Album recommendation:
The Soft Pack “The Muslims”
Because some people actually still listen to rock, I present to you, The Soft Pack. The Soft Pack’s straight and simple garage rock is a breath of fresh air in our age of heavy-handed art rock and too-clever-for-its-own good synth pop. Is it possible that the classic formula of guys [...]
Album recommendation: Jay-Z The Blueprint 3
Oh shit, as soon as the first millisecond of track one “What We Talkin About” hit my ear, I knew Jay-Z’s forthcoming Blueprint 3 was — to use a word that sounds just plain foolish when uttered by a white girl such as myself — ILL. Hov’s eleventh studio album [...]
8.20.09
Album recommendation: Casiokids Fuck MIDI
My friend recently told me about Casiokids, and now I’m hooked. Leave it to a troop of freaky Norwegians to create some outlandishly funky electro beats. I’ve read reviews comparing them to Fela Kuti, Paul Simon and New Order, and it’s my personal belief that whoever drew these comparisons must have [...]
8.13.09
Album recommendation: Lake “Let’s Build a Roof”
Perhaps the most revealing fact about Lake is that they used to perform as a Fleetwood Mac cover band. The Olympia, Washington sixtet may have moved on to write and record its own original music, but that 70s AM gold sound lingers on. On sophomore album Let’s Build a [...]
8.6.09
Album recommendation: A Sunny Day in Glasgow’s “Ashes Grammar”
It’s a fine line between psychedelia and spiritualism, but A Sunny Day in Glasgow walks it confidently. The Philadelphia foursome uses spaced out angel harmonies and underwater synth loops to create a sound that simultaneously invokes drug-induced euphoria and religious epiphany. Their sophomore effort Ashes Grammar blends [...]
7.30.09
Recommended site: www.performermag.com
Billing itself as The Musician’s Resource, Performer Magazine covers bands Pitchfork hasn’t even heard of yet as well as reviews musical equipment and gear. If you’re a musician, or just a wannabe, check out the site, or pick up a copy at your nearest instrument retailer or music venue.
Recommended album: Deerhunter’s Microcastle
Microcastle was [...]
Recommended album Pterodactyl “Worldwild”
The sophomore album from Brooklyn band Pterodactyl, “Worldwild” layers muddy guitar effects and largely unintelligible vocals on shot-from-a-canon drumming. The result feels like riding backseat in a pickup truck steered by a drunk driver through a minefield. There are a few moments of quiet reflection – as in “Easy Pieces“ and “Alex” [...]
7.16.09
New Tracks
Vega “No Reasons” Austin’s Vega, aka Alan Palomo, blends funk, disco and house for a pretty intoxicating synth-heavy electro cocktail. Basically, it’s good to dance to. http://www.myspace.com/vegavisions
Neon Indian “Terminally Chill” No wonder I’m feeling this electro song – Terminally Chill is the second project of Alan Palomo, aka Vega. If you dig it too, [...]