Reviews

Gorillaz – Plastic Beach Review

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Review by Caitlin Wittlif

Damon Albarn, puppetmaster of the animated and beloved band Gorillaz, has taken the visual art that is the band and woven it into the new music on Plastic Beach. It is arguably the least accessible of the Gorillaz albums, but like much of the very best art, the fact that this is a grower works to the record’s greatest benefit. There are left-field guest spots, grandiose orchestral compositions, and tunes dripping in electronic beats, all coming together to make an artwork that rewards multiple listens.


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Rogue Wave Permalight Review

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Review by Caitlin Wittlif

Rogue Wave’s latest album, Permalight, starts out promisingly – “Solitary Gun” kicks off with a moaning, whispered thought, in the same vain and tone as Radiohead’s “You and Whose Army?” It does not follow through on this musical mood, instead leaping into a peppy pop-rock tune with tons of instrumental voices hopping in and out, like the fluid changing atmosphere at a park on a sunny day.Unfortunately, this interesting and catchy song is not representative of the entire record. For every sweet, fun, clever melody on this album, there are an equal number of confusingly bland tracks.


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Shout Out Louds – Work Review

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Review by Caitlin Wittlif

The Shout Out Louds’ new album, Work, is very sunny; light, but not necessarily lightweight. All of the songs are pretty, and although some never transcend this simplistic state, others go somewhere more complex and memorable, pairing melancholic lyrics with bright music in an attempt to lighten the emotional load.

The sounds the group plays with on their tracks are familiar, but are mixed in such a way as to disorient the listener; you’re never quite sure what era of music you’ve stumbled into. It’s that feeling you get when you think you see someone you know, a recognizable face in a crowd, but you can’t quite place them. Lead vocalist Adam Olenius alternates his delivery, at times explaining himself breathlessly, and at others giving quiet, breathy ruminations. When female vocalist Bebban Stenborg’s sweet soprano wafts in above, it softens Olenius’ already-smooth stylings.


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Adam Green – Minor Love Review

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Review by Sheila Dichoso

It all started with Adam Green crooning, “Baby come dance with me on TV at the TV station,” (What does that even mean?) back in 2002. The bizarre lyric is from his solo debut, Garfield, and it’s perfectly sums up the erstwhile Moldy Peaches co-founder’s idiosyncrasy: tongue-in-cheek, “idiot savant” songwriting—exhibited in songs both with Kimya Dawson and his solo work—that are altogether genius, funny, and possibly headache-inducing if one tries to figure out what it all means. For his sixth solo album Minor Love, there’s more of the same lyrical flair now transformed into fine-tuned poetry (“Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes, I love you, always,” he sings) and it’s evident that he’s listened to more Dylan.


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Local Natives – Gorilla Manor Review

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Review by Caitlin Wittlif

The Local Natives are five guys (and sometimes a lady violinist) from California, which may very well explain the thematic elements of sun and light streaming throughout their debut album, Gorilla Manor. Whatever their reasons for ruminating on brighter matters, they do well not only reflecting them in their lyrics, but in the music, right down to the way they sing. The harmonies in Local Natives’ songs burst through tightly-woven guitar parts and prominent rhythm section, complimenting sunny pop tunes and comforting on darker, dirtier rock pieces.


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Field Music – Field Music (Measure) Review

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Review by Caitlin Wittlif

It is incredibly frustrating when a band with unquestionable talent and clear passion seems to sell itself short on a record, particularly a band that only puts out a record every once in a blue moon. So it is on Field Music (Measure), Field Music’s first album since 2007. The English band that thought they might be the Beatles but discovered they were “just some band” has sadly seemed to pigeonhole themselves with this sentiment, experimenting chaotically through 20 tracks and 71 minutes, striving to discover something everlasting and failing to create much of anything memorable in the process.


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Citizen Cope at the Bowery Ballroom 02/12/2010 (Night 1 of 3)

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

DOWNLOAD MP3: Citizen Cope – “Healing Hands”

Kicking off a three night, sold-out stand at the Bowery Ballroom in New York, Citizen Cope brought his neo-soul, Jazz infused sound to the stage last night, with very little compromise to offer.  As soon as Cope stepped out into the limelight, cries from his adulating fans poured out, encompassing the entire, tightly packed venue.


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Hot Chip One Life Stand Review

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Review By Sheila Dichoso

Hot Chip is growing up. Two years after hitting momentous success with their 2008 critically acclaimed Made in the Dark – which spawned “Ready For the Floor” into an indie dance club staple — the UK quintet is back with the crafty-titled One Life Stand. The kings of lo-fi electronica are at their calmest and most introspective for their fourth studio album, yet that doesn’t mean you need to put your ecstasy pills away just yet.

One Life Stand opens strong with “Thieves In The Night,” a song that embodies the UK group’s familiar synthesizer-laden pop; but nuances throughout suggest the band’s evolution from techno kids to, er, techno adults, since their 2004 debut, Coming On Strong.


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Yeasayer – Odd Blood Review

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Review by Caitlin Wittlif

Though a band’s sophomore release still occasionally gets talked about in rock-critic cliché terms, there is no denying that a second album is a good indication of the group’s growth and direction. On Yeasayer’s highly-anticipated release, Odd Blood, they expand and enhance the sounds from 2007’s All Hour Cymbals.  There is a stronger sense of direction to their songs as they create a richer experience for the listener, all the while turning up the groove, which results in both a fun and satisfying album.


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Midlake – The Courage of Others Review

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Review by Caitlin Wittlif

Though I can’t claim tremendous pride in my home state of Texas (what can I say, I’m a vegetarian liberal, y’all), I am completely in the corner of our local bands.  I think Texas’ vibrant music scene is exciting, interesting, and worth having a lot of pride for. So, I was thrilled to review Denton, Texas’ breakout indie band Midlake’s new album, The Courage of Others. However, though Midlake boasts diverse influences and rich, interesting past records, their third full-length is almost exclusively a one-track journey into Woodstock forest folk-rock, entering some Tolkien realm but without the bravado or drama of Zeppelin.


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