Quick Hits

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Sunday, 08 April 2007 11:05

It's primarily instrumental, but with some kind of humming or background vocals on most of the tracks. This gives the album a unique flavor - sort of a mix of French soundtrack music and the lighter side of Chicago post-rock.

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Sunday, 08 April 2007 10:54

Guitars dominate, but in an improvised, Interstellar Overdrive sort of way (in fact, the spirit of early Pink Floyd lurks among the drone and creative percussion of "Clear Cut"), leaving the blazingly off-kilter rhythm section to do oddly interesting things.

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Sunday, 08 April 2007 10:51

Electrelane is an all-girl four-piece rock band, and this is their love song. What is immediately catchy is Verity Susman's hopeless tone in her vocals. The failed love and awkward desperation are so relatable, realistic, and accurate, the lyrics read like a diary.

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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 13:34

Three Pieces wanders between atmosphere and thrash, the three members providing a formidable aural assault.

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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 13:26

While the occasional finger-picked acoustic guitar comes through crystal clear, every other instrument is drenched in echo, including Scott Vitt's everyman vocals.

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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 13:20

The band chooses its battles wisely as, for once, marimbas and vibes are used apporpriately.

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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 13:15

Apparently, "twee" is "known for simple, sweet melodies and lyrics, often combined with jangling guitars."

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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 12:56

The music itself isn't really good by any means, but it makes a statement - probably. It's fast, it's loud, it's, like, "totally hardcore, dude."

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Written by Joe O'Fallon Monday, 26 March 2007 08:14

In the "Sally's Song" version (which lyrics I prefer) and the album version, teenage boys "too scared to own up to one little lie" confuse Leslie.

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Written by Jon Rayfield Friday, 02 March 2007 08:56

The production is dark and raw, reminiscent of Company Flow.

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Written by David Lichius Friday, 02 March 2007 08:51

While Waterworks contains multiple tracks of heavy, low-pitch bass rumblings that fans will surely recognize, this disc also finds Big Business exploring more melodic territories.

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Thursday, 01 March 2007 08:51

Mandell writes nice uncomplicated songs that are sticky - they stay with you.

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Thursday, 01 March 2007 08:37

The music appears to float above the fray and combines with searching lyrics (not searching too hard, mind you) that assures us this band will never make eye contact.

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Written by Kevin Renick Monday, 26 February 2007 14:09

"Sissy New Age Cowboy" lets you know what Amaker thinks of designer-wearin' C&W posers ("the Rodeo is here to kick your ass").

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Written by Jeffrey Smith Monday, 26 February 2007 14:06

It is truly a daunting task to rise above the glut of singers with guitars draped off their shoulder.

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Written by Jeffrey Smith Monday, 26 February 2007 13:51

Garfield glides fragilely from end to end throughout Ace of Hearts, sometime alone, sometimes alongside guitarist/vocalist Ste Rasch.

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Written by Jeffrey Smith Monday, 26 February 2007 13:47

Broken Land say they have their sights set on a new territory called hindie rock: Hindustani rhythms and alternate tunings uniting under a rock and punk flag.

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Written by Jeffrey Smith Monday, 26 February 2007 13:22

"Supreme Girl" is a love song based on our lovely President George Bush and one-time Supreme Court nominee Harriet Myers.

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Written by David Lichius Tuesday, 20 February 2007 14:25

Owing a great deal to the statuesque genre known as shoegazing, Conqueror may lack a bit in hooks and shifts, but makes it up thanks to low key vocals and song-crafting.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Sunday, 18 February 2007 07:05

Eastern Conference Champions is a trio that sounds thoroughly British yet hails from Pennsylvania.

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Written by David Lichius Tuesday, 13 February 2007 04:56

With its origin harkening back to Kensrue's days playing for spare change on the street corners of Southern California, Please Come Home is a stripped down, rollicking folk record that is fairly impressive and largely successful.

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Written by James McAnally Tuesday, 13 February 2007 04:53

The band's patented shoegaze gauze is shot through with fuzzed-out garage guitars on opener "Know," only to dissolve into a two-minute-long coda of brushed drums.