Refinery 29: Independent Style: Defined and Refined

Show Your Love! Webby Nominee: Best Fashion Site. Refinery 29

Music

Spotlight

WOMEN: Color Forms

MEN: By a Neck

Reviews

  • 04/14/08

    Hot Chip—Made in the Dark Few things can match the instant pleasures of electropop—there's a reason that best of the 80's compilation you bought at a gas station gets so much play. As far as modern electropop goes, there's Hot Chip and then there's everyone else. On their new album they've decided to not record exclusively in the bedroom as on past albums, but their
    sound doesn't lose any of their past intimacy from the location change. They are blending live elements with the normal electronic sounds but the whole package is danceable, singable, and destined to be played a thousand times.

    Fuck Buttons—Street Horrrsing There's been many theories on what a Fuck Button is. We originally thought it was something that you would push but our friend Billy pointed out that it could be an aggressive fashion manifesto ("Dude, fuck buttons! It's all about clasps."). The easy answer is that it's a
    British two piece band that work a strong drums and fuzz style that can be hardcore aggressive or quasi-tribal. At it's best moments it sounds like a 21st century remake of Brian Eno and David Byrne's "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts".

    Stephen Malkmus—Real Emotional Trash When you're growing up, you never understand why aging music lovers continue buying the increasingly mediocre albums of the heroes of their youth (Hey, we all love David Crosby but when you replace Stills and Nash with two guys who look like they work in IT it's not quite the same band). But he we are, all grown up, and we will never cease to buy Stephen Malkmus albums because Pavement blew our teenaged minds. Sure, the songs are not quite as strong and the guitar solos go on a little too long but it our strong contention that he's never released a bad album. This one actually happens to be pretty good.

  • 04/01/08

    She & Him—Volume One To immediately dispel any mystery, "She" is the actress Zooey Deschanel and "Him" is singer-songwriter M. Ward. The two have teamed up for this lovely album that we've enjoyed far more than we ever expected to. M. Ward has always made albums that sounded like they were better suited to a jukebox or transistor radio in an alternate universe. But when Deschanel sings his songs, the dynamic changes. Her voice is sweet, and the sound comes closer to the classic pop and country songs of the '60s. No question, it's fairly addictive listening.

    Crystal Castles—Crystal Castles Prior to releasing this eponymous debut album, the Toronto duo Crystal Castles were mainly known for their remixing work for bands like Bloc Party, the Klaxons, and Liars. Their previous productions only hinted at what their own music sounds like. Well, of course you might have predicted the 8-bit Nintendo dance tracks, but some of the strongest
    songs are atmospheric and sparse tracks with breathy vocals. The overall effect is like listening to entirely different bands, albeit very good ones.

    The Breeders—Mountain BattlesWhen you think about indie pop, it's hard not to mention the Pixies. It's because of the monumental influence of that band that people often overlook the strengths of Kim Deal's other band The Breeders (I guess with the ubiquity of "Cannonball" in the '90s, it wasn't that hard to overlook them, but you get the point). Quietly, they have released three great albums previously and now another strong outing. We love how it still sounds like a Breeders record while also feeling cool and current. Give it a few listens and you'll see how this band shows all the youngsters how it's done.

  • 03/17/08

    Tallest Man on Earth—EP We are constantly impressed by those enterprising Swedes. If you didn't know better, you'd think the five songs on this impressive EP were the product of some forgotten early '60s folkie or eve a Depression-era hillbilly. Instead it's Kristian Matsson, who manages to do back-country Americana better than any American we've heard in a while. Accompanying himself on strummed or fingerpicked guitar, Tallest Man on Earth seems to be a student of the music of Appalachia and Piedmont blues. But rather than sounding like a musicologist, his work sounds sincere when it could so easily come off like an affectation.

    Various Artists—Living Bridge While this compilation reads like a Who's Who of Brooklyn's experimental rock scene, it was conceived as mixtape by Nicolas Vernhes, owner of Rare Book Room studio, to announce his new record label. All of the selections on this double album were recorded at Rare Book Room, and all but one were recorded with this compilation in mind (of course this exception happens to be an outtake from the Silver Jews' 1998 album American Water, a masterpiece in our opinion). This record succeeds where so many others have been forgettable because it makes all these wildly different bands sound so great together.

    Kelley Polar—I Need You to Hold On While the Sky Is Falling It shouldn't come as a surprise that Kelley Polar is both a Juilliard-trained violist and a disco house producer. There have been many cases of classical musicians taking to the dancefloor (Arthur Russell comes to mind) and disco has not been immune to the appeal of over-the-top string arrangements. Polar's arrangements are different though—there is a subtle craftsmanship at work that has informed his collaborations with Metro Area and now his own work. This latest album incorporates his own understated vocals and wonderful arrangements to make dance-friendly music for the body and mind.

  • 03/03/08

    El Guincho—Alegranza The way that information circles the globe so fast these days, we're surprised albums like this don't happen more often. El Guincho is a Barcelona-based musician who, by the sound of this album, was enamored with Panda Bear's Person Pitch album from last year. Less than a year later he releases his own album of looped samples and multitracked vocals. The result is an incredibly rhythmic and eclectic album that recalls Os Mutantes at their most joyful and infectious.

    Erykah Badu—New Amerykah Part One (Fourth World War) Speaking of eclectic, Erykah Badu is back with her first new album in over five years. Mining the production talent of hip hop's soulful underground including Madlib, 9th Wonder, and Sa-Ra, it's the strongest album from Ms. Badu since her '90s heyday. For the uninitiated, be prepared for a blend of 1970s soul, P-Funk style afrofuturism, and hip-hop beats. This is the perfect album for a lazy summer weekend, sitting on your stoop, drinking a beer.

    Various Artists—Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife Afro-Sounds and Nigerian Blues 1970-6 There are so many high-quality labels reissuing little-known African music these days that we could review a great African album every week. For the sake of variety, we usually resist the urge, but this album is far too good to go unnoticed. Released by the fantastic Soundways Records, Nigeria Special is a 2CD look at early 1970s Nigeria and the variety of musical styles in the country from that period. The compilation focuses on many little-known highlife bands and proves that Nigeria's music scene in the '70s still has many hidden gems yet to be unearthed.

  • 02/20/08

    Beach House—Devotion Beach House's debut album in 2006 has been getting continuous play from us since it came out, so we were particularly excited about hearing their sophomore effort, Devotion. It does not disappoint, bringing back all the elements we love about them: super slow synthetic drums, lush organ parts, and some of the best and most distinctive female vocals in any band right now. Listening to Beach House has the disconcerting effect of listening to a Zombies 45 record at 33 RPM.

    Atlas Sound—Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel Atlas Sound sounds to us like what a dream pop album would sound like if it were made by a Berlin producer. Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox uses the Atlas Sound alias to craft lovely music from samples, beats, and his own voice. Listening to the record creates a trance-like effect, where you're dragged into it further and further until suddenly it's over. It sounds to us like one of the first great releases of 2008.

    Dead Meadow—Old Growth This great D.C. band is back and sounding as good as ever. Dead Meadow has always been a band that didn't hesitate to use a '70s sound without fully becoming a retro act. Here, they lean closer to a rural rock sound à la Neil Young rather than the power chords and stoner anthems of their past. If you're already a fan of the band you'll love it, and for the uninitiated it's a pretty good starting point.

Refinery29 Shops

You need Flash 8 or higher to view Refinery 29

About Music
Fashion and design may be the cornerstone of Refinery29, but music is as much a part of our style, trends, and culture as the clothes themselves. We're completely devoted to bringing our readers the newest and most unexpected recommendations on releases, bands, and the hottest singles of the moment. Plus, at the start of every new season, we'll compile a must-have downloadable play—list of all the tracks we love—just for Refinery29 readers.