Record Dept. Music Reviews
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SPOTIFY

From mellow mornings to late-night jams, my Spotify playlists capture what’s on heavy rotation.

Spider + Octopus – La Arana Esta Susurrando

Spider + Octopus sounds like a campy made-for-TV movie on the Syfy Channel, but in…read more→

The Telepathic Butterflies – Wow and Flutter

Hailing from Winnipeg, The Telepathic Butterflies have released their fourth album, Wow & Flutter! on…read more→

Meursault – All Creatures Will Make Merry

Edinburgh indie folk/rock band Meursault made a name for themselves with their 08 debut Pissing…read more→

Good Old War – Good Old War

The Philadelphia-based indie-rock trio Good Old War (Keith GOODwin, Tim ArnOLD and Daniel SchWARtz) formed…read more→

Here We Go Magic – Pigeons

Luke Temple’s second release under the moniker Here We Go Magic is poppy, spacey, dreamy,…read more→

Sleepy Sun – Fever

San Francisco psych rock band Sleepy Sun’s new release Fever comes quickly on the heels…read more→

Carissa’s Wierd – They’ll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996-2003

Now-defunct Seattle band Carissa’s Wierd ran for seven years, creating moody lo-fi chamber pop and…read more→

Norfolk and Western – Dinero Severo

Portland based Norfolk & Western’s sixth album Dinero Severo is their first full-length since the…read more→

Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants – Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants

Chris Shiflett, best known as the guitarist for the Foo Fighters for the past decade,…read more→

Pert’ Near Sandstone – Out on a Spree

Minneapolis based string band quartet Pert Near Sandstone’s fourth album Out on a Spree takes…read more→

Hi Ho Silver Oh – Put It All In One Place and Burn It

Put It All In One Place and Burn It, the debut release from Hi Ho…read more→

WOOM – Muu’s Way

Over the course of their six year collaboration, Sara Magenheimer and Eben Portnoy have continually…read more→

Tom Schraeder – Once Lace, Now Cotton

Young Chicago troubadour Tom Schraeder’s (Tom Schraeder & His Ego) latest album Once Lace, Now…read more→

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Acclaimed indie rock darlings Arcade Fire release The Suburbs, their highly awaited follow-up to 07’s…read more→

Stars – The Five Ghosts

Indie pop band Stars continues its run of producing big dreamy songs that are dramatic,…read more→

Sunglasses – Sunglasses EP

Sunglasses seems like a benign enough name for a band, but from the sound of…read more→

catl. – With the Lord for Cowards You Will Find No Place

Toronto’s catl., comprised of Jamie Fleming (ex-Pecola frontman – vocals, guitar), Johnny LaRue (The Exploders…read more→

Pickathon 2010

PICKATHON | 2010 FOR MORE INFORMATION Pickathon, the first and one of the top indie-roots…read more→

The Acorn – No Ghost

Canadian indie folk band The Acorn dropped their new record No Ghost earlier this summer,…read more→

The Romany Rye – Highway 1, Look Back Carefully

The Romany Rye is the latest full band project of LA-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Luke MacMaster (Colour),…read more→

The Golden Dogs – Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms, is the third album from Toronto band The Golden Dogs, whose line-up…read more→

Lessons In Time – Swords and Spears

Lessons In Time, aka Blake Wassell, is a 19-year-old Australian musician who takes found sounds…read more→

Kathryn Calder – Are You My Mother

Kathryn Calder’s solo release, Are You My Mother? marks this Canadian artist’s solo debut. Formerly…read more→

Jack Rose with D. Charles Speer and The Helix – Ragged and Right

The prolific guitarist Jack Rose (Pelt), whose tribute album Honest Strings I recently reviewed, collaborated…read more→

Wages – In Sun

Wages makes sweet pop songs that soar and swell on their debut EP, In Sun.…read more→

Grand Canyon – The Hits

Grand Canyon is a rootsy country punk collective that naturally hails from Albuquerque, NM. Their…read more→

Eskalators – Cats and Dogs Living Together EP

18-piece orchestral pop collective Eskalators (not to be confused with British ska band The Eskalators)…read more→

Frontier Ruckus – Deadmalls and Nightfalls

Lansing, MI based indie folk band Frontier Ruckus is set to release Deadmalls & Nightfalls…read more→

The Phoenix Foundation – Buffalo

New Zealand’s The Phoenix Foundation hasn’t gotten much attention stateside, but keen listeners may have…read more→

Mary Gauthier – The Foundling

Modeled after Willie Nelson’s The Redheaded Stranger, New Orleans singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier delves more fully…read more→

Hezekiah Jones – Bread of Teeth

Following the success of their 06 full-length debut Hezekiah Says You’re A-Ok and 07’s Come…read more→

Our Orthodox – Our Orthodox

Indie folk rocker Neal Harris’ (a.k.a. Our Orthodox) self-titled debut uses pure acoustic guitar, vocals,…read more→

Ronnie Fauss – New Songs for the Old Frontier Volume One

09’s New Songs for the Old Frontier Volume One finds Dallas, TX alt-country Americana singer/songwriter…read more→

Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein is best known as the writer and illustrator of books like “Where the…read more→

Coolrunnings – Babes Forever EP

Babes Forever, one of two recent EPs from Coolrunnings, takes inspiration from west coast surf-rock,…read more→

Sonny and the Sunsets – Tomorrow Is Alright

Sonny & the Sunsets, fronted by San Francisco playwright/songsmith/troubadour Sonny Smith, effortlessly drift through 50’s,…read more→

Ghosts I’ve Met – Payphone Patience EP

Ghosts I’ve Met is a Seattle based indie folk act centered around Sam Watts with…read more→

Wolf Parade – Expo 86

The third album by Canadian indie-rockers Wolf Parade, Expo 86, follows the band’s 08 At…read more→

Honest Strings: A Tribute to the Life and Work of Jack Rose

Philadelphia based acoustic guitar prodigy Jack Rose (formerly of noise/drone band Pelt) died suddenly of…read more→

Blitzen Trapper – Destroyer of the Void

Portland’s favorite bearded sextet, Blitzen Trapper, have just released their fifth album, Destroyer of the…read more→

Vermillion Sands – Vermillion Sands

Italian garage pop quartet Vermillion Sands (not to be confused with the similarly named 80’s…read more→

Thee Oh Sees – Warm Slime

San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees boldly start off Warm Slime with the title track that…read more→

Plants and Animals – La La Land

Montreal trio Plants and Animals follow up their well-received debut Parc Avenue with La La…read more→

BLK JKS – Zol!

Indie rock band BLK JKS from Johannesburg has a very timely release for their EP…read more→

Secret Cities – Pink Graffiti

Secret Cities’ 10-track album influenced by “Brian Wilson and young people” puts an impressive spin…read more→

Leopold and His Fiction – Golden Friends

San Francisco lo-fi indie rock trio Leopold and His Fiction’s third release Golden Friends features…read more→

Candy Claws – Hidden Lands

Candy Claws is an eight-piece experimental dream pop band from Fort Collins, Colorado that seamlessly…read more→

Doug Burr – O Ye Devastator

O Ye Devastator – the follow-up to Doug Burr’s acclaimed The Shawl from 08 –…read more→

Patrick Park – Come What Will

Colorado-born but LA based singer/songwriter and guitarist Patrick Park’s fifth album Come What Will continues…read more→

Trampled By Turtles – Palomino

Duluth, Minnesota bluegrass band Trampled By Turtles’ fifth studio album, Palomino, finds the acoustic quintet…read more→

Pearson – Clear Thinking on Mixed Feelings

Canadian slowcore folk band Pearson’s debut Clear Thinking on Mixed Feelings is a finely polished…read more→

People of the North – Deep Tissue

People of the North take listeners to psych-rock heaven with Deep Tissue, a four-track LP…read more→

Jeremy Messersmith – The Reluctant Graveyard

It may be called The Reluctant Graveyard, but Jeremy Messersmith’s latest release is anything but…read more→

Woods – At Echo Lake

The Brooklyn band Woods’ fifth release At Echo Lake is another superb set of psych-tinged…read more→

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Saltwater Band, formerly of the Aboriginal rock/roots band Yothu…read more→

The Wilderness of Manitoba – When You Left the Fire

The Wilderness of Manitoba’s debut full-length album When You Left the Fire is the much…read more→

Mountain Man – Made the Harbor

Mountain Man is a trio of three women (Amelia Meath, Molly Sarle, and Alex Sauser-Monnig)…read more→

Sleigh Bells – Treats

The current incarnation of Brooklyn’s Sleigh Bells – Derek Miller (guitar, beats) and Alexis Krauss…read more→

Folk Music for the End of the World

The first-rate 07 compilation Folk Music for the End of the World put out by…read more→

Tim and Sam’s Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam – Life Stream

Leave the city behind and prepare to drift through the countryside with Life Stream, the…read more→

Friend of All the World – Up These Branches

Montreal’s Robert Cole, recording under the moniker Friend of All the World, spent about two…read more→

The Love Language – Libraries

The second release Libraries from North Carolina’s The Love Language sounds like lo-fi, effects-laden ’60s…read more→

Wye Oak – My Neighbor/My Creator

Wye Oak – My Neighbor/My Creator

Baltimore indie folk duo Wye Oak delivers its third release My Neighbor/My Creator less than…read more→

Kyle Swartzwelder – Our Home in Yonder Field

While spending most of 09 touring throughout the East Coast in support of his acclaimed…read more→

Horse Feathers – Thistled Spring

Thistled Spring is the follow-up to Horse Feathers’ 08 stark winter soundscape House with No…read more→

Yellow Ostrich – Wild Comfort

Yellow Ostrich is an artist I stumbled upon while surfing around on Bandcamp.com and is…read more→

Chimes & Bells – Into Pieces of Wood

Copenhagen’s Chimes & Bells, fronted by Caecilie Trier (Choir of Young Believers), released their debut…read more→

Bear in Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth

Bear in Heaven’s second LP, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, is a spacey ride comprising 10…read more→

Librarians – Present Passed

Librarians’ follow-up their 07 debut, Alright Easy Candy Stranger with Present Passed, which sees the…read more→

Suckers – Wild Smile

Brooklyn four-piece Suckers take a range of elements from glam and R&B to African rhythms…read more→

Moon Duo – Escape

San Francisco’s Moon Duo describe their music as “primordial and disorienting sonic stew,” which is…read more→

Washington Mile – Simple Hearts

Seattle’s Washington Mile is starting to create a small buzz in the indie music blogosphere,…read more→

Gold and Silver Compilation 1

The German label Gold & Silver Recordings released a superb compilation of spare acoustic folk…read more→

The Jim Jones Revue – The Jim Jones Revue

Britain’s Jim Jones Revue, who made their American debut at this year’s SXSW music festival,…read more→

Lucas Dawson – Another Way to Say Goodbye

Australian Lucas Dawson’s debut album, Another Way to Say Goodbye, is a classic break-up album,…read more→

Look Mexico – To Bed To Battle

Look Mexico’s second full-length album sees the band experimenting with new sounds and instruments, giving…read more→

Bizi Gara – Horsebat

Native Parisian painter/musician Baptiste Ibar’s (a.k.a. Bizi Gara) second album Horsebat is a collection of…read more→

The Apples in Stereo – Travellers in Space and Time

The Apples in Stereo wants you to go back to the future with its latest…read more→

The Naked Hearts – Mass Hysteria

Brooklyn’s Naked Hearts takes indie pop and adds a generous dose of melancholy on their…read more→

The Megaphonic Thrift – Decay Decoy

Norway’s The Megaphonic Thrift is the collaboration between Richard Myklebust (Stereo 21), Linn Frøkedal and…read more→

Elephant Micah – Plays the Songs of Bible Birds

Since his first folk home recordings and experimentations in ’00, Elephant Micah (singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist…read more→

The Henry Clay People – Somewhere on the Golden Coast

The third album Somewhere on the Golden Coast from Los Angeles band The Henry Clay…read more→

Beach Fossils – Beach Fossils

One of my favorite up-and-coming acts (and SXSW standouts) – Brooklyn based-band Beach Fossils –…read more→

John Goraj – Possible

John Goraj is a great up-and-coming indie folk singer/songwriter originally from South Dakota now based…read more→

The Mynabirds – What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood

Following the demise of the DC indie pop group Georgie James in 08, Laura Burhenn…read more→

Essie Jain – Until the Light of Morning

British born, NYC based indie singer/songwriter Essie Jain releases her third effort, Until the Light…read more→

Caribou – Swim

Electronic dance music gets exceptional treatment on Swim, the new release from Caribou (formerly known…read more→

Gayngs – Relayted

Anyone yearning for ‘80s retro, soft rock, smooth jams – look no further. Indie collective…read more→

The Crooked Brothers – Deathbed Pillowtalk

Winnipeg’s The Crooked Brothers finds Matt Foster and Darwin Baker (SubCity Dwellers) and Jesse Matas…read more→

Unnatural Helpers – Cracked Love and Other Drugs

Seattle garage-punk band Unnatural Helpers has fun with their second full-length release, Cracked Love &…read more→

Holy Fuck – Latin

Toronto’s Holy Fuck, after two full-length releases, is now known just as much for its…read more→

Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs – Medicine County

Medicine County, the latest album by Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, is steeped in traditional,…read more→

Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record

Broken Social Scene returns after five years with Forgiveness Rock Record, an album with the…read more→

Everest – On Approach

On Approach, Everest’s follow-up to their 2008 debut, Ghost Notes, combines sweeping pop songwriting with…read more→

Black Tambourine – Black Tambourine

Noise-pop band Black Tambourine may not have gotten its due in the ‘90s, but the…read more→

Mark Sultan – $

Montreal’s Mark Sultan (BBQ Show in King Khan, Spaceshit) returns with 13 gritty, retro inspired…read more→

The Black Keys – Brothers

Brothers – the sixth album by The Black Keys and their third on Nonesuch Records…read more→

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Dirty Shirt Rock ‘N Roll: The First Ten Years

Dirty Shirt Rock ‘N Roll: The First Ten Years is a 22 track retrospective of…read more→

The Fresh & Onlys – August in My Mind

San Francisco-quartet The Fresh & Onlys’ latest EP August in My Mind continues their mash-up…read more→

Giant Cloud – Old Books

New Orleans-based quintet Giant Cloud blends classic psychedelia and indie rock with lush harmonies and…read more→

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