Bloom by BEACH HOUSE
While this does sound like Beach House – really, honestly what is wrong with that? After all it is a Beach Album – so they sound like, well, Beach House, not to put too fine a point on it….
Luckless by LUCKLESS
Luckless presents a haunting collection of well considered and beautifully crafted songs on their long-awaited debut album that seemingly just keep giving upon repeated listens. There are moments here that recall that feeling of missing someone so much it actually hurts; and then there moments that feel like she is / you are totally invincible. Often, within breaths of each-other – and I think that’s what first drew me to Luckless – I’ve been a long time fan – the… [More...]
Radlands by MYSTERY JETS
It’s important to change direction sometimes. Like if you are on a collision course for a planet, for instance. And frankly. deviations from the considered trajectory are sometimes really the very best thing a band can do. The Mystery Jets haven’t just changed direction from their synthy-pop flight path of their last two records (and the excellent After Dark dance-floor filler contribution to Count & Sinden’s Mega Mega Mega) – they’ve quite literally donned parachutes and jettisoned themselves in Austin… [More...]
Beneath The Crystal Palace by DICTAPHONE BLUES
What a rambunctious little tickler this record turned out to be – the sophomore release by Auckland-based Dictaphone Blues, and their debut on a major label (thru EMI).
Of course,there’s the alternative radio single Cliche which is downright rollocking as it belts along with until it turns itself onto its head with a chorus that sits in break, which I’m sure many of you are already familiar with. It’s followed by the glam-stomp-n-sway of What Happened To Our Love with… [More...]
Master of My Make-Believe by SANTIGOLD
Do you remember how we got excited about It’s Blitz in late 2008 for its ultimate release and resulting collective disappointment in March 2009? You know, ‘cos, basically it was just not very good.… [More...]
Autumn by THE GOLDEN AWESOME
It seems like forever since I’ve been waiting to get my grubby lil mits and ears on to this record – seemingly ever since I even heard it was going to exist, I’ve longed to have and to hold it – for as soon as I had heard my very first recordings of this Wellington troupe, it was in my heart that they were to be the most perfectly named band to grace my CD shelves – in that they… [More...]
You Me Bullets Love by THE BOMBAY ROYALE
It’s a little disappointing to discover that these wonderful clashes of Bollywood 70′s funk are not some fantastic lost archive; but rather the modern conjuring of Melbourne band leader Andy Williamson and his 11 piece band – with Hindi-Bengali lyricists and vocalists Parvyn Kaur Singh and Shourov Bhattacharya. But when you read, their not-so-surprising claim to be “Melbourne’s only band dedicated to the music of vintage Indian cinema – fused with western psychedelic influences and ’70s funk” you’ve got to… [More...]
A New Hat And A Haircut by TOMMY ILL
I guess there is no surprises that I totally dig the new album from Wellington “indie rapper” Tommy Ill, ‘cos, you know, I am a total hipster right? Cos, y’know, Tommy Ill isn’t a real rapper anyway – so y’know white middle class indie kids like me don’t need to feel threatened by his rhymes. Y’know, cos he raps about his stories, his realities and doens’t try and pretend to be a gangster. Yeah, ‘cos hip hop is all about… [More...]
DJANGO DJANGO – Django Django
I feared that the near infinite repeat of the two syllables djan and go combined (ok, the word is repeated four times, since the Edinburgh-formed, now East london based, four piece self titled their debut album – which is nearly infinite in these days of low attention spans where reading a whole eMail is likened, by many, as having read War and Peace) will through many into a states of hypnosis.
I should have been more concerned, though, that their… [More...]
The Slideshow Effect by MEMORYHOUSE
The Slideshow Effect, is indeed, somewhat, the aural equivalent of discovering a box of old photographic slides; digging out an old slide projector, dimming the lights and starting the carousel.
As the songs unfold their beautiful faded colours of decades gone past you realize that the slide do not belong to you or your family – instead the images conjoured are of someone else’s loved ones; someone else’s memories.
There is, though, a voyeuristic pleasure in listening to these songs… [More...]
Port of Morrow by THE SHINS
Lead single from The Shin’s first album in five years is, indeed, a Simple Song – and one with an undeniable hook that booms from on high. It’s practically majestic in it’s ability to grab attention. I can’t help but imagine it being played over a rolling countryside and baby rabbits stopping whatever it is that baby rabbits do when they are busy, to sit up on their cute hind quarters, twitching those little noses they have and pay attention… [More...]
Lesser Flamingo by SHERPA
Innocence and wide-eyed wonder seem to collide with sparks and, dare I say, some feathers, head on into some hedonistic party on Auckland five-piece Sherpa’s debut long player. Sweet charming melodies crash into wonderful psychedelic whirls which spin at such velocity, I actually got dizzy the second time I listened to It’s All Good, G.
Opening with the frenetic Turner – a veritable roller coaster of a track – especially with it’s insanely amazing climax (tissues may be required). They… [More...]
Offspring Music From The Hit Show Volume 2 – various artists
You gotta ask, without being, like mean, or anything, but, what, really, is the point of these TV show soundtracks? I watched the first season of the lightweight but entirely palatable Australian drama-comedy centered around 30-something obstetrician Nina Proudman on DVD a while back. It rained all weekend, I wore comfy pants and ate toast. It wasn’t an entirely an unpleasant experience at all. In a wearing comfy pants eating toast on a rainy weekend kind of way.
But I… [More...]
Put Your Back N 2 It by PERFUME GENIUS
There are moments, when really listening to Perfume Genius’ sophomore album that you feel that it’s really none of your business; but still, seemingly cathartic for the story-teller, he continues. Denying your discomfort in listening with the assertion that the experiences that born these songs, may only just be glimpsed here; the artistic expression of these darknesses, these sorrows are, while harrowingly sad, only a facsimile of what reality inspired them. Moreover, though, a deep sense of compassion, understanding and… [More...]
Whale Rocket by COOL RAINBOWS
Cool Rainbows is the project of Djeisan Suskov, who used to front Trees Climbing Trees. Evidently, he’s been wondrously faffing about in the studio for what seems a mighty long time to finally unleash this record on Lil’ Chief Records.
Opening with the single Southern Summer Sun, something that, perhaps there is some irony in not being that prevalent this year. The opening bars sounding a little like an imagined clockwork toy train approaching the crest of a gentle incline… [More...]
Visions by GRIMES
Grimes is the moniker of 24-year old Claire Boucher, based in Montreal; and the truth of the matter is, Visions, her 4AD label debut, is seriously a great introduction to her work if you are, up till now, new to her. It’s more cohesive as a record than her previous two long players – and the experiments contained within are a little more controlled – and with this control, I feel more vibrant, concentrated and exciting.
Opening with the trifecta… [More...]
Hairdresser Blues by HUNX
I remember when my bestie, Bex-in-Effects introduced me to Hunx and His Punx via You Don’t Like Rock n Roll from the 2010 album Gay Singles. It was irreverent and awesomely fun. Hunx whose real name is the equally unlikely Seth Bogart was once a dancer in the awesome Gravy Train!!!! before he started fronting the queer-Ramones.
He’s dropped the “& his Punx” for this, his third release – guitarists Amy Blaustein and Michelle Santamaria quit the band last year.… [More...]
Something by CHAIRLIFT
I’ve been somewhat obsessed by the lead single and opening track, Amanaemonesia, for a wee while now; it balances surrealism and classic on a pin-point of pop-perfection. It’s like Dali taking a photographic portrait of Andy Warhol & Siouxie Sioux. But what about the rest of the Brooklyn duo’s sophomore album? (Chairlift are, FYI, Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly, who, incidentally, produced the Das Racist album.)
Well, in brief, it’s a whole record worthy of obsession. They capture attention with… [More...]
Sounds of Our City by EMMA RUSSACK
After 2010s Peasants EP which followed a string of uploaded covers comes Russack’s full length. Opening with the arresting Tonight; with the bare-honesty of lines like “Tonight I’m gonna go out and get drunk and find someone to take me home” – her voice simultaneously sounding both wearily experienced and on the edge of a broken episode.
She certainly has a defiant turn of phrase and a willingness to soul-bare in her songs – but; by the time I’ve reached… [More...]
SLEIGH BELLS – Reign of Terror
I think it’d be fair to say that the initial novelty of crashing and smashing Derek Millers monstrous guitar riffs into the pretty coo’d vocals of Alexis Krauss had to have worn off well and truly in time for the pairs sophomore album. Like going to a demolition derby – the initial thrills of the beautiful cacophony wear thin after the first hour or so. The marvel of a smash soon can easily wear thin.
I think it’d also be… [More...]
FIELD MUSIC – Plumb
You get flash in pans and you get slow roasters. To be fair, some flash in pans are actually pretty great. I mean; think about that imagery for a moment – your pan actually combusts with a massive flame – it can be pretty exciting; albeit brief – when it’s a good one. Sure, despite the explosion, many flash in pans are pretty much forgotten within a couple of weeks of Pitchfork giving them an 8.2 or more. But, some… [More...]
CHILDISH GAMBINO – Camp
Indulge me for a few moments of broad brush stroke generalizations in order that I can make this point. My hypothesis is that indie-pop has its roots in a tradition of bookish types who probably wear cardigans and corduroy pants. Orange Juice, The Smiths, Bell & Sebastian are cornerstones to indie kids. Hip hop, on the other hand, has it’s roots in urban streets; graffiti; street parties and turntables. KRS-One, Melle Mel and Eric B are like godfathers.
Let me… [More...]
FIRST AID KIT – The Lion’s Roar
“I’m a goddam coward; but then, so are you” one minute and “I’ll be your Emmylou, and I’ll be your June/ If you’ll be my Gram and my Johnny, too,” – First Aid Kit sisters not so much grab your attention, as grip it hard and then, with mercilessness that defies the warm honey sweetness of their voices, twist it, with the opening two tracks of their sophomore record, produced by Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes.
But they release their… [More...]
MARK LANEGAN BAND – Blues Funeral
When I was a kid I was a wee bit obsessed with concrete mixer trucks. I had a toy one, which I very much enjoyed, but it was when I saw a real life one that I’d fall into a silent awe-struck state. Now, I’ve never really considered myself as particularly bloke-y and I imagine that if I was ever to be the kind of guy to pour his own concrete I would have orchestrated some situation to facilitate this… [More...]
THE 2 BEARS – Be Strong
The 2 Bears are, at least aesthetically, what it says on the box. They are Joe Goddard from Hot Chip and his collaborator Raf Rundell from Greco Roman Soundsystem – and yeah, sure they are a bit on the larger side physically and both a bit beardy. Apparently they were originally going to be called The 3 Bears – with Metronomy’s Joe Mount on board. That story sounds like the project was born from a drunken night out where the… [More...]
VINTAGE TROUBLE – The Bomb Shelter Sessions
Los Angeles’ Vintage Trouble open their debut album with something that it is presumably supposed to be reminiscent of a JB howl but, unfortunately, sounds more like a tired asthmatic wheeze from vocalist Ty Taylor.
The combination of rock and blues and soul is a difficult path to walk along in modern context because unless you do it exceptionally well it comes across as… pub rock Commitments. And that’s what Vintage Trouble have; regrettably, achieved.
It seems that unless you… [More...]
DIE ANTWOORD – Ten$ion
Die Antwoord open their sophomore album with a statement of intent that sonically comes across like if Billy Corgan joined The Prodigy and if they had a new idea after Fat Of The Land. But I mean that in a totally awesome way.
One critic has likened the music video of second single I Fink You Freeky to “a nightmarish Benetton advertisement filmed in hell”. I think they mean in a totally awesome way.
Lead single was the ever-so-charming Fok… [More...]
LEONARD COHEN – Old Ideas
If there is a God and if he released an album, you wouldn’t review it; you’d just enjoy it. It’d be like, giving that amazing sunset last night a Pitchfork rating. It’s just, not right. So, what if Leonard Cohen releases his 12th studio album with Columbia Records aged 77? Well Pitchfork gives it 7.4, obviously. And it’s just, not right.
There’s an eerie yet calming feeling that overcomes me every time I listen to Old Ideas that I am… [More...]
LANA DEL REY – Born To Die
Sitting here at my keyboard launching into writing this review, it struck me – why does it even matter – so many people have already, with a sense of, what strikes me to be disturbing glee, decided to shit on this particular parade – mostly without even hearing the record. Because let’s face it, the dark side of our human psyche’s just love to have something to hate. And it’s even better when our object of disdain is something attractive… [More...]
LABRETTA SUEDE & THE MOTEL 6 – Dirty & Dumb
Raunch-n-roll-abilly outfit Labretta Suede & the Motel 6 left Auckland to relocate to New York city (sans two-thirds of the Motel 6) – replenishing their rhythm section with US citizens of suitably dubious nature, judging by their photos. And they now have a brand new album, glitzier and glammer than ever. It’s like their swagger got swagged, or something.
Opening with a high-pitched scream in direct inverse proportion to the gnarly bass-line offered by Mr Max Speed $1000 (probably not… [More...]
