Old friends remembering long-forgotten chord progressions: Sebadoh in Chapel Hill, NC
Sebadoh can be a puzzling band with their chaotic riff-rock alongside gentle acoustic strumming; their sensitive, lovelorn lyrics preceding LSD-infused skin dives. On their current three-week tour of the East Coast celebrating Secret EP — their first new release in over ten years — the trio made a stop in Chapel Hill and represented all...
Because Sebadoh have released a new EP
…and contributor Jason Bugg, feeling rightfully nostalgic, forwarded this link along with his 1,000-word review.
1993 nostalgia meets middle class musical tastes: A review of Sebadoh’s ‘Secret EP’
Before I get to my review of Sebadoh’s Secret EP, let’s explain the bias in what appears to be a very Terrence Malick-like style, only unlike Terrence Malick, something might actually happen in this review. Also, people won’t say that I’m a genius when they are done reading it – that is to say if...
Take two of two on ‘World Kid’ by The Hudson Branch
Midwestern indie rock quintet The Hudson Branch will release their sophomore album World Kid on April 24. Admittedly, this is the first time I’d been exposed to their work but my first listen did get me excited to start the review. It’s important to note however, that when juxtaposed with their debut album Tightrope Walker...
Take one of two on ‘World Kid’ by The Hudson Branch
The Hudson Branch are from Chicago, which used to mean something to me. It meant that their music would be covered with a thin gauzy layer of synths, deeper than deep bass guitars playing, interesting and meandering bass lines, and drums that were less likely to provide the foundation for the music but more likely...
‘Acousmatic Sorcery’ by Willis Earl Bearl
Here’s a strange record that landed in my inbox. Apparently – I don’t know this for a fact – this guy tried out for that X Factor show, and is now producing some strange and folkie anti-folk music (think Sebadoh’s The Freed Weedas a good example of this). I don’t know and I don’t particularly...
‘Time Capsules II’ by Oberhofer
Brooklyn band Oberhofer are really grating. Here we have a band attempting to assimilate a lot of influences – indie rock, Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, Randy Newman and loads of other stuff into some sort of big, heartfelt statement about love or something like it. Man, it’d be amazing if it worked, but it doesn’t....
‘A Wasteland Companion’ by M. Ward
I’ve loved M. Ward for a long time. I love the sound of his records – somewhere between the dusty pops and cracks of a Smithsonian Folkways reissue and some sensitive boy singer/songwriter – I love the whisper of his voice that is simultaneously singing high notes and low notes and I love his fingerstyle...
‘I Love You, It’s Cool’ by Bear In Heaven
Let me start off by saying that I know nothing about Bear in Heaven, but I like this in the way that I like a lot of that disco-feeling electronic music. This album makes me feel, especially coupled with the singing, like I’m in the soundtrack to some fabulous and stylish action movie and I’m...