review

Put on your headphones; it’s time to listen to Lucky Dragons. Existers, the latest effort from duo Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara, can be heard any which way, but the album benefits immensely from the space and texture that a pair of headphones can afford. On headphones, you can almost feel the notes pinch you, as the album opens with an otherworldly pulsation of clicks, whirs and delicate synths that will have your mind glued to its seat. Forget structure. Forget lyrics. Simply appreciate the subtle, haphazard somethings that populate your ears. Read More »

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s newest album, Belong, comes out tomorrow (March 29, 2011), their second album after their self-titled debut album in 2009. The sugary ten-track record is definitely a coherent, listen-through-the-whole-thing ordeal, which differs from their last album, peppered with hits. Overall, the album has a London-rock flavor to it, though a little more poppy and a little less leather jackets and Ramones-mullets.

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It’s Alright, It’s OK, Satellite Commander, the debut album from Australian folk rockers Stereoflower, is altogether compelling and entertaining but unfortunately is also often rough and disjointed. The character of this work begins and ends with the vocals of frontman Alex Elbery. His veritable howl of a voice vacillates between passionate and folksy—earning him well-deserved comparison to Conor Oberst—and deranged, a la McCartney belting out “Helter Skelter.” His presence provides both the most exciting and climactic moments of the album and the most grating qualities of the lesser tracks, and several tracks, especially “St. Clements Day,” sound like they just missed the cut for the aforementioned Oberst’s recent album Outer South.

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Albert Einstein once said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible … but not simpler.” Unfortunately, the fledgling Seattle-based, Indie-pop-trio, The Prints of China, has fallen into the latter simplicity.

Their debut EP, False Fronts, is aptly titled. At a first glance, Prints appears to have the arsenal necessary for a proper Indie debut. Vocalist/Guitarist Carrie Kapp’s filtered croon offers a rich, almost jazz-like quality that leaves the listener feeling truly soothed by the music. At first, the composition seems to have a purposeful minimalist aim (a popular theme among modern Indies) and the songs even occasionally reveal a lyrical prowess. Yet the supporting band, secondary to the glaring vocal prominence, offers little more than simplistic picking and a continuous looping bass in order to uphold the melody, displaying a depth (and fun factor) equivalent to playing chat roulette in a baby pool. Okay. That might be a little fun. But still, I expect a bit more from Seattle.

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Once upon a time, there were these two dudes who just really liked drinking and making songs and shit. Then, one day, they decided to make music together. The result? The Fresh and Onlys. This San Francisco group (the city seems to be spawning rock-and-roll bands these days) is a conglomeration of guys in their thirties who know the music business inside and out (one of the founders, Shayde Sartin, still works for Amoeba records, while all the other members have all been in various bands over the years). Yet, in spite of the experienced group that makes up the band, their music still has an invitingly young quality to it. This is probably due to the fact that, although this is their third album, Fresh and Onlys have only been together for about three years. Read More »

The Cincinnati-based art pop band Pomegranates will change the way you think about fruit.  The November release of One of Us marks the band’s third album in three years.  Just under forty-five minutes, these thirteen tracks create a psychedelic dreamlike state sans substance abuse.  Oh, behold: the power and beauty of music. Read More »

Not long after putting on The Jigsaw Seen’s new album Bananas Foster for the first time, I got distracted and walked away until about halfway through the album. Upon my return, I had to check what was playing, because I thought for sure that what was playing was some late ’60′s British rock, perhaps some Kinks album I had somehow overlooked. But no, Bananas Foster was recorded in 2010 by the Jigsaw Seen and is the Los Angeles based band’s 4^th full length album since forming in 1988. That I had to check, speaks volumes about The Jigsaw Seen’s success in their retro rock stylings, showing that the album stands up to the classics by which it is influenced. Read More »