It seems like all the bands I like come from Seattle: Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, the Postal Service, etc. and, Telekinesis as well. A band that released its first album in 2009 with the help of Chris Walla—the guitarist from another Washington state band (can’t guess? Death Cab for Cutie!)—manages to knock out of the park its newest album Dormarion. Read More »
Several months ago, when reviewing Boys School’s debut album, I asked “Why can’t there be more albums like Boys School’s Boys School?” That question has been answered with the arrival of 180, the debut album from British rock band Palma Violets. 180, like Boys School, is a refreshing take on 60s garage and psychedelic rock, bringing the sounds of the summer of love to spring 2013. Additionally, I hear the disc as taking listeners through an abbreviated history of Anglo-American underground rock music. These reasons alone make 180 a praiseworthy album. Read More »
Musical troubadour and all around chill dude, Kurt Vile has become a name synonymous with carefree, suburban-minded rock also currently being pumped out by bands such as Real Estate, War on Drugs, and Ducktails. His 2011 breakout Smoke Ring for My Halo established Vile as an indie folk mainstay and perfected a psychedelically infused acoustic sound all his own. The smoked-out production of Halo was properly suited for traditional song lengths of 3-5 minutes and, on Walking on a Pretty Daze, Vile clears the air out with songs that explore bolder, more experimental songwriting. Read More »
With less than a week left until finals end and summer officially begins, it’s time for me to break out Atmosphere’s “Summer Song.” For years, no matter what my favorite summer jam of the moment might be, this track has been the one constant. Some summers I’ve played it every day, some summers less often, but the effect is always just as powerful. Fair warning – this probably isn’t the best song to put on your summer party playlist. Its melancholy tone is better suited for solo drives on warm nights. Read More »
This is just a wee post to encourage all of you to stay strong during finals. Hopefully Bruce and I can keep you strong fellow students, as exams and paper weigh down on your minds. Just remember that “Every rung just makes us stronger.” Good luck during finals week! Read More »
Josh Epstein (left) and Daniel Zott (right) performing at the Rock and Roll Hotel Thurs. April 25th
As I sat down on the plush couch in the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.’s pre-show lounge at the Rock and Roll Hotel, I nervously admitted to Daniel Zott and Josh Epstein, the duo behind the infectious, hard-to-categorize Detroit group, that I had never interviewed a serious band. After reassuring me that they were “chill guys” and offering me some Kale leaves to eat (“They taste good and calm the nerves,” Josh told me), the two graciously answered my questions in a nearly twenty minute interview covering everything from getting guitars stolen at Bonnaroo to Hoya basketball. Read More »
If you couldn’t tell from their name, Elvis Depressedly is a group of early-twenty-somethings that make mostly sad, lo-fi music for people who don’t think they’re too cool to listen to a group called Elvis Depressedly. Their newest EP, holo pleasures, is all about frontman Matt Cothran – also of Coma Cinema and “Weird Honey” shines as the EP’s bittersweet centerpiece, demonstrating exactly why Cothran is one of my favorite up and coming songwriters. Read More »
So, yeah, it’s been a couple of months since Muchacho was released. I loved the album then, and I am definitely loving it now. This track definitely didn’t get enough attention—maybe because of the hefty 7-minute length—but it’s a joy to listen to. Far more upbeat, but just as raw and full of life of the rest of Muchacho, “The Quotidian Beasts” deserves a listen. Read More »
