Riceboy Sleeps  – Riceboy Sleeps

Riceboy Sleeps is the incarnation of Jonsi and his boyfriend Alex Somers artistic endeavours and together, they make quite the beautiful duo (in a music-based way of course…).

The music holds ten times the sparsity that Sigur Ros possess (which is saying something) and never touches on the post-rock theatrics that the band are so good at. We are not here to enjoy Sigur Ros however; we are here to witness the even quieter, even more gentle side of Jonsi. READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Fiery Furnaces – I’m Going Away

Delirious doesn’t even begin to describe it. For a group already well known for their staggering gumption and spitfire hubris, the Fiery Furnaces have attempted on their latest studio album I’m Going Away to recreate the entirety of American popular music, from Dixie land brass bands to Lady Gaga, in an epic experiment just shy of 80 minutes. But this isn’t simply a linear retelling of the story, where Robert Johnson walks up to the crossroads and takes a left; instead, in the Friedbergers’ vision, all possible paths are explored at the same time. The result is a complete alternate history, in which salty sea shanties are sung in the dusty plains of Texas, carousel waltzes are regular staples in underground hardcore shows, and Burl and Charles Ives share not only a surname, but a bunk bed and a four-track. READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Magnolia Electric Company – Josephine

Purists will be glad to hear that nothing of note has changed. Having one of the most distinctive voices in rock and generally sticking to the same alt-country template with every album guarantees that Josephine has the same characteristics shared by most Magnolia Electric Co. releases. The songs deal with the usual topics of desperation, loneliness, and longing. The same ghosts are still haunting Jason Molina, and it’s this stalwart dependability that is at once a curse and a blessing. On the one hand, Josephine is as good a representation of Magnolia Electric Co. as any of their other albums. On the other, it’s almost too good a representation. There are no real stand-out tracks here, and Molina sounds more comfortable than he ever has. If anything, it’s the most countrified record he’s released and, as such, lacks some of the more distinctive and heart-breaking qualities shared by his best work. READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Ian Hunter – Man Overboard

“Well don’t try pulling me down to your level/ There ain’t nothin’ worse than a phony-ass rebel!” And there you have it: A few weeks after his 70th birthday and a few weeks before reuniting with his old band Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter remains one of the crankiest, meanest hombres in rock and roll. He’s seen and been through a lot in his perennially underrated career, and he’s got the deep lines in his voice to prove it. Now a septuagenarian who can rock circles around the youngsters and deliver tongue-lashings worthy of a young Elvis Costello, Hunter sings in a voice that has aged into a gravelly rasp, all gristle and venom, and he shows no signs of going gently into complacency or even serenity, as his furious album Man Overboard makes abundantly clear. READ THE FULL REVIEW

Ian Hunter – Man Overboard