posted by Patrick on April 24, 2011
A few Indieballers caught Yellow Ostrich at SXSW in the middle of a long and killer set featuring Thao, The Head and the Heart, Submarines and Okkervil River. The band’s lead singer—Wisconsin-native-turned-Brooklynite Alex Schaaf—faced technical difficulties (a malfunctioning Apple laptop, if you can believe it) with aplomb, aw-shucksing through a ten-minute delay before giving up and playing “the longest version ever” of the band’s best track, ‘Whale,’ unassisted. (The marathon version clocked in at just over four minutes. Exhausting.) That minor blemish aside, the band provided a terrific lo-fi counterpoint to the outsized performances from the rest of the bill. The band does alchemy one better: rather than spinning lead into gold, Schaaf and his crew turn seemingly basic, even meanlingless phrases into infectious refrains, a trick ‘Whale’ performs to perfection. Yellow Ostrich will not overwhelm you, but they are certain to charm and entertain. Highly recommended.
WHALE (live at Pianos) by Yellow Ostrich from Big Ugly Yellow Couch on Vimeo.
Yellow Ostrich – Whale (Downloaded 393 times)
Yellow Ostrich – In The Past I Was An Astronaut (Downloaded 358 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Amazing Voice • Catchy • Clever • Male vocal
(14 votes)
Loading ...posted by Tina on April 6, 2010
One of the great things about going to sxsw is catching a really cool band at a small venue. You get to get up close and personal and you can really listen and appreciate the music. Uninhabitable Mansions was formed in Brooklyn with one or two members of other talented bands such as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Au Revoir Simone. How can you go wrong when the project involves nothing but talent from other great acts? The only thing I regret is that I came all the way to Austin to hear these musicians from my home town. The best way I can describe the band is “not too much and not too little”. Uninhabitable Mansions has the perfect blend of guitar and vocals that makes it easy to relish in their music. The band really gives off the vibe that they love what they do and they like seeing the audience enjoying the music.
Uninhabitable Mansions – Do You Have A Strategy (Downloaded 567 times)
Uninhabitable Mansions – We Already Know (Downloaded 510 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Add new tag • Clever • Happy • Upbeat
(12 votes) Loading ...posted by Tina on January 12, 2010
How I let this band escape my ears these past few years, I’ll never know. But luckily for me, I caught a tune and immediately went to search for more. Simply put, what grabbed my attention was the use of different harmonies in each tune. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin makes that Alto and Soprano work in each and every tune. If you think the name is a little too long then just refer to them as SSLYBY. However, you might find that difficult for people to figure out so just stick to Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. The band consists of Will, Phil, Jonathan, and John. Out of Springfield, Missouri, these boys bring us this extremely catchy and harmonic music. I can take a guess that their influences would definitely consist of some great 70′s music such as Blue Oyster Cult and a few others from back then? But that’s just an assumption after hearing various tunes. “Glue Girls” in particular. The phrase “more cow bell” may come to mind. As I mentioned, these guys make it work and its what separates them from the rest and what has earned them a record deal with Polyvinyl. This is a band I can listen to over and over again and never get tired of.
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Glue Girls (Downloaded 732 times)
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Boring Fountain (Downloaded 715 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Catchy • Clever • Harmonic
(19 votes) Loading ...posted by Tina on May 1, 2009
Headlights make me want to take guitar lessons. Not to “rock out” but simply to feel happy, enjoy life and just live in the moment. Headlights, out of Champagne, Illinois, have captured that feeling like lightning in a bottle. The band’s latest album, “Some Racing, Some Stopping,” was written and recorded in a farmhouse. Can you tell? Maybe, in some small ways. The record is more creative and spontaneous than their previous EP “Enemies”. It helps that the band alternates singers between tunes. That keeps you guessing how the next tune is going to sound because each is different. In fact, each song sounds like a different genre altogether. Indie pop? Indie rock? Or something else entirely? You decide.
Tristan Wraight plays an awesome acoustic guitar. Brett Senderson not only kicks ass on the drums, he also produced this last CD. Nick Sanborn does a phenomenal job with the bass and if you listen to the whole CD, you’ll find out he’s equally fantastic on the accordion. That’s right, accordion.
Myspace || Official site || Upcoming shows
Headlights – Cherry Tulips (Downloaded 347 times)
Headlights – Market Girl (Downloaded 424 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Clever • Female vocal • Male vocal • Poppy • Twee
(15 votes) Loading ...Best thing you’ve put on here sofar.
The word accordion sounds awesome. Doesn’t it?
Love. your site makes me so happy on rainy philadelphia days in the office. Keep on idierockin
May 17th, 2011 at 10:01 am
What a joy to find such clear thinking. Thanks for ptonsig!
May 19th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
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July 1st, 2011 at 8:35 am
Ya learn seomthnig new everyday. It’s true I guess!