Localretard-Media » Folk

Le Loup – The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millenium General Assembly

localretard — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:49:56 +0000

For a moment just look past the ridiculously long album title…now I ask you have you ever felt like your missing something? I have, but Le Loup has finally been able to somehow fill that void. This album was placed on “Best of ‘07″ lists by a multitude of websites, and I can’t say it doesn’t deserve it. The album, in essence, is like crossing over the Mississippi boarder during winter, and inside the vast dense dead forest you found a secret society of cohorts playing a “Bonnaroo” type of festival; you lived there happily ever after.

The main attraction to me was the simplicity of the arrangements. Most songs rely on a droning banjo to help progress the song and to keep the rhythm. I love banjos when used in the nontraditional sense, by that I basically mean outside of the stereotypical hillbilly, redneck, tobacco dipping, “Deliverence”, that people associate with banjos. The vocals have a kind of ghostly echo on them, not to mention the vocal layering. They also add electric beats at times, which may seem weird at first…but it works. It works so much that Zach Condon of Beirut released an EP called “Holland” under the pre-Beirut pseudonym ”Realpeople” which contains electronic music that distinctly resembles the music of Beirut.

Le Loup has really hit something special with this album because it combines just the right amount of electronic and folk, and the outcome is a super blend of Grizzly Bear, Samamidon, Bon Iver, and Ghost in the Water.

5 Tracks to listen to:
- Planes like Vultures.
- Outside Of This Car, The End Of The World
- To The Stars! To The Night!
- Canto XXXIV
- I Had A Dream I Died.

Website: http://leloupmusic.net/
Download: Sharebee
Watch: Youtube
Buy: @ Subpop , @ Amazon

Andrew Bird – Noble Beast (Deluxe Edition)

localretard — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:07:56 +0000

Andrew Bird, the whistling master, is back with a brand new album. I’ll start blunt…not much change here. If you’ve heard…any…Andrew Bird album, then you have heard this album. Now that’s out of the way and we can start with the good. Well I’ve always been a fan of Andrew Bird. (Surprised?! I know…) This album didn’t disappoint me other than the fact that it’s the same…but why mess with a solid formula eh?

Andrew Bird released a bonus cd with this called “Useless Creatures” and that’s where you get your change. To me I’d rather hear “Useless Creatures”, that’s just me though. I must admit I’m a bit distracted right now because I’m trying to write this review while a couple guys are playing ping-pong, so therefore if I start to ramble I blame the ping-pong players.

It’s been a few minutes now and I haven’t wrote anything and my battery is dying so I’ll go ahead and wrap this up. “Noble Beast” alone is well worth the money, especially if you get the deluxe edition…which includes “Useless Creatures”. If your a fan of chill music reminiscent of Beirut…on pain-killers…then you’ll love this album.

5 Tracks to listen to:
- Oh No
- Fitz and the Dizzyspells
- Nomenclature
- Not a Robot, But a Ghost
- Souverian

Website: http://www.andrewbird.net
Download: Sharebee
Watch: Youtube
Buy: @ Official Band Store , @ Amazon

Bon Iver – Blood Bank

localretard — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:52:14 +0000

Bon Iver’s debut LP “For Emma, Forever Ago” was, simply stated, fantastic. Justin Vernon’s voice was a rich melody of passion, mix that with the soft guitar and the album created a atmosphere so surreal you almost felt like you were in the cabin with Vernon during the making of the album.

“Blood Bank”, although an EP, is somewhat of a disappointing follow up to the majestic debut album. The concept of the title track is unappealing and the setting is downright bizzare. It feels like Vernon lost the passion that made “For Emma, Forever Ago” so special.

“For Emma, Forever Ago” made me feel like Vernon had just lost his lover, and the album was just the deep journey one goes through to get over that kind of loss. “Blood Bank”, so far, made me feel like his is trying to get in tune with that passion once again. Trouble there is, he had already gotten over that loss and the feeling it conjured.

Take a listen for yourself a demo is at the bottom of this post. The EP is set to be due out January 20th, a link will be put up when it’s released.

The Acorn – Glory Hope Mountain

localretard — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:28:56 +0000

The Acorn manages to mix Folk with Indie in a way that still manages to surprise me with each listen. While “Glory Hope Mountain” may not be a perfect album, I definitely hold it as one of the best releases of 2007. “Glory Hope Mountain” is The Acorn’s proper first LP release, but is their 4th release in their discography. I personally have not heard any of their other releases, but the fans hold them just as dearly as “Glory Hope Mountain”, and it’s rare to have such a strong back catalog. This album is a concept album based on the life of Rolf Klausener’s (singer/guitarist) Honduran-born mother, Gloria Esperanza Montoya. This name, roughly translated, is where the album gets it’s name.

Klausener’s songwriting skills really shine in this album. The opening track has some of the most memorable lyrics of any song I have heard. Follow the lyrics is the rhythm that The Acorn uses to set the mood and tone for each song, like in “Flood pt. 1″, you can hear the ever constant drums in the background which mimics the steady pushing current of the water, while some haunting background vocals mimic the chaoticness and every changing direction of the current. I did mention “Glory Hope Mountain” not being perfect, and where the album falls short is where a lot of folk album fail, it just gets too repetitive. I have listened to this album a lot and it is hard for me to distinguish some of the tracks apart.

Don’t get me wrong this album is absolutely worth the time, that is if you enjoy the folk-indie genre. If you have ever dreamt of running freely through the woods at night while the moon lights your path…then please do yourself a favor and hear this album. I do recommend to everyone that they listen to the album and get their own opinions though. I personally love this album and listen to it at least twice a week.

Website: http://theacorn.ca/
Download: Sharebee
Watch: Youtube
Buy: @ Paperbag , @ Amazon