Monthly Archives: November 2017
Mickey Hart – RAMU
Funky grooves throughout this album. Filled with exotic jams and ambient sounds. Each track is an adventure and unlike anything I have ever heard. FCC: Clean PLAY: 8,9,12
Nikolai Kapustin–Complete Music for Cello & Piano
Despite jazz being prohibited in the Soviet Union early in his career, Kapustin has always solidly fused classical and jazz. Beautiful!
Mario Pilati– Chamber Music for Violin & Piano, Cello & Piano
Surprisingly modern sounding pieces, with some jazz elements, based on typical folk and classical styles. Play!
Apollo Chamber Players–Ancestral Voices
Inspired by older styles of music from the Middle East and Latin America, all modern compositions. Play!
L.K. Mertz–Verdi’s Guitar
Solo guitar works by Mertz (19th cent.) based on Verdi’s operas. Gracious!
Ben Frost – The Centre Cannot Hold [Mute]
Ben Frost’s fifth studio album, The Centre Cannot Hold, was written in 10 days and features experimental electronic music. Frost’s uses heavy synth parts to create an album that could be used as the soundtrack to a sci-fi movie. Label: Mute STart w/ 2, 7, 10 FCC: Clean RIYL: Stranger Things Soundtrack, Tim Hecker, William Basinkski
Keyon Harrold – The Mugician [Legacy Recordings]
Keyon Harrold takes jazz to another level in this amazing album. Harrold’s new album features instrumental, lyrical, and spoken word jazz music, which all draw influence from rock, hip hop, soul, and blues music. Label: Legacy Recordings Start w/ 3, 4, 5, 8, 11 FCC: Clean RIYL: Gary Clarke Jr., Guy Torry, Josh David Barrett
The She’s – all female rock and roll quartet [Self-Released]
This all female garage rock band has put together a pretty awesome album, all female rock and roll quartet. Featuring sick guitar parts, awesome bass lines, and beautiful percussion, this album is a great listen. Label: Self-Released Start w/ 3, 4, 6, 11 FCC: 5 RIYL: Bully, Girlpool, Mitski, La Luz, Colleen Green
Lindstrom – It’s Alright Between Us As It Is [Self-Released]
Norwegian based artist, Lindstrom has created an amazing contemporary disco album. He uses beautiful arpeggiated synths and warm and beautiful melodies to create mostly instrumental music. The album as a whole is amazing. Label: Self-Released Start w/ 2, 4, 6 FCC: Clean RIYL: LCD Soundsytem, Hot Chip, The Field, Junior Boys, Four Tet
Vanessa Bley – Life & Death [Self-Released]
Multi-instrumentalist Vanessa Bley releases an album drawing influence from both jazz and rock. The combination of psych-rock and jazz somehow give an 80’s vibe on a few tracks. Overall this album is a great listen. Label: Self-released Start w/ 2, 3, 5 FCC: Clean RIYL: Beast Patrol, Twin Danger, Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Star
Nicholas Rowe – Everything Has Beauty [Self-Released]
Indie folk artist Nicholas Rowe shows he can write great music on this new album, Everything Has Beauty. Filled with striking vocals and excellent rhythms, this album is a great listening experience. Label: Sel-Released Start w/ 2, 4, 6 FCC: Clean RIYL: Kurt Vile, Jason Isbell, Deer Tick, M. Ward, Conor Oberst
Surf Rock Is Dead – We Have No Friends? [Native Sound]
This rock/dream pop album, We Have No Friends?, is full of quirky melodies, smooth vocals, and great guitars. The album title refers to their lack of social life and dedication to writing music. Label: Native Sound Start w/ 1, 5 FCC: 4 RIYL: Two Door Cinema Club, Tape Waves, Acid Ghost, Twin Cabins
Lina Tullgren – Won [Captured Tracks]
Lina Tullgren’s debut album, Won, is full of uniquely played guitar parts, honest lyrics, and amazing vocals. This folk rock album shows how musically skilled Tullgren is. Label: Captured Tracks Start w/ 1, 3, 6, 7 FCC: Clean RIYL: Courtney Barnett, Palehound, Soccer Mommy
Eric Stokes–The Lyrical Pickpocket
Pieces with many influences–Americana, witty, lyrical and abstract, half of the works with voice. Play!
Rounder Songs
Emily Pinkerton and Patrick Burke team to compose pieces that combine folk/Americana storytelling with chamber ensemble. Play!
Scott Wollschleger–Soft Aberrations
String pieces with mixed with vocals, abstract, accessible.
John Adams–Alarm Will Sound Meet the Composers
With explanations of the works, two pieces by Adams, Chamber Symphony and Son of Chamber Symphony–gracious, busy, repetitive.
Sergey Taneyev–String Quartets Nos. 2 & 6
Romantic, expansive quartets!
Japanese Echoes
Comparing/contrasting Debussy’s works with Japanese composers. Debussy loved Japanese music and these composers are seeing if they can find his musical muses with these clarinet and harp pieces. Play!
Mister Heavenly- Boxing the Moonlight
Six years after their debut release, supergroup Mister Heavenly, comprised of Ryan Kattner (Man Man), Nick Thorburn (The Unicorns, Islands), and Joe Plummer (Cold War Kids, Modest Mouse), return with their sophomore follow-up Boxing the Moonlight, a wonderfully-fun record that proves to be just as enjoyable as their debut. Their sound is perhaps a bit gritter […]
Destroyer- Ken
This newest album from the prolific Destroyer finds Dan Bejar exploring his synthier side. Concise, though not entirely cohesive, this album does seem to run a trend taking influences from new wave, and synth-rock, with Bejars classic vocal delivery pulling it all together. If you are a fan, this is a another great addition to […]
The Rural Alberta Advantage- The Wild
This is some of the best indie folk rock you’ll here this year! The male/female vocals blend well together with the guitars and punctuated by the awesome drumming from Paul Banwatt. Admittedly track 3 pushes the limits of the singers vocal range, and the album is not as lengthy or epic as their earlier works, but […]
The James Bolden Blues Band–No News “Jus” the Blues
Big band sound with horns, organ, electric guitar, mostly tunes by Bolden and his band, different styles. Play!
Fiona Boyes–Box & Dice
All originals, smokey vocals and excellent slide guitar! Play!
Hyde and Seek
Harpist and frontman Neil Barnes and Hyde and Seek do a nice mix of covers and originals, a mix of blues styles, too.
WRUV Reviews 