tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-296869202012-01-12T05:58:34.852-08:00Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.comBlogger1331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-70263290681008258812007-10-03T16:47:00.001-07:002007-10-03T16:58:08.356-07:00

I know we usually don’t post tour updates but for a band like Man Man, I make an exception. I’ve seen them three times now, which is enough for me to confidently say that they’re the best live band I’ve ever seen—and keep in mind I got to a hell of a lot of shows. To each of the three shows I brought someone new who had never heard of Man Man and, each time, they left with the same opinion. They’

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-51325859515114275262007-10-01T16:01:00.000-07:002007-10-03T16:59:03.324-07:00

With every other blog buzzing with news of the new Radiohead album and my own personal claim to be the biggest Radiohead fan ever, you don’t think I could leave this one untouched, did you? After all, I did spend almost two weeks this summer assembling a complete, four-disc collection of Radiohead b-sides, rare live tracks, and alternate versions. Just when you think that musicians have finally

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-84250734296613340832007-09-27T14:38:00.000-07:002007-10-03T16:59:28.577-07:00

”Digging Up Treasure” is the name of a new segment that will allow me to bubble over with the joy of finding a relatively unknown and very exciting new band. The title of the segment becomes even more clever when you realize that it’s underground music I’m talking about. Digging? Underground? Treasure? Get it? Okay, that’s enough.Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, Deer Tick is the brainchild

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-31723140001444057072007-09-22T01:10:00.000-07:002007-09-22T01:32:21.507-07:00

Here it is, the second part of my intro to quality Japanese psych—the artists in this part are generally a little less eccentric than the previous, so if the first set was too much for you to handle, definitely give these a try. As always there are mp3s to download at the end of the post, so be sure to check those out. Also, if I missed an artist you think belongs on this list (which I’m sure I

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-28453138873157883802007-09-18T18:42:00.000-07:002007-09-18T19:00:26.697-07:00

As many of you probably know, at the moment I’m almost totally immersed in a Japanese psychedelic phase. In my experience, there are very few other scenes that have such a vitality and truth about their music; to be honest, the identity and creativity found in Japanese psych is a breath of fresh air when considering how many bands these days lack true originality. And, since the genre has so much

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-53851333764695550682007-09-15T17:10:00.000-07:002007-09-15T17:42:48.514-07:00

Someone once told me that an album being criticized for some reason or another doesn’t need to be defended. Rather, it needs to be praised independent of what existing conceptions of the album are. I’m not totally sure I agree with that. And since I’m the only one I know that really loves The Reminder, I thought I’d put that disagreement into play.Why the new Feist album is better than you think:

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-7332132900356125692007-09-12T01:16:00.000-07:002007-09-12T15:03:57.965-07:00

Even as I walked into the Troubadour, I had a feeling that it was going to be an unusual night. I was greeted at the merch table by the wave of a collapsible fan and a flurry of Japanese words among the band members. There you go. Shirts were pricey—$25—probably due to the weakness of the U.S. dollar at the moment. The first act, a band from Kentucky called The Phantom Family Halo, started off

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-4478605235403633502007-08-02T22:34:00.000-07:002007-08-02T22:41:01.118-07:00

September and October are shaping to be amazing months for live music in Los Angeles. Check out the concert section in the right-hand column for a selection of the best. I recommend seeing Acid Mothers Guru Guru (because they don’t come to the U.S. that often) and Boris with Michio Kurihara (because they probably won’t tour together again) above all else. This is also because I'm really into

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-85930182774920075182007-07-27T15:12:00.000-07:002007-08-02T14:30:33.489-07:00

As you all have undoubtedly noticed, we’ve been slacking on the whole “being a real music blog” thing. To make up for the past couple months, I’m doing a run through of this year’s best releases so far (this means officially released, not just leaked). There’s been a few sizable disappointments (Wilco’s boring “Sky Blue Sky” and Modest Mouse’s exhausted “We Were Dead…”) and several albums

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-4771062371460980692007-05-26T02:19:00.001-07:002007-05-26T02:24:06.610-07:00

As you probably know, a few of our writers are in a band called Kazai Rex. Recently, we were given the opportunity to a host a night of art and music on UCLA campus and so we’ve spent the last few weeks putting together a stellar lineup of artists and musical acts. Here’s the info:(For direction finding purposes, the De Neve Quad is located at 351 Charles E. Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90024. It

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-68645997039627698022007-05-23T17:43:00.001-07:002007-07-19T13:58:22.628-07:00

For those of you who didn’t already know, Will Oldham is one of my all-time favorite artists, coming in second only to the boys from Radiohead. Over the last fourteen years, he’s released ten proper full-lengths, two cover albums, three albums of b-sides and rarities, a live album, and countless EPs under the monikers of Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Palace, Palace Music, Will Oldham, Bonnie “

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-30224207312792843142007-05-18T15:36:00.000-07:002007-05-18T15:47:15.448-07:00

Yes. Yes! YES!I’m pretty much overflowing with joy right now. It’s not very often that a television show can get me to care so genuinely about its characters, but Jim and Pam truly do represent the great romance of our generation. Plus, how awesome was it that Jim left Karen in New York? And that split-second look from Ryan that closed out the episode? Absolutely priceless.I usually listen to

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-74510560400354786432007-05-16T17:33:00.000-07:002007-05-16T17:39:41.427-07:00

As I write this I am listening to Ozma’s latest album, “Pasadena”, on their myspace. It’s being released this week, and I had been excited for it for the longest time. Sadly, I caught hold of a few tracks and was sadly disappointed, but still left with some hope. If you don’t know, Ozma is an LA-based powerpop band along the same vein as Weezer. In fact, they opened for them years ago during the

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-24596016613041354402007-05-01T22:22:00.001-07:002007-05-08T16:12:29.759-07:00

Iron & Wine - Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car (Live) [mp3]As if I wasn’t already excited about the new Iron & Wine album. I’d have trouble falling to sleep at night, thinking of the breathy and gorgeous melodies, the simple but flawless guitar plucking, and the moving lyrical stories. But then—damn you “Live at Pabst Theater” recordings, damn you—everything changed. There was no bathing, no

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-22035928622069285732007-04-26T10:29:00.000-07:002007-04-26T10:32:39.586-07:00

Welcome to my new, totally spontaneous column action. Drink it up:Leaving for Coachella tomorrow. Pretty excited. For some reason more excited about being back in ninety-something degree weather (the kind we had in San Diego last summer [and will hopefully have this summer]) than hearing the music in general. S-s-songs:April March – Chick Habit [mp3]For those of you who haven’t seen Grindhouse

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-5050407745118334432007-04-17T12:22:00.000-07:002007-04-17T12:26:17.189-07:00

Grinderman: “No Pussy Blues” SingleB-Side: “Chain of Flowers” [mp3] 7/10If “No Pussy Blues” is Nick Cave’s snarling, pissed off, Mr. Grinder half, then “Chain of Flowers” is its slightly more vulnerable alter ego. The two couldn’t be more divergent, which is the epitome of B-Side goodness. No one wants to hear a retread of the flip side or another sub-par album outtake. A B-side, especially in

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-29192488699221560862007-04-07T15:20:00.000-07:002007-04-07T15:21:44.787-07:00

Dear friends and readers,Last summer, I started Paper Stereo with a group of people who all share a love for music. Nine months and 116 posts later, we are still going strong, working to gain repute in a sea of countless other mp3 blogs and doing our best to bring new, good music to you.Unfortunately, I write today with bad news. Starting today, Paper Stereo will not operate as it has in the past

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-52509458501352419342007-04-04T17:16:00.001-07:002007-04-04T17:17:16.103-07:00

Here’s another one I wrote awhile ago that I never got around to posting. If you like the OhSees they have a new album, “Sucks Blood”, out now, and it’s worth checking out.“The Cool Death of Island Raiders”Narnack; 20065/10John Dwyer is the king of the underground. He is the king because he has always been and will always be the same rare, unappreciated visionary. He will never be famous, he will

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-53290246057472788552007-04-02T22:30:00.000-07:002007-04-03T12:07:51.033-07:00

So I bet you're asking why I'm writing about art. I'm not sure, to be honest, but I couldn't sleep the other night and I ended up writing the following. I'm hardly qualified to discuss anything like this, but still I felt like it was worth posting. Hope you enjoy it. If you are interested in seeing more from Elliott Kaplan, head on over to his website.*****“Can of Soup” (which you can view here)

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-66190820599884040252007-03-21T17:24:00.000-07:002007-03-21T18:22:01.860-07:00

Hey everyone. John, Stacey, Austin and I are in a band called Kazai Rex with our good friend Danny and we’re leaving Friday to spend a few days and play a couple shows in Oregon and northern California. Needless to say, we won’t be posting while we’re gone, so nothing new is going to be up until April 2nd. To see if you’re going to be near any of our shows, go to our website or our myspace—we’d

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-21950350321537821992007-03-19T03:24:00.001-07:002007-03-21T12:20:04.507-07:00

Dr. Dog is an incredible live band and anyone who was at their show last Wednesday at the Troubadour will tell you the same thing. I had a great spot relative to the stage and managed to take a bunch of great pictures, so I’ll let them speak for themselves:Scott McMickenToby LeamanFrank McElroy, who is nineteen feet tall.Yes, Toby is completely in the air in this shot.Scott’s multi-dimensional

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-13095695176040678862007-03-16T00:37:00.000-07:002007-03-16T00:42:23.315-07:00

Menomena’s Saturday night show at the Echo was met with a crowd that did anything but hide its adoration. The three handled their often-tricky material expertly (at one point Justin Harris was playing a bass keyboard with his feet, playing guitar, and singing at the same time) and, with an army of new and excellent songs from “Friend and Foe”, the audience left the show with their love for

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-75935890013442940432007-03-14T00:07:00.000-07:002007-03-16T00:39:45.660-07:00

Last Saturday at the Echo, Menomena couldn’t have asked for a better opening act. Drawing most their songs from their debut full-length, the excellent “King Giraffe” (which came out a couple weeks ago), the Parson Red Heads’ eight-song set was one of the more joyful concert experiences I’ve had in a long time. The band, whose members performed clothed in white (tinged with red), knows that there’

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-60339370050370067282007-03-12T01:45:00.001-07:002007-03-16T00:40:03.111-07:00

It’s the last week of school before finals for me (and the other UCLA writers) so, barring the (slim) possibility of another writer turning something in, we’re going to be posting nothing but concert photos through next Monday. To kick it off, here are some photos from SEBADOH! JASON, LOU, AND ERIC! THREE GUYS WHO THINK IT’S MUCH MORE IMPORTANT IF THE MUSIC IS HEARTFELT RATHER THAN IF THE MUSIC

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-71014153893129736312007-03-09T13:27:00.001-08:002007-03-09T13:30:26.817-08:00

“Believe E.S.P.”from “Friend Opportunity”8/10The word “groove” is thrown around pretty carelessly these days. I’m not sure when every crackerjack asshole with a pair of drumsticks in his hand and a passable internal metronome became a commander of grooves, but it has to stop. The word “beat” is much more appropriate—a beat is something you can write down on paper, something you can program into a

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-20301627610343585192007-03-07T16:06:00.000-08:002007-03-10T12:45:22.556-08:00

A quick sidenote: If you haven't noticed already, I added a couple new features to the sidebar. The first is an archive of all the concert photos we've posted thus far, and the second (below "Links") is a list of notable upcoming concerts in Los Angeles, which will be updated every week, if all goes according to plan.“Rainbow”from “Rainbow”9/10The last year’s been good to Boris. Not only did they

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-35796244219774647362007-03-05T02:27:00.000-08:002007-03-09T13:31:43.318-08:00

I’ve posted about Bodies of Water once before, when I took fancy to a song they posted on their website, but Friday night at the Echo, my fancy blossomed into obsession. There weren’t a ton of people there—I counted sixty, maybe seventy tops—but they still performed like they were in a sold out arena, bellowing every note at the top of their lungs with a passion too omnipresent to be anything but

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-45361322419974428982007-03-02T00:34:00.000-08:002007-03-02T01:16:30.595-08:00

I know it’s a little late to be blogging about these guys, but I wrote this review a few months ago and, in a bit of confusion that ensued with one of my other journalism endeavors, I lost track of it. Fortunately, I was able to recover it after losing my hard drive. The more important thing, though, is that Beach House put out a fantastic album, and it deserves to be blogged about, even if it’s

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-35356344424884235672007-02-28T12:33:00.000-08:002007-03-10T00:50:28.546-08:00

I’m sure many of you have heard about the end of Arthur Magazine which, to me, is a very big loss for indie music. Check out my column today in the Daily Bruin to read my farewell to what, for five years, was the best magazine out there.Also, as you can see, Paper Stereo has had somewhat of a makeover and added more space for articles and pictures. Hope you enjoy the new look! To celebrate, here’

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-49624803494732853492007-02-26T15:42:00.001-08:002007-03-02T00:48:16.156-08:00

“Phantom Punch”Astralwerks; 20078/10Sondre Lerche is a man, not a band. That’s what I find myself saying a lot of times when I introduce his music to others. It’s an easy mistake though—I made it too. And how do you pronounce his name? I don’t really know, and sadly wikipedia doesn’t help either. It’s one of the few times the site has let me down.But what I do know is that Sondre Lerche and his

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-53791784780160379202007-02-23T16:14:00.001-08:002007-03-02T00:43:26.343-08:00

The final installment, for Coachella’s final and most anticipated day. Tickets for Sunday are going for over three hundred dollars each on eBay; there are some great acts playing, but it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth totally emptying your wallet. Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our Coachella coverage.Rage Against the Machine - Maria [mp3]I probably don’t need to tell you about

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-13683414458846645972007-02-21T15:39:00.000-08:002007-03-02T00:45:41.441-08:00

For those of you who just want to go to one day of Coachella, Saturday is the day. Just check out some of the great bands that are playing. Also, be sure to check out Part 1 of our three-part Coachella preview.The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mellowship Slinky in B Major [mp3]I saw these guys over the summer and, for old dudes, they still put on a hell of a show. Reasons to go: one, they still play

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-89723028424242973272007-02-19T01:33:00.001-08:002007-03-02T00:46:48.660-08:00

For those of you who (a) have your Coachella tickets and need guidance as to who to see and who to get amped about or (b) don’t have your Coachella tickets and need to decide whether or not spending several hundred dollars more on eBay is worth it, we’re doing previews of each day of Coachella. Parts two and three will be posted on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.The Jesus and Mary Chain -

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-36265493637028082632007-02-16T15:05:00.000-08:002007-03-02T00:50:15.236-08:00

I’m happy to announce that this is our HUNDREDTH POST! Thanks to everyone who reads Paper Stereo and thanks especially to everyone that helps me out with the writing: John, Austin, Stacey, Matt, Ryan, Felix, Charlie, Sarah—you guys are fucking awesome. Here’s a song that we can all celebrate to.“These Are The Eyes”from untitled forthcoming album8.5/10What was the last song you heard that made you

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-39597075897768375602007-02-14T13:49:00.000-08:002007-03-02T00:50:45.064-08:00

“I Still Remember”from “A Weekend in the City”2/10A couple of weeks ago, I was pretty excited for “A Weekend in the City”, Bloc Party’s sophomore album. Their first album, “Silent Alarm”, was an all around solid indie/dance rock record and one of the nice surprises of 2005. The production was a little on the thin side, but I believe it added to the band’s overall sound, as the songs could’ve

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-59188240922108385532007-02-12T22:39:00.000-08:002007-03-02T00:51:51.889-08:00

Now that my computer's finally up and running again, we're going to start posting regularly again. Thank you for having patience. --Dominick“Some Loud Thunder”Clap Your Hands Say Yeah; 20077.5/10“Eh” is what one would say after tasting a fine wine immediately after opening the bottle, and “eh” is what bloggers and music critics have been spitting out all over the web after a premature taste of

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-18746133027832485512007-02-05T23:50:00.000-08:002007-03-02T00:52:18.036-08:00

“Comfy in Nautica”from “Person Pitch”7/10Side projects often sound like their “father” band. This holds true with Noah Lennox, AKA Panda Bear, whose song “Comfy in Nautica” could be mistaken for a new Animal Collective song. But alas, it’s just one member of the four. And it’s not bad.“Comfy in Nautica” starts with lo-fi train tracks that get lost in the beat – short harmonized ahhs, steady

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-91886747875210310412007-01-31T18:02:00.000-08:002007-01-31T18:03:35.349-08:00

Computer's still in the shop. Sorry bros.Look for new stuff Monday.- Dominick Duhamel -

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-45977110365619722992007-01-24T02:26:00.000-08:002007-01-24T02:34:13.632-08:00

My hard drive crashed on Monday and I'm not sure how much data I've lost or when I'll have it back--I hoping for this weekend, but I can't be sure. Until then we're not going to be able to post. Look for a new post on Monday and, if it's not up, then Wednesday for sure. We've got a new Panda Bear track review and a Coachella lineup mixtape waiting for you when it happens. Thanks for your

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-87894005275121811082007-01-22T02:43:00.000-08:002007-03-02T00:54:09.231-08:00

“Wincing the Night Away”Sub Pop; 20078/10It’s been just about three years since everyone’s last heard of the Shins. Since their last record, “Chutes Too Narrow,” they got a pretty big boost in popularity thanks Natalie Portman and “Garden State,” which probably placed a huge amount of pressure on the band to not release a dud. And did they release a dud with “Wincing the Night Away”? Well, most

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-61311699492540262512007-01-19T23:57:00.000-08:002007-03-02T00:55:43.266-08:00

For your viewing pleasure, a photo montage:Opener Pigeon John being awesome.Pigeon John apparently crying about something.Probably the coolest stage prop ever.Doseone and his assortment of magical effects.Doseone and his list of fallen wage slaves.Jel busting mad drum machine skillz.Doseone wearing his sweetass mask and being awesome.- Dominick Duhamel -

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-40065409185429457482007-01-17T21:54:00.001-08:002007-03-02T00:56:47.939-08:00

Though most know John Frusciante from his guitar and backup vocal work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers (from 1989’s “Mother’s Milk to the present), as an artist his scope extends far beyond. He began his solo career in 1992 when he left RHCP for six years (during which the band made what is widely considered their worst album, 1996’s “One Hot Minute” with Dave Navarro in his stead). Since then, he

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-14328565854545087642007-01-15T17:29:00.000-08:002007-03-02T00:58:01.122-08:00

I realized that Paper Stereo has yet to stray from subjects that are strictly music-related, but with so many fantastic movies that have recently come out, I thought it would be a shame not to mention them. Here are some short reviews of four movies I’ve seen in the last month, all of which are worth the price of admission and then some.The Queen [Trailer]Though the subject matter, consisting

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-32875353135309362842007-01-12T00:32:00.000-08:002007-03-02T00:58:46.232-08:00

“The National People’s Scare”from “Wolf Parade” (Self-released 6-Song EP)6.5/10I dug up a copy of Wolf Parade’s 2004 self-titled, self-released EP at Lou’s Records, an excellent independent music shop in San Diego, and I couldn’t resist the purchase—I mean, Wolf Parade put out what was arguable the best album of 2005 and Spencer Krug seems almost inexhaustible in both creativity and quality; one

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-11066192145161388782007-01-10T16:23:00.001-08:002007-03-02T01:00:52.859-08:00

“The Protomen”Self-Released; 20068.5/10There are a quite a number of video game cover bands. Most of these bands like to take the restricted 8-bit arrangements of music from games like Super Mario, Metroid, and Legend of Zelda and expand them to a full, live band. The Protomen, however, take it a step further to pay tribute to one of the longest video game series of all time, Megaman.If you are a

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-283940954442958772007-01-08T16:58:00.000-08:002007-03-02T01:01:22.344-08:00

For most of our writers, today marks our first day back to school in a few weeks, so we've got nothing substantial to post. Until Wednesday, enjoy these Will Oldham-related tracks.Download:Pink Nasty - Don't Ever Change [Feat. Will Oldham]Amalgamated Sons of Rest - Major MarchSage Francis - Sea Lion [Feat. Will Oldham]- Dominick Duhamel -

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-52665705840947692442007-01-05T01:31:00.000-08:002007-03-02T01:01:57.225-08:00

“Triggering Back”from “Précis”8/10“Précis” is a dense album; Michigan multi-instrumentalist Thomas Meluch (aka Benoît Pioulard) imbues the tracks with layer upon layer of reverb, instruments, percussive clicks and hits, crackling background drones, and subtle samples with an astounding sense of organization and precision. With regards to dynamics and tasteful busyness, Meluch’s work is masterful.

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-26197831880333554602007-01-03T14:09:00.000-08:002007-01-03T14:10:14.059-08:00

“Little Drummer Boy Live”Caldo Verde; 20065.5/10If there’s any complaint about Mark Kozelek that holds any water, it’s his tendency to linger too long in the world of sad bastard pseudo-pop and confuse repetition with soul. And I can understand that: Kozelek is a troubled man with deep, nasal vocals that often shroud what subtleties may exist and, when he extends song sections without changing

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-61882650339341559442006-12-22T00:10:00.000-08:002006-12-22T00:20:49.702-08:00

Like any self-respecting music blog, we here at Paper Stereo love making lists. As we celebrate the end of 2006, we’ve outdone ourselves—albums, songs, disappointments, debuts, live performances, you name it. So read on and enjoy the fine and varying taste of our writing staff. Also, be sure to check out the link at the bottom of this post to download our free end-of-the-year mp3 sampler, which

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-7653714459603125272006-12-20T11:53:00.001-08:002006-12-20T11:53:55.747-08:00

“Math and Physics Club”Matinée; 20067/10Please, please, please do not dismiss Math and Physics Club as a Belle and Sebastian sound-a-like. I know that on first listen, your ears might do a double-take because they definitely have a very similar musical style and lead vocalist. However, Math and Physics Club’s self-titled album boasts its own brand of quiet sweetness that doesn’t deserve to be

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1166484187111711402006-12-18T15:22:00.000-08:002006-12-18T15:23:07.130-08:00

The problem of writing a review of Joanna Newsom’s “Ys” has been dogging me for some time now. I realize it’s already been beat to death in the blogosphere and there’s really very little of any meaning I could add to the enormity of material already out there, but if anything Newsom’s release should be considered “important” and, because of that, I’d feel morally remiss if I didn’t address it. I’

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1166221755713254992006-12-15T14:28:00.000-08:002006-12-15T14:29:15.730-08:00

“You Know I’m No Good [Feat. Amy Winehouse]”from “More Fish”8/10A lot of rappers spend their time rhyming about their life and past, trying to garner respect for their rough childhood and the hustling they (used to) do, as if the only thing that mattered was their own before-after scenario and how much they embody that classic rags-to-riches story we’ve all become so painfully numb to. Ghostface,

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1166004557829732402006-12-13T02:08:00.000-08:002006-12-13T02:12:07.480-08:00

“The Modern”from “Until Death Comes”8/10So first of all Frida Hyvönen is Swedish, which you might have notice from the umlaut above the “o” in her name. Not that all names using an umlaut are Swedish, considering that Mötley Crüe uses two in their name and they are in no way Swedish. This is all beside the point though of what I am trying to get at. Simply what I want to say is that she is now on

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1165826471297418002006-12-11T00:39:00.000-08:002006-12-11T15:43:33.673-08:00

“Incinerate”from “Rather Ripped”7.5/10My friends and I saw Pearl Jam this summer at the iPayOne Sports Arena in San Diego. Normally, I wouldn’t pay seventy bucks to see a band play live at an arena, but Sonic Youth were opening and I wanted to see both them and Pearl Jam before they bit the dust. Our tickets read six-thirty and so, thinking six-thirty was the time doors opened and knowing our

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1165624423882375292006-12-08T16:32:00.000-08:002006-12-08T16:33:59.183-08:00

“Hell Hath No Fury”Jive; 20069/10There’s not much to say about the new Clipse album that hasn’t already been said, especially when the boys over at Cokemachineglow gave it such a thorough combing over. All I can really offer is the perspective of my experience. So here goes.I didn’t listen to hip-hop until about a year ago. Even then, I was limited to Gorillaz, Danger Doom, and Madvillain,

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1165460364116097062006-12-06T18:58:00.000-08:002006-12-06T18:59:24.136-08:00

“We Are The Pipettes”Memphis Industries; 20068.5/10Every musician borrows tricks from those who influenced them, and oftentimes it’s apparent: Oasis and the Beatles; Electric Six and the cheese-ball 80’s; Jakob Dylan and Bob Dylan. Artists who exaggerate their influences risk being labeled a follower that lacks any sense of creativity or aesthetic, a mutant carbon copy of the idols he strives to

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1165281441508009712006-12-04T17:14:00.000-08:002006-12-04T17:17:21.523-08:00

This summer marked the beginning of Cirque du Soleil’s newest Las Vegas show, “Love,” the brainchild of George Harrison and Guy Laliberté. What better timing than to see it right after Thanksgiving? My first plan was to review just the album itself. After all, it’s half the reason why anyone should go out and see the show. The father-son team of George and Giles Martin were given the entire

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1164964582262819392006-12-01T01:15:00.000-08:002006-12-01T01:17:06.146-08:00

“Calling Thermatico”from “Fort Recovery”8.5/10I had kind of grown out of my electric guitar-based indie rock phase, thinking that one could only do so much with a certain approach, and that any four-piece group with chord-based songs and little to no knack for experimentation was destined to repeat not only itself but the myriad of similar bands that preceded it.Centro-matic has turned me into a

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1164789090877513872006-11-29T00:31:00.000-08:002006-11-29T00:31:30.886-08:00

“Elephant Gun”from “Lon Gisland EP”8/10Zach Condon knows that his audience is still so charmed by “The Gulag Orkestar” that changing things up would not only be unexpected, but it would be disappointing. So he’s is doing what any confident twenty-year-old indie troubadour would do in his place: the same thing he’s been doing for the last year and damn well, too.“Elephant Gun” is signature Beirut:

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1164678972009274072006-11-27T17:55:00.000-08:002006-11-27T17:59:20.313-08:00

“Amsterdam”from “Writer’s Block”7.5/10Being from Sweden, I wonder if Peter Morén, Bjorn Yttling, and John Erikkson knew that arranging their first names in that order would create an acronym similar to that of a popular sandwich. I like to think that they did, mostly because “Writer’s Block” is, at times, home to a strange sense of humor and irony. And so, henceforth, I will refer to the group as

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1164411757125120922006-11-24T15:38:00.000-08:002006-11-24T15:47:40.373-08:00

Unfortunately, our Thanksgiving did not involve writing articles for the blog, so check back Monday for cool new shit. Until then, enjoy a bombass acoustic set from TV on the Radio, courtesty of the folks at AOL. Hope you all had a great holiday.

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1164189086519969312006-11-22T01:50:00.000-08:002006-11-22T01:51:26.533-08:00

“Kingdom Come”Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam; 20064.5/10To counter the unspecific nature of Part 1, we’re taking “Kingdom Come” and combing it over track by track:1. The Prelude (prod. B-Money)This track could’ve actually acted as a decent warm up to a better album, but in this case all it really does is toy with our hopes. The beat is all smooth strings and spaghetti bass groove. Jigga even lays down some

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1164053917767749292006-11-20T12:14:00.000-08:002006-11-20T12:21:05.090-08:00

“Kingdom Come”Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam; 20064.5/10There’s something that was written in the New York Times (that was later reiterated in a Cokemachineglow track review) that was so spot-on I couldn’t resist repeating it here. It’s the dichotomy between rappers Jay-Z and Diddy. Up until this year their differences were crystal clear; Jay-Z was the one with the mad flow and three of the best hip-hop

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1163811007111523892006-11-17T16:48:00.000-08:002006-11-17T16:50:53.833-08:00

I can’t say enough good things about The Velvet Teen. After losing the very awesome and very talented Logan Whitehurst on the drums, they picked up the amazing Casey Deitz. Not only that, but the Judah Nagler’s vocals and Josh Staples bass playing have continued to improve and grow more solid with each record. And to top it off, they have made one of the best albums of the year, “Cum Laude”.Too

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1163581511446223992006-11-15T01:03:00.000-08:002006-11-15T01:08:39.833-08:00

For your viewing pleasure, a photo montage:The Hold Steady playing an acoustic live set outisde Lou’s Records in Encinitas, CA on an overcast afternoon.ACCORDIAN IN & ALL OVER YOUR FACE.Craig Finn and beer: like peanut butter and jelly, only with some rock ‘n roll involved. Actually, alot of rock 'n roll.“Gonna walk around and drink some more, gonna walk around and drink some more, gonna walk

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1163466286466956122006-11-13T17:03:00.000-08:002006-11-13T17:09:39.963-08:00

Sorry, we've got nothing written and no time to write something new, so we're taking the day off. We suck, we know. Check back on Wednesday for some live Hold Steady photos. Peace and love.

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1163207911437942682006-11-10T17:17:00.000-08:002006-11-10T17:26:37.250-08:00

In keeping with the “almost end-of-the-year track reviews of bands we haven’t covered yet but probably should because they are either good, bad, or disappointing or what not humdinger roundup fun time (phew)”, here’s some more. 1. The Good the Bad & the Queen – Herculean [Listen]Ahhh, how refreshing, a “supergroup” (barf) of sorts that doesn’t reek of total bullshit. Comprised of Damon Albarn,

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1162973830269080992006-11-08T00:15:00.000-08:002006-11-08T00:17:10.283-08:00

As we’ve hit November and the year is starting to wind down, I wanted to give props to some great artists that haven’t gotten attention from Paper Stereo yet by reviewing some of their more representative tracks. I’ll probably most a couple more of these multiple track reviews before the year is over, so keep an eye open.1. Asobi Seksu – Exotic Animal Parade [Download]I wouldn’t say this is the

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1162802040533076302006-11-06T00:33:00.000-08:002006-11-06T00:35:02.046-08:00

“For Hero: For Fool”Astralwerks; 20069/10So how can you possibly tell whether or not she has really listened to “For Hero: For Fool”? After all, since all women react differently to Subtle (just as men do), how can you tell whether she saw the heavens or was simply attempting to feed Doseone’s ego?Well, there are plenty of ways in which to determine that your Subtle partner has reached the acme

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1162543052879056012006-11-03T00:35:00.000-08:002006-11-03T00:43:36.796-08:00

Check out these recently released covers/remixes, and dig them. Pretend these are a counterpoint to John’s “Nightmare Before Christmas” reviews, if only because these songs are good and those songs are not (except for Fiona Apple's, and that's because she is a goddess).1. Peaches – Boys Wanna Be Her (Flaming Lips Remix) [Download]Peaches songs are always too long. I dig that she’s edgy and crude,

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1162424247989569182006-11-01T15:28:00.000-08:002006-11-01T15:37:27.996-08:00

"Amputechture"GSL/Universal; 20063/10The Mars Volta attacked with urine! Bixler-Zavala threatens offender!But I think that after releasing something like "Amputechture", they should've expected it. In fact, they almost deserve it. Almost. Remember when the Mars Volta were good? Yeah, I do too.- Dominick Duhamel -Tags: Mars Volta, Amputechture, Urine, mp3

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1162256132807928682006-10-30T16:51:00.000-08:002006-10-30T18:51:28.520-08:00

Or: "Paper Stereo's John Higgins takes a shit all over mainstream pop rock in honor of Halloween."--Ed.This year, Disney has decided to re-release one of Tim Burton’s best works in 3-D. I’ve heard some pretty mixed reviews about the whole 3-D thing, but what I hate is what Disney has done to the soundtrack. They added a second CD to the album with five covers. I thought it could’ve been cool when

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1161997211964198502006-10-27T17:59:00.000-07:002006-10-27T18:00:11.983-07:00

“Get Behind Me Satan”V2; 20056.5/10"Death can't be lying / it's the truth and it don't make a noise." On the newest White Stripes album, Jack White recalls a lyric from his band’s second album, “De Stijl”, but he should be recalling a lot more from it. The truth is that the noise the White Stripes make on “Get Behind Me Satan” lacks the punch of their earlier work, and it's brought them one

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1161762217436009562006-10-25T00:41:00.000-07:002006-10-25T00:43:37.446-07:00

Despite his age, arthritis, and a lifetime of smoking, Bob Dylan continues to play sold-out shows in huge arenas. At this point in his career, though, many – including myself – attend simply to be able to say that they have “seen Bob Dylan.” Despite what I had heard about his voice and age, I spent $50 to sit in the nosebleed section of nosebleed sections, the top row in the upper balcony at The

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1161588101549330362006-10-23T00:18:00.000-07:002006-10-23T00:23:12.700-07:00

For your viewing pleasure, a photo montage:A Hawk and A Hacksaw’s Heather Trost and Jeremy Barnes.The great Jeremy Barnes, former Neutral Milk Hotel drummer and the brains behind A Hawk and A Hacksaw. As you can see, he has drumsticks and bells attached to various parts of his body so he can play various instruments with each limb.Beirut’s band consisted of Zach Condon and seven backing

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1161379789026248002006-10-20T14:27:00.000-07:002006-10-22T12:29:50.826-07:00

“Daydreamin’ (Feat. Jill Scott)’’from “Food & Liquor”8.5/10Lupe Fiasco’s “Food & Liquor” is a strong contender for this year’s best debut album, and tracks like “Daydreamin’”, with its toned-down orchestral production, jazzy breakdowns, and explosive verses, is exactly why.Though much of “Food & Liquor” suffers from over-ambitious production (too much strings, too many things going on in the

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1161157567084718092006-10-18T00:45:00.000-07:002006-10-18T00:49:06.593-07:00

“The Guilded Cunt”from “The Cool Death of Island Raiders”7.5/10Contary to what would be totally hilarous, I didn’t pick this track to review because of its name. I picked it because, title aside, “The Guilded Cunt” is the among the strongest tracks (as well as the opener) on the OhSees most recent album, “The Cool Death of Island Raiders”, released on Narnack Records earlier this year.Though the

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1161040423324064242006-10-16T16:10:00.000-07:002006-10-16T16:13:43.340-07:00

What’s better than going to see The Dresden Dolls live on a Tuesday night? Going to see them live for free. And that’s what I did Tuesday Night over at the Orpheum Theater. Since no one listening to UCLAradio.com wanted the free tickets we were giving away, I ended up with a pair. I was skeptical at first about how cool this show would be, but now that I know I have no idea why anyone wouldn’t

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1160728360746742532006-10-13T01:30:00.000-07:002006-10-13T01:34:29.996-07:00

Judging from the headline alone it sounds like quite the odd pairing of bands, so thankfully for both you and my editor, there is an explanation. It started off as yet another in a string of free Amoeba Records shows that I’ve been attending lately because a.) They’ve been having mysteriously high-quality shows lately and b.) Well, they’re free. The downside of this is, of course, that the

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1160607077813137432006-10-11T15:51:00.000-07:002006-10-11T15:51:17.820-07:00

The crowd at a Sufjan Stevens concert is about as indie as you’ll ever see. I knew this the second I walked in the doors of the Wiltern Theater. Tight pants, bandanas, high-wasted belts, tights and boots, everywhere I looked. This was an audience that was here for one purpose: to worship Sufjan as king of their own little world.My friends and I missed My Brightest Diamond’s first song, and we

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1160377403805721972006-10-09T00:00:00.000-07:002011-02-14T21:59:00.630-08:00

“Boys and Girls in America”Vagrant; 20068.5/10If your high school English teacher was anything like I imagined mine to be, every day at five in the afternoon, he’d crack a beer, put on “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” and moan about how apathetic and stupid his students are. For a few years now, every time the class fails their reading quiz for the second time, or fails to see the most obvious

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1160176725546610542006-10-06T16:14:00.000-07:002006-10-06T16:20:11.596-07:00

Find forty-seven minutes of open road and this collection of tracks will change your life. Or, at the very least, make driving an extremely enjoyable experience. Also, on the subject of driving music, be sure to refer back to my Ryan Adams column.1. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Spread Your Love [Download]Thundering love madness, gritty and dirty and groovy. The one BRMC track that, to me, stands

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1160008092863896012006-10-04T17:24:00.000-07:002006-10-08T18:44:40.583-07:00

“The Information”Interscope; 20066.5/10The question is: How big of an influence does a producer have?When you’re talking about Nigel Godrich, one of the world’s most renowned producers – whose impressive list of clients includes Radiohead, Pavement, and, uh, Sir Paul McCartney – there must be some difference. These legendary bands didn’t hire him for nothing. But this leads us to another, more

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1159856015649020222006-10-02T23:10:00.000-07:002006-10-02T23:14:52.526-07:00

Here at Paper Stereo, we are tired and have decided to take a little break from blogging. Be sure to tune in Wednesay for a review of Beck's "The Information".Peace and love to our readers.

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1159517636963432752006-09-29T01:11:00.000-07:002006-09-29T01:18:52.663-07:00

I arrived in Pomona an hour and a half early. Fuck. Los Angeles traffic can be unpredictable. Of course, part of it’s my fault—I chose to leave Santa Monica at four to be at the show at seven-thirty. But I mean, come on, it’s TV on the Radio. I couldn’t risk being there any less than an hour before the opening band came on.I burned some time by grabbing a sandwich at Quizno’s (mmmm…toasty!) and

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1159349140919331022006-09-27T02:22:00.001-07:002006-09-27T02:36:52.520-07:00

“Skelliconnection”Sub Pop; 20066.5/10There are several people I know that stand by Chad VanGaalen as the most criminally underrated voice in indie rock. I am not one of them. Of course, I think that his debut album, last year’s “Infiniheart” should have sold more than a measly 1,000 copies, but in general I never saw what was so special about him. And while “Skelliconnection” doesn’t give me any

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1159169776056548352006-09-25T00:32:00.000-07:002006-09-25T01:40:19.583-07:00

“Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind”from “I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass”7/10So this week I was planning on doing a review of another Mystery Jets song, this time something from their UK release. However, I’ve barely had much time to do anything amidst what else is going on. With band camp all week for the UCLA Marching Band, I’ve maybe spent a couple hours in my apartment.

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1158960616039295392006-09-22T14:27:00.000-07:002006-09-22T14:30:55.203-07:00

“Live Session – iTunes EP”Matador; 20067/10I like to equate reviewing a Cat Power album to listening to the girl you love play you the only thing she knows on guitar. No matter how clunky the chords to “Born to Be Wild” (or in Ms. Marshall’s case “Wild Is The Wind”) might sound it’ll always ring with a bit more splendor than it actually deserves due more to the performer than the actual

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1158736398921593752006-09-20T00:11:00.000-07:002006-09-20T03:15:34.526-07:00

It was only a couple of days ago that Matt and I were talking about how bad San Diego music really was. We spent an entire meal brainstorming, trying to think of a San Diego-based band that we actually liked. Sublime? No, they were from Long Beach. Pearl Jam? No, they came from Seattle, though most of them grew up down here. Louis XIV? That flame died pretty quick. Pinback’s not bad, I guess, but

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1158612361173215642006-09-18T13:43:00.000-07:002006-09-18T13:46:01.190-07:00

For how good the Black Keys are, there certainly weren’t very many people present for their short set at Amoeba Records in Hollywood. The duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have been delivering solid blues-rock since their debut in 2002, and their show at Amoeba only further secured the crown of low-fi, white-guy blues upon their head.The set was a short one—almost painfully short. They

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1158379975528755482006-09-15T21:09:00.000-07:002006-09-15T23:27:04.806-07:00

Play this mixtape quietly as you begin to nod off to sleep, and you will have sweet and melodic dreams.1. My Bloody Valentine – Sometimes [Download]Probably most recognizable from the “Lost In Translation” soundtrack, “Sometimes” is one of the best tracks on “Loveless”, the group’s 1991 masterpiece. It’s all atmosphere and the perfect transition from the hurried pace of every day life into the

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1158167482559236892006-09-13T10:05:00.000-07:002006-09-13T10:11:22.586-07:00

I’ve been in New York for the past week now with my family. We came for our good friend’s wedding, and we decided we’d stay a little longer and see some sites and Broadway shows. Since I don’t really have anything to say about the new Beyoncé album, or the new Mars Volta album (which I heard last night, it’s pretty bad), or the just-released Justin Timberlake album, I guess I’ll talk about one of

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1157960183755910232006-09-11T00:35:00.000-07:002006-09-11T00:37:22.490-07:00

“Emily”from “Ys”9/10After allowing ample time for the dust to settle after Joanna Newsom’s 2004 debut, “The Milk-Eyed Mender”, I think I can safely say that there’s very little middle ground between those who love her and those who hate her. And, from the several times I’ve sat at listened to “Ys”, that middle ground is only going to shrink. The new album is, from a critic’s standpoint, so epic (

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1157699878570970632006-09-08T00:13:00.000-07:002006-09-08T00:20:22.966-07:00

Here’s what I learned from last Friday night: when in San Francisco, don’t go see a concert at Popscene.The place is a pizzeria during a day and a “cool” and “hip” indie dance club on certain nights. Granted the club’s music selection was pretty good, it wasn’t attracting the crowd I thought it was going to. And I guess in addition to all of that that, many bands have been doing shows there

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1157526692666440402006-09-06T00:07:00.000-07:002006-09-06T00:15:58.143-07:00

Coffee house performers tend to be hit or miss. These small and intimate venues seem to attract either incredibly talented, non-mainstream artists or horrible musicians and singers who can’t get heard anywhere else. Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Adrianne is a rare member of the former. She’s a touching performer with a natural talent for writing solid songs.When you see Adrianne step

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1157388981982282402006-09-04T09:54:00.000-07:002006-09-11T17:54:14.276-07:00

“The Letting Go”Drag City; 20069/10IntroductionI’m sure that anyone familiar with the work of Will Oldham is sick of hearing of critics who are still awaiting the “follow-up” to Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s masterpiece, 1999’s “I See A Darkness”. The fact is that these critics should go fuck themselves because: (a) “I See A Darkness” is a perfect album and expecting Oldham to produce something better

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1157098159719287862006-09-01T01:07:00.000-07:002006-09-01T18:21:02.966-07:00

“My Love [Feat. T.I.]”from “FutureSex/LoveSounds”9/10Very rarely do I venture into the realm of pop music. There are a few pop songs I’ll admit I enjoy—Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” are a couple—but usually I’m content to stick with my indie roots. This song is starting to make me question this decision. I’ve always been subject to an extraordinary amount of Timberlake’s

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1156922845400514032006-08-30T00:22:00.000-07:002006-08-30T00:33:34.156-07:00

For those who don’t know me, I’m a drummer (Damn straight. --Ed). The drums have been my instrument for years, and it’s generally the first thing I’ll notice/criticize when listening to a band. And if you’ve noticed, most of all of my reviews have been spent talking about the drummer. Anyways, this mix is full of song with amazing drum parts. I’m skipping on a lot of the drum greats with this

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1156749013505462292006-08-28T00:05:00.000-07:002006-09-08T00:19:32.676-07:00

Of the bigger artists (i.e. those capable of selling out a stadium) I actively listen to and who still tour, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were the last on my list to see, after I had checked Pearl Jam off the list earlier this summer at Cox Arena. Like any self-respecting fan of live music, I generally try and avoid seeing concerts in stadiums or arenas (for a good reason too, as much of the Pearl

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29686920.post-1156527209294148442006-08-25T10:27:00.001-07:002006-08-25T10:33:29.310-07:00

UCLAradio.com’s awesome. Not only do I get to play my favorite music on the internet for anyone (but mostly just friends of mine), but I get to check out some great, new bands and CDs before most people. Well, it doesn’t happen all the time, but I get lucky sometimes. For example, back in May I got an EP from this band, Mystery Jets. I tried searching for them at the time, and I couldn’t really

Paper Stereohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01195161228611977448noreply@blogger.com0