Album Review

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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By Alexa Squire At a music festival last summer, I found myself stuck listening to The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion while waiting to hear Panda Bear. When Jon Spencer and his sweaty leather pants left the stage, nearly the entire crowd left with him, one man shouting, “Let’s get away from the kid with the laptop!” In a weird way he was speaking the truth – at first listen, Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) might sound simply like a guy creating some loops on his computer, an easy task with today’s technology. His previous album, 2007’s Person Pitch, can sound at … Continued

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Kurt Vile will be performing tonight, Sunday, April 3rd, at The Mill as part of the Mission Creek Music Festival. By Crystal Sherman This one goes out to all those that want the right to survive. – Vile on “Puppet To The Man”. Smoke Ring for My Halo, the fourth album from Philadelphia’s Kurt Vile, was released to reverent reviews from voices such as Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. It’s an aural massage. It’s a warm breeze with sparkly morphine-eyes behind dark sunglasses on a day that we have nowhere to be but where Kurt takes us. Jeff Zeiger still gets … Continued

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Colour Revolt will be performing tonight, Tuesday, March 29, at The Mill as part of KRUI’s Pizza Party. There will be free pizza at 7 PM and the show will start at 8 PM. By Rob Rodriguez After losing three members and a record label since the release of their debut album, Colour Revolt has made quite the comeback. The Mississippi five-piece now features a new drummer (Daniel Davis of Norma Jean), a new bassist (Hank Sullivant of The Whigs), and of course a second album courtesy of a New Fear/Dualtone records. The Cradle dropped this past August, and at … Continued

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By Rob Rodriguez Radiohead. You never know what you’re going to get, but you can always expect a collection of tracks that will first leave you puzzled, and then blown away. The group released their eighth album, The King of Limbs, online a day ahead of schedule on February 18th, and it does not disappoint or skew away from their usual theme. Like most Radiohead, The King of Limbs requires a listen or two to fully appreciate and understand everything that is happening. The distinct feature of the album (besides Thom Yorke’s ridiculous vocal range and stability) is the inclusion … Continued

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By Claire Diver Tennis’s debut album, “Cape Dory,” chronicles an eight-month long sailboat trip taken by the husband-and-wife duo behind the music, Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore. The result of the voyage is an album of nostalgic, lo-fi, beach pop. Moore’s voice sweetly echoes 60s girl groups like the Shangri-Las as she sings about love, sailing, and coconuts. Although the album is only 29 minutes long, it feels complete – a balance is struck between high-tempo ditties like “Take Me Somewhere” and “Seafarer” and the more leisurely “Bimini Bay” and “Waterbirds.” The high points of the album include more meditative … Continued

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By Alexa Squire Dan Bejar, an occasional member of the New Pornographers and Swan Lake, has been recording as Destroyer for nearly two decades, varying his style with every album. On Kaputt, his tenth full length release, Bejar takes on some of the most poorly regarded musical styles of American history: 80’s pop, smooth jazz, and easy listening. You read that right. Bejar’s album is full of that smoky, dreamy 80’s synth-wash sound, complete with flutes, hi-hats, and jazz saxophone. Think Kenny G. This style choice is almost enough to turn some listeners away, but Bejar finds a way to … Continued

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