Ben Davis & The Jetts – Charge It Up
Admittedly, this is the first “solo” offering I’ve heard from Ben Davis (formerly of bands like Milemarker and Sleepytime Trio) so I can’t really compare it to his other material but as a big fan of Milemarker, I at least have a frame of reference. Charge It Up (Davis’ third full length) is full of (Read more…)
Barrel Roll – It’s A Gold Mine Down There
I don’t know much about the band and despite telling me they’re from Greenville, IL (where the fuck is Greenville?), their Myspace page doesn’t say much. On their album, It’s A Gold Mine Down There, however, Barrel Roll plays a really weird combination of fast southern California pop punk, east coast hardcore, and crazy synthesizer (Read more…)
Matt & Kim – Grand
One of the funnest (is funnest even a legit word?) albums I’ve heard all year is Grand from the New York keys-n-drum duo Matt & Kim. It’s darn near perfect Summertime music if you ask me. The songs on Grand feature dancy urban indie-pop beats that aren’t techno and aren’t electronic but damn do the (Read more…)
Maximo Park vs. Cajun Dance Party
I liked both of Maximo Park’s previous albums so I was quite surprised to find their new one, Quicken The Heart, to be rather boring and unexciting. It isn’t terribly bad but it just falls flat when compared to the band’s vibrant and endearing earlier work. Mainly (I think) it’s just that the songs aren’t (Read more…)
