Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
Vol. 2: Judges is loosely crafted around a surrealistic narrative (which Stetson may eventually turn into a graphic novel) in which a man who has been lost at sea washes up on an island populated by a pack of blind horses (these are the “Judges”) who charge wildly about the land firing cannons that...
Wisconsin Built – One of Many Alternatives to the Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack
Wisconsin Built has released the first local-artist Christmas music of the year, in the form of the EP One of Many Alternatives to the Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack.
Slothbear – Canter On EP
As the title lets on, the freshly written music maintains a similar gate and bearing to previous releases, that is a unique blend of college rock and noise pop. In Slothbear’s case the uniqueness is partially due to the irreproducible modulations the sound that accompanies self production.
Halloween, Alaska – All Night the Calls Came In
Longtime favorites of the Chippewa Valley Halloween, Alaska recently released All Night the Calls Came In. The album now has the full fall season to incubate in our i-pods. It will spend these first few months, so critical to an album’s...
The Daredevil Christopher Wright – The Longsuffering Song EP
The Daredevil Christopher Wright tease listeners with an eclectic new EP of baroque pop mixed with a healthy dose of cathedral-style harmonies.
Letting Up Despite Great Faults – Paper Crush EP
Our review of Letting Up Despite Great Faults' Paper Crush EP. "A graceful synthesis from the city of angles." Also, watch the video for their track Teenage Tide, a mash up of good looking, twenty-something hipsters.
The Heart Pills – To Paul, From Dad 1951
Once described as "camp-fire-tin-can-folk-punk," The Heart Pills require deeper analysis after the release of its first true LP. A combo of 80s punk, pysch and pop-rock, witty, socially conscious lyrics, and crafty, creative songwriting makes To Paul, From Dad 1951 a unique, full-package success.
The Rosebuds – Loud Planes Fly Low
The Rosebuds' latest is the first following the divorce of lead members Kelly Crisp and Ivan Howard. Lyrically, songs share the sadness of their coping process. Musically, its likely the band's saddest as well, slower and darker than previous efforts while still exploring a wide variety of styles and sounds.
James Blake – James Blake
The Wilhelm Scream is one of the most popular choices for early 2011 Best-Of lists. Dub-step wunderkind James Blake's simplicity and aesthetic goes a long way on his debut, self-titled LP. Listen to album opener, "Unluck," and watch the video for "The Wilhelm Scream."
Herman Dune – Strange Moosic
Herman Dune's simple, CCR-esque tunes are all about aesthetic and flair, as is its new music video. Jon Hamm stars, and a big furry blue monster provides the supporting role as they joy-ride their way to a Herman Dune concert.
Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Bon Iver, Bon Iver is likely the most highly anticipated release in the history of Eau Claire music. Almost entirely different in style from Bon Iver's debut, it's a much stronger and denser album altogether. For Emma, For Ever Ago was an introduction to a band. This is the body of Bon Iver.
We Are The Willows – Places EP
The new EP from We Are The Willows is a whimsical, summer-time album full of exploration through the process by which we relate to our surroundings. Each song is named after a different location, including "Eau Claire," a cover of Laarks' "Microphone Ghost."
Conrad Plymouth – Conrad Plymouth EP
Chris Porterfield, formerly the man behind DeYarmond Edison's pedal steel, now creates lush, inspirational folk under the moniker Conrad Plymouth. His organic blend of finger-picked guitars, marching cadences, bright piano lines and country-tinged vocals open into glorious moments of great pageantry.
Cut Copy – Zonoscope
Cut Copy's third full-length flirts with the dark side of 80s dance-pop, Brian Wilson's surf-rock vision and more flamboyant disco grooves, creating a colorful blend of genres and sounds as surprising and inspiring as its cover art. Zonoscope is a masterful piece of work and an early favorite for album of the year.
JM Airis – Indian Summer
Eau Claire native Jon Airis' new Brooklyn-based project, JM Airis, wields impressively diverse powers of dense down-tempo country and western genres and textures on Indian Summer. Its able to blend easily accessible strides of songs with experimental ones, providing an assortment of intense contrasts.
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