Look. I’m sorry, but I make no apologies for this: due to a series of internal misunderstandings, my review of the Hold Steady’s Heaven Is Whenever (released – oh! – sometime in the last 24 hours) is unlikely to be ready until Thursday or Friday at the earliest. (“Not even a proper excuse!” I hear you wail. I sighingly look up from my other important duties to explain that I was accidentally killed while retrieving…
Quite a few quality releases this week. The obvious standout of the week is Hold Steady’s new record “Heaven is Whenever”, which aside from our obvious affection for the band is well on par with their previous material, making it a definite recommend! “Forgiveness Rock Record”, Broken Social Scene’s first record in five years, is also out this week. I’ve been sampling FRR for a few weeks now, since it leaked on the web, and…
I like to think that I keep my finger on the pulse. I sniff out news, I hunt down obscure albums to review, and I rend asunder songs and feast on their bulbous, nutritious entrails. Also, I mix my metaphors, and I get confused about time zones and stuff, and sometimes I sleep until 4pm in the afternoon. All of that somehow adds up to the reason that I bring this to you today, only…
In an unanticipated one-off ZME Special, I am now going to present an important instruction for anyone considering attending a concert within the next fourteen decades. Consider this both vital, and extra vital.
The legendary Pixies frontman has put his entire solo catalog on his site for free. As he proudly proclaims on the site, The site here has been re-vamped a bit. I am most excited about our new player. It has all of the solo releases at the moment. You can play and listen at your leisure. We are hoping to load other releases (Pixies, b-side compilations, etc.) in the future. Which, I must say, is…
Another week sees another new album streaming before its release date. This time around, the band in question is the beloved Brooklyn indie collective The National and the band’s newest effort, High Violet. The New York Times website is hosting the stream and offers a fascinating bio of the band as well. It’s as stirring as 2007’s Boxer. My initial reaction is that this may well be the band’s defining record. It’s that good. If…
For those of you who missed the story on Pitchfork yesterday because it was buried underneath a bunch of non-stories about bands like the Neckbeards, the Dirty Projectors, and Swamp Guzzle (I know only one of those bands is real), (very) British rockers Supergrass announced that they’re ending things after seventeen years. Considering how we’re more than a decade removed from John & Kate Averageamerican caring about ‘Britpop’ as it was, it’s not a huge…
I simply loved the 2008 “In Ear Park” by the smashing indie duo Department of Eagles, individually formed by Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen and Fred Nicolaus. At times the album feels likes a religious experience, one where the surreal meets life and blends into one unique crossroad. The whole thing was extremely polished, from composition, to arrangements, to production – a perfectionist’s soundtrack, if you will. As such, a lot of tracks have been scrapped….
I love pure instrumental music, and Atlantian Kaki King is one of my favorite artists to sprang off the new wave. Her signature picking style has branched out along the year into something really special. It’s like she’s managed to dwell to such a depth in her music, that’s she almost into a whole new acoustic genre – a mark that only few artists manage to make. Anyway, Kaki’s fifth studio effort, “Junior” is out…
The prog band currently has its newest effort, Year of the Black Rainbow, up on its MySpace page to enjoy. It’s due out tomorrow so if you like it, go get it. I’ve never tried to understand the storyline that has gone since The Second Stage Turbine Blade. I just really think that C&C know how to write a fucking great hook and rock the hell out. If you are able to follow the story,…
Al Byrne
Tibi Puiu
Steve Lampiris
Tyler Sonic