Itâs time to break the bad news to Best Coast. Ok, here goes. Best Coast, there is a band in Chicago that does your sound better than you. Donât get me wrong, you guys are great. Youâve got an excellent vocalist, great songs, the whole package. The fact is, Chicago duo Magic City is better.… Continue reading Magic City
Author: Jesse
[MP3] Built Like Alaska: “Antique Love”
Oakdale, CAâs Built Like Alaska is ready to unleash their newest album, In Troubled Times, November 8 on the Future Farmer label. The first taste of that record is the track âAntique Love.â Thereâs a sort of after-hours indie-rock feel here that has a Pacific Northwest folk vein running through it. Iâm also struck by… Continue reading [MP3] Built Like Alaska: “Antique Love”
Wooden Shjips make best record to date with West
San Francisco has a long history with psychedelic music, but no band epitomizes the new psychedelic sound of San Francisco like Wooden Shjips. After releasing some great records on Holy Mountain, Wooden Shjips unleash West, their first record for Thrill Jockey. West finds the band in a proper studio for the first time and the… Continue reading Wooden Shjips make best record to date with West
Glenn Jones’ The Wanting fills us with satisfaction
The Wanting is an intriguing title for Glenn Jonesâ fourth solo record, and first for the Thrill Jockey label. You expect to feel a deep yearning of sense of loss pouring from each song; instead, each track is completely satisfying and exudes feelings of contentment. Jones comes from the John Fahey and Robbie Basho school… Continue reading Glenn Jones’ The Wanting fills us with satisfaction
Barn Owl’s psych-doom-folk is hypnotic on Lost in the Glare
Do you remember that forgotten space station marooned in some remote corner of the universe populated by two half-insane astronauts? Youâve probably seen it in a late night movie that blurred in your mind years ago. It seems impossible, but at some point our two lonely and mostly-out-of-their-minds astronauts get it together and figure out… Continue reading Barn Owl’s psych-doom-folk is hypnotic on Lost in the Glare
[The Past Presents] U2 – “Achtung Baby”
The Past Presents revisits revered albums from the past 20-25 years to ask the question, âIs this album still a classic, or has it lost its edge over the years?â. Was it a great record for that particular time and place, or is it something weâll be passing on to our kids? It also looks at… Continue reading [The Past Presents] U2 – “Achtung Baby”
Stone Darling’s new 7” is good for you
Los Angeles quartet Stone Darling just released a 7â that really needs your attention. The ladies of Stone Darling bring a sound that instantly recalls a blend of 90âs K-Records-style twee with the swing of 50âs-era girl groups. Lump that together with a bit of modern-era Dum Dum Girls and youâve got a feel for… Continue reading Stone Darling’s new 7” is good for you
Nick Bindeman continues his stranglehold on Summer 2011 with Tunnels’ The Blackout
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/26022712[/vimeo] Nick Bindeman owns the summer of 2011. In June, Bindeman released a new record from his band Jackie-O Motherfucker, and then followed it up with a release from his other band, Eternal Tapestry, in July. Now itâs August and Bindeman unleashes another record, this time under the name Tunnels. While Jackie-O and Eternal Tapestry… Continue reading Nick Bindeman continues his stranglehold on Summer 2011 with Tunnels’ The Blackout
Soak in Faces on Film’s re-release of Some Weather
Faces on Film, the alter ego Boston-based songwriter Mike Fiore, recently reissued his second album, Some Weather, on the Nice Music Group label. Originally self-released, the record now gets the wider exposure it deserves, and with good reason. Faces on Filmâs sound has a welcome familiarity about it, landing Some Weather squarely in the âmore… Continue reading Soak in Faces on Film’s re-release of Some Weather
Sundress
As a rule, never take your eye off Texas. Thereâs always something happening there and typically itâs worth your attention. If I remember correctly Sundress were covered in buzz after their SXSW performance earlier this year. After listening to âDerelict,â it seems the hype is well deserved. Hailing from Denton, TX, Sundress weave a ’90s… Continue reading Sundress