Early Spin: Dirty Gold

Posted by Igor on November 14th 2010 5

I’ll be honest: I picked Dirty Gold for no particular reason when I was skimming We Are Hunted. But I was glad I did. This San Diego based troupe describe themselves as Afro-Beat, Experimental, and Samba. And that’s pretty much all you’re going to get out of them. They’ve published only tiny, cryptic bits of information about themselves since dropping their single, “California Sunrise.” What is clear about them is that the lead singer has an infectious voice and the band has a subtle sense for percussion that combats the otherwise washed out aesthetic. Where other Surf Rock capitalizes on the cuteness of monotony, there is something soulful about Dirty Gold.

Review: June Gloom, Wonderland

Posted by admin on November 14th 2010 12

There’s a reason you’ve never heard of June Gloom. They are not one of those unheralded new bands that has yet to be “corrupted” by success. They’re not like Velvet Underground, ahead of their time and doing something so new and interesting that people aren’t ready for it. No, June Gloom isn’t making waves in the indie scene (or any other for that matter) for a much less interesting reason. They aren’t very good.

Review: NER*D, Nothing

Posted by admin on November 14th 2010 0

Being a strong rock enthusiast, I have strong reservations about mixing hip-hop and rock (remember Prom Queen? I still have bad dreams about it). However , this was before I was introduced to N*E*R*D, and I have to say, while I’m still not totally sold on hip-hop/rock, I found their new album Nothing surprisingly entertaining, mixing decades of rock influence, hip-hop beats, and the ever present lyrical representation of sex.

Playlist: WGTB’s Preemptive Strike Against S.A.D.

Posted by Catherine on November 12th 2010 6

In our last couple weekend playlists, we brought you soundtracks to accompany the delights of early fall: hot cider, cool weather, scarves and sweaters. But fall isn’t all crisp air and colored leaves. No, with November comes the final pre-Thanksgiving Break crunch, chilly weather and the gradual loss of precious daylight. Sometimes, you just get SAD. No, I’m not yelling “sad” at you from across the internet–we’re talking Seasonal Affective Disorder. So we here at WGTB are launching a preemptive strike against the winter blues, bringing back a bit of summer sunshine to warm you up as the temperature dips down. When you feel the chills coming on, press play and feel the heat of summer slowly seeping back in with every breezy, beachy harmony and lo-fi, surfy guitar riff. Read More »

PhilBANDthropy: The Changing Face of Music Based Charity

Posted by Bryan M. on November 12th 2010 1

Today’s indie music scene runs the serious risk of appearing completely self obsessed. Artists worry about pleasing only a specific niche of fans. Magazines and blogs target an “in the know” crowd and are therefore totally inaccessible to the uninitiated. And fans themselves obsess over learning everything they can about every obscure band to hit the scene. In light of this seemingly self centered framework, it may surprise some to know the extent to which outreach and social engagement play a part in the indie music scene. Read More »

Kendl Winter – Apple Core

Posted by Mark on November 12th 2010 0

Kendl Winter has talent. With a voice that switches seamlessly from Alison Krauss to Jessica Lea Mayfield and the banjo-picking skills to match, it is little wonder that the weaker points on her latest release, Apple Core, are those moments when she decides to welcome another vocalist into the studio.

Review: Sleeping in the Aviary, Great Vacation!

Posted by ani on November 12th 2010 1

Sleeping in the Aviary’s new album Great Vacation! is either incredibly ironic or incredibly sincere—it’s hard to tell. It simultaneously speaks (albeit sarcastically) to the masses of bored youth, who can’t find a thing in the world to pull them out of the drudgery of the daily grind, while at the same time remaining an acute and clearly enthusiastic ode to the minutiae of everyday life. Song topics range from the typical to the bizarre: “Weightlessly in Love” is a sweet tune about innocuous love, while “Maria’s Ghost” takes a slightly different perspective on the same emotion. The ballad begins, “Me, I held Maria/ while she struggled on the bed/ She forgot the safety word/ Now she’s dead,” and goes on to tell the story of an ex-lover killed in action.

Equal And Opposite Reaction: Lupe Fiasco

Posted by admin on November 12th 2010 1

For those who have no idea, Lupe Fiasco has been trying to release his third album LASERS for some time now, yet has been held up by Atlantic Records because of contractual nonsense. Instead of working something out with Lupe, Atlantic refused to give him a release date till a few weeks ago which left Lupe in quite the bad mood. Jump through for my twitter-like take on it.

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Monthly Archives: November 2010