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Panda Bear – “Tomboy”Paw Tracks-out tomorrow4 / 5 It’s here. It’s finally here. After Animal Collective’s incredible Merriweather Post Pavilion, the much awaited solo album from AC frontmant Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) has finally come to the masses. If you’ve kept up with the creation of Tomboy, the tracks here have been released on separate singles, though this LP offers different versions of the tracks. First impression: this is going to take some getting used to. Just like MPP, the denseness of this album is something of an acquired taste, and P Bear doesn’t give much ground. Around listen 3-4 is when you finallyRead More →

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Dirty Bourbon River Show – Volume TwoSelf-Released-out now2.5 / 5 (Ed.’s Note: yes, there is a Volume One. No, it’s not reviewed here.) True to the creole mish-mash of the Big Easy, the Dirty Bourbon River Show mix rock and blues (with a shot of jazziness) and perform the kind of music you’d expect to find marching down Bourbon Street on uneasy legs. Volume Two is soaked in tradition, and eschews the tight, efficient sound of pop/rock for the deceptively “lazy” sound of the south. It’s by-and-far a more difficult act to pull off, especially in studio, and there’s no doubt fans of this fun,Read More →

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Nadia Kazmi – “Strange Song”Zero to One-out now3 / 5 Mondo props to Miss Kazmi for conjuring the idea: take Leonard Cohen’s songs, set them to a guitar rock beat, and just pound the living indie out of them. And when you get something like her smoky, sultry “I’m Your Man,” then there’s no denying that there’s something special in this young singer. Nadia strikes the right amount of sensuality and gloominess, and when that guitar hooks you on “True Love Leaves No Traces,” we’re sure you’ll be smitten by an old white guy’s music. There’s no doubt here that Kazmi adores the old coot,Read More →

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Ray Davies – “See My Friends”Decca Records-out April 53.5 / 5 In the interest of full disclosure, let’s get something out of the way: The Kinks > The Beatles any day of the week (honestly). But seeing a collaboration this big almost evokes those ginormous humanitarian causes celebs sang about in the 80s; also, Davies hasn’t penned a new one here. Coming off of 2006’s brilliant “Other People’s Lives” (and the excellent follow-up, 2008’s “Working Man’s Cafe”), one has to admit “See My Friends” looks like a creative rest for one of rock’s (and punk’s) most influential songwriters. What it boils down to is this:Read More →