Metavari, “Be One of Us and Hear No Noise”

Posted on 10. Sep, 2009 by spencer in Album Review, Music

Metavari
Be One of Us and Hear No Noise
Crossroads of America
Though they’ve already put out an EP and scored a short film, Be One of Us and Hear No Noise is the first full length from the Fort Wayne, IN three-piece Metavari. Playing this wonderful collection of simple instrumental tunes through headphones will make you feel like your life is a hip indie movie and you’re the star. While listening to this album, the mundane seemed to take on a greater significance, and if Michael Cera had walked through my front [...]

Fruit Bats: “Ruminant Band”

Posted on 04. Aug, 2009 by some guy in Album Review, Music

Fruit Bats
Ruminant Band
Sub Pop
Riding a wave somewhere between country and kitschy hipster pop—though not overdosing on either—the Fruit Bats are no doubt onto something with their fourth full-length, Ruminant Band. The music itself carries a certain weight of Sticky Fingers Stones (see “Tegucigalpa”) while singer/pianist Eric Johnson croons leads in a fashion akin to James Mercer of The Shins. Cuts like “Beautiful Morning Light” speak to the revivalist nature which Ruminant Band embraces, and it’s not troubling to imagine these boys paired-up with Sub Pop brethren Band of Horses for [...]

Battlehooch – The Special Place! Video

Posted on 30. Jul, 2009 by spencer in Music

I caught these guys in Chico in July and they blew me away. Battlehooch was cool R&B psychedelic wackiness, like Frank Zappa leading Parliament-Funkadelic as the musical guests for The Muppet Show. Plus, a spot-on cover of “Billie Jean” was a good kickoff. Check out the video of the first single from their debut full-length album Piecechow.

The Special Place from Battlehooch on Vimeo.

Synthesis Weekly Reviews — Stardeath and White Dwarfs: “The Birth”

Posted on 23. Jul, 2009 by Author in Album Review, Music

Stardeath and White Dwarfs
The Birth
Warner Bros.
The guys in Stardeath and White Dwarfs used to be the road crew for the Flaming Lips. Upon listening to their debut full-length, one ponders how much acid they ate touring with the Lips because The Birth is definitely a trip. This wonderful album shifts moods and musical styles in a way that is both seamless and slippery. When you think you’ve grasped it, there’s a change into something unexpected. The Birth opens with the grand psych rock of “The Sea Is On Fire,” mutates [...]

Synthesis Weekly Reviews — Against Me!: “The Original Cowboy”

Posted on 22. Jul, 2009 by Author in Album Review, Music

Against Me!
The Original Cowboy
Fat Wreck Chords
The Original Cowboy is a collection of preproduction demos that were recorded in the process of making Against Me’s second full length album, As the Eternal Cowboy. Essentially this is a slightly grittier version of their acclaimed 2003 release, an album that didn’t seem to suffer too bad from production magic bloat in the first place. Never the less, the rawness adds a certain oomph that makes it quite enjoyable to someone like me, who’s always found something lacking in past listening experiences. If you’re [...]

New Saosin Tracks

Posted on 01. Jul, 2009 by Dallas VonKillbot in Music

Two new Saosin tracks popped up on the net today as a result of their pre-order deal for their newest effort,  In Search for Solid Ground.  In all honestly, I think this slight glance into what’s going to be released shows a decent amount of progression from their self-titled record.  “On My Own” is a perfect example of why people were bummed about their last full length; everything is very formulaic and safe. Their technical abilities are completely overshadowed by simplistic melodies and Cove’s sometimes questionable pronunciation of certain [...]

Wanna Open Up For Apostle of Hustle?

Posted on 16. Apr, 2009 by spencer in Music

By far my favorite of the Broken Social Scene spin-off/Arts & Crafts bands, Apostle of Hustle have a new album coming out on May 19th. If their track record means a damn, Eats Darkness will be a phenomenal, breezy, tropical indie rock affair. I can’t wait. But the REAL news is that Apostle of Hustle are doing some Ontario shows, and that they’re looking for opening bands:
Apostle of Hustle recently announced a handful of Ontario dates that begin the day after the release of their third full-length album, Eats Darkness [...]

New Emery Single “Cutthroat Collapse”

Posted on 07. Apr, 2009 by Daniel Taylor in Music

Our friends Emery have released the first single from their forthcoming full length In Shallow Seas We Sail on iTunes today, but you can also check out a stream of it on YouTube