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The Flaming Lips – “Embryonic”WEA/ Reprise Records-out now The much-anticipated double-album from the nigh-underground indie outerspace rocker trio (whew!) is out. The Flaming Lips test the bounds with a dark, spacy concept album that seems to take its inspiration from the ending to Kubrik’s “2001: A Space Odyssey”; that is to say, don’t expect the tight, orchestral twinkle of “The Soft Bulletin,” or the brilliant playfulness of “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.” Those crowds may be fairly disappointed, but those who will find themselves tickled are the early listeners to the Lips: these tracks play homage to their original outsider, discordant sound, and show theRead More →

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Tigercity – “Ancient Lover”Tigercity-due out Oct. 204 / 5 Tight shiny pants and large golden rings prevail on Tiger City’s latest release. “Fake Gold” opens up and sets the tone: classic rock guitar, male falsetto, synth, and a sultry swagger. From the decade that brought us faux wood station wagons and Cling-ons, Tiger City has infused their nostalgia with a modern temperament and straight groove. That’s a good thing here, as their effort yields several strong tracks, including the title track, which feels will take you back to your high school close dance memories, and “Quicksand,” which might have come off the pop radio decadesRead More →

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Glass Ghost – “Idol Omen”Western Vinyl-due out Oct. 27 With vocals and a sensibility akin to Blonde Redhead, Glass Ghost creates sparse, vaporous songs on their debut. The tracks are, indeed, ghostly with a touch of haunting vocals, but what holds the band back is the same sparseness of the tracks; Ghost has no difficulty in creating a mood, but find trouble with fleshing it out. “The Same” suffers from this, feeling emotionally empty even with several electronic effects. “Time Saving Trick” and “Like a Diamond” succeed best on this album, both because they are filled with more traditional instruments, and also because of theirRead More →

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White Denim – “Fits”Downtown-due out Oct. 204 / 5 Crashing, thrashing rough punk prevails on White Denim’s second release. It’s thick, viscous music that gets stuck in your throat; the opening tracks are full, well-executed twisting streams of sound that glut and flow, replete with guitar and drums. Any band that sets themselves to it can craft songs of these quality, but what sets Denim apart is their ability to change over to a calmer, more melodic and controlled M. Ward versing starting on “Paint Yourself,” which goes acoustic against the Strokes-ish feel of “I Start to Run.” The unpolished edge they cut into theirRead More →