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Song Reviews

The Splinters: Mysterious [mp3]

splinters

One of my favorite singles from last year was The Splinters‘ debut 7-inch Splintered Bridges. Mixing lo-fi garage rock with post punk and grrl pop, the band fit into everybody’s favorite niche genre of 2009. With compounded female vocals semi-shouted into microphones, ragged and gritty guitar riffs, and a lo-fi echoing tambourine, the girls are back with their first full-length, Kick. “Mysterious” fits perfectly aside “Splintered Bridges” with catchy vocal hooks and loud guitar riffs. Read More »The Splinters: Mysterious [mp3]

The Western States Motel: The Cliff [mp3]

western-states-motel

Carl Jordan has THAT voice. You know, the one that sounds like Gavin Rosdale after he’s taken 40 No-Doz. It’s that raspy yet emotionally pleasing tone you might recognize with the likes of Pete Droge or Eels, the former heavyweight champions of obscurity-laced pop. But, it’s time to step aside Mr. E. The Western States Motel is here to bring oddball power pop back in a big way with their ultra catchy track “The Cliff”. Read More »The Western States Motel: The Cliff [mp3]

Lali Puna: Remember [mp3]

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With such a nostalgia-inspiring title for Lali Puna‘s first single off her upcoming LP – the group’s first in over five years – one can’t help but reminisce on the past. I recall picking up 2004’s Faking The Books around the time of its release; I quickly became obsessed with “Micronimic”, the title track and “B-Movie”. These songs, along with selections from Neon Golden by The Notwist, came to define my music obsessions of 2004. I can see “Remember” launching Our Inventions beyond Lali Puna’s past albums, much in the way Neon Golden did for The Notwist. Read More »Lali Puna: Remember [mp3]

The Secret History: Johnny Anorak [mp3]

secret-history

The modern pop fan undoubtedly favors several styles of the genre. Likewise, the modern pop band is likely to pull from a collection of these sub-genres. The Secret History does just that in “Johnny Anorak”, coming across with vocals fit for a Neko Case reference and backed by synth heavy indie glam pop. The band itself consists of My Favorite’s Michael Grace Jr., glam legend Mick Ronson’s daughter Lisa (on vocals), and Erin Dermody. These two are no newbies to music, so their delivering a powerful pop tune like “Johnny Anorak” shouldn’t be a surprise. Read More »The Secret History: Johnny Anorak [mp3]

Scout Niblett: The Calcination of Scout Niblett [mp3]

scout-niblett

“The Calcination of Scout Niblett”, the title track off Scout Niblett‘s new LP on Drag City Records, is a mix between minimalistic folk sensibilities and the rock-worthiness of epic guitar riffs. Going from the soft minimal vocals-plus-quiet-guitar trait common in folk to the hard-hitting distorted rock guitar, “The Calcination of Scout Niblett” finds a unique balance that is truly like no other. Niblett flickers between the two sounds constantly, an argument that augments the song’s originality. Read More »Scout Niblett: The Calcination of Scout Niblett [mp3]

Andrew Belle: Static Waves [mp3]

andrew-belle

Contemporary folk-pop is an arena that is swamped with imitators, yet a select few artists stand out above the rest. Andrew Belle is one such artist thanks to the inclusion of female backing vocals and boisterous orchestration. “Static Waves” hits all the right points – it’s catchy and plush and clean and colorful. There’s a lot going on here, a lot more than your typical artist fitting this genre descriptor. It’s easy to hear why Belle was selected to open for Ben Folds, although I’d also put him in the same camp as masters like Andrew Bird. Read More »Andrew Belle: Static Waves [mp3]

Golden Triangle: Neon Noose [mp3]

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Noisy post-punk garage with pop-worthy hooks: if you were lucky enough to snag a wax copy of Golden Triangle‘s self-titled EP on Mexican Summer, that’s what you got. That and one of the coolest pieces of vinyl out there with a cream meets gold display of plastic artistry. Golden Triangle is back and this time they’re giving us an LP on Hardly Art. “Neon Noose” is the first track to surface from the new album and it picks up precisely where Golden Triangle left off. Read More »Golden Triangle: Neon Noose [mp3]

Francis: I Was Never Bored At All [mp3]

francis

Francis has been hard at work on a new album and, given a first listen to their new single, it’s easy to hear this band has made some tremendous strides forward. But first, take a step back. Their self-titled EP from 2009 was pretty solid. It allowed them to shine in a very unique manner – being a band that took Sweden into a tavern and got it so hopped up on booze that a drunken punk side began to show. It had sloppy moments, but it merely enhanced the music. “I Was Never Bored At All”, the band’s new song, is not what you’d expect from the previous description. Not at all. Read More »Francis: I Was Never Bored At All [mp3]

Happy Birthday: Girls FM [mp3]

happy-birthday

Rough 70s-era garage rock instrumentation paired with a joint custody of glamorous pop meets fuzzy rock vocals, Happy Birthday comes across as a modern sleeper band. Like a favorite from last year (Jeff The Brotherhood), Happy Birthday could very well launch forward into history with one of the better albums of the year. “Girls FM”, the opening track off the band’s self-titled Sub Pop debut, certainly shows the promise of good things to come. If anything Happy Birthday will be among the early highly anticipated albums from what may ultimately be one of Sub Pops best years yet. Get excited; “Girls FM” hits via Happy Birthday on March 16. Read More »Happy Birthday: Girls FM [mp3]

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