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Song Reviews

Will Stratton: Your California Sky [mp3]

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Where have all the soft melodies gone? It seems that at one point, they were a must. But, to the wayside of electronic-induced euphoria and the return of avant garde, did all these sweet little surely dissipate from the mainstream? Will Stratton understands the significance of these beautiful little numbers. “Your California Sky”, from Stratton’s sophomore album No Wonder, is so entrancing in it’s simplicity it makes Belle & Sebastian seem like a post punk garage band screaming about the benefits of anarchy. This 22 year old New Yorker is as smooth as a baby’s bottom and as calm as a Sunday morning on a three day weekend. When it seems like the world is going crazy, an artist like Stratton is a wonderful find. Read More »Will Stratton: Your California Sky [mp3]

Arms And Sleepers: The Architekt [mp3]

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Ethereal, shrouded in a mysterious darkness, “The Architekt” by Arms And Sleepers enters a world fit for the Tim Burtons and Michel Gondrys of the world. There’s a special abstract reality to the song that truly defies description. Like a dream, there’s a lot going on and much of it is hazy, just out of your limited vision which in itself jumps from one point in time to another without hesitation. There’s electronic elements that border both folk and trip hop. The vocals are split between the two cast members, Ben Shepard and Catherine Worsham of Uzi and Ari, while the music is provided by the Arms And Sleepers duo Mizra Ramic and Max Lewis. It’s moody but not depressing, hypnotic but borderline anxious, dreamy but with a clear direction forward. Read More »Arms And Sleepers: The Architekt [mp3]

Sambassadeur: Days [mp3]

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With an orchestral intro fit for Camera Obscura, Sambassadeur‘s “Days” sees the band returning to their roots and expanding their inclusion of strings. With “Days”, Sambassadeur hands over yet another great pop song and their best vocal hook since “Between The Lines”. Buried in a 70s folk-pop influence and including an upbeat shuffle in the percussion, Sambassadeur is sure to please fans of Belle & Sebastian and fellow Swedes and label-mates Acid House Kings.

Read More »Sambassadeur: Days [mp3]

The Bravery: The Spectator [mp3]

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The Bravery have had a great deal of success stirring up the MTV-friendly indie world with heavy influence from the likes of Duran Duran, The Cure, and whichever early eighties phenomenon you wish to choose. Their latest single, “Spectator”, is a disturbing dance cut set perfectly to the tone of fear and the reprisal of the common good. The song is off The Bravery’s latest album, Stir The Blood, available December 1st. If “Spectator” is any hint at what’s to come, Stir The Blood will contain several just as enjoyable tracks. Read More »The Bravery: The Spectator [mp3]

Cars & Trains: Intimidated By Silence [mp3]

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Experimental electrofolk is what you get with Portland’s Cars & Trains. The one man band of Tom Filepp is set to release their new LP, The Roots, The Leaves, early next year. “Intimidated By Silence” is the first single from the album, and it finds Filepp utilizing laptop-created electronic sounds and an array of accompanying instrumental samples. The lyrics are poetry, and the music is calming yet erratic. The combination is an astonishing feat of brilliance that makes The Roots, The Leaves an easy pick for one of January’s most anticipated releases. Read More »Cars & Trains: Intimidated By Silence [mp3]

Collider: Time Concerns [mp3]

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“Time Concerns” is filled with echoing guitars that swirl and ring through the atmosphere while dreamy vocals create an aura-like melody. Not quite pop, not quite rock, but some concoction containing incremental elements of both, Collider‘s first single off their upcoming Big Bang Machine (slated for release the last day of 2009) is, on one hand, a throwback to the shoegaze of the 90s, and on the other a portrayal to the post-shoegaze of today. Closing in on dream-pop, Collider finds many of the sub-genre’s sensibilities but expands on them with louder, more ferocious volume. Read More »Collider: Time Concerns [mp3]

The Middle Ones: Young Explorer [mp3]

The Middle Ones

Lovely and light acoustic guitar with matching dual harmony vocals would be an adequate description for, say, a band like Kings of Convenience. Along the same folk-pop lines is The Middle Ones, though the similarities between the two bands are few. The Middle Ones, instead, creates in “Young Explorer” a sound that is so lo-fi and entirely acoustic that it finds a home somewhere between K and Bicycle Records. Definitely Olympia-based, a throwback to the acoustic-twee era with an injection of pop and, no surprise, total greatness. Read More »The Middle Ones: Young Explorer [mp3]

Tramplini: Pärgäjiens [mp3]

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Opening track “Pärgäjiens” off Tramplini‘s new LP, Tumba Rumba sees the Latvian band combining the indie pop of their origins while channeling a sound somewhere along the lines of Sigur Rós minus the vast orchestration. It’s a sound that suits them well; their Latvian tongue is romantic and soft, and when backed by delicate percussion and faint synths everything just comes together. As found occasionally throughout Tumba Rumba, Tramplini features a brief trumpet as the song concludes, even going so far as to finish it with a mute. “Pärgäjiens” is an excellent track, worthy of praise from one of Latvia’s best pop bands. Read More »Tramplini: Pärgäjiens [mp3]

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