March 16, 2009

Her Space Holiday XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival [3.5/5] While there has certainly been no absence of cute indie rock in the world recently, there’s something to be said for doing it well. On his latest album, Marc Bianchi-aka Her Space Holiday-has thrown his former electronic tendencies out the window in exchange for...

Crooked Fingers Forfeit/Fortune [4/5] Eric Bachmann’s latest album under the Crooked Fingers moniker conjures up the golden age of Bruce Springsteen for the chord progressions and Berlin trilogy-era David Bowie for the arrangements. That is, of course, unless Bachmann is relying on traditional Spanish folk music, like on “¡No Me Los Des!” and “Sinisteria.” Forfeit/Fortune...

Vic Chesnutt, Elf Power And The Amorphous Strums Dark Developments [4/5] Fresh off their finest individual work in a decade, this complementary pairing produces an album bubbling with vitality, adventure and catchy melodies. Though written and recorded quickly, it’s hard to imagine how these tracks could have been improved on, as they effortlessly cover a...

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan Sunday At Devil Dirt [4/5] When former Belle & Sebastian member Isobel Campbell and former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan released their first collaboration, Ballad Of The Broken Seas, in 2006, the chemistry was obvious. Campbell wrote to Lanegan’s strengths, penning songs about loaded guns, despair, salvation and/or retribution, setting...

Antony And The Johnsons Another World EP [2.5/5] For as strange as he is (think of a twisted piano-bar player in a David Lynch film), Antony Hegarty certainly knows how to create a mood. After exploring a transgender life in past songs, his haunting voice calls for complete exodus over barely-there piano in the stunning...

Drew Andrews Only Mirrors [3/5] Unlike building implosions, roller coasters and most recently the stock market, Drew Andrews is for the faint-hearted. His gentle, undulating waves of softcore acoustic pop lap at the heels of the easy listening pier, just down from yacht rock, within shouting distance of Elliott Smith’s memorial slip and Cardinal’s chamber-pop...

Squarepusher Just A Souvenir [4/5] In the mid-’90s, Squarepusher was the king of insanity-inducing, undanceable drum & bass. But since 1998’s Music Is Rotted One Note, the British producer/bassist (aka Tom Jenkinson) has increasingly let his jazz and prog-rock tendencies infiltrate and overshadow his manic, hyper-complex rhythms. By the time of 2002’s Do You Know...

Spylacopa Spylacopa EP [4/5] Spylacopa (“apocalypse” spelled backward, minus the “e” which is silent anyway) is a supergroup of sorts, if noisy post-hardcore art-rock is the center of your world. Started by Candiria’s Dan LaMacchia, this EP features the Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato and Julie Christmas of Made Out Of Babies, as well as...

Ryan Adams And The Cardinals Cardinology With the Cardinals holding steadfast by his side, Ryan Adams asserts a distinctly Americana ethos into dynamic, woven layers of rock on Cardinology, showcasing the diverse range of this prolific songwriter and his backing band. The record carries more of a timeless rock ’n’ roll tinge than the alt-country...