I’ve been searching for a “perfect for a fall day” sound for a while now and with Loch Lomond I just might have found it.
Based in Portland, OR, a music Mecca that seems to be brimming with promising artists these days, Loch Lomond’s songs are swept with some-what Scottish lilted melodies and covered in strings and chimes; their music flows with a capacity for a sound that is breezy and grounded, clean and complex.
Read More »Loch Lomond [Feature]
Oh the classic sound of Seattle’s Moondoggies. Hints of Neil Young shine through in their new track “It’s A Shame, It’s A Pity”. Their style of rustic folk rock has always flirted with this mold, but never has it been so vibrant of that 70s era, so reminiscent of their brethren from another life. “It’s A Shame, It’s A Pity” is upbeat and mature, ripe with the feel-good elements of pop and the disenchantment with a bad situation as the band repeats It’s a shame and Just a lie over and over. This is easily the best thing I’ve heard from these guys yet, and that’s an impressive feat. Read More »Moondoggies: It’s A Shame, It’s A Pity [mp3 Review]
Portland’s Hosannas are many things. They’re the two person offspring of the former local favorite band Church. They’re a (now) duo with a broadening array of styles that move way beyond basic experimental rock. They’re a band that pushes the barriers between indie rock and alternative hip hop further and further apart with each prolific beat they create. But, despite all these qualities, they’re a band that is certainly one thing – magnificent! Read More »Hosannas [Feature]
I know, I’ve owed this one to you, my readers, for a few months now. The plan originally was to concoct a sort of mid-year recap of the first half, dictating a slew of wonderful albums that may or may not come to find a spot on the inevitable end-of-year list. A hint at what may come. But that didn’t happen. I added a few hobbies to my seemingly never ending list of things that eat away at my time (see above photo) and it fell down the priority list.
Read More »20 Must Hear Albums from 2010: A Mid-Year List 
When Cleemann, a Danish folk experimentalist of immense and uncontested talent, released last year’s 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring, everyone who heard it instantly fell in love with the highlight cut “Ambitious”. It was a track that everyone could relate to, feel for, and become entranced in its mesmerizing and simple complicity. And over a year later, it is still receiving daily praise. And one of the highest of praises had to be when Danish artist Spejerrobot (a clever combination of “Boy Scout” and “Robot”), a.k.a. Mikael Elkjaer, got his hands on it. This self taught audio mangler puts a new electronic spin on Cleemann’s already eccentric track. Read More »Cleemann: Ambitious (Spejderrobot Remix) [mp3 review]
Why hello there Hardly Art, I hear you have a few new signings, one being La Sera (new project of Vivan Girls’ Katy Goodman), the other being the glorious bubbly lo-fi pop group Fergus & Geronimo. Calling their home New York City and Denton TX seems fitting for a band that plays delightfully soulful, super catchy lo-fi garage-ish pop. It should be no surprise that this band has released before on Woodsist Records — they have that sound. But they find a welcome home on Hardly Art aside greats like Golden Triangle and Seattle locals Unnatural Helpers. Read More »Fergus & Geronimo [Feature]
It’s interesting to hear the progression No Age has made since Nouns. “Glitter” is an entirely different beast. Sure there are elements of noise that the band so favored on that brilliant debut from 2009, but here it’s contained and restrained. They’ve tamed the beast. No longer do they shout to be heard amidst overwhelming, clever guitar riffs. No, here they focus on a consistent drum beat and actually… wait for it… sing! Still, the song builds and grows into a noisy little creature, vicious yet slumbering. I doubt this band has tamed to the point of being domestic — after all, “You’re A Target” was pretty f*ing mad, and that came out pretty recently. Frankly, I’m torn as to which side of No Age I like better, the insane noise or the restrained madness. Either way, you’ve got a winner. Read More »No Age: Glitter [mp3 Review]
Kelley Stoltz’s new single, “I Don’t Get That”, is something of another time. One listen and we find ourselves reeling in an era when music was intended to set us off; when the sun could be felt through the speakers. A simple, rugged guitar progression and centric sultry sixties throwback rhythm feed our appetite as the kind of warm and vagrant pop music we want to hear. It’s the type of song we would’ve stayed up late to listen to, hiding our radios under our pillows so mom wouldn’t know we were listening to that dirty rock music. Though his sound is not a huge divergence from the glory days of the Brit-rock invasion, Stoltz makes pop music the way it’s remembered and hoped to be. Read More »Kelley Stoltz
So it’s 10:10pm and I’m a bit exhausted. Today was busy, tomorrow will be as well, and that will continue through the weekend and into next week. I wasn’t planning to write more tonight, but in perusing a few of the many emails I receive on a daily basis, I stumbled on Burnt Ones and felt oddly compelled. Backed by a few repeated, fuzzed out chords and fronted by punk-influenced vocals, the music just kind of washes over you – especially after a few good local brews. Read More »Burnt Ones [Feature]
You can make a valid argument that bouncy throwback pop heavily influenced by folk-pop artists from the 60s and 70s are not only a dime a dozen, but they all fit a fairly consistent mold. When it comes down to it, you’d be pretty much right — for the most part. But that doesn’t really matter, because these bands tend to also be great more often than not. Foxymorons aren’t your run-of-the-mill folk-pop group, and thus the mold is broken for them. They make their own mold and you can hear that displayed perfectly on “Skinny Cow Blues”. Read More »Foxymorons [Feature]
