visible voice - indie music blog

Entries in The War On Drugs (3)

Thursday

Jan052012

Favorite Albums of 2011 #5-1

Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 8:00AM

5. The Barr Brothers – The Barr Brothers
The Barr Brothers' debut didn't exactly come out of nowhere, but it certainly exceeded my high expectations. Seamless shifts from hushed vocals and plucked harp to ragged bluesy bluster, with gorgeous sweeping melodies throughout.

The Barr Brothers - Beggar In The Morning

4. Middle Brother - Middle Brother
A great example of a record that is bigger than the sum of its parts. Middle Brother represents the ongoing renaissance of unpretentious rock n' folk and honest songwriting...not to mention their killer live show. Middle Brother made and important statement in 2011.

Middle Brother - Million Dollar Bill

3. Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Justin Vernon could have followed-up For Emma with a "safe" record and it would have been a massive hit. Bon Iver, Bon Iver wasn't safe. Beautiful songs married with densely orchestrated and bold arrangements. Both challenging and gorgeous.

Bon Iver - Michicant

2. The War On Drugs – Slave Ambient
The War On Drugs really should be my favorite band. Other bands don't stand a shot. Mixing classic, rollicking Springsteen and Petty with the haze and drone of Suicide and the loud-ass bombast of Spaceman 3. Slave Ambient is where they put it all together.

The War On Drugs - Come To The City

1. Bryan John Appleby – Fire On The Vine
Maybe an unlikely choice for my favorite album of the year, but I would have been kidding myself to choose anything else. It was love at first listen. Beautiful, mature songwriting, rich melodies and arrangements - a record that I came back to again and again and again.

Bryan John Appleby - The Words Of The Revelator

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Monday

Aug222011

New music for the summer haze

Monday, August 22, 2011 at 8:07AM

If you've noticed a slowing pace of updates these past couple months, you're right...and thanks for following close enough to notice! I've been busy buying and moving into a new house, working (that is, my real job that I actually get paid for) and planning and preparing for the Newport Nightcap party. Visible Voice has taken a bit of a backseat to real life. Now, after a weeklong internet-free vacation I feel recharged and ready to share some great new tunes...

The War On Drugs' new record Slave Ambient is out, and I can't stop spinning it. If you were a fan of 2008's stellar Wagonwheel Blues or the more recent Future Weather EP you need to pick this up. Spaceman 3 dope haze meets Americana grit - a stunning collection of songs that is as obtuse as it is accessible. The type of record that will blow your mind and clear your head all at once.

The War On Drugs - Come To The City

Grant Olsen's solo project Gold Leaves has been long in the making - four full years - but it has been worth the wait. With plenty of time to refine and live in these songs, Olsen has created a collection that is as much inspired by 50s doo-wop as it is 60s psych-pop. Sonically the songs seem to split the difference between Fleet Foxes and Beach House, a little bit folk and a little bit dreamy beach pop. Really getting into this.

Gold Leaves - The Ornament

Widowspeak's single "Gun Shy" caught my attention a couple months ago and earned a spot on my summer mix tape. Now the full LP is out and I have to say, I'm even more impressed than I thought I'd be. There is a lot to like here - gritty, bouncy pop alongsidea brooding slow-burners that recall Sharon Van Etten and Cat Power. You can't deny the Mazzy Star influence which I guarantee every review will cite, but I think Widowspeak can stand on their own.