Monthly Archives July 2007

South - Up Close and Personal

Pictured:  South, thoughtful pornography observers.
This single came out last year for an album that has yet to materialize this side of the Atlantic.  I’m not exactly sure why, but for whatever reason there has been delay and delay and delay from these British rockers, to the point that most people (including me) have forgotten that […]

School of Language - Rockist Part 1

Pictured: What? I don’t know. Musicians are weird. Whatever.
“Sit down, class. Jimmy, you’re late again. Go to the office.”
“But Mr. Brewis!”
“No buts in my class, Mr.”
As corny an idea as it may seem, Field Music’s David Brewis’ new song sounds like a lesson taught in some quirky private school, and it isn’t corny at all. Rockist Part […]

Best Friends Forever - Handpocket

Pictured:  Best Friends Forever, rocking full-time, lifeguarding part-time.
Best Friends Forever are an art-pop-rock trio from Minneapolis.  They play really catchy songs with bells and guitar and shaky-sometimes-talk-sometimes-sing-vocals.  They have real hooks, and play real live shows.  It says so on their myspace. 
Besides that, I don’t know much about either lead singer (Bri Smith and Jes […]

Breakestra - Hit the Floor

 
Pictured:  Breakestra asks, “Where’s the party, dog?”  Yup, even the dad-looking guy in the middle.  Especially that guy.
Breakestra is a Bronx based funk band that is less about jam (thankfully) and more about dance.  They’ve been around seemingly forever, with former members going on to form or be seminal members of Fishbone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, […]

We’re Sorry! So Sorry!

 
Pictured:  Guys being almost as sorry as us.  and as hairy. 
Hey Guys!  Sorry for the long hiatus.  There has been change in all of our lives.  Will is moving to Canada, Andy and I have very rich and fulfilling lives, and Kyle is, well… making more cut-offs and promising reviews that don’t happen.  Anyway, […]

Shapes and Sizes - Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner

Pictured: Shapes and Sizes. Not the most beautiful people in the world.
Writing a review about the new Shapes and Sizes album is a somewhat strange endeavor. On the one hand, I know that it’s an inaccessible album, one that will turn away casual music listeners within the first four songs. One the other, I know that it’s […]

The Maccabees - Colour It In

Pictured:  The Maccabees, young, angry, and all about pepto-bismol?
The Maccabees are another fast, dance-rock band from the UK.  They write catchy choruses, and play fast-guitars and drums with lots of high-hat.  It’s sort of new wave + Devo + an Isaac Brock stand in.  Here’s the thing, where I can’t stand Isaac Brock, because of […]

Nick Lowe - At My Age

Pictured: They don’t call him Basher for nuthin’.
This might be unfair to say, but life for Nick Lowe seems pretty alright. In his younger years he produced singles for The Pretenders and multiple albums for Elvis Costello. He did production on The Damneds’ ‘Damned, Damned, Damned,’ and for it he’s still thought of as one […]

Buena Vista Social Club - Candela

 
Pictured: Buena Vista Social Club, even older and latin-ier than Yo La Tengo. 
 
Ok, this may be a weekly thing for me, or until I get completely tired of it, but why does everything we review have to have come out in the last 3 months?  I’m assuming the answer would be that we are […]

Joan as Police Woman - Real Life

Pictured:  Joan As Police Woman, the sort who partners up with Jackie Chan, not the Steven Seagal type.
The album, Real Life starts out with it’s title track gently lilting up and down a grand piano.  It’s a quiet moment, but not in the way of a dirty basement recording, more like the quiet, introspective song […]

Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara

Pictured: Poor sad man.
Who’da thunk? This will most likely end up being one of this year’s best soft indie/folk albums, and songwriter Tony Dekker gives credit to Canada as inspiration. The album’s title, Ongiara, is the name of the boat that carried the band from Toronto Harbor to the studio on Toronto Island where they […]