indie albums
Album Review: Turin Brakes – Lost Property
To me Turin Brakes are like an old friend I’ve lost regular touch with over the years that I bump into in my local one evening. We’ve not seen each other for a while, but after some initial awkwardness, we end up having one of those nights out that sticks in your memory and reminds …
Album Review: Villagers – Where Have You Been All My Life?
I liked Villagers from the moment my friend Susie slipped their debut album into her car CD player as she gave me a lift to the train station one lunchtime in early 2011. The fact that they were effectively a him (Conor O’Brien), that he / they were signed to the ever-dependable Domino Records and …
Album Review: Skunk Anansie – Anarchytecture
Remember the first time you ever saw Skunk Anansie? Lead singer Skin was unlike anyone else on the scene at the time; a scary looking woman with a shaved head, in camo trousers and Docs. You wouldn’t have wanted to bump into her on a dark night. The music no doubt went hand in hand …
Album Review: Antlered Aunt Lord – Ostensibly Formerly Stunted (and on fire)
Sometime Tunabunny drummer Jesse Stinnard has recently released his first record under his Antlered Aunt Lord moniker. Titled Ostensibly Formerly Stunted and released on the HHBTM label, it’s a mixture of his own lo-fi and very much DIY recordings that Stinnard culled from a bank of almost 200. His reputation (locally) as something of eccentric …
Album Review: MONEY – Suicide Songs
With Christmas just around the corner, the music on our radios is about joy, happiness and having a good time. But come January we are all fed up of the bells and the sparkle. The festive season behind us and the nights are dark and long. Nights out and Christmas parties turn to cheap nights …
Album Review: Parquet Courts – Monastic Living EP
Parquet Courts, the Indie Rock band hailing from New York City, have been trolling the musical community for about a year now since releasing their last album under the moniker ‘Parkay Quarts’. Before that, the band released two excellent albums, Light Up Gold and Sunbathing Animal, and one exciting EP, Tally All The Things That …
Album Review: The Telescopes – Splashdown The Complete Creation Recordings 1990-92
I remember seeing the Telescopes on the main stage in 1990 at Reading Festival on the bill with Loop, the Pixies and the Fall, such was their quick rise following the release of early singles Kick the Wall and 7th Disaster on Cheree Records. The band were signed by Alan McGees Creation records soon after …
Album Review: Martin Courtney : Many Moons
There’s something about Martin Courtney’s voice that just gets me. He has one of those voices that no matter what he’s singing he always just sounds like him. There’s no grandiose accenting or histrionics when he sings songs like “It’s Real” or “Talking Backwards” with his main gig Real Estate. You get the impression when …
Album Review: They Might Be Giants – Why?
Music for children is often an awkward art to master. Obviously you want something tuneful and memorable, but you also want to avoid adult themes. Another thing you want to avoid is the music itself being ‘childish’, otherwise it will inevitably grate on the nerves of the parents and therefore only get played under duress. …
Album Review: Car Seat Headrest – Teens Of Style
I recently read a rather poignant article over at Pitchfork about Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous. In it they talked about when he’d write a song that was deemed to “poppy” by his inner critic he’d add sonic grime over top to dirty it up. He’d also use $20 junk yard mics to record his vocals with …