CD Review: A New Hope by Minipop

San Francisco is one of my favorite places on Earth. Its busy streets are bathed in creativity from the countless artists and musicians that give the city its spark. Minipop calls the great SF home, and their music accurately captures one of the city's many faces-the one that's usually covered with the make-up of a more eccentric stereotype. Sometimes gentle and carefree like the dandelion featured on the cover of their latest release, while other times appropriately mellow and candied, Minipop offer a generally smooth brew of music. Possibly inspired by groups from the 90s, like The Sundays, Minipop create hummable tunes that are melodiously comfortable. Using simple instruments like keyboards and guitars, Minipop easily create the kind of glowing dreampop that's light on emotions and easy on the ears.

A New Hope offers perfect picnic music that's also worth listening to on a rainy day. "Precious" is beautifully sung in a mildly sad tone as instruments whisper-in the melancholy feeling that isn't aggressively conveyed in the lyrics. A little bit more on the upbeat side, "Someone to Love" comes to life as Nick Forte's bass guitar is effectively showcased alongside lead singer Tricia Kanne's mild and delicate voice. The last song on A New Hope shares its name and marks the end of the listening experience perfectly as it comes together like a sweetly composed farewell song.

In A New Hope, Minipop has created a complete album without any holes that could reveal a lack of talent. All in all, like cotton candy, Minipop's tunes will satisfy your musical sweet tooth, but they'll do so without leaving you sticky and covered in pink sugar.

MySpace Music Discovery: Standfast

Visit Standfast on MySpace Here

There is something very welcoming and familiar about Standfast's music. Just a few seconds after discovering their MySpace Page, my ears easily drank in the new but familiar sound of their featured tunes. How do I describe this experience? It felt like I'd actually stumbled upon a page presenting an artist with years of experience behind them; musicians that might've toured with bands like the Mama's and the Papas. They definitely make the kind of music that could've filled the psychedelic airwaves about 20 or so years before my time.

Standfast is a band that gives an obvious nod to many groups of the past. But, of course, their music is crisp and far from cloudy or stale; they're not just recreating someone else's work. Standfast makes sure to add the more "modern" beats in all the right places so that they work well with the accompanying vintage rhythms. This is how they've put their own signature on this somewhat mellow but modernized happy hippie music. And, last but not least, I can't forget to mention lead singer Suzanne's voice, which is like the perfect pair of shoes that make any outfit worthwhile-the outfit being the music. It fits the band's image just right, and it makes their music what it is.

As for brief bio info, Standfast started making music a few years ago in the place they call home, Stockholm, Sweden. With one album already behind them, they recently released their second one here in the US entitled, Beneath and Beyond; I believe it was this past August. There are more details on their MySpace site, which I highly recommend you check out. Standfast has created the kind of music that reviewers will often fail at fully capturing in words, but that's a good thing in this case.

Band Review: Rilo Kiley Album Wars!

Wanna hear a few of my favorite Rilo Kiley songs? They're each taken from the albums I mention in this entry:

More Adventurous
and
Under the Blacklight

Ok...so I have to admit, I was actually introduced to this Rilo Kiley band a few years back. A friend of mine was/is a big fan and it seems I didn't appreciate the group's music much until now. Back then, the few clips I did hear consisted of Jenny Lewis talk-singing in a one-notch-above-whiny voice that didn't appeal to me, but since then, I discovered she also sings! I'm glad I didn't give up on the band altogether. If we, as individuals, change with time, then why wouldn't a group's overall sound also change? There are some bands that I just can't stand, mostly the ones with incoherent, insincere lyrics and beats, but Rilo Kiley wasn't and isn't one of them. I admit, they do have a special place on my playlist now.

So what's this about Rilo Kiley Album wars? You might ask. Well, being that I am an Amazon.comer (I use it to check out the ratings of books/music I want to purchase) I couldn't help but come across Rilo Kiley's latest work, Under the Blacklight. By the time I actually read the reviews, I already had the album--thanks to MySpace (I decided that if I liked the few songs they showcased on their page, it was worth my time to listen to the rest of 'em).

Well, they didn't get the 5 stars, not even 4, sadly. The couple of other albums they released beforehand seemed to make the cut with the amazon.comers, but this one didn't. Some of the reviewers mentioned that this album was to popified, for lack of a better term; it simply was a perfect example of how a good indie band goes bad by selling-out to a more familiar but boring sound. They miss the old Jenny, this one was too modern for them; I have to admit, Under the Black Light's lyrics aren't as fabulous, as some mentioned. I'd even say that at times, they're just a little too lustfully raw in a sort of unclassy, distasteful way.

But, another confession, I love the first couple of tunes. Not-so-great lyrics aside, the first few songs on the album make me wanna do a combination of a skip and a dance; their happy sound is contagious and catchy. But it seems Rilo Kiley ran out of ideas toward the end, where they tried to give a brief nod to the 60s, or maybe 1970s...one of those eras. It's also evident that their general instrumentation and song arrangement styles are a little less country and a tad more rock and roll--another change that might've disturbed some of the long-time fans.

And the conclusion? New-comers to Rilo Kiley might just find their latest music fun, while long-time fans will find it flawed. I'm somewhere in the middle. I appreciate Under the Blacklight, because I can see how Rilo Kiley was trying to go somewhere new with it. Even though they might've gotten a little lost along the way, it's obvious they're still a worthwhile band. More Adventurous, their previous release, does a fine job of capturing the band's song-writing ability and uncanny "skills".

All in all, I think Under the Blacklight deserved 4 stars instead of 3.5. Like I said, those couple of songs were pretty darn mood-boosting, so they should get the spotlight, it's just too bad the other colorless songs seemed to hover under a blacklight.

CD Review: Shivaree

Tainted Love: Mating Calls and Fight Songs

Ambrosia Parsley, lead singer of Shivaree, still has her peppy but mysterious voice that makes me think of a more refined Betty Boop, but this recent release is a little different from the rest of the band's albums--maybe a bit more elegant while still being comfortable and sincere. Of course, I think Ambrosia's voice is wonderful, and that cartoon reference wasn't an insult at all, it's part of the reason why I find Shivaree's music so appealing. How would I describe their sound? Like a fresh salad served on fine china next to the rotting head of cabbage resting on a paper plate (the cabbage being the not-so-tasty music of so many other girl-led bands).

Shivaree has the ability to take rock, dress it up with just enough fun so that it's not boring, and soften its rough edges so that what results extends beyond any limited musical genre. Tainted Love is easy to listen to, without being easy-listening; it offers the edginess of Shivaree's more alternative side, along with polished, jazzy, and modern rhythms. This combination makes for a perfectly eclectic album that won't have you wanting to skip from one song to another. For instance, "Cold Blooded" is soaked in the happy roughness of a hyped up electric guitar and it's featured right before "Looks That Kill," a mellow but classy tune that brings a 60s mystery movie theme song to mind. I can't forget to mention "Shame On You," which stands out as a fun surprise because of its country-western feel that doesn't conjure up images of a scruffy John Wayne riding on a horse. Shivaree even ventures into the world of R&B, giving a much needed and successful make-over to R. Kelly's original, "Half on a Baby".

I have yet to find a song on this release that disappoints me. Yes, Tainted Love: Mating Calls and Fight Songs gets a star and happy face in my book, which is much better than an A+; it's definitely an album worth checking out and purchasing legally!

CD Review: Until June

Straight out of Southern Cali, Until June aren't literally waiting until June to release their first self-titled release. It'll hit the shelves on April 17th. Also, thanks to MySpace, I just discovered that they've made the new tunes available on virb.com, but just for a short time! So, to all you fans who can't wait until the 17th, check it out; it's free and the sound quality is pretty crisp. If you don't know what Until June are all about, and you want a written description before you let your ears take the plunge into their pop-rock infested world of pianos and sincere lyrics, well, you've come to the right place.

I'm tuning-in to their new album right now, and I'm content with what I'm hearing. Covering the emotional highs and lows, without getting overly-sentimental or stereotypically sappy, Until June steer clear of tumbling down the bubblegum-pop road. How do they do it? Well, for starters, every song exposes something honest about them; it's almost as if they've composed a musical diary that's been purposely kept unlocked. They're spiritual guys, but their songs don't overtly reveal their beliefs. It is thrown in there a few times, though, especially in songs like What I've Done, where the lyrics go something like I'm alone/and I'm ashamed/hold me in your arms/now I'm sorry for what I've done. Even for those who consider themselves strictly secular music listeners, they're presenting an issue any human being can relate to: Forgiveness.

Until June aren't limited, they can keep it simple and true in regards to the lyrics; there are also those other less thought-provoking but still ear-satisfying songs, like Sleepless, one of my personal favorites. It's upbeat and fun without being covered in sugar; oddly enough, the lyrics actually express a story of lost love served with a side of regret, but there's no indigestion afterward! Until June are pretty full of surprises in how they choose to combine lyrics and tunes to create their staple sound, a mixture of soft piano key strikes accompanied by lead singer Josh Ballard's distinctive California beach boy voice. These two elements combine well enough to create a tasty musical cocktail that serves to set them apart from the world's flavorless music makers.