FEATURE - The Tijuana Sun

With lush, gritty vocals, and uncomplicated, but always melodic guitar work, The Tijuana Sun sonically re-establish the fundamentals of rock. Although echoing the quintessential sound of their idols and influences, this Scottish trio is not to be intermingled with today's sycophants of legendary British musicians.

An omnipresence of the acoustic guitar lends itself to the overall rustic feel of the music. "Blinded By the Lights," however, transits into heavier territory with more pronounced guitars, while "Black and Blue" is a staggering exhibition of Mark Ferguson's aggressive and dynamic vocal abilities. Tambourine-laden "What's Goin' On" paints unexpected soul onto their veracious rock exterior, but never indulgently strays from their central sound.

Raw, vehement vocals juxtaposed against nothing more than the most elementary of instruments create a sound that is remarkably fractured and wonderfully abrasive. Clearly, The Tijuana Sun are primed to be emulated.


The Tijuana Sun's Myspace

FEATURE - if 'n

With a seemingly innate ability for channeling the glory days of alternative rock,
if 'n, hailing from South Jersey, has managed to shift the trajectory of the glossy and one-dimensional backdrop of today's music.

Dripping with a certain drawl, if 'n furtively blends a bit of blues into both lyrics and instrumentation. "Confused Muse" is laggard and sonorous, incorporating just the right amount of letdown into the story, while "Rerun," inheriting a more implicit bleakness, name-checks actor John Astin - a bizarre yet befitting acknowledgment.

In clearing away the cobwebs of complication, the music of if 'n remains simple and utterly accessible - two attributes very much alive in the bouncy, guitar driven "Shake."

Undoubtedly, in straying from the precise and the pretentious, if ‘n has given fans a reason to embrace a homegrown, no-frills approach to making quality music.

IF'N's Myspace

FEATURE - Kevin Bartlett's Glow in the Dark

Stunningly celestial and sonically profound, Kevin Bartlett’s Glow in the Dark beseeches listeners to not only listen with their ears, but with their soul, as well. Lugubrious and alluring, the album is an aural thoroughfare through which emotions are sure to become heightened.


Ghostly, ethereal vocals sweep atop Bartlett’s trademark blend of ambient electronica and resonant prog-rock – the latter most illustrated on the track “Resuscitation.” Woven into each song are piquant and poignant sounds that will, invariably, lead the listener into a state of supreme bliss. Tracks such as “The Sorrow, The Fish, and Glastonbury Hill,” and “Something Probably” are the gossamer and salient pieces that the discerning ambient devotee will want to examine through headphones and, at the same time, extol for its intensity. “Stethoscope” is dirge-like in its composition, while “God’s Little Do-Over” is uninhibited and robust, yet still teems with tranquility. Adorned with pure, earthy chants, the essence of global music is most prominent on the title track, “Glow in the Dark.”

Although Bartlett finishes the album with the exquisite “Next Life…Let’s Just Wave to Each Other,” the story never truly ceases. The sentiment of Glow in the Dark reverberates everywhere, long after it has been heard.


Kevin Bartlett's Myspace

DEPECHE MODE's "WRONG"

I haven't been this excited about an album since...well..."Playing the Angel."

Doesn't even bother me that Dave Gahan is seemingly doing some sort of a dance move a la Elvis Presley.




Unbelievable. Did I mention how excited I am?

Telefon Tel Aviv

Last night, I downloaded Telefon Tel Aviv's Immolate Yourself. The sound is nothing short of utopian - otherwordly, almost. I was instantly enamored. You must give this a listen if you find yourself frequenting the whole dream-pop/electronic/shoegaze arena (namely, Ulrich Schnauss, M83 and the like).

Take a listen to "Your Mouth" off of Immolate Yourself, here

R.I.P Charlie Cooper

Slave to the Download Manager

At the end of each month, my buoyant marauding around eMusic begins. It's the 27th, in fact. The day my account reloads; the first day marking the inquisition. It's do or die.

"Where do I look first?" I ask myself, fingers slightly curved over my blue and grey mouse, sweeping each corner of my mismatched but suitably green mouse pad. My first stop: Rock/Pop. I just have to see what it could possibly be hiding. Much to my chagrin, The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound appears on the main page. "No," I say to myself. This kind of music is cold - it makes me feel cold! It's like getting lost in the aisles of a Borders. The faint smell of Seattle coffee signaling me to run before it's too late. But it's not all bad on Rock/Pop street. Some '80s, British Invasion, prog rock, new-wave and synthpop. Okay. I can exhale safely. I move on with a few, new downloads in my eMusic desktop folder. I need some electronica, though. The type of electronica with synths the sonic equivalent of fireworks - flourishing higher, becoming denser, richer as other sounds explode into it and on top of it - then coming down playfully, leaving only small fragments of its existence. On my way, I stop off at Industrial. I love industrial, but I'm fastidious about the genre. I take a listen to Project Pitchfork's Chakra Red, and am amazed by the music. My only trouble lies in the vocals. The devilishly deep, almost unnecessarily robotic vocals really do make me giggle. It just sounds ridiculous. I download the beautiful "Human Crossing," the album's first track. I can always just mentally expunge the hideous vocals.

Don't get me wrong. eMusic can get you lost in its veritable deluge of music. For the most part, it strays from the de rigueur nicely.

So, what have I been listening to these past six months? Well.

New stuff:

THE CATHERINE WHEEL
THE DURUTTI COLUMN (Vini Reilly...yeahhh)
Deastro
Liam Finn
Lonely London Lad
Project Pitchfork
The High Violets
Tosca
Friendly Fires
Burial
Glasvegas
Caged Baby
Chapterhouse
Culture Kultur
Datarock
Gene Loves Jezebel
Glass Candy
Joakim
Lykke Li
Mahogany
Neon Neon
Oszibarack
Repeater
Sebastien Tellier
Spacemen 3
Tycho
The Parallelograms
The House of Love

there are a lot more, but you get the point. Oh, and, embarrassingly enough, THE DANDY WARHOLS. Oh god.

Of course, there are also a bunch of artists for whom my obsession has only grown deeper - those I won't list. Too many to mention. Let me just say that they lie in the acid house/brit rock/electronic (dance)/Madchester/alternative/shoegaze/blah blah region.



P.S. LADY GAGA SUCKS.

Chelsea in Orbit

I recently had the chance to interview and photograph this up and coming band. Read on!


Just as the Chelsea area of London birthed innovation and art, audacious South Jersey trio, Chelsea in Orbit, soulfully embodies this concept. There is little doubt that Chelsea in Orbit is fluent in the language of British rock, easily translating the sonic syntax of classic '80s bands into an amalgamation all their own. Their music is not, however, to be confused with the outpouring of the ubiquitous neo-'80s bands seen today. Instead, they set out do something extraordinary: make great songs. Seemingly undaunted by the prospect of "making it big," and never ostentatious, all three members let the music do the real talking.


The songs crafted by Chelsea in Orbit are, undoubtedly, crafted with patience. Never taking themselves too seriously - Juan Parejo (vocals), Gregg Biesiada (lead guitar) and Rick Eddy (drums) - all would rather tell the tales of their strange and comical encounters through three years of touring, than to sit and list their myriad accomplishments.

After winning Origivation Magazine's awards for "Band of the Year" and "Best Modern Rock Band," Chelsea in Orbit already had three albums behind them. This remarkable acknowledgment led to the placement of their song, "Perfect Kiss" in the short, indie film "Life Coach." All major feats for which you are unlikely to hear any of the guys mention unless under strict questioning. In fact, when asked why they enjoyed performing at the prestigious Dewey Beach Music conference, Juan answered earnestly: "We got to eat a lot of pancakes."

There is more to Chelsea in Orbit than just great music made by musicians with whom you'd love to hang around; the music is bold, the instrumentation is no-nonsense and the vocals can only be described as chill-inducing. Juan's fierce voice is replete with strong characteristics that are seldom heard anywhere else. Encroaching upon the release of their fourth album, the intricate yet jolting musicianship is clearly showcased. And it doesn't stop there.

When acclaimed producer Jamie Myerson (Amy Cook, Duncan Sheik, Dido, AM), took the band under his veteran wing, the music truly began to take a life of its own as he engendered the album's perfect atmospheric touches.

"Working with others, it never sounded quite right, never sounded quite like us until now," Rick explained. If their current endeavor is any indication as to what Chelsea in Orbit really is, people will certainly be listening.

"The songs are stronger," Juan added. Gregg explained that working with Myerson on their album was "natural, like hanging out."

Natural, for sure. Chelsea in Orbit's sound doesn't overpower, instead, it suggests and pulls you in; allowing the listener to circumnavigate around a taste of their many influences, but always keeping their own style in the aural forefront.

"I just hope there's an audience out there that understands the passion of our work and feels as good about it as we do," Rick said, one of his less zany retorts made. But just when things become too mushy, a cellular phone goes off, blaring Echo and the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon." Gregg answers, looks around and swoops in with a saving quip:

"There's a niche for what we're doing - it could be six people - but there's a niche."

Check out some of CIO's music on their Myspace
OR
Download a free mp3 of the epic
Truth and the Fire