Album Reviews

Built By Snow: Mega [Album Review]

Ron Trembath
October 20, 2009October 20, 2009

Built By Snow is certainly a strange name for a band that backs instrumentals with bits and sounds that make reference to old Super Mario or Dig Dug bites (your mother would have killed if you got snow near the game system). But, Mega would have to be a perfect title then – since Mega Man is the undisputed best game ever! The music is pop punk relished, but it’s the aforementioned references to the world of video games that is truly intriguing. If Ms. Pac Man and Donkey Kong were to take ecstasy and birth a digitized child, this album would be the after birth of that disturbing scenario. Read More »Built By Snow: Mega [Album Review]

Elin Palmer: Postcard [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
October 20, 2009October 20, 2009

Swedish folk musician turned Denver resident, Elin Palmer varies her song-craft between orchestration and experimentation. Her songs mesh the two arenas of folk, often dabbling in a fairly sizable amount of pop as well. Palmer’s brilliance is partly due to her mystic voice — the Swedish accent is truly what does it. But wherever the unique instrumentation dominates, sheer brilliance ensues. Read More »Elin Palmer: Postcard [Album Review]

Noah And The Whale: The First Days Of Spring [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
October 19, 2009October 19, 2009

Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down by Noah And The Whale is a pretty solid album. That debut LP defined the band as one not above having fun despite songs of a less than sunny disposition. My one complaint, actually, was the song that cemented them in popularity, “5 Years Time”, as it was contrary to the overall tone of the album. Noah And The Whale’s sophomore release, The First Days Of Spring, follows suit almost to a T. There is, again, that lone upbeat song. Read More »Noah And The Whale: The First Days Of Spring [Album Review]

The Lucksmiths: Staring At The Sky [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
October 18, 2009October 19, 2009

It was mid August, 1999 and my parents pulled into the small college town of Pullman, Washington. They left me standing at the side of the road as I waved goodbye. Thousands of miles away in Paris, The Lucksmiths were recording an EP. Years later, the music they defined themselves by would become the pleasant music of my dreams. The EP was Staring At The Sky, a well crafted pop album that comes to us from a group of Australians whose mastery of song brings pleasant twists and turns, accented harmonies, and a variety of instruments true to the genre of twee. The Lucksmiths are true masters at songcraft, each one presenting a new aspect of common life like a nostalgic existential poem. Read More »The Lucksmiths: Staring At The Sky [Album Review]

Lightspeed Champion: Falling Off The Lavendar Bridge [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
October 17, 2009October 19, 2009

Devonte Hynes was once in a band called Test Icicles and if youâ€™re aware of that groupâ€™s blend of indie-rock, hip-hop and punk, be prepared to be surprised, â€˜cause Hynes’s new project Lightspeed Champion is a pretty big change. Instead of the loud guitars that fit well with similar groups like pre-Islands band The Unicorns, Hynes now focuses his talent on creating minimalistic orchestral-like movements with a violin and acoustic guitar. Read More »Lightspeed Champion: Falling Off The Lavendar Bridge [Album Review]

Jeremy Jay: Breaking The Ice [7″ Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
October 16, 2009October 19, 2009

Jeremy Jay is an old soul. His young demeanor, as pictured on the cover of this lovely single, is much more mature than his age. Similarly, the music he makes spans an age much greater than his. The songs, while not necessarily theatrical, have a vivid visual element to them that assists in creating a quite expansive library of aesthetic features. Were Jim Morrison to have instead spent his time with the creatives in the Chelsea Hotel, he may have sounded like this. Read More »Jeremy Jay: Breaking The Ice [7″ Review]

Vic Chesnutt: Skitter On Take-Off [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
October 16, 2009October 19, 2009

Vic Chesnutt is a pretty remarkable musician. His distinctive voice and folk guitar styling is par none, and he is often accompanied by the most notable of artists no matter what the genre. Chesnutt recently released just such an album called At The Cut which featured Guy Picciotto (Fugazi) and members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. While that record may have garnered him a bit of press, he slipped in a sleeper for the die-hard folk fans. Yes, he also released Skitter To Take-Off. Read More »Vic Chesnutt: Skitter On Take-Off [Album Review]

School Of Seven Bells: Alpinisms Deluxe Edition [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
October 16, 2009February 11, 2022

As a whole, the original Alpinisms warrants much praise. Songs like “Iamundernodisguise”, “Half Asleep” and “Connjur” are, quite literally, among the best electro-pop songs released this year. And, in some ways, School Of Seven Bells defies that genre classification, as their music strays into an occasional repetitive shoegaze, hints at a little feedback filled noise, and dives headlong into a swirling and dreamy atmospheric state.

Ron Trembath
October 14, 2009October 19, 2009

Liza and Tom are back again! Yes, British Columbia’s finest boy/girl folk/pop The Wind Whistles have blessed us with yet another collection of seriously fun tracks that are nothing short of delightful. But, Animals Are People Too shall ring a bell with a pitch very different from their debut album, Window Sills. It is safe to say they have stepped their game up. Or at least taken it in a different, possibly four legged, direction. Read More »The Wind Whistles: Animals Are People Too [Album Review]

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