Archive for the 'New Releases' Category
Another Empowered Female – Santogold
Author: Andy Sosnowski
Last time I reviewed MIA’s live concert. This time I review Santogold from Brooklyn, as a preview to a free concert that Santogold will be giving on Sunday July 20 in N.Y.C. as part of Central Park Summerstage (see www.summerstage.org). There are similarities in that both make powerful but not (usually) pretty electronica. Santogold has a strong song called Starstruck, M.I.A. has a strong song called Sunshowers. If anything Santogold’s music is more melodic and diverse. Read the rest of this entry »
read comments (0)Summer Songs
Author: Dee
Keith Kenny CD Release Party: Limit is the Sky
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
Keith Kenny CD Release Party: Limit is the Sky
June 17, 2008- Keith Kenny is a band that instills new respect for music’s ability to expand one’s horizons and way of viewing the world. Aptly titled, “Limit is the Sky,” Keith Kenny’s first CD (http://keithkenny.net/) is a celebration of classic blues rock combined with country influences, skilled musicianship and demanding instrumental part writing.
Read the rest of this entry »
Velocifero
Author: Carl Homrighausen
When Velocifero was first pulled into the CD player in my car’s dash, I really didn’t know what to expect. Ladytron is a band that has stunned me more with each album they release, just picking up speed as they go. As the motor pulled their most recent effort into the player, I thought to myself how their last release, Witching Hour, is the pinnacle of what Ladytron can do. I thought to myself that after observing their maturation over various releases, there was no way they could beat that album. I thought wrong. Read the rest of this entry »
Keith Kenny: Part 1
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
May 27, 2008: I first met Keith Kenny when they performed at The College of New Jersey on Friday April 26th, 2008. Self-named after the lead singer, the band members are Keith Kenny- lead/vocal/guitar; Jonathan Luberecki- bass, and Tyler Chiara- drums. They’ve put out 2 EPs on the internet, and their first album is out June 14th, 2008, which will be reviewed in a separate blog at that time. Musically, you’re listening to mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation, mixed major and minor key tonality. Basically: a hybrid of blues rock, classic hard rock, a little bit of Eric Clapton (when he did blues) and Led Zeppelin.
2008 Album Releases
Author: Julia Sahin
It seems as though 2008 is the year for comebacks-and when I say that, I don’t mean for unsuccessful bands to redeem themselves, but bands to continue their album releases. If you think about it (and do your music research), there are quite a few groups with albums being released this year. There must be something with the summer of 2008…but it’s full of music mayhem.
No Age – Nouns
Author: Meghan Palagyi
Nouns is the best album of 2008 so far by any standards. The duo No Age bring their sound with refreshing consideration to punk-attuned audiences with no qualms. Hailing from Los Angeles, their guitar and drums combination with insightful lyrics layered on top provides the recipe for a great half hour of listening. In particular, Nouns emphasizes No Age’s lo-fi melodies that provide a for cushion for lyrics that hold meaning and mentality. Read the rest of this entry »
The Thomas Function-Celebration
Author: Steven
Do you remember that favorite local band in high school who you’d go see every other weekend with you girlfriend/boyfriend at the dingy warehouse/art space/basement? Done? Awesome. Now…imagine how you would feel if that band were to suddenly, and quite dramatically, dis-band (haha…oh man) and try to start a new gimmick with more synthesizers and less punk rawk. Done? Not so great, right? Especially not at an impressionable age when all you wanted to listen to was “Alabama Jihad,” a band that sounded as abrasive as their name suggested. So, imagine my disdain when my small-town-wonder-band regrouped under the moniker “The Thomas Function” and stopped wearing uniforms at their shows. An unhappy camper, I was. But, 6 years and some awkward realizations later, I have to say that these boys from Bama clean up their sound quite nice. Read the rest of this entry »
Trent Gives Interscope “The Slip”
Author: Jeff Boule
TO: Jeff Boule
FROM: Trent Reznor
RE: something new
Hey Jeff, I figured I would let you know the new disc is almost ready to go out, but here are some new tracks I came up with that you might get a chuckle out of.
Hoping for good things, try not to pan it too bad! Trent
Spaces for Morning
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
A New Day in Indie Rock-experimental: ‘Spaces for Morning’
May 6, 2008 – Classified as Indie-Rock-Experimental, Spaces for Morning— Philadelphia PA —has a new album coming out. Members are John, Deven, Eric, Pete, and Mike. They started two years ago, and one year ago they changed the name from The Hummingbirds for stylistic reasons and because of the arrival of new members. They have not been signed and their album will be out mid-to-late June. They need bookings for D.C. Richmond, Charleston , Cleveland , Pittsburgh , New York , Atlantic City , and Connecticut for the month of July. Read the rest of this entry »
Get Awkward! No Really.
Author: Meghan Palagyi
The newest album from Be Your Own PET does not disappoint. “Get Awkward” is more of the spazzy, fun, fast party rock fans have grown to expect from female lead singer Jemina Pearl. While the songs are not the stuff of genius, they are quite enjoyable nonetheless. This album in particular is more coherent then previously released material from the band, which has consisted of a string of e-p’s and singles. Their self-titled album did not impress me, but their sophomore effort does. Read the rest of this entry »
Rock-pop-folk rock group brings hope back to the music scene
April 29, 2008– On a sunny Friday afternoon outside his house in Ewing, I sat at a black wrought iron patio table with Patrick Llewellyn, founder and lead singer of Patrick Llewellyn and His Band—a folk/pop/folk-rock group out of Stanhope, New Jersey. He began by saying, “Thank you for doing a piece on me, this is great exposure.” But by the end of the interview, I felt I should be thanking him for his profound insights. To date, this interview put me in my place; and opened myself up to a whole world of thinking about music, identity and insights into the music industry that was very humbling and inspiring. Read the rest of this entry »
[bands to watch] ‘Throw me the Statue’ – Seattle, Washington
Author: Leigh Silbernagel
[bands to watch]: Throw me the Statue
Seattle-based Indie Pop makes a believer out of the cynical.
Indie rock at its worst is esoteric lyrics with an emo twist, overly done up instrumentation, and excessive bridges instead of skilled solo’s which leave the listener with a feeling of emptiness. The fact that I was going to observe Throw me the Statue at The College of New Jersey’s on-campus bar/restaurant the Rattskeller, which is dank, dingy, in need of massive redecorations and intense cleaning didn’t help. Throw Me the Statue is the total opposite of my worst misconceptions of indie rock. The combination of basic rock structures, electronica influences, vocal centric aesthetic, major key tonality, and a mix of acoustic and electric rhythm guitars was simply amazing. Read the rest of this entry »
HEALING FORCE: The Songs of Albert Ayler
Author: Anthony Medici
For many, Albert Ayler has always been the poster child for “out” jazz; far-out at that. Yet is is clear that Ayler remains a potent force in jazz, marked by the landmark Revenant box, the film, “My Name is Albery Ayler,” and such efforts as Marc Ribot’s “Spiritual Unity” and Vinny Golia’s “Healing Force: The Songs of Albert Ayler,” the latter the subject of this post. Read the rest of this entry »
NIN Ghosts in The Machine
Author: Jeff Boule
QUESTION: What does an artist like Trent Reznor do when he wrests himself from the clutches of a monolithic label like Interscope?
ANSWER: Any damn thing he chooses.
New CD Releases – March 08
Author: Brett
Hello All,
We don’t have the time (or the patience!) to write up all the new releases we get—typically hundreds every month—but we thought you might like to see a sampling of some of the indie titles we have recently brought in.
Following are a few of the more interesting CDs that our staff thought you might like to know about:
Destroyer Trouble in Dreams
Elf Power In a Cave
Pete Francis Iron Sea and the Cavalry
Jarboe and Justin K. Broadrick J2
Kills Midnight Boom
Lair of the Minotaur War Metal Battle Master
Neon Neon Stainless Style
Plants and Animals Parc Avenue
Thee Silver Mt. Zion 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
Witch Paralyzed
This is, of course, just a partial list. If you’re looking for something else that you think has come out, feel free to get in touch. We’ll be happy to let you know what we have.
Regards,
Prex