This Dustin Kensrue fellow sure is a talented chap. As the frontman of Thrice he’s released some great albums that combined the heavy and the melodic flawlessly (most notably 2003′s The Artist in the Ambulance). So when Kensrue released his first solo album in 2007 fans were probably expecting something along the lines of Thrice [...]
For Emma, Forever Ago – Bon Iver
Some things are just inexplicable. Why did Harper Lee and J. D. Salinger only write one novel a piece? Why are people furious about baseball players using steroids, but ignore when the best defensive player in the NFL (Shawne Merriman) juices? Why people were so upset about their library records possibly being looked at under [...]
Visiter – The Dodos
Innovation in the realm of indie folk is clearly not extinct. The Dodos are a duo from San Francisco comprised of Logan Kroeber and Meric Long, and their 2008 release Visiter is enthusiastically whimsical. With the album, the band has carved out their own little space in the modern musical landscape. “Walking” begins Vister in [...]
Heart Burns – Tom Gabel
It might seem odd to some that Tom Gabel has released a solo album figuring his band Against Me! started as a solo act. However, Heart Burns is not an album full of Against Me! songs. Instead the seven tracks that attempt to cross Gabel’s Against Me! sound with an earnest attempt at folk-rock that [...]
The Stand Ins – Okkervil River
A year ago the album Stage Names by Austin, Texas-based indie-folk rockers Okkervil River was praised as one of the best albums of 2007 by Pitchfork, Amazon, Harp Magazine, eMusic, and numerous other music publications. Leading up to the release of band’s second endeavor The Stand Ins, the album was being billed as the sequel [...]
