Rating: 4.4
The new EP from the French Kicks, emergent band borne out of the D.C. hardcore resurgence of the 90s, lacks grit and charm. A new exclusively eMusic release, The Roller EP, stuns with a bit of boredom and a less than vicious bite. Turning from post-punk/garage rock into wistful pop-rock is no simple task, but the French Kicks have mastered the downward spiral well.
Photo by Laura Musselman taken at Easy Street Records in Seattle, WA 3/17/06
Crocodile Cafe
Seattle, WA
March 17, 2007
Let’s spend it all like sailors, babe, and pretend we just got paid…
The brief history of Philadelphia quintet Dr. Dog has been an extraordinarily lucky one. After their home-recorded 2004 album Toothbrush caught the attention of Jim James, he invited them along on tour with My Morning Jacket. Since then, Dr. Dog has toured with The Strokes, The Raconteurs and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and has garnered mainstream praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, SPIN and The New York Times.
Future Clouds and Radar released a mammoth-sized double album on Tuesday. This collective is based out of Hill Country, TX and is fronted by Robert Harrison (formerly of Cotton Mather). This band has been described as “Sprawling, Orchestral Art Rock.” Check it.
Rating: 6.0
Kudos to Mr. Kilgour for pulling more rabbits out of his hat than you’ve got fingers and toes. The New Zealander has been co-writing rock history since forming The Clean in the early eighties and continues to deliver on clean, ephemeral pop rock. This album sounds like the product of a series of casual jam sessions meshed with Kilgour’s pure whimsy.
Braille “I”
ICELANDERS
They know how to rock, our Icelandic brothers and sisters. Bjork, of course. But Sigur Rios?Awesome. And Emiliana Torrini? Neato! And the rap group Quarashi? Honestly, tell me a better Icelandic rap group. Seriously. Come on! You can’t even think of one. That’s because Quarashi is the end all and be all of Icelandic rap. God bless them. God bless them all!
My Brightest Diamond’s (Shara Worden) acclaimed 2006 album, Bring Me the Workhorse, has been deconstructed in a semi-collaboration with 13 different remixes and a new record has emerged—Tear It Down. After SxSW, Shara will hit the road again opening a series of dates for The Decemberists.
Golden Star (remix by Alias) mp3
Freak Out (Gold Chains Panique mix) mp3
Neumo’s
Seattle, WA
March 7, 2007
A stalwart of Montreal’s rock ferment, Do Make Say Think consistently crafts elegant, meandering rock songs. Stripping song structures down to core elements, DMST take these strands—a guitar melody, the cool blow of a trumpet—and layer them with sounds to create universal, musical moods.