Tagged: tlobfrecommended

Of all of these reissues, Isn't Anything (1988) is the one that most needs attention. Oft-overlooked in the wake of the sound and fury that followed, it finds My Bloody Valentine at a weird crossroads: not quite shorn of their more indiepop sensibilities, the divebombing sonic attacks occasionally sound welded-on, or at the very least, jarring against what lies beneath. Like the smoke wisp of a photo that adorns its cover, the album sometimes allows its gauzy barrage of effects to overwhelm the actual songwriting. The structures and hooks aren't quite there - especially [...]

American songwriting tradition is rife with themes of travel and moving on, of facing down a dirt track with a suitcase in your hand whilst storm clouds gather; a fact most certainly not lost on MC Taylor, a keen student of folklore who, with multi-instrumentalist Scott Hirsch, forms the nucleus of the ever-evolving Hiss Golden Messenger collective. The characters on Poor Moon , the fourth Hiss Golden Messenger release, rescued from obscurity by Tompkins Square after a tiny pressing of just 500 last year, are frequently captured in a state of transition, be [...]

After releasing the defining summer album of 2010, what comes next? That’s a question Beth Cosentino might have been asking herself a lot since the release of Best Coast ’s adorably scruffy surfpop debut Crazy For You . Part of the reason that album garnered so much affection was its specificity of tone, each track adding a few new details to the portrait of our heroine lazing around on the couch, baked out of her mind, dividing her time between talking to her cat and pining over some jerk-off ex-boyfriend. For all the simplicity [...]

There's something undeniably Los Angeles about Electric Guest 's seabreeze charm and beachside manner. The fact that Danger Mouse got involved so early on had necks going rubber and eyebrows raising, but now it makes so much sense. At this point in his career, Mouse's Midas touch is a familiar friend that simply can’t grow old and also happens to be one of Guest’s strongest weapons that they brandish with timeless precision. Debut LP Mondo  is a 10-song line dance that's contagious and kinetic, all connected by the striking boy genius Asa Taccone. It [...]

In Mary Shelly’s original story, Victor Frankenstein’s creation was intended to be beautiful; however, the creature was made from a mismatch of parts and his massive body was something out of the ordinary. His quest was for knowledge and happiness, but his appearance conjured sudden, negative reactions. It took a blind man, impervious to his exterior, to understand the true nature of the beast, which was not beastly at all, but rather intelligent, thoughtful, introspective and complex. Such is the case with the debut record from Sweden’s Niki and the Dove . Aptly [...]

For as long as it has been on the cards, the idea of a debut album by Fixers has been exciting and perplexing in equal measure. While a string of justly hyped singles and EPs introduced to us the Oxford band not unreasonably described as “an avant-garde take on the Beach Boys”, it increasingly seemed that it might be a struggle to adequately capture their dizzying, rapidly-evolving psychedelic pop sound in the LP format. Here is a band, remember, that admitted becoming bored by their own EP in the four weeks between recording and [...]

On his last album, Richard Hawley  was in the gutter. Now he's gone to the heavens. With one hell of a bang. Standing at the Sky's Edge  sees Hawley dabbling in what can only be described as space rock. Backed by the same band who saw him through his last few records, Sky's Edge fulfils similar needs to 20102s Truelove's Gutter , save for the fact that where Gutter  stretched out, Sky's Edge  freaks out. Hawley's lugubrious baritone, thankfully, remains the same. Sky's Edge  puts its [...]

It must have been at least five years ago. I was sat alone at home as I tended to be, when I got a phonecall. “Hey there's this guy playing at [INSERT NAME OF SHITTY PUB HERE] and I wanna fuck him, will you come with me?”. Being a prominent member of the “guys too socially depressing to even imagine being with, but lonely enough to be up for any demeaning task” club, I was regularly asked out as the platonic-male-friend wingman, so my standards had become high. “What's he playing?” “...Chiptune”. I, with more courtesy than required, threw my [...]

As unlikely collaborations go, Icon Give Thank is hard to beat. Armed with some rough musical templates, Cameron Stallones (a.k.a. ) and  , two noted authors of heavy-lidded psych-improv from the US West Coast, travel to Jamaica to record with the legendary, recently rejuvenated roots reggae vocal group , mainly famous for 1977’s Lee “Scratch” Perry-produced masterpiece Heart of the Congos . As portrayed in Icon Eye , the documentary film that accompanies the album, the American visitors ended up living, sleeping, eating and smoking (this ranks amongst the most deeply stoned recordings yet produced) in the [...]

When singer Keith Morris was starting work on a new album with Circle Jerks, the seminal hardcore band he formed after leaving the even more seminal Black Flag, he soon realised that he got on much better with his producer than his current bandmates. Never one to stick with a band when things aren’t running smoothly, Morris decided to put the Jerks’ record on hold and have some fun with his new writing partner, Dimitri Coats (ex-Burning Brides). The resulting band, OFF! , penned two dozen songs in as many days and released them on a [...]

After coming to the realisation that their previous work together in Gayngs could be more fruitful than the collaborative R'n'B project allowed, Ryan Olson and Channy Leanagh joined forces once again to write the songs that would become   Poliça 's  Give You The Ghost in a flurry of both inspiration and heartbreak. Leanagh's previous group, Roma di Luna, had dissolved along with her marriage to her husband (and Roma di Luna co-leader) Alexei Moon Casselle, and those raw emotions certainly colour much of the Minneapolis quartet's stellar debut record, as Channy gives voice to [...]

It’s staggering - nay, criminal - that Patrick Watson isn’t better known. 2006’s Close To Paradise was one of the decade’s strongest albums, meshing leftfield experiment with swooning melody in a way few artists would even attempt and at which almost all who did would fail. Alongside their sizeable list of critical accolades the band have taken the Polaris Prize - Canada’s version of the Mercury, only it actually means something - and were cited by Rolling Stone as one of the "can’t miss" acts at this year’s SXSW. If [...]

Fuck first impressions. One gasp of the wheezing accordion that opens Model Village ’s debut album might cause consternation amongst some of you, perhaps thinking of the dreadful things that pop music has done in the name of folk lately. But fear not! This is no exercise in bleating tedium à la Mumford & Sons, nor is it even vaguely close to the utter uselessness of Frank Turner – there’s certainly a folk influence at work here, but this is good ol’ classic indie above all. As proven when a tumbling drum roll nudges us [...]

From the fish-eye lens effect of the album art to the decidedly '60s, counter-culture homage of its title, everything about the Ty Segall  and  White Fence collaborative effort, Hair, is richly steeped in retro influences and ambience. And while much of the buzz surrounding this release is due to the overwhelming anticipation of hearing something new from the hotly-tipped Segall, the real star of the show throughout the record is, in fact, Darker My Love's Tim Presley (a.k.a. White Fence). He handles many of the ripping lead guitar [...]

Earlier this year, Oulu (a city in Northern Finland) witnessed an unusual event: a day dedicated to listening to the entire recorded output of Circle . With most bands that have been in circulation since the mid '90s, this would’ve resulted in an afternoon of music at most. With this celebrated cult outfit from Pori (a small town on the Western Coast of Finland) however, the result was nothing short of an extreme marathon event: with a steadily growing, hugely diverse discography of 30-odd albums (plus live recordings, EPs, [...]

Can a person’s life be defined by their art? This box set gives it a good go. In 1992, Woody Guthrie’s daughter Nora had contacted folk-punk stalwart Billy Bragg about the possibility of penning music for the hundreds of unpublished lyrics her father had left behind. Despite some minor concerns (“My initial reaction was, ‘surely this is Bob Dylan’s job,’” Bragg informed Billboard recently), the Bard of Barking agreed to throw himself into the challenge. He swiftly enlisted Wilco to [...]

Some album releases are branded "eagerly anticipated" not because people actually care, but due to the name behind them. Adele’s next album will generate huge attention, as will Kasabian’s. It doesn’t mean they’re good.  Others seduce our collective excitement through being exquisitely crafted, as First Aid Kit’s or NZCA/Lines’ 2012 albums were.  There are a few records, however, which go beyond anticipation to become essential - no - legendary releases. We’re talking about the OK Computer s, and Ziggy Stardust s out there. I think you already know where Death Grips ’ [...]

It’s often temptingly easy to believe that those yelling the loudest have the most compelling things to say. Subtlety of expression, slow-burning contemplation and hushed beauty are routinely read as signs of dull introversion. Richard James ’ third solo album is fit to batter this daft misunderstanding to extinction. Pictures in the Morning marks a return to the earthily psychedelic folk-rock of 2006’s excellent solo debut Seven Sleepers’ Den after the noisier, more richly textured terrain explored on 2010’s We Went Riding . Only this time, James [...]

Popular music has seen its fair share of ludicrous and egotistic whoops-a-daisy quotes that accidently diffuse from the deepest, darkest caves of a musician’s mind box and onto social networking sites and publications of the music world. Sure, Korn, you probably were dubstep before there was even dubstep. And of course, Kayne, you are bigger than Elvis Presley, you are, but it doesn’t stop you from sounding like a bunch of absolute knob heads. However, there are those statements from musicians which grab your attention, sending alarm bells relentlessly ringing concerning the corruption in the music industry today. [...]

How do you follow up an absolute gem like 'Oregon Shores'?  The track has a sort of '50s surf feel with its gorgeous harmonies, yet it stays grounded with a sound that has defined the Canadian indie scene in the past few years: gritty, poppy, catchy and cool. Jeff Innes bellows out the question "What does it mean to fall in love?" and it is not immediately clear if we are meant to direct our thoughts to the awe-inspiring Oregon coastline or to someone that can give loneliness a well-needed break.  Regardless, the melody will have you humming the tune [...]