Dubbed “the Irish Bon Iver”, and I can really see it. He has that same ghostly falsetto. And, while this album is a bit more fleshed out with instruments than Bon Iver’s first album, it still has that same stripped-down feel at points. I wouldn’t put him on the level of Bon Iver, but there are some really amazing moments on this album.
It’s Beyonce. Some of the tracks were amazing. Some of the tracks didn’t do much for me. When it hits, it’s fantastic. When it doesn’t, it’s kind of boring (and, at times, a little annoying). It’s uneven, but I enjoyed it.
I feel like I should’ve liked this more than I did. Lots of reverb and distortion. Seems like it should be a great summer album, but it just didn’t click for me. I didn’t dislike it…but it just seemed to be the same song over and over again. This seems like one that I’ll like more with repeated listens.
This is something a little different for him. He’s always been a little strange, but this one seemed almost like a collage of musical styles, all trying to fit into hip-hop. A little bit of pop. A little bit of rock. And a handful of moments that I can’t even quite describe. I enjoyed it, but it doesn’t really rank up there with his Bike for Three album, or Situation.
I heard about these guys a while ago, and this is my first time to actually sit down and listen to them. Much like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart album, this is one that I feel like I should like (and in the same category, too…kind of fuzzy, summery music), but I didn’t really like it. Nothing really jumped out. I think I’ll end up liking the Pains of Being Pure at Heart album more than I’ll like this one. In fact, I’m not sure I have much of a desire to listen to this album again. It just felt kind of blah.
Seemed like a lo-fi summer album. But, once again, it didn’t really hold my interest. There were some good moments, but most of the album just felt like one big underproduced faux-tribute to the Beach Boys. I don’t get it.
Judging from the amount of new music I've been listening to lately, it looks like this will keep going for a while. hope you like a barrage of short music reviews.
Reminded me of the most boring parts of Shearwater. Not bad, really…but just not much to it. It seemed like they were going for a very calm, atmospheric-laden album. Which they got…but it never really seemed to go anywhere.
It’s a little different…she kind of reminds me of some of Kim Gordon’s tracks on the Sonic Youth albums, but with better vocals. The music was a mix of ethereal soundscapes and random clanging. She is equal parts beauty and violence. I feel like I shouldn't like it, but there's something that keeps drawing me back in. She creates wonderful of terrifying worlds in her music.
I’ve read a lot of great reviews for this album. I don’t get it. It just sounds like typical dance music to me. Everything kind of sounds the same after a while, and it got a little boring. Plus, the guy’s voice kind of grated on my nerves after a while.
Nice male/female folk music. There were a couple of songs that really jumped out at me, and the rest of it was pretty solid. I like the way their voices sound together.
I’d heard good things about this album, some calling it the best hip-hop album of the year so far. I guess that may be true, but only because I haven’t heard a whole lot of really good hip-hop this year. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Seemed like a standard hip-hop album to me: a couple of great moments, some pretty good moments, and a couple that I just didn’t care for at all. Sometimes his voice got on my nerves, but not overly so. I liked the production pretty well.
I liked their last album, so I was excited about this one. More of the same…dark, Swedish pop music with hints of folk. Not too many songs jumped out at me, but this seems like one that will get better with repeated listens.
She is now known by another name (Skyler Gray, known for her hook on Dre’s “I Need a Doctor” and Lupe’s “Words I Never Said”), but this was her first foray into music. Different than I expected…it basically sounds like a Sarah McLachlan album or something. I liked it pretty well, but there’s not much to it. She has a terrific voice, though.
Sunny pop music. I like it, but there’s not much to differentiate this from their previous two albums. Also, his voice kind of gets on my nerves at times. Not bad, but not great.
Swedish pop. They got really big a few years ago with their single “Young Folks”. I didn’t get it then, and I don’t get it now. They’re not bad, but it’s pretty standard pop. I enjoyed it, though…seems like good summer music.
I’m not sure I’ll ever love this band as much as I used to. I like this album. It’s pretty good throughout, with a couple songs that I really liked. But it just feels like something is missing.
Just a good country(ish) album. They have the whole Crosby, Stills & Nash sound down…but not quite on the level of those guys. Maybe a band like The Thorns would be a more accurate comparison. It’s solid throughout, with a few tracks that I absolutely love.
I kind of liked their first album, but I really feel like they took a major step forward on this album, without making too many changes to their formula from their first album. It’s mountain folk, and they highlight their tremendous harmonies. It seems to get a bit bogged down by the end, but the first half is incredibly strong.
He is throwing a bit more experimentation in on this album, and it all seems to work. There’s nothing as immediately good as “To See the Sunrise” on this album, but there’s a lot of really good stuff on here. He still has that soul-music-with-a-cello thing going (with more than a hint of Paul Simon), but with an added dimension. This guy truly is amazing.
I love Emmylou, but this album left me without much to think about. It’s along the same lines as Red Dirt Girl (my favorite album of hers), but it really feels more like Stumble Into Grace. It’s good, but not as good as it could be.
I've been listening to a ton of music at work recently, so I thought I'd post my thoughts about them here. For the most part, it's only a sentence or two, as they're my quick, initial thoughts on the album. At some point, I'll plan on writing more about some of these albums. But, seeing as how I don't post too much, I wouldn't bet on it.
Bon Iver - Bon Iver Amazing. Simply outstanding. A little 80s at times, but an amazing (and amazingly textured) album. Were it not for Lykke Li, this would be the runaway frontrunner for Album of the Year.
Favorite track: "Holocene" Rating: 5/5
Seeker Lover Keeper - Seeker Lover Keeper This is the new band from Australians Sally Seltmann, Sarah Blasko, and Holly Throsby. I love Sally Seltmann, so I thought I'd check out this album. I like it. It's nice, pleasant folk music, with fantastic harmonies. I don't love it, but it's a nice little album.
Favorite track: "Even Though I'm a Woman" Rating: 3.5/5
The Violet Burning - The Story of Our Lives Three discs worth of new music. It's quite a lot of music to get through, but there isn't a bad song on the album, and there's something to be said for that. It reminded me of what I love about them. Well worth the $25 (for the record, that $25 gets you the mp3 download, and a pdf scan of the artwork).
Favorite track: "Lights Out" Rating: 3.5/5
Kerosene Halo - Kerosene Halo An acoustic album from two artists I used to be in absolute love with: Derri Daugherty (from The Choir) and Mike Roe (from the 77’s). It’s a collection of some new songs and some covers (including a Tom Waits cover). I like it. Pleasant. But I feel like they could’ve made it more interesting.
Favorite track: "Bad Sense of Direction" Rating: 3/5
Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital Good, upbeat, synth-based rock. Not too much different from their previous album, but a good way to inject some energy into a Monday morning.
Favorite track: "Serve the People" Rating: 3.5/5
William Fitzsimmons - Gold in the Shadow I like it, but I don't love it. It's a little more produced than his previous albums. I love his more stripped-down stuff, so I was happy to have purchased the deluxe version (with acoustic demos) of this album. It's not his best album, but I still really like it. It's a good, heartfelt folk album. But do yourself a favor and buy the deluxe version to get the demos...it's well worth it.
Favorite track: "Fade and Then Return" Rating: 3.5/5
Gemma Hayes - Let it Break I've never listened to her before. I really like her. Her voice reminds me quite a bit of Abra Moore...and I love Abra Moore. It's a good, solid album, with a couple tracks that really jumped out to me as amazing.
Favorite track: "All I Need" Rating: 4/5
Jessica Lea Mayfield - Tell Me I listened to this album because it was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. I expected somethign in that same vein. I was mistaken. She tends to lean more towards country than blues. She has a unique (if a little old-fashioned) sound. I really dig it.
Favorite track: "Sometimes at Night" Rating: 4/5
Over the Rhine - The Long Surrender I used to love this band. They started to get a little predictable, and their last album (The Trumpet Child) was awful, and had one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard (“If a Song Could Be President”). They turned it around a little on this new album. Nothing special, though. It’s pleasant enough, but there’s not much to it. Still, it's a nice little folk-pop album.
As far as radio-dance-pop goes, it's pretty forgettable. It's not bad, but there's not much to separate her from the legions of other stuff along these lines. She's nowhere close to being in the same league as Katy Perry.
I started listening to this, and lost interest about three tracks in. If I remember correctly, it sounded like some sort of experimental folk. Some extremely uninteresting experimental folk. I may give this another shot, but, from what I heard, I'm not a big fan.
This is the band of Jason Parks from Up & In: The Baseball Prospectus Podcast. It's an interesting listen. At it's heart, it's a folk album, dressed up with some pretty impressive atmospherics. An enjoyable listen.
About time. Finally, after 8 albums, Gillian released a new album. It's more of the same...old-style, stripped-down folk music. And I love it. It's not her best album, but it's still fantastic, and there are a number of amazing songs on it.
A good pop album. I liked it throughout the entire album, and there were a handful of moments that made me think, "What was really amazing."
Favorite track: "Waiting For You"
Rating: 4/5
Various Artists - Rave On Buddy Holly
A tribute album to Buddy Holly, featuring an impressive list of artists. Some were fantastic (She & Him, Jenny O, The Black Keys, My Morning Jacket, Florence + The Machine, Modest, Mouse), and a couple were downright confusing...and probably pretty terrible (sadly, these included Lou Reed & Paul McCartney). Overall, it was an enjoyable listen, if a little uneven.
Favorite track: "I'm Gonna Love You Too" - Jenny O.
He was a member of The Last Shadow Puppets, so I thought I would like this one. Meh. It was decent. It all kind of sounded the same to me. I was pretty disappointed by it.
A nice little folk album. I loved the first track, but nothing else really jumped out at me. It seemed nice enough, but it wasn't really anything special.
Favorite track: "Brand New Start"
Rating: 2.5/5
Matt Bauer - The Jessamine County Book of the Living
I loved his last album, so I was looking forward to this one (plus, I lived a good chunk of my life in Jessamine County, so that's pretty cool). More of the same, really...darkish, haunting folk with bluegrass leanings. Good songwriting, too.
I don't get it. They make fairly innocuous summery/dreamy pop, with nods to The Beach Boys (which is usually something I love), but it's not quite grabbing me. I feel like they're doing the same thing as Beach House, but not nearly as well. Maybe it will get better with repeated listens, but, after one listen, I wasn't impressed.
It's been a while. I apologize. For a while I was listening to a bunch of horror related songs, and watching a ton of horror movies (which you can read about at my zombie blog). But there has been a ton of great music recently, so it's time I wrote about it...if only a little.
My love of TV On the Radio has been well-chronicled. That will not change on this album. Sure, I may not like it as well as Dear Science, but that's a pretty hard peak to reach.
This album stands at 10 songs. It's nice and concise. There isn't a bad song on it (I'm not crazy about "Killer Crane", but I wouldn't call it a bad song), and there are two insanely amazing songs ("New Cannonball Run" and "Repetition", which are back-to-back).
Once again, the production (provided, once again, by member Dave Sitek) is top-notch. The songs are terrific, but they're taken to an entirely different level with Sitek's production. There's that wall of sound feel, without it ever feeling cluttered. It just sounds big and amazing...it just makes me want to turn it up as loud as possible and have the sound fill the room. The drums are massive. Just...massive.
If you like TV On the Radio, you're sure to like this album. If you've never listened to them, this isn't a bad place to start. They're still their inventive selves, but this is also a pretty accessible album.
I just happened to stumble upon this album, and I'm glad I did. At first listen, it just seems like a nice little folk album. And maybe it is. But there appears to be something more to it. There's an openness and fragility to this music that seems real...but there's also something warm about it. His voice is terrific, and it's complimented well with a female vocalist.
The album really starts out strong with the first two tracks ("Mother Father" and "Blue (Kids on the Weekend"), which are my favorites on the album. There are still some great songs after those two ("Rattlesnake Love" and "Oh Louise" stand out in my mind), but those are my favorites. They're just amazing. Here's a version of "Mother Father" (stripped of the orchestral stuff on the album version):
That video explains his sound better than I ever could.
It's a solid album. Like I mentioned, 4 tracks stand out in my mind, but the rest of them are all pretty good, too. Not amazing, but pretty good.
If you like this kind of music at all, definitely check this out.
I loved Keren Ann's self-titled album. It's an amazingly gorgeous album...lush soundscapes built behind her beautiful and unique voice. It had been 4 years since that album was released, and I had no idea what to expect with this one.
I still don't, really.
It's a lot different from any of her previous albums. It's a lot more pop. At least, it starts out that way. "My Name is Trouble" is a jaunty little pop tune, capable of getting stuck in your head before you know what hit you. Same goes for "Sugar Mama", or the 50s-feel of "Blood on My Hands".
But, once I started listening to this album, I realized there was a lot more to it than just the memorable pop moments. "You Were on Fire" is a slow song, driven by the bass line and the orchestra. It's beautiful and heartbreaking in a way that only Keren Ann can do. "Strange Weather" is a dark, piano-driven song that almost sounds like a descent into madness. The closer, "101", is an odd spoken-word piece, where she counts down from 101, with something for each number, starting with, "One-hundred-and-one floors."
It's an album that reveals more with each listen. There are a number of pop moments, but this is not your typical pop album. Of course, it's Keren Ann...who could expect a typical pop album?
It's not my favorite album of hers, but I like it a lot.
This is a short EP...only 4 songs. Dear Euphoria are from Sweden, and have not caught on in the states yet (to be honest, I'm not even sure how big they are in Sweden). As such, this EP would be very easy to overlook. But that would be a mistake.
Words can't quite describe how I feel about this EP. It's incredible. It's lush and beautiful, and Elina Johansson's voice just seems to float over the walls of sound behind her.
Actually, as long as "Coming Down" was on this EP, the other three songs could be terrible and I would still love this EP (for the record, the other three songs are also incredible). This song is just...perfect. It's remarkable. Listening to this song in headphones is an otherworldly experience. There's just something to it. Here's the video:
Put on your headphones, turn up the volume, and just listen to this song. I'm madly in love with it, and I only love it more with each listen.
Rating: 5/5
Favorite track: "Coming Down"
Coming up soon...Tyler, the Creator, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, and my summer listening.
