indy cd & vinyl

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE—Narrow Stairs
Death Cab For Cutie’s 2nd major-label album (and seventh overall, give or take a few EPs) is yet another superb introduction to their blissful, melodic take on rock and pop. Full of summery, yet melancholy, tunes, Narrow Stairs does stretch their boundaries somewhat, particularly on the joint opening of “Bixby […]

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Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet—s/t
The Sparrow Quartet sees Abigail Washburn stretching out mightily from her bluegrass roots. While also performing with traditionalists Uncle Earl, the world’s “only all-female string band,” Washburn’s solo career has always been one of transcending traditional bluegrass boundaries. As proof, her first solo album, Songs of the Traveling Daughter, […]

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RACONTEURS—CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY
The above-mentioned Black Keys are not the only blues-rock duo of note in our musical universe, of course. Jack and Meg White have made the White Stripes almost a household word, what with Jack’s winning way with melodies and guitar licks and the duo’s eye-catching and memorable penchant for dressing only […]

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BLACK KEYS—ATTACK AND RELEASE
The guitar and drums duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have always gone for a minimalist approach to blues-rock, as befits their being only two people in the band. Crashing drums and searing or pounding electric guitar lines have been their stock-in-trade, and their excellence in pursuing this path has […]

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SOULSAVERS—It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s The Way You Land
The Soulsavers are an English-bred production duo who have previously specialized in downtempo electronica. Their sophomore effort, however, strays far beyond this territory thanks to the addition of former Screaming Trees/sometimes Queens Of The Stone Age/current solo artist Mark Lanegan on vocals (and lyrics). […]

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