Album Review

By Blake Carlson-Joshua John Vanderslice’s new album, White Wilderness sets out on a different path than his previous releases. Known for his studio precision, Vanderslice changes things up in this album as he teams up with San Francisco-based conductor/ composer Minna Choi and her Magik Magik Orchestra. Unlike any of his previous work, Vanderslice was able to complete this album live and in merely three days by enlisting the help of Choi to deliver the heavy musical layers we’ve all come to know and love. The result is a wonderfully vivid set of music that will resonate with any Vanderslice … Continued

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By Alexa Squire Derealization isn’t your typical remix EP. The Forms (now only a two member band) have completely deconstructed their songs and combined them with new chord progressions, lyrics, and arrangements. The result is six original songs that manage to still be dreamy, rich, and melodic like the band’s previous material, but poppier with the instrumental additions of synth bass and drum machines. Old fans will recognize echoes of the songs they know from The Forms and Icarus and hear many things that are entirely new. Guest vocalists include The National’s Matt Berninger, Pattern Is Movement’s Andrew Thiboldeaux, and … Continued

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By Max Johnson Hailing from Ames, Iowa comes the powerful horn-folk dance band – Mumford’s. Mumford’s appeal is a very specific one, a fact that is as clear in their first full-length “Eyes” as it is in their incredible live show. The band’s songs emerge from a place of high contrast. The characters that inhabit the songs live their lives in black and white, completely devoid of all grey areas. Borders exist in the songs, lines are drawn in the sand, but they are sharp and definite and nobody will ever understand why and how they can both exist side … Continued

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By Pat Quinn The People’s Key is Conor Oberst’s search for the meaning of life. The album as a whole touches on scientific and theological arguments to answer the question many artists before him have tried to answer. While the subject matter of the album isn’t that unique, the blend of stringed and synthetic sounds Oberst orchestrates on this album is. The album begins with a slightly insane man rambling about space, time, aliens and the existence of humanity. Like the rambling man, the beginning of the album is a little spacey featuring more staccato percussion and a stronger lyrical … Continued

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By Terry Quinn Deerhoof’s latest release finds a happy medium between the reverb-flecked, art rock leanings they have built much of their sound around and the nuanced, ADD-informed pop structures of their 2007 release, Friend Opportunity. On Deerhoof vs. Evil this balance allows a collection of songs that can stand strong on their own attributes to fuse together into a seamless experience upon a full listen. This can be immediately recognized in the transition from the playful opening track, “Qui Dorm, Només Somia” to its progression building follow up, “Behold a Marvel in the Darkness.” The two flow into each … Continued

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By Emily Levins Dye It Blonde is the sophomore effort from the Chicago-based group of twenty-somethings, Smith Westerns.  The album is a wonderful mix of youth, rebellion, and love, all set to a backdrop of fuzzy and dreamy instrumentals.  The songs have a certain drunken haze to them, seen especially with album opener, “Weekend.”  This ten-song collection is the perfect blend of carefree and catchy, a fun and exciting soundtrack to the glory days of adolescence. Smith Westerns – Weekend

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By Trent Harrison Mogwai’s trademark humor is apparent throughout their newest release, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.  As if the title wasn’t proof enough, sections of the album deviate greatly from their previous sound, using upbeat synthesizers, vocoded vocals, and simple rock compositions. Regardless, every track incorporates a wide range of dynamics, sonically beautiful atmospheres, and meticulous attention to detail. Complete with an infectious, repetitive melody and fuzzy, doom-drone guitars, “Rano Pano” is by far one of the standout tracks on the album.  The album’s brooding, 8-minute closer, “You’re Lionel Richie,” uses soft dynamics to create an enormous … Continued

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By Rob Rodriguez Kiss Each Other Clean, offers a different sound than fans may be used to but still has the Samuel Beam eminence to it. The first thing you will notice is the rarity of the acoustic guitar, and the amount of traffic within the album. Each song contains multiple tracks featuring a variety of instruments like the piano, electric guitar, drums, synth and heavy bass. The main emphasis is still on Samuel Beam’s voice, but this dense layering of sound is certainly meant to follow and compliment the vocals. There are obvious elements of jazz and funk within … Continued

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