Wednesday, April 19, 2006

New Music Day

There is a lot of good music out there right now, so much that I can not properly and adequately review it all in depth for you (although I will try to put together some critical reviews shortly).

First up I offer you Band of Horses, from Sub Pop, whom my wife thinks sounds like Coldplay (I would agree if anything of their latest album was this good and powerful). This is beautiful pop music that Pitchfork rate very high. Comparisons to the Shins and MMJ are on target, but it is better than a simple comparison allows. This is special music. Check out the single Ready for a Funeral or their website. more songs


If you are a fan of Sufjan Stevens or any other slightly left-of-center singer-songwriters that create pretty little ditties with a wide-eyed innocence and odd instrumentation, check out Page France. Here is what Pitchfork said. I heard of them from Dustin and E-Music the same day and have been hooked on this orchestral folk for a few weeks. Although it sounds nothing like it, this stuff by Sufjan and these guys is the spiritual heir to the Choir, the 77s and , bands too good for "Christian music" to contain, but unjustifiably shunned by the mainstream. Listen to them here or here. This is a surprisingly good album, which is liked by my entire family.

When a guy that plays in a band called the new pornographers and calls himself something more akin to death metal or a long lost Kiss album, you do not expect a cross between Bob Dylan and David Bowie in LoFi. Don't let the name Destroyer fool you. This is indy pop music with flourishes of classic rock underneath and lyrics which throw cultural references around like alphabet soup. I love Destroyer's Rubies and think Dan Bejar is the hidden gem in the ultimate supergroup, the new pornographers. Check him out here.

The last introduction today is to Boston's own Reverend Glasseye, a fire and brimstone preaching rocker out to save your soul (or he could be a former Berklee student in love with the music) through the best Gothic Appalachian rock and roll since the departed 16 Horsepower. Reverend Glasseye has much in common with Americana bands such as Woven Hand, 16 Horsepower, Squirrel Nut Zippers and Nick Cave. It reminds you of an oldtime revival complete with snake handling, miracle healings and a 3 ring circus. Listen here.

6 comments:

Dustin said...

i'll have to check out Page France more, i'd like to listen to that album, it sounds interesting. I really like the Band of Horses album though (as you know). I think it is one of the better one's i've heard this year. The new Ben Harper is really good too. I love the first disc, haven't listened to the second yet.

Dan Morehead said...

Like Destroyer and BoH...also like the new Flaming Lips CD.

Steve McCoy said...

Band of Horses is on my "must buy" list, Destroyers has been hard for me to stomach in the online clips so far. Thanks for the recommendations.

Right now I'm enjoying Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pinback (they are new to me), and Built to Spill.

Steve McCoy said...

Hey, I got Band of Horses today. Holy smokes. Man, it's fantastic. Thanks again.

Dustin said...

i'm listening to Page France right now, pretty cool stuff.

Camille Acey said...

silly me. i was wondering where all the band of horses buzz was coming from. i fail to check pitchfork enough.