So I really dig this; when I saw The Octopus Project perform at SXSW in 2007, there were no vocals, and while the music was entirely mesmerizing and the performance was completely amazing, this is a welcome change from that era of the band. Instrumentally, little has changed. It’s still filled with phenomenal harmonies that sift through multiple keyboards, loops, and upbeat percussion — and… can it be… is that a theremin there toward the end? Yes!

Clouded in mystery is Donny Hue’s new track “Steps” off Free Sides. It is filled with pop sensibilities yet is shrouded in psychedelic production, giving the song and the band those added… err, colors. “Steps”, while pop-centric, is not necessarily a super upbeat song. It has echoing guitars masked with a lightly distorted reverb, and the percussion is consistent but downplayed. The vocals, on the other hand, are front and center: their prominence shines even when harmonies are not present. But perhaps the most telling sign that …

Eat Sugar‘s “Pop Singer” reminds me a bit of The Rapture, for some reason. I’m talking about Pieces Of The People We Love, not Echoes. And their video for the song hints of a more disturbing version of Thunderheist’s “Jerk It“. At least initially. It may begin with a dancer clad in a tight and bright outfit who is then joined by a bear wearing the same. Then video has a twist that takes it straight to the realm of the demented.

It’s funny, I read about Chuck Morgan on Swedesplease, the go-to blog on Swedish music (oddly enough, written by an American) and decided I simply must cover the artist behind the music. Chuck Morgan‘s songs are a mix of lo-fi electronica and experimental pop. At least, that’s what can be heard in songs like “The Best Of You”.

We Landed On The Moon‘s front-woman Melissa Eccles has a blessed voice that is absolutely perfect for a guitar pop wonderland. But, These Little Wars is obviously very much a group effort. The band’s take on the eighties and nineties scene is compelling and exciting. And, unlike Neil Armstrong’s supposed voyage, there is no doubt that this a real event of an album. This is a great album to dance, care, and rock to throughout any purely darkened night.

WHY? The distinct capitalization and weighty punctuation are fit for embellishments: WHY? And yes, that is also the question: Why haven’t I given this band ear time? I cannot begin to answer the question, nor can I drum up any of the countless excuses that should be so easily on the tip of my tongue. After all, I recall seeing Rubber Traits come across the desk at KZUU in 2006 (approximately six months prior launching this site) and I noted the unique cover art, and heard great …

Folk-based pop artists, and vice versa, tend to encompass a homogeneous realm in music, as found in most sub-genres. So it generates great excitement when an artist defies the typical expectations. On “Unfold”, Julie Peel does just that, conjuring (surprisingly) a sound similar to the Jenn + Andy duo Wye Oak, sans the electric strength. “Unfold” too features male/female vocals, but rather than heavy pop-rock percussion and loud dreamy electric guitar riffs, Peel’s song is stripped to guitar, bongos, strings and a collective of instruments that assist in …

Showtime’s Dexter gives us an interesting foray into one serial killer’s mind. It’s something you’d expect from a station like Showtime, whose original series lineup is pretty impressive to begin. But it’s not something you’d necessarily expect in a music video. Watching “So Now You Have To Choose Between My Two (Black) Lungs” by Father Murphy, I cannot help but picture the destructive figure as a madman in the making.

Surprising a fact as this may be, I am pretty much unaware of the music reviewing world. This is a fact I plan to rectify from now on, as there are surely several blogs and sites worthy of my time and attention. I did a little digging when approaching “New Bones” by So Many Dynamos, a song that many relate to Fugazi, dub as post-punk with forays into math-rock, or said this positive thing or that negative thing… and I start to see why I tune so much …

As of today, Hardly Art now has seven records under their belt thanks to the release of Lessons In The Woods Or A City by Talbot Tagora. These seven hold some pretty blatant differences. Each release drastically contrasts from the last, the last two, and so on back to HAR-001 (In Camera by Arthur & Yu). Despite variations across the board, one thing remains consistent: greatness.