REVIEW: THE LOWER 48 – THE LOWER 48 (2013)
“She fell in love with the Sixties/ And they broke her heart,” The Lower 48’s Ben Braden and Sarah Parson sing on “That’s What I’ll Say,” a bustling, enthusiastically fun cut off the band’s self-titled EP release. It’s no secret that the 1960s are a prominent influence on the
REVIEW: HAIM – DAYS ARE GONE (2013)
There are certain things about SXSW each year that stick with you. 2012 was no different. Be it rumors of a super group of two rappers with four hands performing songs off an upcoming project. Or talking food trucks with beloved European singers. Or the ever-present rumblings regarding which sponsor
REVIEW: GROUPLOVE – SPREADING RUMOURS (2013)
When it comes to an artist’s music being featured in a commercial, that commercial can fall into one of two categories: an Apple ad, or an ad for any other service or product in the world. Who can forget the promising campaigns of the various iPod generations featuring Feist’s “
REVIEW: SISTER CITY – SMALL TALK (2013)
A fragrant, calculated desperation clings to the sonic atmosphere of Small Talk; it appears that Sister City needs a good Oedipal hug and tug from an early 90’s Weezergroupie. The musical tricks that Adam Linder, lead songwriter, employs are surprising, calculated, and infectio
REVIEW: FEVER FEVER – NATIVE COLOR (2013)
Fever Fever are an ambient rock quartet from Columbus, OH. The guys are known for their stellar musicianship, energetic live shows, light bulb flanked stage shows and the epic dreadlocks of guitarist Wes Black and lead vocalist Drew Murfin (though we still have love for Sam Smith and Vince Gaeitto).
REVIEW: DESSA – PARTS OF SPEECH (2013)
Dessa is consistent, but not. This Minneapolis MC, poet, frequent college speaker, “underrated writer, overrated rapper, undecided major” has been all over the place since 2005’s Falsehopes, including creating her own lipstick with The Elixery to support CARE.org (an organi
REVIEW: THE NATIONAL – TROUBLE WILL FIND ME (2013)
Both their harshest critics and most devout fans will agree, one of the most prominent elements of The National’s music, is, and always has been, the sadness. From the alt-country beginnings of their 2001 self-titled debut, on through the promising musical growth of 2003’s Sad Songs fo
REVIEW: VAMPIRE WEEKEND – MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY (2013)
Life is short; that insight is passed on to us throughout our lives but we only begin to take it increasingly more seriously as we grow older. How old before the preciousness of our time on Earth begins to sink in? Of course, it varies from person to person, and even in each person, our […]
REVIEW: OBERHOFER – NOTALGIA (2013)
Last November, I caught up with Oberhofer’s leading man, Brad Oberhofer, while the band was in Milwaukee touring with fellow Brooklynites, Matt and Kim. It was then that I first got wind of the collection of songs that would become Notalgia. Oberhofer had actually been lis