Tagged: 35stars

I had pretty much lost track of Cake after their 2001 album, Comfort Eagle . I didn't even hear 2004's Pressure Chief until at least a year (maybe two) afterward, and by that time I guess I just wasn't especially interested in the band anymore. So I can't quite explain my excitement at hearing news about Showroom of Compassion , Cake's sixth album and first in seven years. Maybe I just figured Cake had good reason to return to music after such a lengthy hiatus, or perhaps I was feeling nostalgic. Mostly I was just curious [...]

The Thermals have always been more interesting than the majority of their pop-punk peers, mostly because they have so much to say about so many topics. Where their previous effort, 2009'sNow We Can See, focused on the purpose of life through the lens of death, and the two before that—2006's The Body, The Blood, The Machine and 2004's F****n A —were scathing rebukes of conservative American politics, the band's latest turns inward, as its title might suggest, and takes a look at the complexity of relationships. "I'm gonna change your life/I'm gonna steal your soul" insists Hutch [...]

After a few years filled with the emergence of high-profile indie bands like Girls and Women, both of which are comprised entirely of males, perhaps we shouldn't be at all surprised to find that a band named Mountain Man is not, in fact, a man, but three women. And really that's a welcome surprise in this case, as such a seemingly straightforward moniker conjures thoughts of yet another sup-par songwriter attempting to follow the success of breakout acts Fleet Foxes, Tallest Man On Earth, and the like. These girls will still appropriately be lumped in with their fellow folk revivalists [...]

The German producer with a penchant for the juniper berry flavoured spirit deals with elements of of jazz throughout, I envisioned myself hearing this music in the background playing in a lush... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

In the past, any noteworthy Beach Boys emulators seemed to hail from Southern California or somewhere similarly beach-oriented, but with the re-popularization of the surf/pop/rock genre, it's anybody's guess as to where new bands of that sort come from these days. Initially, with last year's Summertime! EP, New York City's own the Drums seemed a prime example of a young band whose sun-and-surf-obsessed songs put them at odds with their locale, especially on their most notable tune, the '60s-style pop anthem "Let's Go Surfing." But with the release of their self-titled full-length debut, the group incorporates a greater [...]

From some bands we expect consistent innovation and change. Such artists must evidence a legitimate step forward in one way or another with every album, something new and exciting which assures fans that the group remains inspired and worthy of their attention. New Jersey's the Gaslight Anthem are not one of those bands. They represent a genre that creates an entirely different set of expectations, one centered around consistency and reliability rather than exploration. That's not to say frontman Brian Fallon and Co. could afford to remain completely static, but it seems [...]

It's a risky move releasing a concept album early in your career, but Canada's the Acorn proved quite capable of doing just that with their 2007 sophomore effort, Glory Hope Mountain . That record chronicles the life of singer Rolf Klausener's mother (whose journey from Honduras included a great deal of drama and adventure) over the course of twelve woodsy folk songs featuring delicate harmonies and intricate guitar signatures, revealing impressive musicianship for such a young group. The songs work both as part of the whole and are engaging individually—no small achievement given the source material—and the record showed [...]

I didn't see or hear much about Band of Horses moving to a major label for the release of their third effort, Infinite Arms . This kind of news is often received with a heavy dose of skepticism about the effect such a transition will have on the quality of future output, but for Band of Horses it just didn't seem to cause much of a stir. I suppose that's probably because this move wasn't exactly unexpected; Band of Horses seemed almost destined for the kind of post-indie fame enjoyed by the [...]

Following the musical chemistry and friendship on 2005's track 'Road To Zion', Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley and Nasir Jones return for their collaborative album- 'Distant Relatives'. The title can be... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Any band that relegates a guest list including Sufjan Stevens and Justin Vernon to tiny font in the liner notes obviously sees no need to capitalize on the recognition recording with these artists might bring. And it's true the National don't need to be famous by association. These five gentlemen from Brooklyn have—in what could perhaps be described as a most traditional and unspectacular manner—transitioned into one of the indie world's most revered rock bands. Now, with their fifth release, High Violet , they've about reached superstar status, and they're ready for their close-ups, as it were. A quick [...]

Roky Erickson - True Love Cast Out All Evil (* * * *) Roky Erickson's life and career have been marred by pretty severe personal turmoil (to say the least), but his latest record, True Love Cast Out All Evil , proves he's been able to put that behind him and still make great music. Recording with indie mainstays Okkervil River, the psychedelic rock legend offers a gritty, rough and ultimately uplifting set of bluesy rock tunes that appropriately focuses on such topics as [...]

Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can (* * * *) To call Laura Marling's sophomore album, I Speak Because I Can , a sign of growth for the precocious songwriter might seem to undermine her remarkably accomplished first effort, Alas, I Cannot Swim . Yet as mature as her debut certainly was, her latest record shows a definite increase in the quality and depth of her songwriting and singing. I Speak continues Marling's penchant for emotionally weighty material, and here she has the added [...]

In trying to play catch up, here's a few I've missed over the past couple months: White Hinterland - Kairos (* * * 1/2) Given my lack of experience with White Hinterland's previous work, I can't really speak to the differences that Kairo s brings to the table, but most of what I read suggests this sophomore effort heads in a decidedly unique direction for the band. Fortunately, the album's intriguingly dark atmospheric sound feels like [...]

After a major label debut LP a couple years ago, Annuals return, not with another major release, but with a self-produced/self-released EP entitled Sweet Sister . I'm not sure if it's a precursor to a full-length later this year or simply a chance to release some material without outside influence, but Sweet Sister seems to have the free-spirited feeling and exploratory nature of the latter. The five songs of the EP are often stylistically similar to the group's previous effort, Such Fun , but an obvious influx of influences (along with total control over the [...]

• Annuals - Loxtep

Progress is—by most definitions—a game of give and take. In the music business, it's nearly impossible to grow artistically or explore different musical avenues without leaving something behind. A clear illustration of such growing pains is exemplified in Scottish indie-rockers Frightened Rabbit, whose third record, The Winter of Mixed Drinks , comes two years after the band's excellent breakthrough, the compelling and abrasively emotional Midnight Organ Fight . [...]

Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do (* * * 1/2) Eight albums in and the Drive-By Truckers are still going strong. The Big To-Do is a little shorter and more focused than many of the band's previous efforts, and though it's also a bit less consistent there's little to really complain about as the songwriting and musicianship are mostly top notch. "The Fourth Night of My Drinking" is a typically bleak, yet insightful Truckers song, as is the dark "The Wig He Made Her Wear," but tunes like [...]

• jj - Let Go

My schedule doesn't permit me to review everything I'd like to in full, so while capsule reviews aren't an entirely fair way to evaluate an album's strengths and weaknesses, they'll give me an opportunity to give my two cents about more of this year's music. Enjoy my first set of three: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists The Brutalist Bricks (* * * *) Ted Leo and company are back in full force with their latest album, The Brutalist [...]

Swedish collective Fredrik impressed me a couple years ago with the release of their debut, Na Na Ni , so I was obviously quite excited when word reached me that their second LP was on it's way. Then came a release delay that put it nearly out of mind for a couple months until recently when I finally got a chance to hear the new record, much later than I had anticipated. Though it doesn't perhaps reach the high standard set by its predecessor, Trilogi was worth the wait, a strong sophomore record which makes some improvements [...]

• Fredrik - mujina/locked in the basement

I wonder if Ezra Koenig and company didn't intend for the opening line of the first track on their sophomore effort to be a direct affront to their critics: "In December, drinking horchata, I look psychotic in a balaclava." This wouldn't seem a declarative or confrontational statement out of context, yet given the amount of grief directed at the indie pop stars for their frequent references to hipster clothing and stuffy, upper class society, it might well be just that. But as the band transition into the sudden burst of tropical drums and the vocal refrain that follows soon after, [...]

That any pop artist can remain relevant by releasing only two LPs over the course of ten years is remarkable. But when you make the sort of impression that Norwegian singer Anne Lilia Berge Strand (or, Annie) did during the first half of this decade, perhaps that shouldn't be surprising. Annie's 2004 debut, Anniemal (itself a long time coming, arriving five years after her breakthrough single), climbed the charts in Norway, becoming something of a modest hit elsewhere. And its critical reception elevated the record to almost cult-like status within the indie community, as loyal fans waited for [...]