This Midwest pop-rock staple, which introduced the power ballads “Keep On Lovin’ You” and “Take it on the Run,” is 30 years old.
These thoughts are presented as a companion to the recent review by Michael Toland.
Like the work of David Sylvian, No-Man or Mark Hollis, A Scarcity of Miracles requires patience and multiple exposures to truly appreciate.
Quite honestly, this entire EP sounds like a Bad Company LP being played at 45 rpm, and since I’ve never been much of a fan of Bad Company, I’m not much of a fan of this record.
For what’s essentially a compilation, there’s an amazing consistency here, as if all the songs were recorded in one burst of creative urgency.
It’s one thing to use Stereolab as a reference/influence, but to just swipe chord-change for chord-change is simply unforgivable.
Don’t let the Rolling Stones album art reference fool you, this EP by hoe-down kings and queens of Montreal, Lake of Stew is more “down home” than 2000 light years from it.
Blasting outta dank basements and crusty nooks of Montreal, Tightrope is a snappy, heavy and tight fist of fury, their self titled 7” packed with breakneck speed limblifters.
Crabe is a band that is always pushing their edge while enticing the listener through tongue-in-cheek humour that skeins the album, a welcome release valve or contrast to the almost frightening display of pure musicianship and warped edge-defining songwriting.
Cryin’, Dyin’ and Fourth of Julyin’ ‘s triumph is not only the obviously skilled musicians that crafted this bad-ass masterpiece, but in how it captures the vivid spirit of the blissfully druggy but focused ferality of rock and roll, drawing deep from the dark inheritance of that northwestern nook of Louisiana.
A brilliant, dank and essential album that achieves the pinnacle of what Sourvein has been able to give to the world: the sheer essence of heavy music, shorn of pretentious fuckery that weakens the broth like long solos or overproduction.
Sure it’s a lot of self-indulgent uber-musicianship that seems to glorify dexterity over song-craft at times, but it’s also a lot of fun if you have a sense of humor that allows you to appreciate cheesy music like Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Prolific Canadian minimalist Kyle Bobby Dunn presents his latest album, a meditative work that serves as a soothing balm against restlessness and heat.
Clouds Echo in Blue from Choir guitarist Derri Daugherty is an elegant collection of evocative, heavenly tones, tailor made for admirers of ambient instrumental projects such as those by ex-Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie, Hammock and Riceboy Sleeps.
This is surf-punk mixed with some psych and even new wave influences.
Last of the Good Ol’ Days, the third record from the Latebirds, is further proof that a term like “Americana” refers more to genre than country of origin.
London Diehards are more what you’d expect from a skinhead oi punk band. The songs are solid, catchy and melodic, with tough British vocals and football chant choruses.
This French self-titled debut blends elements of house music, old techno and classic disco with an overall italo feel to produce engaging, intelligent electronic dance music that goes beyond the typical 4/4 club banality.
Equally comfortable with rocking roll, folk ramble and country snap, the quintet has its style down well enough that it can concentrate on songs.
With musical touchstones both to its own origins and its continuing evolution, the relatively compact Memories in My Head by Polish progressive metal veterans Riverside provides a tasty morsel for fans awaiting the band’s next full-length, and a good starting point for the newly curious.
High Gospel is really a stellar, dark and majestic album that travels at it’s own measured pace and makes no apologies to anyone in it’s singularity of vision.
Wobbler pledges allegiance to the classic era of progressive rock – i.e. the 70s.
Featuring Kelly Halliburton – drummer of the post-*Dead Moon* Pierced Arrows – on bass and original Poison Idea drummer, Dean Johnson, this is a powerful blast of rock’n‘roll fury that few bands are actually capable of achieving.
Kinda Kinks‘ secret weapon was revealed when Wes Anderson included “Nothin’ in the World Can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout that Girl” in the soundtrack to his 1998 film Rushmore. Forty-six years following its original release, the tense and paranoid song is still capable of raising the hair on the back of your neck.
The track list pulls more from Joe Jackson‘s past as opposed to Rain (the only album recorded with this lineup).
Philly’s Cannons ‘ newest release Cuddled By Giants is a tumultuous slab of awesome jams that sets a slightly more accessible tone than their scrappier 2010 release Friendly Muscles .
Described by Johnson as the band’s “meat and potatoes pop record,” Candidate Waltz contains the most focused, melodic tunes of Centro-matic’s career.
An inverted Kraftwerk, the classically trained trio of Daniel Brandt, Jan Brauer and Paul Frick compose music that is at once avant-garde classical and thumping club music.
On Darkmatter cuts like “De:Vision” and “No Time For Silence,” the trio plays as straightforwardly as possible, placing their feet firmly in the jazz fusion sandbox and letting the melodies and propulsion carry the tunes forward as much as the improvisation.
Follow That Bird burst onto the national scene last year with the lead track on Matador Records’ Casual Victim Pile comp and their first 7” whets the appetite even more for a full-length.
Coming up through the Australian underground is a process that doesn’t usually allow for a softer side to survive, but Corbett does it by being sensitive but unsentimental.
This live set documents a fan favorite album from 1983, and fine work by Rob Moratti during his relatively short time as Saga frontman.
Imagine hearing “You Really Got Me” fresh for the first time in 1964. It’s still subversive and dangerous, almost fifty years later.
To say that Ami Dang’s music is indescribable would be an understatement.
Green Monkey mastermind Tom Dyer promised to revive the Icons after releasing the band’s 80s recordings as Masters of Disaster, and sure enough, the Seattle troop is back with its sophomore effort Appointment With Destiny!
Never known to be predictable, +DOG+ follow their antisocial masterpiece, Bliss, with a less harsh, but extremely misanthropic album.
The Portland, Oregon psych-pop trio’s debut album is expanded with nine additional songs and a DVD of geeky, awkward public access appearances, all of which adds up to a charming, fun release.
The sextet doesn’t break any new ground, but that’s doubtless not its intention.
Sounds like Sigur Ros, doesn’t it? Or maybe Explosions in the Sky? Or maybe both at once.
Passion is pretty much state-of-the-art 21st century prog rock, with heavy guitars powering melodies that move back and forth between minor key darkness and major chord uplift.
Sure it has all the hallmarks of a ’90s-ish noise rock classic, but for the most part, it reminded me of an unlikely combination of Karp and post-In on the Killtaker Fugazi.
Bauer may have cemented himself among the top indie folk acts with this album.
Regardless of stylistic permutation, though, Shine’s strong songcraft drives the tunes home with ease.
Moving away from the blues-based Rolling Stones influence and more into the ’60s girl pop sound, Italy’s Miss Chain and company have managed to craft an album that is as contemporary as it is retro.
Is the Australian quartet a garage band? A psychedelic act? A noisy indie band? The answer is, of course, all of the above.
In which we are aurally attacked by NYC’s not-so-young punk upstarts Caterwaul of Sound and conclude: “That’s Not Sick, That’s Funny”.
On Post Modern Nation, MoTel Aviv evokes a specific era of postpunk pop music, when guitars soared over nimble, danceable rhythm sections and the vocalist sang unabashedly to the furthest seat in the hall.
Boston’s By The Throat play that good old hardcore, the kind that had that manic beat that drove you nuts, but was melodic enough to stick in your head after the song was over.
This is definitely recommended for fans of the softer, more adult-oriented and mature side of power-pop.
