Scottish hitmakers Mumford & Sons are back with another agreeable, hooky collection of stomping folk-rock. How does “Babel” stack up to “Sigh No More”?
Indie Rock
Spin Cycle: Band of Horses, Mirage Rock
Band of Horses reign it in and craft a harmonic homage to 70s AM radio on fourth album “Mirage Rock”
Spin Cycle: The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
In the realm of swaying, stomping, harmonic pop-folk, The Avett Brothers stand only in the shadow of Mumford & Sons, a recent success story that, perhaps not-coincidentally, the long-running North Carolina brother-band is starting to bear more than a passing resemblance to. Comparing Mumford’s lone album to the Avett’s discography previously yielded only superficial comparisons: po-faced, earnest lyricism; the tell-tale lilt of a banjo here and there; shouty, fractured harmonies. But where the Mumfords use their Appalachian sensibilities […]
The Viewfinder: Ben Folds Five, “Do It Anyway”
Ben Folds Five has released the first video from their new record, “The Sound of the Life of the Mind”, and “Do It Anyway” features Fraggles. FRAGGLES, PEOPLE.
Who The Hell Is: Royal Teeth?
New Orleans dance rock 6 piece Royal Teeth are going to be the next big thing. Here’s why.
Discography Fever: The Replacements
Many of us here at Popblerd are big fans of Prince. Undeniably, the Purple One reigns as the most recognizable Minneapolis musician of the 1980s. Yet while Prince, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and the rest of the paisley parade developed what became known as “the Minneapolis sound,” a number of bands such as Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, and The Jayhawks were forging their own brand of Twin Cities rock and roll. Among this later group are The Replacements. Noted for […]
Pass the Popcorn: Shut Up and Play the Hits
Shut Up and Play the Hits, documents the final performance of LCD Soundsystem. Check out our review!
The Singles Bar: The Avett Brothers, “Live and Die”
The Avett Brothers are back! Get your Friday folk on with “Live And Die.”
The Popblerd Halftime Show: Drew’s Best of 2012 So Far
James Mercer and The Shins have created one of 2012’s best albums, according to Drew. Who else made his list? Read on to find out…
Spin Cycle: Glen Hansard, Rhythm and Repose
Glen Hansard, of Swell Season, The Frames, and Once fame, lends his soulful brogue to an all-new set of tunes on his first solo record, “Rhythm and Repose”.
Spin Cycle: The Tallest Man On Earth, There’s No Leaving Now
Beset by not-entirely-off-base Dylan comparisons since his debut dropped, Swedish folkie Kristian Matsson (stage name: The Tallest Man On Earth) is operating under the small-ish genre umbrella of indie folk, a lovely little haven where performers live and die by the strength of their songs, where rugged baritones and rambling napkin poetry are the order of the day, where boredom is uncomfortably easy to attain if you’re not careful. Fortunately for Matsson, he’s got the goods – “the goods”, in […]
Spin Cycle: Guided By Voices, Class Clown Spots a UFO
The newly-reformed Guided By Voices are back with their second post-comeback album this year. Check out our review of “Class Clown Spots a UFO.”