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Album Reviews

Pants Yell!: Received Pronunciation [Album Review]

pants-yell

Downbeat pop is often a dangerous realm in which to work. Yet Pants Yell! begins their latest album, Received Pronunciation, in this area with the catchy tune “Frank And Sandy”, and they continue it off and on throughout the album. It actually works very well. These songs are simple and, despite being recorded/performed using electric guitars, they often have the subtle traits common in acoustic pop. Even a hard-hitting song like “Rue de la Paix” has that open, personal sound. And despite three members, the music of Pants Yell! gives the impression of singularity. Read More »Pants Yell!: Received Pronunciation [Album Review]

The Mantles: The Mantles [Album Review]

the-mantles

Listening to The Mantles, I am having a difficult time discerning anything truly unique about this group’s sound. They fit the standard mold of a 60s garage-pop-influenced artist swung into modern times and set to 2009’s favorite: lo-fi fuzzed-out distortion. That in itself isn’t uncommon given the decades-old influence. Their melodies are a standard sort of catchy, not too hook-ridden yet not overly complacent. Read More »The Mantles: The Mantles [Album Review]

Kordan: Fantasy Nation EP [Album Review]

kordan

Kordan‘s Fantasy Nation kicks right into gear with an almost, dare I say it, “crunk” feel. The intensity hits you harder than an ex-girlfriend’s unexpected blow. Then the madness truly sets in. With a touch of Joy Division, these New York rockers bring glam rock meets punk to a new extreme. This isn’t your older brother’s 80’s influenced rock band. This is the real 80-proof keyboard-ripping sound once known worldwide, and now rearranged to fit the new times. Read More »Kordan: Fantasy Nation EP [Album Review]

The Honest Mistakes: Break Up [Album Review]

the-honest-mistakes

The Honest Mistakes have spent the last decade desperately trying to reach the high they have now been introduced upon. Break Up is the result of a name change (formerly The Chris & Joylene Show, named after the group’s founders), a two year hiatus, three years of recording, and an all-out inspirational attitude that would not allow them to simply lay back and quit. After years of riding the coat tails of completion for so long, the final product is very impressive. Read More »The Honest Mistakes: Break Up [Album Review]

Beach House

Beach House: Teen Dream [Album Review]

Fact: I never really dug Beach House. I often found their blend of minimal drone meets spacey bedroom pop a bit drab. Melodies didn’t seem to be all there, and the vocal parts, too, were dull. My interest waned in the first few songs of both their self-titled debut and their follow-up Devotion, so I’d pull them from the record player. Thus they found an inevitable fixed spot on my dusty record shelf.

Read More »Beach House: Teen Dream [Album Review]
The Inner Banks

The Inner Banks: Songs From Disko Bay [Album Review]

Partners and companions Caroline Schutz and David Gould make quite the team when they become The Inner Banks. They have made quite the mark for themselves as a duo and individually. For example, who can forget Caroline’s haunting expose’ of folk as front woman for the critically acclaimed Folk Songs For The Afterlife!? And there is David’s finger-tip-blistering banjo playing for The Bootleg Remedy. But, it’s their sense of togetherness that makes Songs From Disko Bay so enjoyable.

Read More »The Inner Banks: Songs From Disko Bay [Album Review]

Citified: Absense [Album Review]

citified

Piece together a post-shoegaze era dreaminess with the calm of melody-driven pleasantries and the result is the seemingly soft Absense by Citified. The group’s new EP divides the standard loud-versus-soft for a fairly consistent volume level that is so soothing and tranquil, it’s almost easy to overlook the ringing noise that would, in effect, be created were it to be performed live. Every moment, no matter from which song we take that cross-section, fits the description. Read More »Citified: Absense [Album Review]

Devil Eyes: Devil Eyes [Album Review]

  • Tyler 

devil_eyes

Down the street, in a garage, a sonic protuberance is waiting to penetrate your feeble mind. Generally music occupies a wide frequency spectrum; especially fancy major label recordings. Devil Eyes acknowledges the spectrum and declines most of its necessity. “Who needs slight cymbal splashes at 21khz?” No one. A bastion of fuzz, Devil Eyes compresses and condenses rock and roll to its fundamental quality. Noise. Sounds like shoving popcorn down some poor bastards snorkel. Read More »Devil Eyes: Devil Eyes [Album Review]

Belle & Sebastian: The White Collar Boy [7″ Single Review]

belle_sebastian

It is quite dreary outside, which is why I am inside. The sky is overcast and threatening rain. It has come down in mists and light drops occasionally throughout the day. In other words, it is a perfect day to sit in a bedroom with the door closed, singles strewn all over the bed, listening to music. Right now it’s The White Collar Boy by Belle & Sebastian. Read More »Belle & Sebastian: The White Collar Boy [7″ Single Review]

The Lovekevins: Blame The English [7″ Review]

lovekevins

Why does Sweden stand out more than other countries when it comes to laying down pop tracks? The Swedes definitely know how to make pop music. The Lovekevins are a light bouncy pop group from Malmo, Sweden and such heritage means beautifully crafted pop songs. This Blame the English 7-inch single comes with four tracks and album info provided in English, Russian and French. Read More »The Lovekevins: Blame The English [7″ Review]

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