I understand that these fellas will never be everyone's cup of tea, but I can't help it. They scratch a particular itch for me, musically speaking. This is one of their stronger compositions, less overtly-indebted to the midwestern emo of t... more info

Like always, I am super, super late to the party. Like a slow motion Afghan Whigs, or a Mogwai that got laid once in a while, this will all sound familiar to you. Dredging the absolute bottom of the murky waters of the '90s they come up covered ... more info

Christmas music. Megafaun - I Saw Three Ships. Despite my excitement in the previous post, I have not done my musical job this Christmas season. I've listened to A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector a handful of times, and tried to keep up... more info

Christmas music! I'm glad it's that time of year again. I always make myself wait until the day after Thanksgiving to delve into the "Holiday" genre on my iPod, because of the risk of overexposure. What if it's December 24, and I can&a... more info

The Chap - We Work in Bars. It's rare to hear someone so excited about gainful employment. Are the Chap just victims of the poor economy and simply glad to have a place to work, even if it's a mundane job at the bar? Or are they mocking bar... more info

Tame Impala - Runway, Houses, City, Clouds. This is one the sound of getting lost in it. It starts in the middle, it ends in the middle. It's like eight different parts of middle. At first we find the band already launching into some kind of cho... more info

Kathryn Calder - Slip Away. Kathryn Calder's got a new record out soon, and it's called Are You My Mother?. "Slip Away" is the first track from the album, and it may not sound like much at first. It's lighter than air, with a melody th... more info

Miniature Tigers - Gold Skull. I was supposed to see Miniature Tigers open for Free Energy and Jukebox The Ghost the other night, but their van broke down and they never made it to Boston. Bummer. I first saw Miniature Tigers, with their DHARMA-clad ... more info

It took me a while to realize I like Animal Collective. Dada Trash Collage - In Season. Well, as is the case with many artists, it depends on the song. When they give us something we can grab onto - "Chores" from Strawberry Jam, say, or "Summertime C... more info

Phosphorescent - Mermaid Parade. We can walk the same streets each day and have it be different each time. The path we wear in the road will deepen, will wear in different spots, will reveal different layers beneath our feet. And each time we know th... more info