A few months ago I caught some buzz on Santogold as someone to check out. At the time, her record wasn’t out, and I simply forgot about it. This week I found a slip of paper (amongst many) on my desk that said simply ‘Santogold.’ Coincidentally, her album dropped in the [...]

[Read more →]

I hadn’t heard of NYC’s Bridges and Powerlines until they hit my inbox. But it’s a great sign when a song grabs me by the 00:03 second mark, which this one did. After the intro, a “Road to Nowhere”-like rhythm eases in, and what ensues is four minutes of quality power-pop.
The band formed back in [...]

[Read more →]

Photo: Merri Cyr
Sometimes an album just hits the mark. Let it Go is one of those records. There is something to it that just feels like home. I’ve spent two weeks soaking up the tracks, something that as Pete pointed out in a recent post is sometimes hard to do with all the music we [...]

[Read more →]

By no means do I think it’s a great idea for respected musicians to shill products on TV. But once in a while, as hard as it may be to stomach, I can’t help but be entertained. Case in point, the use of Meatloaf and “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” in a new AT&T “GoPhone” [...]

[Read more →]

The perfect compliment to a cold and rainy day in New England, the debut record from Canada’s Kensington Prairie is one of the finest slices of Dream Pop I’ve heard since The Sundays Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. The heart and soul of the group is Rebecca Rowan (singer/songwriter of Vancouver’s Maplewood Lane) whose voice drifts [...]

[Read more →]

Haale (pronounced similar to Hallelujah) successfully manages to blend the traditional rhythm and passion of Persian and Sufi Trance music and fuse it with a beautiful take on the post modern rock most readily associated with the likes of Radiohead. Dark and beautifully orchestrated spaces allow for the true breadth of her voice to shine [...]

[Read more →]

Some time last year, I got a random MySpace message asking me to check out Derek White’s music page. Since then, I’ve been anticipating this album’s release, and I’m not disappointed. They’ve also employed a great distribution model: starting on March 1st, you can download the album via their website for $9.99; purchase [...]

[Read more →]

Full of sunny melodies, Beatles-esque harmonies, and of course more than a hint of his old man Neil, Liam Finn’s debut solo album has been getting some frequent plays over at El Casa de Ickmusic. I’ll Be Lightning was recorded in early 2007 at his dad’s studio in Auckland, New Zealand. It was released overseas [...]

[Read more →]

It’s been 12 years since Seven Mary Three released their debut record, American Standard. In that time they’ve gone from indie to major and have now landed back in the indie world with their new record Day&Nightdriving. I’ll have a full review soon, but had to share this tune now as it’s too good to [...]

[Read more →]

Band of Horses paid a visit to Conan O’Brien last night and performed one of my favorite tracks from their brilliant Cease to Begin. I swear there is magic in Ben Bridwell’s voice.

Band of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You (Last.fm)
Buy Cease to Begin: Amazon | iTunes
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on [...]

[Read more →]