Year: 2007

Rocky Votolato The Brag & Cuss [Barsuk]

| Matthew Wendus

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Rating: 6.0

Slide guitar and harmonica are the dusky super duo in country and folk rock, melding like beer and chips, steak and potatoes, or cheese and crackers. A band could be composed of a troupe of retarded turtles, but if there’s slide guitar and harmonica, you can’t help but tap your toes. Seattle folkster Rocky Votolato incorporates plenty of both on his second record with Barsuk, The Brag & Cuss. The singer-songwriter melds a warm retro approach with an organic vibe to create a record that is as comforting as a crackling campfire.

Postcard from Kentucky [mp3]

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Les Savy Fav mp3s

| USOUNDS

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Semi-amorous Les Savy Fav pic jacked from MySpace

Let’s Stay Friends is Les Savy Fav’s first album in 6 years and features: Enon, Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces), Nick Thorburn (Islands), Emily Haines, Joe Plummer (Black Heart Procession), Fred Armison, and voicemails from fans. New album out September 18th.

What Would Wolves Do [mp3]
The Equestrian [mp3]

Two Gallants The Scenery of Farewell [Saddle Creek]

| Shrie Bradford

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Rating: 6.5

San Francisco duo Two Gallants seem to attract their fair share of trouble. A run-in with the police, unfortunately ending in an arrest and a night in jail, and the legal battle that ensued has left Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel scarce time to grace us with a full-length effort. The Scenery of Farewell satiates with a calm(er) set of recordings from sound checks and radio appearances.

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Immaculate Machine Fables [Mint Records]

| Matthew Wendus

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Rating: 7.0

Maybe it’s the humidity, but Immaculate Machine’s music conjures up images of cropped-haired liberal arts girls wearing American Apparel panties and high socks dancing in dorms. It’s either erotic or infuriating, a feeling I sometimes run into with indie pop releases that are painted with pastels, keyboards, and clean guitars. But as I will say again and again, if there’s substance in the music, those imaginary theater majors can dance in my head as long as they want. The Canadian trio’s whimsical approach to tune-crafting on Fables weaves a lovely tapestry of jangly hits that stick like glue.

Dear Confessor [mp3]

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Music News Highlights

| USOUNDS

Pitchfork: Deerhunter keep poop log. (Pun intended)

Touch and Go Records: Stream and pre-order brand new Pinback track, “From Nothing To Nowhere”. New album Autumn of the Seraphs to be released September 11th.

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Rob and Zack are exhausted after burying a few dead bodies under a mossy hilltop

VBS Vid: Everyone loves Battles! (Except for one person I know.) Check out this boozy interview and practice session.

Aversion: Tom from Snow Patrol was arrested. The article doesn’t say why, so it’s pretty much useless, but we at usounds want to say- Stay strong Tom! You are one of the few who honestly answered our weird and borderline inappropriate interview questions. I love you man.

Ryan Adams Easy Tiger [Lost Highway]

| Brandi H.

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Rating: 5.9

Ryan Adams has been a busy guy. The dreamy-eyed North Caroliner has put out five albums in the last three years, garnering him more than the average amount of press for his excesses…especially since his excesses involve heroin and cocaine. Now you might think that five albums is a lot for that span of time, but speedballs ain’t called speedballs for nothing, and the same obstructions to productivity that the Average Joe on the street might face don’t mean jack to Mr. Adams.

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