The instant “Had to Hear” begins, you welcome back the awaited jangle of Real Estate. The indie-pop band of the moment knows exactly what you expect of them and their third LP delivers. So much …
March 28, 2014
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Stories by Allison Mayoral
Atlas by Real Estate
Jon Pardi's Write You a Song
It’s refreshing to see a young country artist write his own songs and wear a Stetson straw cowboy hat. With modern country singers opting for trucker hats and V-necks, sometimes a tight pair of Wranglers …
March 21, 2014
Lousy With Sylvianbriar, by of Montreal
Two decades and 12 albums later, of Montreal mastermind Kevin Barnes has decided to throw back to the band’s earliest sounds. Lousy With Sylvianbriar steps back from the synth-soaked songs of Paralytic Stalks and Hissing …
October 18, 2013
Paracosm, by Washed Out
Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out, has let us into his fantasy world. Paracosm, Greene’s second full-length, opens with sounds of a fairytale forest morning where you don’t know whether the day will be great or …
September 20, 2013
Barefoot hillbilly summer fun at Soda Bar with Whiskey Shivers
Every once in a while you just got to get your fiddle on. Austin, Texas–based Americana roots-rock band Whiskey Shivers got the job done on a warm Saturday night at the Soda Bar. The Whiskey …
August 16, 2013
Soft Will, by the Smith Westerns
The Smith Westerns’ self-titled debut album came out when the Chicago-based band members were teenagers. Four years later, their naive garage-rock vibe is not so naive. The trio still has youth to its advantage but …
August 9, 2013
Modern Vampires of the City, by Vampire Weekend
After three years, Vampire Weekend gives us Modern Vampires of the City. The chamber pop they introduced to us on their debut continues but the band tones down the Paul Simon vibes they developed on …
June 14, 2013
Deerhunter's Monomania
“Finding the fluorescence in the junk” is the first line Bradford Cox sings on opening track “Neon Junkyard.” It stands as a descriptor of Deerhunter’s Monomania. The fuzz-rock band from Atlanta is back. After all, …
May 31, 2013
Phoenix's Bankrupt!
Phoenix's 2009 album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, was a commercial and critical hit. It brought the French band to the world stage. This year, fresh off a headlining spot at Coachella, they keep up the pace …
May 10, 2013
Foxygen's We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
Sam France's voice has a hint of femininity to it as he introduces us to "In the Darkness," the gateway track to Foxygen’s second album. The L.A. indie-pop duo could have gone the campy route …
March 1, 2013
Centipede Hz, by Animal Collective
The pop tendencies of 2009's Merriweather Post Pavilion have been put on the back burner for AnCo's latest release. It's not a bad thing, but c'mon, a little pop can never hurt. What does hurt …
October 5, 2012
Bloom, by Beach House
The thing about Beach House is that you know what you are getting. You know styles won’t strain, and that is the beauty of the dream-pop duo’s fourth album, Bloom. Sure, it is more polished …
June 8, 2012
Jack White's Blunderbuss
After a repetitive electric organ intro, it's a relief when Jack White's voice chimes in on opening track "Missing Pieces." White knows that you can't stand the anticipation and it's a solace. The White Stripes …
May 10, 2012
Attack on Memory, by Cloud Nothings
Remember the term “emo?” It used to make me cringe. Thoughts of tattooed boys telling me their woes in verse-chorus-verse of dull sensibilities and loud bursts of emotion fill my head. Well, my darlings, it …
February 7, 2012
Real Estate Days
It sounds like something you've heard before. The jangle of guitars and a soft boyish voice is nothing new in indie-music world. But the New Jersey boys of Real Estate turn those played-out elements into …
December 12, 2011
The Father, Son, Holy Ghost, by Girls
Back in July, the indie-music blogosphere didn't know what to do with itself when Girls released the single "Vomit." The near seven-minute jam, complete with soul-singer backup vocals, was all hipsters needed to become obsessed …
October 11, 2011
Nothing Is Wrong, by Dawes
The first track off of Nothing is Wrong, the second album from Dawes, defines the record. Front man Taylor Goldsmith knows how to reel you in with his voice and lyric in "Time Spent in …
June 12, 2011