Articles tagged with indie

Caught In The Trees

Angela Power — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:47:04 +0000

Whenever I make an important compilation CD for a friend, or someone I'm trying to impress and show that I'm deep and sensitive and have a depressive nature, I always put on Damien Jurado's Ohio, from 1999's Rehearsals for Departure. Damien Jurado is one of those singer songwriters who make it all look and sound very easy, acoustically plucking nostalgic tales of desolate, abandoned cities, inciting feelings of desperation and angst. Lyrically beautiful, I'd defy anyone not to cry when hearing it. The harmonica alone makes my chin wobble.

Acid Tongue

Brett Oronzio — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:14:51 +0000

She’s almost there. Not quite, but almost. As Rilo Kiley stumbles and sidesteps its conventions to explore new areas so does Jenny Lewis with her solo material. Thankfully, she does it more naturally and honestly than her band does. With a lot of guests in tow and a more soulful, edgier sound Jenny seems to have found a comfortable niche since 2006’s Rabbit Fur Coat with her most recent effort, Acid Tongue.

Skeletal Lamping

Alan Shulman — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:57:51 +0000

I’m not a trained psychologist, but in my professional opinion, Skeletal Lamping is not the product of a stable mind. I’ve been following Kevin Barnes for a while now and while I’ve always admired his peculiar kind of, alright I’ll say it, genius, I’ve simultaneously felt that he suffered from a nagging restlessness. This shouldn’t surprise anybody that listens to the music of Of Montreal; it’s likely part of their appeal. Many artists are compared to Syd Barrett and Brian Wilson, but few if any could write a piano balla

Don't Get Lost Or Hurt

Iain Moffat — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:32:26 +0000

Don't be led astray by the multi-member moniker - Lonely Ghosts is essentially just Tom Denney, and, really, who can blame him for retreating to the bedroom? Firstly, while these may be boom times for artists who would once have been fanzine favourites, the middle part of this decade was rather less kind to the twee-inclined, which meant Denney's tenure with Help She Can't Swim was an often-overlooked one.

The Widespread Reign of the Great Northwest

Iain Moffat — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:30:12 +0000

It's hard not to feel there's a certain injustice at work here. After all, fracas-happy they may be, but the Brian Jonestown Massacre have managed to parlay an association with the Dandy Warhols into documentary stardom and modest household namehood. Brian Coates, on the other hand, has been affiliated just as closely and on somewhat better terms with Courtney Taylor-Taylor, but has he reaped the critical or commercial benefits of that yet? Has he heck.

The Stand Ins

Brett Oronzio — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:25:16 +0000

The Stand Ins is Okkervil River’s continuation of the concept they brilliantly mined on last year’s majestic The Stage Names. The same super-literate storytelling methods and themes of fandom, stardom and everything in between are still intact here as are the bands bright textures and production style.

Limbo, Panto

Iain Moffat — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:59:16 +0000

There have been some mighty curious double bills over the years (Blondie choosing Spearmint to accompany them as they relaunched around the turn of the century was especially surreal, and M83's forthcoming dates alongside the Kings Of Leon should prove fairly fascinating too), but three were few spectacles last year to compare with the sight of Wild Beasts opening for Jack Penate, of all people.

Conor Oberst

Matt Montgomery — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:56:06 +0000

Conor Oberst has been making music for longer than some Bright Eyes fans have been alive. In 1993, his debut release (on cassette, even) was released by Saddle Creek predecessor Lumberjack Records.

In some ways, this self-titled release isn't too much different than that first release, acoustic guitars leading the way. In most ways, it's quite different. Saying Oberst's music at 28 is more refined than it was at 13 hardly does either justice.

The Scenery Of Farewell

Alan Garner — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:25:28 +0000

This 5-track EP features a more stripped-back, acoustic side of Two Gallants, the San Franciscan indie rock duo named from a James Joyce short story in Dubliners. The Scenery of Farewell was released on Conor Oberst's Saddle Creek label, and the music certainly sounds like it's been influenced by Bright Eyes and the other alt-country staples of the Nebraskan label.

Real Emotional Trash

Brett Oronzio — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:48:31 +0000

Stephen Malkmus is back with the Jicks in tow for more of the extended guitar canoodling and occasional cosmic tinkering we expect from the one-time Pavement front man. With a freshly formed, tighter version of his band, Malkmus feels comfortable proving himself as a guitar rock mainstay, even if he has to put us through variable amounts of tedium in the process.