Annabel – Each And Everyone
Last summer I wrote some nice things about Annabel’s promising debut EP Now That We’re Alive and I’m glad to find the band hasn’t missed a beat and hasn’t really shaken things up too much with their recently released full-length Each And Everyone. Again, the Kent, Ohio band’s melodic indie-pop sounds breezy but layered and (Read more…)
Only Thieves – Greetings From Levy Park, T.L.H.
If you are looking for some joyfully boisterous and indie rock then you need to look no further than Tallahassee, Florida’s Only Thieves and their EP Greetings From Levy Park, T.L.H.. The 5 songs on the EP are muddy yet melodic indie rock that is (depending on how drunk you are) more fun than fireworks (Read more…)
Vacations – I Was Bikini/But Rain Afraid
Vacations is a project formed from 2 members of the Chicago band Chin Up Chin Up (a band that we here at CYSTSFTS liked very much) and Bobby Burg from Make Believe. Their new album/EP collection/7”/whatever I Was Bikini/But Rain Afraid contains 13 songs of rhythmically interesting indie rock that draws something from the breezy (Read more…)
Modern Skirts – All Of Us In Our Night
Modern Skirts arrived on my radar with their second full-length All Of Us In Our Night as Mike Mills’ (from R.E.M.) favorite band from Athens, Georgia, so that’s kinda what I expected and that’s kinda what I got. I’m not normally a huge fan of this sort of indie pop and this album isn’t about (Read more…)
Abe Vigoda – Reviver EP
A few months back I wrote about the L.A. based Abe Vigoda’s full length Skeleton and just how awesome it was. Well, since then the band has also released an EP, Reviver, that is also quite good, but not really the same. The band mostly eschews the mutated indie tropicalia of Skeleton in favor of (Read more…)
A Legacy Almost Lost: The Carraways
I’ve been slowing making my way through the 2500 (or so) CD’s that were boxed up in my garage for the past few years. It has actually been a fun little process. I’ve unearthed some good stuff that makes me feel way younger and makes me miss old friends. One of those bands is The (Read more…)
Superchunk – Leaves In The Gutter EP
Dear Superchunk, I had friends in high school that were big fans but somehow I never managed to listen to any of your records with any sort of intent or (now) remembrance. I’m sure I heard a song or two back then but didn’t pay much attention. I’m here to formally apologize. If your new (Read more…)
Kid, You’ll Move Mountains – Loomings
Kid, You’ll Move Mountains is easily the best band from Chicago’s Western ‘burbs (my stomping grounds) that I’ve heard in quite some time but for whatever reason, I’ve been meaning to review Loomings (their most recent release) for, like, forever. Maybe the reason I haven’t is that the band makes comparisons difficult. I don’t usually (Read more…)
Good Stuff You Should Listen To
Point Juncture WA tucks vibes, horns, and awesomeness into a sprawling atmospheric thing on Heart To Elk that sounds like wind whipping through the tops of pine trees. Breezy and cool like Stereolab but with the noise and nonchalance of Northwest indie rock. The female/male vocal interplay is a plus as well. Seriously good shit (Read more…)
