Gritty and raw seems to be the fad of 2009. Garage pop and rock dominate playlists, mine included. And the latest to achieve a primo spot is “Lightswitch” by Virginia duo Eternal Summers. This summer pop song is perfect for hot, lazy days and warm nights. Read More »Eternal Summers: Lightswitch [Track Review]
God Save The Clientele (2007) cemented The Clientele as strong facet in the roots of orchestrated indie pop. They’d been heading in that direction with 2005’s Strange Geometry, but hadn’t fully realized their potential. So, listening to “Harvest Time” off their upcoming fifth full-length LP, one might become confused — this sound strays a bit from the direction in which they’ve been heading. Read More »The Clientele: Harvest Time [Track Review]
Sweden’s Little Dragon creates dark, mystical music undoubtedly influenced by 80s synth pop, yet swirling with a futuristic edge. It’s a sound familiar to a select elite in Sweden; artists like Le Sport and Gentle Touch. “Feather” is inundated with heavy synth lines beyond atmospheric, and lovely female-fronted vocals by leading lady Yukimi Nagano. Read More »Little Dragon: Feather [Track Review]
Russian Circles return with “Malko” off their new LP Geneva, continuing their immense, epic instrumentals with added intricacy and a renewed sense of direction.
Read More »Russian Circles: Malko [Track Review] 
I don’t know what I was expecting with Circulatory System, but one thing is for sure: it wasn’t this. “Overjoyed” has massive backing noise, a dark mix of romantic cello lines with trip-hop-ish beats. Such instrumentation would possibly lead one to think of intense vocals or even hip hop rhymes. But you get neither — instead, the listener is treated to wonderful little folk-pop vocals. Altogether, the result is fascinating and truly one-of-a-kind. Read More »Circulatory System: Overjoyed [Track Review]
Shortly after giving us Dare, a brief three-song single, The Mary Onettes continue their reign of dark, heavily 80s-influenced pop with a new LP dubbed Islands. “Puzzles” is the first single and it’s adorned with thick melancholy vocals and a sound that is instantly reminiscent of 80s greats like The Church and Echo And The Bunnymen. Read More »The Mary Onettes: Puzzles [Track Review]
If Children, Wye Oak‘s debut LP, found a balance between loud and soft, often one or the other and rarely hitting that middle ground. “Take It In”, off Andy and Jenn’s follow-up, The Knot, continues this trend but finds the band a bit more comfortable in their skin. The juxtaposition of the louds and the softs give “Take It In” an epic feel; you can just hear Andy’s vocal peeking from behind Jenn’s, and when Jenn’s guitar reaches those anthemic heights it becomes downright awe-inspiring. Read More »Wye Oak: Take It In [Track Review]
Listening to “Philip Guston”, the latest from Vic Chesnutt off his forthcoming LP At The Cut, one is treated with an array of sounds that break free of the standard folk mold to include some fairly in-your-face rock. From the opening minimal two-chord distorted guitar riff, to the epic crescendo that builds throughout the track, it’s obvious that mastery extends beyond merely Chesnutt. Read More »Vic Chesnutt: Philip Guston [Track Review]
History lesson: Scotland Yard Gospel Choir‘s “Tear Down The Opera House”, off their upcoming junior LP …And The Horse You Rode In On, is not a brand new tune. In fact, it was a prominent force on their debut release, I Bet You Say That To All The Boys. For their forthcoming album, SYGC reworks the track, negating much of the rough, lo-fi elements of the original and quickening the pace. Read More »Scotland Yard Gospel Choir: Tear Down The Opera House [Track Review]
Alan Singley And The Pants Machine‘s “Le Rain” is a classic case of infectious indie pop. The song clashes to very unique sounds to create a third sound entirely its own. On one end, you have vocal hooks reminiscent of, say, Ben Kweller. Interesting, yes. But surround that sound with the folksy indie pop of artists like Ezra Furman. Marry those two signature sounds and the resulting lovechild could very easily be “Le Rain”. Read More »Alan Singley And The Pants Machine: Le Rain [Track Review]
