Lost Animal has connected with something here, much in the same way the Christopher Owens was able to touch a nerve when Girls first arrived. There may even be a digital age Leonard Cohen mixed in there as Quarrell has crafted a swirling first release that keeps rewarding.
While there are moments that it’s convenient to say “Hey, this kinda sounds like _____,” enough counterexamples emerge to acclaim the quartet on their own accord. These guys can write a catchy tune with meaningful lyrics while keeping the music interesting—no small feat. If Atlas Genius qualifies as pop music in 2013, bring it on.
Chicago’s Speck Mountain is built around the song writing pair of Marie-Claire Balabanian and Karl Briedrick. On their third album, Badwater, the pair is joined by drummer Chris Dye (formerly of Chin Up Chin Up) and organist Linda Malonis and the band drafts a wide open, woozy statement of ambient rock n’ soul.
Coming straight out of a dusty lava lamp that has been buzzing four days straight in a So-Cal garage, Blackfeet Braves confidently strum and jangle displaying their retro wares proudly.
Eels’ Mark Oliver Everett (aka-E!) loves making unique, largely un-categorizable albums that span a plethora of genres and incorporate a variety of sounds and raw vocal performances. For proof, check out his concept album trilogy of Hombre Lobo, End Times and Tomorrow Morning, or Blinking Lights and Other Revelations. Wonderful, Glorious attempts to continue this trend, but is far less successful than its predecessors.
Los Angeles folk-rock band He’s my Brother, She’s my Sister fronted by brother and sister Rob and Rachel Kolar, have been a consistent staple in the Los Angeles music scene for the past three years.
It’s a strong diversion from the tenacity of his MMJ work, but not the complete 180 degree turn into the wild that plagues some artists’ solo outings. With all these creative energies and restless thoughts hounding at James, we should expect further like-minded explorations in the years to come.
No one knows how long the indie-folk moment The Lumineers are spearheading will stay aflame but with performances, and sold out shows like this audiences will likely be able to see a progression and hopefully a maturation from the jam-based folksy energy into something more.
Here are a few things you need to know about Matt Pond and his latest release, The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hands. For starters, he is now just Matt Pond and not Matt Pond PA. Second, his new album is essentially a pop record by way of the singer-songwriter tactic of wearing his heart on his sleeve about relationships. Finally, it is a pleasant release, but there isn’t a ton of variety here.
Bad Religion brought their crisp, concise, relentlessly melodic punk sound into the studio for the 16th and possibly final time on True North, and it's no major knock on the veteran band that the album doesn’t sound drastically different from their first album.
