i hate the sound of guitars

On the A-side, Lemuria offer two more examples of the smart, catchy, indie rock that’s made Pebble one of my most-played albums of the year so far. I expected their side to be swell, and it delivers. But the revelation here for me is Cheap Girls’ “Pure Hate.” I’m not quite sure what “And I/Keep [...]

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When I heard “The Heron and the Fox,” it knocked me out. In that subtly arranged song, lovely finger-picked guitar and an extraordinary vocal performance from Little Scream leader Laurel Sprengelmeyer (delicate to the point of fragiliy, with unusual phrasing) unite to deliver a narrative that’s intriguing but ultimately obscure. It’s probably the strongest composition, [...]

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The Long Tangles have coined a term to encompass the many husband and wife indie pop/rock outfits: matrimony rock. Their take puts wife Courtney Han’s vocals and the keys (piano, specifically, on many tunes) way out front. I find it quite pleasant, if a little unassuming (a lot less thorny than, say, Quasi). Hans’ voice [...]

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La Sera is helmed by Vivian Girls bassist/vocalist Katy Goodman, which both is and isn’t relevant — on one hand both acts share a solid pop foundation and a distinctly retro quality to the writing (I had to check the credits to be sure none of these songs weren’t obscure 50’s/60’s chestnuts). But on the [...]

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Spacious indie chamber pop with genuinely odd arrangements (i.e., French horn is featured, but not the most unusual element), anchored by Jessie Stein’s winningly fragile, slightly unsteady vocals. Reminds me, perhaps obliquely, of Colleen (Cécile Schott), if Colleen’s music were recast (just barely) as rock; Stein’s vocals make me think of Life Without Building’s [...]

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