Tag: baroque pop

This band signifies much of what was great about the mid-00s emo movement. The Last Broadcast’s sound drew from influences as diverse as punk, post-hardcore, lo-fi indie rock, and even baroque pop. I know very little about this band, unfortunately, but here’s what we do know. They released an independent CD (burned by the band members themselves) in 2003, consisting of 7 tracks. Then they released a 4-song EP entitled Matthew, through Lansing, Michigan-based Selah Records, who also put out releases from Anathallo, Bloodlined Calligraphy, and Anah Aevia.… Continued →

Our scene has been the breeding ground of scores of quirky independent labels, each with its own personality, so to speak. Daniel Smith’s (of Danielson Famile) Sounds Familyre is a great one in which to put your goggles on and go on a deep dive of their full catalog. The Singing Mechanic is Vincent Voss, and we know don’t a ton about him, other than the obvious: he’s a mechanic who sings (literally). He also plays a mean piano. What? Piano-driven indie rock? You heard that right.… Continued →

Colorado-based indie pop artist Fepeste has just dropped an incredible new single in advance of their upcoming full-length for Velvet Blue Music. The album will be available in October. If this single is anything to go by, that album is going to be worth your time and money. Expect lush, bright, summery sounds that would appeal to fans of Beirut, The Shins, Midlake, Fleet Foxes, Beach Boys, Phoebe Bridgers, and more. Click on the link below to stream or download. And if you enjoy it, consider throwing a buck their way for the effort.… Continued →

Everyone’s favorite quirky pop musical genius returns with five songs. Having done stints with Fold Zandura, Lassie Foundation, and Cush, Lenz has ventured out solo since 2001’s Hot Stuff. So what’s it like? This is pop cynicism at its finest. Sugary sweet pop melodies with some of the most bizarre and quirky lyrics yet. Is Lenz Scottish? Because this is right up there with Belle and Sebastian or early Teenage Fanclub. Then again, this EP is hard to peg for so many reasons (yes, the release title is ironic).… Continued →

Honestly I think this is a song that only Half-Handed Cloud could write. Aside from the ever-present pop bliss is a song about a baby trying to reach shiny Christmas ornaments that are out of reach, and yet so desirable. But Ringhofer makes a point that only he could make, about humanity’s incessant need to grasp for shining things that are always slightly out of reach and that we really don’t need after all. Merry Christmas IVM friends–may you find the true joy of Christmas this year–the baby in the manger!… Continued →

For my Song of the Day this time round, we’re going back. Like way back. To the beginning of Jesus rock. It’s widely accepted that Larry Norman is the “godfather of Christian rock” and you can make a reasonable case for that. But he wasn’t the first. Several other bands and artists were contemporary with him, including Liverpool’s own The Crossbeats, Agape, and the All Saved Freak Band. Arguably the first rocker, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, was also a Christian and a gospel artist, plugging in her electric guitar long before Bill Haley and the Comets set on the scene.… Continued →

Here’s the thing . . . Sufjan is incredible. Whether or not you like his music, one has to acknowledge the astounding amount of talent the guy has. To me, he is the musical equivalent to the literary Tolkien. What I mean is this: somewhere in the deep recesses of their brains, the creative impetus for all those ideas already existed. For Tolkien it was a myriad of languages, races and lands–each with their own histories and storylines. For Stevens, it’s his complex musical compositions alternately cloaked in folk, electronica, and baroque hues.… Continued →