Berated

Twangy rock with hints of country and alternative was prominent on Girls’ excellent Broken Dreams Club EP. The sound recalled the likes of Ryan Adams and Matthew Sweet while remaining true to Girls’ eclectic pop approach. They explore new territory within this particular vision on their second full-length, Father, Son, Holy Ghost.

Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor debuts his new solo project, CANT, with the full-length Dreams Come True. Featuring frequent collaborator and post-punk revivalist Twin Shadow (George Lewis Jr.), it is a more electronic-oriented and sensually layered release than his work with Grizzly Bear.

During their live performances, the highly exuberant NewVillager produce visuals as colorful and memorable as their tightly infectious songs. They're just as successful in the studio. Their full-length debut is a fantastic and compellingly fun release that should propel the Brooklyn duo to dizzying heights.

We take a look at several up-and-coming acts from this year's Outside Lands that may have been overshadowed by headliners like Arcade Fire and Phish. Their reputations for infectious and enthusiastic live performances is what earned them their time on stage, and also the reason for their surges in exposure after the festival ended less than two weeks ago. Look inside for audio clips.

Bill Callahan has a voice like no other man on earth; it’s haunting, intimate, spontaneous and passionate. The first thing heard on Apocalypse is Callahan singing a single line, unaccompanied: “The real people went away.” His beautiful voice lures the listener into the dark world of Apocalypse. [...]

I don’t know about you, but I love a nice poetic story about the creation of an equally poetic band. Something that makes the music they present sound all the more home-grown and full of bold character. Oh Ruin, which is taken from the surname of the band’s creator Eoin O’Ruainigh, are a pleasure to [...]

The Wind’s excellent double-album, Harum-Scarum, is one of my favorite releases from the past year. You can check out the review here. GroopEase is offering an ABSURD discount on the album: 23 songs for $3! It’s an absolute steal. Get it HERE. I spoke with the band’s singer Chad Marshman: What’s the story behind the [...]

Why There Are Mountains was one of the highlights of 2009 for me. It seamlessly melded Elliot Smith-esque melodies and aesthetic with a more contemporary garage-rock sound. The album was praised as a work of blissful art from a group of kids that may or may not have known just how good they were. [...]

A rising hip-hop artist like J. Nolan has a notable amount of temptations in the studio alone. There are countless numbers of production gimmicks aimed to disguise an artist’s insecurities, inspired by an age where cameos and pop culture references help sway an artist’s hype/PR abilities one way or the other. The most noteworthy new [...]

“Tiny Fingers” is lush and exotic, with sounds of broken sitars, brass, and wind chimes backing a gentle acoustic strum. Like everything on Red Velvet Snow Ball, it would be the perfect accompaniment to a day of greenery – lying in the green grass, staring at the green trees swaying above you, and perhaps indulging in something that would make the sky appear green.