![The Mary Onettes: Dare [pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1641185_lg.jpg)
It has been two years since The Mary Onettes debuted on Labrador Records with their self-titled LP. Well they've returned with new single Dare and the title track remains as dark as any of The Mary Onettes' prior material, yet it is still filled with the pop and upbeat nature so loved by Labrador Records. "Dare" hints of a strong 80s influence. Bands like The Church and The Go Betweens and (perhaps a bit less-so than their prior release) Jesus And Mary Chain. It's pop, but it's [...]
![Eulogies: Here Anonymous [Album pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1633402_lg.jpg)
There is an obvious sense of natural progression that can be heard on any given Eulogies track. They are a refreshing objection to the stagnant reality of rock 'n roll. The haunting yet calming sound Peter Walker's majestic voice is easily up to par with any lead singer already well appreciated in the music community. And with extensive touring, and the release of their latest album Here Anonymous (due April 7th), these realities are sure to shine a light for Walker and company. It seriously appears [...]
![Javier Suarez [Feature Artist]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1610890_lg.jpg)
I've fallen in love with "Yarn Blues" by Yarn Owl , a small pop trio out of my college town of Pullman, WA. The three attend Washington State University (my Alma Mater) and include on percussion Ted Powers (Ether Hour) and on bass Tim Meinig (Band Of Horses, Run River Run) and on guitar/vocals Javier Suarez . Javier's demo, Note, Beat, Word Collection landed on my promo rack via a mutual friend. What makes an artist like Suarez great is his ability to write crafty tunes that [...]
![Alligators [Feature Band]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1601528_lg.jpg)
Hey Seattle, there is a great local (ish... they're actually from Port Orchard, WA) pop band in your midst and, in all likelihood, you are not even aware of their existence. Alligators ( MySpace ) will release Piggy & Cups via their own label, Applehouse Records, next month. They live up to most of the more contemporary elements of indie pop - the smooth guitar sounds, the modern percussion, you get the picture. But one thing that sets them apart from contemporaries is the trio of vocalists [...]
![Voxtrot: Trepanation Party [pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1600163_lg.jpg)
In a surprise return, Voxtrot has resurfaced with their first single, "Trepanation Party", in nearly two years. Ramesh Srivastava and company launched with The Start Of Something way back in the middle of this decade, and quickly built upon their humble beginnings with two full EPs and a self-titled full-length, and a slew of singles before and after and in the middle of it all. But then they disappeared completely, until now. A two year absence. That's a long time for a band that began, then dished [...]
![Little Big Adventure: The Hateful Eye [pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1597555_lg.jpg)
Everyone knows it: when Labrador says jump, I jump. And so it is again - they've announced their latest artist, Little Big Adventure , and an upcoming EP titled The Hateful Eye EP . Little Big Adventure demonstrates and further emphasizes Labrador's foray into signing and releasing more electronic-style pop records, as can be heard on their recent 123 Single by Pallers. The group shares its name from a mid-90s PC/Playstation video game (perhaps a coincidence, perhaps not). But where Little Big Adventure the video game [...]
![Crystal Stilts: Love Is A Wave [pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1595161_lg.jpg)
I'll admit, Crystal Stilts self-titled EP and debut full-length Alight Of Night passed me by a bit. Don't get me wrong - I love the sound. It just failed to live up to the garage-pop that was Up Against The Legends by The Legends and was soon to be The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. But that has all changed. Enter "Love Is A Wave". Now I'm ready to revisit the fourteen-plus [...]
![Metric: Help I'm Alive [Video & pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1593220_lg.jpg)
To be honest, I haven't listened to very much Metric ( MySpace ). I know that what I have heard I have liked, and what I haven't I probably would like. So, naturally, when I heard they'd be releasing a new album upon the world, I turned to the one person I knew would appreciate the release: Margar. But, as the album has yet to come and the release won't hit for another month or three, I figured I'd drop in a little note about the upcoming release and include some glorious embeds. [...]
![St. Vincent: The Strangers [pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1590469_lg.jpg)
Annie Clark of St. Vincent ( MySpace ) sure has a thing for pop culture. Marry Me , her debut LP, was titled after a joke line from one of the greatest television shows of all time - Arrested Development . Her latest one, Actor , will be coming out soon on 4AD and single "The Strangers" is already promising more cultural references by hinting of Nancy Sinatra in the verse. But as the song progresses, she forays into a wonderful distorted bridge before returning to [...]
![Trondheim [Feature Band]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1589943_lg.jpg)
Trondheim is a town in Norway but contrary to what this may imply, the band Trondheim does not hail from this country. Instead, it is the brainchild of Ansgar Seide, a native German. After two EPs on the Interdisco netlabel, Seide has now transcended to netlabel Aerotone for his latest release, Zum Abschied . Trondheim's music is tranquil, yet filled with a spectrum of emotion. Songs tend to be simultaneously uplifting and unhappy, as can be heard in the opener "Erlöst von [...]
![Pete Yorn: Don't Wanna Cry [pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1588516_lg.jpg)
Pete Yorn has always had a well tapped keg of emotional prose in his music. But he has never poured something as personally smooth as his latest single "Don't Wanna Cry". With an entirely new outlook on songwriting and composure, Back and Fourth (due out June 23rd), Yorn's first album in three years, is sure to be an exhilarating release for fans and new listeners alike. "Don't Wanna Cry" (which premiered yesterday on Spinner and can also be found below) is a brilliant love-loss acknowledgment and [...]
![The Low Anthem [Feature Artist]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1587547_lg.jpg)
You can always tell a classically trained artist when you hear one. It, for example, is the first thing I thought of upon listening to "Charlie Darwin" by The Low Anthem ( MySpace ), and sure enough this folk-leaning trio from the tiny state of Rhode Island includes Jocie Adams, a classical composer. Ben Miller and Jeffrey Prystowsky complete the trio and are the primary voices behind The Low Anthem. And voices they are - hi-pitched enough to make Jeff Hanson and Joel Thibodeau sound manly. But contrary [...]
![Hi Red Center [Feature Band]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1587110_lg.jpg)
They call it Joyful Noise , and while the title is fit for an LP, it's not the name of Hi Red Center 's latest release. No, that was dubbed Assemble and it can be found on the record label of that name: Joyful Noise Recordings. It sure fits; Hi Red Center's music is a bit out there, with wild guitars, barbershop quartet-like compounded vocals, and seemingly randomness when it comes to instrumentation, these guys have a very interesting but equally refreshing sound. A good distinction for [...]
![Golden Bloom: Your Minute Of Fame [Feature Artist]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1584361_lg.jpg)
Some folks would say that former Governor Blagojevich is simply a nut job who handles money worse than a 4 year old with their father's unlicensed fire arm. And it would be hard to disagree. Even the recently released and soon to be worst President in history handled duties as Governor more appropriately. But, it can not be denied that Blagojevich's situation makes for great indie rock song material. Power, controversy, and Oprah Winfrey are always wonderful topics. And Golden Bloom's frontman Shawn Fogel gave ole Rod exactly what he deserves - sixty [...]
![Beaten By Them [Feature Band]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1581944_lg.jpg)
This one's a bit delayed. Thrill Jockey released the latest from Beaten By Them, Signs Of Life , last November, but that doesn't make the release any less significant. "Town Too Small" introduces the band on a more eclectic and erratic note, experimenting occasionally with time. But such nuances are the norm in experimental instrumental (mostly) groups such as this. The group truly comes to life in songs like "The Asiatic Capital Vista", honing in on a sound that's romantic but not for romance's sake, pleasant but filled with frequent [...]
![Hungry Villagers: Tree Full Of Ghosts [pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1579258_lg.jpg)
The sound Hungry Villagers makes is not necessarily new. In fact, you can trace it, pretty specifically, to several bands. Yet despite all the derivatives you can sum up, it's hard to deny that their songs, like "Tree Full Of Ghosts" off their upcoming single, are pretty damn good. Hungry Villagers hints at modern influential greats like Interpol and The National, but naturally, they enhance the songs with elements that are their own. Where the deep oft-flat vocals have an Interpol-like sound, it's still unique to Hungry Villagers. [...]
![Beast: Mr. Hurricane [pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1568079_lg.jpg)
Something strange and fresh has shown it's face(s) in the streets of Montreal. And it can only be seen through Beast ( MySpace ), a collaboration of two of the most amazing French experimentalists, Jean-Phi Goncalves (drummer for Plaster, producer of Lauryn Hill) and the malefic and taunting songstress Betty Bonifassi (of The Triplets of Belleville soundtrack recognition). This transcending duo is creating something entirely new that is retrospectively reminiscent of something that quite can't be described. The prolific and savvy track "Mr. Hurricane" is so damn brilliant it [...]
![Pree: In The Parlor [pReview & Video]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1567050_lg.jpg)
Were Isaac Brock to have been born with an extra X chromosome, thus lacking a Y, yet all else have been held as constants, Modest Mouse very well may have sounded like Pree , led by the masterful ex-Le Loup member May Tabol. Like her former group, Tabol's music is filled with haunting folk melodies. At least that's what we can gather from "In The Parlor"; the song is the first single of Pree's first album, titled A Chopping Block and out stateside on March 9 via The [...]
![The Besties: What Would Tim Armstrong Do? [pReview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1559729_lg.jpg)
I'll probably have a nice little package in the mail when I get home tomorrow (actually today, if you're reading this the day it was published) with these guys in it, but I cannot wait to get this song out there. It's "What Would Tim Armstrong Do?" by The Besties . And while I do not know a Tim Armstrong, I do know that this song is damn catchy. It's packed with a massive pop sound that's borderline twee. It's a perfect jump-around-on-the-bed type of song. It's got [...]
![Archeology [Feature]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1558003_lg.jpg)
There's an inside joke in our office: Matt, the thin, goatee-d 90s grunger is good at designing cute things. So, naturally, in all his seemingly unkempt Cobain-esque demeanor, it becomes funny. (There's also one about me and my George Costanza moment, washing the office dishes in my undershirt so I wouldn't soil my dress shirt the night of our office party.) Like the opposing traits that humor our office, a similar effect can be found in Archeology . Archeology's style of indie pop is definitely not the norm. [...]
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