Dinosaur Jr. has played it's alternative rock with heavy sounding guitars since the 80's and I've really liked some of their songs. Farm is the first album that I love as a whole though. It has some quieter moments, that make it easier to approach than some of their previous work. Plans is a perfect rock hit with great melodies and a crying guitar. The album cover looks great! Two enormous Ents carrying children away from the pollution filled city. Farm is not very good record to be played on the background, cause the loudness makes it a bit blurry if there are other sounds on top of it. With good speakers at home or live, these songs work really well! This is a good album to start your journey into the world of Dinosaur Jr. Listen to the album on Spotify.
This is one of the hardest albums to find with google. I mean words Girls and Album get quite many hits on the Internet. This San Francisco based surf-rock band is perfect for summer and sunshine. Pure and authentic sounding electric guitars, cool and laconic singing voice and feel of the waves. The album kicks off really impressively, but doesn't last until the very end. Still it's one of the greatest debut albums in the late 00's. The second album wasn't as good so I regret to say that I think that Girls might be remembered purely from their first album. I think the band works really good live though, so if you get a chance to see them perform, I suggest you take that chance. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Some of the indie music fans might only like low-fi sounds and authenticity, but I think that Brendan Benson's fourth album is great even though its a highly produced product. Catchy power-pop tunes will make you dance and sing to them. Benson really knows how to keep you entertained. It took many years to complete this album and you can hear that this is not just something that has been piled up in a hurry. Those few years in The Raconteurs made Benson one of the biggest names in indie rock and this solo album was a worthy piece of music to keep up to the expectations. I regret to say that when I saw Benson live about 6 months ago, his show was dull and unenthusiastic. Hopefully he'll still make outstanding records in the future though. Listen to the album on Spotify.
London band Fanfarlo is extremely talented indie band that reminds me of bands such as Beirut and Wolf Parade. Only, Fanfarlo might even do it better. Massive horns, excellent guitarwork, inventive effects and super cool indie singing voice of Swedish Simon Balthazar! The album cover looks fantastic! Reservoir is an amazing album for a debut. There is no dull moment on this album! I saw Fanfarlo live last spring and I must say that the show couldn't have been better even though the extremely high air conditioning at Scala required me to wear a scarf around my neck. The atmosphere was excellent and these guys really know how to put up a good show. Listen to the album on Spotify.
I really don't know many French bands. Phoenix, in a very not-French way, doesn't sound French at all. This music could come from anywhere in the western world. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix offers great pop melodies, well groomed sounds and enthusiastic rythms! It's a great album to dance to, but it's something you can listen at home while lying on a couch as well. There is a comprehensive sound throughout the album but the songs are different enough to keep the listener interested. I think that Phoenix just keeps getting better album after album so I'm eagerly waiting for the next album scheduled to be released next April. Hopefully the four years wait has been worth it. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Hardcore Sonic Youth fans might be devastated, but I don't like the early albums of this cult band that much. It's a bit too much for me. In 2000's Sonic Youth has made more approachable records maintaining nevertheless elements of noise and discord. Rather Ripped took Sonic Youth to a point where almost al the songs were radio friendly. In that sense The Eternal is a step backwards, but I think that it is a perfect step. The songs have hypnotic mystique upon them and the dark and twisted sounds are fantastic. Unlike many albums, The Eternal shows its best songs in the very end. Malibu Gas Station and Massage the History are among the best songs by Sonic Youth. The artwork in the cover is phenomenal! Listen to the album on Spotify.
Cats on Fire is one of the bands that show the talent in a little country called Finland. Perfectly composed indie pop melodies and a singing voice that resembles Morrissey's. You can hear the melancholy of the Nordic Countries, but there is also joy that lifts your spirits. That's why Cats on Fire is a perfect band for indie discos. I saw them live here in London where they are not the most well known band. The audience was quiet in the beginning, but it took only few songs for the atmosphere to explode through the roof! All of their albums are great but really similar. I hope that their next album will portray something new to keep people interested in their wonderful music. Listen to the album on Spotify.
English indie band The XX knows how to brand their music. Large white letter X on the black cover in all its simplicity captures the haunty feel of their music and gets all the hipsters interested. The male and female voices coalesce perfectly on top of echoey guitars and minimalist beats. The XX was the perfect ending for Flow festival a few years ago. With tired feet and mind I was hypnotised in the dusk when the band started to play. Dark clouds were moving slowly in the sky and the black and white stage gleamed brightly against the night. That was a really beautiful moment that will stay in my memories for a long time. This album is perfect for relaxing and retreating to your own thoughts. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Bill Callahan used to perform under stage name Smog. His music back then was minimalist and low-fi. When he started to make music with his own name though, he really caught my attention. His perfect baritone voice is full of emotion and the songs are beautifully composed. Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle sets a mellow mood for lazy Sundays and takes the listener on a journey away from this world. This album works best when it's listened to lying on a sofa with eyes closed. Eid Ma Clack Shaw is one of the best songs in last years. At one point I listened to it over and over again. The album is unfortunately absent from Spotify, but I really recommend you to find this album. Here's the Last FM page.
Prince of Assyria (Ninos Dankha) was born in Bagdad but has lived most of his life in Sweden. His debut album Missing Note is an extraordinary piece of work. Outstanding coarse baritone voice sings beautiful songs with simple guitars, strings, bass and light drumming. In some of the songs, you can also hear trumpet and more unique sounding instruments. In Tilqua there is a verse that Dhanka sings in Persian. It brings weird mystique to the album. Rest of the lyrics are in English and tell stories of love and the hardships that love can cause. Dhankas voice carries enormous amount of emotion rising to the roof from quiet whispers. One of the most beautiful albums of 2000's! Listen to the album on Spotify.
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