If It's Too Loud...

NOW we're back in the swing of things! Album of the Week : Artist : Savages Album : Adore Life Quick Description : The much anticipated sophomore album from the Mercury-nominated indie rock band. Why You Should Listen : Their first album was incredible. Overall Thoughts : While it lacks the sort of immediacy that their debut had, Adore Life is still a very strong, very loud record in many regards. While a first listen doesn't result in any standout tracks, the cohesive whole easily makes it the best thing released in this two week period, and it might have some staying power to boot. A very strong follow-up. No sophomore slump here. Recommendation : A must-listen this week. And go back and listen to their debut again, too. Artist : Eleanor Friedberger Album : New View Quick Description : Third solo album from the Fiery Furnaces co-lead. Why You Should Listen : You like the Fiery Furnaces or you don't like the Fiery Furnaces because they're too weird...

I first discovered Octagrape opening up for Sebadoh back in 2013 . It was one of those increasingly rare times that I go into a show completely blindly to the opening band and ended up being blown away. Now they're back with a new album due next month, and a new song called "Hightropics." It's a perfect introduction to art rock/psych/no wave/noise sound of Octagrape, complete with droning vocals, and tinny, crunching guitars. It's a straightforward song, albeit one that's hiding behind a ton of noise and distortion. Somehow the guitar riff ends up being the catchiest part of the whole shebang.  The new Octagrape album, Aura Obelisk , is due out February 15. You can pre-order it now through Bandcamp . Be sure to listen to "Hightropics" below. Aura Obelisk by Octagrape

One of the weirder weeks for new music since we started this project up. Away we go! Octagrape - Emotional Oil : Ken knew of this band because they opened for Sebadoh (and wrote about them here ), and I can totally understand why they did. If one was to think about what "indie grunge" might sound like in 2014, this EP would almost certainly take the bill. I'll be honest - I didn't love this, but it definitely has an interesting take and could absolutely find the right audience even if it isn't me. At under 20 minutes, it's not much of an investment and you'll know how you feel about it almost immediately. Orenda Fink - Blue Dream : Orenda Fink's third solo album, and first since the reformation of Azure Ray, sounds a lot like an Azure Ray record, and that's not a bad thing. Putting aside the dream pop in favor of a more dreamy folk atmosphere, the album, on first listen, seems more successful than her previous solo efforts in a number of r...

Monday night shows are always iffy, especially for “classic” bands. Most of my Sebadoh loving friends (ok, ALL of my Sebadoh loving friends) have passed the no going out that early in a work week stage, and I was curious how the show would go, especially after hearing about a Fountains of Wayne/Soul Asylum/Evan Dando triple bill back on a Monday night in September that ended up being ½ full. All 3 of those acts had more commercial success than Sebadoh, but apparently Sebadoh breeds more loyalty since The Sinclair was roughly ¾ full, with the majority being older fans, so luckily the Creepy Old Guy Factor was non-existent. I had never heard of Octagrape before seeing that they were opening for Sebadoh. I meant to pop into The Sinclair maybe half way through their set just to check them out, but ended up in the area earlier than I expected, so I wandered in early while they were still setting up. Seeing as how they sometimes write out their name as “Octa#grape,” I assumed they ...