When I first moved to Portland three years ago I was eager to seek out the best and most promising musicians that were defining the scene I had heard so much about. I remember so clearly two bands sticking out as shoe-ins for success. Bands that were giving me exactly what I wanted, bands that [...]
If you can remember, we all entered this decade together with Limp Bizkit farting out one of the worst mainstream rock records of all time, 2000’s “The Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water”, whilst The Backstreet Boys and *NSync battled for the number one slot on TRL. These were dark times. Since, rap/rock [...]
2009 was a substantial year for me. I directed my second music video. I learned how to play the ukulele. I moved from Portland to New Zealand. I designed the album art for 3 records. I’m extremely happy to be alive.
The year in music was a good one as well. It never seems to [...]
Whoever gave me this album, own up. You deserve some credit. François Virot’s Yes or No must’ve been sitting in my “to be listened to” queue for the last 4 months at least, before one of his infectious tracks forced it’s way into random play, and then into my consciousness. I have no doubt that [...]
If I could actually successfully kick myself and do any decent amount of damage, lord knows I would be doing so right now. I’m mostly angry that my dumb ass only got around to giving the Mint Chicks a good listen until NOW. NOW that I’m living in their country of origin, New Zealand, and [...]
I’ve been meaning to write about this album for a while now. Recommended to me last summer by FWS4 it immediately presented itself as a glimmer of genius. Three descriptors come to mind when speaking of Apes and Androids’ Blood Moon; over-the-top. This record is perhaps the only existing example of glam-psyche-rock trip-hop pop. [...]
At first listen, it was easy for me to brush off Family, the newest release from Le Loup, as another choral, reverb-soaked, vocal-driven indie-mush record, ready to go up on the shelf with Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, and Co. But, much like the latter recording artists, over time the true beauty [...]
It’s when bands like Micachu and the Shapes come along that I regain my confidence in the future of music as a whole. At times, it appears to me that bands taking a crack at experimentalism are bombarded by the tidal wave of nonsense being generated by other bands elsewhere having an experimental month and, [...]
I’ve only had a chance to click into this album a few times but each visit has been a pinch more rewarding than the last. Mr. Stevens never ceases to amaze me. His compositions are insanely original and engaging. I think he’s incapable of putting out a half-ass album. The BQE, an homage to the [...]
HEALTH is one of those bands that has been around for some time and never clicked for me. Until now. This is also one of those records, I’m sure, that all of their older fans will condemn because people like me can finally connect with it. It’s loud, dense, and chaotic but still sweet. The [...]