Saturday, May 15, 2010

Various Arstist: Cosmopoplitan Vol. 1 [o bosque/woodland]


This compilation was released by the O Bosque/Woodland record label. This is the first of a three volume series featuring bands from around the world. Volume 1 is a hit and miss but you will find some hidden gems in here. Such as Argyle Wishlist's All Details which sounds like anything from The La's first and only album, a charming instrumental by Maisiem is a complete delight and The Japanese-Lovers' Yoko Ono is a must listen. The song is a complete anomaly in a record that's fill with soothing indie rock. A minimalist drone drenched in reverb and feedback that brings this compitalition to an end with a bang instead of a gentle sigh. This a must for indie music afficionados and very good listen overall, there is virtually something for every one here. A more than decent release by the O Bosque label and we highly recommend you purchasing a copy.

Thunder Bunny: Demons [edition 59 records]

New Jersey based band Thunder Bunny released their Demons e.p. on Edition 59 Records. The album opens with the gorgeous It Reminds Me Of Walking Away. With its soothing acoustic guitar and harmonica, Bunny’s head honcho Christopher Padula has created a beautiful brand of folk pop drenched in reverb that wallows in between noise and nice guitar sounds. Songs like I Am The Arm and the instrumental Wonder Brian show an experimental side of the band where as Lollipop and Sleepy Head are simple pop songs with fuzzy shimmering guitars that are so rich in texture you can virtually touch something that’s not there. The ethereal vocals and splashes of hiss and noise are stunning and beautiful, almost heavenly. This release is by no means groundbreaking, but sometimes anything that is beautiful doesn’t necessarily need to be original. A more than decent outing by Thunder Bunny, we hope to hear more of them in the near future.


The Soft Pack: The Soft Pack [kemado records]

San Diego indie rockers The Soft Pack deliver their self-titled debut album on Kemedo Records. One of the most awaited and overtly hyped albums in the indie world this year. The album by all means live up to the hype. It’s a record full of memorable hooks and awesome tunes. Songs like C’mon and Answer to Yourself are definitely exhilarating and energetic , everything you’d expect from the Soft Pack if you are a fan of the band but the true gems are found at the end of this album. The tracks Flamable and Mexico are the standouts on this release with the later surprisingly having the band’s lead singer Matt Lamkin’s voice turning his usual cool deadpan delivery in to a croon, a real treat. This is an awesome debut for the San Diego quartet but to be honest we would love to see this band expand their sound rather than to dwell on the same old thing.

International Pop Institute

International Pop Institute


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International Pop Institute