Bear Hands @ Siren

Bear Hands was a pleasant surprise – musically. On stage they were nothing special, but certainly sounded nice. They were kind of funny to look at, as the lead guitarist, who actually added the necessary atmosphere to fill out the sound and bring together some of the dreamy, ambient parts of the songs, was soooo… Continue reading Bear Hands @ Siren

Tiny Masters of Today @ Siren

I really hate doing this to such young artists. And as much as I try to avoid excuses when reviewing music, it’s just way too difficult to throw out the age factor with Brooklyn’s Tiny Masters of Today. Because it was SO unavoidable at Siren. For those who are unaware, Tiny Masters of Today are,… Continue reading Tiny Masters of Today @ Siren

[MP3] New Yo La Tengo: “Here To Fall”

The highly anticipated twelfth full-length album, Popular Songs, from New Jersey’s own Yo La Tengo is due out September 8, but that’s not stopping tracks from being thrown to the masses by their label, Matador. The second released single, “Here To Fall,” is the opener to the album and it’s pretty solid. Alongside “Periodically Double… Continue reading [MP3] New Yo La Tengo: “Here To Fall”

A Place To Bury Strangers @ Siren

Thus begins my string of negative reviews. We weren’t going to be pleased by all of these shows – so I might as well just let you know from the start: I did not like A Place To Bury Strangers. If you’re one of those folks who hate on people disagreeing with you and that… Continue reading A Place To Bury Strangers @ Siren

Gets the Girl. Because music is involved, of course.

Gets the Girl, a duo based in NY, is a bold band name in these days of quippy hipster critique, putting their credibility on the edge a bit too early. But I applaud the sincerity, as it’s truly an accurate portrayal of what the guys are aiming for. Per their MySpace: The music of Gets… Continue reading Gets the Girl. Because music is involved, of course.

Grand Duchy @ Siren

Frank Black is easily one of the most influential musicians of the last two decades. From directly influencing grunge (see Kurt Cobain) to setting the stage for the 90s alternative scene and making music many new musicians today grew up spinning, he’s had a hand in making alternative and indie music what is today. On… Continue reading Grand Duchy @ Siren

Future of the Left @ Siren

Raging forth from the stage like the Kraken from the sea (1981’s Clash of the Titans anyone?) was the furious sound of Future of the Left. Playing by far the most angst-ridden set all day, the three boys from Wales delivered tight, crunching guitar rock made complete with roaring screams and head thrashing (the latter… Continue reading Future of the Left @ Siren

Forest Fire’s Survival is curious, memorable, intriguing

Here are some things that are instantly noticeable about Brooklyn-based band Forest Fire‘s debut, Survival: The male/female vocals and harmonies The near-constant strum of acoustic guitar A wealth of instruments poking their heads in at random parts of songs What you might not notice so quickly, though, is how driven by percussion this record is.… Continue reading Forest Fire’s Survival is curious, memorable, intriguing

Micachu & the Shapes @ Siren

At some point during Micachu & the Shapes‘ set, Lee described them to me as music made up of weird, disjointed parts that somehow come together. (That’s paraphrased. I didn’t take notes on his notes, gosh.) But I’d have to agree. There’s nothing musically conventional about Micachu. Besides the made up guitar chords (see: “Vulture”)… Continue reading Micachu & the Shapes @ Siren