Portugal. The Man - Censored Colors

Portugal. The Man
Censored Colors

Rating: 7.5/10.0
Recommended Tracks: 1, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15
RiYL: Mars Volta, Circa Survive, Cursive, Early Pink Floyd, The Walkmen, The Killers

The old adage, “The only constant is change,” rings especially true for Portugal. The Man, who prove time and again that they can’t stick to one sound for too long. On their latest album, “Censored Colors,” their third in as many years, the band members reaffirm their powers of mutability and completely reinvent themselves… for the third time in as many years. Their 2006 debut record, Waiter: ‘You Vultures!’ screams of a slightly less cocaine-fueled Mars Volta. Don’t be confused however, even minus the cocaine, it was a complete rocker from start to finish. Their follow up, Church Mouth, while still extremely high energy and fast paced, had a much lighter air about it, and truly showcased the level of maturity they gained as musicians between recordings. The songs seemed to shed not only the dark tone of the first album, but also much of the frills and over-the-top-instrumentation, each track more focused and more stripped down. (more…)

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Interview - Crüxshadows

Few bands rule the “gothic/darkwave” music scene, but The Crüxshadows
has done so for a number of years. Since the creation of the band by
lead singer Rogue in the 90’s, The Crüxshadows has worked its way to
the top. The band is gaining more and more recognition, playing in
numerous countries and performing with a multitude of other bands in
the genre. And for all this, Rogue found the time to sit down with me
at Dragon*Con for an interview. (more…)

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Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping

Of Montreal
Skeletal Lamping

Rating: 7.0/10.0
Recommended Tracks: 2, 5, 9
RIYL: Elephant 6 bands, Electro Dance Pop, Sigmund Freud

The first time I ever heard Of Montreal, I was dumbfounded. Listening to the childish pop ballads performed by Kevin Barnes just made me happy. His songs were the epitome of cute. As I’ve been following them over the years, their style has evolved into a new genre of very eclectic dance pop. Their last release Hissing Fauna… was an electronic lost-love ballad from start to end, showing raw emotion in a usually emotionless genre. Again, their latest release is pushing the boundaries, possibly even too far. (more…)

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Live - The Walkmen

‘Twas a perfect fall night for nostalgia-induced happiness…The black circles around our eyes calling out for sleep, hung shoulders from the weight of the week, and an inexplicable excitement in the pit of our stomachs giving us a hint of the greatness that was to ensue…

The Walkmen, though always occupying a special place in my heart, had never quite made it into my list of favorite bands. Their bittersweet, slightly clashing, ever so professional yet sloppy music always seemed to grab me only one song at a time. This of course may have to do with the fact that I was convinced Hamilton Leithauser’s voice could in no way carry on for more than that. Tonight, I’ve been proven quite wrong. (more…)

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Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun

Brian Wilson
That Lucky Old Sun

Rating: 5.1/10.0
Recommended Tracks: 0
RiYL: (Tainting your memories of) the Beach Boys

Brian Wilson’s latest effort, That Lucky Old Sun, finds an aging singer-songwriter desperately clinging to his old reputation. This album doesn’t even come close to his musical achievements in the 1960s; the lushly arranged and often whimsically playful Beach Boys albums that I love. Instead, his songs seem overly contrived and almost saccharinely nostalgic. Instead of a full-fledged album, That Lucky Old Sun sounds more like stage-musical version of Wilson’s life. (more…)

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