Album - Hear
HEAR is the enema your iTunes needs. Bringing you the most thought-provoking and up-to-date music reviews this side of Lester Bangs, HEAR sifts through the ever growing mountain of press releases and promos to only feature albums, EPs, LPs and mixes that we want to, not that we have to. Also, we try and make things make sense in 200 words or less so that you can just listen to the music.
She & Him, Volume Two
Everyone agrees that She & Him, the unexpected project of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, is pretty great. It probably has something to do with the fact that Zooey has successfully charmed every single person in the world, but beyond her acting and dancing skills, this girl can totally sing.
She truly is the whole quirky indie dream girl package, minus that being married to Ben Gibbard thing.
Joanna Newsom, Have One On Me
Everybody has their One. Mine used to be Zooey Deschanel, before the malicious bitch decided that her One was Ben Gibbard. A single listening of Have One on Me was all it took to put thoughts of Zooey well and truly to bed (unfortunately not mine).
The album, Joanna Newsom's third, sprawls across three CDs and showcases her constantly developing range as a songstress.
Monotonix, Where Were You When It Happened?
If you were sloshing around Golden Plains last weekend, you're probably listening to this album right now. Israeli threesome Monotonix were a memorable highlight of the weekend, outshining bigger names on the line-up with their unabashed enthusiasm, huge hairdos and tiny shorts.
These guys sure made the most of their stage-time, performing their entire set from the muddy mosh pit and crowd surfing while playing their guitar and drums.
Houlette, Bless Bless
Houlette is the sugar cube in your Stockholm Blend tea. Their French-pop, country-esque folk minimalism reminds you of bettertimes, of simpler times when salt came iodised and men rode horses.
Bless Bless (which translates to ‘farewell' in Icelandic) is the band's debut album, following the successes of their precursor releases.
The Besnard Lakes, Are The Roaring Night
Sometimes I wish I didn't have to tell you about music via a flashing computer screen.
I wish I could just play you something at a party. Or make you a mix CD. Some things are better if you find them out by accident, or from a friend. The Besnard Lakes have too much personality for the impersonality of a computer screen.
The Ruby Suns interview
Ryan McPhun is a musical Krishna; the multi-talented operator behind The Ruby Suns has a new album out on Sub-Pop called Fight Softly. With an almost entirely new sonic palette compared to that of 2008's lush Sea Lion the Sun's new album represents a trip out into sparse synth land. I spoke to Ryan during my lunch break.
Spoon, Transference
The fact that this is the first self-produced Spoon album was a surprise to me. They've always been so ridiculously full of sound-purpose and sound-awareness. As you might expect, it sounds just as good as anything they've paid some dude with a massive beard and a concerned look on his face to record.
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