Theta Naught & Alex Caldiero
Sound Weave
Differential Records 

When I first listened to this, I listened to it out of order and it in turn started me out on a bad foot. There are two seperate discs on this release and I had listened to the bonus disc. I thought I knew what I was expecting to hear, but I failed to hear it. It was purely instrumental pianos, drums, synths, strings, et cetera. Then I finally get around to the main disc; the one with Theta Naught and Alex Caldiero. Immediately after listening, the phrase “avante-garde” came to my mind. It’s not in the same vein of John Cage 4’33″, but it’s definitely crossing certain pre-ordained musical boundaries. I listen to some spoken word/poetry, but nothing like this. Continue Reading »

Early last month, staff writer Matthew Grannell had the opportunity to speak with Headlights guitarist Tristan Wright via electronic mail. What you are about to read, after the jump, is the full, unedited interview that resulted.

Warning: What you are about to read may blow your mind. Continue Reading »

Umbrellas
Illuminare
The Militia Group

For those who have ever wondered what your favourite local indie-rock band would’ve sounded like had they either not disbanded or not joined a pseudo-indie label which overproduces every single record, Umbrellas have achieved this sound well with Illuminare. I will admittedly say that initially I was not terribly impressed with the vocals.  In time however I have more or less gotten past the similarities he shares with Cher (her newer work) and Gloria Estefan.  His sound is still considerably more effeminate than either of those ladies at any point in their careers. Not something terribly atypical in the genre, but between his airy vocals and thoughtful lyrics, this chap sounds very honest and sincere. Continue Reading »

Mike Andrews
Hand on String
Elgin Park Recordings 

Having no previous knowledge of Mike Andrews I was quite surprised upon first listening to Hand on a String. The first track resembles a very new age-esque type sound and from there traverses across a vast landscape of musical geography. Mr. Andrews’ voice immediately reminds me of past musical greats Simon and Garfunkel, and the late Elliott Smith. While there are similarities amongst the three, Andrews’ voice possesses a unique dryness. It lacks any sort of dynamic quality, which blends smoothly with his music. The music’s uniqueness caught my attention more than anything else. Each song fits with the previous like a puzzle, but at the same time each song sounds entirely different. It’s almost each song is devoted to capturing the sounds of various different eras over the past fifty years. Continue Reading »

Suffering & The Hideous Thieves
Ashamed
Lujo Records

Upon first hearing this record I thought perhaps I was hearing a resurgence of grunge rock blended harshly with a more modern indie-rock format of song arrangement. Well, looking back a week or so into the past I realize that I was pretty wrong. The only way this band could be connected to the early 90′s form of rock is through the vocalist, and they are indeed a vocally driven band. If you haven’t enough of the Eddie Vedder/Chris Cornell sounding vocals, you might like this. Except on Ashamed we have slightly more poetic lyrics applied to a dissonant and dirty voice which seem to follow some sort of theme which attaches itself to the music. That is when I realized how much of an idiot I was. I recognized these vocals! This is Jeff Suffering from Ninety Pound Wuss. So this is certainly not grunge rock, this might just be how the face of punk is evolving. The singer’s vocals do have hope in them when talking about people changing and growing, which is something I was able to connect to. When coupled with the overlapping string arrangements, the vocals seem truly complete. I wouldn’t be able to bare most aspects of this bands music if it wasn’t for the unique insertion of unique instruments and sounds. One song is completely made up of a duet between a violin and an accordion. It makes for an interesting and pleasant transition. Continue Reading »

Anathallo
Floating World
Artist Friendship

Since their earlier days and previous releases, Anathallo has gone through several important evolutionary stages. These processes have led them to one last (but hopefully not final) step: Floating World. This fine piece of art feels like it came straight out of the sky and into the ground, climbed it’s way through roots and branches, received sunlight and was birthed as a beautiful child in a disharmonious world. You’ve not heard any type of music that sounds quite like this, and thus far is the most refreshingly pleasant album of the year. But which big label released it? The answer to that is well, none. The members of Anathallo have relied upon their own creativity and drive to achieve this accomplishment. Continue Reading »