Album Reviews

The Lucksmiths: Spring A Leak [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
July 5, 2009July 5, 2009

The Lucksmithsâ€™ recently hit the states on a rare tour for the Australian quartet in support of their latest album, Spring A Leak: A Collection Of B-Sides, Covers, Rarities, And Other Treasures Of The Deep. With select exclusive material, the album does take several vinyl-only tracks and gives them a digital edge. Itâ€™s the unreleased live versions and hard to find b-sides that make Spring A Leak a joy. Read More »The Lucksmiths: Spring A Leak [Album Review]

Kevin Hume: The Truth About Ants & Aphids [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
July 4, 2009May 12, 2023

Generally when a band combines classical instrumentation with pop music, it is lumped into the orchestral pop or baroque pop sub-genres. Sometimes it is even categorized as pop nouveau. Then, on a rare occasion, an artist comes along that defies all these generalizations. Kevin Hume is one such artist.

Andy Fenstermaker
July 4, 2009July 4, 2009

Iâ€™m becoming quite fond of The Kora Records. With only about a dozen releases under their belt, theyâ€™ve already established themselves as a powerfully unique label with an eye for great talent. Theyâ€™ve released phenomenal records by The LK (bringing the Swedish duo over to the US release of their debut LP), a few by Meredith Bragg, and the amazing Gregor Samsa. Read More »The Great Northwest: The Widespread Reign Of… [Album Review]

Virgin Of The Birds: Every Rival [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
July 1, 2009June 30, 2009

Virgin Of The Birds is the solo project of Jon Rooney, the primary individual behind Abandoned Love Records. His latest project is a slew of EPs available from the ALR website, the first of which is Every Rival. Read More »Virgin Of The Birds: Every Rival [Album Review]

Grand Hallway: Promenade [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 30, 2009June 29, 2009

Grand Hallway has created quite a unique place in pop music. Their songs are an interesting medium between baroque orchestral pop and traditional Japanese music. Given their prior releases, hearing the sounds on Promenade is no surprise. Led by master songwriter Tomo Nakayama, Promenade finds Grand Hallway expanding on their musical abilities. Read More »Grand Hallway: Promenade [Album Review]

Daniel Francis Doyle: We Bet Our Money On You [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 30, 2009June 29, 2009

Upon first hearing “Old Lives”, the opening track to Daniel Francis Doyle‘s upcoming LP, We Bet Our Money On You, I contemplated what the chances were that Doyle was actually Dismemberment Plan’s Travis Morrison backed by Battles. Doyle certainly has a Morrison-esque vocal styling; that perfect pitch that sounds just a bit off-kilter. And his percussion and accompanying guitars absolutely have the math-y noise elements of Battles. Read More »Daniel Francis Doyle: We Bet Our Money On You [Album Review]

The Faintest Ideas: What Goes Up Must Calm Down [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 28, 2009May 5, 2023

When I think of indie-pop in the states, I think of a few key labels: Matinee, Magic Marker, Happy Happy Birthday to Me and TwentySeven. These four make up some of the best US released pop music I know. It’s on the second, Magic Marker, that The Faintest Ideas now call home. The Faintest Ideas hail from Sweden, a country I adore and admire, but their name and sound signifies something completely different, removing much of the Swedish pop influence for those a bit more British, circa C86.

Andy Fenstermaker
June 27, 2009

Cold City finds the Larimer siblings that make up Eux Autres maturing as musicians and songwriters. Where Hell Is Eux Autres included many viable tracks, the recordings were stiff. Still, despite the slightly lower production value, many of those older songs remain true favorites; and Cold City packs in several new favorites as well. Read More »Eux Autres: Cold City [Album Review]

David & The Citizens: Until The Sadness Is Gone [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 27, 2009June 27, 2009

It appears this little album by David & The Citizens was originally released in 2003 under the BMG Music Publishing Scandinavia label and was licensed to Friendly Fire via Adrian Recordings in Sweden. It is good to know the history of an albumâ€”the roads it has traveled to reach its current destination here in my hands. Listening to Until the Sadness is Gone, it is apparent why the album was released here in the states. Itâ€™s pretty good. While it probably wonâ€™t hit mainstream, it definitely has the potential to stick in the independent pop scene. Read More »David & The Citizens: Until The Sadness Is Gone [Album Review]

Chimneyheart: Chimneyheart [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
June 26, 2009June 25, 2009

Chimneyheart is Henrik Svenlund. Svenlund creates dark, new wave-y indie pop from his home in Berlin, Germany. Their sound is bigger than your standard indie-pop group, a trait heard in the power behind Henrik’s vocals as well as the strong percussion so prominent in the songs of Chimneyheart. It should be no surprise that Chimneyheart is influenced by artists like Joy Division and literary geniuses like Charles Bukowski. Read More »Chimneyheart: Chimneyheart [Album Review]

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