Back & with more ideas

Sorry for the break, but drama intervened and now we're back. I was thinking about the format for what we've been writing about and have decided to branch out and include all media. I take in at least one new thing per day and I have the same high standards to apply to TV, film, and video games that I do to music. For my first post back, though-we'll stick with the tunes though.

Lake - Let's Build a Roof

Lake are labeled a psyche-pop band and come from Olympia, Wa. It's a surprise I know, but K Records put this out too. Seriously, I really liked parts of this record. It is smooth and lovely with less of the kitsch-y psyche crap that makes me generally dislike the genre as a whole. If you like Hem or even Flunk, then you'll like Lake. I kept "Loose Wind," and "Gravel."

Grade: 5.3

Jim Ward - In the Valley, On the Shores EP

You remember Jim Ward. He was the lead guitar in perhaps one of the best bands of the early 00's: At the Drive-In. Sure, he went on to form Sparta and be moderately successful, but this is Jim Ward on his own and it is not what you are used to hearing. The record is bare, raw, and full of emotion consisting mainly of Ward's tender vocals and acoustic guitar. There is a brightness to the record and it is a testament to his talents. Since it is an EP, I kept the whole thing because each track was powerful in it's own way.

Grade: 7.2

Alec Ounsworth - Mo Beauty

The unique vocalist for Clap You Hands Say Yeah has produced a record with plenty of depth that, while it's hard to immediately take in, is incredibly interesting. The music is stripped down, unamplified, and more bare than we are used to, The progressions and timing are also recognizable. What really stands out to me on this record is the slower more delicate moments, while the more uptempo tracks seem to take away from the overall feeling of the record. Alec has an air of Bob Dylan at times with slurred vocals and drawls that create emotion and give the music a lot of distinction. I kept "Modern Girl," "Holy,Holy, Holy Moses," "What Fun.," and "Obscene Queen Bee."

Grade: 6.2