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July 25, 2008 | Music Reviews
 Takka Takka are a band with a myriad of influences. While listening to Migration, the band’s sophomore effort, it becomes apparent that although indie rock is at the core of the band’s aesthetic, the group is not afraid to experiment in terms of texture and song structure to create a warm, melodic, and rich record of folk rock more befitting of the fall than its summer release. That’s not to say that everything works. In fact, the music often blends so seemingly from one song to the next that you find the need to skip over one track and go to the next in the hopes of finding something better, only to be disappointed.
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July 24, 2008 | Music Reviews
 Since forming in 2000, Southhampton, UK trio Moss has become known for their penchant for writing music darker and less friendly than a medieval torture chamber. Inspired by the likes of H.P. Lovecraft and Aleister Cowley, Moss released an impressive array of demos and split albums with groups like Nadja and Unearthly Trance before unleashing their first full-length, Cthonic Rites (Aurora Borealis) in 2005. Sub Templum (Rise Above), their second album, is a four-song, hour and fifteen minute venture that is so monstrously heavy, it could quite possibly make healthy plants turn brown, shrivel up and die upon exposure. Read more
July 23, 2008 | Music Reviews
 Los Angeles-based Bodies Of Water have been under the radar for most of their short-lived career. But they shouldn’t have a problem with that anymore. A Certain Feeling (Secretly Canadian), the band’s second full-length in just two years, finds the quartet where 2007’s Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink left off experimenting with song structure, utilizing a variety of instruments and becoming more and more sophisticated musically-speaking than many of their peers.
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July 22, 2008 | Music Reviews
 CSS made a strong impression on the international music scene by embracing a snarky and hipper-than-thou attitude that legions of music lovers lapped up eagerly. Songs that referenced Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, and Death From Above became dance floor favorites with sleek bass lines and self-referential, pop culture-laden lyrics. It comes as a surprise then, while listening to the group’s latest effort, Donkey, to hear a collection of songs less eager to please and more set upon musicianship. Read more
July 21, 2008 | Music Reviews
 Although Hercules and Love Affair’s eponymous debut doesn’t necessarily fit into what’s popular in the mainstream or independent music scene, it’s not difficult to classify the group’s sound. The group proudly shows off its musical influences - with songs giving enthusiastic nods towards Chicago house and early disco - all while maintaining a unique and fresh aesthetic. Read more
July 18, 2008 | Music Reviews
 The first thing to understand about Terrible Two, the new album by Baltimore “rhythm/action” trio Thank You, is that it is background music. If that sounds harsh, try and remember some of the great records that work just as well when you’re not paying attention as when you’re digging for details. Can and Neu! are obvious. Brian Eno is too easy. And just look at all that Chicago noise released on Thank You’s venerable label, Thrill Jockey. This doesn’t mean it is music to be ignored, just satisfying music that stands up to a number of situations. Read more
July 17, 2008 | Music Reviews
 Miami Ice, the third effort by Chicago-based Icy Demons (comprised of Bablicon’s Griffin Rodriguez, here known as Blue Hawaii, and Man Man’s Christopher Powell, known as Pow Pow), is so enjoyable and effortless; it’s any wonder why the group hasn’t gained greater notoriety. Although disappointingly short, the album is brimming with such gorgeous material that it’s difficult not to enjoy. “Miami Ice,” the stunning single for which the album was named, is a perfect blend of Rodriguez’s deep yet quiet vocals and elegant synths and piano. Although clearly the strongest and most rapturous effort on the record, it certainly doesn’t take away from the other genius songs. Read more
July 17, 2008 | Music Reviews
 Twin Tigers have been around less than a year, yet they are the latest hot band from the Athens, GA scene. The group is made of scattered remnants of past acts, most notably Psychic Hearts. With Twin Tigers, songwriter Matthew Rain has adopted more traditional roots on which to base his frenetic and fuzzed sound. Read more
July 16, 2008 | Music Reviews
 The fifth release from Robert Pollard in three years is aptly titled. The founder of the influential indie rock group Guided By Voices is all business. Robert Pollard Is Off To Business is a bit of a departure from Pollard’s usual body of work. It only has ten songs on it. For a man that usually packs twenty-plus tracks into every album, this is a risk, but Pollard is finally betting on quality over quantity. Read more
July 15, 2008 | Music Reviews
 After six years focusing on various side projects, including Lali Puna, 13 & God, and the Tied & Tickled Trio, The Notwist has finally provided the follow-up to 2002’s critically acclaimed, universally loved Neon Golden. The quartet returns with the layered, idiosyncratic electronica that enabled their last release to be played repeatedly without becoming boring. Read more
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