New album reviews: Matt & Kim, The Bird and the Bee
January 30, 2009 Leave a comment
Check ‘em out on Billboard.com:
Review of Matt & Kim’s Grand
Review of the Bird and the Bee’s Ray Guns are not Just the Future
New music feature: Matt and Kim
January 16, 2009 Leave a comment
(press photo by Tod Seelie)
Matt and Kim feature on venuszine.com
Matt and Kim are a really fun indie-pop band who, yes, have a guy and a girl playing synths and drums, but they don’t sound like Mates of State, or the Ting Tings, or the Submarines, or any other similarly constructed band you can think of … (for the record, I don’t think those three bands sound alike either).
I interviewed Matt on the phone while he was hanging out with his keyboard in the back seat of a sporty red rental car, driving to a show in North Carolina. He’s cool. Listen to the new album, but especially check out one of their shows if you get a chance (sadly, their upcoming tour isn’t stopping in Michigan …).
I saw Matt and Kim twice in Chicago two summers ago, the first at Subterranean (by far my least favorite Chicago venue thanks to that show — the security people and many people at the show were assholes), where they played with a couple of hardcore punk bands. They were great, but the atmosphere and the other bands sucked. The second time was at Lollapalooza, where they drew the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen for an 11:45 a.m. set. Their crowd banter is hysterical, and I think they blew out two speakers or something.
Their second album, Grand, is out Tuesday (Jan. 20) on Fader.
Also, the wonderful Arye Dworken (music editor for HEEB and an editor at self-titled), interviewed them in October for MTV2′s Subterranean a while back, so check that out here!
Happy 2009! Music to look forward to this year
January 11, 2009 1 Comment
Whoops, it’s been about a month since my last post. I have a pretty good excuse though: I was in New York for a weekend, then spent 10 days in Israel on a Taglit/Birthright trip, which was absolutely amazing! Since then I’ve been relaxing and getting ready for my last full semester at MSU. Six college classes away from freedom!
Anyway, here are a few albums I’m looking forward to this year, aside from the obvious Decemberists, Wilco, Grizzly Bear, Neko Case (that I haven’t heard yet):
- Joker’s Daughter – The Last Laugh, out Feb. 3 on Team Love
Joker’s Daughter is folk-pop singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Helena Costas. The album is produced by Danger Mouse and also has some help from Sparklehorse.
- Anni Rossi – Rockwell, out in March on 4AD
I saw Anni Rossi open for the Ting Tings in NYC this summer and she was awesome — she plays violin (or maybe viola?), is on to the looping pedal trend, and aside from that and singing she stomped on top of a suitcase and made other sound effects. She released an EP called Afton in October, also on 4AD, but this is her first full-length.
- Bishop Allen – Grrr…, out March 10 on Dead Oceans
These guys have been around for a while and hopefully will get a little bigger than they are now. They’re super-happy pop rock, and on a great label.
A few more: Alela Diane (Feb. 3), Marissa Nadler (March 3), Julie Doiron (March 10), Harlem Shakes (March 24), Lady Sovereign (April 7), Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek (April 7), Immaculate Machine (feat. Kathryn Caulder of the New Pornographers, April 21), Architecture in Helsinki (??)
Some albums YOU should look forward to this year:
- Matt & Kim – Grand, out Jan. 20 on Fader
This is the couple/band’s second full-length and the whole album rocks, but the first single, “Daylight,” is AMAZING:
- A.C. Newman (of the New Pornographers) – Get Guilty, out Jan. 20 on Matador
I love the New Pornographers and all of the band members’ other projects. Since Carl “A.C.” Newman uses some of them, and other guests like Mates of State, on his second solo record, it sounds a lot like the Pornos’ stuff, just a lot lighter on the female backing vocals.
- The Bird and the Bee – Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future, out Jan. 27 on Blue Note
Inara George and Greg Kurstin make wonderful dancey music with really quirky lyrics that don’t totally match up with Inara’s really sweet voice. You might’ve heard the song “Fucking Boyfriend” from their self-titled LP that came out in 2007.
Hilarious video for “Polite Dance Song,” which was on an EP but also is on the new record:
- An Horse – Rearrange Beds, out Feb. 10 on mom & pop music co.
Ignore the incorrect grammar — they got their break from Tegan Quin of Tegan & Sara, and if you like them you will like this Aussie guy-girl duo too.
- Angus & Julia Stone -A Book Like This, out March 3 on Nettwerk
They’re another Aussie guy-girl duo, who apparently are huge Down Under, but they’re brother and sister and a lot more acoustic/laid back than An Horse.
- Mirah – (a)spera, out March 10 on K Records
Mirah is one of my favorite singer-songwriters (and she’s Jewish!). The new album, although I have no clue what its title means, has more orchestration but other than that isn’t insanely different from her other stuff, which is just fine with me.
