Monthly Archives: March 2016
QUIET LIFE // FOGGY [STRANGE LIGHT]
This album feels good. Summery and relaxed. Nostalgic and new. Great use of space within songs and great sound when they jump in. Can imagine this album being a soundtrack to a flowy road trip. Reminiscent of a less psychedelic War on Drugs. Great effort, produced by Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog. PLAY: 2, 1, […]
WILDER ADKINS // HOPE & SORROW [SELF-RELEASED]
Relaxed, acoustic, airy, mellow. Very familiar style of music that is, overall, quite pleasing and easy to listen to. FCC: Clean | PLAYL 2, 3, 1, 4, 10, 11 | RIYL: The Head and The Heart, Iron & Wine, Lumineers, Feist, Fleet Foxes, Family & Friends, Ben Sollee
ANDREW BIRD // ARE YOU SERIOUS [LOMA VISTA / CONCORD]
Some new sounds coming from Bird’s typical airy string arrangements that have trended toward Americana folk in the past. This album ventures much further into rock vibes with some international influence throughout. Features Fiona Apple on ‘Capsized’ and ‘Left Handed Kisses’. Should get a lot of play on WRUV! PLAY: 1,2,3,6,8,10 | FCC: Clean | […]
SUN SEEKER // GEORGIA DUST (SINGLE) [THIRD MAN RECORDS]
Fantastic american folkish rock. Vibesy guitars, great vocals, great production. Sounds like a cousin band to Seattle’s Moondoggies. WRUV rock DJs will dig. PLAY: 1, 2 | FCC: Clean | RIYL: Wilco, The Moondoggies, The Sheepdogs, Futurebirds, The Shouting Matches
Lespecial – Omnisquid (self-released)
On their second EP Lespecial delivers their signature sound of Psychedelic metal infused funk. Loaded with heavy guitar riffs, funky bass lines, and syncopated drum patterns, Omnisquid is reminiscent of Primus and the intricate mid sections of many Umphrey’s Mcgee songs. Interspersed with electronic influences. RIYL: Primus, Umphrey’s Mcgee, Voodoo Muzak FCC: Clean Play: […]
Instruments of Happiness
The Electric Guitar Quartet performs pieces by their members, ranging from quiet to strong. Interesting works! Play!
Axel Borup-Jorgensen–Viola Works
Modern, somewhat atonal works for viola, ranging from quiet to intense. Play most!
Towards Romanticism–Concertos for Flute
These are late classical, early Romantic pieces for flute and orchestra by Romberg, Deviennes and Mercadante. Play most!
The Way Things Go
Contemporary pieces for flute and piano, all varied and not all completely lyrical–nice!
Mangabeira
Trio Virado (flute, viola + guitar) perform Latin American works that stand out because of the balanced parts for each instrument–the guitar is not background. Play most!
Swiss Piano Works 1890-2008
A collection of varied works by Swiss composers mostly modern to contemporary, gracious!
Musica Virtuosa Vol. IV
Catalan works for clarinet and piano, all modern, contemporary. Nice!
Hardline
h2 quartet (saxophones) performs avant-garde/minimalist works by composers who include elements of classical, jazz, & rock in their pieces. Play!
THE RANGE – POTENTIAL (DOMINO)
On “Potential”, producer James Hinton masterfully creates mellow, yet powerful, beats to direct the listener’s attention to simple vocal samples that he pulled from the depths of Youtube. The sampled vocalists are mostly unknown artists and range in styles, from rap to indie. Completely new works of art emerge after Hinton is done sculpting the layered […]
The Thermals – “We Disappear”
On former Thermals releases, there seemed to be a clear divide between in the band in terms of sound. They played songs with the edgier side that they wanted to play, and they played tracks that satisfied the bubblegum pop-punk band that their fans wanted to be. Where “We Disappear” succeeds is it’s ability to […]
Primal Scream – “Chaosmosis”
Long time Scottish rockers Primal Scream are back with their eleventh studio release, “Chaosmosis.” Unlike most bands that have been in the game as long as these guys have, these guys are continually incorporating elements of 21st century pop music into their mix, and are throwing on guests such as Haim and Sky Ferreira. Although […]
Enemy Planes – “Beta Lockdown”
On their debut album “Beta Lockdown,” Enemy Planes are proving that they are an up incoming force to be reckoned with. This album seemed to cast a spell on me, as I was taken away by their futuristic sound, which was probably aided by their use of electric lap-steel sounds on most of the album. […]
Tacocat – “Lost Time”
I personally had never heard of Tacocat before this album, and I wasn’t honestly expecting much from a band with such a silly name, but I was satisfied with the sounds this album generated. This album is a mixture of alternative and punk rock, and the lyrics all center around feminism. Because of the internet, […]
RONiiA – “Sisters EP”
On their new EP, synth-pop duo RONiiA have taken electronic music and stripped it of its gloss, and what is left is a smoky dust-storm full of emotion. The lead singer’s vocals have a very dissonant and shadowy presence that creates a menacingly brooding sound. When the vocals are complimented with it’s minimalistic (yet danceble […]
Operators – “Blue Wave”
On their full length debut, Operators “Blue Wave” drives a full fledged sound that mixes together an eclectic mix of 80s sounds. The tracks on this album are perfectly organic, and dance driven. The synths are icy, and the saxophones thrown into some tracks really add to the overall positive vibe you get from listening […]
Explosions in the Sky – “The Wilderness”
On their 6th LP, modern post-rock icons Explosions in the Sky are back, and as grandiose as ever. I have been waiting for these guys to release an album as epic as their 2003 release “The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place,” and this album is definitely up there in terms of quality. On first […]
The Sun Days – “Album”
The Sun Days are a five piece band from Sweden, and their new album (titled “Album”), is perfect for the changing of the seasons right now. Winter is finally over, and now things are starting to be bright and full of life again, and this album makes me think of that feeling. The Sun Days […]
MMOTHS – “Luneworks”
Jack Colleran, also known as MMOTHS is an Irish electronic music producer, and “Luneworks” is his debut album. On this release, MMOTHS combines unique ambient arrangements with organic piano licks that compliment the noisy, chilled out vibe of the album. Most of these tracks are instrumental, but when there are vocals on a song, they […]
Eagle Thunder and Native Singles-Robby Romero and Red Thunder with various artists
From Eagle Thunder Enterprises this CD is Native Rock with Robby Romero and the Red Thunder (band). Robert Mirabal is featured on track Iron Horse. The singles include Earth Revolution with Ta’kaiya Blaney. Appreciate the lyrics that will have you thinking about Native peoples everywhere, the struggles, the celebration, the prayers going out for all […]
ELEPHANT REVIVAL – PETALS (THIRTY TIGERS/ITZ EVOLVING)
The Colorado-based folk-rock band shows some versatility on fourth studio album, “Petals”. Elephant Revival nails it when avoiding cliché lyrics, which unfortunately occupy too many tracks on this album. The string instrumentalists deliver both strong solos and backing, behind delicate lead vocals and mellow harmonies. Overall, a range of influences are on display on this […]
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