Vodka has never been a huge fan of live albums. Give me a good studio recording any day, and I tend to appreciate it more. That said, The Lunar Laugh’ soon-to-be-released Nighthawks! LP is thoughtfully curated, and carefully engineered, and mixed to get that live feel without an abundance of crowd noises. The production is bright and crisp, and the music is expertly played and sung, including wonderful three-part harmonies. What more could you want? Nighthawks! is mostly a collection of back-catalog tunes gathered from very good (see above)…
Read MorePale Lights’ music is a bit of retro loveliness! Jean, Bring The Flowers is from the band’s very latest EP of the same name (November 2017) and also included on the band’s brand new long-player, The Stars Seem Brighter (December 2017) that is just full of more spot-on jangly goodness! Musically, the band reminds me of The Bats, but only in the jangle-pop style. It was reminiscent enough, that I had to go listen to that Bats track again, just to be sure. This is feel-good pop music…
Read MoreA band from New Zealand that has had Vodka’s love and affection for decades, is The Bats. This is a band that performs with the same lineup they had clear back in 1982. Vodka’s only other post by the band, is the wonderful tribute to the Christchurch area in NZ following the 2011 earthquake, Simpletons, back in August 2013. Here is a new studio release of It’s Not The Same from the band’s 2011 long-player, Free All The Monsters. It’s a great way to announce the band’s…
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I made reference to The Bats when reviewing Evil Eyes 2012 single, Playing With Matches. It got me wondering about the band that I’ve loved for what seems like forever. Here from the 2011 long-player Free All Monsters, The Bats video for Simpleton shows the aftermath of the Christchurch, New Zealand 2011 earthquake. The Bats may not have changed much from their formula sound created back in the 80’s, but they are truly a band with a great catalog…
Read MoreEvil Eyes makes pop music with an eye (or ear) towards a full, almost orchestral sound. This sort of sound is reminiscent of 80’s era Bats, the influential New Zealand rockers, who have made consistently great music for nearly 30 years. Here on Playing With Matches from their May 2012 two song single, Over My Shoulder, that Bats reference is almost eerie. Let’s be clear, however; Evil Eyes have their own creative touches. The spoken word, nearly minimalist, bridge for Matches…
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