| [Fire Records; 2009] Jackie O-Motherfucker Ballads of the Revolution This is a lazy sort of a revolution. It has very little to do with marching, protesting, and fighting for our rights. Really it's more about being swept up in sound and letting that carry you to far-off lands. If you're not doing anything else today, lie down, turn off the lights, and listen to this album all the way through. It really ain't the worst way to spend your afternoon. 4 stars 6/30/09 :: Lincoln Mendell | [Yep Roc Records; 2009] Peggy Sue Lover Gone EP Totally cute. Yet the songwriting and musical arrangements are interesting enough to keep this from being a blandly twee-folk project. There's no way of knowing just where a project like this is going, but keep an eye out for this adorable little British group. 3 stars 6/30/09 :: Lincoln Mendell | [B-Music; 2009] Sam and the Plants The Eft Very freeform, and yet thoughtful indie folk record with psychedelic tendencies and snippets of sound collage. Generally short songs that vary in sound and style keep this album interesting through and through. At times cleverly abrasive and at times whimsically beautiful, The Eft is definitely worth a listen. 4 stars 6/30/09 :: Lincoln Mendell |
| [Amish Records; 2009] Theo Angell Tenebrae This is a spectacular album. It is a perfect melding of earthy folk and absurd psychedelia. The production feels warm and lo-fi, but the sound remains clear and crisp. The music stays simple throughout, but it never gets stupid. The lyrics are thoughtful to a degree that one hardly ever finds in these poetically stagnant times. And as if all of that weren't enough, the album also features a brilliant cast of guest musicians, including Matt Valentine of MV & EE, Samara Lubelski, members of Jackie O-Motherfucker, and PG Six among others. Really and truly, this is a great album and I cannot recommend it highly enough. 4 stars 6/30/09 :: Lincoln Mendell | [B-Music; 2009] Various Artists Well Hung: 20 Funk Rock Eruptions From Beneath Communist Hungary This is what an excellent compilation is all about. It's specifically focused on an area of music that is almost entirely shrouded in obscurity, it all fits together into a cohesive whole, and it totally and completely rocks. If you can dig on the funky, the psychedelic, or the Hungarian, this album is definitely for you. 4 stars 6/30/09 :: Lincoln Mendell | [Mint Records; 2009] The Evaporators/ Andrew WK; Split A Wild Pear One's initial reaction to this split 7" is, naturally, that these guys cannot be serious. And they're not. No way, no how. But they're having a lot of fun and it comes through. Put the record on. Have a party. Play it again. 3 stars 6/30/09 :: Lincoln Mendell |