It's hard not to write about Julian Lynch without commenting on what was once the most "in" sound of the moment; the quickly exploding, heavily reverbed "beach vibes" of bands like Real Estate, Beach Fossils, and about 9 million other groups that aren't even worth listing here. It's never been a secret that we at Stark did not, and do not, buy into the vibes of 99% of these bands.
Yet, one has to slog through the bad to get to the good. Such is the blog world. There are a few very talented (on record at least) bands to emerge from the lo-fi outskirts of this scene that do well. Woods, Ariel Pink, Wavves, and Julian Lynch are all artists who push the envelope, transcend cliche (sometimes), and create art that's worthy of the heated critical debate that always ensues around them.
Julian Lynch's excellent last album Mare, drew a good deal of praise and equal criticism. While not a perfect record, Mare was a snapshot of a continually developing talent that was more than a jangly guitar. Lynch composed sounds, developed ideas, and truly created. What we've heard of Terra, Lynch's new album due April 26 on Underwater Peoples, continues in that tradition of exploration and creation. Lynch blends genres, instrumentation, and influences, to create sounds that are unique and, for the most part, unpretentious.
Even if you're not a fan of Lynch's music, he deserves respect for breaking the molds cast by his peers and contributing something new to the music community. Lynch shines brightest when he sounds most like himself and shies away from those cliched echoey NJ vibes. These are the artists you invest in for the long haul, and love just as much for their missteps as for their successes.
Showing posts with label Underwater Peoples Records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Underwater Peoples Records. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Liam the Younger
The photo says it all. Thanks to Chocolate Bobka for pointing us to the 2 free albums from Liam the Younger. His two tracks "Country Wide" and "This Land pt 1" stood out to us immediately from the fuzzy, reverb-heavy noise of the excellent Underwater Peoples summer compilation. Out of the haze, came this lonesome acoustic guitar hinting at familiar strains of old American folk melodies. His voice was understated and closely recorded, while the songs as a whole hinted at the dustbowl world of Woody Guthrie. We took to him immediately. While we can't go on record as to the quality of the two albums available above via Brave Men Run (we just got them last night), we can safely state that Liam the Younger plays a mysterious strand of lo-fi folk that we find addicting and highly rewarding. He somehow channels visions of a rural americana that is slowly being phased out by the generic strip malls and freeways of 2009. Certainly looking forward to hearing and learning more about this artist soon.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Francophonic!
This is not the newest release (2008), but we wanted to share it with you on the first sunny morning in awhile. Aside from the excellent Underwater Peoples Records' compilation, this collection of Congolese artist Franco's music should be a staple of your summer listening. Francophonic amasses Franco's work from 1953-1980, with the earlier years featuring breezy African melodies in the form of shorter melodic, pop nuggets, while the later years find Franco and band stretching out the arrangements into longer forms, with more intricate instrumental sections. Despite the long period of time, the sound remains consistent, keeping within the buoyant Congolese rumba style and prominently featuring Franco's strong guitar playing and highly pleasing solo and group-based vocals. A long time front runner of this genre, Franco was only rivaled by our other favorite Tabu Ley Rocherau. Between the two kings of Congo (now Zaire), all of your summer cocktail parties should be more than covered in the music department. Thanks Cem.
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