Posts by Scott Elingburg

Will Oldham is never not busy. No stranger to hard work, he revels in the collaborative process of making art, often singing and playing music on friends’ albums, writing for soundtracks, or showing up on film. Oldham is a steady hand at his multitude of jobs—this is, after all, the man who once sang, “Without […]

[rating=6.00] Unbeknownst to me, Guided by Voices, Robert Pollard’s revolving member and ragtag band of merrymakers, released their hi-fi masterpieces, Do the Collapse and Isolation Drills, on vinyl for Record Store Day 2015. By reflex alone, I scooped up both LPs. Price was not a concern, neither was format. I own multiple copies of the albums, but […]

“Should Have Known Better” stands up and walks us through a devastating path of isolation, loneliness, regret, and ultimately resurrection.

Turn out the lights and set the lampshades on fire, please. It’s time to party. Sort of.

[rating=6.00] As her career progresses, Zola Jesus continues to turn pop structures topsy turvy. Her early releases, The Spoils, Stridulum, and the darkly drifting 6 track meetup, LA Vampires Meets Zola Jesus EP, were certainly deeper, more progressive affairs, showcasing Nika Danilova’s affection for bottom of the trench synths and gothic overtones. These albums, often commanding and occasionally brutal, […]

[rating=7.00] Whatever you might think, don’t call Lost Loves a B-Side collection.  For far too long, Minus the Bear, the five lads from Seattle who specialize in under utilized guitar techniques and electronic washes, have unleashed album after album of insidious pop songs that can loop on repeat in your ears for days. Their last LP, […]

[rating=5.00] Somewhere in the new millennium it became really cool to be both a stand-up comic and an indie darling. I’m guessing Sub Pop has a lot to do with that, since that seminal indie label pushed out comedy albums from indie stalwarts such as David Cross, Patton Oswalt, and Eugene Mirman. Sarah Silverman has […]

[rating=3.00] Since their 2008 breakthrough LP, The ’59 Sound, The Gaslight Anthem have tread perilously close to pastiche. But sincerity has never been a make-or-break element in their music; The Gaslight Anthem are nothing if not sincere about the type of American road rock they trade in. How else could we accept their Springsteenian level […]

[rating=8.00] The No-Hit Wonder, Cory Branan’s fourth LP, isn’t an autobiography, though it very well could be. Branan has been slugging it out through hundreds of shows year after year as opener and main attraction with some of the best in the music business. He’s been immortalized in a Lucero song, shared stages with Jason […]

[rating=9.00] Sixteen years after the last proper Braid LP and No Coast begins with “Bang” and ends with a song called “This Is Not a Revolution.” Insert your poor puns here; they don’t matter. No Coast is what happens when a band leaves, arguably at the height of their abilities, and returns with more than a […]