Author Archive
Music
Hooded Fangs – Tosta Mista
Brevity and charm are abound in equal measure on the second album from Canadian guitar pop band Hooded Fangs. The problem is that charm is only endearing for so long. As cute as a baby is if one spent too long with it they woul...
Music
Grimes – Visions
Let’s be bold: this is a close to perfect experimental pop album. It’s sexy, noisy, catchy, atmospheric and daring. There are huge hooks everywhere hidden beneath treated vocals, interwoven synths and complicated rh...
Music
The Magnetic Fields – Love at the Bottom of the Sea
Love at the Bottom of the Sea is the first album by The Magnetic Fields since the conclusion of their ‘no synth’ trilogy and a return to a sound they were known for in the nineties. That oh so enticing mixture of sy...
Music
White Rabbits – Milk Famous
Doubtless every review of this third outing for White Rabbits will make some reference to the bands debt to seminal New Yorkers Spoon. Indeed their second album was produced by members of the band and Milk Famous has the same p...
Music
Guided By Voices – Let’s Go Eat The Factory
Let’s Go Eat the Factory is the return of the classic Guided by Voices lineup not heard since 1996! So it’s great to know that Robert Pollard is as silly, acerbic, cool, croony and ironical as always. If there is a ...
Music
Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas
It’s hard to consider this record without considering the man behind it, so iconic is the status of Leonard Cohen, truly one the most talented and enigmatic songwriters of all time. It would be easy just give it a great r...
Music
Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror is one of this years most hotly anticipated releases and thankfully it doesn’t let us down. Whilst début Treats was an interesting experiment and gave Sleigh Bells a place on the blogosphere, at its core s...
Music
Tennis – Young and Old
Much was made of the story behind Tennis’ debut Cape Cod. In short Tennis are a husband and wife duo who met as philosophy students, sold all their possessions to buy a boat and go sailing and then wrote some songs about ...
Music
The Maccabees – Given To The Wild
The Maccabees third album was always going to be divisive. Detractors will point out that the band and record are largely irrelevant in todays indie sphere. Long gone are the early noughties heyday of spiky indy math bands ala ...
Music
Sharon Von Etten – Tramp
This, the third outing from singer songwriter Sharon Von Etten, is her strongest effort to date. She strikes the perfect balance between introspective lyrics, folk melodies and simple but effective guitars which mingle with spa...
Music
Schoolboy Q – Habits and Contradictions
This will probably be one of the sleaziest records you hear all year. Lyrics like “You’re a loser/My dick’s a ruler” and hooks like “Satisfaction fills me up inside/be my sex drive”. ...
Music
Field Music – Plumb
The expressed desire of Field Music is to put complex political ideas out through a medium of mass communication. In essence they want to mix academia with the pop song. A nobel goal indeed to make me think as I dance. Or perha...
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