Nick Diamonds, aka Nick Thorton, is the Canadian born songster partially responsible for the likes of Th’ Corn Gangg, Islands, Human Highway and most recently the much heralded Mister Heavenly, which featured actor Michael Cera on bass while they toured. As oft happens with a la mode musician vocalists, it seems likely he came out with a solo record because he had some ideas he needed to get out, but he knew they wouldn’t gain much popularity (for example the [...]
Archive for Category: "Reviews"
Guy Clark – Songs and Stories review
Guy Clark’s live album Songs and Stories has an easy charm about it, breathtakingly simple and refreshingly rustic. Recorded at Nashville’s Belcourt Theater, Songs and Stories is storytelling at its best, nostalgic and poignant without ever becoming maudlin. Tenderly crafted and poetic, Clark’s songs are descriptive of an era just beyond the reach of our modern collective consciousness, a time when homegrown tomatoes and freeway driving were enough to set your soul free. Clark starts his set by telling a story in his familiar, [...]
Male Bonding – Endless Now review
I’ve been seriously lacking in good things to say for my album reviews lately, and so, let me apologize for that by giving you this semi-positive review of UK indie-pop-punk band Male Bonding’s “Endless Now.” If you remember these guys from their debut entitled “Nothing Hurts,” you may not recognize the sound of this new Male Bonding. Other than greater production value, the band has definitely taken a more poppy approach to their tunes, and that may or may not [...]
I Break Horses – Hearts review
I’m not sure what a choir of electric-pop party-dance angels looks like, but I bet it sounds a lot like I Break Horses debut LP ‘Hearts’. The collection is fuzzy, ethereal and embracing. Stockholm natives – Maria Lindén and Fredrik Balck play with cymbals and keyboards and a whole gamete of computer sounds, oh- and don’t forget the ghostly but strong vocals. The band created a sound-scape where ala-80s synthesizers and dusky vocals cut into each-other in hummed-layers of heart pulsating noise. [...]
Gold Leaves – The Ornament album review
Gold Leaves released debut album The Ornament on Hardly Art earlier this month on August 16, 2011. Singer-songwriter Grant Olsen, previously from the indie folk duo Arthur & Yu, spent nearly four years developing his new project Gold Leaves. The concepts behind Ornament went through many incarnations as Olsen’s original rough drafts were lost in a theft. Although the project is mainly solo work created by the Seattle-based musician, Olsen enlisted the help of a few friends to aid in [...]
Robert Ellis – Photographs review
Each year, there’s a new singer-songwriter I’m introduced to that ends up becoming the soundtrack for many a long drive and/or sleepless night. Last year, it was the Tallest Man on Earth, whose album The Wild Hunt was on repeat in my car stereo for over two straight months; in 2009, it was Bon Iver’s Blood Bank EP (along with the leftovers of For Emma, Forever Ago). Just this week, Robert Ellis earned this spot for 2011. In only four months of reviewing [...]
Hard Fi – Killer Sounds review
Hard Fi’s “Killer Sounds” is the offspring of 80s pop and NSync. Whether the 90s boy band influence was intentional or not, there is a striking resemblance between “your name keeps running around my brain” and “you’ve been runnin’ through my mind,” an Aaron Carter lyric. The uncanny resemblance to 90s pop is the most obvious influence, although it sounds like Hard Fi might have been going for a more Talking Heads type album, or trying to resemble The Killers. [...]
Bombay Bicycle Club – A Different Kind of Fix review
Bombay Bicycle Club – Training wheels required? Bombay Bicycle Club is relatively new in the scene, though 3 albums in as many years is nothing to be sniffed at. These boys have the drive that’s needed – an endless touring cycle for the summer, and a load of twinkly indie rock off of their latest album “A Different Kind of Fix” to showcase. Think of them like Keane 2.0, not afraid to use the piano, but not relying on it [...]
Wooden Shjips – West review
San Francisco natives, Wooden Shjips, take us on a transcendent voyage of the American west coast with the appropriately entitled forthcoming LP West. Set for release from Thrill Jockey on September 13th in North America, Wooden Shjips take you on a metaphorical journey with the use of airy vocals, steady rhythms and heavy guitar lines. The album is reminiscent of 60’s and 70’s psychedelic rock, with long, melodic guitar tunes and vague vocals, which stays true to Wooden Shjips’ essence. [...]
Fool’s Gold – Leave No Trace review
Got a load of Fool’s Gold’s “Leave No Trace” album at work. The onset sounded like Ducktails or PB&J. That was A-OK with me, but I gave FG room to differentiate. It did, from Ducktails not from PB&J, once lead vocalist Luke Top’s voice dropped onto the track “The Dive.” The entire album has that upbeat flare-packed background that I enjoy (PB&J got me started on that and that’s why it sticks with me.) There’s a lot going on beneath [...]
