Minipop - Minipop Review

Minipop: Official Site, MySpace
Hailing from sunny San Fran, Minipop liken their sound to “Marshmallows on Morphine and Care-Bears on Xanax.” Pause. Blink.
Their debut self-titled album oozes saccharine (read: artificial sweetness) through lyrics that take themselves to seriously and methodical power chords. The album has a dreamy quality (hence their dream-pop categorization) that is [...]

What Were They Thinking? (Elle Milano - “My Brother, the Astronaut”)

Credit: musicforthemorningafter.wordpress.com
Elle Milano - “My Brother, The Astronaut” [mp3]

“My Brother, The Astronaut” is The Killers’ Brandon Flowers vocals with a Brit twist, and a speedy, punkish sound. Elle Milano [Official Site, MySpace] takes you on a careening ride through raw emotion and bold assertions. It’s great for your gym [...]

Magnet - The Simple Life Review

Magnet Official Site , MySpace
Magnet: A subtance, usually metallic, that has the ability to attract similar substances with a force that is not electric or gravitational.
The Simple Life: A reality show depicting two wealthy young socialites as they struggle to do manual, low-paying jobs such as cleaning [...]

What Were They Thinking? (Canadians - “15th of August”)

Credit: Canadians
Don’t be fooled - these Canadians [Official Site , MySpace] don’t say “eh?” There’s no question that their song “15th of August” will make you long for summer days, wind blowing in your face, en route to the nearest Red Lemon (a.k.a. Dairy Queen). It harbors feelings of innocent crushes, tank [...]

What Were They Thinking? (Run Dan Run - “Your Name Escapes Me”)

Credit: Run Dan Run
Run Dan Run [Official Site, MySpace]
If you dig The Postal Service, or even those UPS commercials where that guy turns a two dimensional square into a three dimensional laptop, then you should be listening to Run Dan Run. In a word: fantastic. You’ll find yourself singing “Your Name Escapes Me” [...]

PJ Harvey - White Chalk Review

PJ Harvey Official Site, MySpace
Yes, it’s just as creepy as the album cover. White Chalk is like having an ongoing battle with a rogue eyelash that creates an intermittent discomfort. The heavy focus on the piano provides a unique and solid footing for the rest of the album, which is gorgeous, [...]

What Were They Thinking? (British Sea Power - “Atom”)

Photo Credit: Yotta Music
British Sea Power [Official Site, MySpace]
The intro to British Sea Power’s “Atom” pumps you up in the exact same way that the theme song from the American version of “The Office” does. It doesn’t once lose momentum; the drum rolls and thumping bass pedal are catchy, while the chord progression is quick [...]

Explosions in the Sky (10/15/07, Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA)

Credit: Bella Union
Explosions in the Sky [Official Site, MySpace] did not put on a mind-blowing performance at the dilapidated but cozy Orpheum Theatre in Beantown this past Monday evening. Sure, they have been cherry-picked by Billy Corgan as the opening entertainment for the Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist tour, but it seems as if they have [...]

The GoStation - Passion Before Function Review

The GoStation Official Site, MySpace
Passion Before Function, The GoStation’s debut album has a sweeping vibe and contagious likeability. With producer/engineer Bill Racine on board, it’s not surprising. He has worked with Rogue Wave and Phantom Planet, which leads one to believe that we’re one commercial break away from hearing any given track off [...]

Jesca Hoop - Kismet Review

Jesca Hoop - Official Site, MySpace
Jesca Hoop is the result of taking the best aspects of Six Pence None The Richer, Poe, Jewel and a splash of Nellie Furtado rolled into one. She’s not as folky or angsty as Ani DiFranco, she’s not nearly as scary as Courtney Love or Shirley Manson, and not [...]