Many, Mini Record Reviews

I get quite a few CDs in the mail from publicists, labels and bands. It’s hard to get around to reviewing them all. Here’s a quick roundup of some recent stuff…..

Gus Black Autumn Days (Cheap Lullaby) – He’s a Largo/KCRW approved local singer/songwriter who gets a lot of music in TV shows. He’ll be appearing on Morning Becomes Eclectic on 5/10 and at Largo on 5/17. You can sample tracks at MYSPACE. This isn’t really a genre I regularly listen to, but he’s clearly a talented guy. Some of the songs are mellow, acoustic tracks while others have fleshed out dramatic arrangements with strings or piano. The album ends with a hidden, dramatic cover of “You Are My Sunshine.” If you like the genre I think you’ll appreciate the album.

The Lovely Feathers Hind Hind Legs (Equator) – They’re a Canadian band and they’re friends with Metric. They play eccentric indie rock with abrupt time changes and have songs called “Pope John Paul” and “Rod Stewart.” It’s kind of like a weird mix of Islands, King of France and Tapes’n’Tapes (and there’s probably a chance the band hasn’t heard any of those bands). You’ll probably either love it or hate it. Listen to some tracks at MYSPACE.

Marykate O’Neil 1-800-Bankrupt (Seventy-One) – This is so far away from anything I’d ever listen to that I have a hard time even commenting on it (plus it’s a pretty awful name for a record). It comes out on May 2nd. She’s a female singer/songwriter along the lines of Lisa Loeb, Mary Lou Lord and Jill Sobule (according to the Allmusic Guide).

Peter Walker Young Gravity (Dangerbird) – He’s a hardworking local singer/songwriter and co-founder of Dangerbird Records. This is his second record and it was produced with Aaron Espinoza and Jim Fairchild (they play on it too). It’s more along the lines of a grittier Pete Yorn than either Grandaddy or Earlimart. Download “What Do I Know”

8mm Opener EP (ChelseaGirl) – They’re a male/female duo. He “helped forge the sound of Nine Inch Nails” (from their Myspace page) and she has a sultry, ethereal voice. 8mm doesn’t sound anything like NiN, it’s more similar to Dido, Massive Attack, Portishead, etc. You can buy it from CDBaby. “Nothing Left to Lose” features a rap from funk-metal dude, Mike Busse.

I’m still working my way through some other stuff like: the Invaders Compilation, Sam Roberts, the Bellrays, the Submarines, Persephones Bees, etc….