What a strange batch of Greek inspired gypsies Hermit Thrushes appear to be! The alt-pop/folk on their new album Slight Fountain is as intriguing as a businessman at Hempfest. And their slightly obtuse yet captivating sophomore release Slight Fountain crosses forward and backwards between obscurity and acoustic purity.
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Despite the Shaun Cassidy sounding album title, 28 Degrees Taurus have developed a beautifully disturbing gem of a second album with How Do You Like Your Love? This is Bill Burroughs’ life woven into an east coast inspired ambient frenzy. It is a dozen bennies swallowed with strong black coffee after thirty six restless hours. It’s a bit crazy, yet so controlled that all ingenuity is recognizable and brewed to a perfect infection. Read More »28 Degrees Taurus: How Do You Like Your Love [Album Review]
Ambient soul is how Nudge describes their music on MySpace; an odd combination initially difficult to comprehend. But add two additional descriptors, experimental and shoegaze, and one can begin to piece together the eccentric music Nudge makes. Their latest, As Good As Gone, capitalizes on all four defining terms in songs like the epically smooth “Two Hands” and the trippy “Burns Blue”. Read More »Nudge: As Good As Gone [Album Review]
Mat Brooke has come a long way since his Carissa’s Wierd project; his confidence is significant in comparison to its presence on the first Band Of Horses LP. In fact, listening to the stripped down tracks on Grand Archives‘ latest, Keep In Mind Frankenstein, (songs like opener “Topsy’s Revenge” and the near a capella “Siren Echo Valley (Part 1)”) he has gone through a major confidence boost since the group’s self-titled debut. Read More »Grand Archives: Keep In Mind Frankenstein [Album Review]
Looking at the cover art for Sound Farm by Happy Family, one is given the impression it was inspired, at least in part, by Panda Bear’s Person Pitch. Sure enough, opening track “Cups” has certain similarities to Noah Lennox’s solo project, from the experimental electro loops to an underlying Beach Boys style harmony. Read More »Happy Family: Sound Farm EP [Album Review]
Pooma, from Finland’s Helsinki, may have formed in 2000, but they are only now breaking beyond the Finnish borders to give the world a taste of their melancholy Scandinavian shoegaze. Persuader begins with “If May Starts Tomorrow”, introducing us to the atmospheric drones that give Pooma the shoegaze label. This is pretty much what one can expect from Persuader; loud, intense shoegaze drone. Read More »Pooma: Persuader [Album Review]
Directly upon the heels of two stellar releases, Every Scene Needs A Center by Tullycraft and Daughters And Suns by The Owls, Magic Marker Records treats us to a bit of a surprise. Where the label’s typical release is inundated with pop and twee, Fred Thomas’ Flood can almost be considered experimental folk, or even freak folk. Learning Thomas’ history in pop will help the listener understand this release and its home on Magic Marker. Read More »Fred Thomas: Flood [Album Review]
Over in the eastern region of Nebraska, obscurity has risen and is growing faster than the corn surrounding Omaha. Oberst is God, not Cobain. Saddle Creek, not Sub Pop, infatuates it’s residents. Yes, this the Midwest haven as well as (one of) the birthplace(s) of indie rock (minus King Elliot). And Electric Needle Room‘s Safe, Effective, and Fun embodies some of that eternal spirit from the land locked village full of talent they call home. Read More »Electric Needle Room: Safe, Effective, and Fun [Album Review]
“Back In Town” is an undeniably upbeat pop song, channeling a 60s-era sound. The song will be released on Luck, Wiretree‘s sophomore release. Entirely Wiretree’s own style pop, “Back In Town” has some subtle influences ranging wide and far from Velvet Underground to Wilco and beyond. Powerful guitar strums and an excellent xzylophone ring back passionate, emotive vocals; however melancholy, it’s hard not to get swept up in the catchy notes that keep this song powering forward. Read More »Wiretree: Back In Town [Track Review]
Sent To Coventry by Coulter was obviously influenced by an 80s-era indie pop, circa C-86 and The Smiths. Guitar riffs and synth lines all scream pop bounce, while the vocals have an occasional stripped-down lo-fi quality. Songs like “See You Next Tuesday” could easily have been released a quarter century ago rather than this year.
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