Jan 17, 2011, 3:37pm
100b
You might remember that I was really, really taken with Lost In The Trees when I first heard them back in November . This is just a little update as we've just had news that, because of their 2010 successes, Trekky Records will be re-releasing Lost In The Trees' first EP, 20072s Time Taunts Me . It's a little more than just a re-issue though: "Over the past three years, between extensive touring and multiple releases, Picker found himself returning to the bedroom recordings of Time Taunts Me, fleshing out [...]
Jan 14, 2011, 6:04am 100b
Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - Lose It (In The End) ( official site , buy at Amazon UK )
Jan 7, 2011, 5:33pm 100b
I put the emphasis on my because these aren't going to appear on anyone else's run-down of 2010. Or two out of three anyway - the artists of my year actually have a lot in common, but release dates aren't one of them. Not that there wasn't enough good music out in 2010. It's been a long-ass time since I made one of those numbered lists - I used to love doing it, but I think I might have taken it a little too seriously and they would always end up taking me [...]
Nov 25, 2010, 9:22am 100b
Who: Jared Mees & the Grown Children What: Indie folk with a razor-sharp edge, led by Jared Mees (who's been recording for several years now), joined by an ever-changing group of musicians referred to as the Grown Children. Where: Portland, Oregon Why: I'm biased here just because I love the genre - especially lately, I can't seem to get enough folk and country. This would fit very nicely next to Langhorne Slim, if you're a fan (which I most definitely am) or even [...]
Nov 19, 2010, 3:20pm 100b
Who: Ivan & Alyosha What: Truly stunning indie-folk Where: From Seattle Why: Oh, so lovely. It's soaring but feels, at the same time, very earthy. The layered vocals on "Glorify", at least) are incredibly delicate but weighty - I actually want to listen to what these guys have to say. I've only had the chance to hear this one track fully and quickly sample tracks from their last release - I'm more intrigued by this newer song, but I definitely want [...]
Nov 16, 2010, 4:29pm 100b
Who: Kate and After What: Indie pop, in a general sense - boisterous and cheerful, great for dancing about the room and singing along to. Where: Unsurprisingly from Sweden (Gothenburg), apparently the kingdom of happy indie pop. Why: Because they do what they do really well. They remind me deeply of the first Stellastarr* album, which I loved so so so much, but they never lived up to again. Kate and After picks up where Stellastarr* left off after their debut [...]
Nov 16, 2010, 3:44pm 100b
Who: The Black Knights What: "Voodoo trash blues", as described by the band themselves. To me, they sound exactly like an unholy union between The Black Keys and Queens Of The Stone Age. Where: From Salford, England. Why: Honestly, I can't get the above description out of my head - that just really is what The Black Knights sound like to me. They've got the raw, minimalist edge of The Black Keys, with a touch of their bluesy-ness, combined [...]
Nov 15, 2010, 3:59pm 100b
If you're just stopping by or have in the last week or so, you might have noticed we've been having some trouble with broken links. This is because of a sudden change to the hosting and we're working on getting it all fixed up nice and pretty. I've gone through everything going back a year or so for the time being, but we apologize for any inconvenience if you were looking for that photo of Bel Biv Devoe we posted three years ago - I don't blame you for being bummed, Bel Biv Devoe was awesome . [...]
Nov 1, 2010, 5:12pm 100b
Who: Lost In The Trees What: Very large, sweeping indie "orchestral folk" (as described by group founder Ari Picker). Where: Chapel Hill, North Carolina Why: Because this is really something special. It might not grab you on the first listen, but it'll definitely get you to come back for more. There is something incredibly intriguing that really grabs you about each song - and each time it's something different. One track might has a crashing sound of terror, another touches on electronica, [...]
Oct 28, 2010, 5:18pm 100b
Who: Amanda Merdzan What: Semi-cutesy indie-folk that'll definitely put you in mind of Kimya Dawson. Where: Perth, Australia Why: Honestly, I can't vouch for anything but the song offered below, I haven't had a change to listen to more yet, and it's not like this is a brand new sound or anything. But something about the lyrics in "The Last Song" one got through to my cold, cold heart when I first played it - remembering how much you've forgotten about [...]
Oct 26, 2010, 11:44am 100b
Who: Hot Panda ( website , myspace ) What: Chaotic indie rock / pop meets punk with a retro 90s vibe. Where: Edmonton, Canada When: Second album, How Come I'm Dead? came out two weeks ago and the band just came off a Canadian tour to support it. Why: Because it's a lot of fun but still has depth, and makes really good use of all kinds of bits and pieces to make something new. [...]
Oct 25, 2010, 2:24pm 100b
Who: Stars and Sons What: Pure indie pop, done up very lush and kind of explody. Where: From Brighton, UK (just a fun coincidence that yesterday's band was from Brighton, MA) Why: Stars and Sons' PR people sent along two tracks and the first one I listened to, "Fights Already Fought", didn't grab me at all. There's a really good chance I might've left it there - it was pleasant enough, but almost not enough to investigate further. But [...]
Oct 24, 2010, 9:40am 100b
Sorry I had to leave you all for a while, but I've spent the last three weeks cleaning out our inbox in order to provide you with some lovely music. Ok, fine - I didn't really spent all three weeks going through mail. I spent the first two avoiding it because it was overwhelming, then a weekend with my nose stuck in my laptop, then another week listening to a lot of interesting music I found hiding out in there. Now the unread mail is under control, but the stuff I'd actually like to post about is piling [...]
Oct 1, 2010, 4:22pm 100b
I'm so late on this one, it's kind of embarrassing. Yeah, I'm forever moaning about being behind on mail but this one may be a record - it arrived on, cringe, July 15th. Oy. Apologies, Round Ron Virgin - I've been enjoying this album on my iPod ever since you sent it, but my lazy ass has been slow in getting a post done. Better late than never? Definitely, if you haven't heard Cowabungler yet. Round Ron Virgin is Oli Chance (formerly of Oli 'n' Clive) along with about a zillion other musicians - [...]
Oct 1, 2010, 2:33pm 100b
R.E.M. - Orange Crush ( official site , buy at Amazon UK )
Sep 24, 2010, 4:45pm 100b
After - or perhaps because of - a recent-ish collection of solo albums by lead singers, none of which I could fully understand the point of (yeah, I'm lookin' at you, Julian Casablancas, Paul Banks, Kele Okereke), I was a little nervous when I heard about the upcoming Adam Haworth Stephens solo project. Alec Ounsworth somehow managed to make an album that didn't really sound like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, despite having one of the oddest and most distinctive voices in indie, but the rest left a lot to be desired. I'm beating a dead horse here, [...]
Sep 24, 2010, 2:48pm 100b
Willie Nelson - Stay All Night (Stay A Little Bit Longer) ( official site , buy at Amazon UK )
Sep 10, 2010, 12:35pm 100b
The Bees - Chicken Payback ( official site , buy at Amazon UK )
Sep 7, 2010, 5:00pm 100b
Baltimore band J Roddy Walson and The Business aren't cool. They're not fitting into any kind of musical trend that you love right now - in fact, they're pretty much going against all the trends in general. Walston would've fit better in a dive bar, New Jersey, circa 1975 than post-internet 2010. They totally remind me of Dr. Hook and Three Dog Night and similar bar bands that we're not really supposed to like but we all know kick ass. There's also a Southern element (which makes sense, since Walston got to Baltimore via Tennessee), mixing those previously [...]
Sep 3, 2010, 3:37pm 100b
Menomena - Taos ( official site , buy at emusic )
Avicii – Two Million
Beck – I Just Started Hating Some People Today
H&M Lookbook Mujer y Hombre Otoño 2012.
