Song Reviews

HEALTH: We Are Water [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
August 31, 2009October 28, 2009

It’s hard to imagine a band like HEALTH being able to progress in any shape or form. After all, their self-titled debut was without a doubt on the cutting edge of avant garde noise. But listening to “We Are Water”, one gets the distinct impression the band has evolved. Their noise is more refined, channeled more precisely. With it, HEALTH has become borderline accessible to a wider audience; and that’s a good thing. Read More »HEALTH: We Are Water [Track Review]

Air Waves: Keys [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
August 28, 2009

With “Keys”, Air Waves proves that you don’t need to be technical geniuses to write a great song. “Keys” is quite simplistic, natural pop reminiscent of California beaches and sunny summer afternoons. Oddly enough, this band hails from New York. Basic guitar melodies, unembellished vocals; it’s all pure and easy. But it’s also damn catchy. Tropical to a point, the song is adorned with traces of acoustic power pop. “Keys” is unabashed pop greatness. In a way, it reminds me a bit of early stuff by Somebody Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. Read More »Air Waves: Keys [Track Review]

No Age: You’re A Target [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
August 27, 2009August 26, 2009

Odd, how progress works. It often leads to the unexpected, but typically something better than that which came before. And so it is with “You’re A Target”, the new single by one of 2007 and 2008’s most hyped bands, No Age. Amidst all the typical noise and raucous intensity, I hear something that was occasionally vacant on last year’s LP, Nouns: I hear harmony. Likewise, I hear vocals that border on decipherable rather than immense shouts masked by enormous guitars and percussion. Read More »No Age: You’re A Target [Track Review]

The Dutchess And The Duke: Hands [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
August 27, 2009May 12, 2023

Gritty in their psychedelic-tinted folk-pop, The Dutchess And The Duke maintain much of their lo-fi folk sensibilities on “Hands” while simultaneously progressing in their mastery of song and style. The song is the latest from the duo, who are set to release their sophomore LP Sunset / Sunrise soon.

Andy Fenstermaker
August 26, 2009August 25, 2009

“I Love You, But Goodbye”, off Langhorne Slim‘s forthcoming junior release Be Set Free, continues Langhorne’s soulful gospel-style folk. Building from the most subtle of beginnings, the song grows to include powerfully emotive vocals backed by a hefty orchestrated instrumentation. In “I Love You, But Goodbye”, Slim fully realizes his already impressive ability to craft a powerful song; it may just be his most achieved track to date! Read More »Langhorn Slim: I Love You, But Goodbye [Track Review]

The Cave Singers: At The Cut [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
August 25, 2009August 25, 2009

The Cave Singers debuted back in 2007 with Invitation Songs, an album packed with power folk tracks like “Dancing On Our Graves” and “Seeds Of Night”. These songs were inundated with an ancient folk sound, tinged with rock. “At The Cut”, the first single off their sophomore release Welcome Joy, maintains selections from that early sound, but the emphasis now is rock tinged with folk. Read More »The Cave Singers: At The Cut [Track Review]

Bear In Heaven: Wholehearted Mess [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
August 25, 2009February 11, 2022

Harmony and melody aren’t exactly two terms one would associate with Bear In Heaven, at least from the standpoint of their debut LP, Red Bloom Of The Boom. But they work quite well here, for the first single off their upcoming sophomore release Beast Rest Forth Mouth, “Wholehearted Mess”. This new sound represents virtually a complete change for Bear In Heaven.

Andy Fenstermaker
August 24, 2009August 23, 2009

“50’s Film” is your standard indie pop track influenced by an array of bouncy pop influences, but the band behind the song, The Da Vincis, is not your typical band. Their sound is mature and refined, yet the trio that make up The Da Vincis aren’t even old enough to hold a high school diploma. The juxtaposition gives their songs a special style of innocence, one backed by expertly pieced-together pop. Keyboardist Andrew Burke lends bouncy notes and deep tenor vocals to “50’s Film”, while Gavin Fields backs him up on vocals and pounds out impressive percussion. Read More »The Da Vincis: 50’s Film [Track Review]

Forest Fire: Fortune Teller [Track]

Andy Fenstermaker
August 21, 2009August 21, 2009

Earning best album of the year is a notable feat, one not to take lightly. But to garner such a cherished spot, and that from a noted collective like La Blogoteque, without having a “proper” release is something else altogether. Well, Forest Fire is ready to give Survival, the recipient of La Blogoteque’s best album of 2008, that proper release via new label Infinite Best. And the first single off the album is “Fortune Teller”. Read More »Forest Fire: Fortune Teller [Track]

Le Loup: Beach Town [Track Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
August 14, 2009August 21, 2009

It’s been two long years since any news has come forth from the Baltimore collective Le Loup, fronted by the once tormented Sam Simkoff. Two years is a very long time — enough time for maturity to progress, lifestyles to change, personalities to evolve. And that’s what we’re given with the first single off Le Loup’s upcoming sophomore LP, Family; a sound that holds the vibrant avant-garde nature of Le Loup’s debut, but metamorphosed into something that would ultimately make Darwin proud. Read More »Le Loup: Beach Town [Track Review]

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