Accumulating a solid rock band from the ruins of a “lounge pop” band from Winnipeg might not always be as easy as it sounds, but Novillero seem to have done so without losing an ounce of their clever delivery. “Hypothesist,” a glossy garage rock number, outshines “Ceremony” slightly though both sound reminiscent of a scene [...]

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There is a really interesting discussion between a gentleman at Merge Records (Spoon, The Arcade Fire, yada yada) regarding a recent sale at Best Buy of independent albums. Before I continue, please check the “sale” out here, just to see what all the fuss is about, and the discussion here. I have my own views [...]

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This husband-wife duo hailing from California have some of the most infectious drum & keyboard driven rock that you might hear this year (or ever…). Their simplistic pop style is one that easily shifts from an ambient rock (in “Think Long”) to something along the lines of a broader, well rounded Atom and His Package [...]

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Rolling Stone recently remarked that “He looks like Gary Oldhamand writes battered love-songs like Bob Dylan with a case of Badfinger.” I don’t know that I fully agree with that statement. There are exceptions such as Armstrong’s Beatles-esque track “The Finishing Track.” On the other hand, “Broken Mouth Blues” makes me reconsider that statement with [...]

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NOMO offers a unique insight into the genre of free form, Spanish funk with African tribal-like syncopation; if such a genre does in fact exist. With a blend of those tribal beats, horns, keyboards and more, this eight-piece brings their act to the pinnacle of new wave jazz. Their unprocessed, multi-layered sound leaves me dreaming [...]

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Christian Death is as sexy as anything Marvin Gaye did…or so says Moving Units’ singer/guitarist Blake Miller. Falling into fashion isn’t always planned, sometimes it’s just right place, right group, right time. Miller relates to the band’s similarities to the recent “dance-punk” trend in rock, “The truth of the matter is, what we did at [...]

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Just like a solid mix tape, it’s hard to determine the audience, their tastes and preferences and willingness to listen to whatever it is that you think is good. If you start with a song too rigid, or hard, you risk the chance of quickly alienating your listener. On the opposite end of [...]

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DJ Shadow makes me thing of what I would want to play at a social gathering, a party, a get together. Maybe I’d have some overpriced underappreciated fine alcohols, or some wines which I can’t stand but flaunt anyhow. Maybe I’d accompany the drinks with some costly appetizers or cheeses; something which I wouldn’t be [...]

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Now after hearing the band, I don’t know why I haven’t heard them before. It could be my ever-declining brain stamina which led me to believe that they were the same band as the lackluster Starsailor, but stellastarr* really plays a mean tune (the other difference between the two…well, that and they’re not from England). [...]

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