Baeble Videos

Baeble Session
CHIDDY BANG 1.16.2012 WATCH

Baeble Session
DAWES 10.25.2011 WATCH

Baeble Concert
KOPECKY FAMILY BAND LIVE AT THE LAUNCH PAD AT SPIKE HILL 10.22.2011 WATCH

Baeble Concert
THE SCRIPT LIVE AT DOMINION NY 5.18.2011 WATCH
Baeble Concert
WE ARE AUGUSTINES LIVE AT THE LAUNCH PAD AT SPIKE HILL 10.21.2011 WATCH
Music Video
SLEIGH BELLS - COMEBACK KID WATCH
Music Video
NADA SURF - WHEN I WAS YOUNG WATCH
Music Video
ARCADE FIRE - SPRAWL II (MOUNTAINS BEYOND MOUNTAINS) WATCH
ALBUM REVIEWS
  • Gotye <br/><i>Making Mirrors</i>

    It is a favorite pastime of more "serious" music critics to turn their noses up in cynical dissatisfaction at "pop" music. If music can be enjoyed by everyone, can it really be worth listening to? Despite what the Pitchforks of the world might want you to believe, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Think back to the unbridled wonder and joy you got when hearing "God Only Knows" growing up. It's arguably the most beautifully composed love song and pop song of all time, but it's universally known melodies and lyrics belie an inherent complexity to Brian William's songcraft as a true genius at his prime. Australian electronic pop artist Gotye is more George Michael than Brian Williams, but make no mistake, his newest LP, Making Mirrors is one of the most fun and intelligent pop records in years.

    • Hospitality <br/> <i>Hospitality</i>

      Before this album dropped, we ran a story about the music video for lead single "Friends of Friends" starring Arrested Development star Alia Shawkat. "Friends of Friends" has been getting plenty of spins since it came out, and expectations for this quietly hyped group have been very high. Unlike the train wreck that was Lana Del Rey's debut Born to Die, Hospitality's debut is arguably one of the most fun debut records since the Cults' debut from last June.

    • Lana Del Rey <br/><i>Born To Die</i>

      Only Elizabeth Grant could encompass exactly what her stage name implies. Drawing her forename from equally blonde and voluptuous 1940s actress Lana Turner and combining it with the name of a 1981 Ford Model Car, Lana Del Rey has created a sound that matches her nom-de-chanson perfectly-- her smash single "Video Games," that was digitally released back in October, melds sultry vocals with electronic ambiance to create a tone that is at once sweeping and bleak. Yet, Born To Die cannot flourish from one good single. And with fourteen disconcerted efforts to reach "Video Games" stature, Born To Die is a fifteen track failure.

    • Cloud Nothings <br/><i>Attack On Memory</i>

      Cloud Nothings latest LP starts out with "No Future/No Past," a hilarious title if you consider it a reference to the out-of-time punk rock sounds they are peddling on Attack On Memory, or their disdain for the fads of today's indie music. Tunes with this much immediacy owe everything (and nothing) to the amalgamations of years of rock sensibility. We hear it through the lens of the loud and loose four-chord bands of our youth, and the drone-y fogs of the future. Part of the success of their emotive songwriting is the rhetorical value-- our memories are being fucked with, and Cloud Nothings are removing and replacing the pieces with aggressive progressions we already know, words we've already heard, all different and all the same. Combine this with the impressive move from bedroom project to full-frontal four-piece rock band, and Cloud Nothings emerge as the most refreshingly energetic rock act in recent memory, sporting critic-fellatio and catching the ear on the first listen. A rare boast these days.

    • Nada Surf <br/><i>The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy</i>

      When Nada Surf came out of exile in the early 2000s to release the underestimated Let Go, the band had discovered what worked for them in a new era, and spent the next decade fine-tuning their sound. The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy is a continuation of that fine-tuning. It's a collection of 10 mid-tempo power rock songs that are abound with catchy hooks. They can stay in your ear long after the songs are over. From the first play, the songs lend themselves easily to head nodding and foot tapping. Each song swings at about the same speed and structure. The chorus comes quickly, lead by Matthew Caws' youthful voice. The longtime trio is locked in sync together, held down by Daniel Lorca's understated bass playing and Ira Elliot's powerful drumming.

    • First Aid Kit <br/><i>The Lion's Roar</i>

      First Aid Kit has been gunning for America for quite some time. A few years back Swedish Sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg found their first glimmers of fame here from miles away, riding a lovely YouTube stream from the forest to transatlantic desktops everywhere. Though a tribute ("Tiger Mountain Peasant Song") meant as a self-professed gift for the Fleet Foxes, the girls' joyful swoon and impeccable harmonies naturally found other eager recipients. A poignant collection of melody and lyrics in The Big Black and the Blue soon followed, and a slice of America's rich folk tradition was theirs for the taking. The girls' new offering The Lion's Roar suggests they prefer the whole pie this time around.

    • Craig Finn <br/> <i>Clear Heart Full Eyes</i>

      First exposure to alt rock outfit The Hold Steady has become a rite of passage for my generation's indie loving youth. For college kids who received our modern musical education on the post-rock landmarks of Kid A or Merriweather Post Pavillion, hearing a band that was nothing more than straight-forward, in your face rock and roll was something akin to a revelation. Whether it was the classic rock of Separation Sunday or the "three chords and the truth" feel of Boys and Girls in America, listeners knew they were hearing one of the best pure rocks bands left in the country. Much of the success of The Hold Steady can be attributed to a combination of their melodic and hook-driven instrumentation combined with lead singer Craig Finn's literary and dense lyricism. When it was announced that Craig Finn was releasing a solo record, expectations were reasonably high, and while Clear Heart Full Eyes may not live up to the expectations set for it by Finn's work with The Hold Steady, it still serves as a reminder that Craig Finn remains one of the great storytellers in modern indie rock.

    • Howler <br/><i>America Give Up</i>

      Howler's sophomore LP America Give Up is a half homage to the great coastal surf rock of America, and half New York City garage punk, an odd combination given the band's origins in Minnesota. They didn't even have to move across the Atlantic (or at least to Brooklyn) to get a deal with the London based Rough Trade-- the label came to them, and for good reason. The songs all have a gallant momentum, following lead-singer Jordan Gatesmith's surly tenor with springy riffs and impressive songwriting polish for a band without the production resources of well-established sloppy pros like the Black Lips. The Lips had Pundt and Ronson to give them their band-out-of-time sound, but Howler has accomplished this feat both via classic songwriting, a bit of fuzz, and a smattering of unhinged "kids at play" licks.

    • Chairlift <br/><i>Something</i>

      With M83's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming as one of the undisputed highwater marks of the synth pop/rock revival movement that exploded over the musical landscape of the last year, Anthony Gonzalez's success has left almost unattainably high standards for any bands in 2012 who have more in common with the New Romantics than the indie rock acts of the late 90's and early '00's. With a sound that is equal parts Bjork, Florence + the Machine, and Duran Duran, Brooklyn-based synth pop duo Chairlift attempt to channel that same retro feeling on their third album, Something and while the album is cohesive and entertaining while listening, the album provides little in the way of memorable material that will stay with you after the nostalgia fades away.

    • The Duke Spirit <br/><i>Bruiser</i>

      Even with the depature of guitarist Dan Higgins, The Duke Spirit continues to exemplify what rock n' roll is, bringing music back to its roots while lightly seasoning tracks with new-age, psychedelic undertones. Although their fan's loyalty and commitment to the rock genre is prevalent by sticking with the somewhat gothic, fully punk sound they started with in 2005 (on their debut album Cuts Across The Land), it seems they can't submit themselves to the popular changes that are taking place in music today. They may be caught in the crossfire of trying be what they were and attempting to be what they're supposed to be-- the lack of inclination to either shows on Bruiser.


    • Matthew Dear <br/><i>Headcage EP</i>

      Matthew Dear's long and exasperating career in dance, techno, avant-pop and everything in between is enough to keep one occupied for days on end. But his lengthy discography has never inhibited one from jumping into the fray mid-cycle, and his latest, Headcage EP is no exception. Although it's a bit more Talking Heads than his 2011 LP Black City, and definitely sprightlier, it hints at where his next series of preoccupations might be headed.

    • The Big Pink <br/><i>Future This</i>

      British duo The Big Pink release their second studio album Future This two years after the debut of their first album A Brief History of Love. The album couldn't be more suitably titled as Robbie Furz and Milo Cordell seem to have taken their previous tone doused in sometimes ill-fated love and replaced it with an existential sound, full of experimental (and sometimes hip-hop) influenced, electronic samples.

    • Snow Patrol <br/><i>Fallen Empires</i>

      Snow Patrol's latest is by far their longest effort, and the one with the most depth, making it a rewarding outing for old and new fans-- if they're willing (or aware they should) put in the time to explore it. It's been a long time since "Run." The band has been unfortunately dormant since the success of their Jacknife Lee produced 2005 breakout album Eyes Open, whose single "Chasing Cars" was pigeonholed as Lite FM rock and left the band on Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack levels of perception. And upon first mention, there is no reason to believe otherwise of their latest, Fallen Empires, which clocks in at 57 minutes and begins with the band's signature drone-y riff style.

    • Rick Ross <br/><i>Rich Forever</i>

      To reduce Rick Ross and his validity to lyrical thug credentials and heavy-handed production would be unfair if it weren't so easy. From his dramatic four-chord riffs to star-fueled guest vocals (Diddy, John Legend, Nas, Kelly Rowland) and repetitive shouts to his company Maybach Music, it's all a bit cartoony. Even his voice seems packaged as a brand of brash, corrosive thug slathered on "epic" beats spitting every rap trope you could possibly imagine. We've arrived at the day when luxury brands sound like they were made for rap verses, not the other way around-- where else but in a rap song would you repeatedly hear "Bugatti" utilized in such a chewy manner?

    • Alabama Shakes <br/><i>Alabama Shakes EP</i>

      Recently it seems that everyone is making a fuss about the Alabama Shakes. From blog aggrandizing to a successful run at CMJ last fall, the band is enjoying quite a bit of preaching about their merits. The music is undeniably fun-- Brittany Howard has the naturally soulful croon that Jack White has spent his entire life trying to emulate, and her band is proficient at riffing appropriately bluesy schmaltz behind her. The band's four-track EP garnered much love for its soul, including a Zales commercial placement (that many of the older generation probably mistook for some obscure, decades-old b-side). A few fortunate turns (and no publicist), and the name is somehow on the tip of everyone's tongue. A year ago, nobody outside of Athens had ever heard of them.

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