Issues: Issue 303 - March 2014
Review: JG Thirlwell – The Blue Eyes Original Motion Picture...
Those who may be unfamiliar with Thirlwell’s name have heard his work if they’ve ever watched The Venture Brothers. The Blue Eyes is a dark affair, heavy on noir swells, plucked strings, drawn noise, and bass whispers. It sets and maintains a mood. I haven’t seen the film, but enjoyed the score. … read more
Review: Jupe Jupe – Crooked Kisses
This quartet from Seattle is somewhere between Metronomy and the more emotional side of Duran Duran. Jupe Jupe’s presence, overall, is a bit too mellow for me, but it’s hard not to appreciate such a well-crafted album. … read more
Review: Indian – From All Purity
“Rhetoric of No” and “The Impetus Bleeds” seem to signal a return to the lively riffing of their previous albums, but then the band inevitably falls back into a yawn-inducing sound coma. Containing little substance to be admired, From All Purity marks the low point in Indian’s discography. … read more
Review: Isaiah Rashad – Cilvia Demo
Rashad takes his father’s abandonment and turns it into a moral imperative—a move that could have been trite in hands of a lesser MC. This, however, is a daring labor of love by a very gifted young man. These strong but flawed songs creep into your soul without you even realizing it—the same way that forgiveness can. … read more
Review: Hauschka – Abandoned City
When I listened to the album, all I could think of is how great of a soundtrack this would be for a post-apocalyptic movie. Piano is the main instrument, along with computer-generated drumbeats, which are incredibly organic sounding, and various strings being plucked to provide an interesting texture. … read more
Review: Helm – The Hollow Organ EP
This album’s melodic yet uneasy synth and echoing chains of chaotic noise are carefully tucked in the background of an unsettling world. If you are a fan of Blizzard’s Diablo 2 soundtrack, I would highly recommend this album. … read more
Review: Guided By Voices – Motivational Jumpsuit
“The biggest fish in the smallest pond?” he asks in “Littlest League,” seeming to question his indie-rock legend status. Pollard seems bent on creating works that are more and more self-assured and, in some small way, monumental, even when he doesn’t always knock one out of the park. … read more
Local Review: Various Artists – RadioWest: Live In Studio
KUER’s RadioWest has been more prominently known for its journalistic integrity and willingness to poke the proverbial bear when it comes to politics. But show host Doug Fabrizio and his talented staff love local music and have made it a point to bring on the latest acts to talk about their craft and play live cuts of music for their listening audience. … read more
Local Review: Untytled – Winter
I’ve got my wine, I’ve got my Untytled album and now all I need is a fat spliff. In all seriousness though, this album is superb to chill out to (or can easily be used to wallow in a cesspool of seasonal self-deprecation, I quickly found). … read more
Local Review: Tom Bennett – The Man Who Shook the...
From start to finish, the most powerful word I’ve found to describe Devil’s Hounds is “honest.” The beginning of this album focuses specifically on one man’s experience of, possibly, his favorite place on earth: Salt Lake City. … read more