indie albums
Album Review: The Posies – Solid States
While power-pop has undergone something of a resurgence in the last decade or so, in truth, it really hasn’t gone away since the hey-day of At Budokan. Prior to that much of power-pop’s groundwork had been laid by the likes of Raspberries, but it was Big Star who are now regularly name-dropped as the cornerstone …
Album Review: We Are Scientists – Helter Seltzer
The ever–growing manufactured pop industry has many flaws, but perhaps it’s greatest crime is the fact that it has continued to redirected the limelight and record label resources away from a whole generation of non-manufactured acts who would otherwise be enjoying big hit singles and be celebrated by being carried shoulder-high through any town they …
AlBum Review: Eliza and the Bear “Eliza and the Bear”
Eliza and the Bear have their biggest disclaimer on their twitter profile: “No one in this band is called Eliza” and it needs reiterating just in case you confused them for one of that popular trend of female fronted acts like Florence + the Machine, Marina and the Diamonds or Betty and the Werewolves. Nope, …
Album Review: The Last Shadow Puppets – Everything You’ve Come To Expect
Alex Turner and Miles Kane are back as the Last Shadow Puppets, still playing at the Riviera bad-boys like Morecambe & Wise at their cinematic best. As on their debut album, they skid on Shirley Bassey strings arrangements like dogshit in a badly-lit car park, and merge Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ histrionics with 50s pizzazz, yet still …
Album Review: James – “Girl At the End of the World”
James are heading for their 35th year together as a band so it’s something of a surprise to learn that their latest album, their 12th studio album, came very close to being their very first to reach #1. Of course, their bumper singles-fest “The Best of” reached #1 in 1998, going on to be certified …
Album Review: Yeasayer – Amen & Goodbye
Ask the average guy on the street what they know about Yeasayer, and they’ll probably sing you their sing-a-long anthem ‘O.N.E’. And indeed, why not? It is without doubt a tune. In fact the whole of their album ‘Odd Blood’ pushed their profile to a brand new level. Big songs like ‘Madder Red’ and ‘Ambling …
Album Review: Cullen Omori – New Misery
By Ryan Jameson Weaver And just like that, former Smith Westerns front man Cullen Omori has proven his right. He has proven not only that he can endure, but that he can continue to embellish his creative spirit with the forthcoming of wherever it takes him. We have seen his predecessors become somewhat of an …
Album Review: Damien Jurado – Visions of Us on the Land
Damien Jurado is one of the most interesting musicians working today. He may not think that, but he’s a modest guy. Jurado’s not the kind of artist that sits around thinking about how interesting he is. But take my word for it Damien, you are very interesting. Ever since he began his musical partnership with …
Album Review: Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – A Man Alive
I’ve always been a big fan of girls with guitars. The nineties brought us a whole new generation of ladies who could rock out. The likes of PJ Harvey, Kristin Hersh and Courtney Love with her band Hole introduced us to those big fuzzy guitars that defined an era, all with added oestrogen. Twenty odd …
Album Review: LNZNDRF – LNZNDRF
Once in a great while a record comes out and completely catches me off guard. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. With the debut record of LNZNDRF it’s definitely for the better. It’s one of those debuts that comes out of the gate and grabs you instantly. Part euro pop, part Krautrock …