—sometimes his voice even recalls James Taylor—but he's honest, earnest and real.
- paul
|
|
Released 04.01.2008
|
|
|
Thursday, March 20, 2008
|
Cryptacize - Dig That Treasure (Asthmatic Kitty) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Nedelle Torrisi had already proved she plays well with others on Summerland, and Dig That Treasure finds her working with strange, often atonal, completely anarchic pop structures in partnership with two men who aren't primarily known by their first names. The hit-to-miss ratio of these self-consciously fractured tunes is hard to overlook, but the album's not without passing charms. Nedelle still hasn't found quite the right musical match to compliment her voice, so this is just another approach she can scratch out.
- troy
|
|
Released 02.19.2008
|
|
|
Monday, March 17, 2008
|
Crystal Castles (Last Gang) [audio] [upcoming shows]
One Facebook group for Crystal Castles describes the band as "a girl screaming over a computer game." I never could get into video games but I'll confess to being addicted to this album, which develops repetitive beats and vocals of no consequence ("Untrust Us" appears to be in another language and "Crimewave" might as well be) to shockingly imaginative and fertile ends. Several groups have skirted close to sounding like this, but none have achieved the level of success Crystal Castles display here. Get it? That was almost a video game joke.
- troy
|
|
Released 03.18.2008
|
|
|
Thursday, March 13, 2008
|
Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here (Arts & Crafts) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Here's to Being Here is Jason Collett's third album, and the 5,279th release from a member of Broken Social Scene. Where Collett differs from his brethren (and sistren?), though, is in the laid-back approach to writing and performing that throughout the album recalls everyone from Pavement to Steve Earle. Even when the music takes a somber turn, he still goes out of his way to relax the listener with charm and charisma. Here's to Jason Collett.
- paul
|
|
Released 02.05.2008
|
|
|
Monday, December 17, 2007
|
ContraNova - Infinity in All Directions (Diabolical Genius) [audio]
I am lost on most concept albums, so forgive me for not following the time machine plot and just listening to this. Mostly, it's just a man and a guitar, similar to Ben Lee or David Bazan, but it's an amazingly sparse record considering the varied instrumentation includes the trombone, oboe, hand claps, clarinet, banjo, double bass, and bassoon among others. "Revolution 10 (Sound Collage #1)" is an orchestral piece spliced together from six different samples of their earlier works. Sampling themselves—let the RIAA wrap their heads around that one.
- mark
|
|
Released 09.04.2007
|
|
|
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
|
Creature Feature - The Greatest Show Unearthed (Sumerian) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Once in a while, an album comes along which reminds me that many of us take music too seriously. The Greatest Show Unearthed has a macabre and novelty sound that's reminiscent of a Tim Burton movie soundtrack, or a Crypt-Kickers release. "Gorey Demise", which lists the various methods that people die, is a twisted way you can teach your little monsters the alphabet. Though this album probably has narrow appeal, it sounds like Creature Feature had tremendous fun making it.
- j.p.
|
|
Released 10.30.2007
|
|
|
Monday, November 19, 2007
|
Cutting Pink With Knives - Populuxxe (Holy Roar) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Much of what sounds new is actually more a product of collision than it is creation. Take Cutting Pink With Knives, whose third album Populuxxe partners two of the most disparate genres we know of in a way that's not only pleasing to the ear, but leaves a satisfied feeling in the gut. Imagine that members of Napalm Death found themselves in the studio of The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt, letting all that righteous aggression erupt through drum pads and Casios instead of guitars and Marshall stacks. This is no joke. This is heavy shit.
- paul
|
|
Released 09.25.2007
|
|
|
Thursday, November 15, 2007
|
Shannon Curfman - Fast Lane Addiction (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
We've been waiting eight years for Shannon Curfman to release another full-length album since her acclaimed debut Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions, which sounds strange considering that she's only 22 years old. On Fast Lane Addiction, this blues-rock triple threat demonstrates her song writing prowess and incredible skills with a guitar. She also has one of the most appealing and powerful voices of any active vocalist in the genre. Any woman that can sing a song titled "Do Me" earns extra points in my book.
- j.p.
|
|
Released 10.09.2007
|
|
|
Thursday, November 01, 2007
|
Chikita Violenta - The Stars & Suns Sessions (Noiselab) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Mexican band Chikita Violenta set their sights northward when getting ready to record their sophomore album. No, further north. They leapfrogged the United States altogether and set up shop in Canada with Broken Social Scene associate David Newfeld behind the boards. The result is something not too far removed from anything we've heard from that cluster of Toronto talent—a heavy wall of drums and guitar, subverted melodies and unchecked exuberance. A "headphones required" album to be certain, so clear 40 minutes and give it a chance.
- paul
|
|
Released 10.30.2007
|
|
|
Thursday, October 25, 2007
|
Celestial - Dream On (Skipping Stones) [audio]
Celestial's auteur Andreas Hagman lives in the second hour of a 120 Minutes episode from 1989, right between the videos Dave Kendall would play for the latest Galaxie 500 and Blake Babies singles. Don't let the fact he's from Sweden snow you; he was watching with the rest of us. Dream On is beautiful in that unpoised and introverted way a lot of college rock from the late 1980s was, but also harkens back to the beginnings of twee pop like The Field Mice and The Cat's Miaow—delicate in its urgency.
- paul
|
|
Released 04.24.2007
|
|
|
Monday, October 15, 2007
|
Crowded House - Time on Earth (ATO Records) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Twenty-one years after their eponymous debut, Crowded House is back and better than ever. I did all but dream it was over for the Crowdies, only to find their latest release may be their greatest. After years of solo work and musically reuniting with brother Tim, Mr. Neil Finn is back sounding completely fresh. He's balancing a fine line between the pop charts and indie rock, and producing something so strong that it plays out better then a greatest hits retrospective of the last 20 years.
- cormac
|
|
Released 07.10.2007
|
|
|
Thursday, July 26, 2007
|
Chris Cornell - Carry On (Interscope) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Carry On is Chris Cornell's first release since the dissolution of Audioslave. Many of this album's songs possess a vein of neo-southern rock, which might best be heard on the track "Safe and Sound". The songs are more melodic and laid-back when compared with his previous body of work. The shift in bearing can be somewhat surprising at times, especially during a dawdling rendition of "Billie Jean". This is a solid effort, but may not be considered his best.
- j.p.
|
|
Released 06.05.2007
|
|
|
Monday, July 16, 2007
|
Kelly Clarkson - My December (RCA) [audio]
Dear Ms. Clarkson: With all due respect, what in the good fuck happened? And before you protest, I already know there are good songs on here—I heard them—but only because I refused to believe that you made a completely bullshit album and I dug in to find them. Most listeners will tell me that it sucks Dom Deluise's manmeat, and I'm not going to disagree. You didn't lose me forever, but next time don't forget that the only thing more important than following your heart is MAKING A GOOD FUCKING ALBUM. Thank you for your time.
- tom d.
|
|
Released 06.26.2007
|
|
|
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
|
Career Club - The New Record (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Career Club must be some kind of oddity in the New York scene. They're not cannibalizing the city's own musical past like most of their peers. Instead, they sit comfortably in the corner where no one's looking and create "jangular" guitar-centric music not terribly unlike the sounds that were escaping the Southeast and Northwest in the mid-to-late '80s. Fans of names like Dharma Bums, Young Fresh Fellows and Let's Active, as few and far-spread as they may be, will find The New Record feels like coming home.
- paul
|
|
Released 01.09.2007
|
|
|
Friday, June 01, 2007
|
Coffinberry - God Dam Dog (Morphius) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Coffinberry start off by trying to knock you over, throw in a piano ballad and slowly build the aggression back up song by song. Influenced by everyone from the Afghan Whigs, Arcwelder, Hüsker Dü, Uncle Tupelo and June of 44, the strategy of keeping everything so short works to their benefit. The barely-two-minute "Earthworms in the Sun" sounds like it was written by Jeff Magnum while shooting speed and driving 100 miles per hour. While feel-good bands are all the rage, here is proof you don't always need a hug.
- mark
|
|
Released 05.01.2007
|
|
|
Thursday, May 24, 2007
|
Sonya Cotton - Out of the Ocean (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
I expect a lot from my sophomores, and Sonya Cotton gets an A. To her second album of sorrowful folk—the lyrics evoke loss and yearning—she has added piano, percussion, and backing vocals here and there. I wish we could clone her, so everyone can have Sonya doing their harmonies; the end of "The Dying Light" has achingly beautiful ones. Her voice is just lovely, as if Karen Peris, Natalie Merchant and Judy Collins mixed theirs together to create one that wasn't babyish or throaty or reedy. Just lovely.
- meredith
|
|
Released 04.03.2007
|
|
|
Friday, May 04, 2007
|
Chevelle - Vena Sera (Epic) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Chevelle's fourth studio release Vena Sera provides the listener with a slightly different sound than the trio's previous work, probably due in part to the addition of new bass player Dean Bernardi. I continue to find this album to be more and more likable after repeated listening, and it keeps making its way back into my current playlist. The low-end mix is ideal for playing at high volumes while driving. If you need something loud and hard, this is it.
- j.p.
|
|
Released 04.03.2007
|
|
|
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
|
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Abattoir Blues Tour (Mute)
Live albums tend to make me cringe (Exit...Stage
Left a possible exception), but I had good reason to
welcome The Abattoir Blues Tour. Seventeen raw, heart-rending, lush and
sweeping songs with Cave's unrelenting delivery
often tempered by a beautiful backing chorus (opener
"O Children" is gorgeous). Don't get too comfortable
though—there's plenty of gut-wrenching laments,
sinister imagery and blistering Bad Seeds cacophony
("Stagger Lee"...goddamn!) Experience the pleasure and
pain of Nick Cave live with this impressive
collection.
- j. daltry
|
|
Released 03.20.2007
|
|
|
Monday, April 09, 2007
|
Children of Men DVD (Universal) [trailer]
Besides being one of the best and most important films of 2006, Children of Men is a quality DVD. The best feature on the disc is called "The Possibility of Hope," a 30 minute documentary about how the present day world is working itself toward a future not so different than the one depicted in Children. There are 4 behind the scenes features on the making of the film, comments on the film by cultural critic Slavoj Zizek and 3 deleted scenes, but the one feature the DVD is really missing is commentary by director Alfonso Cuaron.
- kyle j.
|
|
Released 03.27.2007
|
|
|
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
|
The Cat Empire - Two Shoes (Velour) [audio] [upcoming shows]
When did G Love become the bandleader for the Blues Brothers? And when did they add reggae and Latin influences? And why are my feet doing this stupid dance under my desk? And why do I always generalize albums into only mildly-accurate-yet-witty analogies? I'm confused. (I do know this though: this is the best album I've heard so far this year.)
- tom d.
|
|
Released 02.06.2007
|
|
|
Thursday, February 08, 2007
|
Rob Crow - Living Well (Temporary Residence) [audio] [video] [upcoming shows]
Being a current member of both Cock Goblin and Pinback, I guess his idea of downtime is a solo record on which he plays every instrument. At least some of this was recorded while babysitting, the proof being his baby speaking during the intro to "Leveling." You'll find his signature double-tracked vocals, angular chord changes and traces of accordian, piano and hissing looped industrial noise on "Burns." In his vast musical output, this is not quite as poppy as Pinback, not as short as Heavy Vegetable, and not as heavy as Cock Goblin.
- mark
|
|
Released 01.23.2007
|
|
|
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
|
Mira Calix - Eyes Set Against the Sun (Warp) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Having listened to Mira Calix's work through her career, the atrociousness of this album should hardly surprise me. After starting strong with a catchy 10" in '96, she has steadily spiraled into the realm of what she would like to think of as avant-garde. What she truly has created is a pitiful attempt at the field recording/traditional instrumentation genre, with plodding songs that go nowhere, pointless, meandering lyrics, and atonal melodies. Either I just don't get it or she hasn't released anything good in 10 years—I'll let you pick.
- ShaneB
|
|
Released 01.16.2007
|
|
|
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
|
Crank DVD (Lions Gate) [trailer]
Crank is an over the top, stylistic, brainless, action film that is perfect for DVD. The commentary track is the most innovative I've come by. It's a picture in picture track, so you see the directors talking about the film while the movie plays in the background. It also cuts to interviews with crew members and behind the scenes footage. The other bizarre feature on the DVD is a clean audio track where you watch the film without any of the profanity...but you still get blood, violence, and sex.
- kyle j.
|
|
Released 01.09.2007
|
|
|
Friday, January 26, 2007
|
Candy Butchers - Making Up Time (self released) [audio]
Mike Viola is easily one of the most impressive singer-songwriters around. With or without his talented Candy Butchers, each and every new release is an expansion and betterment of the previous. Making Up Time is a musical time warp, sending the listener back to the time between the long lost self titled LP/"That Thing You Do!" era and 1999's major label Falling Into Place. This is the point in his career he was recording downright catchy songs while wearing Roy Orbison's sunglasses.
- cormac
|
|
Released 10.17.2006
|
|
|
Friday, January 19, 2007
|
Calm. - Anti-Smiles (Dirty Laboratory) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Calm. would like you to think they have emotional depth, poignant social insights, and meaningful lyrics. They'd like you to believe that they are a new, powerful force in the underground hip-hop community. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. Anti-Smiles is yet another paint-by-number entry into the emo-rap subgenre, with painfully repetitive themes and the tendency to fall victim to just-how-much-shit-can-we-say-in-one-bar syndrome. The minimalist production occasionally works, but hardly saves these amateurs.
- ShaneB
|
|
Released 10.31.2006
|
|
|
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
|
John A. Carollo - Ampersand (self released) [audio]
Fans of underground comix legend Robert Crumb might recognize the unhinged art that graces John A. Carollo's otherwise composed contemporary classical effort. The illustrations were provided by Crumb's brother Maxon. Fueled by his twisted comix collection, Carollo weaves his own mad magic, producing instrumental pieces that won't bore even unenlightened listeners with their ever-changing moods and unique flavors.
- michael s.
|
|
Released 06.13.2006
|
|
|
Monday, January 01, 2007
|
Clerks II DVD (MGM) [trailer]
Clerks II is a 2-disc DVD with so many special features, it will make even the biggest Kevin Smith fan have a tough time getting through it all. The film, three audio commentaries, and a behind the scenes feature on interspecies erotica make up disc one. Disc two has a deeply involved 90 minute documentary on the making of the film, 10 video production diaries, a bloopers reel, and 30 minutes of deleted scenes with an intro from Smith. If you are a fan of Smith and/or the first Clerks, this is a definite must have for your collection.
- kyle j.
|
|
Released 11.28.2006
|
|
|
Monday, November 27, 2006
|
Conveniens (self released) [audio]
Recorded way back in 1984, this twosome were either born too late to make soundtracks for Ed Wood or have predated the two man "space age spaz-jazz" movement by an undetermined number of years. Picture the Electric Light Orchestra as the Electric Light Duo with only a twenty dollar recording budget, too loud in the mix hi-hat and a reliably unsteady drum beat. Completely genreless. Put this on at your next get together and by the second song it's guaranteed someone will say "What the fuck are we listening to?"
- mark
|
|
Released 10.08.2006
|
|
|
Monday, November 20, 2006
|
The Crawdaddies - Keep Lookin' Up (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The Crawdaddies have been unleashing their brand of zydeco-spiced roots rock since the grunge era, and nothing can stop this freewheeling party band. From the country-fried comical lovelorn confessions of "My Old Heart" to the relentless fun of "Got Nothin'" the Crawdaddies leap in the air with an unyielding sense of joy. The group is completely irresistible, shakin' the shack with hook after hook and bouncy accordions galore. What more can you ask for?
- michael s.
|
|
Released 07.25.2006
|
|
|
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
|
Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis (Rough Trade) [audio] [upcoming shows]
I bought my first, last and only Pulp album 11 years ago, so I'm without the expectations other people are bringing to Jarvis Cocker's first true solo release. Maybe that's a good thing, because what I hear when listening to Jarvis is a broad and sweeping, swirling and fiery explosion of confident rock songs and a personality bold enough to command them. Pulp, to me, always came across as community theater production with Cocker in need of his supporting players. This album, however, is Jarvis Cocker's terrific leap to the big screen in a peerless lead role.
- paul
|
|
Released 11.13.2006
|
|
|
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
|
The Confusions - 5 AM (Mass Produktion) [audio] [video]
Dammit, even the MOR radio rock coming out of Sweden is great! The Confusions have enough history behind them that their earliest American contemporaries would've been Third Eye Blind or the Gin Blossoms, and even now they're delivered up with an explicitly big studio sheen. Beneath the crystalline exterior, however, they're writing songs with hooks that go for days and a perceptibly genuine enthusiasm that music-making is actually their day job. Would it fly on American airwaves? That's doubtful. There aren't any "lowest common denominator" moments to be found on 5 AM.
- paul
|
|
Released 05.16.2006
|
|
|
Friday, September 29, 2006
|
Clawjob - Space Crackers (self-released) [audio] [more]
Before today, I had listened to two kinds of operas: the Mr. Rogers kind, with warbling puppets, and the traditional kind, with screeching sopranos. Clawjob's version kicks both of their asses! Space Crackers is an epic tale of unrequited love, research at a space station, and the eradication of humankind by the Dooks of Doom. Supporting clever lyrics, the music runs the gamut of styles, from a Queen-y intro to straight indie rock to dissonant metal. The chorus of "I Got My Space Pass!" channels Superchunk, and "Probabilities" has a Pixies/Veruca Salt thing going on. Love it.
- meredith
|
|
Released 05.13.2006
|
|
|
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
|
The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity (Nettwerk) [audio and upcoming shows]
I LOVE the Cardigans, but this is their first album I wouldn't recommend to every person on the planet. This album has made me realize that they have been slowly morphing into reproducing Aimee Mann's sound, which is unfortunate, because Aimee Mann does it way better. It's not that this album is devoid of good songs; it is simply that you can't have a parade of B-sides without the occasional A-list track to pull you through. A major disappointment after Long Gone Before Daylight.
- tom d.
|
|
Released 09.19.2006
|
|
|
Monday, September 11, 2006
|
Channels - Waiting for the Next End of the World (Dischord) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Channels bears all the hallmarks of a quality J. Robbins project:
ginormous guitars, cable-taut bass, drums like "When The Levee Breaks"
on spin cycle, quick-change musical dynamics, and intelligent lyrics
(not a "baby, baby" to be found). With the addition of Janet Morgan on
bass and vocals, "Waiting..." brings a surprising amount of harmonized
vocals to the party. All told, it’s the perfect addition to the
intricate foundation Robbins established with Jawbox and Burning
Airlines.
- jeremy
|
|
Released 08.29.2006
|
|
|
Monday, August 28, 2006
|
The Campbells - Pound on Your Boxes (May-Wallace Records Inc.) [audio] [upcoming shows]
What do the Campbells sound like? Well, let's pretend that the Jayhawks decided to put out a new album. They called up Buffalo Tom to help out, and then checked to see what The Purrs were up to. Everyone went into the studio to pound on their boxes ("but not too hard, you could get hurt"), and ended up with a half-dozen twangy rock songs, including a protest against the treatment of American Indians (interesting side note: J Campbell was prophesied to be a singer by a Lakota medicine man).
- meredith
|
|
Released 03.07.2006
|
|
|
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
|
Candy Thong - EP (self released) [audio]
Thought The Dead Milkmen were hysterical? You will love Candy Thong. Songs about bleeding in your gym shorts, armpit hair, the forming of their own band, hipster restaurants, liking Black Sabbath and killing motherfuckers, all lovingly rendered in minimal drums and bass. It's as if they've never heard music before, (except Black Sabbath) and I love them for it.
- eric
|
|
Released 05.01.2006
|
|
|
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
|
The Colour - The Devil's Got A Holda Me (Rethink) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Bluesy swamp rock, sorta like The Cult but not on steroids, and sorta like The Darkness but young. Though sparsely produced and raw, the songwriting has a Foreigner vibe at their drunkenest while balancing the rest of it on ass-loads of voodoo snakebite guitar strutting. "Chariot Of Gold" starts out with the hazy stomp of "Waiting For The Man" then eases into some fine boozy cock-rockin'. In a perfect world they'd be Paul Rodgers's favorite band.
- eric
|
|
Released 05.16.2006
|
|
|
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
|
Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds (Parlophone) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Despite the lack of any one song being as strong as "Freakin' Out," Love Travels at Illegal Speeds is actually a sharper, stronger collection from beginning to end than Coxon's last album Happiness in Magazines. His past with Blur is still evident in some instances, but if time was in any way flexible, Coxon's true contemporaries would be The Skids, The Vibrators and The Undertones. This is "Class of '77" punk-pop all the way.
- paul
|
|
Released 03.14.2006
|
|
|
Thursday, April 20, 2006
|
Cholo - ST ep (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Cholo provides the missing musical link to the short-lived but remarkable Homestead Records band Pony. Also, Calexico, Poster Children, or X with deep deadpan (sometimes spanish) vocals from Felipe- half spoken, half screamed- splitting the difference between Calvin Johnson and Thurston Moore and occasionally helped out by Rosa, particularly on the track "101". The Greg Ginn-ish guitar solo in "The Spray", and angry screaming on "Dope" - all filled out with random sax and trumpets.
- mark
|
|
Released 12.23.2005
|
|
|
Friday, April 07, 2006
|
Cars Can Be Blue - All the Stuff We Do (Happy Happy Birthday To Me) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The formula seemed basic enough- cutesy, catchy boy-girl twee pop. However, the lyrics caught me a bit off guard: "You can sodomize me, stuff your cock inside me, proceed to fuck me blindly, eat me out with that dirty mouth, choke me with your cock, blow it on my face, your cock I want to taste. Been six weeks since I've bled from my hole, I think maybe we should kill that baby before it's a crime. She's so retarded the other retards call her retarded retard." I am offended but reluctantly still a fan.
- mark
|
|
Released 11.21.2005
|
|
|
Thursday, April 06, 2006
|
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2) [audio] [upcoming shows]
These gothic ballads, like sepia-tone photographs, summon specters of
fugitives, scorned lovers, and the drunken dead of a by-gone desolate sea-town. Ex-Belle & Sebastian chanteuse, haunted by ancestral demons and a love of Americana roots music has found an unlikely collaborator to channel her songs’ somber ghosts. Formerly of Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age, Lanegan’s gristly Waits-like vocals narrate these dark memories of care-worn regret and heartache. Campbell’s own pale whispers soften the tone and the two spin a spell-binding tale of lives as turbulent as the sea.
- betty
|
|
Released 03.07.2006
|
|
|
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
|
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Etiquette (Tomlab) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Some performers don't trust their words to convey meaning so they emphasize the intonation in place of true emotion. No matter how you feel when you write a song, can you claim that every time you sing it you can feel it again? There is nothing false in the way Ashworth delivers his lyrics. No shaking Oberst - closer to Arab Strap's Aiden Moffet. Only, where Moffet cuts his bleakness with vulgarity, Ashworth assumes a calm tone of neutrality. Like any fine performer, he does not need to decorate his words.
- s. finch
|
|
Released 03.07.2006
|
|
|
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
|
Colossal Yes - Acapulco Roughs (Ba Da Bing!) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Drummers populate a fascinating sect of the human race, distinguished from the rest of us by their innate desires to beat on things. Break it down even further and you find a still smaller sect of drummers sit behind their kits also plotting to create better art. Utrillo Kushner is the timekeeping madcap in Comets On Fire by day, but he steals away spare moments to record his own piano-based creations under the Colossal Yes moniker. Like the early solo work of John Cale, Kushner's music is delicate, sometimes challenging, and always rewarding.
- paul
|
|
Released 02.28.2006
|
|
|
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
|
Maryrose Crook with The Renderers – Ghosts of Our Vegas Lives (Three Beads of Sweat) [audio]
Evidently Margo Timmins of The Cowboy Junkies has changed her name to Maryrose Crook, gene-spliced in some Maria McKee, and taken up with the offspring of The Bad Seeds and The Dirty Three. The result is fabulous: mournful and haunting, but with an aggressive edge ... and a wawa pedal that manages to inject a menacing spookiness. You can picture the band onstage of Twin Peaks' Roadhouse as Agent Cooper looks around furtively for murder suspects.
- meredith
|
|
Released 02.07.2006
|
|
|
Thursday, March 02, 2006
|
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Anti) [audio] [upcoming shows]
It's been a few years since Neko Case could be squarely categorized as this or that, and her latest album just makes her all the harder to pigeonhole. Her music seems to exist in that smoky grey area David Lynch frequently visits when looking for his film scores… part eerily orchestral like Angelo Badalamenti and part gothic twang like Chris Isaak or Tarnation. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood makes one thing clear, though. Case continues to distance herself from all her former alt-country peers and, in the process, makes them look like amateurs.
- paul
|
|
Released 03.07.2006
|
|
|
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
|
Sonya Cotton - Baltimore Trees (self released) [audio]
Backed by guitar and banjo, Sonya Cotton’s voice bears a similarity to a variety of other female folky singers: Jonatha Brooke, Aimee Mann, Lori McKenna … “Oh What a Waste” and “Never End” sound almost exactly like Dar Williams to me. The title track is my favorite, an almost lullaby waltz that practically holds you in its arms, to “kiss you and hold your eyes open all night.” The liner notes indicate the album was recorded in a bedroom and a basement, but the sound is polished and clean.
- meredith
|
|
Released 01.17.2006
|
|
|
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
|
The Casting Couch – Row Your Boat (I Eat Records) [audio]
My first review ever was for The Casting Couch, and I'm happy to report that their new album is even better – the arrangements are more mature, and the styles vary from a tinge of mariachi to a touch of doo-wop. And the lyrics are EXCELLENT – if I had more than 75 words at my disposal, I would list my favorites from songs about writer’s block, death and love, but I will have to settle for quoting the incredible "Mix Tape": I won’t pawn my records for a brand new board to play chess over your checkered past.
- meredith
|
|
Released 12.07.2005
|
|
|
Thursday, January 05, 2006
|
The Chrysler - Failures and Sparks (Galaxie Gramophone-Parasol) [audio]
This Swedish group has created a landscape that is both fun and introspective, innocent and worldly….the album feels like Nick Drake meets the Byrds-Sweethearts of the Rodeo. The songs wind around a whispering ethereal world touching a hidden spiritual core then move into frolicking folk songs sung around a crackling dancing campfire. The CD invokes the feeling that you have stumbled onto a secret gathering from a forgotten mythic place and that you alone are sharing in a special memory.
- ed g.
|
|
Released 10.18.2005
|
|
|
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
|
Cetacea - EP (CD Baby) [audio/mp3]
The arrangements on this album are great. Lush strings, pounding piano, crashing drums - the overall sound (and the lead singer's voice) remind me a lot of post-Richey James Manic Street Preachers. The lyrics, however, get rather overblown and tend towards melodrama re: visions, souls, war and pain. My recommendation: if you're not prone to dress in black and brood, tune out the words and just enjoy the music.
- meredith
|
|
|
|
|
Monday, August 29, 2005
|
Coldplay - X & Y (Capitol) [upcoming shows]
In the immortal words of Fred Willard in A Mighty Wind... wha' happened? This album is shite. With the exception of the single "Speed of Sound," which I'm sure you've all heard on the radio by now, the tracks smush into a blur of screeching falsetto, terrible lyrics and, above all, boredom. I am going to have to stop comparing any other band to Coldplay, because I don't want them to be associated with this crap.
- meredith
|
|
Released 06.07.2005
|
|
|
Friday, August 05, 2005
|
Brandi Carlile (Columbia) [mp3] [upcoming shows]
I love this album. It's full of heartfelt melancholy with a touch of twang and a smattering of the blues. All of which you'll find yourself humming later in the day. Carlile's idol is Patsy Cline, but I see her as a descendent of Emmylou Harris and Joni Mitchell, with a voice rather similar to Bonnie Raitt. On the 75orLess road trip, she's in the seat next to Jennifer O'Connor.
- meredith
|
|
Released 07.12.2005
|
|
|
Friday, June 10, 2005
|
Common - Be (Geffen) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Kanye should stay behind the mixing board. I much prefer the soulful honesty of his production work to the misplaced arrogance of his rap career, and it is on full display on Common's latest. Kanye's beats are a better match for Common's effortless, street corner delivery than the Jay-Z swagger that made him famous. This is the kind of hip-hop that is best played with the windows down on a long summer drive, allowing you time to focus on the almost-miraculous wordplay and verbal gifts that Common displays.
- tom d.
|
|
Released 05.24.2005
|
|
|
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
|
Citified
(Eskimo Kiss)
[mp3s]
[upcoming shows]
I like throwbacks; records wholly influenced by another time. Not
that I'm wary of progress by any means, but the sounds of my youth
serve the same purpose as a well-read book or a tattered pair of
jeans. I like comfort. Citified blurs the line between the US and UK
varieties of guitar jangle-pop from the late '80s and they do so quite
succinctly. Nine songs play out in just over eighteen minutes without
a single throwaway.
- paul
|
|
Released 01.18.2005
|
|
|
Friday, March 25, 2005
|
The Casting Couch – 5 Songs (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
"Athens indie rock meets Austin alt-country." Excellent! Listening to this EP, you can picture a few couples dancing in lazy circles as closing time approaches - in the corner, the band plays drowsily: the guitarist propping one foot against the bar, the pianist smiling to herself, the singer sounding like Lucinda Williams' younger, less embittered cousin. And everyone drinking to the "Whiskey Skiffle." Charming. Makes me feel all warm. Or maybe that's the whiskey.
- meredith
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, February 24, 2005
|
Comeback Kid - Wake the Dead (Victory Records) [mp3] [upcoming shows]
Pop quiz, hot shot: 1) The cowbell is to rock 'n' roll as _____ vocals are to hardcore. 2) True or false: melody has a place in hardcore. 3) Can it still be hardcore without a breakdown every three seconds? The answers: gang, true and absolutely. If you're still suspicious of these answers, just listen to Wake the Dead. The only thing left to be answered specifically about this energetic little band is: can it last beyond the listener's teen years?
- jason m.
|
|
Released 02.22.2005
|
|
|
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
|
The Chills - Stand By
(MPM) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Almost an entire decade has come to pass since Martin Phillips last
released a proper Chills record, and with good reason. In that time,
he found himself the victim of addiction, near poverty and diminished
health. Stand By would be a worthy return under any circumstances, but even more so under these. The subtlety of The Chills' later albums is abandoned in favor of the playful nature of earlier works, and Phillips miraculously sounds younger now than he did 20 years ago. Welcome back.
- paul
|
|
Released 10.01.2004
|
|
|
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
|
Controller, Controller - History (Paper Bag) [upcoming shows]
Post rock never sounded so good through a female voice as it does with
Controller Controller. The Toronto-based band takes on the style and
sound that brings to mind the Yeah Yeah Yeahs but with an uncontained
edge. Adding thier own guitar infused signature throughout. Signed
to Paperbag records in 2003, the same label responsible for the launch
of Broken Social Scene and Stars, a movin' on up seems to be in the
cards, look out kids, the hype machine may jump on this band soon
enough.
- joe l.
|
|
Released 08.03.2004
|
|
|
Monday, November 15, 2004
|
The Czars - Goodbye
(Bella Union) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
You might not hear a prettier album this year. Its production is
modest and its adornments are few. It glides steadily along on the
delicate voice of John Grant and the unhurried arrangements of his
band. The songs, anchored by simply strummed acoustic chords, develop
as they progress; subtle timbres added in layers. Sometimes not
seeing the forest for all the trees is a good thing, because the
details are what make Goodbye inherently essential listening.
- paul
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
|
Cobra Killer - 76/77
(Monika) [mp3]
[upcoming shows]
76/77 is a strangely infectious record, yet nearly impossible to categorize. It's not electroclash, but it's electronic. It's not '60s soul, but it includes a lot of those elements. It's not a new wave record, but it bubbles over with the same artistic spirit. While distinctly European, Berlin duo Cobra Killer's objective is to embrace American music ("L.A. Shaker" is even built around a Southern Culture on the Skids sample). Remember how deceptively clever Whale's "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" was? 76/77 is that times eleven.
- paul
|
|
|
|
|
Friday, October 01, 2004
|
Calamalka - Shredders Dub (Plug Research) [audio]
Dub is such a peculiar genre, and one of the only ones I can think of that relies solely on the studio engineer's intervention for recordings to even meet the requirements. Former skater turned musician Michael Campitelli has embraced dub's roots and, now, redirected its future. As Calamalka, he's released what's essentially an album of solo drumming with only minimal accompaniment and made it not only palatable, but consistently captivating as well. And I haven't even been smoking up. Just imagine!
- paul
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
|
Caviar - The Thin Mercury Sound (Aezra) [audio sampler] ["On The DL" ram/asx] [upcoming shows]
On the follow-up to their criminally overlooked self-titled album, Caviar continues to masterfully blend mid-90s college rock riffage with tasty sampling (Lou Reed, Little Feat, Les Baxter) and witty lyrics. Like the debut's quirky hit "Tangerine Speedo," Thin Mercury Sound features a made-for-radio classic, "On the DL" as well as Brit-pop (think Oasis, Super Fury Animals) flavored rockers ("Lioness," "Light Up the Sky") and songs that belong on a John Hughes film soundtrack ("Hey Let Go," "Clean Getaway"). This is the feel good CD of the summer.
- chip
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
|
Jon Chinn - I Can't Believe You Live Like That (Reverbose Records) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Though this CD is technically a solo album from Pretty Mighty Mighty frontman Jon Chinn, the singer receives help from members of his own band and other Columbus heavyweights like Miranda Sound, Tiara, and Templeton. With his gentle Bob Mould-like voice ("Record Sets," "All About"), Chinn is a poignant and elegant songwriter. His poetic lyrics are intimate and bittersweet and the addition of stringed instruments such as the cello on "King's Horse" make this one of the warmest, most captivating releases of the year.
- chip
|
|
|
|
|
Friday, April 16, 2004
|
Graham Coxon - Happiness in Magazines (Parlophone) [upcoming shows]
It's suddenly become clear why Graham Coxon parted ways with Blur; Think Tank was many things, but it wasn't a rock and roll record. Happiness in Magazines, however, is very much a rock and roll record and its first single "Freakin' Out" could be the best tune the Buzzcocks never wrote. The remaining tracks play out like a crash course in '70s English rock, recalling everyone from the Faces to the Fall without sounding uninspired or plagiaristic. That's the stuff.
- paul
|
|
|
|
|
Friday, March 19, 2004
|
Centro-Matic - Flashes and Cables (Misra) [upcoming shows]
Four amazing tracks that they just couldn't fit onto Love You Just The Same, two remixes of "Flashes and Cables" and four music videos (now how much would you pay?!?) make this an early contender for bargain purchase of the year. The perfect release for those of us who are constantly scrounging around for hidden Centro-Matic material.
- jon
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, January 29, 2004
|
Candy Butchers - Hang on Mike (RPM Records/Sony) [audio] [upcoming shows]
This record is like overhearing two different conversations. First, Viola talking to himself, which feels like eavesdropping, but ultimately is so charming and unselfconscious, your guilt is assuaged. The second conversation is the one where your boyfriend starts telling you about his old relationships in such a way you know they were a big deal, but it doesn't make you nervous. Both are set to perfect jangly pop tunes.
- leslie
|
|
|
|
|
Monday, January 26, 2004
|
The Crystal Method - Legion of Boom (V2) [audio/video] [upcoming shows]
Another outing for Crystal Method, and yet another album to pop into the car's CD player to help you achieve that state of driving zen. Like all of their previous albums, there are plenty of big beats, samples, and guest appearances to keep your head bobbing as you weave in and out of traffic. Just try not to actually listen to the music when you're stopped at a red light. You're liable to be disappointed.
- kean
|
|
|
|
|
Friday, December 12, 2003
|
Camarosmith - Camarosmith (Dead Teenager Records) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Wicked band name for a bunch of sun-baked stoners from, where else, Seattle. The band features Zeke's former rhythm section and slogs it's way through a baker's dozen '70s-influenced hard rock anthems (notice the band's homage to Black Sabbath on the CD cover). Camarosmith may very well be the missing link between Seattle grunge (Soundgarden, Mudhoney) and Seattle stoner rock (Queens of the Stone Age, Alta May) as evidenced by the fist pumping, devil-horn throwing rockers "SOS," "714" and "Sell Out."
- chip
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
|
Centro-matic - Love You Just The Same (Misra Records) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
With at least eight full albums under different names, Centro-matic's prolific output is only matched by their versitility, performing as the backing band for Edward Burch and Varnaline, while also serving as the opening act. This collection of songs may not have the immediacy of past works and while the production sounds better than ever, Will Johnson's gruff vocals split time between heartbreaking ballads and yelps over full-blown orchestrated rock songs. Expect to be humming along with the choruses on the second listen.
- mark
|
|
|
|
|
Monday, August 04, 2003
|
Cash Monies and the Jetsetter - Thinking Out Loud (Pig Pile Records) [mp3, mp3] [upcoming shows]
Donny and Marie once sang of being a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. Cash Monies and the Jetsetters would be wise to adopt this tagline. Mostly, this album is a twangified hoedown with footstompers ("Takin' It Out," "Worth a Damn"), rootsy rockers ("Cleaning Up," "Here With Me") and gentle tear-in-my-beer balladry ("Get it on the Way"). Produced by ex-Georgia Satellite frontman Dan Baird, this CD is a hootin' and hollerin' good time.
- chip
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
|
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves - Drive It Like You Stole It (12XU) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Multiply Exile In Guyville by Kill The Moonlight and you'd get something a hell of a lot like Drive It Like You Stole It. Loose, immediate, and fucking Rock, Sally Crewe brings it, ably backed by a couple of regular ol' blokes, one Mr. Britt Daniel and one Mr. Jim Eno. The wait is over; this is The Summer Album, and it'll sound totally great in your car, stolen or otherwise.
- ryan
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
|
Cardia - (SilverThree Sound Recordings) [mp3] [upcoming shows]
Jeff Buckley's legacy lives on in this supergroup consisting of former members of Rival Schools, the Verve Pipe, 2 Skinee J's, and Shudder to Think. The results are moving, emotional, and, well, Buckley-esque - similar to releases by Ours and Muse (among others). There are many goosebump, shivering spine moments, from the dark and intense "Crash" to the majestic chorus in "Love Loss" which sounds like Buckley fronting Led Zeppelin. Die-hard Buckley fans will either love it or hate it.
- chip
|
|
|
|
|
Monday, May 19, 2003
|
Calla - Televise (Arena Rock) [mp3s] [videos] [upcoming shows]
Mope rock lives! And, yes, it sort of rocks. Calla break out the depresso jams, bringing the tunes to life with lush, interesting production - melancholia draped with shimmering feedback and volume swells, punctuated by stabs of guitar. Indie rockers and old-skool goths, unite as one big, pale, misanthropic rock army! Lend me your torn black sweater and I’ll loan you my chunky glasses. Just don't do that weird King-Richards-Faire dance, and we'll be fine.
- jeremy
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, April 03, 2003
|
Calexico - Feast of Wire (Quarterstick/City Slang) [audio] [live mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Never thought that I would be telling people how well a mariachi brass section can blend with a classical guitar. Really. Calexico seems to have found exactly what works for them on Feast of Wire. They accomplish what many bands never do - write songs that sound distinct, yet familiar enough for you to fall in love with them. Required listening on your next roadtrip to Mexico.
- neil
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
|
David Clement - Your Free Gift [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Liz Phair pal David Clement suffered though more than his share of major-label nightmares while bringing this sophomore disc to the public. Which is a shame, because Your Free Gift's skewed melodies, spot-on instrumentation, and propulsive pop-rock (a la David Byrne fronting the Attractions) makes for an effervescent, surprisingly substantial listen - like a candy bar that's somehow good for you. Hopefully the "kids" can get their hands on this baby somehow.
- nick
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
|
Califone - Quicksand: Cradlesnakes (Thrill Jockey) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
The sound is often densely layered and sludgy, combining mostly acoustic guitars, some banjo, keys, cello, quiet electronics and most importantly, a great variety of percussion. Rutili's lyrics are wonderful, but always drawled so as to be mostly unintelligible without referencing the lyric sheet (thankfully enclosed). They've purposely hidden all the obvious hooks around the corner, slightly out of reach. Almost every moment seems just a little too restrained, but when they do let loose it's heavenly. Unfortunately, the last album, Roomsound, was more convincing.
- jeff l.
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, March 05, 2003
|
Crooked Fingers - Red Devil Dawn (Merge) [mp3] [upcoming shows]
After Archers of Loaf disbanded and long-lost brother Grimm, Eric Bachmann, crossed the Rubicon into whiskey-soaked folk, he has delighted the dejected with his pack-a-day Diamondish voice and sub earthen tones. Red Devil Dawn continues the sabulous journey with some twists. Added to the cocktail are Tequila ("You Threw A Spark"), and even Margarita Daiquiris ("Marie") along with the regular fair which all lead to fairy tales for grown ups.
- michael l.
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
|
Commnuniqué - Crescent Honeymoon EP (Lookout!) [album stream, mp3] [upcoming shows]
Remember that machine in The Fly? The one that squashes together the DNA of Jeff Goldblum and a housefly, resulting in a slightly hairier Goldblum? Okay, now imagine The Shins getting squeezed in there with ELO, and the resulting blob deciding to form a band to channel the jangly pop tendencies of the Smiths. That's Communiqué, and their new EP, Crescent Honeymoon, is a sweet slab of indie rock pie that I'm sure the Goldblum-Fly would just love to slurp up through his mouth tube. Highly Recommended.
- ryan
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
|
Cat Power - You Are Free (Matador) [stream the album] [upcoming shows]
There is a fancy faced glam girl on the Jan/Feb cover of Harp, which on closer inspection is Chan Marshall, of Cat Power. The interview takes place while Marshall is getting a.......... pedicure. She was more interested in nail polish than her current release, You are free. This makeover is worlds away from the melancholy sounds of Moon pix. This self absorbed rebirth sparkles with annoying background vocals and worthless overdubs. But hidden behind the nail polish is a quiet shot of much needed empathy.
- john
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, February 05, 2003
|
The Coral - Skeleton Key EP (Deltasonic/Columbia) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Specializing in faceless-yet-catchy Brit-pop (with a surprisingly rootsy bent), The Coral's debut EP is an enjoyable disc that probably would have been a lot more appreciated had it come out this summer. However, the lush instrumentation is still dope no matter what the season.
- nick
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, September 12, 2002
|
Neko Case - Blacklisted (Bloodshot Records) [audio]
Nu-country chanteuse Neko Case says an inspiration for writing her splendidly dark songs about abusive boyfriends and the like was long rides in her van. Blacklisted is an album that travels from the serine back woods of Tennessee on the opening banjo driven number "Things That Scare Me" to the gritty Detroit streets in a deep country fried rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Running Out of Fools." Brooklyn even passes through the rear view on the disjointed art ditty "Deep Red Bells."
- matthew r.
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
|
Cormega - The True Meaning (Landspeed) [audio]
Queensbridge spawns hardcore MCs like the Midwest does ironic-shirted indie rockers; as adequately thugged-out and linguistically adept as the collective flows of Nature, AZ, Mobb Deep, et al may be, we’ve simply just heard it all before, dunn. Fortunately, nobody treads water like Cormega (not even his QB nemesis Nas, who gets summarily to’ up on "Love In, Love Out") and each track on The True Meaning thumps with a familiar dopeness – how could it not, with production by Large Professor, Alchemist, and Primo himself?
- nick
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, September 03, 2002
|
Clipse - Lord Willin (Arista) [audio]
The Clipse do for smuggling/cooking/dealing cocaine what James Dean did for smoking cigarettes, replete with knucklehead charm ("From the panel to the dash, its four pounds of slab/Nah bitch we don't believe in air bags"). Yet no matter how cleverly unrepentant the Miami Vice-referencing lyrics, it’s the sublime Neptunes production that elevates the disc above mere Scarface-isms, touching on everything from Dirty South bounce, bizarro percussion, IDM keyboard quirks, and even… showtunes (the jaunty, Sinatraesque "Ma, I Don’t Love Her," showcasing Kelis' underrated pipes).
- nick
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, August 08, 2002
|
The Constantines - s/t (Three Gut) [mp3]
When these four boys from Guelph first broke, Canadian music critics swiftly jumped on them like a life raft of real rock and roll. And for good reason. Garage riffs and gruff vocals balance perfectly with slower softer numbers: a delicate balance of hope and pure nihilism. When singer Bry Webb screams "Can I get a witness?" on "Young Offenders," you'll want to scream hells yes. This record is only topped by their live show. Rock the fuck on.
- kate
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, August 06, 2002
|
Cordelia's Dad - What It Is (Kim Chee)
Cordelia's Dad has always been hard to define. Live shows are stylistically bipolar, either acoustic Americana or driving noisy punk insanity (and sometimes both). At long last, C. Dad delivers an album that spans their gamut and holds together, start to finish: Appalachia, crazy feedback freakouts, instrumental experimentation, ballads and all-out RAWK. Most albums that promise "something for everyone" deliver nothing to anyone in particular. Here Cordelia's Dad shows us how it's really done.
- jeremy
|
|
|
|
|
Monday, June 24, 2002
|
Cornelius - Point (Matador) [mp3]
The eternal man-boy takes a break from remixing to release his first full length lp in almost five years. Despite being known more for his electronic work, this is hardly danceable or "rock"- it's practically genre-less in a positive way. It's atmospheric and eclectic as ever, using found sounds, layered female vocals, and some minor knob twiddling. Give him credit, he's not following any trends, he's creating new standards. You can either open your ears or not, either way he's not waiting up.
- mark
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, June 18, 2002
|
Counting Crows - Hard Candy (Universal) [audio]
Ok, yes - they are on a Coke commercial - and sold out to the MAN - but at least they write their own music. The Counting Crows know what works for them, and they are sticking to it. With their fourth album, Hard Candy, Adam Duritz continues to write introspective lyrics about women and cities, delivered in his trademark melodic wail. The musicianship is solid and catchy, with the normal Crows balance of guitar and piano. Sure, you have heard it all before, but this time it is a good thing.
- neil
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, June 11, 2002
|
The Cells - We Can Replace You (Orange Recordings) [mp3, mp3]
Glamirific power-pop with a heavy nod towards RAWK (Chicago style, y'all). Singer Cory Hance sounds like the snotty little brother who annoys you by singing at the top of his lungs in the family station wagon on the 6-hour drive to grandma’s house. It's all good though, because secretly you know he's talented as shit. "Silver Cloud," "All Be Happy," "Say Hello" and "I Go Out" are bombastic radio hits in the making, too bad you'll never hear 'em there.
- chip
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
|
Consonant - Self Titled (Fenway Recordings) [audio]
Clint Conley's long anticipated comeback album, and although there is a Mission Of Burma-ish feel to the bass lines and no mistaking the voice, there's much less dissonance, screaming and only occasional odd time signatures. For someone who hadn't released any music for at least 15 years, it seems he was so far ahead when he stopped he could actually miss that much time and still be ahead of the pack. Mr. Conley firmly reclaims his hold on being the second most important Boston musician ever behind Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.
- mark
|
|
|
|
|
Monday, April 15, 2002
|
Capitol K - Island Row (XL) [audio]
Considering electronica's reputation as lacking warmth and passion, "Pillow" is a lovesong showing more than enough heart. A chorus of "I don't want to sleep tonight, tomorrow I'll see you" is crooned in falsetto over queasy synthesiser and Tabla-bashing, before being broken by a catchy do-do hook. Elsewhere on this genre-crossing album, Kristian Robinson playfully toys with two-step instrumentals, Arab Strap-y fretwork, drum-and-bass and samples collected from as far afield as Brunei and even London. However, in the favoured ground of inner city electronica and eastern scales, Capitol K thrives.
- christopher
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, April 04, 2002
|
The Casket Lottery - Survival Is For Cowards (Second Nature Recordings) [mp3s]
I remember picking up the first Casket Lottery CD thinking "Ex-members of Coalesce... this is gonna be totally fucking sick." Then I got it home, popped it into my CD player and was like "Wait...this is competent, heartfelt, emo garbage! Like the get up kids on math! I love it!" Well... this is the second full album since then, and they've still got it. This one is a lot darker than the previous outing, exploring themes of broken family and alcoholism... things I deal with every day.
- brian
|
|
|
|
|
Friday, March 29, 2002
|
Clinic - Walking with Thee (Domino)
The masks make sense on more than one level - never has a band been so proud of an identity crisis as Clinic. Still not having found a prescription that works on their third full length release, this much over hyped Brit rock combo fails to wow, and is destined to appeal to those who pride themselves on an affectation of being complicated. When these tracks were laid down. the doctor was definitely out.
- leslie
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, January 31, 2002
|
Cracker - Forever (Virgin/Back Porch) [audio]
Although I was a bit disappointed there was only one collaboration between David Lowry and my favorite Virginian Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse), "Forever" still rocks and rolls like I expected it to. "Brides Of Neptune" drips with Sparklehorsey goodness, and "Guarded By Monkees" rocks harder than any of their previous efforts. Although I could do without some of the female backup singer choruses and the silly, disc ending rap session, Cracker's recent offering bounces along and managed to induce car singa-longs in a mere two minutes. Still beautiful.
- cory
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, December 06, 2001
|
Centro-Matic - Distance and Clime (Idol)
Texas's Centro-Matic faces an uphill battle of Mark Hamill-esque proportions. Problem being that their first album was so perfect, there is simply no way they can top it. Regardless, their newest release makes a valiant attempt and manages to produce a few tracks that will some day end up on their greatest hits collection. All in all, a wonderful album filled with crunchy guitars and raspy vocals that give way to goosebump-inducing melodies.
- jon
|
|
|
|
|
Friday, November 16, 2001
|
Crush Kill Destroy - Punctuate Our Phrases (Makoto)
Put this band on the list of mostly instrumental math rock/post punk bands along with The Mercury Program, A Minor Forest, Dianogah, and Roots of Orchis. There are a few spoken word parts that recall a less convincing, more subdued Steve Albini but the instrumentals are precise, build on a melody and metamorphosis many times over. Not much distinguishes Crush Kill Destroy from the rest of the pack, and they could be accused of being interchangeable with those previously mentioned bands but I would consider it a compliment.
- mark
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, November 06, 2001
|
Circus Devils - Ringworm Interiors (Fading Captain)
Circus Devils are the lastest offering from the musical machine known as Robert Pollard and it is his noisiest and chaotic release since the Nightwalker debacle. The trademark one-minute anthems are here but buried beneath a soundtrack of deranged synths and screeching feedback. As with any Pollard release, the key is to edit out 60% and listen to the pure genius that remains. This sounds like one typical drunken weekend captured on tape or to put it in math terms: 30 pack + 4 track = Circus Devils
- mark
|
|
|
|
|
Friday, October 19, 2001
|
Leonard Cohen - Ten New Songs LP (Sony)
Cohen's latest release answers two burning questions 1) Can an artist sit back for close to a decade and still release a decent album? 2) Is Leonard Cohen still alive? The answer to both questions is "Um, I think so..." Suffering from recent cutbacks in the album naming department, Cohen industries compensates for a complete lack of titular originality by producing a beautiful set of songs which sound eerily similar to a collaboration between his aging singer/songwriter brethren Waits and Costello (which, sadly, only exists inside my own head). If only all late night easy listening sounded this good.
- jon
|
|
|
|
|
|
