Bands that quite simply rock.

Paul Brill

Album New Pagan Love Song

Soft vocal rock with random excersions into eletronic wierdness. Sounding a little like Wilco, but with a more ambient feel. A chilled out listen, relaxing while still having lots going on to make it standard out from the standard soft vocal rock sameyness.

The New Pornographers

Album Twin Cinema

Lovely mix of rock, but what really stands out for me is the way female and male vocals are mixed together. Forms some amazing melodies.

Devin Davis

Album:Lonely People of the World, Unite!

Really liking this mix of country moody rock which seems to keep wanting to break out of that country feeling and explore other avenues. Mix in undertones of quite contemplative lyrics and heavier rock rifts and you have Devin Davis. Sounding like a mix of Wilco, Counting crows, The Hives, The Presidents of the United States and Fountains of Wayne. Your not quite sure what?s going to happen in each track, there are lots of tangents where suddenly the whole rhythm changes and some very cool effects make an appearance. This is what really makes this band stand out from the samey rock that seems to be floating about. Thankful there?s not a track on the album that makes you have that dreaded feeling of, oh that just sounds like the other x tracks. A nice mix of instruments, guitar and vocal heavy but saxophones, trumpets, keyboards and the mandatory clapping make an appearance.

Maximo Park

Album: A Certain Trigger

Sounding something like the Futureheads.

Architecture In Helsinki

Album: In Case We Die

A mix of ambient, electronic, old punk, popy vocals and light bouncy tones of rock. There as mixed up as they sound. I’m hard pressed to say who they sound like, perhaps Piano magic but with a more pop feel and heavier on the vocals. There definately one of those bands that grows on you the more you listen to them.

Okkervil River

Album: Black Sheep Boy

The Wedding Present

Album: Seamonsters

Floating around in something that vaguely fits adult alternative rock. One of those albums that requires a little effort but everytime you hear it you pick up new sutle guitar rifes and melodies. I hated it the first time I listened to it, now I love it. I cannot praise this album enough. Neither can I understand how none of their other albums even compare to this one.

Max Richter

Album: The Blue Note Books

A combination of ambient electronic and classical, with a dollop of field recordings. Very ambient, it feels like the soundtrack to a movie. Very good for falling asleep to watching clouds pass by.

Frog Eyes

Album: The Folded Palms

A Canadian group that I’m still trying to decided if I hate or love. No matter what their worth a listen. A very hard rough sound, with quite beautiful melodies breaking out of the roughness. Which is what I think draws me to them and causes the love hate feeling. The vocals tend to get a little out there with lots of screeching, the vocalist sometimes sounds like someone is squeezing his nuts. Multiple listens are recommended.