Artist Spotlight: Placeholder

There are countless ways an album or EP can make an impact. Vocals, lyrics and musicianship all play a part in how you react the first time you hear something; it just all depends on the band as to which aspect has the biggest effect. Listening to Placeholder's new 7", Thought I Would Have Been Somebody By Now, I was struck by all of these traits, but it's the influences I hear in their music that really hit me. For the past few years, we've heard bands putting out material that draws inspiration from groups like The Impossibles, Saves the Day, Gatsby's American Dream, etc., but I can't think of anyone that seems to have molded their sound in the same vein as 90's grunge/rock band, Far. They're arguably one of the best groups from that era of music, which I'm sure anyone who is a fan would agree on. Now, Placeholder has captured the essence of what made their genre so great, and molded into a sound that is completely their own.

Album Review: Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow

Album Rating: B-

While I could probably post some candid definition or reflection on the word “snow,” I think it would be more effective to tell you that Kate Bush’s 10th proper album is in a sense, the audible recording of snow. Majestic, ethereal, algid-such things describe Bush’s 50 Words For Snow, an album that sees the British pop royalty at the top of her game, years and years into her career. What is more impressive, however, is not that Bush has managed to remain relevant in a scene that isn’t exactly conducive to late career releases, but it is that the artist has once again challenged the definition of what a pop album can and should be. 50 Words For Snow is unlike a lot of the drivel the genre pumps out, in that is a beautiful, haunting, and introspective release that shows that although artists may age, their craft can remain just as incredible.

Album Review: Bjork - Biophilia

Bjork is a tough nut to crack, and an even tougher one to describe to someone who's never heard of her. I could talk ad nauseum about her stage presence, her one of a kind fashion sense, her strife filled biography, and even her Academy Award nominated performance in Dancer in the Dark. I could almost have a disertation on my hands before I even got to her music. And despite the glorious, outlandish, and completely unpredictable nature of Bjork as an institution, it's really the music that makes her one of this generations most cherished artists.

Album Review: Lights - Siberia

It's not often that I stumble upon an artist's image dozens of time before I actually know they make music, but that was the case with Lights. Lights, known not only for her infectious pop music but for her looks as well, has her visage plastered all over the internet a la her many admirers. Once discovering that she did indeed create music, I jumped in expecting shallow, forgettable pop....and I was right. That's correct, my first impression of Lights was one of disdain; a revulsion at the synth laden music that neither challenged nor impressed me. Well I decided to give Lights a second chance, picking up her sophomore release, Siberia, almost immediately.

And thank God I did, because Siberia is an improvement in every single way possible, and a damn fine album in its own right.

Album Review: St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

St. Vincent is, and always has been, a beautiful amalgamation of a flashy, gaudy 80's pop star, a thoughtful indie artist, and a musician with a penchant for all things avant-garde. Needless to say, Annie Clark is ineffably weird, incurably bizarre, and unabashedly strange; an artist who's musical endeavors make her impossible to pin down and examine closely. Instead, it's easier to just listen without making sense of anything, because when approaching St. Vincent, and namely her newest record, Strange Mercy, it's best just to go along for the ride. And what a ride it is.

Album Review: Patrick Wolf - Lupercalia

Wild, outlandish, and flamboyant pop stars are a dime a dozen nowadays. We’ve got Katy Perry gallivanting around in her videos dressed like an alien, singing of bi-curious explorations and whatnot. Then we get Lady Gaga, a woman whose fashion ranges from dresses made from bubbles to dresses made of meat. However bizarre these musicians may be, there is really only one Patrick Wolf, and he’s absolutely one of a kind. While Wolf more than often indulges in the extravagant, his unpredictably strange image is bolstered by something neither Gaga nor Perry have: substance.

Album Retrospective: Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends

For anyone who was ever sixteen, Taking Back Sunday’s rather groundbreaking Tell All Your Friends is for you. While the term “groundbreaking” may be a bit much, it’s tough to deny that Taking Back Sunday set the scene on fire for much of the last decade. Finally, there was an album and a band that captured teen angst in a less melodramatic and less agonizing way, combating the painful amount of forgettable, comparable acts of the mid 2000’s. Sure, Simple Plan whined and wailed about the pains of being a teenager (surely those years must have almost killed them), but Taking Back Sunday casually romanticized the coming of age theme. Tell All Your Friends was not angry, caustic, nor depressing, but dramatic in a somewhat jovial way. Tell All Your Friends was fun, exciting, and something you could waste an entire summer away to.