Month: September 2011

Wooden Shjips make best record to date with West

San Francisco has a long history with psychedelic music, but no band epitomizes the new psychedelic sound of San Francisco like Wooden Shjips. After releasing some great records on Holy Mountain, Wooden Shjips unleash West, their first record for Thrill Jockey. West finds the band in a proper studio for the first time and the… Continue reading Wooden Shjips make best record to date with West

Appetite

Am I allowed to be late on bands in today’s cutthroatingly competitive society? Music is good until it’s not, and being out there for a little while does not make music not good. Dig? PROFOUND. (I’m really admitting an inferiority complex here.) In my quest to make this the worst-written post ever on the wwwz,… Continue reading Appetite

Glenn Jones’ The Wanting fills us with satisfaction

The Wanting is an intriguing title for Glenn Jones’ fourth solo record, and first for the Thrill Jockey label. You expect to feel a deep yearning of sense of loss pouring from each song; instead, each track is completely satisfying and exudes feelings of contentment. Jones comes from the John Fahey and Robbie Basho school… Continue reading Glenn Jones’ The Wanting fills us with satisfaction

Barn Owl’s psych-doom-folk is hypnotic on Lost in the Glare

Do you remember that forgotten space station marooned in some remote corner of the universe populated by two half-insane astronauts? You’ve probably seen it in a late night movie that blurred in your mind years ago. It seems impossible, but at some point our two lonely and mostly-out-of-their-minds astronauts get it together and figure out… Continue reading Barn Owl’s psych-doom-folk is hypnotic on Lost in the Glare

[MP3] Southerly: “Do We Believe?”

Southerly, aka singer/songwriter Krist Krueger, is about ready to drop his third full-length, Youth, on September 20 via Greyday Records. In anticipation of the release, Krueger, from Portland, Oregon, has released a new mp3, titled “Do We Believe?”. A strong piano line leads the way as Kreuger builds the song up with surging horns and… Continue reading [MP3] Southerly: “Do We Believe?”

[Abby’s Road] “Pure Blood Will Kill You”

Well, not YOU you, but some people. Give me a moment to set this up. The last two weeks involved our hanging out with some new friends, a(nother) American/German couple. The expat half of the partnership and I, obviously, had loads in common at the get go. First and foremost, we both left the homeland… Continue reading [Abby’s Road] “Pure Blood Will Kill You”

[soundscape] imperfect

photo: ‘condemn’ song: leonard cohen – “sisters of mercy” [stream only] (buy) [audio:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15567770/Leonard%20Cohen%20-%20Sisters%20of%20Mercy.mp3] ‘it began as a mistake.’ – bukowski it began as a mistake. i was driving down the street and there was this perfect, little woman. she had old, kind eyes. she looked weathered but peaceful. i had only a second to take… Continue reading [soundscape] imperfect

[The Past Presents] U2 – “Achtung Baby”

The Past Presents revisits revered albums from the past 20-25 years to ask the question, “Is this album still a classic, or has it lost its edge over the years?”. Was it a great record for that particular time and place, or is it something we’ll be passing on to our kids? It also looks at… Continue reading [The Past Presents] U2 – “Achtung Baby”

[Hype Hype Hooray] “Did Lady Gaga Jump The Shark?” and Other Questions She Should Be Asking Her Reflection in the Morning

Every [two weeks?] Jamie Hale takes a long, hard look at the music industry and the blog scene that feeds it. Here, he releases those findings and makes snarky, sarcastic remarks. Admittedly, both Jamie and Knox Road are a part of this scene. So sue us. I heard this year’s Video Music Awards gave MTV… Continue reading [Hype Hype Hooray] “Did Lady Gaga Jump The Shark?” and Other Questions She Should Be Asking Her Reflection in the Morning