Greetings

Just writing to let any readers know why we haven't posted recently. We took a couple week break in order to get schoolwork, as well as blogwork done. Expect to see many reviews and new music in April/May!

Gramercy Arms Self Titled Album

Gramercy Arms’ self titled album is without a doubt a must have for any true fan of indie rock. The band consists of musicians from the NY area that were formerly in groups such as Guided By Voices, Joan As Police Woman, Luna, and several others. Together, they create an excellent sound that’s not too indie but not too rock.

On the album the first track "Automatic" is probably one of the best songs on the album. With its catchy chorus, intricate sound, and overall excellence, it makes a great first impression for Gramercy Arms.

The next song "Looking At The Sun" is a cutesy little thing that has a nice mellow but still upbeat feel to it. Skipping down a track or so, "Since Last September" essentially is a love song. Now, this does not make it some cheesy chick song; if anything it’s just a nice easy on the ears kind-of song.

"Fakin" is next up and also one of the better tracks on the album. This song features some excellent guitar melodies with some nice drumming in the background combined with the vocals make this track something special.

As for the rest of the album, a total of ten tracks, the songs are as good as the others and worth checking out. So all in all this album is a match for anyone who is seeking a upbeat but still chill and relaxing album.

Robert Pollard-The Crawling Distance

Let me make this known: I owe a whole lot to Bob Pollard. Pollard was the long-time leader of Dayton, Ohio lo-fi kings Guided by Voices, the band that got me seriously into music and beyond the limits of the Top 40. And ever since 7th grade when I heard “I Am a Scientist” on a boom box in my teacher’s classroom, I’ve turned time and time again back to the music Pollard has created in his 25+ year career.

With more than a thousand songs registered with BMI, Pollard is up there with R. Stevie Moore as one of the most prolific indie songwriters of the last 50 years. He’s known for banging out great pop ditties at an incredible clip that have all the teenage longing of early Beatles, all the jangle of The Byrds, and all the concision and less-is-more attitude of Wire. In addition to his long run with GBV, which saw the release of Bee Thousand, a cornerstone of 90s indie rock every bit as important to the genre as Slanted & Enchanted, Pollard has released albums under his own name since 1996, and exclusively since GBV’s breakup in 2004. In his first release of 2009, The Crawling Distance, Bob brings ten more tracks of his trademark sound.

On the album’s opener, “Faking My Harlequin,” Pollard sneeringly poses a challenge to a lover as the music chugs and throbs along: “Try not speaking to me, my love.” The hooks come fast and furious on this release, and the surreal lyrics that never seem random or forced but never quite make total sense fit nicely. Pollard has a soft side, too, and “It’s Easy,” a haunting dreamy pop song that brings up comparisons to “I’m Only Sleeping,” confirms that this 51-year old former school teacher is still brimming with creativity. “Imaginary Queen Anne” may be the best cut on the entire album, the best jangle-pop Big Star never wrote.

For those unacquainted with Pollard and Guided by Voices, The Crawling Distance isn’t likely to win over any new converts. But for fans of Uncle Bob, it’s one more in a long history of excellent releases that does nothing to detract from the legacy.

MP3: Robert Pollard - "The Butler Stands for All of Us"

For more information on Robert Pollard, or to purchase his CDs, check here

Dylan Gilbert - The Quiet Life

Dylan Gilbert's newest album The Quiet Life came rolling out in February 2008, almost a year ago. Music is nothing new to Dylan, a Charlotte, NC native who has been writing and performing since an early age. He has already released two full length albums including The Quiet Life, the first being The Artist & The Scientist (Sept 2006), as well as an EP entitled Oh No Oh Now I Know (Dec 2005). A mix of folk, experimental, and pop, The Quiet Life differs from Gilbert's earlier releases, which were based on a more folk-punk sound.

The album starts of with a track called "The Quiet Life", a three minute ditty about growing up and moving away from the lighthearted, untroubled days of youth. The song sets the premise for the album, introduced through lyrics "Safe from the noise of the city I'll keep my mind at ease" that simply state what the artist is missing.

The next few songs continue to please with Dylan's voice manipulation (tracks like, "I'll Plant A Seed" and "Math"); a style all his own that he has developed and grown comfortably into. Tracks like "Before My Egg Hatches," "Darlin' Don't Forget My Name," and "If You Leave Me" stick out with their catchy hooks and instrumentals. Gilbert's style is similar to that of groups like James K. Polk and the Family of Friends, another folk act hailing from NC.

The Quiet Life is the soundtrack that follows your trips back home, from the car ride and diner stops to the midnight coffee runs and everything else along the way. When you get to the last track, "Please Repeat," you'll want to do just that.

Video: Here is the video for Dylan's track "Before My Egg Hatches":


Mp3: Dylan Gilbert - The Quiet Life

Links: Check out Dylan's website here for more information, tour dates, and to purchase his cd.

Upcoming tour dates:
01.24.09 @ The Common Market (Charlotte, NC) [21+]
01.30.09 @ The Midnight Rooster (Hartsville, SC)
02.07.09 @ Legends (Wilkesboro, NC)
02.13.09@ Go! Bar (Athens, GA)
02.15.09 @ Deep South The Bar (Raleigh, NC)
02.19.09 @ The Soapbox (Wilmington, NC)
02.20.09 @ Wonder Root (Atlanta, GA)
03.01.09 @ Tremont Music Hall (Charlotte, NC)
03.12.09 @ Mansion 462 (Chapel Hill, NC)
03.17.09 @ Crossroads Coffee on the App State Univ Campus (Boone, NC)
03.20.09 @ The Evening Muse (Charlotte, NC)
6.06.09 @ Wedding (Johnson City, TN)

Loney Dear - Dear John

Never judge a book by its cover, or an album by it's first song; the latter is something I learned while reviewing Loney Dear's fifth full-length album Dear John. Loney Dear is the musical project of Emil Svanängen, and the album Dear John, released January 27th to the US, is a culmination of genres, experimentation, and perfectionism.

Having never heard anything of Loney Dear before this album, the opening tracks, "Airport Surroundings," and, "Everything Turns to You" had me pegging this album as something it's not. I envision these two tracks as perfect soundtrack material for some action sequence in a film. "Airport Surroundings" starts the album off with a strong drum-machine beat and rushed vocals. "Everything Turns to You" starts with tense orchestrals, and the overlying siren-esque vocals only add to the sense urgency that these songs create.

The album then softens with the next track, "I Was Only Going Out." This a different side of Svanängen entirely; a side that features whistling and organs as instrumental accompaniment to soft voices and evocative lyrics. If I were to pick a favorite track it would be this one because of the atmosphere it creates, the softness of it. But this isn't an album easy to separate into favorites; I think it works well as a singular element, one of those that doesn't leave you skipping tracks when listening straight through.

Throughout Dear John there is genre bending abounds (some songs lean towards techno, other towards folk) and simple musical talent. Nothing sounds out of place, each musical element sounds precise and perfected as though it was carefully thought out. Certainly a product of perfectionism.

The obvious comparisons can be made to other Swedish artists like Jens Lekman, or other soft-spoken vocalists the likes of Stuart Murdoch. In listening to this album I was also reminded of Teitur in terms of the vocals, the strength behind a soft and contained vocal range. Loney Dear achieves musical depth and complexity in Dear John while losing nothing in terms of vocals and lyrics, and since listening to it the whole way through once, I haven't turned it off.

Video: Here is the video for the first single from Dear John, "Airport Surroundings"





MP3: Loney Dear - Airport Surroundings

Links: For more information, tour dates, or to purchase this and other Loney Dear cds, visit Loney Dear's website and myspace.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
02.04.09 @ The Variety Playhouse (w/ Andrew Bird) Atlanta, Georgia
02.06.09 @ The Plaza Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Orlando, Florida
02.07.09 @ The House of Blues (w/ Andrew Bird) New Orleans, Louisiana
02.09.09 @ Spanish Moon (Headline show) Baton Rouge, Louisiana
02.10.09 @ Rudyards Brittish Pub (Headline show) Houston, Texas
02.11.09 @ Hailey’s (Headline show) Denton, Texas
02.12.09 @ The Paramount Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Austin, Texas
02.13.09 @ The El Rey Theater (w/ Andrew B) Albuquerque, New Mexico
02.14.09 @ The Rialto Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Tuscon, Arizona
02.15.09 @ Soma San Diego (w/ Andrew Bird) San Diego, California
02.17.09 @ The Cellar Door (Headline show) Visalia, California
02.18.09 @ The Orpheum THEATRE (w/Andrew Bird) Los Angeles, California
02.19.09 @ The Fillmore (w/ Andrew B) San Francisco, California
02.20.09 @ The Fillmore (w/ Andrew B) San Francisco, California

New Lady Finger Album February 3rd

Lady Finger's sophomore album is due out February 3rd, and we have a little preview for you. Check out their new track "Little Things" before it's released on Tuesday. The new album, entitled Dusk, was recorded once again with Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Minus the Bear, Isis), and can be pre-ordered here.

Mp3: Lady Finger: Little Things

Links:
Check out their website here.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
02.14.09 @ The Riot Room Kansas City, MO w/ Roman Numerals
02.21.09 @ The Slowdown Omaha, NE w/ Landing on the Moon, Noah's Ark Was A Spaceship
03.04.09 @ Hi Dive Denver, CO w/ Little Brazil
03.06.09 @ Railyard Billings, MT w/ Little Brazil, 1090 Club
03.07.09 @ The Other Side Missoula, MT w/ Little Brazil, 1090 Club
03.08.09 @ Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR w/ Little Brazil
03.09.09 @ Sunset Tavern Seattle, WA w/ Little Brazil
03.13.09 @ Troubadour West Hollywood w/ Cursive, Little Brazil
03.14.09 @ Casbah San Diego, CA w/ Cursive, Little Brazil
03.15.09 @ Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ w/ Cursive, Little Brazil
03.16.09 @ Launchpad Albuquerque, NM w/ Cursive, Little Brazil

Five Songs You Should Have Heard Of By Now

It's another installment of my series bringing you five terrific songs in desperate need of checking out. The first month of the new year has been a busy one, and even though we're in the dead of winter (especially us folks living in Boston) all the news in music seems to point to the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of spring album releases, tour announcement, and festival lineup unveilings.

Animal Collective: My Girls

Animal Collective's newest release came with an absurd amount of hype, and still managed to blow away critics and fans alike. Their first single "My Girls" is anchored by repeating triplets and Panda Bear's swooping vocals. And yes, the video is super-trippy. If you haven't gotten into this band yet, now is the time. They might be making the best music in the world.

The Fireman: Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight

The Fireman? Yeah, it happens to be Paul McCartney's alias these days and he's (surprise surprise) made a good album! Like, a great album. As in, his best in years. "Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight" is a "Helter Skelter" throwback to a more bluesy era of McCartney. The album is a masterpiece of minimalist Rock & Roll. He was in the Beatles after all, he practically invented it. Oh, and Sir Paul was just announced as a headliner at this year's Coachella Music Festival. It's been quite a month.


Fleet Foxes: Blue Ridge Mountains

Fleet Foxes have quickly captured the title as the best new Americana band. Not that that title was necessarily highly contested before, but its going nowhere now. The band's signature harmonizing collective vocals are on display in "Blue Ridge Mountains." Minimalist guitar, outstanding vocals, and an uncanny awareness of crescendo make this a standout of the album, an absolutely beautiful song.

Antony & the Johnsons: Aeon

I have to admit, this album caught me by surprise. Composed primarily on the piano, "Aeon" builds with a style wholly uncharacteristic of similar bands. Heart wrenching vocals are what makes this band, and this song is no exception. Combine that with high reverb minimalist guitar (what, is minimalism suddenly a trend again?) and you get a powerful composition that you owe it to yourself to hear at least once, but will want to play over and over again.

Dan Deacon: Get Older

Off of Deacon's new album set to drop in March (stay tuned for review), "Get Older" is a more matured version of his sound, which isn't saying much considering Sesame Street is at times more mature than a Dan Deacon record. What is his style you ask? I recently described his sound to a friend as, "What would happen if Captain Kangaroo did electronic techno stuff instead of children's television". Intrigued? Press play.