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 [...]
Synthesis Weekly Reviews – The Dear Hunter: Act III: Life and Death
Posted on 28. Jul, 2009 by Author in Album Review, Music
The Dear Hunter
Act III: Life and Death
Triple Crown
Jumping into a third installment of a concept album has made for an intriguing move with The Dear Hunter. Many bands attempt to pull off a concept and end up trying too hard and lose their audience. The Dear Hunter has successfully combined harmonious storytelling with all-encompassing instrumentation and rhythms on Act III: Life and Death. The opening song, “In Cauda Venenum,†embarks the vision and energy of an epic battle. For many, the best part of a conceptual release lies within [...]
Synthesis Weekly Reviews: “Potato Hole” by Booker T
Posted on 01. Jul, 2009 by Author in Album Review, Music
Booker T
Potato Hole
Anti-
Like a sporadic sprinkle throughout his iconic career as bandleader of the MGs, Hammond B3 organ-master Booker T. Jones always seems to drop the occasional solo effort for us to flavor as well. His latest, Potato Hole, is refreshingly strong, finding a harmonious balance between a new sound and likable tunes. Jones employs the talents of the Drive-By Truckers as his backing band, allowing his trademark B3 to act as a voice over varying guitar-based rhythms. But despite Booker T.’s “lead” role in the arrangements, he’s still as [...]
Les Claypool – Of Fungi and Foe
Posted on 05. May, 2009 by Author in Music
Les Claypool, bass virtuoso and all around musical legend, continues his trademark innovation and eclecticism in his latest release, Of Fungi and Foe. His work on the soundtrack for Pig Hunt, a film about a 3,000 pound wild boar who terrorizes marijuana gardens in Northern California, and Claypool’s original music for Mushroom Men, an interactive game about intelligent fungal life, serve as the backdrop for much of the album. The record draws from a large pool of musical influences and instrumentation, lending it a non-classifiable sound, somewhat akin to the [...]
