Heems – Nehru Jackets (2012)
Das Racists’ first two mixtapes, released in 2010, were perfect summer records. It was actually the summer of ’11 that found my circle of friends soundtracking warm, aimless nights with “Rainbow in the Dark” or “Hahaha, jk” and the group’s ironically-ironic careless attitude already feels nostalgic in the way that summer records do after just a few months. … Continue reading
Loma Prieta – I.V. (2012)
It’s hard not to appreciate concision, especially when it comes to abrasive music. This is not to say that the experience of listening to said music is unpleasant or undesirable, but context and tastefulness are important; a good record knows what is necessary and what is filler. Loma Prieta, a bay-area, emo-influenced hardcore outfit (dare I use the now-ruined phrase … Continue reading
A Place to Bury Strangers – Onwards to the Wall (2012)
Derivative: innocuous adjective or insult? The answer is, of course, entirely subjective though in my humble opinion influences are important and recently, quite obvious in most independent music. Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers have been cranking out shoegaze-inspired post-punk music since the middle of the 00s and their new EP, Onwards to the Wall is an excellent … Continue reading
of Montreal – Paralytic Stalks (2012)
After my first listen through Paralytic Stalks, the latest effort from psychedelic pop outfit, of Montreal, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had missed something incredibly important; some crucial overarching concept that would explain all the questions the record left in its wake. It is an overwhelming listen, for sure, but really nothing more … Continue reading
Bears – Greater Lakes (2012)
Thirty minutes is about as short as an LP can get, so it should go without saying that an album of such length should have no issue with holding a listener’s attention. Greater Lakes, the third full length from Cleveland indie rockers Bears, immediately aroused my suspicion on a completely unjustifiable level with its pseudo-folky ironic pun title … Continue reading
Matt Elliott – The Broken Man (2012)
Matt Elliott is a singer/songwriter hailing from Bristol who has been making dark, introspective folk music since the early 2000’s. His 2012 release, The Broken Man finds him exploring a sparser, more stripped-down approach than his previous couple LP’s while retaining the sombre atmosphere that has become a hallmark of his work. Elliott has taken up … Continue reading
Museum Mouth – Sexy but Not Happy (2012)
As far as genres go (which, for the record, isn’t very far) pop-punk has become something of a dirty word since the days of its corporate-usurped pinnacle in the early 2000’s. Hailing from North Carolina, Museum Mouth is bringing a DIY aesthetic back to the genre in what is not so much a revival as … Continue reading
Listen to Grouper Cover Dead Moon
Fans of Liz May’s ambient chef d’ouvre, A I A from last year now have something to satiate their thirst for more desolate, effect-laden soundscapes…. YETI Magazine’s latest issue includes a 7″ with the track “Demona”, originally written by Portland garage rockers Dead Moon, but equally as enjoyable when twisted into May’s bleak, decaying style. Listen to … Continue reading
The Caretaker – Patience (After Sebald) (2012)
Even detractors of The Caretaker’s sinister 2011 LP, An Empty Bliss Beyond This World could not deny it possessed a certain cinematic quality. James Kirby’s carefully sampled and re-arranged collages of dixieland lounge music were hemmed with reverb and vinyl surface noise that became part of a larger, albeit cryptic, piece of sonic art that would no … Continue reading
Whirr – June (2011)
“Junebouvier” is an excellent development on the tone California shoegazers Whirr set with their debut EP, Distressor, in 2010. It features a noisy, jangly guitar line right out of 1990 and while this kind of nostalgic pandering is often off-putting, the band executes it with the kind of enthusiasm and grace that suggests they would have … Continue reading
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