• Music

    Porch Kiss – Fort Stevens 2006

    This is the first time I had the pleasure of reviewing something from Start-Track, a fine small label run by our friend Filip Zemčík.  Porch Kiss’ music is sparse and lo-fi, reminding me of a lot of British indie band from the 1980s with lower production values and fine songwriting.  Pensive music, and a great listen.

  • Music

    Mimik Banka 表情銀行 – 狗​日​子​ (Dog Days)

    One of the benefits of being in Beijing at a high-grade academy is that I run into some rather brilliant young minds who are turning me on to great local music, case in point being Mimik Banka, who listeners would compare their music favorably to acts like dream pop and pop-psych bands like Dream Academy during their less somber moments and Khruangbin in places, and something radically their own in other spots.  Perhaps my new favorite Chinese indie band at the moment.

  • Music

    The Chills – Scatterbrain / Scatterbrain​-​Storms: Outtakes

    We have two releases today to share with you.  Both come from New Zealand’s greatest indie rock band, The Chills, and at least to my ears, should be seen as one cohesive session.  The first, Scatterbrain, came out in September of 2021 is a rather lush affair, quite different from the early, stripped-down lo-fi albums.  Great production, choruses, an almost proggy feel to some tracks dot the album, yet the songs still have that hallmark Kiwi indie sound.  Scatterbrain​-​Storms: Outtakes is quite different, however.  Three tracks, more stripped down and raw (well, they’re outtakes for a reason, right?), and I…

  • Music

    Thanatos – Christmas Moments

    If you’re going to spend the winter holidays listening to Gothic Christmas music, you could do much worse than hearing Thanatos doings warm and rather respectable Christmas tunes. May you, my friends who are either Orthodox, Catholic or those who participate in one way or another in Advent, enjoy a pleasant time.