Hailing from Olympia, Washington, Milk Music prides themselves on the fact that they are essentially “the ultimate outsiders”. “Too straight for hippies, too far out for punk,” the only element that can be categorized about the quartet fronted by guitarist/vocalist Alex Coxen is their decidedly counterculture aesthetic. Though the group has tightened up since the release of their first EP Beyond Living in 2010, Cruise Your Illusion (their first full-length album) still lacks traditionally structured tracks and in their place features [...]
Archive for Category: "Reviews"
Paramore – Paramore album review
There’s no enemy like an old friend, and the bitter departure of brothers Josh and Zac Farro from Paramore in 2010, which tore apart a band formed in the formative years of its members, was a far from smooth transition. Although the announcement of the split on the band’s website was relatively neutral, Josh Farro made his own (and presumably his brother’s) sentiments clear on his blog, accusing his former band of being “a manufactured product of a major-label,” and criticizing lead [...]
Dawes – Stories Don’t End album review
There’s absolutely nothing pretentious about Dawes. They don’t attempt to challenge or disorient the listener with unnecessarily musically verbose meanderings, or lyrics that contain cryptic metaphors. This band’s power stems from directness, honesty, and crystal clear human-to-human musical communication. It’s incredibly challenging as a songwriter to pull this off without lulling the audience to sleep, or becoming musically inconsistent when dealing with the overall vision behind the work. In Dawes’s 2013 release “Stories Don’t End,” The album showcases guitarist/songwriter Taylor [...]
Iron and Wine – Ghost on Ghost album review
Sam Beam is a quiet singer. Even more than quiet, he whispers the words to his songs in a voice that is both fragile, and occasionally unintelligible. Or so I thought. Until recently my experience with Beam’s output as Iron and Wine was limited to his cover of “Such Great Heights” by the Postal Service, and his 2005 collaborative record with Calexico, In the Reins. I knew many folks that were enamored with Sam Beam’s work, but I never really [...]
Valleys – Are You Going to Stand There And Talk Weird All Night? album review
Valleys are the result of longtime collaborators Marc St. Louis and Tillie Perks who pour their heart and soul into their just-released sophomore full-length album Are You Going To Stand There And Talk Weird All Night? The Montreal-based duo showcases their multitude of musical and lyrical talent by sharing vocal duties while Marc plays guitar, keyboards, and drums while Tillie plays the keys, guitar, and sequencer. Their sound has so much depth and intensity that it would be nearly impossible [...]
The Big Terrible – Rotten City album review
Big Terrible are anything but. Rocking out in a retro way, the Philadelphia four-piece blends tasteful writing with a rock solid ensemble and whole lot of soul. The backup singers are a big plus. The big secret here is Jonathan Dumoff, who apparently is more than a talented acoustic musician. Listening to their music reveals a band adept at sonic wizardry, because their sound is a few decades old. While that might sound like a dis, it is in fact [...]
Telekinesis – Dormarion album review
Last week, I reviewed an album and gave it high marks because I knew what the artist was trying to achieve. It was difficult, but commendable. I was surprised with how good it was because of all the things that could have gone wrong. Telekinesis’s album Dormarion receives high praise because it is simply surprisingly good. This is the third album from Seattle native Michael Benjamin Lerner. He uses lead melodies that are different, without being different for the sake [...]
Keaton Henson – Birthdays album review
Keaton Henson’s brand of guitar folk is in full swing on his latest release, the first on Anti- Records, titled Birthdays. Yet another folky singer-songwriter imported from across the pond, Henson’s album is a clear evolution from his previous album Dear which had a tendency to become bogged down in it’s own depression. On Birthdays Henson takes an extremely melodic approach and brings back his narrator -esque lyrics, opening the album with the request to “Teach me how to love [...]
Bleached – Ride Your Heart album review
It’s too bad the members of this band were not born a few decades earlier because they would have been pretty big when MTV first hit television screens back in the early 80′s. Yet their back to basics rock approach may still give them a slight advantage over most of the polished rock acts that are out today. Bleached is a band comprised of three girls and one guy (the girls play guitar and bass while the guy plays drums) [...]
The Thermals – Desperate Ground album review
Reading the bio of The Thermals comprises one of those experiences a person has where they realize just how much they are out of touch with the current music scene. This band is ten years old, and for all intents and purposes are brand spankin’ new to me. The gist of the idea of this band is some kind of ‘Portland super-group’ whose revolving door line-up reads like some kind of one act Spinal Tap, without the spontaneous combustion. For [...]
