Editorial Review

Having long recorded as Palace Music or Palace, the enigmatic, elusive Bonnie "Prince" Billy continues to confound musical expectations.His latest may well be his loveliest, a series of meditations and tone poems on love and mortality, with the autumnal strains of a chamber quartet and the vocal counterpoint of Dawn McCarthy supporting Billy's tremulous expression of his surreal, stream-of-consciousness lyricism.Results range from the dreamy, bluesy "Cursed Sleep" and the evocation of a British madrigal on "No Bad News" to the discordant propulsion of "The Seedling" and the call and response of the folkish "Then the Letting Go." It all fits together in a manner that defies categorization and dares the listener to resist its aural seduction. Read more

Reviews (2)

Recommended
This might be the best CD that has come out this year.It may be Will Oldham's best CD since "Viva Last Blues." It may be better than "Viva Last Blues" although these are two different styled CDs."The letting go" has a mostly very mellow sound.Almost every song is beautiful.The string and guitar melodies are uplifting.Will Oldham's voice is grounding, it is the familiar voice you have heard for the past decade or so.Dawn McCarthy's voice will then again lift you up.McCarthy's voice is a fantastic companion to Oldham's.Other singers/bands have tried to use a female voice to echo or accompany the lead vocal and it has often become irritating.This is not the case with "the letting go," McCarthy's accompaniment adds so much to the album but without taking away from Oldham.I haven't listened to a Will Oldham album since "Ease down the Road." This makes me want to go back and listen to those albums I have missed.One song in particular, "The Seedling" (I believe) has a different sound than the rest of the album.It has a harsher sound, but is still a good song.
Pleasant surprise
My copy of The Letting Go came with a free bonus disc called Little Lost Blues.It's a 10 track compilation of singles and rarities.The track listing for the bonus disc is:
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Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Lo-Fi    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter   

Reviews (2)

Strange, twisted, and funny
The second I heard the song, "Crows," I knew I had to own this album.I know nothing of Lemony Snicket books, but I've a been a Magnetic Fields fan for awhile.So, after very awkwardly browsing the childrens' section at the bookstore, I was able to find a copy of this really great album.I was very happily surprised to find that this CD is more in line with Merritt's great early nineties albums (like Holiday, Wasps' Nests, and The New Despair) rather than i or (shudder) Showtunes.This is a great mix of synths and traditional instruments (if you consider an electric sitar "traditional").The lyrics are very depressing/weird/funny/moving depending on the song, though some are all four.
The Gothic Archies' strongest outing yet...
...and one of Stephin Merritt's most memorable, and by far the funniest.On this album he is doing what he does best: being a glum old curmudgeon-popster with tongue wedged squarely in cheek.No knowledge of the Lemony Snicket books is needed.There are a number of direct references in several of the songs, but the lyrics stand on their own quite well, particular in numbers such as Freakshow, Shipwrecked, How Do You Slow This Thing Down?, and A Million Mushrooms.Expect an expertly crafted mixture of glum yet surprisingly catchy arrangements coupled with more of Merritt's hilariously morose lyrics.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Pop    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Florida’s brilliant singer-songwriter Sam Beam expands Iron & Wine from solo project to a gaggle of friends and family on slide guitar, percussion, and backing vocals on his second album. Fans need not worry--the hushed immediacy and rich melodies remain the focus--but new flavors abound. For instance, the strange "Cinder And Smoke" sounds like a collaboration (with banjos of course) between America, Robert Wyatt and Low. Meanwhile, "On Your Wings," "Free Until They Cut Me Down," and "Teeth in the Grass" showcase a brooding, earthy, Southern-rock-on-laudanum side that the band had previously only demonstrated in concert. It's rare when an artist who's become known for bedroom recordings makes the transition to the studio to produce work that's better--Daniel Johnston, Lou Barlow, and Liz Phair all made their defining moments crouched above a cassette recorder at home. But Beam is the exception to the rule, as he has easily bested himself on the second Iron & Wine album. Read more

Reviews (117)

ZZZZZzzzzzzz...
Oh my, what can I say about this whispery little train wreck.It's third-rate coffee house music that struggles to be heard over conversations (as it should be).In the quiet sanctuary of my den, it's revealed for all it isn't.It isn't clever, musically or lyrically, and just drones along seemingly forever.My audiophile friends would like it because the sparse notes and little extraneous noises would make their overly analytical and fatiguing systems sound magical.
There are things that drift away
Our Endless Numbered Days is a quite marvellous album. Sam Beam's gentle, poignant songs about love, life and the changing of the seasons are simplicity itself. Played out mainly on picked acoustic guitar or banjo, but with added piano and percussion when the occasion calls, the strength of Our Endless Numbered Days is undoubtedly Beam's gorgeous, hushed voice. It infuses the album with a wistful sense of loss and longing, and is beautifully underlined by the interplay with the (female) backing vocals. Lyrically there is an elemental, almost biblical, resonance to the songs which I haven't come across before. The album's timelessness can certainly be attributed to the fact that it could have been written at any point over the last hundred years: there are no references to late 20th or 21st century life that I can think of.
Just drift away
this album ( and his other albums) make me feel the way Norah Jones did a few years back. this is the type of sound that you want to listen to while you drift away with aglass of wine. absolutely amazing ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Lo-Fi    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

It's a heck of a start to a career. Before he had released any material in the States, Alexi Murdoch was championed by KCRW's influential tastemaker Nic Harcourt. (Murdoch moved to LA in the late 1990s.) This led to the release of the Read more

Reviews (17)

hearkening back in time
What a beautiful record.The sound is so like Nick Drake and Tim and Jeff Buckley.In this age of candy coated rock and Jessica Simpson, it is such a relief to hear someone playing real, soulful music.Heart searching lyrics and beautiful melodies pared with Murdoch's subtle voice make for a haunting and beautiful album.

This guy is great.....
I would like to caveat this review by saying I have never done a review but I was thought this album deserved it. I was first introduced to Alexi when he was on the O.C. soundtrack and really like "Orange Sky".I didn't hear anything else that he did until I was listening on to the internet radio and I heard "Wait".I was stunned by the song so I decided to buy the album and this is the type of album that you could put in the CD player and let it play for days without pressing the ever present next button.I am going to go out on a limb and not compare him to Nick Drake but Red House Painters, if you have checked these guys out do yourself a favor and buy the album "Songs for Blue Guitars".

A slight Miss
Alexi Murdoch is the kind of artist we all love to see arrive on the scene.A great talent with a somewhat unique spin on a folk-rock genre that has historically produced timeless albums.His first release (the 4 Song EP) created a huge amount of buzz and was a staple in my musical diet for over a year - a great release.I've listened to his new album now about 15 times... and there's something missing.I can't exactly put my finger on it.There are definitely a few songs that are fantastic.They grab you and suck you in to a whirl of acoustic guitars and droaning vocals.But most of the other songs don't hold it together quite as well after several plays.I find myself getting annoyed at the rather simplistic and repetitive chords/notes of most of the songs - in fact the "rather simplistic and repetitive" lyrics don't help.
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Subjects:  1. England    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Just from the opening seconds of Neutral Milk Hotel's second album, you know it's going to be special: the acoustic guitar strum is catchy beyond belief, and Jeff Magnum's intonation lends credibility even to a line like "When you were young, you were the King of Carrot Flowers." Listening to Read more

Reviews (390)

If Hieronymus Bosch Wrote Music...
Aeroplanes Over the Sea may not be the greatest record of pop music, and it's probably not even the strangest, but it is surely the strangest great record ever made.In fact, it is so unlike anything I've heard, that I won't even bother comparing it to any other rock or pop music. Both musically and lyrically, Jeff Mangum seems to provide direct access to the unconscious, bypassing all conventional rationality and order.And it's usually a dark, tortured unconscious, as if someone had two years to script a nightmare and reenact it in amazing, painstaking detail.
a bit late on this one...
i've been with this album for some time now but i thought it fitting to write that there is no other album out that i listen to straight through more than this one... kinda funny that my roomate walked in today and i had just started the first tune... we talked a bit and i apologized and kindly said i had to get back to the album.it's a masterpiece.i've been reading some of these reviews regarding jeff's voice and that's part of what makes it... lyrics and arrangements are beautiful.i consider this one of the greatest albums eva.

An excellent album... for the right listener
This is probably one of my 10 favorite albums ever released; there is nothing revolutionary about it & all the songs are based on very simple chord combinations, but it is beautiful none-the-less. The lyrics have a dreamlike quality to them.Still I imagine some people would hear this album and be turned off by it immediately.Vocalist Jeff Mangum can hold a tune, but his voice is rough and I imagine some listeners would find it quite grating.Still, this is probably one of the best Indie rock albums ever produced (and one of the shining jewels of the Elephant Six collective).For anyone into indie rock this album will probably be a real treat. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Neo-Prog    5. Neo-Psychedelia    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Canadian singer Leslie Feist has served as a guest vocalist for Norwegian folkies Kings of Convenience, Toronto power-pop troupe Broken Social Scene, and - under the frightening moniker "Bitch Lap-Lap" - the hairy female rapper Peaches. But her unruly resume hardly prepares you for the emotionally rich, softy sensual music on her major label debut. Moving from tortured torch songs such as "Lonely Lonely" to pulsating originals like "Mushaboom," it also contains stunning remakes of Ron Sexsmith's "Secret Heart" and the Bee Gees' "Inside and Out," tunes Feist not only makes her own but effectively uses to dissect her romantic desolation. "Don't you wish we could forget that kiss?" she smolders on the title track. Not in this lifetime. Read more

Reviews (55)

Enjoying this CD Thoroughly!
I hadn't even heard of "Feist" before my 16 year old son made me a compilation CD of various artists. I heard "Mushaboom" and was delighted. "Who IS this?" I asked him, and he told me. I felt so out-of-it, but also very happy to discover that not every female vocalist nowadays sounds like Minnie Mouse on speed, thank Heavens. There are some out there who can sing and who are not afraid to be a bit different than the mainstream. Her voice is unique, and Feist's style is hard to peg. I like that. I immediately went on Amazon, listened to some samples and read some reviews, then bought my first "Feist" CD. I have not been disappointed.

Near-universal appeal
Sometimes a record comes along that appeals to suburban housewives, business executives, and downtown hipsters alike. "Let it Die" crosses such demographic barriers by force of sheer excellence. Leslie Feist is a captivating performer, and her honeyed vocals carry an album that is eclectic in tone and musical styles. It starts with the smoky acoustic bossa-nova of "Gatekeeper," continues through the ecstatic, swinging "Mushaboom," and gets soulful and subdued on the title track.
Fresh and upbeat
Fresh, fun and clever lyrics. Upbeat music. Not a one hit wonder! I'm very much enjoying quite a few tracks on this very pleasant, heaping-helping of unassuming talent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Bass    3. Canada    4. Drums    5. Guitar (Acoustic)    6. Guitar (Electric)    7. Indie Rock    8. Keyboards    9. Lo-Fi    10. Percussion    11. Pop    12. Rock    13. Rock/Pop    14. Sampling    15. Trombone    16. Vocals    17. Xylophone   

Editorial Review

Beck brags here that he's "got two turntables and a microphone." He also has a sweeping aesthetic that sees no reason why musical allusions to hip-hop, the Beatles, James Brown, punk, Gram Parsons, cool jazz, and Dylan can't coexist in the same song. Throughout, he rap-sings with sincere irony--I bet he laughs at the sight of a jump-suited Elvis, then cries when the King starts to sing--and Read more

Reviews (171)

Formula, But Also Fun at Times
Really 3 and a half stars, but I round up.Unfortunately religion has crept into his work making the lyrics more pretentious and less insightful, despite the solid songwriting that defines the CD the songs many times fail to grab you. "Where It's At" was the first single and I don't needanother song written about the most overdone topic in rock, while others applaud it for some reason."The New Pollution" was the second single and to me this is formula at its most obvious.I am glad I own this CD though. I love many of the experimental sounds added and "Devil's Haircut" is worth the price of admission by itself.You can listen to this CD straight through, but it just doesn't match Mellow Gold or even Guero for it's abbility to draw you in.Recommended for diehard Beck fans.

Something for everyone
Odelay is one of those albums that leaves you smiling and thinking all at once. There are all kinds of genres crossed in this album. You'll hear funk, rap, bossa nova(he quotes Antonia Carlos Jobim briefly) and rock. The most interesting part of this album is not only the lesser known songs but that it still sounds fresh today almost ten years after it's release(June 18, 1996). There is something for everyone one this album which makes it a popular hit at parties. I'm new to Beck and Alternative Rock and I think I'll buy his Mellow Gold album next.

Uneven but way better than "Mellow Gold" -an influential album in its day - barely a classic
Though the album is very uneven with a lot of ok songs, as a whole "Odelay" is a great album. There are three Lo-Fi classics here - "Devil's Haircut", "Hotwax (which wasn't a hit), and "Where It's At". Not only does this make it accessible for non-Beck fans, but it makes the album that much more worth buying. Very creative with a lot of soul put into it. Its historical influence adds a lot of value to it and helps make it worth buying. Although "Guero" and "Mutations" are more satisfying as a whole (they contain no filler), "Odelay" is still a great record. Three factors give it a 5-star rating - the 3 classic songs, its creativity and its historical influence. Recommended!
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Club/Dance    3. Indie Rock    4. Lo-Fi    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter   

Reviews (5)

Wonderful!
I have owned this CD by Hem for over a year.I purchased it based on the original review in Entertainment Weekly magazine.I listened to it nearly every day for almost 6 months.It is still in heavy rotation in my CD player and I have recommended it to numerous friends.I find the music soothing and calming.I was surprised and pleased to hear Hem's music as part of the recent Liberty Mutual ad campaign.If people are attracted to the music through the ad, great!The same thing happened to Iron and Wine with their M & M ad.I hope you enjoy this CD as much as I have.

Pure Americana Musical Bliss
Hem composes and plays some of the most honest and gorgeous music ever committed to recording material today.This antiquated (and I mean that in a very nice way) collection of heartfelt and emotional songs seems to harken back to a nice and simple time when America was bathed in a pastoral haze of sunshine and simplicity.To achieve their unique andhomespun organic sound, Hem utilizes acoustic and electric instrumentation that takes the listener to a place where one can truly escape the everyday hectic drudgery of the rat race and chill out.In this ho hum world of musical dreck, I highly recommend listening to Hem!See them live if you can.Excellent musicianship!

Half and Acre and More !
Excellent CD !!!Different sound.Mellow. Something different to listen to. I would recommend this CD to anyone who wants to sit back and relax. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Arty, lightly orchestrated folk/ pop    3. Contemporary Folk    4. Indie Pop    5. Lo-Fi    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Singer/Songwriter    10. Twee Pop   

Editorial Review

Iron & Wine is Sam Beam, a back-porch Florida singer-songwriter whose sad little songs pack a helluva wallop. Beam's immediately likable tunes paint such clear pictures that songs like "Southern Anthem" and "Muddy Hymnal" are more akin to short stories by Raymond Carver and Flannery O'Connor than to your average pop ditty. Recorded in his living room on a vintage four-track, Read more

Reviews (80)

check this out too
I am a huge fan of catchy, quiet folk music with insightful lyrics. If you enjoy this album then I strongly recommend that you check out the following:
Spoken words like moonlight, you're the voice that I like
I bought this CD for one reason...I had bought "Our Endless Numbered Days" and was so blown away by the beauty of it, that I had to have more.And "The Creek Drank The Cradle" is no exception.Sam Beam, is a poet, and one that makes you feel a sense of nostalgia, as if you have been to the places he sings about or have done the things that he has done.This is a CD that makes you want to lie in the grass and stare at the clouds roll by.His breathless voice is similar to Elliott Smith or Sufjan Stevens and the lyrics will stick in your head the same.My favorite songs are: Bird Stealing Bread, Upward Over The Mountain, Lions Mane, Southern Anthem, and Faded From Winter.Beam's voice is honest and refreshing, folksy and simple, haunting and beautiful, raw and brilliant.Although not as good as "Our Endless Days," this is a debut album and it's fun to see the maturity and growth of Sam Beam.The album is also more lo-fi, which takes nothing away from the music at all.Be on the watch from Beam, because he keeps getting better and better.

Meaningful songs
I have been listening to more softer music lately, I am tired of all the usual stuff, so I am trying new bands that I never heard of before. I think this is really good. I like the quality of the songs. I think Samis a good songwriter. He has an interesting voice, not the best I have ever heard, but he uses it in a way that really bring out the meaning of the lyrics. "Promise" What You Will is my favorite song on this album. I think I will buy more of his music. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Popular Music    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (13)

A pleasing mix of many smooth alt rock sounds
for fans of the following albums:
When Two Pop-Filled Trucks Colllide
There'sa recent commercial where a family is sitting around a table eating Cheez-Its.Why they are eating Cheez-Its at the dinner table is anybody's guess.The father wonders aloud, staring in awe at a cracker, how they make them.The son describes two semi-trailers barrelling towards each other, one with a huge hunk of cheese strapped to the front grill and the other with a large saltine strapped to front.Thus, the inevitable head-on collision results in the formation of the aforementioned Cheez-It.This, I imagine, is similar to the formation of "The Trials of Van Occupanther" by Midlake, one of the best albums to come out this year.The tastes being smashed together here, as mentioned any many, many reviews of this really interesting album, are that of Fleetwood Mac, Pablo Cruise, Dave Mason, Bread, Atlantic Rhythm Section, and early squirrely Neil Young all strapped to the front of a speeding Mac Truck heading directly for Thom Yorke'stour bus.And what you're left with is an amazingly produced slab of easy-listening rock and roll that sounds as if its found it's way through some vortex of time, circa 1976.The songs are complex enough to remain interesting over repeated listens and, while not shower-worthy hook-wise, the melodies, coupled with some fantastic vocal harmony and tasteful instrumenatal touches, are quite irresistible.2006 seems to be a rather bland year for good indy rock albums, but Midlake's sophmore effort is definitely vying for a few "Best of..." lists come December.They're certainly on mine.

Finally! Real music!
A friend of mine told me to get this album, saying "the more you listen to it, the more addicted you will be to it." Well, she was right.
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Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Lo-Fi    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. United States of America   

Editorial Review

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment Modest Mouse started sounding like a real band. For the longest time, singer-songwriter Isaac Brock seemed to exist solely to defy the established rules, forging forward on sheer momentum and ingenuity. Even Pavement looked relatively ordinary in comparison to the band's early releases like 1996's Read more

Reviews (593)

brilliant and accessible
Modest Mouse is hard to love. Many of their albums are grating. I know they are good, but for the life of me I can't enjoy them wholly. Maybe this makes me less intelligent somehow, that I prefer the more mainstream Good News... to their other albums. But I find that Good News gets stuck to me and I just can't shake the songs. This album all feels very new. It is welcome on mainstream radio, but remains unique. The single Float On was a bit hit and rightly so...it feels good and honest. It's what pop should sound like. The album is still intensely creative, and while sometimes that is tiring (I get older waiting for genius songs to grow on me) here the songs immediately catch. Favorites are Ocean Breathes Salty, The View, Satin in a coffin, and black cadillacs.
Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Not what I expected.It wasn't as 'manly' as I had hoped.

Really unique and fun to listen to!
I got this CD in January or February and I really like it. I've heard Float On a million times before I bought it and I thought " Wow, this is pretty weird music but I actually like it ". My aunt also has this album and the songs are really good. My favorite songs are The World At Large and The Ocean Breathes Salty. Some of the songs on the album are really nice listening to and SOME of them are calm. One song where Isaac sings F**k F**k F**k is calm, hehe, but I still really like this CD. It's great and unique. I recommend this album to anybody who loves soft rock/indie music. 4.5/5 stars! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Emo    3. Indie Rock    4. Lo-Fi    5. Noise Pop    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. United States of America   

Editorial Review

It's unfortunate how much attention has been paid to how this album was recorded--quickly, without the same level of studio fuss that marked Beck's breakthrough album, Read more

Reviews (232)

He's All Grown Up
This is Beck's coming of age album."Loser" was a single that was designed from the bottom up to be a hit single and "Mellow Gold" landed Beck right smack center of mainstream pop culture for an entire generation.His earlier recordings, featured in an album entitled "One Foot In The Grave," were evidence enough of his musical genius.
After the Turntables...
Beck is an original, but always diverse artist. After MELLOW GOLD and ODELAY, there was something else that was needed from him. MUTATIONS is the missing peice, now that Sea Change is said and done. Mutations may not be for the casual "Loser" or "Where it's at" fan, but if you find something else to Beck's music other than the surface and the singles, than MUTATIONS could be a valuable listen. It's more laid back, not so rough around the edges, and not so distorted to the listener. But what "Where it's at" did for Odelay, the haunting "Nobody's Fault But My Own" goes beyond for MUTATIONS. There are some great songs and although not as catchy as his singles, and even though you could listen to "Nobody's Fault" and "Tropicalia" by themselves; there is more in the sum of the parts than in the previous records and you can respect the album as a whole, which certainly says something.

This is my favorite Beck cd
Why is this my favorite Beck cd?It is introspective, but not too self centered.There is humor here. There is the layering and texturing of sounds that Mr Hanson is so meticulous with.There is excellent music here.There is A Bottle of Blues here.But remember, no matter what I say or do that its nobody's fault but my own. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

Far more than a novelty jester, Beck is a musical anarchist and bummed-out street prophet whose audience will squirm and thrill to the slacker delta blues of "Whiskeyclone" and urban nightmares like "Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs." Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (78)

The coolest, period.
12 years have gone by, and still no one has made an album as cool as Mellow Gold.No one.

My Favorite Beck CD
Combine the best of Beck's quirky lyrics that are damn funny, insightful, and flow fast and furious, with his best ballads filled with a tension that draws you in everytime, and you get his best rock with an energy that pummels you with melodies both brutal and catchy.The CD never lets you escape its world. This masterpiece may get a few songs in the future that match its brilliance, but his debut is one of the best CD's ever.If you enjoy music this CD must be in your collection.Recommended without question.
Another debut that's still the best
While I am a Beck devotee, I'd have to say that if given only one of his albums to hear, this would be it.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Experimental Rock    3. Indie Rock    4. Lo-Fi    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter   

Reviews (26)

Retro 80's influence pop good to the bone
I got addicted to this album and bonus EP, and I pretty much left it playing in my car for a couple weeks on end for my commute.It doesn't get too old, either, despite it's retro influence.It's fresh, and it will put you into a good mood, regardless.The album also has an electronic atmospheric flavor.The best on the album are "So Begins Our Alabee" and on the EP "Everyday Feels Like Sunday."I know nothing of the band's genesis, but these tunes are a good listen.

these tweebs are rally good
i haven't had this much fun listening to a record since The Black Watch's "Jiggery-Pokery" or "The Hypnotizing Sea" (see Amazon!).what would happen if the Lilys stopped being haunted by my bloody valentine, or if the magnetic fields took steroids?if the beatles had been homosexual--and started dating 10CC...If Olivia Tremor control had ever learned how to write a straight-up SONG.
An Aural Tapestry
Flipping through the radio channels in my car one day, I just so happened to hear "Forecast Fascist Future" and was hooked from the first few notes.I can't recall the last time a song intriged me enough to buy the CD the very next day, but this one did.The tempo & key changes, the instrumentation, and the oh-so-vaguely familiar patterns (Beatles, ELO, Moody Blues etc.) that made you almost think you'd heard this before combine to make for a truly enjoyable listen every time I play it. Most music seems flat and montoned in comparison after listening to the Aural Tapestry of Sunlandic Twins.
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Subjects:  1. Indie Pop    2. Lo-Fi    3. Neo-Psychedelia    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Reviews (37)

Excellent debut LP
Jeff Mangum comes out in full force for this early indie release. I heard "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" before hearing this album, and while i generally regard that album as being amongst the Top 3 greatest ever created, this is a superb album that'd rank at least in my Top 20. The "fuzzy" sound that Elephant Six is known for, is executed masterfully even though this is the band's first full-length album.
Should Be an Amazon Essential Recording
This album is our generation's The Velvet Underground & Nico. Not a commercial success, but a huge influence and a perfect album.

Just as good - if not better - than In the Aeroplane
I would only recommend On Avery Island to fans of Neutral Milk Hotel who have already become familiar with their more successful and higher praised album, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. On Avery Island is a little more difficult to adapt to than the band's final album; that said, it certainly holds its own when compared to Aeroplane, as it holds the key to what made that album so incredible- Jeff Mangum's frighteningly honest lyrics. With perhaps the exception of the closing track (a 13 minute noise-fest that tests the ears of even the most open-minded of listeners), On Avery Island is entirely enjoyable and every bit as moving as Aeroplane. In fact, such songs as Gardenhead and Naomi bring me back to this album more often than what is considered by many to be the band's prime achievement. If you enjoyed In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, pick this one up- you're sure to love it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Neo-Prog    5. Neo-Psychedelia    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The test of an artist's true bearing is often found in their second album, the notion being that there's been a lifetime leading up to the debut, and then just a year or two for its successor. Jolie Holland has risen to the occasion with aplomb. Writing specifically for this release as well as for a band for the first time, there's a resonant bearing to the set as a whole. A dreamy quality pervades the set. As the instrumentation subtly varies from track to track, it further underscores the changing settings of a mind running wild while the body sleeps. Holland also addresses the idea overtly on the song "Nothing Left to Do But Dream." The gentle narrative offers surprises, such as the jarring, "I took my sister to the river and I came back alone." Small combo arrangements throughout serve to empower the lyrics--cliché-free and full of emotional breadth. Read more

Reviews (13)

most unique voice out there in songland
her voice is like a hubcap falling off and rolling --
Rainy Day Music
Very mellow music (a few sound like dirges) peppered with catchy songs and hymnal melodies.What an enchanting voice!All in all a wonderful CD, however it is very different from escondida (my fav!) and catalpa -- I think this CD is better than catalpa, which took a while to grow on me.

out of the bayou and moving uptown
Jolie Holland's first album, "Catalpa", sounded almost like a Library of Congress recording from the 1930s, of some porch singer in the bayou.Her second album (first "real" album), "Escondida", didn't sound primitive anymore, but was definitely tentative about all this newfangled band stuff.But with her third album, she's moved out of that bayou for good.She no longer sounds barefoot... instead, perhaps some well-worn used pumps from a thrift shop, opium in a tentament apartment rather than moonshine on the back porch.
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Subjects:  1. Contemporary Singer/Songwriter    2. Folk-Jazz    3. Lo-Fi    4. Neo-Traditional Folk    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Reviews (99)

One of the best albums of all time (believe it!)
These guys make creating incredible rock music appear easy.There's something incredibly natural about this album, and yet it feels wholly original.The songs are emotionally powerful and very well written, identifiying this as a standard indie rock album among the ranks of The Arcade Fire or Wolf Parade, but it also has a sense of groove and musicality to it that identifies it with almost a jazz/funk/jam-band aesthetic.I in no way mean to mislead people by making a connection between this CD and these other genres, because the sound of the album really has little to do with jazz, funk, or jam-bands, but it does demonstrate the power of this album and the skill of the musicians that they are able to strike a balance between a sense music-for-music's sake (as in tight grooves and great musicianship), which is primarly a concept associate with jazz, and concise, emotionally-loaded, structured songs that give this CD the strength of the indie rock albums we all know and love.This CD is enthralling, soft and gentle as a whisper, emotoinal, powerful, dreamy, and groovy.Its also remarkably consistant.What a f@#$ing great album!

Help me out
Help me out someone!? I have a wide experience of listening to every kind of (alternative) music but I really cannot see the greatness of the album. Sure, it sounds great and there are great moment but it didn't get me like the Arcade Fire, Bloc Party or even Stars, of which there are some members in BSS as well.
vocals....last time I checked, they were important
This is undoubtedly a very talented group, though you do obviously have to be of the indie persuasion to enjoy it. Many tracks really capture some beautiful melodies and wrap them up in unusual but usually effective arrangments. They also change up the sound effectively from song to song, and show considerable artistic range. One aspect, though, in which they show strikingly little originality or variance is the vocals. Every vocal is pretty much the same. Either a slightly fuzzy and faded sound with sometimes harmony from the female lead singer, or the aformentioned female (sorry, not aquanted with the names yet) singing, with her very typically indie and unimpressive voice slightly altered so that it doesn't sound crisp and clean. This in itself is fine, and is effective in many tracks to deliver an evocative, distinctive style, but because they do it continuely it really becomes a one dimensional aspect of the group, and a bit of a shortcoming. I know they are not a stripped and unproduced sessions band, and that they are not going for a traditional sound, but at some point youy have to have some confidence in the natural sound of your vocalists, without putting their voices through a million studio alterations.
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Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Pop    5. Post-Rock/Experimental    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Posthumous releases fall into two categories: those which the artist was working on at the time of their death, and those which are gathered from every nook and cranny to keep fans enthused and cash registers ringing. Elliott Smith's Read more

Reviews (95)

Quintessential
Originally envisioned as Elliott's interpretation of the Beatles' White Album, From A Basement On the Hill transformed into (what I believe to be) Elliott's defining work. An unfortunately unfinished symphony, it still manages to become a quintessential piece of music history.