Hi, this is Laura Gibson. You might recognize her from such collaborations as those with Ethan Rose and Portland’s PDX Pop Now! This winner is on Barsuk now, so you know she’s earned her stripes.
So are you expecting the somewhat brooding and rainy, classic indie sound? Well, good. The first track is the title track and sets this very tone. “Lion/Lamb” touches on Neko Case’s non-country side. The vibraphone is what really gets me going here.
Lisa Germano fans will appreciate “The Rushing Dark.” Either this sound is timeless, Germano was ahead of her time, or Gibson is stuck in the past. In any case, this one sounds a lot like “Way Below the Radio.”
“Crow/Swallow” must be tied to “Lion/Lamb” somehow, but at first I missed this connection, because both of these words have non-bird meanings as well. If you said that was the case with the other track, I’d say you were lion.
The other track I like is “Time Is Not.” I always make lots of Portland references in reviews of Portland artists, but I think I’ve done enough damage in this review already.
Laura Gibson “La Grande”
March 11, 2012Jessie Baylin “Little Spark”
March 4, 2012Very nice indie pop, with some strings and the freakin’ Watson Twins on backing vox. How could this go wrong? It doesn’t! “Hurry Hurry” gets this one started with a bang. That ’70s roller derby sound is back. Let’s all smoke Kools and look the other way while President Nixon resigns.
“The Greatest Thing That Never Happened” has some bells and horns to make it stand out. I can dig it. Mazzy Star fans will like “Star Cannon.” It’s slower but still a good song.
How cool would it be if “Holiday” were a Madonna cover? Well, it isn’t. Still, it is a good story-telling number. A bit of a country flair helps round out a sing that reminds me of Neko Case.
“The Winds” and the title track are the best of the rest. I am instantly a fan of Jessie Baylin after hearing this record, and you’ll become one, too.
Imperial Teen “Feel the Sound”
March 4, 2012Talk about a review that writes itself. Imperial Teen are back for album No. 5, and it sounds like Imperial Teen. Fun indie pop at its best, the first track, “Runaway,” assures you that the band continues to entertain after all these years.
“Last to Know” is quite chipper and probably involves the clapping of hands. I’m not a big audience participation guy, but even I can recognize how fun this song is. And no longer is Imperial Teen using Lynn Perko Truell’s vocals as a crutch. Everybody sings (as has been the case) but with much more balance now. “Hanging About” really divides the labor well.
Other tracks I liked included “All the Same,” “Out From Inside,” and “Overtaken.” As the title suggests, many of these songs sound all the same, but that’s fine. Imperial Teen have found what they’re best at, and I look forward to their sixth effort.
The Jezabels “Prisoner”
March 4, 2012More of the same, now on a full-length, luckily for us. The Jezabels continue to brood, and have moved from the inner city of Kate Bush to the suburbs of Siouxsie Sioux. That’s enough for that analogy.
The title track leads off. The Jezabels are a little noisier than they used to be, but it works for them. It’s nice to hear the band grow up from record to record. And in what perhaps is their greatest effort to date, “Long Highway” has everything you could want. That said, the songs seem to continue to get longer and longer. It might be time to rein it in a little bit, although the increased noise does grant them more affordance when it comes to track length.
“Rosebud” could have made it into a John Hughes movie 25 years ago. The backing vocals remind me of Gloria Loring, of all people. I also like “Horsehead” and “Deep Wide Ocean,” which reminds me of Alison Moyet and Michelle Shocked.
The last track is “Catch Me.” It’s also pretty in an ’80s way. Very enjoyable stuff, and in some ways I feel proud for watching the band improve year after year.
The Black Belles “The Black Belles”
March 4, 2012Mildly rockabilly, the appropriately named the Black Belles sound exactly like you would expect them to. They end up in a bit of a rut, although “Honky Tonk Horror” stands out above the rest. Otherwise it’s a lot of playful rock and roll with keys mixed in, sometimes sounding like Karen O, other times like the Dollyrots. They’re clearly good live.
Not much else to say. This will work best when Wenzdai or Big Al are behind the mic.
Olivia Broadfield “This Beautiful War & Remixes”
March 4, 2012Kind of an interesting thing here. Get the digipak and you get the 10 regular tracks plus 10 remixes, one for each song. In some cases, the originals are better (“Happening,” “Push”). Other times, the remixes are (“Coming for You,” “Doing So Well,” “Miss Me). And in the case of “Over and Over” and “Old Friend,” both versions shine. That’s enough keyword density for now.
In any case, what you have here is another Colbie Caillat/Mirah retread, with a bit more youth and energy here and there. I suppose people will infer that to be a pejorative, but to hell with them. I can listen to this stuff all day. And with a remix of every track at my disposal, I almost can.
These tracks have very high production values and make an excellent choice for a drive in the country with some wine tasting, perhaps. “Happening” is piano-heavy and a pretty ballad. Gilli Moon would be proud. I also really like “Push.”
The remixes in general are like those pseudo-dance remixes you would get on Saturday nights on Top 40 radio 20 years ago, where there is more of a 4:4 beat and some fun random synths. Somewhere Big Audio Dynamite is proud. If you lean toward the purple, lean toward those tracks. “Coming for You” is probably the best remix on here, followed by “Over and Over.”
Palomar “Sense & Antisense”
March 4, 2012This is an early Top 10 nominee for 2012. Palomar is more than a medicore Mexican restaurant in Santa Cruz. It’s also a four-piece from New York that makes great melodic female-fronted indie pop.
“Wouldn’t Release You” provides a good introduction to the band, sounding like a mature Tralala. Tilly and the Wall fans as well as repentant Oakland A’s fans will appreciate “Never Grieve.”
Sadly, “Red” is not a tribute to the KSCU DJ. However, it does provide a smooth sendup of a darker, more contemporary version of the band. Perfect for Barbara Manning fans. This one gets better every time you hear it.
A more twee-centric sound can be found on “Park Lights.” I really like this one, too. “Hooray for Tuesday” is a slow one. It makes me want to check my Chucks and make sure they’re tied, or untied, depending on my mood.
The last track is “When You Stopped Talking to Me.” I was worried it would be some awkwardly dramatic song to close the record, but instead it fits right in with the rest. This album raises my hopes for a good music year in 2012.
Old Monk “Birds of Belize”
March 4, 2012This modern rock band has a lot of energy and plays straightforward edgy rock. “Sacred Birds” reminds me of Silversun Pickups. The tracks really fly by and provide you with some great pseudo-prog rock good times.
There’s a lot to like about “More Peat Moss, Please,” but I wish they had spent more time mixing the vocals. The lead singer sounds a bit like an off-key Paul McCartney, with bonus falsettos where you least expect them. When they play live, there is clearly a lot of beer on stage, and the guitars are cranked up high.
In a lot of ways, this band sounds like OK Go’s younger brother. “Telephone Bones” has a bit of surf jangle that I can also get behind. Old Monk do better when they play with more energy.
“Skullsplitter” has a good roots rock feel to it. Lots of the other tracks have a bit of a progressive sound, but it is strange because they are too short to be true prog rock classics.
Only the Sea Slugs “Street Music”
March 4, 2012It’s just another indie rock band that happens to be from Australia. Skinny hipsters will listen to this while waiting for Muni. “She Said” is the first track and sets the stage for a lot of tinted eyeglasses and slightly unbuttoned collared shirts.
“Big Sky” sounds like Deerhunter to me. It is sunny enough to get me through a Sunday morning. The other track I like is the last one, “Moth.” It’s a little drawn out, but I can handle it.
Some of the other tracks are good, too, but they have all kinds of swearing and whatnot. Oh well.
Joel’s Hit Show, Episode 142, 29 February 2012 Playlist
March 1, 2012Quilt, Milo
You Say Party! We Say Die!, Glory
Pete Yorn, Velcro Shoes
Tigertown, Still Breathing
Abbe May, Mammalian Locomotion
Adele, That’s It, I Quit, I’m Moving On
Yael Meyer, Home to Me
A Camp, Bear on the Beach
Aficionado, Confidence Is Intimidating
The Kabbs, Loverage
The Aislers Set, Lonely Side of Town
Ah Holly Fam’ly, Lucky Peak
Jessica Jalbert, Aubrey de Gray
A Girl Called Eddy, The Soundtrack of Your Life
A Fine Frenzy, The Minnow & the Trout
Neverever, Venus
All Girl Summer Fun Band, Lipsmacker Kiss
Alessi’s Ark, Time Travel
BJ Snowden, In Canada
Alice Sweet Alice, Full Circle
Lily Allen, Absolutely Nothing
The She’s, Fabian
Dot Allison, Close Your Eyes
Allo Darlin’, Kiss Your Lips
Damn Handsome and the Birthday Suits, Pink Flamingos
An April March, Fate
The Amps, Full on Idle
Dragons Power Up!, Sea Legs
The Anniversary, Up in the Sky
Anne, Punk Bike
The Anthemeers, Phaedrus
Anomie Belle, Phantom
¡andale!, I Liked You Better When
The Lost Satellites, Rest
Angus and Julia Stone, Hollywood
An Horse, Shoes Watch
Elk Bell, Sway
Aroah, Her IQ #2
The Apples in Stereo, Hey Elevator
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Major
April Smith and the Great Picture Show, Colors
ApSci, Big Adventures
Big Deal, Chair
Olof Arnalds, Orfeus og Euridis
Asobi Seksu, Trance Out
Young Magic, Jam Karet
astroPuppees, Wanna Be Alone
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