Surrogate “Popular Mechanics”
Posted on 03. Sep, 2009 by Author in Chico Music
Surrogate
Popular Mechanics
Tooth & Nail
Decorated with likable melodies, carefully laid textures and a wide range of shifting moods, the second effort from Chico’s Surrogate is quite worth it’s share of attention. Popular Mechanics is a shimmering example of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Chris Keene’s understanding of what makes a good song. All 11 tracks seem not too busy, not too empty, not complacent, not progressive—just super-clean indie with intriguing lyrics. The nuanced yet stellar drumming of Jordan Mallory really contorts to the needs of each individual song, allowing the mood swings to be very [...]
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 “Tegucigalpaâ€) 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 [...]
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 [...]
Melodyne: Direct Note Access
Posted on 10. Mar, 2009 by Dallas VonKillbot in Music, Technology
I rag on Auto-Tune all the time; mainly due to the fact that it’s a piece of shit that most people abuse to either get that damn Cher sound or, even worst, turning a bad vocalist into a pop sensation. It’s killing recordings, because of using it as a tool to clean up a few slight issues, it’s become the foundry of how to record modern vocals. I’m a self admitted hypocrite, considering the fact that true purists would say using that at all would constitute a fraudulent [...]
Boss Releases Digital Delay 7
Posted on 20. Jun, 2008 by spencer in Music
Boss is set to release the new DD-7 Digital Delay pedal. The question on every guitar geek’s mind: Why in God’s name do I need 6.4 seconds of delay time? And why do I need my delay pedal to have Mod Delay effects like chorus? And how well does it emulate the classic Boss DM-2 Analog Delay? And is the 40 seconds of sampling/hold really necessary?
I wish I could answer you these important questions. I guess Boss is just going to have to send us one to test out. The [...]
