Perhaps my favorite unknown band is Dream City Film Club, a group from London who existed during the mid to late 1990s. Fronted by Michael J. Sheehy, a man bestowed with a beautiful voice and a penchant for black humor, the band was picked up by legendary UK independent label Beggars Banquet in 1996, and released […]
Devastations' Yes, U, in addition to vying for the worst album title of the year, is a perfect example of a record that I just don't quite know what to do with. The Aussie trio (plus guests) floats through a mopey dreamland with textures that seem like they were built by Enya's depressed younger sister. […]
As I posted late last week, I am big excited about Tuesday night's Super Furry Animals show at Neumo's… but now things have gotten even better! As the Super Furry Animals tour the US for their album Hey Venus!, they've created a way for fans to let the band know what songs they want to hear […]
Film School has always frustrated me. The band effortlessly cultivates a deep and impalpable sense of cool in every note they’ve ever played, yet their foggy, atmospheric heavy compositions rarely crystallized like they promised to. Glimpses of space-rock perfection such as “Like You Know” teased me: they could be my favorite band! Alas, they were […]
It is very hard to not like the Long Blondes. For one, they have a lead singer that is very easy to look at (Kate Jackson). For another, they’re the musical children of Pulp, hailing from Sheffield and even produced by an ex-member of Pulp (no, not that one, but Steve Mackey). And to top it […]
By about the fourth songs on Film School's self-titled debut on Beggars Banquet, it becomes painfully obvious that frontman Krayg Burton spent most of his teenage years singing Cure songs in the shower. But, what with all the buzz and hubbub from pop-media elitists such as NME, Music Week, and Jane Magazine, this San Francisco […]
Calla's latest release, Collision is a departure from the melancholy, ethereal rock of their previous releases. While the sadness in the form of slow, dispiriting, hook-laden melodies is still there, Calla has found a new space with these songs. The timid acoustic guitars juxtaposed with sparse electric riffs have given way to somewhat heavier electric […]
#40 Cantona — 3×4 (self-released) {official website} #39 S — Puking and Crying (Suicide Squeeze Records) {official website} * {buy it} #38 The Girls — The Girls (Dirtnap) {official website} * {buy it} * {tig review} #37 The Jeunes — 4 Song EP (self-released) {official website} * {buy it} * {tig review} […]
I must confess straight out that as of the time of this publication, David Freel — guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and superstar from the lovely band Swell — and I had not met for coffee. David, you are owed an imaginary coffee for your efforts. For those of you not familiar with Swell, they have just […]
Mark Lanegan — the name conjures visions of smoky back rooms, tumblers filled with whiskey, songs reflecting on dark beauty, and the dirtier side of life. As such, the title of his latest release Bubblegum took me off guard. On this, his first full-length in three years, Lanegan contradicts any thought of sugary confections by […]
