Music is one of the few ways we can revisit the past through our senses. Listeners tend to eternally place themselves in a particular emotional or social location after hearing a song, and this consequently creates a memory or impression of sorts that is often indescribable in words. It can only be accurately relayed as [...]
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If it is possible to be ambitiously impatient, Kevin Martin would exemplify it perfectly. His ambition and impatience often clash for the listeners’ enjoyment, producing a variety of projects that all encompass his ingenuity without being restrained by observational cohesiveness. In addition to his ambition and impatience, Martin has always resembled a perfectionist of sorts [...]
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It is risky to tackle a style that fuses several aspects of an overlooked past, particularly in regard to stylistic movements that took place decades ago. This was a time before our generation’s fascination with excess took hold on all forms of media. Popular music has always aligned with the cultural times and the [...]
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When looking back to our high school days, many of us can likely remember reading Thoreau’s Walden. Even those turned off by the primary philosophy of transcendentalism have grasped the value of such a classic, as Thoreau’s isolated musings concerning self-sufficiency and civility seem even more relevant today in an age distancing itself from such [...]
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Spontaneity is a trait that all fine artists have, regardless of whether it arises daily or once every few years. Immediately connecting with an emotion, object, or individual is rare enough, so to produce a work of art from it requires the most gifted of abilities. This type of spontaneous chemistry was evident between Deidre [...]
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Releasing an album fresh out of college can be an interesting process. One arrives at the point where excitement and ambition are more prevalent than ever, not yet deterred by continuous rejection or personal crisis. All the knowledge acquired during class and work now has to be put to use using reason; this occurs as [...]
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England is one of the last places I would expect a musician to be “bored”, especially if they are native to the country. Its rich history aside, every major label houses an office there and there are certainly a surplus of venues present, not to mention an endless list of British influences to get inspiration [...]
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Anticipation can be a relatively deceptive thing. It has no bearing on the actual result of a product or action, even if hype can sway us otherwise. I can only imagine how the few remaining Guns N’ Roses fans felt those 15 years between new albums, only to experience Chinese Democracy as an average release [...]
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Light shows are not exactly synonymous with indie bands. Superfluous visual appeal and leisurely expenses are not the most attractive concepts to artists on a budget, even if it supplements their music well. I am not sure exactly how Morningbell are able to conduct a consistently impressive light show for less than $100, but this [...]
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Afternoon naps are a pretty amiable thing to name your band after, even if it is hardly the most exciting. These few hours are simple but highly productive, at least in the sense that recuperation amidst a weekday’s chaos is rare, and these are the reasons why it can be so enjoyable. Although somewhat misleading, [...]
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No instrument has ever been a necessity, for talented artists always find a means for audible manipulation. It sounds like such a conceited and disdainful word, but when manipulation is used as a means to promote unconditional enjoyment and legitimate artistic vision, is it really such a negative influence? Many artists are guilty of over-doing [...]
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One would hardly expect the porno biz to produce something like this. A camera operator and make-up artist are more accustomed to visual appeal, after all, and music’s role in porn is little more than background music providing the next worst thing to elevator music. I introduced the duo of Mr. Gnome over a year [...]
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The month of October always seems to root out the Album of the Year contenders, making this and November one of the most active months in new music releases. Similar to the several months preceding the Academy Awards for film, many marketing agencies and labels are thrusting out the last of their ‘09 products before [...]
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I was a bit weary when Bishop Allen began their EP project, where they released an EP once every month for the entirety of 2006. Why rush artistic integrity and spoil the chances of a full-length masterpiece in the process? Many listeners probably had a similar first impression, but when hearing the type of content [...]
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To say that Lymbyc Systym represent the next large movement might be an overstatement, but their methodology is certainly becoming more prevalent among emerging artists. Almost all of us can remember being enamored with a certain technological breakthrough during our childhood, from color television to smart-phones. Many young artists today can probably remember when Atari [...]
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Stereotypes involving the carefree indulgences of a Californian summer have been circulating since surf-rock originated in the ’60s. Its inception was largely brought on by the development and popularization of the spring reverb, which at the time was said to mimic the sound of waves along one of these sunny beaches. Mickey Deora described surf [...]
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Continuing with the recent theme of atmospheric pop music that Washed Out and Neon Indian showed us, Her Vanished Grace deliver a similar sort of layer-based sereneness that differentiates itself through dark and moody Brit-rock instead of chilly electronica or sample-based experimentation. By most accounts, Blue is their tenth release of new material since their [...]
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If stoner-rock is defined by slowly presented guitar riffs grounded in heavy doses of reverb and downtuned effects, then where does electronic music with a similar aim sit? Any genre that is reflective of the carefree and serene indulgence that hallucinogens grant tends to hold this tag in some form, so why should electronica be [...]
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When projects attempt to be conceptual in both their style and purpose, there arises a sensitive area where criticism has difficulty retreating from the subjective to the objective. What we define as “quality” is premeditated by our own personal taste and is primarily subjective, but a release can also reach a consensus of inarguable quality [...]
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Continuing with the stream of CMJ-bound artists, The Library are a bit different from what many expect at a festival of CMJ’s often frenetic vein. Often popular for artists that tout theatrical art-rock, synth-pounding dance-pop, or other forms of danceable bliss with high tempos, the audience at CMJ may initially be startled to hear this [...]
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