EastScene

Polar Bear Club – Chasing Hamburg Album Review

Here we find ourselves, nearly a decade into the 21st century. A century that’s seen the rise/fall/rise of dozens of bands and artists, a basketball-playing black president, and Pete Wentz’s…stuff. The popularity of hardcore throwdowns and synth-doused solos has grown immensely, while the pop-rock, punk driven songs of our youth slowly shrivel up and blow [...]

Cale Parks’ “To Swift Mars EP” – Album Review

Before I write an album review, I usually spend a few days listening to the tracks, finding the pleasing traits and further understand the band or artist as a single being. A key part of a band’s appeal is their ability to be recognized by listeners, the whole idea of “hey, that sounds like (insert [...]

As Cities Burn into Oblivion

Sigh. After releasing a critically acclaimed album in April, Hell or High Water, progressive-indie outfit As Cities Burn have called it quits. Here is what they wrote in their MySpace About section: As Cities Burn has broken up. We are happily moving on after 6 good years. Our lives and our wives have called us in [...]

Born Ruffians – Red, Yellow & Blue CD Review

Hopefully I’m not the only fan of slightly strange vocal styles. If you enjoy the strange than you’ll love Born Ruffians. Their debut album, Red, Yellow & Blue was released recently and I’ve fallen in love. Luke Lalonde’s vocals are slightly nasal and a bit higher pitched than what I expect from [...]

Beach House – Devotions CD Review

Angelic harmonies, dreamy drum sequences and tingling triangles create the peaceful ambiance of Beach House’s album, Devotion. When I first heard Beach House, I was a little less than impressed. I was going through a very literal phase in the music I was listening to and saw no place for poetic murmurings sung beautifully over [...]

A Very Colbert Xmas

The lineup for Stephen Colbert’s Xmas special is looking pretty good.  Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne (”Stacy’s Mom”) has been enlisted to write all the songs.  Not only does that guarantee some funny and punchy lyrics, but with Elvis Costello, Feist, Willie Nelson, Toby Keith and John Legend laying down vocals for this very [...]

Ladyhawke CD Review

Ladyhawke has the indie music blog circuit all a-buzz over her upcoming October 14th release of Paris is Burning EP, which will have remixes by Cut Copy, Fred Falke and Van She Tech. Ladyhawke whose real name is Pip Brown hails from Australia and is just one of many new “it” synthpop bands. [...]