Strange Birds – Strange Birds EP

March 4th, 2010  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in acoustic, alternative, folk  |  3 comments

Aidin Sadeghi and Bret Leinen compose the two-man duo that is Strange Birds. The majority of their work sounds distinctly like the exhibited by Coldplay in their songs “Parachutes”, “We Never Change”, and in particular, “Easy to Please”. At the same time, however, Strange Birds obviously don’t have Chris Martin’s distinct voice leading the show. Indeed, there are a number of elements that set them apart, including clean and round acoustic guitar that strums to a clean and upbeat, jazzy cadence.

She & Him – Thieves

March 1st, 2010  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in alternative, folk, indie rock  |  10 comments

I am pretty ambivalent about She and Him. I like them; I dislike them. From day to day, I never know how I feel about them. I have legitimate complaints about the band (they are far too cute for their own good), but I also hold grudges against them that are patently unfair (they are fronted by a movie star). And although I liked their debut album enough, I wasn’t clamoring for another outing from the duo. But goddam if “Thieves,” the newest song to leak from the album, doesn’t confuse the situation a bit. The song is 4 minutes of perfect pop.

Husky Rescue – Ship of Light

February 13th, 2010  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in alternative, female vocalists, folktronica, trip hop  |  1 comment

ased out of Helsinki, Finland, the five-piece group fuses alternative with trip hop, ultimately producing a pop sound reminiscent of Emiliana Torrini or a down-tempo Metric. The result is perfectly fitting for the terribly gloomy, winter weather that has gripped Washington, D.C. for the last few weeks. Ship of Light is their third release, following a reasonable amount of success with their sophomore release on Catskill, Ghost is Not Real.

The Whitest Boy Alive – 1517

January 29th, 2010  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in alternative, song of the day

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Shearwater – The Golden Archipeligo

January 25th, 2010  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in alternative, folk

Their formula is simple, but by starting with slow build-ups and bursting through into soaring, epic and emotionally powerful choruses, Shearwater has once again produced a gem of an album. Based out of Austin, Texas, Shearwater was formed by two band members of Okkervil River, who wished to write a softer, more folk-influenced style of music. They have since grown to five members. The group first caught my attention with 2008’s Rook, their fifth album at the time.

Little Comets – One Night in October

January 5th, 2010  |  by Jess Alatorre  |  published in alternative, indie rock, post-punk

Ah! Finally a band to put a bit of step into these cold gray winter days.; I bring you Little Comets, straight out of Newcastle. With their glorious yelps, full band, and indie rock sound, I feel myself washing away the days of sad quiet folk and dancing my way into new love for England’s answer to Vampire Weekend. However, unlike Vampire’s hit-or-miss singles, I’m finding myself amused by all of Little Comet’s songs. There is range in style, but fluidity to their sound. At times, through the northern accents, I even hear a little Kings of Leon twang.

Apse – Climb Up

December 10th, 2009  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in alternative, post-rock, progressive rock, psychedelic  |  1 comment

If Mr. Gnome had a male singer, they’d sound like Apse. And if you like Mr. Gnome, then the psychedelic, post-rock, experimental grooviness of Apse is sure to garner your attention. This music isn’t pop. It isn’t meant to sit in the background while you work hard on homework. Rather, it commands your full focus.

The Notwist – The Devil, You + Me

December 3rd, 2009  |  by jason grishkoff  |  published in alternative, electronic, experimental, remixes  |  4 comments

The Notwist formed in 1989 in Weilheim, Germany. Over the years, they moved through several musical incarnations despite maintaining a relatively stable lineup. While their early records held onto a heavy metal/krautrock/dark indie rock sound, their recent efforts, for which they have received the most attention, have been very strongly influenced by the electronica scene.