matt pond PA have a well-established formula for making accessible indie pop, usually in chamber form with violin and cello accompanying acoustic guitar. Pond’s been making music with the PA crew since 1998, and despite various lineup changes, their sound has been fairly consistent — some albums teeter on the lush side of orchestral instrumentation… Continue reading matt pond PA’s The Dark Leaves is brooding, but it isn’t dark
Category: Album Reviews
Dr. Dog’s Shame, Shame shines with sorrow
At 11 years old, Dr. Dog are officially veterans in the indie music scene. While their last two albums, 2008’s Fate and 2007’s We All Belong, sought to establish their credibility as great musicians and song writers, with their latest effort, Shame, Shame, they have little left to prove. And it seems that the band… Continue reading Dr. Dog’s Shame, Shame shines with sorrow
Jónsi brings us all back to our epic childhoods on Go
With Go, the first ever solo release from Jónsi, we get to see how much of Sigur Rós is his doing. The answer to that, of course, is a good amount. Go is full of massive, epic declarations fitting for the Icelandic post-rock tastemakers, although, at the same time, a bit of the mystery seems… Continue reading Jónsi brings us all back to our epic childhoods on Go
Twin Sister showcases talent, patience with Color Your Life EP
Twin Sister always seems to come out of nowhere. The band that brought us the Vampires With Dreaming Kids EP, which included the great tracks “Ginger” and “I Want A House” have come back with a new EP, Color Your Life. It’s twice as long as Vampires and shows the band looking in a little bit… Continue reading Twin Sister showcases talent, patience with Color Your Life EP
Dum Dum Girls come off bland on I Will Be
The lo-fi bubblegum pop sound is nothing new, and it’s been done to death by several great bands (Vivian Girls, Raveonettes, et all). That’s not to say that Dum Dum Girls can’t make a good record of the same kind of music themselves! I think given their previous efforts and some of the singles off… Continue reading Dum Dum Girls come off bland on I Will Be
Angus & Julia Stone capture hearts on Down The Way
A cool breeze on a summer night. Crunching leaves as they fall off colorful trees. Lovers, friends, children holding hands. What happens when an album comes along that brings out every sentimental bone in a person’s body? What happens when an album commands you to dream? To visualize each sound as if you were seeing,… Continue reading Angus & Julia Stone capture hearts on Down The Way
She & Him make a cheery, solid sophomore album with Volume Two
When She & Him was first announced, the duo of singer-songwriter M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel faced almost immediately positive buzz. The adorably indie actress and the well-respected indie musician seemed an exciting and almost unbeatable team. But their debut release, Volume One, failed to meet expectations and, with the exception of the single… Continue reading She & Him make a cheery, solid sophomore album with Volume Two
[KR Goes Global] Tokyo Jihen and their new album, Sports
[Ed. Note: In an effort to provide a diverse range of music, not only in genre but also by location and culture, Lin Lizhuang, from Singapore, writes about music from parts of the world that may go unnoticed on this here blog (you can find more of her work on her blog, Rock Loves Romantic.)… Continue reading [KR Goes Global] Tokyo Jihen and their new album, Sports
The Morning Benders are purveyors of indie-pop on Big Echo
On Talking Through Tin Cans, the band’s last proper album, The Morning Benders didn’t seem to have any grand aspirations. “Damnit Anna” was a modest acoustic romp; “Crosseyed” was a Shins-y foray into acoustic pop; “Chasing a Ghost” added some electric elements rock to the formula. But Big Echo is different. The band wants the… Continue reading The Morning Benders are purveyors of indie-pop on Big Echo
Broken Bells’ debut album is good, but doesn’t live up to lofty expectations
James Mercer, Shins frontman, agent of delicious indie pop for the masses. Danger Mouse (Brian Burton), the genius behind The Grey Album and half of Gnarls Barkley, i.e. the ambassador of slick, creative production. A match made in heaven. …Or is it? The answer is that I believe it can be, but unfortunately the duo missed… Continue reading Broken Bells’ debut album is good, but doesn’t live up to lofty expectations