Indie and Lo-Fi music reviews

No gimmicks, no slick recording features--just pure melancholy beautiful melodies flowing like honey with a wall of jangling guitar sound. I wasn't prepared to like this album so much. It creates the same yearning and ache I experienced listening to the Trashcan Sinatras back in 1990 when they released their masterpiece "Cake." Other influences: Bob Dylan on the first track, Pernice Brothers, and Elliot Smith. One complaint: The recording is muffled and there is a tearing sound in the middle of the song titled "Turkish Star Wars." Nevertheless, I'm going out on a limb and proclaiming this album a classic. If you like this shimmering pastoral folk sound, you might check out the aforementioned bands plus Ronderlin, Radio Dept., Blueboy, Lovejoy, Pugwash, Arco, Foxgloves, and the Snowdrops.

OK. Many of you might not have heard of this band and it's a shame. The Doleful Lions have put out three consistently good albums over the past 4 years and this one's the best. Granted, I am the brother of the band's leader and I even used to rock out with him, but it's still excellent. I especially love the "enhanced" version of "We 3 Kings of Orient Are." If you don't know what I mean by enhanced then I guess you ain't illuminated. Seriously, I would love this album even if I didn't have to because he's my bro. Fans of GBV or Unrest or Thomas Paine would really dig this. Intelligent, catchy, and funny (with a little creepiness thrown in for openers). Best cuts: "A Walk in the Sun" "Sparks Fly For Magnemite!" "Gimghoul Numerologist" Bad Cuts: "Red-Top Lounge Flesheaters" (Sorry, brohemia).

These recordings were done over the period of about 3 months, originally conceived as demos for a proper single LP, the band and myself thought these "demos" were great the way they were. The rest of the band contributed various instruments and voices. We feel very good about the finished product, and I enjoy listening to it from time to time. The record is a conceptual "song cycle" orginally a 44 song two CD set. The other half "Song Cyclops Volume Two" might be released someday. We are currently working on material for a studio LP called "Out Like A Lamb". Reserve preconceptions, shake off your conscience and enjoy "Song Cyclops". Jonathan Scott Doleful Lions

Silent Kids have used a cassette 8 track (according to the liner notes) to make a record that sounds like an updated version of "Pet Sounds". No sleigh bells here, however! The record starts off strongly with "Drift Into the Summer". This song has so many different parts, yet they all fit together somehow, from the slightly James Brownish guitar chord intro to the Moog "hook" in-between verses. Other favorite tracks of mine are "Engine of a Lifetime" and "Great Leap Forward". The title track closes the record with a cool drum loop and swirling guitars and other noises. The cd notes that singer/guitarist Michael Oakley engineered and produced the record, and I have to say that he did a great job without going overboard like so many other bands might be tempted to do when recording at home. I look forward to the next release from this up and coming band.

I know Jeff Holt personally, and he teaches me how to play guitar. I checked out some of the songs on this CD and they are very good. You should check it out.

This band seemed to come out of nowhere. One of my friends recommended I pick this up and it has been in my car stereo for a long time now. It kinda sounds like Sonic Youth before they went downhill after the "Daydream Nation" record but not as noisy. My favorite tracks are "Engine of Lifetime" and "Tomorrow Waits." Some of the songs use drum machines but in a cool way. One of my friends said the band reminds them of the Beatles but I don't really hear it.

Being from Houston, Texas, I resent the fact that most good indie rock bands to come out of Texas are from Austin or Dallas. While they get the likes of Spoon, Bedhead, Trail Of Dead, and now Zykos. We in Houston get what? Scarface? DJ Screw? Wow! Apparently I'm in the wrong city.

"Comedy Horn" is a good album on its own. But compared to Zykos' self titled album it's subpar. Even with the release of their wonderful follow up, this album is still absolutely worth checking out.

One thing that is always apparent for me when listening to Zykos is the singer's voice. It's pretty unusual, and by no means in a bad way. His vocals are usually recorded raw. It is just him without any layering and only occasionally does he use some back up vocals from the female band member.

The song that really introduced me to Zykos was "Kodiak". I wrote a reveiw of their self titled album the other day and stated I could not remember how I was introduced to Zykos. But pulling this album out again has reminded me. I heard Zykos' song "Kodiak" on a sampler CD. I was immediately impressed and looked more into the band finding this album through their website because at the time it wasn't available on amazon.

Fans of Spoon, Interpol, indie rock in general should take notice of this band, because they are very good and have produced two extremely quality albums. Listening to this album again, and even though I already thought it good, I have realized that I still overlooked it a little.

Stand outs for me are "Kodiak", "The Gambler", "Comedy Horn", "Typhoon Of '92", "Listening Pills", "Zeroth" and "Hilarious Proof".

What more can I say than "this is a great album". This CD has been in my CD-ROM drive for the last month. Great sound and harmony - reminds me of Built To Spill in many ways, but more up-tempo.

there is really a special chemistry on this record! Great, honest songs. I'm really excited about what's to come from these guys. All of these tracks have a pretty distinct and unique personality. when's the last time you put certain songs, or even an entire album on repeat? I have seen into the future and I need more material from Zykos.

Another NY product, described in a byline on Pitchfork as being shoegaze, it drifts far from those baseline influences and wanders out into ambient soundscapes punctuated by passionate vocals and ripe with samples and other surprising amusements. Alejandra Estrela Deheza's vocals stand out impressively, and I can't quite decide who she reminds me of, though it's haunting at times and bold and decisive at others. The soft interplay between her and Brad Conroy epitomize most of the album, with its other striking features being found background sounds and samples and chorus syrupy guitar. For an example of that guitar, head to "Spaghetti Western Superstar", and you'll see what I mean. The track also featues hushed vocals and a downtempo beat, it actually reminds me of Ira's more recent Yo La Teng stylings.
"Bread" is a great track with Alejandra's vocals and a back vocal (herself?) reverbing between echoing guitars and a steady cymbal ringing drum line. I could almost imaging this is what Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star would have sounded like if backed by the Drop Nineteens. Ok, thats an odd reference... actually its more reminiscent of Jane's Addiction's "Classic Girl. "Sad Sad Zoo" slows down, and rambles along almost into Americana tumbleweed with clean guitar and lamenting strings, and features Brad Conroy's vocals instead of Alejandra's. "Fall to Earth" showcases Alejandra and Brad trading vocals, with the former opening up with a drone behind effect drenched guitar, shifting duties over to the latter as the song ping-pongs around, with answering machine samples and a drum machine (also perhaps sampled?) that even does some hand clappin' at times, and during a few moments a guitar note or two that evokes images of The Fixx. My fav track is probably "User28", featuring many of the above mentioned approaches, but featuring a darker guitar melody complimented by stop-and-go baseline with some pop and slide to it. It was during this track I decided I really liked this release, and that I heard the influence I was missing; it's very Cocteau Twins-esque (though Alejandra's vocals are a bit raspier). The most accessible track is probably "Feb", though not the most daring. They do get daring at times, and not every song is perfection, just a few listens to the cacophonic "Bamnalance" will make you aware of that, but despite this, the album a good album from a band with great promise.

On!Air!Library! is a band made up of twin sisters, Alley and Claudia "Cloudy" Deheza, and Phillip Wann. This band started almost five years ago in New York City. Their music is as distinct and refined as any band. It is music that full of atmosphere and very much like a collage of sound. The sound of guitars swirls around with samples and vocals. The songs seem like destroyed landscapes where anything could happen. Maybe this is the reason for some of their Goth following? Anyway, On!Air!Library are prolific, thoughtful, and seem to be excited about reaching out to the new fans.

They released a self-produced EP a few years ago. Aaron Shoblaske engineered the split EP with The Album Leaf, which was their second release. Producer Steve Rivette who has worked with The Beastie Boys, and Liars recorded the new album. Most of the tracks were originally recorded in Phillip Wann's bedroom studio. On!Air!Library! explores both songwriting and experimental music on this record. It also features drumming by Brad Conroy of The Boggs and Sam Fogarino of Interpol. It is like their mutual love of movie soundtracks and the 4AD label brought them all together.

On!Air!Library! took their name from an African documentary featuring an old man who read books on a radio show. The band prides themselves on being genre-busting and part of no specific scene. They seem to have a bunch of bizarre things happening to them. I got in contact with all three members of the band recently. I am not sure if we got the story straight, but that's okay. Their album will be released in April 2004. This should coincide with a large tour. If you can, you should go check them out.

A superb CD that reminded me of Brit bands from the early '90s like Seefeel, Snowpony, Scala, even My Bloody Valentine at times, but with a contemporary feel. A reviewer compared them to what Lush may have sounded like if they had continued (sigh!), maybe even Garbage if they had gone way more experimental. If you like any of these referenced bands, be sure to pick this up, despite the! puzzling! name!

The 2 extra tracks on this single are strange, showing roots from Odelay and Mutations. I've heard better b-sides from Beck before, but in these tracks, he really explores different sounds and styles- much like the Deadweight single.

This is still one of my favourite Beck singles it's just an amazing song. Taken from the album Mutations, it features two B-sides Halo of gold (a Skip Spence cover) and Black Balloon an instrumental track. A perfect single from a perfect album. Great cover art too!

Being the Beck devotee that I am, anything he releases I will inevitably pick up. This single is no different. In my opinion, the man is a genius and one of the true pioneers and shapers of what modern music is today. On this disc we of course have Tropicalia, a song from Mutations that I very much enjoy, and 2 other b-sides. I really like the different styles that Beck uses on the Skip Spence cover, Halo Of Gold. Over all a very well done song. And Black Baloon proves that Beck can do an instrumental as well as anyone else, although for our sake I hope he sticks to the mic.

Wow. This album blew me away. It's tight and fun. KaitO truly knows how to kick it. I think what impressed me the most about it is how layered & complex it sounds, but with minimal instruments. The only thing I regret is that it's taken me 4 years to discover this band! I can see where the vocals may throw off a potential fan; though I feel they integrate flawlessly into the band's sound, the monotonous drone may throw people off. I like her voice and love the tracks where they seem to manipulate it ("Rockstuff").

There's a sing-song quality to these tracks that kept me listening and moving. I imagine these guys would absolutely kick live.

KaitO perfectly embodies what I look for in an indie band: raw, creative energy, an edgy sound that verges on offensive if you don't listen close enough, and consistently good songs overall. Oh yeah, and danceability is a tremendous bonus!

KaitO's got it all.

The challenge that faces a four-piece rock band in 2001 isn't to do something new--it's to do something right. KaitO, a beat combo from Norwich, England, is on the right track. For a start, drummer Dieta Quantrill and bassist Gemma Cullingford play with energy to spare; it spills out of their songs every which way, like water from a school bus that just careened through the car wash with the windows down. Singer Nikki Colk belts out nuggets of post-teen anxiety in an unaffected-yet-nimble voice that stands up well to the distortion-box treatment it receives on several songs. Colk and Dave Lake make a great guitar team, one hacking out jagged riffs like Andy Gill did early on with Gang of Four, the other running roughshod over the songs like David Mitchell used to in the 3Ds. Their songs also have a bit of the 3Ds' sing-song construction, but they're fitted with football-chant choruses full of lustily sung wordless yelps. Evidently, KaitO remembers what too many band forget: to have fun playing what they play.

Magnet #51 Sept/Oct 2001
-Bill Meyer

Norwich, England-based KaitO evokes nostalgia for theate '70s heyday when British art schoolers concocted catchy tunes only to obscure them with layers of sludge. Remove the breakbeats from the brief "So-So" at the album's halfway point, and it's easy to imagine that the past 215 years never happened. Nikki Colk's girlish voice rarely strays from innocent, singsong melodies, but it's scuffed up with distortion and grafted onto the mad-scientist mayhem of guitarist Dave Lake. Amidst this dissonance, however, KaitO never loses a sense of rhythm or rock structure, setting them a pace ahead of the noise-for noise's-sake crowd. The result recalls a more saccharine take on the heady days when critics debated whether early Pavement records aped Swell Maps or the Fall. Name-checks easily roll off the tongue (the Jesus and Mary Chain springs to mind, and the bouncy guitar/bass chatter of "Catnap" is pure Kleenex), but the quartet brings fresh energy to an under-represented genre. "You've Seen Us.." is heavily peppered with KaitO's early singles, which stick out as highlights. Fifty minutes of gleeful noisemongering can be a bit much for one sitting--especially since Colk's vocals fail to stray from a few basic patterns--but it's still a hell of a good time.

CMJ Monthly September 2001
-Glen Sarvady

Those who know of Daniel Johnston know his quirks: his songs feature child-like lyrics that tell the story of his often troubled life,earlier works like this are full of bare boned songs that never fail to charm & amaze and he is an aquired taste(this is no easily digestable John Mayer type stuff) that rewards your curiousity. Artist Vice is one of the most personal and engrossing albums released in the last 15 years-maybe of the last 30 years. The bare bones nature of Johnston's work is in full effect here. These are pretty simple songs that are simply pretty.This has been a favorite since the first time I heard it almost 10 years ago. Daniel Johnston deserves to be more popular than he is and one of Kurt Cobain's most laudable achievements is that he brought this man's work to a wider audience. This album is something very rare-it's different. Daniel Johnston is spilling his guts and giving us a piece of his soul here-the least we can do is say thanks. Buy this cd.

Hello you twisted music fans! I'm Mike West and I played bass on the Artistic Vice album. We had a wonderful time recording this album in a funky Geo-Dome recording studio in the hills of West Virginia. Shimmy Disc's Kramer controlled the recording sessions and mixed most of the songs on site. He doesn's waste any time in the studio and sure didn't waste any on us. The best part of this recording process was the practice sessions that led up to the recording. We jammed in Bill and Mabel Johnston's (Danny's Mom & Dad) basement just outside Chester, West Virginia. This was the best of times. Danny was in fine spirits (mostly because I supplied his much appreciated "soda pop" and that sugar buzz kept him going). The picture of the band was taken in Danny's back yard and yes, that's me with the pacifier stuck in my mouth. Never got over that "oral stage". Guess that's why I became a Dentist! The songs on the album sound alot more produced than anything Danny had done up to that point. The "Eye Band" wasn't professional but we had our moments. I believe that the one song on the album that really stood out was "I Killed The Monster", a real life self-commentary by Danny. "Happy Soul" is also a great peek into the mind set of Daniel Johnston in the year 1991. On the spoken word song "A Ghostly Story" that's my music being played in the background. Didn't get credit for it on the album, but then again just being able to work with Danny on this release was enough payment. Give "Artistic Vice" a listen or two. It will grow on you like a fungus (or at least periodontal disease). "I'm so happy! "----Mike

My prediction is that this album is going to get a few more hits due to the quality of the new Mountain Goats' album "We shall all be healed" . If you have heard that album and love it with your whole heart, i can't blame you. It is magnificent. So now you may be thinking "Gee if this is so great maybe this guy has a whole score of wonderful records.

Well you are in luck, he does. BUT be prepared. John Darnielle, who is the Mountain Goats, has been one of the fore-runners of the low-fi movement. Low fi references the production quality or lack there of in this genre of indie music. Many of Darnielle's first albums, including this one, were recorded on a boombox. Often the whirring of the tape is still audible and there is definitely more static and interference than you are used to even in live recordings.

So why do people buy this? If you only listened to "We shall all be healed" or "Tallahassee" you were probably impressed with the beautiful musical arangements. On we shall all be healed John Darnielle was joined by John Vanderlsice as a producer whcih gave the album a beautiful sound. But here all that is taken away and you are forced to rest your laurels entirley on John's lyrics. But this makes his lyrics even more amazing. The insight, beauty, desperation and hope this man commands with his lexicon is astounding.

This album is great. Nost of his albums are great. Just be advised you might not get some glossy over finished pop album. But that's not what you were looking for any way, was it?

First of all- the track listing... 1. Itzcuintli-Totzli Days 2. New Star Song 3. Song for Cleomenes 4. Sendero Luminoso Verdadero 5. Song for Mark and Joel 6. Going to Maryland 7. Seeing Daylight 8. Resonant Bell World Now that that's out of the way. The Mountain Goats are the answer to today's music. John Darnielle and crew create urgent music- recorded quickly- to keep the immediacy of the event as a record of something that could easily become something else with lead sheets and orchestration. I'm not saying that these songs could not be performed with more careful arrangement- and would not subsequently prosper from doing so. I'm saying that the simple arrangements are all that's neccessary to get these songs across- as being important. The Mountain Goats should be required listening for everyone. This is how music was- before recording devices- before record companies- PURE- the artist's vision... clear- and there is no sweeter sound. I recommend every release that you can get your hands on. The Mountain Goats become addictive, and nothing but everything will do. Start here or start somewhere else... just give the Mountain Goats a chance to be heard!

Ive heard the "best" tracks off this album, which include love and mathematics, guilty cubiicle and passport radio and i must say im unimpressed. Its sad background music and by no means anything close to how good you forgot it in people is. In comparison to you forgot it, this album could be a single star.

With their debut "Feel Good Lost" album, Broken Social Scene (BSS) broke new ground back in 2001 closely following their fellow Canadians Godspeed You Black Emperor! who had released in 2000 their legendary "Lift Your Skinny Fists..." double album. However, BSS arrived with a lighter (almost dreamy) version of the post-rock alternative presented by Godspeed a year earlier.

The music in this (mostly instrumental) production hints at musical landscapes feeding from the sound of guitars, piano, strings and brass, with a touch of electronic beats that doesn't get old with time. It can feel alien at times, but whenever you approach this territory a familiar ambient feel overwhelms you and leaves you guessing what's next. The tracks range in duration from 1:42 all the way to 8:26, which shows the willingness of the Montreal collective to take their time to tell their story with their music.

Looking back, and comparing it against their other albums, it's hard to say which one is best, because this one stands out as being very different from the other ones. However, I cannot emphasize enough how much of a musical jewel this album is. If you haven't heard Broken Social Scene before, you will be happy when you discover how "good it feels to be lost"...

Other reviews on this album immediately reference YFIP and talk about how Feel Good Lost was just a necessary stepping stone on their path to glory, but those reviews are wrong. This IS their glory and everything since pales in comparison. I heard YFIP a while ago, well, I heard Stars and Sons on a mixed CD and was intrigued so I picked it up and gave it a listen and I was in no way blown away. Stars and Cause=Time are indeed priceless gems, but that disc, I'm afraid, will take it's rightful place in the bland sea of indistinguishability that is popular music, sometimes rising to the crest of a wave, but ultimately being crushed under everything. What Feel Good Lost does, what gives it buoyancy, is it travels back to the 60's not in sound, but in attitude, challenging the pop music standards with creative and imaginative twists to the norms, or, in some cases, the complete rejection of conventions altogether. Such is Feel Good Lost, an album that begins with high, whiny violins over a very satisfying base line. Guilty cubicles does a nice job in the segue, keeping the theme of provactive base but trading the violins for some very mellow guitar plucking and perfectly juxtaposed electronic noise- somehow making the hideous dial-up modem misery into an intelligent contributor to a good song. Track 3, Love and Math, continues to follow the meandering bass line except, on this number, the electric guitar makes its first significant contribution, taking the melody load off of the bass for a little while (which refuses to go away). Also featured is a repetitive, up beat drum rhythm that you wouldn't expect to fit with such a perfectly easy song. Passport Radio is what Love and Math would sound like from a strata of the atmosphere only David Bowie or an acid-fueled Grateful Dead would dare go. Lyrics make their first appearance and they sound like an angel singing through a vacuum as semi-trucks drive by, bringing along with them that whoosh everyone knows and hates but has to admit sounds particularly good on this track. Alive in '85 remembers new wave and proves it with the hot hot beat any good synth and drum machine would pump out in a discoteque. It also features what I believe to be a cello and a duet of brass instruments. Prison Province triumphantly ressurects the bass in a haunting solo which reverberates like the signature whistle of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. It repeats, lulling the listener into a trance, forgetting it was even listening, but the brilliantly placed Blues for Uncle Gibb snaps the listener right back into uncomfortable attention. American-Indian style drum beats that bounce from right to left in the stereo mix, establishing the atmosphere for a ceremonial manhood rite as an adolescent leaves the comfort of the tribe's drum circle, wandering into the wilderness for a vision. Meanwhile, the plucked strings of an electric guitar give the track continuity with the album, even as a harmonica sweetens the pot and further's the track's theme. Stomach Song makes music with an obscure round of sorts as crowd noise provides a cluttered pallet over which two particular voices weave in and out of the obscurity to talk and echo nonsense phrases, accompanied all the while by evenly played, very electric guitar. This is perhaps the vision of the young man, difficult to interpret but beautiful and heartfelt nonetheless. Mossbraker brings back the drums of Gibb, this time sounding the enthusiastic welcome of the newest member to the tribe. A solo violinist speaks up, not playing notes, per se, but singing a sweet and uneven tune like the vocals of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, but slower. The driving force at this point is a bass that sounds like Primus' Les Claypool's if he had a glass of red wine, smoked a pound of grass, then downed half a bottle of vicatin. The Title Track is where repetition begins, returning to ideas earlier in the work and reiterating them, perhaps more eloquently. Feel Good Lost is certainly the most delicate of the songs, and it is a nice bridge between Moss and Last Place. Last Place is not in fact last, but second to it, and it accelerates the pace with the same electronic influenced style of 85. As the 8 minute song progresses, it slowly but progressively builds the wall of sound that backs the beat. It doesn't get anywhere near the obscure levels of the climax of the Decemberists' I Was Meant for The Stage, but the idea is kind of the same. The last track, Cranley's Gonna Make It, might be the most conventional on the album. It still lacks lyrics, and has some interesting instruments (like a very Sufjan banjo part), but the polyrythmic consistency gives it a natural, comfortable feel. It's pretty upbeat, and I would liken it to the end of a long road trip where the van is finally rolling back into the driveway, and you are just so damn excited to see what you know and trust again. On the whole, the journey is a masterpiece. YFIP is a very good piece of music, better than most to be sure, but its retrograde into conventional song form is truly a step away from the brilliance they achieved in Feel Good Lost. Few works sound as good as it, but none sound LIKE it.