Right on the heels of The Decemberists’ excellent take on Heart’s “Crazy on You” from a few days ago, we have an episode of Off The Beaten Tracks which finds Frightened Rabbit singer Scott Hutchinson covering Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Song Against Sex.” The song certainly isn’t the same without its near-gratuitous distortion and trumpet parts,… Continue reading Today in unexpected covers: Frightened Rabbit takes on Neutral Milk Hotel
Author: Jon
Erik Enocksson is ominous and I love it
Let’s get this out of the way while we can: in terms of love-it-or-hate-it voices, Erik Enocksson is one of the most polarizing artists this side of Tom Waits. Some cannot stand his delivery, which tends to become awfully strained when he moves outside of his range, and some can’t stomach the voice itself, which… Continue reading Erik Enocksson is ominous and I love it
The Morning Benders make Brady Bunch-esque promo photos, acoustic-based pop
Maybe it’s because the band’s from California, where the sun always shines (except for, like, earthquakes and stuff), but the music of The Morning Benders is just the epitome of summer. The band’s songs are almost uniformly catchy, often built around an acoustic / electric guitar combination with bits of piano and organ thrown in… Continue reading The Morning Benders make Brady Bunch-esque promo photos, acoustic-based pop
Holy yes, a new WHY? album in the fall
It looks like WHY? frontman Yoni Wolf has just done a very informative interview with Pitchfork regarding his band’s newest album. Of the many things to learn: The new record will be called Eskimo Snow, and will be released in the Fall. The record was recorded at the same time as 2007’s Alopecia, but has… Continue reading Holy yes, a new WHY? album in the fall
Lisa Hannigan has awesome voice, Colbert Bump
You may already know Lisa Hannigan as the former female voice behind Damien Rice’s recorded output and live show. She’s been going solo now for a little while, and has one full-length under her belt, but I still feel like she’s been hovering under the radar for way too long. So, first things first –… Continue reading Lisa Hannigan has awesome voice, Colbert Bump
iLiKETRAiNS makes music, enjoys locomotives
The first lines in the first song of the first album by Leeds-based iLiKETRAiNS (yes, it’s stylized just like that), sung by frontman David Martin, go as such: “How could I / Have led these men to their demise / And they just follow?” It’s not a particularly optimistic sentiment, sure, and the fact that… Continue reading iLiKETRAiNS makes music, enjoys locomotives
Twitter: the TV series is coming. Board up your houses.
Well. I’ve stared at this cute kitten for about a minute now, and I don’t feel any better about the news I’m about to report. This is a problem. [Image via Critteristic] Only a few days ago, Jamie predicted the end of the world with the unveiling of the absurd Wearable Towel. However, I see… Continue reading Twitter: the TV series is coming. Board up your houses.
Review: mewithoutYou – it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright
I feel as though mewithoutYou has long been neglected in the indie music community, and I guess, until now, that’s really been understandable. Their earliest releases were deeply rooted in post-hardcore, and vocalist Aaron Weiss alternated from sing-speak to yell-speak over mounds of angry, pounding distortion. Now, though, things have changed. The band’s newest –… Continue reading Review: mewithoutYou – it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright
Tunturia is one of the best post-rock bands you’ve never heard of
On a warm, quiet night last summer, I was driving to a friend’s house with three others in my car. The air conditioning was off and the windows were barely cracked open. We began to head over a causeway, and besides the near-silent lapping of the water next to us, everything was quiet save for… Continue reading Tunturia is one of the best post-rock bands you’ve never heard of
Every time I listen to Shugo Tokumaru I want to hug a kitten
Because I spend so much time worshipping my bust of Chuck Norris and throwing darts at Iraq on my world map while blasting “America, Fuck Yeah” and eating a Big Mac, I sometimes forget how great a lot of music outside of the states can be. But I only needed to go as far as… Continue reading Every time I listen to Shugo Tokumaru I want to hug a kitten