Down there in the dark i could see the real truth about me

The Mountain Goats is actually John Darnielle. Another soulful guitar strumming hipster, except this one has a past to back up his words. The Sunset Tree is an entire album about his abusive stepfather and the family life that he dealt with growing up. We Shall all be Healed is about his teenage years hanging out with meth addicts. This man has been listed in more "best songwriter" lists than i can remember. The Sunset Tree is more easily likable and is probably your best bet to get into the music. After several listens and comparisons you should find yourself liking We Shall all be Healed more.

The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree

The Mountain Goats

Clamour for Glamour!

What was started by the scissor sisters and continued by the darkness has been mastered by The Ark. Upbeat infectious hooks and charismatic overindulgence. This reminds me of the best parts of Queen, Elton John and to a lesser extent Bowie. For such a glitzy over-the-top affair it's a surprisngly sincere and solid piece of work.


The Ark - State of the Ark

Did they make prog rock accessible? or pop worth listening too? who cares

The Alan Parson's group where a prog-pop band from around about the 80's. Their best album was Ammonia Avenue, and it's quite an album. Strong instrumentation, fair vocals, intriguing lyrics and studio polish mean that there are no weak tracks on this album.

The Alan Parsons Project - Ammonia Avenue

Lounge redux

Smoma are a trio of trumpet, keyboard and vocals. You already know what your getting yourself into with these.

Smoma - Casual Lounge

Smoma and Friends the Kancutband

I got the space voodoo blues....

After some dark and mysterious grooves from outerspace circa New Orleans? Papa Mali is what you need. Any album that has slide guitar, little moses and quadrological rocket stations all in one track, is one i can dig.

Pap Mali - Do Your Thing

Modern Melodies

My First Trumpet does not contain any trumpets. It does contain some very nicely understated melodies with interesting layers of sounds. Electronic and organic sounds mix nicely in this mature recording which, to my ears, has a distinct tinge of whimsy to it.


My First Trumpet - Frerk

The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi

Owen is a misleading name since it's really just Mike Kinsella from various 90's things you've all heard before. This album is a soundtrack for a quiet afternoon filled with nostalgia and personal memories. The multiple layering of intricate guitar melodies is wide and varied with little in the way of traditional song structures in sight. The lyrics are both well written and deeply emotional, albeit somewhat distant with an air of reminiscence. I would compare this to a cross between Eliot Smith and Nick Drake while avoiding all the terrible connotations to all those people who tried and failed to sound exactly like those two. It's refreshing to hear music that sounds as if it were made simply for the sake of making it.


Owen - At Home With Owen

A baby, if you really break it down, is just a tiny, shirtless, bald human being with a bag of its own crap tied around its waist.

Patton Oswalt is a comedian who's face you probably won't recognise, but his voice you almost certainly will. His routine hangs almost entirely upon his voice, which is good because the whole thing doens't fall apart on cd like some comedians. He also has the uncanny ability to sound exactly like he looks. I'm not sure how he does it but i've seen this man live and it is exactly like the image in your head from listening to this.

Patton Oswalt - Feelin Kinda Patton

Last one out; hit the lights...

The lights shall be turned back on around the 22nd-ish of August, till then

farewell and adieu to you spanish ladies

The prospect of finding pleasure tomorrow will never compensate for today‘s boredom.

There are two types of peope in this world, those who do a large amount of acid and then stay in a controlled environment to avoid sensory overload; and those who do a large amount of acid and then run shouting a primal roar of exuburance into the night, as they ride in the upraised tray of a tractor that is travelling faster than any heavy equipment ever should, piloted by a raging alcoholic who would eventually pass out behind the wheel, towards a bonfire that is more chemical in nature than organic and flames that seem to engulf the stars themselves while a misting rain merges with the light creating a diaphanous shroud of light and a rain of ash flitters and whirls with an air of accidental magic, laughing at the folly of gravity.

Either type will enjoy this.

This is probably one of the most finely produced-audio play's i've ever heard, and the acting is very strong. It perfectly captures the rising cresendo of madness and sense of panic that trippers the world over know and love. Now i have a question for the readers, i'm %90 certain that Harry Shearer does some background voices, one of the reporters sounds exactly like Otto from the Simpsons. If someone could confirm or deny my suspicions it would be appreciated.

Hunter S. Thompson - Fear and Loathing in Las Vega - A Radio Play

There's no poetry between us; said the paper to the pen

Make no mistake, Gary Jules is a poet. His poems are wrapt up in a cocoon of mellow folky-rock goodness but they are poems none the less. Most people recognise Gary from his remake of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World" which was used to much effect in the Donnie Darko soundtrack but that was an atypical track and you should prepare for a different sort of sound.

The debut solo album "Greetings from the Side" contains individually better songs than the follow up release "Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets" however the former never really feels cohesive. It is really just a collection of songs put onto and album, a collection of great songs including possibly the greatest love song i've ever heard(Owen Down), but it never really meshes with itself.

"Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets" on the other hand is a far more fleshed out piece of work. Melancholy and subdued each track captures the mood of a different story, with Los Angeles as an unspoken backdrop.

Gary Jules - Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets

Gary Jules - Greetings from the Side

Read more >> Options >>