About a year ago I reviewed “This Happening,” an EP. Now I finally get the full length. Three tracks stand out. The first one is “Shadow.” The guitar is your standard indie rock fare that sounds good when you see the band live. It is sort of weird that the song ends in a fade, [...]
Archive for the ‘Music reviews’ Category
Is/Is “III”
May 20, 2012The Polyphonic Spree “What Would You Do?”
May 20, 2012It’s just the single. But it’s fun indie rock and exactly what you would expect from them. If you’ve been waiting for something new of theirs play, your wait is over. If you’ve never listened to the band before, there’s been no better time to get to know them.
Spiritualized “Sweet Heart Sweet Light”
May 20, 2012The title is in the chorus of “Hey Jane,” which is a good song in its own right, even if it is nearly nine minutes long. Long tracks are nothing new for Spiritualized. I first saw them when they opened for Siouxsie and the Banshees. That’s how long ago it was. And now Spiritualized are [...]
Battles “Dross Glop”
May 20, 2012It seems to be some sort of remix album of “Gloss Drop.” “Bundt cake” is still the best spoonerism out there, but if you like Battles and you like remixes, this is the record for you. Each track is done by someone different, so really just pick out the original Battles song you liked best [...]
Erasure “Fill Us With Fire EP”
May 20, 2012I can tell I’m old because when I see Erasure put out an eight-track record with three B-sides and a bunch of remixes, I immediately blurt out “maxi-single.” But no one calls them that anymore. And honestly I have trouble calling it an EP because it’s eight freakin’ tracks. But it sure isn’t an LP. [...]
Cock and Swan “Stash”
May 20, 2012For me it’s an honor to review this because someone else did their last album, and I played it a lot. I find it funny that iTunes calls this Electronica, though. Their sound hasn’t changed a bit. The first track, “Sneak Close,” provides more Softies-like experiences, even if a little less playful. Slightly noisier is [...]
Sarah Jaffe “The Body Wins”
May 20, 2012This is my third Sarah Jaffe review. I’ve become a bigger fan over the years. (I checked. It’s been years.) She continues to treat music as a way to make her voice better, rather than something that gets in the way. The title track is a bit more upbeat than I’m used to, but really, [...]
The Dumb Easies “Love! Love! Love!”
May 20, 2012Fun power-pop with a male lead and female backing vocals. Inspired by Glee, perhaps, this has a lot of the ’80s rock sound to it, mixed with bits of doo wop and Grease. “Go Go Go” sets me up for a joke about good music coming in threes, but I’ll pass. This track is more [...]
The New Kinetics “Contact”
April 29, 2012Time for some straight-up indie rock a la old Yeah Yeah Yeahs, with a bit of a rockabilly edge. Tracks such as “Riffle Raff” must sound great live, perhaps with an onstage guest like Neko Case. “Wind Me Up, Hear Me Sing” features Brian singing, and it makes me think of some old Bob Dylan, [...]
Lux “We Are Not the Same”
April 29, 2012This is what I’m talking about. When I hear songs such as “The Window” I am reminded that you can have synths and other fun programming, a la Book of Love, without anyone getting hurt. The backing vocals in the chorus are ethereal and can’t help but put a smile on your face. “Little Cripple” [...]
