posted by Susanna on February 23, 2012
If you’re looking for a unique mixture of rocking garage band and folk-like swing, here it is: the Heartless Bastards have released their fourth album, entitled Arrow. Based in Austin, Texas, the band embodies a sound that is as “weird” as the city itself. This record is all about trying to get home, to the security and the shelter, but the album is anything but safe, testing the limits of the genre the band has been labeled with. The first track, “Marathon,” eases you into the record with dark bluesy vocals and echoing guitar that set you to swaying. “Parted Ways” picks up the tempo a bit, and starts the shift towards the garage sound found on previous albums. “Skin and Bone,” my favorite song on this record, and quickly becoming my go-to driving song, has a smoother feel and swinging melodies, declaring “I want it to be like when I was young.” The album is rounded out with the pleading ballad, “Low Low Low,” which showcases lead vocalist Erika Wennerstrom’s deep blues voice. With so much variety on one album, it seems like it would come across as a weird, jumbled mess. But for the Heartless Bastards, “weird” is a lifestyle, and it definitely works.
Heartless Bastards – Marathon (Downloaded 305 times)
Heartless Bastards – Parted Ways (Downloaded 221 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Bluesy • Dark • Downbeat • Female vocal
(20 votes)
Loading ...posted by Loren on January 17, 2012
Whatever his stage name may be it is undeniably so that Archy Marshall is talented for his age. At only 17, he’s seeing gigs at festivals more often than American rated-R movies. But that is rather insignificant for a guy who hails from the old empire, a native of gloomy city blues we all know as London. His delicate, beachcomber windowsill tunes reminisce over the tired lyrical themes of love and hurt, pain and pleasure. But the difference in his delivery of cliché antics about being “beaten down” by a girl is the man himself. This isn’t a band or symphony of coupled ideas; this is simply a guy with a guitar who stands alone, his own isolated silhouette. The depth of his voice and the direction of his words suggest that despite being young, he is rather experienced at life in a hauntingly beautiful way. His voice and his echoed message sound distant, channeled from another room in another land. He is a young lad from South London, but what he is manufacturing transcends international stigmas. The Brits are known for their pop sensibility and catchy gigs, but Zoo Kid/King Krule undercuts the stereotypes with dark new wave and sometimes dubstep infused melodies. I am engulfed in his London fog ballads because they are captivating and a mellow drug addiction in themselves. Although his earlier songs fall under the moniker Zoo Kid, Marshall has since flipped the title to a more childlike King Krule (supposedly a Donkey Kong reference). Despite the implications, King Krule is a must listen.
(Side note: try and be patient with the beginning of the songs, Zoo Kid likes to ease you into it)
Zoo Kid/King Krule – Out Getting Ribs (Downloaded 359 times)
Zoo Kid/King Krule – Ocean Bed (Downloaded 364 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Beautiful Lyrics • Dark • Downbeat • Male vocal
(18 votes) Loading ...posted by Alex on October 9, 2011
I really wanted to begin with my favorite Wilco lyric, however, when I sat down at my computer, I drew a blank. I can’t even pick my favorite song; how the hell am I supposed to think of one lyric out of thousands of beautiful lines? Still, I was determined to find that one lyric; a lyric that I wish I could have wrote. I immediately went to my two favorite albums: Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Much to my surprise, I found that perfect lyric. Thanks Jeff; love inspires me too. “I know I can’t sing / Until she brings the song to life.”
The groundbreaking Chicago band, Wilco, has done it again. On September 27th, Wilco released their eighth studio album, The Whole Love. Like all their albums, The Whole Love encompasses a perfect blend of uptempo and offbeat songs, along with slow, poetic love songs. I want to dance to “I Might” and I am a total sucker for weird instruments. The keyboards are straight out of the sixties. ”Capitol City” is very unique, and shows off Jeff Tweedy’s vocals and the band’s incredible musicianship. Their tour sadly will not stop in my native sate, but some of you lucky people will be offered a wonderful gift. Now stop reading and go buy their album…please.
Wilco – I Might (Downloaded 352 times)
Wilco – Capitol City (Downloaded 1128 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Beautiful Lyrics • Downbeat • Male vocal • Retro • Upbeat
(16 votes) Loading ...posted by Lewi on February 28, 2011
Sometimes, a band has the power to give off that captivating feeling, to stop you in your tracks. Instruments that work in harmony with various chords and ethereal vocals send your mind off to distant places. Jeniferever definitely has the means of accomplishing this. Hailing from Uppsala, Sweden, their music radiates majesty, fantasy and magic – much like their native Scandinavia. Their newest album, Silesia, which will be released this Spring, is sure to be a feast for the ears and emotions if the taster track “Waifs & Strays” is anything to go by. Jeniferever has that charm that commands you to relax, but pay attention at the same time.
Their name is derived from a 1989 Smashing Pumpkins song of the same name. Arguably, traces of the band can be found in Jeniferever’s music, but with their indie rock sounds, blended in so beautifully with ambient Explosions in the Sky-esque moments, it is definitely fair to say that Jeniferever can hold their own.
“Waifs & Strays” could easily accompany a Final Fantasy game, or feature in the soundtrack to an RPG, invoking images of fantasy landscapes – wild terrain, sprawling cities, dense forests and so forth. Jeniferever gives everything they have in this song, especially with the tingling guitar solo; envision a band of heroes upon a hilltop, surveying the rugged fields and plains below them.
“Dover” is another track that invokes strong feelings and emotions. Jeniferever sombrely hints at a friendship or relationship that has now broken. The fantasy notions of the song run with the emotion-soaked lyrics, with an emphasis on repetition that keeps the musical fire burning. Silesia is going to be a masterpiece, and these two songs reflect well on an eagerly anticipated album that has been clearly and cleverly thought-out and put together.
Jeniferever are doing a rare tour in the UK and Europe this Spring. If you are in the UK in April, I cannot stress enough how much you should purchase a ticket. I’ll see you at the bar.
Jeniferever – Waifs and Strays (Downloaded 454 times)
Jeniferever – Dover (Downloaded 413 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Dark • Downbeat • Fuzzy • Male vocal • Rollicking
(13 votes) Loading ...Youre a real deep tinehkr. Thanks for sharing.
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January 28th, 2012 at 5:50 am
King Krule Mini Doc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adnFPtP3Peg&list=UUEQkj_v4HlSD3C4__gE-GlQ&index=2&feature=plcp