Giraffe - ...There is no devil

Band / Artist: Giraffe
Year: 2010
Genre: Indie Folk, Acoustic, Indie Pop, Folk Rock,

My Review:

The mix of instruments here leave you with expectations that get flipped on you. Acoustic guitar, organ synth, simple drums, and tambourine makes for the sort of softer sound that you expect of folky pop americana of the sort that you hear in almost every episode of sons of anarchy. That is not exactly what you're going to get.

Giraffe is mainly Berlin based composer James Gardner, who has been working with record label 12rec. for at least a few years and a few different releases.

I had saved this for a future post, and replayed it again recently. I'm really liking it. This album plays with a subdued, brooding darkness that you can get really comfortable in. Its the soft folksy album for people who don't really like folk, maybe more industrial rock, or goth rock. That isn't to say that a fan of folk wont enjoy it, in fact I think that it would add to a good folk collection nicely.

Giraffe - ...There Is No Devil

Merchandise – Children of Desire

Band/Artist: Merchandise
Year: 2012
Genre: Post-Punk, Shoegaze, New Wave, Folk

My Review:

Central Florida s where I grew up, and it is best described as a really unusual place. People do tons of meth there, Churches are the size of shopping malls, the elected governor always ends up being an asshole, and there is a giant metal scene and a smaller (but strong) goth scene.

Merchandise was a band suggested to me by a friend from tampa that I used to make music with. I hadn't been very in touch with the scene in a while, and missed out on some interesting indie/ shoegaze/ dream pop/ new wave crossovers. I guess this is referred to as post punk? Honestly i never know anymore with the soft rock scene, and mostly rely on the genre listings to help guide me through what exactly i'm listening to. Okay so enough of that, on to describing the album.

I wasn't sure what was starting up at the begininng of the first track I heard, and once the singer started in i started to imagine this was a group of people who really enjoyed that old Q Lazarus song from Silence of the Lambs (everybody tuck your junk!). They have a really pleasant sound, making something that could have easily been placed back in the early 90's or today. The mix has some really interesting noise and ambient backings, which a few times during a jog scared the shit out of me. I think they might push the weird a little far in some spots with some dissonant moments that took me out of the groove for a second. The layout of the album is ; short short long, short short long, and the long tracks seem like theyd be way too much, but when playing back, it works really well, like a momentary solo jam session in the midst of the tracks.

They have an older album listed as well if you liked them a lot, but that one is a little bit noisier. Nonetheless, if you like it then awesome, this band could really go somewhere if they build up their recording mixing and keep it up. I listened to this one over and over for days.

Merchandise – Children of Desire

Geron Hoy - Soldier

Band / Artist: Geron Hoy
Year: 2011
Genre: Alternative, Folk Rock, Indie Rock

My Review:

One that I KNOW I’m keeping. it is really radio ready. I could see this playing all the time. It has a slightly country rock/pop sound and the clarity of his voice really rings out. If you join his mailing list on his website, he'll apparently email you a free secret song.
www.geronhoy.com

I used to have the album Lunatic linked, but he changed his pricing now. This guy deserves to go somewhere though, I'd love to see him playing at some big venues.


 Geron Hoy - Soldier

Austin Leonard Jones - Sundowners

Band / Artist: Austin Leonard Jones
Year: 2011
Genre: Country, Folk Rock, Indie Rock, Folk

My Review:
Some modern folk/country with a bit of a marcy playground feel, as well as a few moments of old westerns. Not that it sounds anything like any of these, but it reminded me of new Beck, and some things from the Wingdale Community Singers. Its a good, more contemporary album lyrically, and I swear I heard a ukelele in there somewhere. Give it a few samplings, and hopefully something about it will sing to you.
 
Austin Leonard Jones – Sundowners