On second disc "Our Ill Wills," the Swedish crew proves it's lost none of the raw indie spirit that made 2005's "Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" sparkle. The record plays like a frenzied coda to '60s jangle-pop and '70s smile-rock, with string-popping guitars, glissy strings, and wounded vocals.
Ben Mullins' new project might be a vision of bedroom pop's future. Built of choppy drum loops and shiny synth leads, it nonetheless feels soulful in spirit, showing how, with the right melodies and mixing, a "sterile" vocabulary can make music that's far from it.
Mixing uptempo quasi-rockabilly songs with introspective ballads that are heartfelt but never saccharine, Yoakam's got a rare ability to move both Nashville stalwarts and alt-country scenesters alike. This song's from his his stellar 2005 album "Blame the Vain."
It's high time the J Dilla protege, a Jaylib contributor, got a feature full-length, and Simpson proves a muscular and engaging voice on "Ode to the Ghetto." Pouring years of Detroit wisdom into every track, he manages, with his powerful baritone, to both intimidate and endear.
A goddess of contemporary electro, Miss Kittin embodies all that is cold, foreign, and simultaneously sexxxed up. New album "Batbox" sees her lightening up and adding an indie-rock edge. Make no mistake, though: She's still rocking the beats.
In the world of math-rock, Pinback plays tutor, bringing high concepts down to digestible levels. Gloomy guitars, shifty rhythms, and murky vocals aren't ends in themselves but rather an ideal vocabulary for fragile melodies.
This Montreal DJ makes avant-garde, industrial house-tronica cut in the lean lines of a recovering mimimalist. The thunderous warehouse beats are strangely sparse, a trick further enabled by the slippery rhythms of Poirier's other love: hip-hop.
The titular notion of "making some quiet" smartly captures this Swedish indie pop act, who rock out thoroughly, but in a genteel and frosty way. They'd blame that on winter darkness, we'd call it good taste.
Fans need no convincing: Slipknot rocks. Hard. The band's all about pounding drums, gritty guitars, growling vocals, and a loud, aggressive sound--though at the same time the songs sport undeniable hooks.
During a break from her duties as frontwoman for Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis indulges in a mix of vintage country and soul on her '06 solo offering. With the crystal-clear vocals of the Watson Twins backing her, Lewis shines as a bewitching, modern-day chanteuse.
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