Category: Alternative (Page 71 of 155)

In Endeavors: You’ve Got Your Friends, I’ve Got Mine

January 30, 2009 /

Coming off like the Strokes’ no-nonsense southern cousins, Lexington, Kentucky’s In Endeavors pretty much do nothing but rock out on their pointedly titled five-song EP. Fortunately though, singer Gerren Reach doesn’t drench his vocals in quite as much sonic gook as Julian Casablancas, allowing his own textures to take center stage. What’s more, when bassist Patrick Meyers’ and guitarist Cliff Meyers’ backing vocals respond to Reach’s calls on “Private Eye,” the result is a small dose of good-time rock n’ roll to diffuse some of the smug swagger native to the territory of coolness. But they turn in their most satisfying combination of the EP’s closer, “I Can’t Run” – rough backing harmonies combine with between-the-beat drumming and shaking tambourine in the chorus for a dynamic, single-worthy entry into the band’s discography. Pretty it up a bit in the studio for radio, and it could be a hit. (Eugene 2009)

In Endeavors MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

Cameron Matthews: green. blue. white.

January 30, 2009 /

Twenty-year-old Cameron Matthews is not much for pop hooks, but he sure has a gift for understated lo-fi beauty, not to mention confident, uncluttered vocals. Playing less like an album and more like a collection of his 15 latest musical loves, green. blue. white. effortlessly glides from the ‘50s R&B style of “Today I Love You,” to a the domestic Dylan exercise “Bungalow,” to the humorously titled but no less seriously excellent “Give You Up For Lent,” and even that “through the telephone” spooky blues effect on “Make it Rain.” The album really starts to approach classic touches by the fifth song and never looks back, culminating in the 6/4 rocker “Mirror” that channels Jeff Buckley filtered through Joseph Arthur in a jam with his bandmates – bassist Patrick Crecelius, drummer Danny Sher and guitarist Nicholas Risler – that breathes with the kind of dynamics one expects from veteran professionals. This talented Midwestern kid sounds like he has an earth-shattering album slowly gestating inside of him, and if green. blue. white. is any indication, he’s well on his way there. The fact that he’s more of a natural singer than most indie rockers will surely work in his favor in the long run. (self-released 2008)

Cameron Matthews MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop, Rock, Soul

Dear Future: Can’t Wait Any Longer

January 29, 2009 /

Dear Future is one of those bands that right now is garnering a lot of record label attention, and for good reason. It might seem that there are a lot of Radiohead clones out there, and while that’s a comparison that borders on copping out for lack of a better one, the fact remains that Bends-era Radiohead coarses through the collective vein of Dear Future. And that’s not a bad thing at all. These guys from Illinois are back with their sophomore release, Can’t Wait Any Longer, and it’s likely that some label will do just that. Sure, the brooding tenor and moody arrangements are something you’ve heard before, but these guys get that the songs have to be there too, giving them a nice accessibility factor. And there is a nice little roller coaster ride, from the poppy title track to the darker but melodic “Eden” or “You Are Loved” to the bonus piano track, “Twenty.” Hopefully the slopes of the coaster will continue to be fun for these guys and that tons of adoring fans will continue to find them, because in a somewhat crowded genre, Dear Future is a band to keep on your radar. (self-released)

Dear Future MySpace Page

Alternative, Ambient, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Music Labels, Pop, Rock

Nickel Eye: The Time of the Assassins

January 23, 2009 /

Solo sojourns are sometimes iffy propositions, the product of second-string musicians either eager for attention or frustrated because their creative efforts are stymied or put to limited use. Whether or not the Strokes’ Nickolai Fraiture relates to these sentiments is anyone’s guess, but by veering away from his day job and adapting the nom de plume Nickel Eye, he shows his interest in seizing the spotlight. Truth be told, The Time of the Assassins is mostly a one-dimensional proposition, dominated by sturdy techno-type rhythms – not surprising, since he’s a bassist – and droning vocals that sound like he’s phoning it in from the other side of the street. Even so, Fraiture achieves some intriguing results, shuffling between a stroll and a strut on “This Is the End” in a most unassuming sort of way, spouting defiance on “Back from Exile,” and opting for an uncharacteristically upturned approach on “Another Sunny Afternoon,” a sequel of sorts to “Sunny Afternoon” which affirms his affection for the Kinks. Homage is also offered Leonard Cohen via a redo of Cohen’s barbed ballad “Hey That’s No Way to Say Goodbye,” Faiture’s monotone singing bequeathing the song with an icy indifference that causes its original author to sound positively giddy by comparison. (Ryko)

Nickel Eye MySpace page

Alternative, Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

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