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

Noah And The Whale

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]

The Lucksmiths

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]

Lightspeed Champion

Devonte Hynes was once in a band called Test Icicles and if you’re aware of that group’s blend of indie-rock, hip-hop and punk, be prepared to be surprised, ‘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]

Jeremy Jay

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]

Vic Chesnutt

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

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

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.

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

Sunbear [Feature]

Sunbear

Sunbear‘s shoegaze-ridden pop hints at a late 90s, DC-based influence. Listening to “Leadbelt” one could imagine the band fitting perfectly in that scene, but Sunbear is from Dublin and the song is off their upcoming release Bits on Indiecater Records. Realization sets in with research: Bits is a reissue, and all of these songs were written and recorded in the 90s. The timing couldn’t be better, as “Leadbelt” is an excellent accompaniment to, say, “Seven” off that recent re-release of Sunny Day Real Estate. If you fancy that era, you’ll definitely dig this artist. Read More »Sunbear [Feature]

Fanfarlo: The Walls Are Coming Down [Video]

Fanfarlo

With the orchestrated hints of Balkan-influence Beirut, and a vocal tenor to match, Fanfarlo takes their influence in a less dramatic direction, at least as it relates to songwriting. “The Walls Are Coming Down” certainly has theatrics, but they’re less, well, flamboyant. It’s more open, and less domineering too; the opposite of which truly allows Beirut to stand out, but it also sets Fanfarlo in an altogether different direction. Read More »Fanfarlo: The Walls Are Coming Down [Video]

Supercluster: Waves [Album Review]

Supercluster

Supercluster may have that famed super group make-up, but it lacks in the pretentious ego-driven in-fighting to which such groups are prone. The artists behind Supercluster are responsible for some of today’s best groups, from Of Montreal and Casper & The Cookies to Deerhunter and The New Sound Of Numbers. Despite the who’s-who of indie pop, Waves is a portal into lo-fi psych pop famed to regions like Athens, GA. Read More »Supercluster: Waves [Album Review]

The Low Anthem [Show Preview]

The Low Anthem

The Low Anthem return to the states and hit the West Coast this month after wandering Europe with my pal Kasey Anderson. If you recall, they’re out in support of their recent LP, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, out now on Nonesuch Records. While Anderson hops off the tour, they will be playing with the excellent Blind Pilot, who themselves wrapped up a stint of summer dates with The Decemberists last month. Read More »The Low Anthem [Show Preview]

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