Subpop has clearly gotten back in touch with their 90′s grungey vibe, having produced the likes of Nirvana and Mudhoney. Obits’ very retro Moody, Standard & Poor brings us back to the days of punk and garage rock, reminding us of what made us fall in love with this crazy genre in the first place. This album reawakens the hardcore teen angst and has a very Gen X feel to it. With Obits’ heavy baseline and dueling guitar riffs, these fellas truly rock out.

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Beach Fossils’ sophomore album, What A Pleasure, is nothing new, which isn’t necessarily disappointing. The off-the-shelf aughtie indie album sounds like much of its contemporaries. Like any other popular music, Beach Fossils offers, quite generally, their interpretation of the indie dream pop meets beachy sound, instead of reacting distinctly and creating something more innovative and unique.

Listen: “Calyer” from What A Pleasure

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Friends, I believe that it’s about that time of year to slow down and experience the cold winter melt away to make way for the coming of the spring’s bright blue skies. Our Canadian indie folk trio, The Rural Alberta Advantage, sing to these same skies about the transience of the moment, and all those things that haunt the soul of folk musicians; falling in and out of love, finding yourself reaching out to those whom you’ve lost over time. Read More »

Dear Kings Of Leon,

“I just wanna hold you / take you by your hand / and tell you that you’re good enough,” but I’m sorry to say that this indeed is The End.

In the words of NME‘s Luke Lewis, “there inevitably comes a moment in a huge band’s career where they lose their common touch and become slightly ridiculous.” It’s saddening to see a band that previously fostered immense creativity, versatility, and energy in their work begin to fall into a pit of lifelessness, masked by a one-dimensional, melodramatic sound. Needless to say, Kings of Leon seems to be lacking in their usual, quirky, southern rocker charm.

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After a decade of sporadic musical collaboration, the Swedish trio, Junip, has finally released their first album, Fields. Fields strongly provides its audience with a “kaleidoscopic view” into José Gonzalez‘s creative and unique response to contemporary indie folk, and is thus a worthy listen for enthusiasts of this genre.

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