James Yuill – Movement In A Storm
August 26th, 2010 | by Jennifer Kahn | published in acoustic, folktronica, indie pop | 3 comments
“Folktronica” is a troublesome and somewhat cringe-worthy label frequently used to describe the danceable synths and acoustic soulfulness of UK artist James Yuill. His newest album, Movement In A Storm, trades in some of the cuteness of earlier albums for a heavier tone and more aggressive beats.
August 21st, 2010 | by kmanning | published in acoustic, experimental, progressive rock, psychedelic | 3 comments
Psychedelic rockers Yeasayer have not always brainstormed through the power of LSD to produce trippy yet poppy bass-driven tunes. The Brookyln band’s first studio effort, All Hour Cymbals, thrives with an unproduced sound, gritty even, with near whispy vocals from Chris Keating.
August 18th, 2010 | by Tony Smith | published in acoustic, female vocalists, folk-rock | 1 comment
Her voice is killer, rich and full-bodied like a fine Bordeaux, and it slinks around the fabric of her acoustic guitar with heartfelt blues. It also helps when you write emotionally charged songs about relationship crutches, rough patches, and the bittersweet pain of love at a distance.
Chris and Thomas – Land of Sea
August 12th, 2010 | by Hannah Simon | published in acoustic, americana, folk | 2 comments
Chris and Thomas’s 2006 album will make you feel like you’re sitting around a campfire somewhere in the American Southwest. What sets them apart from other acoustic folk bands is their lyricism and delicious harmonies.
Nathaniel Rateliff – In Memory of Loss
July 31st, 2010 | by Taylor Fife | published in acoustic, americana, folk, folk-rock, indie rock | 4 comments
After years of being dominated with varieties of twee, freak folk, and singer-songwritingy mellowness, independent music finally dealt with the oversaturation of acoustic guitars and harmonicas by shifting heavily into synths and sampling. Synthpop/chillwave/dancepop has had a pretty good run at this point, but the latest release from Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff might be just enough [...]
Best Friends Forever – Romance Conflict Adventure
July 30th, 2010 | by Kathlee Cleveland | published in acoustic, female vocalists, garage, indie pop, punk | 2 comments
In addition to the charmingly accessible lyrics, BFF relishes in camaraderie with audience members and the feeling of sing-along rather than individualism. All of their songs are grungy, raw, and easy to sing to, often with a choir of background singers. I think it gives the entire album a warmth that is often missing from rock (and punk rock, if you can consider this punk).
The Delta Shamans – Antebellum
July 23rd, 2010 | by Kathlee Cleveland | published in acoustic, americana, folk | 4 comments
I stumbled across Delta Shamans while weaving through shitty music videos on You Tube. I gotta say, Antebellum took my breath a bit. Each of the songs are amazing, with a wide range in tonality, but still remaining incredibly close to its folky roots.
July 14th, 2010 | by Jess Alatorre | published in acoustic, folk | 1 comment
While Junip may be most notable for the fact that Jose González is a member, the band has a sound that’s considerably upbeat (when compared to his solo work). This is no doubt due to the rounding contributions of Elias Araya (drums) and Tobias Winterkorn (organ, synth). Junip’s tender sounds walk the line of experimental, but the sounds never quite make it to edgy. While there’s not necessarily any lightening up on the use of González’s voice, one will hear a greater emphasis on his hums in sync with the other instruments, perhaps alluding to a rockier side, but still heavy on the early-morning-acoustic-folk-ambiance feel.
June 25th, 2010 | by Jason Grishkoff | published in acoustic, folk-rock | 1 comment
I have no alternative but to believe that I must have been in the wrong setting, because this is actually a rather good album when you give it some attention. I’ve even mentioned that to a few friends, and to my surprise they’ve all gone, “Oh wow, Cloud Control has a new album?” And you might have the same reaction as I did: who the hell are Cloud Control? You mean you’ve heard of them before? Well I certainly hadn’t.
June 19th, 2010 | by Max Jacobs | published in acoustic, americana, folk-rock | 5 comments
I’m not sure why it is that Portland churns out so many good indie records every year, but the city doesn’t appear to be stopping, and until then, I’ll keep listening. Portland band Typhoon is quite the hit within their hometown, though they have not yet gained significant national attention.
