It's hard to argue with a good pop song. If the melody is catchy, the beat moves along, and the words are discernible and fun to sing, you really can't ask for much more. Indie poppers, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, have crafted a self-titled debut that is packed full of simple, sturdy pop songs. Though sometimes placed within the noise pop realm, they would really only fit into the very edge
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Even before America voted in 2007, it was clear that Melinda Doolittle was not the typical American Idol contestant. First of all, the season six participant had previously worked as a professional back-up singer for several notable acts before auditioning in front of Randy, Simon, and Paula. Also, after sailing easily into the top twelve, it became clear that Doolittle was the most humble pers...
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Dent May might be the most unlikely artist to grace the indie scene in some time. Primarily, because the bespectacled, tuxedo-clad Mississippian's instrument of choice is the ukulele-and it is, according to him, magnificent. Though it may sound like a goofy gimmick, May makes it all work-the persona, the ukulele, the awkwardly titled band name and record title-in fact, it's May's sense of humor an
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Growing up in West Tennessee, I knew better than to expect much snow during the fall and winter months because it wasn't cold enough for it. Instead, we had an endless gray ceiling hanging over our heads from November to March. I'm convinced those days would have been easier to bear if I'd had a record like Paranoid Cocoon on hand. These countrified, psychedelic pop songs roll along like the sleep
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One thing is for sure, the new, happy Springsteen is nowhere near as fun as the angry, fiery Springsteen that has been a prophet of rock'n'roll for more than three decades. The Boss' '70s work was a Van Morrison-inspired blend of rock, R&B, and a little funk in which he sang what were basically short stories which idealized and romanticized the colorful tapestry of street life in Asbury Park, New
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Rising out of the dark, electric shadows of his 2007 album, Armchair Apocrypha, Andrew Bird greets the dawn of 2009 with Noble Beast, a set of carefully crafted and (mostly) acoustic songs which sound gorgeously lazy thanks to their heavy country-folk leanings. Much like it's cover photo of a country field at either the first rays of dawn or the last dying glow before dusk, Noble Beast is a calm,
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"Peace Bone," the opener on Strawberry Jam, functions as a microcosm of Animal Collective's entire discography up to this point. It begins with a static-y chorus of blips and bleeps that form a cacophonous noise that is initially unbearable. Yet within a few seconds, a rhythm emerges in the noise and a beat slowly rises in the murk and before you know it you are knee deep in a veritable pop song w
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Though based out of San Francisco, it seems surprisingly authentic when the members of Or, the Whale sing wistfully about "the old deep South" on the opener, "Call and Response," and declare that that they are "headed back to New Orleans." Perhaps it's the shimmering pedal steel guitars, or the frequent three part male and female vocal harmonies, or the acoustic guitars and banjos that sit togethe
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Justin Vernon surely had no clue of the success that would come his way when he holed up in a hunting cabin two winters ago to write the songs that would make up his debut album as Bon Iver. Now Bon Iver has become a three-piece, though it is still clearly the Justin Vernon show, and they have put out a new EP called Blood Bank. It seems that this recording is meant to serve two purposes: (1) to d
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Beginning in October, cryptic messages began to appear on Animal Collective's website. First, there was a phrase: "Merriweather Post Pavilion," then a list of words and phrases-perhaps a tracklist?-and eventually, it was confirmed that this was indeed a new Animal Collective record, due out during the first weeks of 2009. The internet subsequently exploded-the buzzers buzzed, the hypers hyped, the
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