Alt popsters Dark Furs, almost lost me at the intro. It’s that same plink, plink, plink intro used in so many pop rock tunes these days; But there was a variance. Something that indicated difference just ahead, and I stuck it out. I’m happy I waited! Here on Won’t See Me from the December 2012 self-titled EP, vocalist Suzanne May wails tunefully through the verses and refrain. Suzanne has a confident, strident vocal, which is applied with just enough echo to make…
Read MoreSometimes it’s necessary to highlight the lost gems that just didn’t find, or are still trying to find, their way. That’s what A Little More Vodka, A Little Less Milk is always trying to highlight. Enter The Rebecca West and the single from 2011, Lost And Found. This is a little bit pop, a little bit country but a whole lot of delightful. The single later turned into a long EP (7 songs) by the same name (October 2012) and can…
Read MorePop folk-rocker Hiram Ring took longer to release his second full-length, Home, than planned; About a year extra as it turns out. Still, the finished product (what is available prior to the release date of February 25, 2013) is a pretty solid effort. Take Hold Me for instance. Here’s a plea for personal touch and companionship when you are lost. The up-beat music hides the seriousness of the song’s lyrics. Home should be available by the time this review posts from all of…
Read MoreUpdate: The original video is gone. Vodka managed to find this audio-only version, so you can still take a listen: Inspired by ’60s psychedelic and garage rock, The Gone show that being retro is not only cool but musically worth your time. Here on Down Down Below from the band’s February 2013 long-player, Real Gone, they show what they are made of. The lead-off track of the long-player, All My Dreams, is decidedly more upbeat and full of organ fills and the type of rhythms…
Read MoreOriginally recorded and released as a single in 2009, Smerins Anti-Social Club has re-released The Alibi as part of their first full-length, Primordial Cordial (February 2013). Combining the 20’s and 30’s influenced jazz band, with this awesome vocal from Nuala Honan, the song recalls, even though it pre-dates, the sound of Caro Emerald. Make no mistake, however, Smerins Anti-Social Club is a band first and foremost. The guest vocals used throughout Primordial Cordial, add a smattering of texture and variety to an otherwise…
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