Bat For Lashes, The Haunted Man, October 23rd 2012

I liked Bat For Lashes' other albums, in theory. The blend of dark, magic, and ethereal with pop was intellectually satisfying to me. But somehow her music didn't really capture me.

Until The Haunted Man.  On this album, Bat For Lashes has grown into her strengths somehow. It is sophisticated and strong. No longer trying too hard to be interesting, she has found her voice. The album grows on me with each listen, the lyrics beating into my brain, the drums connecting with my body, most notably in the song "Horses of the Sun." Another song, "Marilyn," has a much softer sound, with musical accents from the 80's, given a modern twist with her echoing, soulful voice.  There is no bad song on this album.

This is my new favorite album! A must listen.

Dragonette, Bodyparts, September 25th 2012

The entire album fell flat, save for one song "Riot."


Here's a live video of the group performing the song.

Here's the actual song:

This song is great for work out mixes or dance parties! Other than that, this album was a bust. 

Lord Huron, Lonesome Dreams, October 2nd 2012

For an album titled Lonesome Dreams, Lord Huron certainly has come forth as the next great indie folk artist - this time with a happier tune. With similarities in sound to Band of Horses, Bonnie "Prince" Billy and maybe even a little bit of Smog, Lord Huron is my new favorite crooning, acoustic dude music. To boot, this guy is a cowboy-style cutie. At least by the looks of his marketing:

What a hottie! Who cares if he is hot if his music were to suck, but the fact of the matter is, I have fallen in love with his music, and am having a hard time believing this guy knows the meaning of lonesome. Maybe if he is super picky and only waiting for the right one...

The album's first song starts off mellow, but picks up speed; "Ends of the Earth" is probably the song at the album that sets him farthest apart from the previous mentioned indie folk dudes. The following songs have a similar upbeat (not lonesome) sound. His voice definitely has that lonesome country singer sound, but paired with the music, the overall sound is really not that of a lonely cowboy but rather has ecstatic build-ups that feel a bit like you just climbed a beautiful mountain on a horse and found your true love up there. The entire album is fantastic, with no particular song standing out, although "The Man Who Lives Forever" has a little bit of an extra country twang twist. My only complaint is that this album is too short. With only ten songs, I am always surprised when it is over, and  just end up playing it again.

So far, this appears to be his only full length album. He has a couple EPs with entirely different songs. I intend to check those out too! For now, Lonesome Dreams is a great album, one you should definitely check out.

Niki and the Dove, at the Rickshaw Stop, October 5th 2012

What do you get when you cross Stevie Nicks and Cyndi Lauper?

Niki and the Dove!

Niki and the Dove's album Instinct blew me away. The first song I heard was DJ, Ease My Mind and my body started moving and I thought, "yes, yes, yes!" This is definitely my new favorite band.  The song In Our Eyes moved me, made my body pulse, made my heart swell. The entire album is fantastic, opening up with the song Tomorrow, only to be followed with great song after great song.

I was fortunate enough to hear about their show at the Rickshaw Stop on October 5th, at the last minute, and find someone selling tickets on craigslist, as this show was sold out FOR GOOD REASON. This was a magical show. Niki, captivating us with her quirky beauty. People were moving. So was I.

This is the only video I found of the show online. It really doesn't capture how amazing the show was. I can see myself dancing, although it would be too hard to describe where I am. I do believe I am moving around more extremely and erratically than anyone else.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Mature Themes, Aug. 21 2012

Critics can't agree on the mishmosh that is Ariel Pink. Mature Themes has been labeled both Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's most-likely-to-weed-out-the-die-hard-fans, as well as their greatest cross over album. So which is it? When Pitchfork described the album as grittier then the previous, I'm not sure what they were taking about. To me, this album seriously lacks the grit that I originally loved about Ariel Pink. NPR's First Listen review seems to have the opposite, more accurate take - that this is the album that win over the masses. But I think it's actually neither. I don't think this album will appeal to die hards, nor your average Joe.

When my favorite indie artists achieve mainstream status, it's usually because they lose their creative edge in favor of something more generically appealing. Mature Themes is supposed to be a great work, if you get into the musical intricacies of it. But to me the album is only mature in the sense of old and boring.

Few songs stand out; It seems like a rehash of old themes. Without the edge of the previous albums, Ariel Pink is not mesmerizing me, as his music never really spoke to me on a deeper level- I just liked him for his signature 80's warbly mixed tape sound. Speaking of vintage, there is one song, which when I listening to it on shuffle with other artists, I thought it was an old Doo Wop song. "Baby" is a beautiful song, perfect for a dreamy mix for the one you love.

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh about this album. It's good in many ways, but with only one song that struck me, it's hard for me to be excited. The rest of the album sounds like the band America writing dreamy pop folk tunes for commercials about wiener schnitzels.

In the end, Mature Themes is my least favorite Ariel Pink album. I can see how music nerds could appreciate the music technically speaking, but maybe they are the only die-hards anyway.

Cat Power, SUN, September 5th 2012

I didn't have high expectations for a new Cat Power album. Not even when I read NPR's review, touting it as her best album to date. It's no surprise to me that the NPR reviewer doesn't deeply love her early albums such as Myra Lee and What Would the Community Think? That kind of young female angst is not something that everyone understands, and especially if they don't have an appreciation for dark music.

There is so much raw, creative talent in Cat Power's earlier albums, words can hardly describe it. None of her albums since have come close to making an impact on me the way that those first ones did. Her sound has become increasingly happier, which is nice because we have grown out of our angst together. However, the creative edge has not been as strong, perhaps no longer freed by the booze.

I listened to SUN apprehensively. The first song "Cherokee" was disappointing. Trite rhymes, "Cherokee, kiss me" are not only heard in this track, but also on other tracks such as "3,6,9." The eagle call on "Cherokee" is just, well, trendy.

The rest of the album is quite good. "Manhattan" is a great tune. "Nothin' But Time" is a long, beautiful song, written for her ex-partner's daughter. It also features the deep voice of Iggy Pop - deep voices make for complimentary backgrounds with Chan's dreamsicle voice, as heard on You Are Free in 2003 with Eddie Vedder. "Human Being" is another good track, with a nice message.

While not my favorite Cat Power album, SUN is still a good one, that I enjoyed washing dishes to and in the office. I am glad Chan Marshall is finally back in my good graces, although hopefully she can redeem herself more on her next album.

Band of Horses, Mirage Rock, Sept 18th 2012

Mirage Rock's first song kicks in with a rockin' beat, as not yet heard by Band of Horses. While their last album Infinite Arms (2010) was their most upbeat at the time of its release, Mirage Rock has it, well, beat. However, Mirage Rock has a more natural feel to it, and comes off as the better, and happier album. It would seem that indie rock is catching up with the happy times of its counter part - indie pop.

While the influence may have been there on previous albums, it is on Mirage Rock that I notice lead singer Benjamin Bridwell channeling Neil Young the way Christian Slater channeled Nicholas Cage; on some songs I caught myself wondering if I was indeed actually was listening to Neil Young, circa Harvest Moon. This is a good thing, in my opinion. Song "Dumpster World" particularly conjurs up images of Harvest Moon crooner, until it breaks out into a Band of Horses-esque rock out chorus.

Other notable songs:
"Electric Music" has a great American rock feel, both with twang and lyrical imagery about the open road. 
"Heartbreak on the 101" has an altogether different musical feel, distinctly different from all other Band of Horses tracks, yet still fits in with the tone and theme of the album.
"Ego Nightmare" sounds like a quintessential upbeat Band of Horses song, with a slight Beach Boys influence.

Overall, a good album I think I'll be listening to more. Definitely worth checking it out.