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Wednesday, April 03, 2013
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Heroin's Rainbow by Eric Baylies is a memoir of a neighborhood and a city. New Bedford, Massachusetts sits somewhere on the edge of nowhere, a twilight interzone at the end of the world. It is the underground history of the secret city. Big Dan's, strip club rampages, cruising the avenue, crooked cops, high school suicide solutions, drinking problems, crack houses, shooting galleries, gay bar stabbings, god, guns, heroin, devil dogs, angel dust, acid, mushrooms, mescaline, weed, whales, wishes, dreams, and nightmares come true, they are all here. This is the way, step inside.
You can pick up a copy of the book at the label website.
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Released 04.03.2013
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012
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Bob Kendall - Midnight Flower
It's been a decade since Bob Kendall released his debut solo record "Enough is Enough" on his own Kentone Records label. The founding member of the bands Lifeboat, The Blood Oranges, The Brothers Kendall, and The Labor Pool has finally let go of this collection of songs written, self-produced and recorded in his backyard shed. The title track, "Midnight Flower" features vocals by Tanya Donelly. (Belly, Throwing Muses, The Breeders) "Donelly adds a certain visceral, seventh sense - and conjures up weary-wise tones of Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris" (Influenza). Muses drummer, David Narcizo, once again provides his trademark style of hypnotic rhythms throughout the record. Kendall's songs have been described as "telling tales of recrimination and self-deception". Song styles and influences are reminiscent of Jeff Tweedy, Teenage Fan Club, Tom Petty, Ian Hunter, The Velvet Underground and Gram Parsons. Mixed and fixed by Kraig Jordan and mastered by Pete Weiss at Verdant Studios. Check out the Bob Kendall facebook page, download the track Ready Still, and pick up a copy of the cd at the label webpage.
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Released 07.25.2012
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Monday, July 23, 2012
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Tom Scharpling - The Best Show on WFMU
The long running Best Show on WFMU (They recently celebrated their 500th episode) is a slow burner that pays off once you get to know all the reoccurring characters and guests. Host Tom Scharpling is an indie rock fan boy veteran, who ended up producing the tv show 'Monk' for a number of years and also recently directing music videos for bands like the New Pornographers. The man has amazing friends, whether it's Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Julie Klausner, John Hodgeman, or any number of the regular callers he gives the ol' "Heave-ho" to once he is tired of them. Musician Jon Wurster gets to flex his comedic muscles, calling in almost every show under a variety of guises and characters that always end up blowing themselves up or getting murdered by a woman named Sheila Larson. Whether he is threatening to make every show his last, battling AP Mike, or drinking Four Loco until he is literally curled up in a ball under the board, he is always obsessed with indie rock, Paul McCartney, and GG Allin. Scharpling knows his music history and if you decide to call in, you better make sure you have your facts straight.
Updated: Live on Tuesday 9pm-12am EST Every week, downloadable every Friday
Guests: Frequently
Twitter: @scharpling
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Released 07.23.2012
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Wednesday, July 18, 2012
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Bottomless Pit - Lottery 2005-2012
Comedy Minus One has released the Bottomless Pit compilation "Lottery 2005-2012". This double cd gathers everything that band has released so far, plus two brand new songs and a new "fast" version of the track 'Winterwind'. This is an import cd from Japan, but the label has limited physical quantities available. There is also a digital download available through Amazon, which collects only the three unreleased tracks.
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Released 07.18.2012
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Monday, July 09, 2012
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Bill Burr's Monday Morning Podcast
Even though he lives on the west coast now, every word out of Burr's mouth reflects his upbringing in the bitter cold of Boston. If there's one thing Burr may always be known for, it's heroically taking on a hostile Philadelphia audience and handing them their heads before walking off to a standing ovation. Whether he's explaining his distaste for alt-comics for cherry picking their audiences or getting shushed in the middle of the show by security while recording in a hotel room on the road, there's no production values and very rarely any guests - just one man, one microphone, and one dog. The show catches his fans up on his past week and dishes out advice to fans in predicaments, an underrated/overrated list, recommended youtube videos, before ending with his signature sign-off "Go fuck yourselves."
Updated: Weekly
Running Time: 60 minutes
Guests: Rarely
Twitter: @billburr
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Released 07.09.2012
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Monday, January 30, 2012
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The bitch brothers Self Titled debut is now released. bitch brothers are a three piece band from beautiful Worcester, MA. Believing very much in the ethos put forth by the Minutemen and Fugazi, we jam econo - doing as much as we can ourselves. We work the night shift to make a sound that is new, yet still influenced by the the artists we love. This self-titled release encompasses the spirit of our musical democracy. The first half of the album, tracks 1-9, represent their structured and focused studio side. The second half, tracks 10-16, were recorded during several practices and represent their looser, improvisational side. Sixteen tracks in all, you can download the track Son of the Seventies and pick up a copy of the cd at the label webpage.
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Released 01.30.2012
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Thursday, January 05, 2012
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Boom Chick - Shake Can Well
Brooklyn's drum-girl-guitar-boy duo Boom Chick had one of our favorite releases in 2011 and they have announced the pre-order for a new seven inch single called 'Shake Can Well'. This will be an edition of 500 copies, with the first 100 copies on clear purple vinyl. It's $6 plus shipping and that gets you a download of the tracks upon ordering. This should arrive in your mailboxes in late February. You can order and listen to all three streaming tracks at their bandcamp site.
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Released 01.05.2012
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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
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Boston Hassle - A Boston Underground Music Compilation
On December 11, the Boston Hassle compilation button was released on a wearable music pin that only requires the listener to plug in their headphones and press play. The simple controls let you pause or play the music and to skip forward or back through the songs. While the lack of display doesn't work against this playable pin format if there's only one band, it's different for a compilation, because until you memorize the order of the tracks, you are on your own. That's really the only thing to complain about, as it comes packed in a slightly larger than matchbox sized cardboard container, with a splattered Boston Red Sox logo on the top. As for the music, thirteen tracks ranging from middle eastern madness, instrumental hip hop, reverb drenched power pop, hyper/gloom synth and angular indie rock.You can stream the comp here and purchase the comp here.
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Released 12.21.2011
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Monday, November 21, 2011
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The Blood Moons / Six Star General Split 12" Vinyl is now available for pre-order. Immediate 320kb mp3 download, including all album artwork and the records ship the next day. The Vinyl is limited to 200 hand numbered copies and the jackets were screen printed at the 75orLess house, on 18 point brown 100% PCW recycled chipboard, using red and black inks. The Blood Moons "Self Titled" EP includes six tracks and Six Star General's "These Woods Smell Like Grape" EP has seven tracks. New Bedford, Massachusetts' The Blood Moons newest batch of songs about love gone wrong, relationships gone wrong, lust gone wrong, goodbyes gone wrong, and taxidermied lovers! Providence, RI's Six Star General recorded their EP in the summer of 2011 at Plan of a Boy Studio in Providence with Kraig Jordan. Seven songs, over 22 minutes of music, including a cover of the T. Rex classic 'Life's a Gas' with Jodie Treloar on vocals. Pre-order a copy at the label webpage.
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Released 11.01.2011
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Tuesday, July 12, 2011
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The Birkitt Transmissions - Cut in 3
The Cut in 3 EP is the Birkitt Transmissions' first release. Husband/Wife duo Doug (guitar/vocals) & Aileen Birkitt (drums) play simple, loud, melodic guitar rock. Is it punk? Well.... sure, if you'd like it to be. Whatever gets you through the night. It's rock, yo. Please check it out for yourself. That would make the Birkitt Transmissions purr like a kitten. You can download the track Pretty Nonsense and purchase a copy at the label webpage.
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Released 07.08.2011
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Wednesday, June 08, 2011
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Baylies Band - All Clowns No Lions (75orLess Records)
75OL-120 Baylies Band' All Clowns No Lions' is now released. It is one 53 minute improv piece of music in the spirit of Pink Floyd, Sonic Youth, and Can. Only $6 postpaid.
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Released 06.09.2011
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Saturday, February 05, 2011
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Bardo Pond - self titled (Fire) [upcoming shows] [audio] [video]
Bardo Pond have a new self titled full length out on Fire. The opening track, 'Just Once" starts frail and builds slowly to deliver a four minute, layered, psych-rock guitar freakout. Most of the album is slow and trippy with heavy duty hooks. Many soaring solos countered with fuzzed out bass, acoustic guitars, ambient sounds, and even synths or flute. If this was recorded while sober, I'll not have what they're not having, please.
- mark
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Released 12.10.2010
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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
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Boom Chick - Show Pony
Boom Chick's self released November album 'Show Pony' has the vibe of The Cramps and early Flat Duo Jets' runaway rockabilly. The Brooklyn-based Male/guitarist, Female drummer duo blast through the 8 tracks, recorded live to two track with amazing clarity, in just about 20 minutes with touches of surf, stomp, and slide guitar paced by overdriven primitive drums. Dex and Crow would be proud. Some cool low budget videos can be viewed at their site but while you are there, pick up a copy of Show Pony direct from the band. Also check to see if you are one of the lucky ones who have the change to see them on their tour dates.
- mark
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Released 11.30.2010
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Monday, September 27, 2010
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Billie The Vision & The Dancers - From Burning Hell to Smile and Laughter (Love Will Pay The Bills) [upcoming shows] [audio]
Sweden's best cross-dressing pop band is back with another album full of characters, conversations and unstoppable melodies. Like their other albums, From Burning Hell... unites elements of many genres into a simple pop sound that sticks to your synapses. Songs like "You Taught Me" and "Golden Frame" sound like traditional laments, while songs such as "I'm Alive" and "Oh Baby, Yeah Honey" are fun and boppy. Like all albums from the Billies, the songs here are candid, melodramatic, corny and charming.
- cormac
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Released 04.16.2010
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Monday, August 09, 2010
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Jack Babineau - Generation of Need (self released) [upcoming shows]
[audio]
Acoustic guitar driven love songs, accented by harmonica, slinky soul riffs, and a piano ballad, as if James Taylor stumbled upon the offshoot of the fountain of youth somewhere in the Providence River. The full band treatment adds a little more oomph to the title track and he is joined on "Love Now" by Charise White, who adds booming female vocals. Fair to say, he has mastered all the traits of the sensitive singer songwriter genre, but I'm more looking forward to the album he writes after she leaves him.
- mark
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Released 05.17.2010
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Thursday, July 29, 2010
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Best Coast - Crazy For You (Mexican Summer) [upcoming shows] [audio]
Bethany Cosentino debuted Best Coast last year with a pleasant-enough single called "When I'm With You." Now, Best Coast is full-blown thing. There's a trend right now among young bands that focuses on summer and warmth and waves, and it's stretched year-round. Best Coast embodies all these things, but mashes them into pop nuggets that hearken back to a less complicated time. Crazy For You might be the best indie pop album from 1993 you never heard until now.
- sam
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Released 07.27.2010
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Monday, June 21, 2010
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The Bird and The Bee - Interpreting the Masters, Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates (Blue Note) [upcoming shows] [audio]
The Bird and The Bee recognize the pop genius of Daryl Hall & John Oates, and have taken on the grueling task of selecting only a handful of their ubiquitous hits to cover. There is no "Out of Touch", "Method of Modern Love", or "You Make My Dreams." What remains is eight electro-chic variants of songs you've been singing for twenty five years. One surprise track is the original (albeit Hall & Oates-inspired) "Heard It On The Radio", a song that not only is in line with the covers, but stands up to the groove of those pop classics.
- cormac
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Released 03.23.2010
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Monday, June 14, 2010
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Broken Bells - self titled (Sony) [upcoming shows] [audio]
Broken Bells is one of those genius collaborations that usually only occurs deep in one's wildest imagination. James Mercer's chill, meandering melodies are reminiscent of his Shins work, but they compliment Brian Burton's insane keyboard and production skills perfectly. Like a good producer, Burton (Danger Mouse) sometimes keeps his influence subtle, creating a psychedelic Shins sound on tracks like "Your Head is on Fire". When Burton's influence is a bit stronger, on tracks like "The High Road" or "The Ghost Inside," Broken Bells is an indie pop dream come true.
- ashton
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Released 03.09.2010
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Thursday, November 05, 2009
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Thavius Beck - Dialogue (Big Dada) [audio] [upcoming shows]
He's probably better known for his work with other people than for what comes out under his own name, but Dialogue is a solid collection that spends time on both sides of the line between hip-hop beatmaking and electronic experimentalism. Even when the tracks feature vocals, they rise above categorization (they're not MTV-ready, but they're too tech-y to be backpacker hip-hop). The beats are the real draw, though. It's as if Kraftwerk, The Neptunes and Fennesz fell into a supercollider and fused at the sub-atomic level.
- paul
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Released 10.27.2009
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Friday, October 16, 2009
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The Black Drumset (self released) [audio]
Home recorded as a solo project with heavy processed drums, electronically edited into an avalanche of dub, distorted over driven keyboards, minimal vocals, occasional guitar freak outs and even a thunderstorm mixed in. Lots of nods to My Bloody Valentine, Spectrum and The Stone Roses. This entire thing is cut up, looped, run through pedals and eventually lands in a drugged up psychedelic haze that should be enough to convince some psych rock bands to stop dicking around, embrace technology and still release important records.
- mark
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Released 08.04.2009
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Friday, September 18, 2009
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Wallis Bird - New Boots (Rubyworks) [audio] [upcoming shows]
New Boots is the sophomore album from Wallis Bird, and it moves her into the major league ranks of similar folkrockpop singer/songwriters like Melissa Etheridge and KT Tunstall. Bird's advantage is the youthful aura that surrounds her songs and her strong voice. While it's not typically the music itself, but the lyrics, that garner attention in this genre, Bird even ups the ante there by including dynamic complexity within the quieter songs and instrumentation on the upbeat songs that's actually interesting. Expect great things.
- paul
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Released 09.08.2009
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Tuesday, September 01, 2009
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V.V. Brown - Travelling Like the Light (Island) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The rockabilly influence on Travelling Like the Light is overemphasized in most reviews of V.V. Brown's debut. Sure, it shows up from time to time, but it's not the driving force behind the record. Like most of the current class of UK ladies, Brown dabbles in electronics, big beat r&b, and quirky dance pop to assemble a competent and mostly enjoyable collection. The only prominent flaw is that some of the tracks (e.g. "Shark in the Water") smell of lazy Americanism. Don't stake your rep on our style, V.V. It's not good enough for you.
- paul
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Released 07.14.2009
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Thursday, August 06, 2009
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Bad Veins (Dangerbird) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Bad Veins could easily be grouped in with other very polite, very warmly-recorded indie rock bands like Rogue Wave or The Essex Green or Band of Horses, and it wouldn't be an injustice for anyone involved. The Cincinnati duo's debut album is packed with 10 songs that sound absolutely wonderful while you're in the act of listening to them, but little remains when the final note fades. This is disappointing with many records, but in the case of Bad Veins it just makes each reacquaintance a pleasant experience.
- paul
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Released 07.21.2009
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Wednesday, August 05, 2009
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Bellows (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
When not being pummeled by the bludgeoning drums, the sax skronks and bleets it's way deep into your brain and when the instruments are not on full blast, feedback fills the gaps and it is just a matter of time until you get knocked back on your ass. Although the vocal contributions are kept to a minimum, what is here can be described as indecipherable growling. The gonzo saxophone and crazed drums stretch the five tracks over 43 minutes so what you really have is hardcore jazz for noise addicts.
- mark
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Released 06.02.2009
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Friday, July 03, 2009
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Bat for Lashes - Pearl's Dream 7" (Astralwerks) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Ordinarily, I wouldn't bother reviewing a single when the song is also contained on a readily available album, but the Cenzo Townshend radio edit of "Pearl's Dream" (like "Daniel" before it) is completely essential. Townshend tweaks the song without really altering any of its DNA. It's so much brighter and the syncopated percussion is brought forward in the mix, making headphone-listening a real treat. Also, the 909s remix of "Sleep Alone" is actually Dave Sitek in disguise, and he twists that up in a wonderful way.
- paul
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Released 06.23.2009
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
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The Breeders - Fate to Fatal EP (self released) [audio]
True to form for most non-album Breeders releases, Fate to Fatal is a mixed bag. The title track is a sleepy jam with a magnificent chorus, right up there with anything from the Pod album. "The Last Time" ventures into new territory, though. Bringing in gruff-voiced Mark Lanegan to sing is a risky move that pays off, considering how essential the Deal sisters' voices are to the band's identity. The two other tracks (one a Bob Marley cover) don't offer much, but round out a release that's well worth the money.
- paul
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Released 04.21.2009
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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The Blizzard of 78 - Book of Lies (Killing Floor) [audio] [upcoming shows]
On their second release, The Blizzard of 78 capture their signature rock 'n' soul sound perfectly, which is what makes them one of the most original bands in Boston. "The Song", "Pray" and "The Last Temptation" lean toward some of the more rocking songs TBO 78 have recorded, while "Philadelphia", "The Game" and "Well Enough Alone" are cloaked in soul and slow things down a bit. Recorded in bassist Chris Cugini's home studio, the production on Book of Lies is nothing short of professional without being overly "produced" or glossy.
- kyle j.
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Released 12.09.2008
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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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Built by Snow - Mega (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Built by Snow's sound is not entirely unique, combining synth-pop sounds of bands like The Cars with alternative rock sensibility of bands like Weezer. What really stands out is just how well these catchy songs are written and performed on Mega. The band avoids the trap of releasing a formulaic album by creating diverse music with a lot of character. I find a lot of the newer pop-punk music to be rather monotonous, so hearing this enjoyable album is a refreshing surprise.
- j.p.
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Released 01.20.2009
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Thursday, November 20, 2008
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Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Dolores (Ipecac) [audio] [upcoming shows]
At its core Dolores is a dark and brooding jazz album infused with elements of ambient and electronic music. Moving at a slow and purposeful pace, the music has a simple yet elegant beauty. This is a great album to listen to while sitting on a leather chair in a darkened room and drinking a glass of single malt. The music hangs in the air like smoke that is waiting to enlighten you, or to snuff you out.
- j.p.
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Released 11.04.2008
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Friday, October 10, 2008
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The Bloody Beetroots - Rombo EP (Dim Mak) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Italian dj/producers Bob Rifo and Tommy Tea pair off as The Bloody Beetroots. In an overcrowded underground of DIY hardcore electro-disco, the Beetroots have for over a year now towered above the rest by mixing the thunderous power of distorted bass and driving drums with the lightness of party music on both their remixes and their original compositions. Rombo marks their first "official" release and it's front-to-back a thrilling coaster ride of unchecked synthesized mayhem. Move over, Justice. You're killing my buzz.
- paul
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Released 09.09.2008
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Tuesday, September 23, 2008
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Banner Pilot - Resignation Day (Go-Kart) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Fuck yeah. Another band that gets it: Banner Pilot. I listened to the record over a bowl of cereal and cleaning both cat litter boxes and I was stoked. You can hear the influence of The Lawrence Arms and Dillinger Four for sure, but with a hint of some Face to Face. Minneapolis, MN has better punk coming out of it than most cities I can think of, and the record's under 33 minutes. Great job!
- emerson
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Released 07.15.2008
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Tuesday, September 02, 2008
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Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws (Warner Bros.) [audio] [upcoming shows]
I love to hear Lindsey Buckingham play guitar, which he does quite well on this release. I can almost visualize the fret-board mastery of his fingers as he precisely whips through complex riffs and chord progressions. Unfortunately someone doused the vocal tracks with so much reverb and other effects that you sometimes can't even tell what language he's singing in. The entire album suffers from poor production. I now realize just how telling the album title really is; I feel like I just got screwed.
- j.p.
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Released 09.16.2008
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
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The Bleeps - These Things Happen/Doing So Well 7" (Otter Recordings) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Two years is a long time to wait for 4 minutes and 29 seconds of new music, but this second single by London guitar/drum duo The Bleeps is a fuzzy, bouncy good time. "These Things Happen" stops and starts and jerks like something from The Fall's early years, while "Doing So Well" is a more fluid and lighthearted game of hopscotch through dynamic drum fills and distorted guitar riffing. The sound is a familiar one, yet comparisons prove elusive. I bet that's what they aimed for.
- paul
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Released 06.24.2008
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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Billie The Vision & The Dancers - I Used to Wander These Streets (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Almost every year these Swedish visionaries deliver another self-released, free-to-download LP that makes you want to transfer money to their foreign bank account. The Billies seem to have found their own balance of lovely, lighthearted, melancholy folk-pop on I Used to Wander These Streets. The new songs are frequently silly, always appealing, and addictive as ever. It won't be long before fans of Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura and I'm From Barcelona are hooked on the happenings of Pablo and Lily. Mark my words.
- cormac
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Released 06.03.2008
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Thursday, August 07, 2008
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Black Francis - Svn Fingers (Cooking Vinyl) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Charles Thompson has been a Pixie, a Catholic, and gone solo under a couple different pseudonyms, all in an apparent attempt to screw up your alphabetized cd collection. In 2008, as Black Francis, this experienced rocker is out to prove that 40 really is the new 20, and he's making quick work of it. His new mini-LP (don't call it an EP) is a 7 song, 20 minute mix of all things Frank Blank. Some songs are eccentric, others frenetic. Some are mumbled, some delivered in clear falsetto. As a whole, it's a great contribution to an ever-growing discography.
- cormac
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Released 04.15.2008
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Friday, July 25, 2008
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Bodies of Water - A Certain Feeling (Secretly Canadian) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The jubilant constructions found on Bodies of Water's debut transition to a darker vision on their followup. Opener "Gold, Tan, Peach and Grey" allows rays of sunshine to break through, but as this gives way to the organ stomp of "Under the Pines," the album arrives and remains in a cloudier mood for its duration. Thankfully, this ambitious melding of commune-folk energy and psych-rock licks yields a bigger sense of grandeur while somehow maintaining the low-key thrill of a brief encounter.
- troy
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Released 07.22.2008
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Thursday, July 24, 2008
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Beck - Modern Guilt (Interscope) [audio] [upcoming shows]
With the addition of Danger Mouse as producer, Beck's reputation for experimentation goes into overdrive on Modern Guilt. With the exception of one track, it's a non-stop groove-a-thon, a reverse engineering of The Monkees' Head soundtrack minus the skits with some electronic psychedelia tossed in. It's a groovy collection of songs, easily digestable, like a collection of imaginary tv show themes from 1968-73, not including the over-ambitious electronic track "Replica", which breaks from the retro-vibe present on every other track.
- mark
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Released 07.08.2008
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Friday, June 27, 2008
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Broke One - We're Crossing the Same Road EP (self released) [audio]
Dance music from France and from Italy used to have distinct differences, but now a less restricitive map permits local styles to radiate across a global scene. Italian artist Broke One pulls a little from the Ed Banger school of square waves and high volume, a pinch of Daft Punk's nu-disco melodicism, a generous portion of Italy's synth-disco past and throws together such a wholly satisfying and relentlessly energized ep's worth of homemade electrogoods that paying naught for it seems like a dine-and-dash.
- paul
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Released 05.13.2008
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Thursday, June 12, 2008
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Meredith Bragg - Silver Sonya (The Kora Records) [audio]
Hard to believe this album contains no cello or keyboards: it's just Meredith Bragg and a guitar. Well, and some post-production that created fantastic sounds to support well-crafted songs. "Turns Out You Won" and "March" benefit the most from the manipulation. Bragg's voice falls somewhere between Elliott Smith and Gerry & The Pacemakers. I hesitate to label him a troubador, because that word connotes dorkiness (not found here). Although, he's definitely rocking some Decemberists-style nerdiness while singing about armless statues and erupting volcanoes.
- meredith
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Released 12.11.2007
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Thursday, May 08, 2008
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Lindsey Buckingham - Live at the Bass Performance Hall (Reprise) [audio]
Notoriously pitch-perfect in the studio, Lindsey Buckingham's in-the-moment live performance is full of missed notes and strained vocals...and it's a hell of an exciting listen. This set is split evenly between songs with a backing band and those with just Lindsey and his guitar, the latter completely stealing the show. "Trouble" shines the brightest in its stripped arrangement, along with the now familiar solo take on "Big Love". The bonus DVD is also great, including onstage and backstage footage alike.
- sam
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Released 03.25.2008
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
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The Breeders - Mountain Battles (4AD) [audio] [upcoming shows]
A Pixies fan is not necessarily a Breeders fan. Sure, the Deals had a couple radio hits fifteen years ago, but the rest was a total snoozefest. Early reports of Mountain Battles failed to mention how "German Studies" persuades you to pump up the volume, or how "It's the Love" flat-out compels you to dance. The Breeders are both playing around with minimalism and nodding their heads toward alt-classics of yesteryear like Nirvana and Young Marble Giants, and it's all paying off. Alternative rock is not dead.
- cormac
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Released 04.08.2008
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Thursday, April 03, 2008
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Beach House - Devotion (Carpark)
[audio] [upcoming shows]
Guess what? The new Beach House record sounds exactly like the old Beach House record. Guess what? Somehow this exactly-the-same-sounding record is about ten times better than the last one. But the last Beach House album was terrific, you say? See where I'm going here? Who knew that vocals, slide guitar and crummy organ would have such longevity? It helps that songs 1, 2 and 3 are the third-best, second-best and best (respectively) tunes they've written.
- muffin
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Released 02.26.2008
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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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The Billionaires - Really Real for Forever (Too Soon) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Attention hip teenage indie popsters!!! If lyrics like "We're gonna get high after school" and "Let's go out and get fucked up to forget" speak to you, then this is the first record of 2008 you must buy. Or shoplift, you degenerate. The Billionaires are here to corner the market on catchy sing-a-long dance pop for the all ages crowd. Unfortunately, the immature lyrics can be particularly distressing when you consider the band's ability to produce some pretty serious harmonies in the same vein as The New Pornographers.
- cormac
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Released 04.01.2008
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Friday, March 14, 2008
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Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward (Ecstatic Peace) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Based on the spasmodic singles leading up to their first album in 2006, and that album itself, I falsely assumed Be Your Own Pet was too combustible to be anything more than a one-and-done type of band. I'm eating crow now, because not only did they make a second album (despite a line-up shuffle), but it's actually a better one. Jemina Pearl Abegg fronts the band more frenzied than ever and, though I'm old enough to be her dad, I wouldn't relish being the target of her displeasure (even if she is winking at the camera).
- paul
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Released 03.18.2008
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Wednesday, March 05, 2008
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Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine (Epic) [audio] [upcoming shows]
I would love to sit down with Ms. Bedingfield's representative at Epic and, over his morning breakfast of a bowl of paint chips drowned in mercury, discuss his decision to release her latest album on January 22nd, in the heart of winter. The summer of 2006 was owned by Natasha with "Unwritten" and "These Words", and I still love blasting those with the top down. Epic has two issues with the release of this record: 1) it's still freezing out, and 2) the album kinda sucks.
- bob d.
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Released 01.22.2008
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
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Baby Dee - Safe Inside the Day (Drag City) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The bastard child of Billy Joel and The Frogs, Baby Dee apparently predates Antony but the comparisons are inevitable and invariably the reason (s)he got signed to Drag City anyways. It quickly becomes clear that like all performance artists, Baby Dee is his/her own biggest fan, as every song, some of which are actually quite promising at their outset, is extended beyond what is humane. This music already applauds itself so convincingly that it might as well go ahead and listen to itself while I move on.
- troy
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Released 01.22.2008
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
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Bottomless Pit - Hammer of the Gods (Comedy Minus One) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Formed by two of the surviving members of Silkworm along with former members of Seam and .22, the mood is restrained and tempered. Guitarist Andy Cohen's overwhelming talent is still tied inversely to his lack of notariety, but lyrically it's genuinely broken-hearted music. "I lie in the street, cars run over me." "When you get it in your mind to live again." "Once your touched and turned to dust, it doesn't matter much anymore." "When I called you, no one answered, no one came." The themes are heavy and the music is just as remarkable.
- mark
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Released 11.20.2007
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Wednesday, January 09, 2008
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Babyshambles - Shotter's Nation (Astralwerks) [audio] [upcoming shows]
As a general rock n' rule, musicians who spiral down into drug abuse do so anticipating a valuable trade-off. It's unfortunate, but being in such a state usually makes for great music. Then there's Pete Doherty. Babyshambles, like The Libertines before them, barely mustered an earworm more than twice on their debut album and Shotter's Nation is no different. In their heydays, Magazine and The Jam could spit out better songs than these on a dare, where poor Pete has to suffer big for his art. Lesson learned. Don't do drugs, kids.
- sam
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Released 10.23.2007
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Thursday, November 08, 2007
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Band of Horses - Cease to Begin (Sub Pop) [audio] [upcoming shows]
This album won me over somehow. From the moonlight-on-a-lake cover art to the "we're slightly less pussy than Coldplay so you can like us without feeling bad, even though we're still totally pussies" sound, this is not exactly my bag, baby. But then the first song got stuck in my head for a week, so I put it on again, and again. All 35 minutes of this CD are actually excellent. Like if My Morning Jacket wrote a song for a prom scene in an '80s movie. I guess I'm a pussy. Who knew?
- tom d.
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Released 10.09.2007
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Friday, November 02, 2007
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James Blackshaw - The Cloud of Unknowing (Tompkins Square) [audio] [upcoming shows]
There are guitar players, and then there are guitar artisans. In the tradition of acoustic guitar artisans like Richard Thompson and Leo Kottke, who are thoughtful composers, to Michael Hedges and Adrian Legg, who, in addition to their compositional skills, have pushed the guitar to its absolute limits as an instrument, 25 year-old James Blackshaw comes along and makes a home in the middle. His choice of the 12-string gives his art a rich, deep tone and his fingerpicking skills are sort of mindboggling. Technical ability aside, the guy also writes beautifully.
- paul
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Released 06.05.2007
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (XL Recordings) [audio] [upcoming shows]
There's no good reason I should like a new Devendra Banhart album anymore. He has all but abandoned his hauntingly sweet and sentimental early folkie sound, deciding rather to channel Jim Morrison's "Lizard King" persona as best he can...and we all know Morrison was a Sucka MC, right? Although it's uniformly pretty good, the best of Smokey Rolls can be found in songs like the warmly emotional "Bad Girl" and the upbeat shuffle "Lover," both of which illuminate Banhart's most undeniable quality: his cherubic voice.
- sam
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Released 09.25.2007
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Friday, September 28, 2007
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Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil (Vice) [audio] [upcoming shows]
A little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll, this album sounds as it is was recorded with a Jack and Coke in one hand and a guitar roughly grasped in the other. Add a cigarette casually dangling between their lips and you get the picture. Sounds affected? Well, it's not; it's pure, unadulterated and old fashioned lo-fi guitar rock, with that same energy and devil-may-care-about-the-current-fashion-for-electro attitude. Good Bad Not Evil is unpretentious, raw and foot-tapping good.
- ellie
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Released 09.11.2007
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Friday, September 21, 2007
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Ian Brown - The World is Yours (Fiction/Polydor) [audio] [upcoming shows]
In 11 years, The Stone Roses released exactly two studio albums. In the 11 years since their demise, frontman Ian Brown has now released five. So which is more important: quality or quantity? Forget that argument; it's a red herring. All you need to know is that The Stone Roses actually contributed something to the scene in which they existed. Ian Brown as a solo artist is in touch with nothing past, present or future. The World is Yours is just one more insufferable trip he's taking into a deserted pop hinterland. Sinéad O'Connor guests, 'nuf said?
- paul
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Released 09.25.2007
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Thursday, September 20, 2007
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Bat For Lashes - Fur and Gold (Caroline) [audio] [upcoming shows]
If Kate Bush were to emerge from retirement with a series of gothic fairytales for grownups, this album is exactly what it would sound like. A fascinating debut, Fur and Gold intertwines husky vocals with the mysterious tones of harpsichords and far off strings to create a sound which is both darkly gothic and ominously sexy. The brains behind the Bat, Natasha Khan, has the same unnerving presence as fellow female vocalist Björk, but is more dreamy than kooky, fashioning an album steeped in ingenuous atmosphere, but honed on a shamanistic blade.
- ellie
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Released 07.31.2007
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Tuesday, September 04, 2007
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Billie The Vision & The Dancers - Where the Ocean Meets My Hand (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Two things in this world are true: (1) Sweden is to indie-pop as Hershey, PA is to candy bars, and (2) Billie The Vision & The Dancers is the best kept of all Scandinavian secrets. The Billies have produced some of the most appealing pop of the last three years, but always under the radar. With lyrics often story-oriented and sprinkled with pop culture references, and music holding traces of Sufjan Stevens or Loney, Dear, the Dancers promenade through their records with the apt confidence of seasoned performers.
- cormac
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Released 04.10.2007
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Thursday, August 30, 2007
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Bonde do Rolê - With Lasers (Domino) [audio] [upcoming shows]
For those who can't stop reminiscing about the glory days of Miami Bass—"Diamond Girl" (remember that one, ohh-oh) and "Supersonic"—and still haven't intoxicated themselves through constant use of extra super hold Aqua Net, Bonde do Rolês' debut lp With Lasers is chocked full of enough old school drum machines and cocksure guitar riffs to wet your late eighties whistle. These baile funkers are as dirty as 2-Live Crew wanted to be and are ready to lively up your next party.
- alex
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Released 06.05.2007
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Monday, August 27, 2007
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Bark Bark Bark - Haunts (Retard Disco) [audio]
Efficient music making is great, but Haunts probably cost less than $50 to record. Sometimes that doesn't make a difference at all (see any Guided by Voices album), but when your band relies more on making a sound than it does on actual songs, low fidelity just becomes an inevitable distraction. That said, Haunts isn't a complete waste. Much of it is like Beck's absurd early pre-Mellow Gold work, and the songs that stand out most are those with creamy melodic middles like the title track and "Dead Ghost."
- paul
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Released 05.22.2007
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Monday, August 13, 2007
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Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell (Epitaph) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Bad Religion purists may think only a few songs on New Maps of Hell rank as some of their best, and the whole album doesn't quite stack up. The album mix is a little rough and the vocals are sometimes buried, but if you just sit back and enjoy the raucous music and wordsmithing you won't really notice. This collection of punk anthems about social consciousness and freedom has quickly jumped to the top of my favorite releases this year.
- j.p.
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Released 07.10.2007
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Monday, August 06, 2007
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Black Before Red - Belgrave to King's Circle (I Eat Records) [audio]
A first listen reveals very brisk, metronomic and bright pop music laced with subtle flourishes of horns and peppery acoustic guitars that dance along with the lovely vocal melodies—very cool, quiet little songs. It's often reminiscent of mid-'70s Kinks with that delicate modern indie sound that the kids love. Sensitive boy stuff this, not dissimilar to a brittler Spoon or even The Walkmen. Throw some Beach Boys' "bah-bah-bahhs" over key parts and there you go. This one was like a wine review, no?
- eric
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Released 08.14.2007
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Friday, July 06, 2007
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Boredoms - Super Roots 9 (Commmons) [audio] [upcoming shows]
When all mixed together, three drummers, a DJ/conductor and a 24-member chorus are going to create something you're unlikely to hear just everyday. But for Japan's legendary Boredoms, it's but another directional shift in career full of them. "Livwe!!," the singular composition on Super Roots 9, is a whirling, climbing, frantic and frenzied 41-minute symphony that never loses steam. As clearly orchestrated as it is spontaneous, it's thunderously rhythmic, yet lighter than air. It not only asks for, but demands your devotion.
- paul
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Released 03.06.2007
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Tuesday, June 26, 2007
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Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon DVD (Anchor Bay Entertainment) [trailer]
Behind the Mask is the best horror film of 2006 that you never saw. Anchor Bay (as usual) does a great job with this release. There's an interesting 30-minute production diary feature, seven minutes of deleted scenes with director commentary, as well as 22 minutes of extended scenes. The four lead actors contribute a fun audio commentary track and there is a pdf version of the full screenplay via your DVD-ROM drive. The only piece missing is a commentary track by the director. If you are a horror fan, see this film as soon as possible.
- kyle j.
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Released 06.26.2007
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Wednesday, June 13, 2007
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Bitter Bitter Weeks - Peace is Burning Like a River (High Two) [audio] [upcoming shows]
You can usually pick out albums created in a communal setting. In much the same way The New Pornographers revolve around Carl Newman, Bitter Bitter Weeks' common touchstone is the songwriting and intoxicating voice of Brian McTear. But also like their Canadian counterparts, this Philadelphia collective strongly depend on the contributions of many (Amy Morrissey and Ric Menck among them). The even mix of thoughtful pop and candlelight balladry creates a necessary variety and, in turn, a necessary album.
- paul
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Released 06.12.2007
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Tuesday, June 12, 2007
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The Brother Kite - Waiting for the Time to Be Right (Clairecords) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Now that's what I call a head-trip in every key! The fact that the
album art is all watery vistas is no mistake. The music comes at you in
wave after wave: harmonies drenched in reverb smothered in guitar
soaked in reverb wrapped in reverb-draped keys propelled by
reverbed-out drums locking up with basslines that one can assume have
been treated with more reverb. This is some serious American shoegaze
action.
- jeremy
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Released 09.12.2006
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Friday, June 08, 2007
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Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Strength & Loyalty (Interscope) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Yo! New-Bone-and-Thugs-and-notes-and-bump-and-ImissmyUncleChaaaaarles, y'all! That this even exists is completely absurd; that it's not awful is astonishing. This is a perfect disposable Summer of 2007 album. Spend the next three months driving around, picking one note, and then singing as many words on that note as fast as you can. On Labor Day, you can throw the disc at the head of a zombie in the backyard, as your use for it will be done. (So you won't be looooneleeee...)
- tom d.
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Released 05.08.2007
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Thursday, May 31, 2007
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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81 (RCA) [audio] [upcoming shows]
BRMC's aptly titled song "Weapon of Choice" from their latest Baby 81 takes them to battle using sexy vocals, thick, distorted guitar riffs and sultry basslines. The guys' surprise attack comes from the heartbreakingly acoustic-based "Am I Only;" a track that taps into deep emotions and heartbreak. Veering between the edgy and uplifting Kinks-like "Berlin" and the orchestral, utterly depressing "All You Do is Talk," BRMC creates a varied, thrilling rocked-out album. It's totally hot.
- miriam
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Released 05.01.2007
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Thursday, April 26, 2007
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Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Since discovering Andrew Bird, I've always kind of regarded him as a whistling minstrel of sorts—a creative and talented musician with catchy, bouncing songs, but with little to offer to those seeking an album with musical depth and meaning. Armchair Apocrypha, however, changes my opinion completely. It's absolutely phenomenal. Full of lush instrumentation and clever, meaningful lyrics, Bird's 7th studio album is a masterpiece. Only he could create something so different from the rest of contemporary indie pop while remaining so listenable and down-to-earth.
- ShaneB
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Released 03.20.2007
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Thursday, April 19, 2007
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Black Bear - The Cinnamon Phase (Baskerville Hill) [audio]
The Cinnamon Phase is 33 minutes of lo-fi electro rock at its best, sounding like what would happen if The Blow and The Microphones mated sonically. Weird tape hisses, dancey synth riffs and overdriven guitars abound, all from one man named Sam Beebe. Personally I think a song about Back to the Future ("I Want a Flying DeLorean") is 22 years overdue, and Black Bear delivers that and much more.
- diana
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Released 06.27.2006
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Thursday, March 29, 2007
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Blackfield - II (We Put Out/Atlantic) [audio/video]
The second collaboration from Isreali singer Aviv Geffen and Steve Wilson of
the English prog rock group Porcupine Tree is a cold bed of depression that
slowly sucks the energy out of you. While Wilson's guitar drips watery
chords and weaves minimalist tapestries, both he and Geffen harmonize softly
about their reasons to leap off the bridge they're standing on. Is it pop?
It is "new prog"? With the rare rocker ("Once," "Epidemic," "Where Is My
Love?"), II is, regardless of genre, a noteworthy affair. Come on, get under
these (cold) covers.
- jason m.
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Released 03.06.2007
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Thursday, March 22, 2007
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Barn Burning - Werner Ghost Truck (Tarnished) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Although a band from the Northeast, you'd never know where they are from by listening to this album. You'll lean towards the Midwest but be dead wrong. It's also not overly influenced by any one genre. There's some dark country and eruptions of distorted bliss, such as the fuzzed out chorses of "Drunk Drivers on the Guest List" or "Rubicon." Haunting feel-bad music featuring harmonica, organ, piano, violin, slide guitar, short wave radio, acoustic guitar and influences such as Jay Farrar, Sparklehorse and Anders Parker.
- mark
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Released 02.27.2007
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Tuesday, March 20, 2007
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The Be Good Tanyas - Hello Love (Nettwerk) [audio] [more audio] [upcoming shows]
I'm kicking myself for allowing this album to languish in the submissions pile for so long. Achingly gorgeous, it runs the gamut from traditional folk songs to bluegrassy covers (they made me fall in love with a Neil Young song! Inconceivable!) to lovely originals about how "your roots stretch down to grow up wild." Frazey Ford has one of those voices that you either love or hate (think Toni Childs mixed with Karen Peris)—I love it, and the way it meshes with Sam Parton's. This should have been on my top 10 for 2006.
- meredith
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Released 10.10.2006
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Monday, February 19, 2007
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The Bird and The Bee (Blue Note) [audio] [upcoming shows]
"Say my stupid name, it's stupid how we always seem to do it again" Inara George sings on "Again and Again," the first track on The Bird and The Bee's self-titled album, and in many ways the song encompasses all the themes the band will revisit over the record's remaining nine tracks: coquettish and often juvenile sexual ruminations filtered through a candy bossanova toolbox. Deceptively intricate, this non-pejorative "Girl's Record" is substantive bedroom pop from a group that earns their name.
- troy
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Released 01.23.2007
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The Bird and The Bee (Blue Note) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Inara George and musician/producer Greg Kurstin have teamed up to breed a perfect blending of jazz and trip hop in an overall pop package. What works for The Bird and The Bee is the harmony of tones, both lyrically and musically—you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll dance. Ms. George has an amazingly soft, sweet, and seductive voice that can somehow get away with singing the less-than-saccharine lyrics to songs like "Fucking Boyfriend" and "I'm a Broken Heart" without making you lose interest for a beat.
- cormac
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Released 01.23.2007
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Thursday, February 15, 2007
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KC Booker (Rolling Jack Records) [audio] [more audio]
As soon as the first track "Crackerjack" started up, I was doing a little dance in my chair. Then it transitioned into "White Lightning," and I wondered how The White Stripes had turned into an old Southern blues guitarist who traveled through time into the middle of a turntable and a beatbox. All you have to do is look at KC's influences—John Lee Hooker and Run DMC, Muddy Waters and Beck—to figure out how it happened. The album slows down by the end; I prefer the hootenanny feel of the first several tracks.
- meredith
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Released 10.03.2006
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Tuesday, January 23, 2007
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Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (Interscope) [audio] [upcoming shows]
This sounds like Jimmy Eat World jammed the Deftones, and they had a flipper baby who is currently wicked pissed at his parents for not letting him go to the Dashboard concert. I hate this album in the face.
- tom d.
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Released 11.21.2006
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Friday, December 08, 2006
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Eric Bachmann - To the Races (Saddle Creek) [audio] [video] [upcoming shows]
Whether with Archers of Loaf, as Barry Black, Crooked Fingers or his given name, Eric Bachmann continues to release quality music at a steady pace. This time out, it's a collection of songs for reading, quiet nights at home listening to the rain crash down on the roof. Most songs are subtle and stark, just him and a guitar—the title track is an instrumental with only acoustic guitar and violin. The deep voice is still there, but offset with strings, harmonica, piano and the choral backing vocals on "So Long, Savannah."
- mark
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Released 08.22.2006
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Tuesday, November 28, 2006
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Brightblack Morning Light (Matador) [audio] [more audio] [upcoming shows]
Brightblack Morning Light cradles listeners toward a slanted stupor. Lulling tracks flow together with an improvisational feel—all low grooves, drunken guitars and whispered harmonies. In his slow-baked tempo and blues-y exhalations, the lead male vocalist verges on Hope Sandoval. Haunting female backing vocals add delicacy to subterranean jams. Trippy electro-elements couple with a fog of psychedelia, marrying Portishead to Steely Dan. Native American lyrical allusions serve as a mere afterthought; although the ancient indigenous Spirit is fundamental throughout, stirring a communion beyond words.
- betty
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Released 06.20.2006
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Friday, November 17, 2006
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Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals Starvation League - The Longest Meow (Bloodshot Records) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The Longest Meow comprises 11 genre-bending songs, all recorded in 11 hours with 11 musicians. This is Bare's best album yet, and he proves it, from rockers such as "Heart Bionic" and "Borrow Your Cape," to alt-country numbers like "Demon Valley" and "Stop Crying." You'll also catch a stripped-down version of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind." Members of My Morning Jacket, Lampchop, and Clem Snide all show up to play on the album, and you can hear through the music that recording this record must have been a blast.
- kyle j.
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Released 09.26.2006
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Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals Starvation League - The Longest Meow (Bloodshot Records) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Bobby Bare Jr. possesses one of the most fascinating voices in music today, both in tonal quality and in the importance of his contributions to the songwriting community. This is his third full-length with the League, and his most eclectic offering to date. It may also be (gasp!) his best. This is more than alt-country; it is a sonic Norman Rockwell painting of the modern South. There is truth in the innocent sincerity of Bare's lyrics, and every song is laced with the earnest, infectious joy of a songwriter who has transcended the concept of "genre."
- tom d.
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Released 09.26.2006
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Friday, October 20, 2006
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The Black Neon - Arts and Crafts (Memphis Industries) [audio]
Disclaimer: I drive a black Neon. And ladies, it's a '97! That said, Arts and Crafts starts out very euro and Kraftwerk before distilling into hazy, summery, jangly English psychedelia. Its fuzzed out and bass-heavy musical sunshine is perfect for drinking like, three bottles of Nyquil and trying to stay awake. This is a druggy album. This album is so druggy that Andy Dick would listen to it and be like, "That's fucked up."
- eric
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Released 08.22.2006
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Wednesday, October 11, 2006
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Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive (V2 Music) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Like a Norwegian Thao Nguyen, Brun sings almost carelessly, but her songwriting is impeccable. The album starts off with the madrigal-like "To Let Myself Go," rising and falling hypnotically; then it launches into the twangy sardonic swing of "Song No. 6," cleverly detailing how Brun would write "a sobby pink song." If there were justice in the world, it would be a U.S. radio hit. "Rubber & Soul"'s folky sweetness belies the dark lyrics, and I could write a term paper on the metaphors in "The Fight Song," let alone the entire record. I have it in heavy rotation.
- meredith
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Released 05.09.2006
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Thursday, October 05, 2006
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Beck - Nausea (Interscope) [audio and upcoming shows]
After leaving a few people quite disappointed with the last record Guero, Beck gives us a vastly promising insight into the forthcoming record The Information. Incredibly fun and incredibly danceable, "Nausea" features a huge variety of clattering percussive elements, sampled vocals (which includes strange human chimp noises), a fantastic sing-along chorus and a funky guitar hook to die for. Rest assured, this is Beck at his very best.
- colin
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Released 10.03.2006
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Tuesday, September 05, 2006
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Carla Bozulich - Evangelista (Constellation) [audio] [more audio] [upcoming shows]
This is the sound of beauty fighting its way out of a grotesque darkness, a pitch-black place populated by demons and ghosts and past lives. Carla Bozulich has long been a singer cut from an entirely different cloth than every other, through her tenure with Geraldine Fibbers and Scarnella and on her more recent solo recordings. Evangelista is the raw, emotional work she's been hinting was just below her skin for years. Not recommended for casual listening, but worth all the effort should you decide to try.
- paul
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Released 06.06.2006
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Monday, August 14, 2006
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Boy Eats Drum Machine - Pleasure (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows] [videos]
Rife with a distinctive Hawaii-meets-California-waves-to-Mexico vibe,
Pleasure has absolutely zero trouble living up its name. BEDM is the work of one Johnny Ragel, and his friendly croon, sampled beats, kooky background sounds and subtle keyboard work make for a mostly relaxing, sometimes somber, experimental pop experience, although things get peppy with The Taste of Your Mouth and the perfect, doo-wop inspired Lets Get Lost Sometime. Easy to fall in love with, this is one unique piece of work from one severely gifted boy.
- jason m.
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Released 06.01.2006
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Monday, July 31, 2006
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Brief Candles - They Live We Sleep (Latest Flame) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Brief Candles not only draw from, but wallow around in their influences like muddy little piggies. The name itself is an old Zombies song, the album's centerpiece is a scorching cover of A Flock Of Seagulls' "Space Age Love Song" and the wall of guitars and other sounds is as much Slowdive's as it is their own. But I'm not here to fault them for any of it, because every bit of They Live We Sleep works and works well. Only a fool would insist that all new music be devoid of influence
- paul
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Released 07.11.2006
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Monday, July 17, 2006
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Balun - Something Comes Our Way (Brilliante) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Digital blips and synthesized melodies touched by human hands in combination with analog accents like voice and accordion. Hailing from Puerto Rico, its nice to see that it just isnt American kids in their Brooklyn studio apartments taking a nod from Markus Popp. Theres a lot more substance here than your minimal electro-laptop pop, too. Washes of texture create a dreamy backdrop for delicate melodies, nothing that youll be humming at the bus stop, but memorable nonetheless.
- lee
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Released 06.02.2006
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Monday, June 19, 2006
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Boris - Pink (Southern Lord) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Pink, by Japan's noisy enigmas Boris, is no clump of sugary bubblegum...unless your idea of sweetness is being showered with off-the-wall, distortion-encrusted vats of experimental psychedelic-sludge-garage-rock. The title track, "Woman on the Screen," and "Electric" rock like a motherfucker, "Blackout" crawls on and on, "Afterburner" is so 1968, and the awesome, faintly poppy "Just Abandoned My-Self" nosedives into 10 minutes of white noise. Admittedly, this is not going to rouse your interest for everyday listening, but you'll still be happy to have it on your shelf.
- jason m.
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Released 05.16.2006
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Thursday, May 18, 2006
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The Blizzard of 78 - Where All Life Hangs (Killing Floor Records) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The Blizzard of 78's Big Star-Badfinger influenced rock n' roll sounds top notch on Where All Life Hangs. Lead singer Pip has quite a knack for writing great songs, while the rest of the band (ex-members of Anastasia Screamed) adds excellent musicianship to the record. Check out the rock in Give, the grittiness of Johnny, and the nautical grooves of Stowaway. Look for appearances by Phil Aiken (Buffalo Tom) and Tanya Donnelly (Belly). TBO78 has been under appreciated for years, hopefully this record will change that.
- kyle j.
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Released 05.17.2006
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Tuesday, May 09, 2006
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Beautiful New Born Children - Hey, People! (Domino) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Turn the volume on your stereo all the way up. Remove any glass or otherwise breakable material from the immediate area. Press "play." The Beautiful New Born Children have no time to waste on formal introductions with their debut, so they offer "Do the Do" in place of a handshake and a hello. Eight more deafening and bruising exchanges follow it over the course of 20 minutes and before you realize what's just happened, they're gone as quickly as they arrived. They're sorry about all the snot and blood they left on your speakers.
- paul
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Released 10.18.2005
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Wednesday, May 03, 2006
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Black Moth Super Rainbow - Lost, Picking Flowers in the Woods (Graveface) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Like a really quirky variation on the Dr. Who theme, BMSR's soft, frowny-faced and weird music piles on the synths; watery, funky '70s beats; heart-wrenching melody, and the under-appreciated vocoder. But unlike the fantastic Start a People, Lost, Picking Flowers in the Woods just isn't all there. However, some of it will still leave you with an inflated head: it contains some of the band's most effective material in the form of the title track, "Caterpillar House," "Drippy Eye," and the slow "Hairy Mouth." Perhaps the vinyl's better.
- jason m.
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Released 05.23.2006
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Monday, May 01, 2006
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The Bland Allisons Butchers Son (Blood Shake Records) [audio]
This album includes the prettiest music about zombies I ever heard. Yes, zombies, as in "The Walking Dead" (track 5). But you'd never know, to listen to the folky, alt-country lazy guitar and piano, with Sonya Cotton's lovely voice providing harmonies. This EP is a "narrative prologue" to an upcoming full-length ... there's a flood, and open graves, and razor teeth ... consider it the trailer to the movie. I wonder if the title character in "Run, Rachel, Run" will make it to daylight; so long as the music sounds like this, I'll be ok if she doesn't.
- meredith
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Released 04.18.2006
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Friday, March 31, 2006
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Bondage Fairies - What You Didn't Know When You Hired Me (Lobotom) [audio] [upcoming shows]
I have no idea whether or not I'll still be listening to this in a year, but who has time to consider the big picture when the album only endures for 32 brief minutes? Because synth-punk is a genre that's more hit-or-miss than most, it's always sort of a self-congratulatory moment when I find a band who balance the extremes of robot-like detachment and a carnival atmosphere to create something infectiously joyous and adorably evil. The Casiotone keyboard was invented for one purpose and one purpose only - so that this album could one day be made.
- paul
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Released 02.07.2006
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Thursday, March 16, 2006
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Shauna Burns - Every Thought (Red Rock Music) [audio]
As soon as Ghosts and Vampires began, I thought, Shauna Burns is the missing link between Loreena McKennitt and Tori Amos. Sparkling piano and a slight Celtic cast underlie lyrics like please dont buy me that foo foo dress and find your savior in a cereal box in a lane at a supermarket. One of the more powerful girl-with-piano submissions weve gotten; each song is like a little monologue by a short-story character.
- meredith
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Released 03.21.2006
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Friday, March 03, 2006
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Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers (Astralwerks) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Beth, we too were sick of your name being inextricably tied to the Chemical Brothers. After all, you write excellent songs, and have a much more compelling voice than most of your contemporaries. So allow me to applaud your decision to drop all bleeps and bloops from your latest album. And you want to be a little darker and contemplative? Fine by me. We can drive through the countryside together, this album and I. This has supplanted Cat Power and Fiona Apple as my preferred cubicle companion for the spring.
- tom d.
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Released 02.07.2006
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Friday, February 17, 2006
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Eef Barzelay - Bitter Honey (SpinART) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Clem Snide isn't exceptional, but you shouldn't regard that as an insult. Exceptional bands lead while the rest follow. Among followers in the folk-rock genre, Clem Snide seldom waver from their goal of recording solid and truly enjoyable albums filled with lyrically twisted verses and reliably hook-laden choruses. So how does chief-Snide Eef Barzelay fare when stepping out with only his acoustic guitar to rely on? His endearing vulnerability coupled with his bumps-and-all attitude are the flaws that make Bitter Honey not only exceptional, but essential as well.
- paul
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Released 02.21.2006
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Thursday, February 02, 2006
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Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (Matador) [audio] [upcoming shows]
You've probably noticed there are two Belle and Sebastians. One is
the group plagued with an idealistic musical democracy where Stuart
Murdoch allows any member with the desire to sing a song to do so.
Admirable, sure, but it makes for bad records. The other is the group which makes stunningly artful albums revolving around Murdoch as their gravitational center. "The Life Pursuit" not only finds Belle and Sebastian in top form once again, but having finally escaped the wreckage of missteps made in recent years altogether. Plus, it rocks.
- paul
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Released 02.07.2006
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Tuesday, January 31, 2006
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Box_ - Hello (Special Glowing) World! (self released) [audio]
Pack the Advil- You will need a high tolerance for pain, due to the ear piercing digital noises, possibly created solely to make your left eye twitch. Picture Wayne Coyne attempting to induce a seizure or a prepubescent Bill Callahan jamming out with Pan Sonic. Sometimes subtle panning electronic noises, drum beats and synths and at other times digital noise blanketing the underlying song into audio obscurity. Listeners willing to stick it out will be rewarded with some truly original dissonant indie electronica.
- mark
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Released 01.06.2006
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Tuesday, January 17, 2006
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Biirdie Morning Kills the Dark (Pop Up Records) [audio]
Jared Flamm's slight gravel counterpoints nicely with Kala Savage's clear sweetness as they sing about love and longing; their voices remind me of a stripped-down Raveonettes. Highlights are the opening waltzy ode to Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley and "The Other Side of Sunset," which declares: "The saddest songs are sung sweetly and out of time." A few tracks are slightly schmaltzy, but overall theyll get in your head and stay there, "the smog and the fault lines" and all.
- meredith
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Released 03.15.2005
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Friday, January 13, 2006
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Chris Brokaw -
Incredible Love (12XU) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Despite being a member of Codeine, The New Year, Come, and various other projects, Chris Brokaw may be the most prolific unknown musician of the past decade. With this release, he takes the pop potential shown on his previous EP My Confidante and stretches it out over a full length album. A full collection of midtempo pop ballads, complicated finger picking, as well as three minute catchy straight ahead rock songs. Although talented enough to allow genre hopping, don't be surprised if an a cappella yodelling double lp is next- and he pulls that off too.
- mark
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Released 10.25.2005
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Thursday, November 10, 2005
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Bloc Party - Silent Alarm Remixed (Wichita/Vice) [audio/video] [upcoming shows]
A wide variety of guest DJs (including Death from Above 1979 and Nick
Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and an anything-goes attitude make this
better than the average remix record. Some are straight-up dance
remixes that stick fairly close to the originals (Blackbox remix of "Positive Tension," Automato's "Price of Gasoline"), while others are
deconstructed to the point of being almost unrecognizable (M83's lush
"The Pioneers"). Think of it as a movie that's almost, but not quite,
as good as the book.
- karen m.
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Released 09.13.2005
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Friday, November 04, 2005
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Boyracer - Insights and Insults EP (Kittridge) [audio]
Fuzzed out home recorded pop with acoustic guitar, distorted bass lines and alternating male and female vocals. Quaint English pop songs buried in screeching feedback, in the past they have been unfairly lumped in with the twee movement, but this EP flexes more muscle than all the other twee bands back catalogues combined. The levels on this recording are always out of whack, adding to its charm. Purposely leaving the distortion at practically unbearable levels, you have to admire their desire for commerical suicide.
- mark
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Monday, October 24, 2005
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Brakes - Give Blood (Rough Trade)
Featuring at least one member of British Sea Power, the vocals sound
like a slightly more violent Gordon Gano, while the band may be a
sedated version of Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments with bits of
Vic Chestnutt and Uncle Tupelo thrown in. Song topics involve
ingesting drugs, lots of swearing, Karen O, Sleater-Kinney, and
hating the vice president - the track "Cheney" says only "stop being
such a dick". Includes two barely recognizable covers, "Sometimes
Always" by the Jesus and Mary Chain and "Jackson" by Nancy Sinatra.
- mark
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Released 09.13.2005
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Thursday, October 20, 2005
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Burnside Project - The Finest Example Is You (Bar/None) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Burnside Project have actually been around long enough to predate the
Postal Service phenomenon, though they'll surely benefit from it in
the end. The new album is their nicest yet, reigning in the
preciousness of that Gibbard/Tamborello archetype and giving the music a big modern rock shot in the arm a la the Killers or the Stills. The more jaded among you may run off screaming, but, for an album that's been made 100 times by 100 bands in the last 2 years, this one's better than most.
- paul
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Released 10.18.2005
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Tuesday, October 11, 2005
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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl (RCA) [audio/video] [upcoming shows]
BMRC abandon their Jesus and Mary Chain aspirations and take a trip to the Delta with a mostly acoustic CD full of harmonica, piano, hand claps, gospel choir choruses, and lots of lyrics about gettin' saved. In other words, they're still ripping off someone else (notably The Band and just about every gospel singer you can imagine), but at least now they're ripping off something interesting.
- karen m.
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Released 08.23.2005
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Thursday, October 06, 2005
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BlackMothSuperRainbow - Start A People (70's Gymnastics/Graveface) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Before I could get the question out of my mouth, my girlfriend walked
into the room and asked "Is that the new Boards Of Canada?" Well, no
honey it's not, this is BLACKMOTHSUPERRAINBOW and they are from
Pennsylvania, America. BMSR sound like Boards Of Canada moved to
Bristol over in England and got all trip-hop on us, which is
totally A-OK in my book.
- cory
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Released 05.11.2004
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Tuesday, September 06, 2005
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BearVsShark - Terrorhawk (Equal Vision) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Think At The Drive In's Relationship of Command with a greater range of dynamics. No, think ...Trail of Dead's Source Tags and Codes with more beats per minute. No, actually, your best bet is to take your favorite 3 songs from your 5 favorite post-hardcore albums, and imagine a band that might be able to pull off all of them. In a genre whose trademark sound can often bludgeon you into a trance, BVS has crafted an album that will not allow you to drift off in a haze of complacency. Excellent.
- tom d.
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Released 06.14.2005
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Monday, August 01, 2005
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Frank Black - Honeycomb (Back Porch) [audio]
A collection of soulful recordings that betray Black's advancing age... in a good way. Like the best of Dylan's recordings, Black's less-than-perfect vocals provide the perfect emotional counterpoint to his impeccable backing band of Nashville studio gods. Sometimes silly, often empassioned, and never anything less than compelling. The perfect almost-country album to play for your city friends. Finally, if a Pixies fan tells you that you simply MUST get the new Frank Black solo album, you can listen to them without laughing.
- tom d.
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Released 07.19.2005
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Thursday, July 28, 2005
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Steve Broderick - Self Titled (Find it on CD Baby) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The Southern roots-rock sound does not figure prominently in my CD collection, but I have to say this album grew on me. The earnest, soulful tracks reflect solid musicianship and songwriting skills; Broderick has been in several bands, including, of all things, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Mix up the Allman Brothers, the Black Crowes, and Collective Soul, and you get a sound much better than most of the "rock" that's currently on the radio. I pick "You Don't Even Know" to make it on the charts.
- meredith
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Tuesday, March 22, 2005
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Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (Vice/Atlantic) [audio]
[upcoming shows]
Almost a whole year has come and gone since I first wrote about Bloc
Party on these pages. And in that year, the band has continued to
grow both in skill and in recognition. Silent Alarm is the
culmination of all this progress, and it delivers in every way I'd
hoped. Refusing to be pigeonholed as post-punk revivalists or
fashion-conscious hollow men, Bloc Party just make exciting and
colorful rock n' roll that should, by right, shame all their peers
into working harder.
- paul
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Released 03.22.2005
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Tuesday, March 15, 2005
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Big Business - Head for the Shallow (Hydra Head) [mp3] [upcoming shows]
I'm pretty sure that they've already done a study, but I'd like to hypothesize that listening to Big Business' debut full-length will instantly make you party harder. Instantly. This two man crew bring the "drum and bass" thunder like you've never heard. It's like sitting at home, drunk out of your mind and then an entire season of Convoy crashes through your living room. Comprised of Jared Warren of Karp and Coady Willis from Murder City Devils, their liner notes sum it up best: "We are Big Business."
- brian
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Released 01.25.2005
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Friday, March 04, 2005
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Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, Its Morning (Saddle Creek) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Damnit, I can't hate Conor Oberst anymore. Bought this, Loretta Lynn,
and Ray Charles at Target last week and somehow this is the one I
can't stop listening to. Maybe his lyrics still sound like
descriptions of the pictures his antidepressants put in his head, and
maybe critics' attempts to compare him to others still give him way
too much credit, but I'll be fucked if this isn't the best record I've
heard in months. It's stuck in my head like that shrapnel I got in
'Nam.
- tom d.
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Released 01.25.2005
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Thursday, February 03, 2005
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Bear Claw - Find The Sun (Sickroom) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Many years have passed since I would claim to appreciate an album
sounding like this one. You know the kind I'm talking about; that
muscular, aggressive, rhythmic blueprint that once dominated Chicago's
indie output. Credit Steve Albini if you want, but it's Bear Claw
themselves who've done the hard part. They've breathed life back into
a genre of music that's been in a vegetative state for a decade. The
next thing you know, the Lounge Ax will be forced to re-open.
- paul
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Released 10.26.2004
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Monday, November 22, 2004
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The Brunettes - Mars Loves Venus (Lil' Chief) [mp3s]
The Brunettes have to rival Sons & Daughters as the cutest mixed-sex band on the map. Where S&D dip their toes into the blues, The Brunettes cast a wide net over '60s pop and bring back jerky '80s new wave along with it. The principal Brunettes, Jonathan and Heather, turn these songs into musical dialogues with an unjaded, buoyant interplay as their band creates a dimestore Pet Sounds-esque backdrop. Together, these things make Mars Loves Venus just about the most perfect indie pop record you'll hear all year.
- paul
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Tuesday, September 28, 2004
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Blues Explosion - Damage (Sanctuary)
[audio] [upcoming shows]
As Now I Got Worry served to cap off phase one of the mighty JSBX experience, Damage even more ably defines phase two. Around 1998, when Spencer & Co. began experimenting with formula rather than just making the blues a noisier commodity, the band's grasp fell short of its reach. Things improved over time, and decisions once questionable now seem profound. Ideas finally feel fleshed out and the band shows more aptitude than ever. If that's not enough of a good thing, there's even a protest song with Chuck D!
- paul
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Wednesday, July 21, 2004
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Black Sabbath - Paranoid
This is still a great fucking record. If you don't agree, you're an idiot.
- brian
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Wednesday, July 07, 2004
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Bloc Party - Little Thoughts/Tulips (Wichita Recordings) [video] [upcoming shows]
Remember when bands earned their admirers by releasing a stream of blistering singles and putting on live shows people can't wait to tell their friends about? "Little Thoughts," the title track from Bloc Party's third, is so melodically buoyant and timeless it could be mistaken for the signature song of most any veteran post-punk critical darling. An impressive feat from a band whose recording history can be measured in months rather than years.
- paul
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Friday, June 11, 2004
Thursday, May 27, 2004
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Bad Religion - The Empire Strikes First (Epitaph) [mp3] [upcoming shows]
Sometimes it's comforting to know there's still a band who really have no interest in fucking around with what works. That's what makes The Empire Strikes First just another reliable Bad Religion record. Now, if that's not your thing, don't expect to be magically persuaded by this latest offering. However, those already guilty of Bad Religion fandom are in for a feast of rapid-paced, tritely politicized rock music... just like they've doing for the last 23 years.
- paul
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Tuesday, May 04, 2004
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Bloc Party - Banquet/Staying Fat (Moshi Moshi) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Disregard the fact that "Banquet/Staying Fat" is the NME's single of the week, proven to be the kiss of death for more than 50% of bands unfortunate enough to have been awarded such a prize. Instead, pay attention to the rock solid post-punk grooves and succinct smacks of seemingly careless guitar which make those fashion plates in Franz Ferdinand run home, arms flailing, to their mommies. 2004 will be the year of Bloc Party.
- paul
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Monday, March 22, 2004
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Boy Robot - Glamorizing Corporate Lifestyle (City Centre Offices)
The discoteques in hell have embraced our old dance music. Last time I
spoke with DJ Beelzebub, "The Hustle" was on infinite loop. Fortunately for those of us still on Earth, disco has modernized to a point where traditional ideas of melody and beat have been eschewed. Boy Robot (aka Hans Möller and Michael Zorn) guts the nu-disco ivory tower crafted by Daft Punk and rebuilds it into a gritty, dirty, dubbed out masterpiece of minimalist hedonism. Dance like hell now, because it won't be any fun once you get there.
- paul
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Tuesday, March 02, 2004
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Emma Bunton - Free Me (Polydor/Universal) [audio]
Were it not for the occasional marrings of modernized production techniques, Emma Bunton's second solo album would belong squarely in the confines of 1964. From the cover inward, she's exploring the textures of lush Burt Bacharach-style pop and breezy bossa nova (covering Astrud Gilberto's "Crickets Sing for Anamaria," no less) - and doing it all with the utmost reverence and integrity. The Spice Whos? Right.
- paul
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Wednesday, February 04, 2004
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Buffalo Daughter - Pshychic (V2) [audio/video] [upcoming shows]
Sweet Izanagi! Remember when Buffalo Daughter was the cute little band the Beastie Boys adopted on tour and brought home to America? That burdensome aesthetic was partially shed with the release of 2002's impressive I album, but, on Pshychic, the band is all business. Stereolab wishes they could still rock this hard. Neu! never even came close. Pshychic is krautrock with some serious juice. Currently, it's only available by import. Write your congressman! Let him know a domestic release may keep the streets riot-free!
- paul
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Tuesday, October 21, 2003
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Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash (Astralwerks) [audio] [more audio] [upcoming shows]
I am only familiar with two truly stellar bands that mix world music with contemporary dance and pop. The first is Canadian collective Bran Van 3000. The second, and sonically better, is Basement Jaxx, who has raised the bar again. The first 15 minutes kill. Not so crazy about "Supersonic", but "Plug It In" and "Cish Cash" drip sex. Best dance album of 2003.
- kate
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Wednesday, September 17, 2003
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Big Noyd - Only The Strong (Landspeed Records) [audio]
Few people could take a Domino's Pizza-ruining elf as their namesake and still keep it gully as fuck; even the pastiest of emo kids will start to feel bulletproof after a few spins of "Shoot Em Up (Pts. 1 and 2)." Noyd's time-honored Queensbridge flow isn't the most original in the world, but on an album blessed with some of the Alchemist's finest and most head-noddingly ominous creations, it more than gets the job done.
- nick
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Monday, August 18, 2003
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Bishop Allen - Charm School (Champagne School) [audio/video] [upcoming shows]
Bishop Allen brings to mind at different times the Kinks, the Velvets and the Pixies, but with strong songwriting and crisp production (and a whole lot of talent), "Charm School" is simply amazing on its own merits without seeming too derivative. Clever lyrics, jangly guitars and soothing harmonies make the band's debut album a pop masterpiece, solid from the first track to the last. This is pop music that makes the perfect summer soundtrack.
- dave
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Tuesday, July 01, 2003
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Joe Budden (Def Jam) [audio/video]
Brooooooce gets respect (and Bon Jovi gets the hair jokes) but, NJ music is more than bar rock. Redman and the Fugees put turnpike hip-hop on the map, and Joe Buddens is the latest emcee "responsible fo' bringin Jerz back." Joey Jump-off spits confidently throughout, whether on his drug-abusing past or "some hoes in this house," and in the process cements his place as a Jersey rap kingpin gunning for the greats.
- nick
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Tuesday, June 03, 2003
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Blur - Think Tank (Virgin)
At a show the other night, "Music is my Radar" came in between bands and my friends and I shook our booties. I listened to Think Tank the next day and shrugged my shoulders. This record was best described when someone told me "it's like an album of b-sides I'd make for myself." It's got some great shit (see Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club; Good Song) but it's sketchy overall.
- kate
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Monday, April 14, 2003
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The Black Keys - Thickfreekness (Fat Possum) [mp3s, album stream] [upcoming shows]
If John Lee Hooker and Jimi Hendrix had a baby, it would be The Black Keys. Hooker's patented boogie standards showing through on their 1st release the big come up and Hendrix' dirty fucked guitar solos popping up in small perfect moments on ''Hard row'' and ''set you free'' on the new Thickfreekness. In the world of 2-piece blues groups, Doo Rag might have set the stage, and The White Stripes might have stolen the show, but these boys have taken it back to the untainted modest roots.
- john
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Thursday, March 27, 2003
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Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Master and Everyone (Palace Records/Drag City) [upcoming shows]
Through beautifully revitalized and produced Southern gothic, "Master and Everyone" is the emotion soaked ballad of a broken hearted man. Oldham pines love torn depths accompanied by acoustic guitar, scattered synth effects and Marty Slayton's feminine vocals for a duet or two. By the end of the album the gorgeous self-reflective intimacy of tracks like "Hard Life", "Wolf among Wolves" and "The Way" made me want to profess everlasting love to the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.
- jules
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Thursday, January 23, 2003
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Black Dice - Beaches and Canyons (DFA) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Though solid references back the Black Dice's latest: four RISD graduates turned Brooklynites; on DFA; legendary live shows; experimental and confrontational textures; be warned, Beaches and Canyons is inaccessible No-Wave-meets-New-Age noise collage. 'Sound' triumphs over 'song' in thematically evolving tape loops and dissonant feedback. Contentiously ambient water and whale imitations morph into toxic sewage fires and brutal dolphin massacres. Yes, I 'get it', but abrasive audio exploration does nothing for the mojo.
- jules
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Thursday, October 31, 2002
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Bangs - Call and Response (Kill Rock Stars) [mp3]
This two-girls-and-a-guy Washington state punk n' roll trio doesn't waste any time on its undeniably hip-shaking new EP. Equal parts Joan Jett, the Donnas, and Bikini Kill influence the six blasts of pure energy and the EP ends as quickly as it began, a mere sixteen minutes later. No filler here, that's for sure. It doesn't matter though because Bangs makes their point and it's resonance sticks. This is basement rock at it's finest.
- chip
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Tuesday, October 29, 2002
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Burning Brides - Fall of the Plastic Empire (V2) [audio]
Angry, pissed-off rock and roll music in the spirit of raw power legends like the MC5, Black Sabbath, the Ramones, and AC/DC, but played faster and dirtier. Listening to this album makes me want to slam dance, drive fast, and get stoned (not all at the same time). The trio slithers in and out of sludgy grunge rock ("At the Levity Ball") and power-punk ("Glass Slipper") recalling Bleach-era Nirvana, particularly on "Arctic Snow." Kick out the jams, motherfucker.
- chip
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Friday, October 25, 2002
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The Black Heart Procession - Amore del Tropico (Touch and Go) [mp3]
By BHP standards, this is a happy uplifting album even though the subject matter is lost love. The somber and minimalist approach this band has favored in the past has been left by the wayside and been replaced with fuller, richer songs such as "The Invitation," as well as songs that, well, rock ("Did You Wonder"). It's a departure, for sure, though a pleasant one at that. And, if you're keeping track at home, it's the first BHP album to break from a numeric title.
- chip
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Tuesday, October 01, 2002
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The Boggs - We Are The Boggs We Are (Arena Rock) [audio]
Brooklyn kids and their bedroom re-recordings of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack - I can't tell if it's a put on or not. The fiery banjo fingerpicking, kitchen utensil percussion - washboards, yo - and blues-standard songwriting are all in fine form, but the disc too often feels pretentiously lo-fi and primitive. I guess that's to be expected on any new indie rock release featuring both mandolin AND pennywhistle (not to mention a dude named "Ezekiel").
- nick
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Thursday, September 19, 2002
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Beck - Sea Change (Universal) [audio]
Beck is down and broken-hearted. While some people in this condition either lie in bed all day or go on a bender, Beck floats on a fluffy cloud of cathartic songwriting, lush strings, and an acoustic guitar. Sea Change is overwhelmingly melancholy, but the beauty of this record is that at its slow drag of a pace, Beck reveals that hes as good at writing slow sad tunes as he is at assembling ass-shaking grooves.
- armando
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Thursday, June 20, 2002
Thursday, May 30, 2002
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Breeders - Title TK (Elektra) [audio/video]
Aided and abetted by Steve Albini (and some dudes from Fear, of all places), the Deal sisters recapture the peculiar charm of Last Splash but replaces it's whip-crack surf pop with minimalist, crying-in-your-Pabst blues and "pure white noise." Viewed solely as a decade-in-the-making follow up, TK disappoints, but Kim and Kelley's latest stands alone on it's own quirkily enjoyable merits.
- nick
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Tuesday, May 28, 2002
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Babu Duck Season, Vol. 1 (Sequence Records)
While not as classic as Nintendo's Duck Hunt, Babu's mixtape-esque collection brings more then enough classic boom-bap for the summer. Seamlessly transitioning from The Beatnuts to Quasimoto, J5 to Big Daddy Kane (!), the entire disc is a satisfying blend of both tried and true hip hop as well as genuinely underground shit (like Phil Da Agony's creepy "Kronkite"). As the album-opening baby voice intones, "it's duck season, punks" best holster them light guns.
- nick
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Thursday, May 16, 2002
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Buck 65 - Synesthesia (Endemik Music) [mp3]
With a voice reminiscent of a young Tom Waits, Buck 65 serves his second 2001 release with mad relish. It's hard to believe the cohesive 39min track that is the ENTIRE ALBUM was a manufacturing error, and not a brilliant stroke at drawing his abstract stylins of distinct hip hopisms to a new idiom. Synesthesia is all about the spoken rap, deft scratches and sharp irony of a one man production-djing-sampling force.
- jules
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Friday, April 26, 2002
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Boards of Canada - Geogaddi (Warp Records) [audio]
In the same way I don't like onions but enjoy onion soup, I fell for BoC's debut electronica record "Music Has the Right to Children." The Scottish pair doesn't disappoint or evolve on this release, rehasing childhood themes, but do seem a bit mopier. Any fan of the genre won't be disappointed, but for the crossover audience they're notorious for attracting, this may just be too much of what once seemed like a good thing. [read kate's review of the album]
- leslie
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Wednesday, April 24, 2002
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Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow (MCA Records) [audio - album mix]
"Conscious" hip-hop tends to be on the wack side; I like to see bitches hugged instead of slapped as much as anyone else, but you better come through with extra-dope songs to make up for any lacking in the gat department. Fortunately, Blackalicious do conscious better than anyone else in the game, and this disc's peerless, multi-dimensional lyrics and jaw-dropping production almost make me forget that, yes, knowledge is indeed being dropped. Jigga who?
- nick
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Friday, March 29, 2002
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Brendan Benson - Lapalco (StarTime) [mp3]
My new fake boyfriend is Brendan Benson. Not only has he put out a record that I can't stop listening to, like me, he's a product of the Motor City. My favorite track changes with every listen, and it's refreshing to see a record made as a whole piece of work, not just a couple of singles and some filler. Emotive but not emo, look for it on everyone's best of 2002 list come December.
- leslie
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Tuesday, March 12, 2002
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The Bellrays In the Light of the Sun (In Music We Trust)
Soul music isn't a popular style among indie rock kids. Of course, those kids haven't heard the powerful voice of The Bellrays' Lisa Kekaula. Kekaula possesses the passion of a young Aretha Franklin and her band, heavily endorsed by MC5's Wayne Kramer, plays with the spirit of an early '70s garage rock band. Originally a cassette-only release in 1992, this CD re-issue sounds just as welcomed in 2002 as it would have in 1962. I'm a converted believer!
- chip
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Wednesday, March 06, 2002
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Boards of Canada - Geogaddi (Warp) [audio]
This is quite possibly the most accessible IDM record I've ever heard. That doesn't equal bad, unless you're a snob. And even if you are, there's enough layers and intricate styling in the same vein as their debut, Music Has The Right to Children, to make you happy. Geogaddi is your soundtrack to dreams of impossibly beautiful places that don't exist.
- kate
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Tuesday, March 05, 2002
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Beulah - When Your Heartstrings Break (Sugar Free) [mp3]
When Your Heartstrings Break is *exactly* what the Beach Boys would have sounded like had they been part of Louisiana's Elephant 6 Recording Company. Fuzzy pop gems stick in your head while you're listening to them, but are forgettable once you stop the disc.
- cory
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Tuesday, December 04, 2001
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Bis - Return to Central (SpinArt)
A far cry from their impetuous, sugar-fueled early material, Bis' latest LP is an experience in danceable, layered electro-pop. The trio now stand strong as savvy music-makers with a penchant for spacey club beats and tight yet expansive synthesizer arrangements, all bound together with markedly mature, whip-smart lyrics. Tracks on recent releases contained seeds of this direction, but Return to Central is clearly the fruition of a glistening, beautiful new sound. Highly recommended.
- chris
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Monday, December 03, 2001
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Bluetip - Post Mortem Anthem (Dischord)
If you like Bluetip, chances are you already have this CD and know how hard it rocks, in typical Bluetip style. If you don't like Bluetip, or you've never heard of them, you probably either don't know this record exists, or you couldn't really give a fat shit. The real reason to buy this CD is the extensive liner notes in the form of a long narrative by the 'Tip's Jason Farrell. At once informative and extremely funny, it easily makes this record worth the price of admission.
- brian
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Friday, November 30, 2001
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Backstreet Boys - The Hits: Chapter One (Bmg/Jive/Silvertone)
OmigoIlovehetallonehe'ssodreamyandIovethesongwhere
theysayooohoohhoohhbabyit'syouandIwanttokissthe
brodingguyandIonlywanthisandidon'tcareiftheyarefacileand
tediousbecauseomigodthoseboysaresohandsomeandgood
dancersandsincethisisagreatesthitsidon'thavetolistentothe
crapsongsjusttfamousonesiwantitthisway!
- leslie
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Thursday, November 15, 2001
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The Birdwatcher - Afternoon Tales The Morning Never Knew (Arena Rock)
The Birdwatcher is the side project of Windsor for the Derby's Dan Matz, providing you with the soundtrack to the last supper if it was being served in a retirement home cafeteria. Like it or not, these songs had to be released, similar to things you may have shouted at your ex-girlfriend even when you knew some things were better left unsaid. The highlights are the few droned out distorted instrumental parts, which ironically enough are the best part of WFTD's material. Future, meet the past.
- mark
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Wednesday, November 07, 2001
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Guru - Baldhead Slick and Da Click (Landspeed Records)
Far too often, HipHop collaborations fall victim to the One part genius : Three parts mediocrity curse. Unfortunately, Guru's latest project is no exception. Pete Rock and DJ Premier's talents are apparent, but much like a Wu-Tang side project, the problem becomes an issue of too many cooks in the kitchen. With two dozen rappers making guest appearances, something was bound to go haywire. A few stellar tracks, but it's no Full Clip.
- jon
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Friday, November 02, 2001
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Bardo Pond - Dilate (Matador)
Instead of exhausting the atmospheric, stoner sludge rock genre, Bardo Pond have decided to dive headfirst into the deep end of the psychedelic gene pool. Past releases have always had three short songs for every long track but on this release Dennis DeYoung's influence is apparent as their longer tracks dominate and the vibe is allowed to seep into your resin soaked brain. Largely enjoyable, just listening to this may put the results of your next mandatory drug test in jeopardy.
- mark
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Tuesday, October 23, 2001
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Bright Eyes / Son Ambulance - Oh Holy Fools split EP
Connor Oberst sounds like someone who may not have eaten or slept much in the last week. Lyrically dense, haunting and fragile, he paints vivid pictures with his words, while musically channelling piano, organ, flutes, and acoustic guitars into a wimprock bitchslap. He will never be confused with Son Ambulance, who in comparison, sound well fed and rested, singing about heartbreak while sounding like he never deserved the girl in the first place. Both well done, but Son Ambulance is just too damn pretty for my tastes.
- mark
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