Album Review

By Eric Intlekofer There is a quality in Portugal. The Man that all music lovers can admire, or at least respect, and that is their ability to put out a consistent record every year. With “In the Mountain In the Cloud,” the Alaska and Portland based band moved to a major label, many a music fan’s nightmare. This time around, however, that chance is not to be feared. Their style has not been compromised, in fact it’s been honed. Their sixth LP seems to be a culmination of the forward progress the band has been working on for the past … Continued

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By L.C. Graf-Juarez 8 EP’s and still kicking, Mogwai’s “Earth Division” is striking and magical just like everything else they’ve ever created (any surprise there?). Although a question needs to brought up when “Get to France” opens with its haunting piano. Just how much time did Mogwai spend playing Kingdom Hearts before recording? Not that this is at all a bad thing, just that the song is very much like the melody that would play somewhere between the Boss and (if you know anything about Kingdom Hearts) losing Kairi. The composer of the Kingdom Hearts scores, Yoko Shimomura is a … Continued

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By L.C. Graf-Juarez Chill Sunday afternoons, incense burning, music slow, maybe a cigarette or two—it’s all part of the mood that the band She Keeps Bees creates with their 7th released album, “Dig On” the third release to be self-recorded. “All or None/Dark Horse” opens with strong vocals from Jessica Larrabee, and a great drum beat played out by Andy LaPlant. Larrabee gets low and passionate, giving the song a soothing rhythm; LaPlant only compliments her vocal style with a simple pattern. Perhaps what is most attractive about the song is the pure easiness it possesses. It doesn’t have distractions—ridiculous … Continued

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By Max Johnson For fans of Iowa music, The Poison Control Center require no introduction. The Des Moines based group have released 3 full-lengths and a handful of EPs full of excited indie rock. Tomorrow, July 30th, their Never-Ending Tour will take a much-deserved break after two shows at The Vaudeville Mews. Let me cut to the chase — PCC’s newest album, Stranger Ballet, is my favorite album of 2011 (so far). The fingerprints of other excellent indie rockers are everywhere, but the band never lose themselves in their influences. It seems more like they’re honoring them. Imitation isn’t the … Continued

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By Max Johnson “Triple Trinities”, Mumford’s brand new album, is epic. The nine songs on the album converse with one another, all of them focused around the single theme of religion, looking for the soft spots to sink their teeth into, to maybe find some answers to all the questions circling above them like vultures. The characters in the songs – preachers, atheists, God Himself, and an Antichrist or two – are three-dimensional and compelling. You might not be able to finish listening to it all in one sitting, all the narrators are so frustratingly human. Obviously, this is not … Continued

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By Max Johnson Utopia Park is an electronic-punk band from Fairfield, Iowa. The band is composed of Dominic and Philip Rabalais, who are the two most sincere and genuine human beings on the face of the Earth. There. That should be enough for you to listen to them. But if you aren’t convinced… The songs on Utopia Park’s self-titled EP build toward epiphanies, but at the same time, they work as a regression from, not a progression towards, complexity. Vocals go from simply shouted to non-verbal screaming. Instruments pile on top of each other until you’re convinced you heard a … Continued

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By Max Johnson Pennyhawk (straight outta Ames, Iowa) is lead by Kate Kennedy. Fans of Christopher the Conquered, Mumford’s, and Leslie and the Ly’s might be familiar with Kennedy. It’s interesting to note that she’s found herself in those three groups, all of which are fronted by huge, boisterous personalities. Pennyhawk’s latest release, the 4-song EP “Another Layer”, begins with the song “Timid Women.” Here, Kennedy channels a voice not at all unlike Leslie Hall – humorous, a little vulgar, and brimming with an “I-will-never-ever-care-what-you-think” attitude. The song establishes the honky tonk/gypsy folk sound to come. The last two songs, … Continued

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By Betsey Richard In daring to make another record after the heart-wrenching album, Hospice (released August 2009), it is an understatement to say that the Brooklyn band, The Antlers, had a challenging task ahead of them. It is safe to say, however, that their newest album, Burst Apart (released May 10, 2011) will meet most fans’ desires. Though lead singer Peter Silberman has stated in interviews that he does not want his band to be pigeonholed under the label “sad,” there can be no denying that this album’s beginning is quite cynical, anxious, and overtly negative. In fact, most of … Continued

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By Kendall McCabe The Baltimore, Maryland-based duo Wye Oak has learned a lot in their five years as a band. The most important lesson: when to rein in their explosive talent, and when to let it all loose. Jenn Wasner is a truly impressive guitarist with an embellished technique all her own. Her vocals are equally extraordinary— she confidently navigates her expansive range on each track with a likable drawl. Meanwhile, her counterpart Andy Stack plays keys with the left hand while he drums with his right hand and his feet. For Wasner and Stack, Civilian has a newfound smartness … Continued

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