They seem like really nice people. It reminds me of Run for Cover Lovers and Operation Makeout. The singing is a little off-key, and the instrumentation is all individually good, but when you put it all together, the pieces don’t fit. The only song I really like is “Humdrum,” which describes the rest of the [...]
Archive for the ‘Music reviews’ Category
The Very “The Discovery”
April 29, 2012Transitshop “Five Thousand”
April 29, 2012Standard power-pop fare that will appease fans of the Gin Blossoms. The melody is a little flat on tracks such as “Life Goes On,” but the harmonizing and guitar make up for it. “Pick Me” reminds me of the Icicles, only with a dude singing. And you get an interesting mix on “Come Through.” The [...]
Ceu “Caravana Sereia Bloom”
April 29, 2012This reminds me of those halcyon days of April March, Stereolab, and Stereo Total. Tracks such as “Falta de Ar” are peppy and easy to digest. Somewhere Beck is smiling and nodding his head. “Retrovisor” really brings the Stereolab comparisons to light. The organ and vocals are slightly trippy and dark — just what you’re [...]
Perfume Genius “Put Your Back N 2 It”
April 29, 2012Another victory for androgyny on this record. The songs are slow ballads and mostly really short, and sometimes Mike Hadreas (it’s a one-man band) even does a waltz. “Normal Song” by definition isn’t because of the 3/4 time signature but whatever. Hadreas and his piano are pretty much all you get in “Dirge.” This is [...]
Speech Debelle “Freedom of Speech”
April 29, 2012Speech Debelle’s a rapper from London. Strings and synths provide the texture behind this MC. “Elephant in the Living Room” has to do with no longer being willing to look the other way at injustice. Acoustic guitar accompanies Debelle on “Angel Wings.” The neat thing about English rappers are the Briticisms that end up in [...]
Daughter “The Wild Youth EP”
April 29, 2012Another male-female duo playing brooding indie rock. The woman leads the way on the vocals, and the first track is “Home.” Brood. Brood. Brood. “Medicine” is next and slightly noisier. The piano is more pronounced. Really, it’s a focus on singing and piano, like some old Sinead O’Connor work. Shoegaze fans may prefer “Youth.” It [...]
Circle “The Middle”
April 29, 2012This trio is from Sydney and play piano-heavy indie rock. The title track is first and is fitting, in that something in the middle is likely less offensive. Male vocals complement the piano, and female backing vocals garnish the meal. “Gorgeous” is just that. The female vocals are still not leading, but the la-la’s are [...]
Lost in the Trees “A Church That Fits Our Needs”
April 15, 2012A big folking band. The six-piece sounds like Tilly and the Wall on Prozac, meaning the percussion is distinctive, even if not actual tap dancing, but otherwise the music is pretty slow. “Neither Here Nor There” is a good example of this. If you like strings with character, “Golden Eyelids” really bugs out. Most of [...]
Usurper Vong “Vong Songs Vol. 1: Humans Make Me Nervous”
April 15, 2012They’re from San Jose so maybe I’ve sat next to them at Camera 12 when watching a movie. I bet they’re not the type who texts during movies. Anyway, I picked this up because the drummer is a woman with a pun in her name. Speaking of puns, I like “Amputea Time.” The mixing is [...]
Various Artists “Communicating Vessels Vol. 1″
April 15, 2012Two tracks each from six different acts. Here’s a rundown: Preston Lovinggood is a talented singer/songwriter who reminds me of Peter Murphy on “Duncan” and “No Baby” The Green Seed is a storytelling hip-hop outfit on “Crack Kills” and “Preservation,” which samples like M.I.A. would The Grenadines are a smooth sometimes-dance rock group with breathy [...]
