I first got into Bon Iver back in the summer of 2009. I started listening to the band while I was living in London because one of my best friends in Arizona sent me a video and I read that lead singer Justin Vernon recorded the majority of masterpiece, For Emma, Forever Ago, in his…
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Molly Sweeney is part of the awesome female Indie Folk singer-songwriter scene that’s been trickling out of Canada in the past decade. Spearheaded by Arcade Fire’s Régine Chassagne and Amy Millan of Stars and Broken Social Scene, Molly Sweeney fits somewhere in the middle. The single most interesting aspect of her recent album Gold Rings…
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On June 7, Inuk pop songstress Elisapie Issac released her album There Will Be Stars in the US. That same day, I was lucky enough to have a phone interview with her. I’ve gotta be honest – as someone who has done a fair share of interviews, I’ve never had one go as well as…
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I have to start this concert review a little differently than the standard because Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti is nowhere close to typical. How can I describe the magical weirdness of Ariel Pink? His ‘not all there’ personality, random lyrics, misguided intensity and public moments of self-loathing make him the premier hipster superstar he is….
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On May 23, 2011, the world changed. Lady Gaga released her much-anticipated second studio album, Born This Way. As you all probably recall, my love for Gaga runs deep. I had written at the end of that piece that I hoped her sound would reflect a change towards more piano-driven rock-and-roll, like what she performed…
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On May 17, 2011, Emily Zuzik (and her band) delivered a killer performance at Spike Hill, one of the most active live music venues in Williamsburg. This show was interesting, as it was part of arts crowd sourcing website RocketHub’s “Take off Tuesdays”; weekly showcases wherein musicians are interviewed in person about their creative processes…
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As an early birthday present to myself, on May 18, 2011, I saw Fleet Foxes perform in the beautifully underrated and underused United Palace Theater in Washington Heights, New York City. I must admit that while the voyage so far uptown was new to me, the venue could not have been more perfect for the show….
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New York is a funny place. Only in a city of this magnitude can someone so talented and active in the business remain underground for so long. Luckily for us, that’s all about to change. Emily Zuzik is an extremely talented singer-songwriter who has toured extensively in the US and in the UK, is well-respected…
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Over the past two weeks, I’ve finally been able to connect with Adam Vanderwerf of emerging Adelaide Psych-Shoegazers Ride Into The Sun. The band is fresh from a short interstate tour and had some great answers. Read on below. How do you describe or define your sound? Our sound is hard to define. If we had…
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Alternatively: From the Vault: Christine Campbell’s Random Favorite Albums Ever Fever Ray is the 2009 solo brainchild of Karin Dreijer Andersson, one half of Swedish electronic duo The Knife. I first heard of The Knife back in 2006, when their song “We Share Our Mother’s Health” was featured in an iTunes free download of the…
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I know that in Australia, self-defined psychedelic hypno-groove rockers Tame Impala are a pretty big deal. I am more than certain that lead vocalist Kevin Parker, drummer Jay Watson, guitarist and synth -player Dominic Simper and live bassist Nick Allbrook are each legitimate rock stars, although their youthful appearances don’t particularly match the kind of…
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Back in February 2011, I got an email informing me of the third album release from Ducktails, Matthew Mondanile’s one-man psychedelic pop project. I must admit I wasn’t able to really listen to Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics until last week. I remember looking at the extremely laudatory write up and accompanying photo of a somewhat…
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It’s 1:00 AM on March 30, 2011 and I’m walking in the middle of Manhattan dazed after one of my favorite bands ever played one of their last shows ever. My friend suddenly turns to me and makes one simple declaration that perfectly sums up everything I’ve been trying to vocalize for the past hour:…
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When I was approached about reviewing Constant Future, the fifth studio album from Brooklyn-based noise rock band Parts & Labour, I was expecting a mediocre and at times unbearable sonic journey. Lately when I go to random local live shows or decide to go try a new dive bar, I start to wince as searing,…
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