Man-Made Objects’ shoegaze and psych tunes rely heavily on songcraft, relegating reverb to an effect on guitar and vocals instead of the featured element. As a result, the band calls to mind a less noisy Stardeath and the White Dwarfs or a darker Flaming Lips. The songs are catchy, but that’s a bonus; the most […]
indie
Posted inMusic
Empty Space Orchestra — Empty Space Orchestra
Empty Space Orchestra’s self-titled full-length doesn’t unseat Stetson, but it certainly makes a run for it. The trick with ESO is that they know how to balance their songwriting. If total mood pieces and obliterating guitar work are on opposite sides, ESO is running down the line between the two, grabbing stuff from both sides. […]
Posted inMusic
Other Lives — Tamer Animals
The intricate details and arrangements aren’t forced on the listener here; it’s very possible to listen casually and only hear some stately, beautiful, mid-tempo indie tunes. The songs are much more than that, but those who don’t enjoy seeking out the layers of composition may just hear a big wash of sound. Then again, if […]
Posted inMusic
Colourmusic — My _____ Is Pink
That’s actually the first impression the disc makes, as opposed to the second: Every song is constantly moving. Push-ups work in neat rhythm to the groove-heavy, warped bass of “Feels Good to Wear.” You can get pumped up to the triumphant songwriting of “You for Leaving.” “Tog” is a swagger-heavy jogging song, while the insistent […]
Posted inMusic
Snow & Lace — Mixtape One
Be not fooled. Although Snow & Lace’s debut is titled “Mixtape One,” this isn’t rap. Instead, it’s 30 minutes and 30 seconds of chilled-to-the-max ambient music, split evenly into two parts, aptly titled “Movement One” and “Movement Two.” The Oklahoma act lets one musical idea slowly unfold into the next, creating a flowing mood. “Movement […]
Posted inMusic
Superchunk — Here’s Where the Strings Come In
I was about to write that Superchunk’s solid, if unexceptional 1995 release, “Here’s Where the Strings Come In,” is pretty much only for fans of the band and devotees of the genre, totally forgetting for the moment that they used to be all who cared about indie rock. The re-release of the album, which hit […]
Posted inMusic
Ponytail — Do Whatever You Want All the Time
Having a singular vision is difficult, especially when it’s so singular that listeners don’t get it. Ponytail’s “Do Whatever You Want All The Time” follows its title a little too closely, featuring eccentric tunes that lost me. While the dual guitar work here is impressive and occasionally interesting, it often takes a backseat to the […]
Posted inMusic
Of God and Science — Black Rabbit
I’m not old enough to have actually experienced AM radio in its prime (I would have to be 50 or older to have been a part of the mythical era), but I suppose that if it really had to be recreated, Of God and Science has done the best job I’ve ever heard of appropriating […]
Posted inMusic
Generationals — Actor-Caster
Old cars don’t have MP3 hookups, and those radio receivers always dissolve into static. Trusty steeds take CDs, and yours needs summer music. Short of burning yourself a copy of this mixtape, you need a new love. Here it is: “Actor-Caster” by Generationals. Generationals plays the sort of perky, bouncy indie pop that’s only applicable […]
Posted inMusic
L’Altra — Telepathic
L’Altra’s lushly orchestrated “Telepathic” has a stately quality that impresses until it doesn’t, which is somewhere around track four or five. Then the pop tunes become mush in the brain. There’s nothing bad here, but it all just becomes one big jumble of haunting vocals, dusky piano and hazy atmospheres. The single, “Nothing Can Tear […]