Nov 24th, 2008 · Produced by Bell X1 guitarist Brian Crosby, One Day International's Blackbird is full of melodic and intricate lullabies. Frontman Matt Lunson's emotional vocals tell stories of lovers and strangers, while the band's string and piano arrangements draw comparisons to Rufus Wainwright and Keane.
Nov 3rd, 2008 · Intricate, melodic and vivid: The sound of North Carolina's Annuals is the epitome of sunny indie-pop. The band's thoughtful harmonies, anthemic orchestration and percussion, and bright electronics are given an excellent showcase on Annuals' new album, Such Fun.
Sep 26th, 2008 · Australian singer Nick Cave and and his band, the Bad Seeds, are best known for angry, twisted, ballad-like lyrics. Their 2008 album, Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!, was inspired, in part, by the Biblical story of Lazarus. It is Cave's 14th studio album.
Aug 13th, 2008 · Dr. Dog's fifth album, Fate, has already drawn great praise from critics and fans. Here, the rapidly rising Philly band performs four songs with the legendary Steve Lillywhite at the production board. The group remains true to its bouncy rock style throughout the set, mixing intricate harmonies with '60s pop beats.
Jul 26th, 2008 · When people think of the player piano, they usually think of Sting-era ragtime music. But during that era, a composer named Conlon Nancarrow created incredibly intricate pieces for the player piano that sound like a turn-of-the-century roadhouse gone berserk.
Jun 19th, 2008 · Making solo, instrumental acoustic guitar work engaging outside of live performance is very difficult. Washington, DC guitarist Mike Meier manages to do so on his flamenco style classical guitar record, appropriately titled Acoustic Guitar, offering interesting and concise musical ideas through masterful fingerpicking. The highly intricate, live-recorded instrumental guitar work makes the record immediately enticing — at times captivating.
Apr 2nd, 2008 · Witty singer-songwriter Nellie McKay had three days to write and record a song. The end result is an intricate three-part tune named after a London hotel.
Aug 30th, 2007 · The National's intricate wordplay, catchy choruses and elegant arrangements have earned the indie-rock band comparisons to groups both stately and unpredictable. The band combines countrified folk and traditional rock, with a doomstruck grace that gets under the skin.