Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Ambient Signal 8/13/08


WRPI 91.5fm!
http://www.wrpi.org/ for webcast
6-8pm Wednesdays

Talkdemonic - Ending the Orange Glow (World radio premier? i was told i was the first to get this cd in the US)
Amiina - Sexfaldur
A Northern Chorus - This open heart
Why? - Fatalist Palminstry
Helio Sequence - Hallelujah
Son lux - Break
Cursive - Into the fold
Red lions - Bay of naples
Cortney tidwell - la la
Falcon - Listen In
Conor Oberst - Sausalito
Horse Feathers - Rude to rite
Azeda Booth - Lobster Quadrille
Faint - Fulcrum and Lever
Apollo Sunshine - Singing to the earth
Silent Years - On our way home
Curse of company - parade divine
Samantha Crain - Traipsing through the aisles
Cut Copy - Feel the love
Decemberists - The crane wife 3
Denali - Do something
Dandy Warhols - Sleep
Alias and Ehren - Lillian
Mercury program - Slightly Drifting

pinkie swear.

artist - song

css - left behind
jovian - grendine girl
the presets - my people
daedelus - make it so
bitter:sweet - get what I want
mates of state - help help
the chap - the health of nations
minus the bear - lets play clowns
the notwist - good lies
the bridal shop - from seas
modest mouse - you're the good things
my brightest diamond - inside a boy
antenne - gloves on
lali puna - small things
brazilian girls - lazy lover
radiohead - high and dry
death cab for cutie - long division
airborne toxic event - sometime around midnight
beck - orphans
brazilian girls - good times
the honorary title - stay away
hercules and love affair - blind
the ting tings - that's not my name
the bravery - unconditional
the egg - walk on the snow
walter meego - wanna be a star
yelle - je veux te voir
the faint - get seduced
moby - crookers mass in here

-Emelie
[11027]

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

REVIEW: Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong - Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong



Remember that ex-upcoming album I mentioned earlier today? Well here it is. Can Blogger even handle that long of a post title? The (almost released) new album from Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong (here on referenced as "the band" because goodness I just can't type it anymore) was canceled at the end of July, just five days before it was due for release. The band said, "we can create a record that is much better, more exciting, more representative of our sound and generally more delightful to listen to."

I don't know about all that. This record is definitely a good listen. From a band that's played SXSW AND Glastonbury in one year, it's apparent that there is plenty of potential from this pop-indie group. The album opens with "Lucio Starts Fires," a single that was released back in October 2007. Upon listening, the Strokes might come to mind given all the clashing guitars and such. However, listen a little more closely. There is a stronger, more full sound to the track.

On "Where Do You Go," the band introduces the first of two great singles from this album. This track really highlights the bands energy which must translate to something fierce in the live performance. Check out the last portion of the song for an intense guitar riff.

My personal favorite on this album is "Brooklyn." It has a real doowop sound which seems to appear throughout the album but is at it's strongest here. Complete with background singers and a bass line, this one is a winner. Hopefully it will be re-recorded for the actual release of this album.

The album comes out sometime in 2009 when I'll most likely re-write this review. However, I won't leave you hanging! Here's one track to whet your appetite.

3.5/5

Official Site
MySpace

JL & the JJJ - "Brooklyn":







REVIEW: Upcoming!

Have I got a treat or two for you folks! Got more music to review from some upcoming (and ex-upcoming) albums. What do I mean by "ex-upcoming?" Come back tomorrow (or late tonight) and find out! There's really good music out there and I intend to share it with you.

One group is an indie rock band from England and has toured with CSS and Kaiser Chiefs. They also played this year's SXSW and Glastonbury Festival. The other band is named after a Gastr del Sol song and is known as a Chicago-based indie super group.

Oo

Monday, August 11, 2008

REVIEW: Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line


It's been a while since anyone has posted an album review here so I thought it was high time to get some new music out to the masses.

After releasing the promising Ra Ra Riot EP last summer, dealing with the death of drummer John Pike, and going on two tours, Ra Ra Riot is ready to formally break onto the scene with The Rhumb Line. What is a rhumb line, you ask? Why, it's the path taken by a vessel that maintains a constant compass direction. What a fitting title it is, then, when no less than half of the tracks on this record are written by John Pike. His death definitely influences the tone of the album. But it's not all funeral songs. It is also a celebration.

The marriage of strings and indie rock is a good one. With Alexandra Lawn on cello and Rebecca Zeller on violin, Ra Ra Riot reminds me (and a number of other listeners, apparently) of Arcade Fire. The opening track, "Ghost Under Rocks," give the listener a sense of the profound loss endured by the band. Songs such as "St. Peter's Day Festival" and "Winter '05" only add to this tone.

However, they are able to provide enough variation that the mood doesn't get old. I don't think I've ever wanted to keep listening to an album about loss and death. Yet the celebratory notes in the tunes keep me drawn in. This is especially true for the album's single, "Dying Is Fine." Make sure to pay attention to the interlude from just before 2:00 to 2:40. The guitar/violin/cello dynamic here is intense and probably the height of the album for me.

Does the album get you down? Then check out "Too Too Too Fast," a upbeat synth track that provides a break from the chamber music sound. Listening to it reminds me of some modernized version of "Take On Me" but a little more mellow. And no, I'm not talking the Reel Big Fish or A1 versions.

I had a chance to see the sextet live at the Siren Music Festival and did they ever provide an energetic show! Too bad you'll have to drive the 2.5 hours to Syracuse if you want to see them for yourself (Syracuse University, 9/7).

In any case, The Rhumb Line comes out August 19 but you can pre-order it now from the Ra Ra Riot website.

4/5

Tracklist:
1] Ghost Under Rocks
2] Each Year
3] St. Peter's Day Festival
4] Winter '05
5] Dying Is Fine
6] Can You Tell
7] Too Too Too Fast
8] Oh, La
9] Suspended in Gaffa
10] Run My Mouth

Official Site
MySpace


Dying Is Fine
The Rhumb Line Studio Version:









Ra Ra Riot EP Version: