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Wednesday, July 14, 2010
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The Harvey Girls - I've Been Watching a Lot of Horror Movies Lately (Circle Into Square) [upcoming shows]
[audio]
The Harvey Girls are a husband & wife duo based out of Portland, Oregon that use a combination of analog sources, including chanting and hand claps with the studio experimentation of cascading synths, radio waves, sound effects and theremin to create sonically organic pop. "A Letter to the Bees" perfectly meshes Eric's Trip-like indie pop with the space lounge of Stereolab and the seven minute "Caerse Muerto" repeats guitar scales while slowly integrating sound effects and climaxing with flourishes of trumpets.
- mark
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Released 06.29.2010
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Monday, July 12, 2010
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The High Seas - Threads EP (Kicking In) [upcoming shows] [audio]
Captain Beefheart used to run around his band, showing them different paintings. Play this! This is similar to how I imagine these songs are composed. Trains going offtrack, now you're in a duckboat at Rocky Point. Humpty Dumpty ripping apart scores by Archers of Loaf, US Maple, The Fall, and Television, and putting them back together with silly putty. Multiple sung and screamed vocals, herky jerky grooves, sodimized guitars, this has it all.
- eric b
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Released 03.17.2010
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Thursday, May 20, 2010
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The Heligoats - Goodness Gracious (Greyday) [upcoming shows] [audio]
Chris Otepka is following up his epic The End of All-Purpose EP with an LP that many have praised as one of the best of 2010 (so far). Otepka has recently mastered a balance between the simplicity of a man and his guitar with the layered, soaring sound that his band brings to his songs. Emotionally there's a balance between the nonsensical and the earnest, as his stream-of-consciousness lyrics shift between eccentric and sobering, from energetic to gentle. Goodness Gracious takes the listener on a personal, often wandering, and always stimulating voyage.
- cormac
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Released 02.09.2010
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Monday, March 08, 2010
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Juliana Hatfield - Peace & Love (Ye Olde Records) [upcoming shows] [audio]
At this point in her career, Juliana Hatfield doesn't need gimmicks. Her long-established brand of alternative rock is universally known, and varies only in its degree of rockitude and easy-listenability. Juliana's rocked out to the extreme on albums like Total System Failure and Made In China, but it's been some time since she's presented us with such a collection of stripped down, acoustic, heartfelt songs. Peace & Love puts aside the distortion pedal and fancy production techniques to reach a candid girl-with-guitar makes home-recording feeling.
- cormac
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Released 02.16.2010
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Monday, February 22, 2010
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Harhay - Swimming Pools and Movie Stars (self released) [audio]
Darting between genres with flawless studio production, touches of slide guitars, jingle bells, and ragtime piano, "Yamahauler" borders on ska, while "Without You" goes full-on reggae. "Death by Lily" features a flowing sax solo that would make Sting proud. The vocals fall between Dave Matthews and the singer of the Counting Crows. "Vendelay" is the lone instrumental with samples from cartoons and documentaries. In the end, this is an east coast performer who has mastered the art of creating pastoral pop with a west coast vibe to it.
- mark
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Released 12.15.2009
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Wednesday, January 06, 2010
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Grant Hart - Hot Wax (CON D'OR Records)
[audio] [shows]
Grant Hart's first studio release in a decade, featuring members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, and Rank Strangers, most resembles his solo debut "Intolerance." Like most of his solo work, there's a healthy dose of keyboards and his ode to American furniture designer Charles Hollis Jones features a carnival organ. While commercial potential never seems to be a factor in his music, it's a shame the only appreciation Hart seems to get are from those people who remember the band he was in over twenty years ago.
- mark
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Released 10.06.2009
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Monday, March 16, 2009
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Home Video - It Will Be OK EP (self released) [download] [upcoming shows]
Home Video is a band so good that it drives me absolutely crazy they've released music so sparingly over the last five years (two singles, one album). Returning after a three-year break with It Will Be OK, it's evident they've been saving their best work for now. Moody and ambitious, the four songs on this EP recall a less art-damaged Radiohead. It's cinematic electro-rock balladeering with a live pulse; walking, breathing, human music from the future.
- paul
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Released 01.13.2009
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Friday, March 06, 2009
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Hurt - Goodbye to the Machine (Amusement) [audio] [upcoming shows]
For hard rock outfit Hurt's latest effort they decided to shed the ills of modern digital technology and record using analog gear. The result is a very rich production which pumps up the band's solid performance. The songwriting is diverse, drawing influence from many styles, but as a whole remains very cohesive. Each song highlights different facets of their character and keeps you engaged right to the end. It's been a long time since I've heard a rock album that sounds this good.
- j.p.
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Released 04.07.2009
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Tuesday, March 03, 2009
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Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew (ATO Records) [audio] [upcoming shows]
After a not-entirely-amicable parting of ways with Damien Rice, Lisa Hannigan is finally front and center with Sea Sew. Good for her, but also good for us. It's not an album wrought with the kind of self-flagellating emotude Rice is known for, but a sunny blast through the clouds instead. The arrangements are full, sometimes ornate, and compensate for Hannigan's hushed vocal style. Sea Sew is like a weekday sweetheart meet-up at a coffee shop when you should be at work; frivolous but not soon forgotten.
- paul
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Released 02.03.2009
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Friday, February 20, 2009
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Housewife - Triangulation EP (Domestic Junkie) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Scrappy yet persistant indie rock transported through a time tunnel into 2008. One point of reference is early Eleventh Dream Day; that trebly, urgent Americana that went out of fashion the moment Yo La Tengo broke the eight minute mark with one of their songs. The track "Sex and Violence" has spiraling guitars that sound like an airplane plummeting out of the sky. Call me a sucker, but anytime someone works the lyrics "rubber glove with two brown fingers, bloodstains, urine" into a song, count me in.
- mark
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Released 11.11.2008
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Thursday, February 05, 2009
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Sophie Hunger - Monday's Ghost (Emarcy) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Sophie Hunger possesses such a rich voice, she could effortlessly transcend the bottomless pit of coffee shop folkies were she to walk that mellow road. But she instead turns up the intensity and sometimes rocks out a little (imagine Feist singing Tegan and Sara). Nothing on Monday's Ghost rewrites the rules of modern music, but it's consistently tasteful and competent—and varied when it needs to be (her folky side always provides unexpected twists). A solid first impression.
- paul
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Released 02.03.2009
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Monday, December 22, 2008
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High Places (Thrill Jockey) [audio] [upcoming shows]
I just don't get this cd. I've given it three months to reveal its charms, but each time it plays I only hear "we're making art, aren't we cute" coming back at me. No, High Places, you aren't cute. Your music blows. If I didn't know you were a couple of art fucks from Brooklyn, I'd swear these were field recordings from a neo-hippie commune sing-a-long in rural Saskatchewan. At least if that were true, there'd be an interesting backstory for this crap.
- paul
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Released 09.23.2008
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Monday, December 08, 2008
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The Heligoats - The End of All-Purpose EP (Greyday) [audio] [upcoming shows]
As the singer for Troubled Hubble, Chris Otepka released his free association lyrics into catchy pop punk tunes with great success and seemingly zero effort. Since their breakup, he has been busy crafting just a few songs for the release of his latest EP under his pen name The Heligoats. The sound has shifted from pop to a mysterious, absurd, epic, and (at times) wonderful collection of songs that has grabbed my attention and left me absolutely longing for the upcoming full length.
- cormac
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Released 10.28.2008
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Thursday, November 27, 2008
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Maximilian Hecker - One Day (Pastel Music) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Since Infinite Love Songs was released in 2001, poor Maximilian Hecker has been chasing his tail trying to live up to what was a spectacular debut. He continues working in pretty much the same vein—hushed vocals and relaxed soft-rock arrangements—but without ever again reaching that high mark. One Day, his fifth album, is unfortunately just another missed opportunity to reinvent himself, because now he's tumbling ever closer to the antiseptic adult-contempo hell he astutely dodged early on.
- paul
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Released 11.04.2008
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Friday, November 07, 2008
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Juliana Hatfield - How to Walk Away (Ye Olde Records) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The first time I ever heard Juliana Hatfield was in 1990, when a friend put "Cesspool" on a mixtape she made. Cut to 18 years later, and I'm hearing How to Walk Away. I never expected to be floored by another Juliana Hatfield album after a long (long) string of releases ranging from, at best, ambitious to, at worst, uninspired. But the whole of How to Walk Away just has a natural, effortless easiness about it, much like her earliest work—except now there's some hard-earned wisdom behind it all.
- paul
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Released 08.19.2008
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Tuesday, November 04, 2008
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Emmylou Harris - All I Intended to Be (Nonesuch) [audio] [upcoming shows]
From her early duets with Gram Parsons through her groundbreaking Wrecking Ball album and even now, Emmylou Harris has always granted her words a home within the most crystalline voice in American music. The songwriting quality sometimes ebbs and flows from album to album, but All I Intended to Be is exceptional in mood, atmosphere and a warm melancholy that doesn't beg, but rather demands repeat listens.
- paul
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Released 06.10.2008
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Tuesday, September 09, 2008
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Zach Hill - Astrological Straits (Ipecac) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Chaos. Astrological Straits is an experimental collection of multi-layered compositions tied together with complex rhythms and beats. Zach Hill's creation moves at an uncomfortably fast pace, creating a tense atmosphere that leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout. Some unexpected musical transitions are quite jarring, but that's really one of effects the unorthodox nature of this recording brings out. I wouldn't want to listen to this album regularly, but there are days when chaos is necessary.
- j.p.
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Released 08.12.2008
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
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Hidrogenesse - Bestiola (Austrohúngaro) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Kraftwerk's Trans-Europe Express may be the most obvious inspiration for Bestiola, but it's largely an homage to everything krautrock from the late 1970s. Assembled from ten individual songs to create one 39 minute-long epic, it's hardly as high-concept and unfun as I make it sound. Hidrogenesse comes at the genre without heavy hands, leaving plenty of room for the often dense arrangements to ebb and flow naturally. Bestiola is weightless and animated throughout, unlike even the most accessible examples of krautrock's past.
- paul
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Released 05.20.2008
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Thursday, August 21, 2008
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Hotpants Romance - It's a Heatwave (Happy Happy Birthday to Me) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Hotpants Romance? Sorry, no thanks. On this all-girl trio's debut LP, Hotpants Romance aim for Bikini Kill-esque rebellious punk rock but just come short, sounding like annoying teens filled with relentless and whiny complaints. The short, repetitive tunes were all too similar, but once in a while there was a tiny glimpse of hope. With lots of improvement and maturity, these girls can be on to something. Lots of improvement.
- melody
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Released 08.12.2008
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Monday, July 21, 2008
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Lauren Harris - Calm Before the Storm (Demolition) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Lauren Harris, daughter of Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris, has released her debut album Calm Before the Storm. The music is fairly standard riff-based hard rock fare, though sounds somewhat dated. Harris, whose voice lacks the power and character of singers like Sass Jordan or Lita Ford, simply isn't able to put together a compelling performance. As a result, the entire album is mediocre at best. Apparently, musical talent is not always hereditary.
- j.p.
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Released 06.10.2008
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Thursday, June 26, 2008
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Hydrogyn - Deadly Passions (Demolition) [audio] [upcoming shows]
What began as a moderately enjoyable listening experience turned into a lot of cursing...by me, not the band. The bulk of this album is fairly typical metal fare, but thrown in the middle is a cover of Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know". Sadly, Hydrogyn tried to emulate the original, so it sounds out of place, and they also changed the lyrics to replace the word "fuck" with "touch". At that point I touched the eject button and tossed this one into the waste basket.
- j.p.
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Released 06.10.2008
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
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Hiawata! - Blacks on Blondes EP (Sellout) [audio] [upcoming shows]
I welcome the '90s revival Hiawata! and a few other bands (Times New Viking, Wet Paint) are ushering in with their imperfect musicianship, bent vocals and inexhaustible energy. The five little songs on Blacks on Blondes remind me of the years before the internet made finding good music so easy, when the only real option was scouring mailorder catalogs and taking inexpensive risks. Their melody-rich guitar-heavy music would have fit nicely between Sebadoh and Built to Spill on mixtapes, and I might have to throw "Good Looks" on one now.
- paul
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Released 05.20.2008
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Friday, May 02, 2008
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Neil Hamburger - Neil Hamburger Sings Country Winners (Drag City) [upcoming shows]
Every time I think Neil Hamburger's schtick needs reinvention, Neil Hamburger's schtick gets reinvented. This very specific parody of the tossed-off celebrity cash-in albums of the '60s and '70s succeeds beyond its base novelty record pedigree. Amazingly, the album is far superior both lyrically and musically to the forthcoming album by labelmates Silver Jews. Look, you knew before you read this review whether this is something you'd like or not, but it really is a lot better than it needed to be.
- troy
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Released 04.22.2008
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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Hans the Double - Vessels EP (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
With heavy, distorted guitar rifts and colorful transitions akin to Smashing Pumpkins, the musicality on this album is spot-on. At times, the instrumental work dominates the vocals, which seem to fade against a vibrant back drop; but, the contrast of their mellowy, smooth vocals doesn't go unnoticed—just a brush of raucous vocal rage will highlight their brilliance. The purely instrumental track, "When the Moors Conquered Sicily", is a true testament to this band's talent.
- christina
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Released 12.11.2007
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Friday, April 18, 2008
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Head of Femur - Great Plains (Greyday) [audio] [upcoming shows]
You're washing dishes and then... bang!, you're humming "Great Plains". You're helpless. "Jetway Junior" makes your feet shuffle. "Leader & The Falcon" makes you realize that, yeah, this band is good enough to open for Wilco and Andrew Bird. It's progressive pop, combining Flaming Lips with '70s rock, or maybe Elvis Costello with Apollo Sunshine. It's all over the map: strange, frantic, and fun all in the same song. It's taken several listens to conclude that I still don't know what to think.
- cormac
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Released 03.25.2008
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
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Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness (Enemies List) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Sometimes 75 words just aren't enough. Exasperatingly bad album from a band that has possibly the most dedicated and devious street team in the history of the internet. A double album that overstays every one of its eighty-five minutes, this muddled attempt at post-every-sound is one step above Myspace death metalheads jammin' together with dentist drills and a Radio Shack mic. The laughable attempts at grandeur from this band are no match for anyone with ears. Avoid by any means necessary.
- troy
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Released 01.29.2008
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Thursday, March 27, 2008
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Harmonica - Miaow Miaow Bark! EP (Weewerk) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Harmonica made a ripple across mp3 blogs in 2006 with a couple of great sugary pop songs ("Boys & Girls" and "Friday Night"), so it's really disappointing that neither of them appear here. What's even more disappointing, however, is what does appear here. Two years was apparently just long enough to dull Harmonica's lustre, because these four tracks—buried under an ill-advised mall punk makeover of compressed guitars and painted-on sass—don't demand to ever be heard a second time.
- paul
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Released 01.22.2008
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Thursday, March 06, 2008
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Headlights - Some Racing, Some Stopping (Polyvinyl) [audio] [upcoming shows]
From the ashes of the beloved but neglected Absinthe Blind rose Headlights, bringing with them weak EPs and an ever weaker first album. But with Some Racing, Some Stopping, the band members finally remembered that 1) they used to be in Absinthe Blind and 2) they are still on Polyvinyl. The key is that they've reconciled both into this slender album. Midway through, "On April 2" and "School Boys" cement in a 1-2 punch everything the group is suddenly capable of, and what a dazzling advancement into fully-realized pop it is!
- troy
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Released 02.19.2008
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Monday, March 03, 2008
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High Places - 03/07-09/07 (eMusic Selects) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Brooklyn group High Places is taking listeners to, uh...oh boy...high places with this eMusic compilation. Collecting two 7"'s and a smattering of comp appearances (though not their stellar contribution to Esopus magazine—time to head over to Borders, gang), this "album" sounds fairly cohesive. The ethereal beats and exotic production is charming, and the duo effortlessly taps into subconscious grooves. The hypnotic songs found here invite repeat listens, like a wonderful mystery whose solution is just barely out of grasp.
- troy
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Released 02.05.2008
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
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Hope Anchor - The City Limits EP (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
This Providence, Rhode Island-based band's influences are in the range of The Jesus and Mary Chain and Psychedelic Furs, filled with catchy guitar riffs, punchy vocals, and a production value that's just clean enough to leave the edges rough. On their debut EP, singer Paul Everett hits the highs and lows and if you don't have a tear in your eye during "Means to an End", you are dead inside. I considered running away from home after hearing it. Highly recommend to anyone interested in dramatic power rock.
- junco tibet
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Released 09.04.2007
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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
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PJ Harvey - White Chalk (Island) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Icon of the indie-gal with a guitar scene, a truly blowout album and mainstream success has so far eluded Harvey, which is possibly why she's chosen to swap her bluesy drawl for a much higher, ethereal register on latest offering White Chalk. A lightly tuned piano is frequently Harvey's only accompaniment, creating a collection of bleakly repetitive and depressing tracks. There are odd hints of the old Harvey menace on tracks like "When Under Ether", but whilst this album is occasionally hauntingly beautiful, it is still far from her finest hour.
- ellie
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Released 10.02.2007
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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Hurt - Vol. II (Capitol) [audio] [upcoming shows]
My initial reaction to Vol. II may best be described by a quote from George Bernard Shaw; "All evolution in thought and conduct must at first appear as heresy and misconduct." All of my consummated preconceptions of how this album might sound were completely shattered. The cultivation of Hurt's songwriting skills and musicianship coupled with improved production values elevates this album to a higher plane than earlier efforts. Six months from now, and onward, this will be the album I'm still listening to.
- j.p.
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Released 09.25.2007
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
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Juliana Hatfield & Frank Smith - Sittin' in a Tree EP (Ye Olde Records) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Juliana Hatfield is celebrating her 20th anniversary as America's #1 indie-rock goddess by teaming up with a band called Frank Smith to create a new 6-song EP of mid-tempo rock with a twist of country. The sound completely works for Hatfield, who has shown more and more musical range since the turn of the century. The feel of Sittin' in a Tree is less fiery than 2005's Made in China, with the majority of the new songs fitting into either the adult contemporary mood of In Exile Deo or the pop vein of a Some Girls album.
- cormac
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Released 05.29.2007
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Friday, June 29, 2007
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Hooray for Earth (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Hooray for Earth describe their influences as "Cradle of Filth and Enya." But that doesn't really do justice to their music. Personally, I'd call them one hell of a party: The Magnetic Fields, The Cars, Queen, Nirvana and, yes, Cradle of Filth and Enya all rocking out on a bunch of half-broken synthesizers at a post-millennial disco might come close to approximating the sound. This is not your father's (or older brother's) synth-rock. And let's all be glad for that.
- jeremy
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Released 08.22.2006
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Thursday, June 14, 2007
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Miho Hatori - Ecdysis (Rykodisc) [audio]
Miho Hatori returns with a solo album 8 years after Stereotype A, and it
was not worth the wait. Following up Cibo Matto's sparkling career, Miho
has created a fabulous bossa nova meets trip-hop sound, but with
surprisingly few standout tracks. Songs like "Barracuda" (NOT a Heart
cover) and "In Your Arms" shine on an album largely full of
disappointment. Although there is an overall lack of hooks and a lack of
excitement, there are subtle benefits for anyone willing to listen.
- cormac
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Released 10.24.2006
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Wednesday, May 30, 2007
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Haste the Day - Pressure the Hinges (Solid State/Tooth & Nail) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Haste the Day's first release with new lead vocalist Stephen Keech proves to be their most mature effort to date. Keech's effect on the band's sound is immediately apparent on the album's title track, "Pressure the Hinges." The album's song structure is more sophisticated, due in part to an improved balance in the interplay between melodic harmonies and guttural screams. However, with the exceptions of "Janet's Planet" and "Chorus of Angels," the production makes most of the other tracks sound too similar.
- j.p.
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Released 03.20.2007
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Monday, May 14, 2007
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Albert Hammond, Jr. - Yours to Keep (Scratchie/New Line) [audio]
From the first strains of toy piano to the neatly placed acoustic guitar riffs, Yours to Keep sounds a little bit like what could've happened if the Strokes had met on the warm streets of L.A. and spent some time in the sun before recording. Nonetheless, Strokes references should be kept to a bare minimum because Hammond more than holds his own when flying the nest. This is an album for just about anyone interested in acquiring some awesome new pop music for the upcoming summer days.
- diana
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Released 03.06.2007
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Thursday, February 22, 2007
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The Hidden Hand - The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote (Southern Lord) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Quietly proving yet again that they are one of the best hard rock bands going right now, The Hidden Hand return with their masterwork The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote. It's a dazzling tome of flawless classic rock in the making, and arguably their most powerful record. With ten more thoughtfully written, insanely catchy jams to add to the 'Hand's towering repertoire, Resurrection..., which closes with the band's most epic and progressive song, "Slow Rain," invokes beauty, doom and triumph. Absolutely mind-blowing, as always.
- jason m.
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Released 02.20.2007
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Wednesday, February 14, 2007
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Kristin Hersh - Learn to Sing Like a Star (Yep Roc) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Freshly 40 and just as busy as ever, Kristin Hersh's latest album has her own name on the cover (as opposed to Throwing Muses or 50 Foot Wave) and marks her first release for the Yep Roc label. Since you never know ahead of time which Kristin you're going to get—quiet and contemplative, lively and loud or somewhere in between—be aware that Learn to Sing covers most, if not all, of the bases. Whether this is the only record she releases in '07 or just the first, you're unlikely to hear many things that sound better.
- paul
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Released 01.23.2007
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Monday, January 29, 2007
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Hands Down Eugene - Madison (XOXO Records) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Aside from being one of the best live bands in music, the members of My Morning Jacket have had a busy year. Their membership in Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminal Starvation League got the most attention but this side project with members of Ben Folds' band is sadly overlooked. Midtempo americana fused with ELO synths, Built to Spill, Swearing at Motorists, The Band, Wilco, early REM, George Harrison and White Album-era Beatles. Making it look this easy, they can afford to quit their day jobs.
- mark
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Released 11.07.2006
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Thursday, December 14, 2006
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Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Knives Don't Have Your Back (Last Gang) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Metric's Emily Haines is your new indie rock girlfriend for when Jenny Lewis gets too sweet and you want a girl with a piano and some attitude—who, despite this, still won't defame the male sex left and right. Her solo debut is calming and heartbreaking in the same vein as the Microphones' Phil Elvrum, a result of Haines' smooth vocals in contrast to the lulling but sometimes driving piano.
- diana
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Released 09.19.2006
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Wednesday, December 13, 2006
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In loving memory of Leslie Harpold from everyone here at 75orLess. Thank you for everything.
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Wednesday, October 18, 2006
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Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 - Ole! Tarantula (Yep Roc) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Robyn Hitchcock has his crazy head up in the stars and his two feet firmly on the ground, and they're surrounded by talented guests on Ole! Tarantula, a cosmic yet folky rock n' roll album. R.E.M. and
Replacements fans should be paying attention. Much like John Doe, Paul Weller and Bob Mould, this former Soft Boy delivers on another solid Yep Roc release from a former 70's-80's frontman. Pete Shelley, Yep Roc is waiting for you.
- cormac
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Released 10.03.2006
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Friday, October 06, 2006
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Humcrush - Hornswoggle (Rune Grammofon) [audio and upcoming shows]
Though Hornswoggle is credited to Thomas Stronen and Stale Storlokken, it's clear the material contained within is actually a record of what happens when the tape is left running at night as the instruments come to life and play themselves. The human component here would have you believe that this compelling mix of free-form percussion and synthesized beeps and farts is the result of their own simple improvisation, and it's wise of them to make that claim. After all, there would be panic in the streets if people knew the machines were taking over.
- paul
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Released 06.20.2006
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Monday, September 18, 2006
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Hylozoists - La Fin du Monde (Boompa) [audio] [upcoming shows]
This Toronto based orchestra, led by Paul Aucoin, features nineteen musicians including members of The Weakerthans, Broken Social Scene, and Final Fantasy. While built around traditional bass, drums, and electric guitar, it adds trumpet, organ and violin before layering pedal steel guitar, flugelhorn, cello, glockenspiel, cello, viola, and vibraphone as the icing on the cake. Like an expanded Japancakes or older Stereolab, this does have vocals on three of the eleven tracks, highlighted by the haunting Victoria Klingenstierna on "Man Who Almost Was".
- mark
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Released 07.11.2006
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Friday, August 18, 2006
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Paris Hilton - Paris (Warner Brothers) [audio and video]
Would I lie to you? I swear I was driving downtown listening to the new Paris Hilton album when fucking champagne bubbles began oozing from my car stereo. About half of Paris is completely sterile mall pop in the vein of Hilary Duff or Ashee Simpson, but the remaining half is surprisingly accomplished, exquisitely produced and hypersexy—custom-made for those who appreciate disco heavyweights from Donna Summer to Goldfrapp. Miss Hilton has been inexplicably famous for years, but now there's a causal link... and that's hot.
- paul
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Released 08.22.2006
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Tuesday, May 23, 2006
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Hot Chip - The Warning (Astralwerks) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Their debut, 'Coming On Strong' was disappointing because it was dire, but this is frustrating in a different way. When it's good, it's awesome; evidence of this being single of the year contender 'Over and Over' and opening track 'Careful'. The title track in particular, however, makes me want to hurt people. Halfway through the album I just sorta get bored and restless and want it to end. There's a great EP in there, but you might just want to get the singles from this one.
- jonny
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Released 06.13.2006
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Thursday, April 13, 2006
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Hey Tiger - September (self released) [audio and shows]
This full-length debut flaunts an amazing talent in vocalist Christina Alessi. Emerging out of Springsteen’s Jersey, this band delivers a hard-as-nails fistful of rock ‘n roll, made pliable by a sizzling vocal heat. Obvious comparisons to Etheridge and Nancy Wilson aside, Alessi emotes, with an agile prowess, the vocal strut of a soulful pop diva like Roison Murphy or Joss Stone. The melodies are predictable, but full of tried-and-true rock ballads and choruses that build with intensity to climax in a sweaty fervor. The
instrumentation is tight and that voice has weighty potential.
- betty
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Released 12.17.2005
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Monday, April 03, 2006
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James Holden - At the Controls (Resist) [upcoming shows]
Commercially produced DJ mixes of all kinds have become so ubiquitous over the last two or three years, it's almost impossible to keep up. Know what? I don't even bother. Plenty of them come across my desk, get played for a few minutes and just as quickly are forgotten. So what's special about James Holden's new mix At the Controls? It oozes a comfortable melancholy; an unusually organic blend of IDM and subtle fringe-pop selections that, even though anyone can buy it, feels like it was made with only me--and/or you--in mind.
- paul
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Released 03.28.2006
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Tuesday, January 24, 2006
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The High Violets - To Where You Are
(Reverb Records) [audio] [upcoming shows]
In 1992, you couldn't throw a distortion pedal ten feet without hitting a member of a shoegaze or dream-pop band right in the noggin. That's not the case anymore, but the High Violets have the distinction of being a better qualified candidate than most newcomers, thanks to the sugar-spun vocals of Kaitlyn ni Donavan and their choice leave the songs direct; unobscured by frivolous sonic haze. Back then, they'd have given Lush a serious run for their money.
- paul
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Released 01.31.2006
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Wednesday, December 14, 2005
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Honeyhander - Woolly Mannerisms EP (Strictly Amateur Films) [mp3] [upcoming shows]
The guys in Honeyhander must have terrific record collections. Better still, they must have had a talk before writing songs and decided as a group to combine as many sounds and influences as possible without becoming unbearably derivative. If you can name me another band that, over the course of five tracks, will make me think of The Cure, Skinny Puppy, Marilyn Manson, Chavez, PiL, This Mortal Coil, and Gang of Four without even scratching my head, I'll tell you they're just copying Honeyhander. Unexpectedly amazing.
- paul
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Friday, September 09, 2005
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Juliana Hatfield - Made in China (Ye Olde Records) [upcoming shows]
Listening to Made in China, I found myself telling Juliana Hatfield to get out of my head. Without missing a beat, she crooned, "You act like you're the only one with a chemical imbalance." A conglomeration of her previous incarnations, "Made" features delicate, sometimes whiney, vocals, jaded lyrics and hard guitar. Noticeably absent is the whimsy of earlier works (think "hey babe"). Heartbreaking balladry makes a cameo appearance, but the bulk of this album is low-fi, stripped-down chick rock. Feels like home to me.
- stacie d.
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Released 08.09.2005
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Monday, July 18, 2005
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Hexes & Ohs - Goodbye Friend, Welcome Lover (Noise Factory) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Montreal scene veterans Heidi Donnelly and Edmund Lam have gone from
band to band thinning their numbers until only the two of them
remained. Hexes & Ohs, their latest incarnation, is proof that no more people than necessary need to be involved in the making of a
great record. On the surface, I'd say this would appeal immediately
to fans of the Postal Service, but deeper down lurks an entire album
of obscured melody and experimental craft. Let the world have "Such
Great Heights." "Alive Until Saturday Night" is for you.
- paul
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Released 05.24.2005
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Tuesday, May 31, 2005
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Various Artists - Kittridge Records Presents: Homemade Hits Vol. 2 (Kittridge)
[audio]
That enchanting clerk working at the record shop down the street likes you. Because she's a bit shy, she makes you a mixtape to strike up conversation on your return visit. At home that afternoon, you fall hard for her rich taste in great bands you've never heard before. A week passes, and you find yourself listening to the tape all the time, day and night. Of course this girl is imaginary, but these are the things you think of when listening to Homemade Hits Vol. 2.
- paul
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Released 03.15.2005
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Monday, May 23, 2005
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The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday (French Kiss Records) [mp3] [upcoming shows]
The Hold Steady have been unfairly pegged as a bar band – the thinking indie-AC/DC wannabe. If there's any justice, Separation Sunday should shake that reputation. If there's any classic rock specter that haunts this album, it's Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and I mean that as a compliment. With Benmont Tench-ian organ backing up the wall of guitars behind Craig Finn's stories of party kids falling in and out of grace, I'm instantly transported back to the night-time parking lots of high school days long past.
- jeremy
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Released 05.03.2005
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Tuesday, April 19, 2005
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Herman Düne - Not On Top (Track & Field)
[mp3s]
[upcoming shows] [buy domestic!]
Herman Düne is actually comprised of two Swedish brothers who collaborate with a Swiss drummer while living in Paris. To fill out the multi-national lineup for their new release, they borrow the talents of Canadian Julie Doiron to give their guys' night out a feminine touch. Even more of a novelty might be that Not On Top is recorded entirely in mono; an artistic decision that helps accentuate the playfully pure and vintage mood of their performance. The Decemberists could sound this good if they weren't so nerdy.
- paul
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Released 04.18.2005
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Thursday, April 14, 2005
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The Holy Ghost - Welcome To Ignore Us (Clearly Records) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
NYC's The Holy Ghost sound more like Boston's The Blizzard of 78 than any 80's revivalist band that share the same hometown with the band. This is a pretty big achievement for the The Holy Ghost to not get stuck with that "NYC sound" as countless other bands do. Watch out for the guitar on "Commercial", it will cut your head off if you aren't paying attention. On "Pyramid" THG mix things up a bit by slowing down while not losing the distortion which produces a beautiful/dirty sound.
- kyle j.
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Friday, April 08, 2005
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Hood - Outside Closer (Domino) [mp3] [upcoming shows]
After an early career of emulating lo-fi indie rock icons like Pavement, Hood reinvented itself by engaging in experimental rock (use of samples) that evokes, perhaps unfairly, comparisons to Radiohead - Hood is more coherent and engaging … you "get it" on first listen rather than having to figure it out over repeated listens. There is an element of hip-hop in the folktronica beats throughout the CD though the vocals are delivered in slacker sing-song fashion. Is it too early to declare this my favorite release of 2005?
- chip
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Released 02.08.2005
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Friday, April 01, 2005
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Mitch Hedberg - Mitch All Together (Comedy Central)
Mitch died this week, which sucks. Drugs suck. Thank God he made this CD first. All the randomness of Steven Wright, with none of the coherency. This guy did one of the funniest sets I have ever seen in my life in Nashville, and I've been a huge fan ever since. One of the most likeable stage presences I ever saw. If you haven't picked up this CD/DVD set yet, do yourself a favor. When he hit his mark, he could be the funniest man alive. Why did you have to stop being alive?
- tom d.
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Released 12.09.2003
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Monday, December 20, 2004
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Hinkley - Frail and Poker Faced (info@hinkleysounds.com to purchase) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
The EP for the Rochester, NY band Hinkley is a bargain at $5. You
might as well buy it now before they start selling out premier venues
and appear on acoustic specials. Hinkley reminds me of the Wrens,
writing catchy lyrics while adding a Chapel Hill punch of indie rock.
This unassuming band rocks with an untainted energy that when you hear
them live, everything but the beer in your hand and the band on stage
are insignificant.
- jason w.
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Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
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Har Mar Superstar - The Handler (Record Collection) [mp3] [audio/video] [upcoming shows]
The most Justin Timberlakeian album that has been released since November 5th, 2002. I mean that as a compliment, but I'm not so sure Timbaland is going to take it as one. True story: I got in a car accident while singing along to "DUI," easily one of the catchiest pop songs I've heard all year. Top it all off with a Self/Har Mar cover of Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again" and you've got an album that, at very least, forced me to think long and hard before admitting my love for it.
- jon
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Thursday, September 02, 2004
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Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama - There Will Be a Light (Virgin) [upcoming shows]
Amen! This album is the most funky, bluesy, rockin' gospel album ever. It might be a bit to Christian for some, but if you like Ben Harper (or the Blind Boys) and you're down with Jesus, this album is a must have. A good listen anytime, great when your feeling down, or just want to keep that cup of faith full.
- bc
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Friday, July 09, 2004
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The Hidden Cameras - Mississauga Goddam (Evil Evil/Rough Trade) [upcoming shows] [audio]
Toronto's Joel Gibb and his Hidden Cameras return with what may be their best effort to date, having fine tuned the ramshackle fracas which dominated the first two albums. Still present are the humorously explicit un-"pc" lyrics and Spector-ish wall of sound, but this time the songs are built around some infallible melodies and an unparalleled exuberance at which earlier material only hinted. "Music is My Boyfriend" is destined to be the centerpiece of newly made mix tapes for the rest of the Summer.
- paul
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Friday, July 02, 2004
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PJ Harvey - Uh Huh Her (Island) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Polly Jean appears to be going back to her roots. Completely reversing direction from Stories From the City, she's gone back to a very stripped down, venomous approach. Gone are the sweet melodies... Fuzzed out guitar, sparse drums and more feminine angst than you can shake a soccer mom at is the order of the day. While it has some good tunes on it, this record sounds about half done. Maybe she just used up all her good ideas on that Desert Sessions record and this is the leftovers...
- brian
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Wednesday, January 28, 2004
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The Holy Ghost - Well... Get Your Funeral Shoes (Clearly Records)
[listen to the album] [upcoming shows]
Oozing with coolness, The Holy Ghost's six-song EP brings to mind sold out shows at small clubs, wall-to-wall hipsters hoping to discover the next Strokes, White Stripes, Walkmen. Too clean to be garage rock, too rocking to be bastardized blues, the music on this EP is the equivalent of a $3 martini - crisp, refreshing, and righteously hip. In a way, it's like Girls Against the Boys BEFORE the apocalypse strikes but not as sleazy.
- chip
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Monday, October 06, 2003
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Hey Mercedes - Loses Control (Vagrant)
Hey Mercedes' new album, without compromising the band's distinct sound, includes a more poppy and polished feel. The angular guitars, dark chords and complex drums leave no room for confusion as to who you're rocking out to, but Bob's crooning is a bit more melodic and the harmonies are abundant and killer. They've truly honed their sound here; this effort is intense and artistic but not afraid to be catchy - 12 great (Emo, Math?) rock songs. In short, you'll be smiling if this album doesn't rock your face off.
- nick t.
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Tuesday, May 13, 2003
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Holding The Void (Joseph Arthur)
As a side project for the increasingly prolific Joseph Arthur, this is a straight-up rock album that stands apart from his solo act. Supported by a backing band, Arthur indulges in the occasional guitar solo and, more importantly, sounds like he's having fun the whole time. While the lyrics aren't terribly deep, it's proof that, underneath it all, everyone just needs to rock out every once in a while.
- kean
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Monday, April 28, 2003
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Hot Hot Heat - Make Up The Breakdown (Subpop) [mp3, mp3] [upcoming shows]
"It is not new wave worship; it is the sound of punk teaching itself to dance." Everything I read about HHH quotes this statement from SPIN. Probably because it is so damn accurate. Like the Strokes, Interpol, etc., HHH manage to create a sound that's totally new, yet at the same time, totally familiar. It is a bit over-the-top, yes, but it is very well-executed. Slip on your tight jeans and extra-medium T-shirt, your studded belt and pointy Italian boots, and shake your fat ass. Derivative is the new original.
- ryan
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Thursday, February 27, 2003
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Daryl Hall & John Oates - Do it for Love (U-Watch) [audio] [upcoming shows]
For years I hid my love for the smoothest pop n' soul honkey duo to come from Philly because it wasn't "cool" to like Hall and Oates. But that all changed recently when Ben from DCFC admitted his admiration for the duo. So sing it loud and proud H&O fans, the boys are back with an all-new collection of toe-tapping, glossy sing-a-longs like "Life's Too Short" and "Man on a Mission." If you don't want to buy it, steal if from your parents.
- chip
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Monday, November 25, 2002
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Had - Here Is Something Fun For You To Do, Color This Picture EP [audio] [upcoming shows]
You know a record isn't very good when the best thing you can write about it is that the band have managed to tune their instruments. That's not to say that the debut EP from Central Washington's Had is bad, just unnecessary. The six songs here run the gamut from emulating Guided By Voices on "Daffodil Valley" to mimicking any number of early English space-rock bands on "Acrophobe." Nothing horrible, but the lackluster production and one-dimensional songwriting left me wanting some sparkle.
- cory
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Tuesday, September 24, 2002
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Holiday - Words That Rhyme (Melanie Records) [mp3s, video]
To the untrained listner, the 11 songs (about girls and stuff) on Holiday's debut LP sound a lot like Weezer. To the powerpop sophisticate, those same 11 songs (about girls and stuff) sound a lot like the Smoking Popes. Yet it's equivalently kickass wafting through either pair of ears. Well-crafted and ebola-catchy, with a melodic knack that's skewed juuuuust enough (like that Kweller kid, methinks) to avoid the generic cliché pitfalls that tend to crop up from these familiar ingredients. Turn it up and hold that boombox high, Lloyd.
- nick
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Wednesday, August 14, 2002
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Hey Mercedes - The Weekend EP (Vagrant)
In a nutshell, this is 4 great songs that Hey Mercedes recorded when they were in the studio recording the full-length that was released late last year. "Wait a minute!" you say..."There's only three new songs on here! One of them is just a remixed version of a track from the album!" "Keep listening," I'd tell you. "There's a great cover of 'The Promise' hidden at the end." Definitely worth the few books you might shell out for it.
- brian
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Tuesday, August 13, 2002
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The Honey's - Shoot From the Hip (Derailleur Records) [mp3, mp3]
The most exciting thing I've heard all year - The Honey's sound like the punk rock brothers and sisters of late '80s sleazy hard rock bands like Ratt, Spread Eagle, L.A. Guns and Skid Row with hot, hot, hot female vocals. And, as far as I can tell, it's not tongue-in-cheek, just pure, straight-out, balls-to-the-walls metal. What the band lacks in Hit Parader style (where are the leather pants?) they make up for in the sound. Bang your head!!!
- chip
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Wednesday, June 19, 2002
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Hot Snakes - Suicide Invoice (Swami) [mp3]
Last week I got into a bar fight. I don't think it's a small coincidence that I happened to get this record the very next day. A Hot Snakes record is like the soundtrack to getting your teeth knocked out. Theme music for running through the summer night, screaming at the top of your lungs, knocking over everything in your path. Intense rock riffage mixed with Rick Froberg's trademark yelp, this album begs to be cranked while you search for that jackass with the tazer and settle the score. Hells yes.
- brian
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Monday, April 29, 2002
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David Holmes - Come Get It I Got It (13 Amp)
Fresh off the genius Ocean's 11 soundtrack, David Holmes drops a mixtape-esque collection of rare-as-fuck soul tracks alongside vintage-sounding new songs by his pet project, The Free Association. While I miss the current hip-hop and garage rock juxtaposed in his live sets (De La, White Stripes), Come Get It has more than enough brilliant selections to rectify the omission; Muddy Waters "Tom Cat" and the brilliantly amateur (and blatantly drug-addled) cover of "Purple Haze" are worth the price alone.
- nick
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Thursday, April 25, 2002
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Hope In Ghosts - Self Titled EP [mp3s]
Hope In Ghosts is the project of Ted Flynn, who plays everything but the drums here. Track one features an electric drill and a phoned in narrator telling a story about an attempted hookup with a girl that never happens over a Tortoise-like beat. The other tracks are high quality instrumentals plenty reminscent of Slint and Seam. If one release should have been longer, it's this one and at just over fourteen minutes long, I was sorry to see it end. Better yet, my two word review - more please.
- mark
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Friday, April 05, 2002
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Hot Rod Circuit - Sorry About Tomorrow (Vagrant) [mp3]
The origin of the name Hot Rod Circuit includes the phrase "sitting around stoned, watching the Simpsons." Instant point in my book. Then they put an amazingly hot girl on the cover of their new record. And now I find out that their merch offerings include a Hot Rod Circuit thong... how rockin' is that? Add a fun (not overly groundbreaking or original) rock record with tons of good, Weezer-esque hooks and you've got summer taken care of.
- brian
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Monday, January 07, 2002
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Havergal - Lungs for the Race (Secretly Canadian) [mp3s]
It was an anticipative 2 years between bedroom musician Ryan Murphy’s strong 7" My Heart and the 2001 release Lungs for the Race. The intimate quality of Havergal’s post-rock minimalism offer engaging lyrics, at once personal and musing complimented by guitar that stand alone among lo-fi loops. Murphy produced the album in a home studio in Bedford, Texas which reflect in his sonic architecture and beautifully designed harmonies. An album best listened to alone.
- jules
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Wednesday, January 02, 2002
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Home Alive Compilation II - Flying Sidekick (Broken Rekids)
Good music for a great cause. The second Home Alive compilation lacks the funding of the first one (and the star power) but does serve as a nice introduction to many new (mostly) Seattle bands. The second half of the CD features the best music – the whispery vocals of Carissa’s Weird, the smooth soul of Maktub, the spacey subtleness of Sanford Arms, and the all-star drone of The Makers (featuring Michael Shelley, Peter Buck, and Scott McCaughey).
- chip
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Friday, December 21, 2001
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Her space holiday - Manic Expressive (TigerStyle)
The 2nd snowfall of winter started about 3 hours ago. Light some candles. Play her space holiday; loudly. This album has a symphonic structure and ambient synthetic lucidity mixed with lovely layers of soft vocals and beats. It is a romantic notion of mellow, building to a sparse dramatic climax at times. Watch the snowfall, silently, take it in. Sounds like? Tortoise mixed with Sparklehorse but cleaner with more strings and some Kid A influences.
- karen
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Monday, October 29, 2001
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Hey Mercedes - Everynight Fireworks (Vagrant)
First off I should confess that I am friends with this band...they get me in free to their shows and pump me full of free beer. I would like to state that I can give them a completely impartial review. The sad fact is...I can't. This album rocks. If you liked Braid, it's fairly certain that you've been waiting for this one for a while. Go buy it. If you downloaded it from the internet, send money directly to me or the band, preferably me.
- brian
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