Category Archives: Album Reviews

Bleeding Rainbow- Band to Watch

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Philly based Bleeding Rainbow on Kanine Records are a whole new band. They used to be a noise pop two piece called Reading Rainbow. Now with two more members and a nifty name change, they sound totally different, and they are a powerhouse. With the mix of girlish but strong vocals and layers of fuzz, my perfect band has been created. They are also Dave Grohl approved for what that’s worth. As one person commented on youtube, they sound like they would have been on 120 Minutes, and that was a great great show. Really looking forward to shooting their show at Larimer Lounge on May 8th! The album is already out, watch the video for “Drift Away” here:

video for Drift Away

track off Yeah Right album

Flaming Lips “The Terror” streaming today!

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20130408-072817.jpg photo by leslieloudspeaker

NPR is streaming one of the few things I like from Oklahoma (kidding, UT grad) the new Flaming Lips album The Terror today, take a listen.

stream for “The Terror”

Hunters Sign with Mom+Pop Records- Band to Watch

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20130406-153231.jpg still from video

Hunters are a rowdy group from Brooklyn who just signed with Mom+Pop Records and are already opening for JEFF the Brotherhood, a personal favorite of mine. Listen to their 5 song EP, it gets better and better song by song, fuzzy rock that is reminiscent of Sonic Youth in a way, and the tracks progressively build until track 5 is just full blast. Love the alternating vocals, reminds me of the angel and devil screeching in each ear. As soon as they start, they light the stage up. And why yes, I do love her hair.

great live video of “Deadbeat” and tour dates

hear their EP free or buy

Kinski- new album, new sound

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20130405-194352.jpg album cover

Kinski from Seattle with Kill Rock Stars have been making their fuzzed out, wildly psychedelic hard rock music for over a decade. The new album Cosy Moments shows a more pop sound, and I love it, especially considering I never expected another album! All the fuzz and garage and over layering are still there, but melodies are stronger, everything just sounds more blissful and ethereal. Listen to track 3, “Skim Milf”, it’s under two minutes, if you like it then you’ll love the 6-8 minute stuff. For the space rock of old, check out track 9, “We Think She’s A Nurse”. I haven’t seen them live (rare!) and their tour dates seem to stick around the East Coast. Come to Denver! We like music!

stream the album free, then buy it to download

if you need it harder, check out the older stuff (video)

Hotbox Dick’s 2013

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20130405-131539.jpg photo by leslieloudspeaker

Tom Marshall posted a song left off Traveler called “Hotbox” today, and I’ve listened to it 17 times now. They need to hotbox Dick’s, it’s only fitting. Heck, just play it live anywhere!

Relix link to “Hotbox”

Pickwick – Band to Watch

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20130403-101837.jpg photo by Brittney Bollay

Pickwick have released one of the best albums this year, Can’t Talk Medicine. Indie-pop enthused with the bluesy soul of singer Galen Disston, a guy who listens to his dad’s vinyl collection of Grateful Dead and cites Bob Dylan’s lyrics as an influence, giving a positive sound to this Seattle band, a town known for it’s grunge and sludge. Incredible energy live, caught them at sxsw and the audience was dancing, an activity seldom seen there. Catch them live in Boulder on May 8th.

listen to the album, buy the album, check out tour dates

“Lady Luck” cover with Sharon Van Etten

“Hacienda Motel” live video

Cactus Feathers- Johnny Pfirman’s new collaborative

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20130401-115203.jpg photo by hope irish

Johnny Pfirman was in one of my favorite Austin bands (well, two), Til We’re Blue or Destroy and Radar Radar. He moved home to El Paso, built a house with a recording studio with his own hands, and created the soon to be released album Beach Fire. Isolation sounds good on Pfirman, for his new album he’s incorporated bass and drum parts (not that bass and drum) with long time friends Scott Lindsey and Aaron Grossberg, familiar partners in crime who were former bandmates of Johnny’s in Boulder’s The Leprechauns. Sending each other their parts from state to state, they have uniquely created the collaborative Cactus Feathers. These lo-fi recordings of yearning, dreaming and escaping with lyrics that give me that nice melancholy feeling of home hit the heart, subtly making me miss Austin. Check out the song “Stuck in Tallahassee and a Gunshot” I’ve uploaded to soundcloud below. Hopefully we get this former Boulder citizen back to the Front Range soon.

“Stuck in Tallahassee…” by John Pfirman

NEW RILO KILEY!! Unreleased Tracks on New Album

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20130327-110121.jpg still from “Portions for Foxes”

My life is complete. Next month an album of unreleased tracks, B-Sides and rarities will be released by Rilo Kiley. Just got the advance copy and this Jenny Lewis obsessive is in LOVE. Every single song is just perfect, and fans will be ecstatic. No need to comment on any different kind of sound, this is the early Rilo Kiley you love. Can the Postal Service Red Rocks show come any sooner??

video for new single “Let Me Back In”

pre-order here

20130327-111005.jpg photo by George Bekich

New Black Angels Album Streaming Now

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20130326-130532.jpg photo by Black Angels

When I moved back to Austin in 2009, an old college friend introduced me to Christian Bland the very first day. All I knew was that he was a tall, sweet guy who could really rock a striped shirt. 20 something The Black Angels shows later, I am a total fangirl. These guys caused the resurgence of psych rock in Austin and run Austin Psych Fest, now 6 years running. Couldn’t be more proud or more excited about their success and only see them getting bigger. The new album is streaming today, and it’s wonderful as expected. Root for these guys, they work hard and are kind people.

free stream of the new album

link to Austin Psych Fest

Boats – catchy indie pop, goes great with water activities

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20130325-151826.jpg photo by leslieloudspeaker

Boats out of Winnipeg are really getting some buzz. Noisy pop with hooks galore, and great lyrics about unusual themes. The first time I heard “Great Skulls” I just hit repeat repeat repeat. Stream the album for free at Kill Rock Stars.

link to stream and buy full album