Category: Rock (Page 93 of 241)

John Vanderslice: Romanian Names

June 5, 2009 /

With a recording history that dates back a decade and some seven remarkable albums, John Vanderslice has established himself as a genuine fixture in the San Francisco indie pop community. Having the advantage of owning his own base of operations – his highly regarded Tiny Telephone recording studio – Vanderslice freely dabbles in all sorts of sonic settings, creating a gloriously vibrant pastiche replete with rich arrangements and sunny textures. Romanian Names is merely the latest of these delightful offerings, an enthusiastic indulgence in varied musical hues that run the gamut from the massed harmonies of the ebullient opening track, “Tremble and Tear,” to the shimmer and sparkle of “Too Much Time” and steady shuffle of “D.I.A.L.O.” Vanderslice spares no measure when it comes to engineering the ambiance; a full regimen of strings, horns, keyboards and Mellotron aid and abet the collective effort, resulting in a sound that’s as radiant and expansive as anything by the Beach Boys, XTC or Todd Rundgren in his prime. A wonderful record all around, Romanian Names deserves to serve as Vanderslice’s calling card to broader recognition. Dead Oceans

John Vanderslice MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Melodramatic, Pop, Psychedelic, Rock, Widescreen

Seen Your Video: Metric, “Sick Muse”

May 29, 2009 /

We were admittedly late to the Metric party, but after hearing the band’s fantastic new album Fantasies, we are officially smitten. And how cool is this: they just made a video for “Sick Muse,” the song we’ve been putting on mix discs since the album’s release.

The clip itself is simple one: the camera stays still while the band members play, or dance, or sing, or whatever they feel like doing. And if Emily Haines doesn’t have the cutest dance ever, we don’t know who does. Swoon. And as a bonus, this player – which defaults to auto-play, grrrr – contains videos for “Gimme Sympathy” and “Help I’m Alive” as well, along with audio streams of the entire Fantasies album. Sweeeeeeet.

Alternative, Artists, Pop, Rock, Rock Babes, Seen Your Video, Videos

Solomon’s Seal: The Sea, The Sea

May 29, 2009 /

U.S. based British band Minibar has been a fixture on the Los Angeles indie pop scene for the last decade, but yet Minibar has managed to stay under most everyone’s radar. Those who know the band know the slightly smoky and brooding vocals of front man Simon Petty, who is also one heck of a songwriter, and now he gets to prove that point with his debut solo effort, The Sea, The Sea under the moniker Solomon’s Seal. Petty’s obsession with the Smiths is documented in the press materials, and he’s also said to be influenced by the late, great Nick Drake. One thing going for Petty right off the bat is that he doesn’t feel compelled to fake a British accent like other alt-popsters. His vocals bring the songs effortlessly to life – and the songs themselves, with their beautifully sparse production and arrangements, are simply wonderful. The haunting instrumental “Solomon’s Suite” is an odd opener, but then right from the soothing piano and smooth vocals of “A Trick of the Light,” Petty’s artistry just shines. Other standouts are “Sleeping in the Car,” which sounds like a Glen Phillips-Joseph Arthur hybrid, the pretty guitar/vocal of “I Built a Fire,” and the romping, Peter Gabriel-esque “A Part of the River.” (Unshackled 2009)

Solomon’s Seal MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Greycoats: Setting Fire to the Great Unknown

May 29, 2009 /

We love to see publicists promote records released in the previous year because they believe in them, mainly because it takes us back to a time when record labels had more patience with their artists, and would take the time to groom them, drum up some geniune buzz for a band rather than fabricate fake buzz, etc. (We’re well aware that those days weren’t as innocent as we might think, but they’re our memories, and we’re sticking to ’em.) We’ll see how this old-school approach works for Setting Fire to the Great Unknown, the debut album by Minneapolis quartet Greycoats. Their bio boasts comparisons to Arcade Fire, Radiohead and Sigur Ros, but a better point of entry might be a more guitar-oriented Keane. “Goodbye, Sweet Youth, Goodbye” sports a soaring chorus that the boys from Battle would kill for, and singer Jon Reine has nicked a few tricks from Tom Chaplin’s playbook in terms of vocal phrasing. It’s gorgeous stuff – Thom Yorke will surely mutter obscenities under his breath when he hears “An Echo in the Dark” – and, in an ideal world, the band is only a soundtrack or “Grey’s Anatomy” moment away from vaulting to the next level. (Greycoats 2008)

Greycoats MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Melodramatic, Pop, Rock

A Fine Mess makes for enjoyable pop.

May 25, 2009 /

Kate Voegele, A Fine Mess

Kate Voegeles’s sophomore record, A Fine Mess is a direct reflection of the emotional roller coaster the 22-year-old singer-songwriter has been through in the last year. Thanks to producer Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Rilo Kiley), Voegele’s second record trades a more feminine, piano pop for a grittier guitar-driven sound that acts as a perfect counterpoint to her delicate vocals. A Fine Mess comes complete with the usual relationship-inspired anthems, but is reinforced by tracks like, “Sweet Silver Lining” where the singer finds hope in the darkest of misfortunes, and “Angel” where Voegele attempts to dispel any “good girl” notions listeners may have about her.

Luckily for Vogele, A Fine Mess is a lot more put together than its title would imply. Entertainment Weekly gave Voegele’s second attempt at pop-stardom a B- suggesting listener’s check out her first single, “99 Times,” where she verbally attacks a friend who is full of lies and excuses. Amazon.com also praised Voegele saying, A Fine Mess is,

“brimming with optimism, first time independence and the wisdom that comes from one too many broken hearts. [Its] the continuation of a road Voegele was destined to travel, and, like every milestone in her career thus far, she navigates it with gusto.”

Unfortunately, not everyone is a fan of A Fine Mess. People.com gave Mess two stars, claiming, there’s too much competition in today’s pop market for Voegele to stand out. Ranking her behind Katy Perry, KT Tunstall, Kate Nash and Kate Walsh, People.com wrote, “while there’s little to distinguish [Voegele’s] brand of chick pop, the One Tree Hill actress at least plays well to the CW crowd” (Kate also doubles as Mia on the CW’s One Tree Hill). It’s true, in comparison Voegele falls short of major players like Perry, but in her defense, A Fine Mess is exactly what it’s supposed to be: sugary pop virtually void of complexity that is easy to relate to, and fun to listen to. It may not be a number one record, but there’s nothing disappointing about it. So, if you were a fan of Voegele’s debut, Don’t Look Away or your iPod is chocked full of Marie Digby, Michelle Branch, or Vanessa Carlton-esque pop give A Fine Mess a listen.

Adult Contemporary, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

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