“That’s it, right there,” I said to myself, “right when the bass line hits, 40-seconds in, the sound grabs you like a hungry beast looking for satisfaction. ” The crunching guitars and driving drums on “Swimming Pool,” the opening track on the FatCat debut of West Sussex trio TRAAMS, is a bodacious opener that lures… Continue reading TRAAMS
Category: Artist Profiles
Notable Album Release: Brother Dege – How to Kill a Horse
Dust off the desert sand from the creases of your hat. The sun will come up soon; it’s time to get back on your weary feet and keep searching. For who you have become and for who you want to be. How to Kill a Horse is due November 5 via GolarWash Labs & Records. Brother… Continue reading Notable Album Release: Brother Dege – How to Kill a Horse
My Heart The Brave: “Keep Me From It”
“Keep Me From It,” the first single from super new Danish artist, My Heart The Brave, takes some time to heat up, but once it does, it’s an all out parade. Saccharine vocals over electronic glitches usually find their way into many an indie fan’s heart. “Keep Me From It” should ensure My Heart The… Continue reading My Heart The Brave: “Keep Me From It”
GEMS: “Medusa”
Oh yeah. I am feeling GOOD about this song. “Medusa” is the title track off GEMS’ forthcoming EP and it is instantly mesmerizing. The juxtaposition of the strong-bodied female alto with the deep male bass is near perfect, and even more so when the falsetto harmony rings out. (In other news, there was a bizarre… Continue reading GEMS: “Medusa”
Colorful Electricity: The Naked and Famous
In 2011, New Zealand’s The Naked and Famous released their synth-pop debut Passive Me, Aggressive You; which included the sugary electro-pop anthem “Young Blood,” which hit the radio like a runaway train carrying a cargo of starburst choruses, metallic synths, and soaring vocals. With comparisons to early MGMT floating around the blogosphere (which wasn’t fair,… Continue reading Colorful Electricity: The Naked and Famous
Nothing Romantic About UK’s Savages
“The world used to be silent / Now it has too many voices.” – Savages (Silence Yourself Manifesto) As I prepare to see Savages at the Fonda Theatre in L.A. tonight, I look back at my first experience seeing this band earlier this year. Jerking her head back-and-forth, with sudden and purposeful movements, Jehnny Beth’s dark, piercing… Continue reading Nothing Romantic About UK’s Savages
THUMPERS: “Unkinder (A Tougher Love)”
I haven’t really been posting about “popular” indie music lately, but it doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying it. So I figured I’d take a break from my recent experimental folk pop and provide a danceable new tune from THUMPERS, a duo from London. They’re expected to release their debut full length in early 2014 via… Continue reading THUMPERS: “Unkinder (A Tougher Love)”
[MP3] The Landing: “Strange Charm”
The Landing’s “Strange Charm” is a soft piano falsetto track that’s right in my wheelhouse. Not overly experimental, which keeps it listenable, but still layered and sophisticated. It’s pretty; it’s hopeful; it’s mesmerizing. Go ahead and take the plunge. The Landing on the web | Facebook
holychild
I can get down to this holychild pizzazz; it’s the type of live music we need now and again. Hopefully it translates as well to the stage as it does to the recorded material — there is so much energy here it’s contagious. (But, man, does she need to be wearing a Lakers shirt?) holychild… Continue reading holychild
The Kate Boy Collective
The sheer scope of vision involved in creating and executing concept art requires an incubation process that in today’s music industry, is almost impossible to accomplish. While concept albums are churned out at a feverish pace (even John Mayer dabbles in the space; which should annoy you), a group or a solo artist that symbolizes… Continue reading The Kate Boy Collective