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Oriel Joans
Oriel Joans give listeners what they expect from Swedish pop: infectiously light key progressions, trickly acoustics, and gorgeous melodies that evolve from folk-tinged whispers to grandiose hook-filled spectacles. Such is the case with “Chin
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Kamikaze Hearts: An Upstate Retrospective
Of all the upstate NY bands to show promise in the last five years – only to fizzle out – did any show more promise than the Kamikaze Hearts? If there was, I didn’t
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Feathers on a Hunter’s Moon
Feathers are four girls from Brisbane creating infectious lo-fi dream-pop. While some of their songs are lively and upbeat, a large number are darker and based on harmony rather than rhythm. Hunter’s Moon is
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The Arcadian Kicks
Birmingham five-piece The Arcadian Kicks recently released their newest single, “You Play the Girl”. This new offering is a noticeable step towards the mainstream for them, at least compared to the neo-psychedelic organ infusions
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Sunbears!
When I first listened to Sunbears!, I thought I somehow managed to get lost on my drive home and ended up in the ’70s — as you do when it’s raining and the visibility
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Live Review: Bon Iver, 11/9
Too many artists these days fall victim to it... playing material live exactly as they are heard on their records. This safe approach usually doesn't result in an all-out disaster, but it fails to
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Monarchy: Straddling Genres and Near-Stardom
Straddling the fence with musical styles can be a smashing success… or simply make your crotch tired. Luckily for Monarchy, a British duo currently signed to Mercury Records UK, their blending of genres works
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Swells
Swells are a quartet residing in San Francisco. Their self-titled debut EP is a collection of laid-back indie-rock with relaxing West Coast vibes akin to The Morning Benders and Surfer Blood. The EP is
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Rare Monk’s Astral Travel Battles
Rare Monk resemble a mix of Celtic punk, avant-garde rock in the vein of Man Man, and southern gypsy-pop complete with quick-moving strings and snarling vocals. For a more concise comparison, think Modest Mouse
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Sonic New York
Despite the fact that you don’t hear a lot pertaining to the Carolina Chocolate Drops on mainstream radio, they are Grammy winners. So it’s not terribly surprising that one if its founding members, Rhiannon
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Black Partridge
Black Partridge comprises two brothers from Illinois. The duo have a unique sound that fuses lo-fi rock and pop with caressing sentiments of shoegaze and dream-pop. The older brother, Vito, plays the bass guitar
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The Eversons
The Eversons are highlights in the fusion of past and present that is art-punk, a genre most recently propelled by names like Art Brut and The Rakes. Both groups debuted in 2005 with a
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The Walkmen Live @ hMag Music Fest
If you weren’t in Hoboken this past Sunday, you missed a great live performance. The Walkmen played for free as part of the hMag Music Fest 2011. The backdrop was breathtaking; the Manhattan skyline
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