Apparently before Palma Violets’ debut album 180 was released, the London band received a lot of hype in its homeland. They won NME’s Best New Band award and were nominated for the BBC’s Sound of 2013 award.  Now that the album is out, there’s this big (okay, big might be a slight exaggeration) debate over whether or not they truly deserve the pre-garnered attention that they got.  Unfortunately, some of that debate has spilled over to the states and my…

An EP release can either be an appetizer of what’s to come in the near future or a collection of songs that do not fit with the rest of what they’re doing. In the case of The Airborne Toxic Event, the former holds true. We saw them about a month ago when they filmed their Morning Becomes Eclectic session in Santa Monica and there they showcased some of the new material they’ve been working on. A couple of those songs…

  For all of the anticipation, it’s hard to believe that Can’t Talk Medicine is Pickwick’s first full-length album.  Before it was released on March 12, the band had already received some serious praise for its new set of songs from KEXP, SXSW and other acronymic fans. Praise is a new thing for Pickwick. In 2011, the band released Myths, a 7” that didn’t garner much attention. The tracks were recorded live in a living room and at some shows…

  Wondrous Bughouse is the rare sophomore album that almost completely rewrites the sonic signature of the artist who created it. Even serious fans of Trevor Powers will find some of these new songs close to unrecognizable thanks to the clear imprint of producer Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Washed Out, Cee Lo). The live drums, big bass, and maximalist approach to arrangement make the majority of 2011’s The Year of Hibernation feel downright skeletal in comparison. Bughouse is bold,…