January 6th, 2014 | by Stephen Slaybaugh | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
1. Ghost Wave, Ages (Flying Nun)
With Ages, Aukland five-piece Ghost Wave proved themselves the heir apparent to the Flying Nun legacy. Like The Clean, Verlaines, Tall Dwarfs, et al. before them, the band combines jangly guitars with pop smarts and VU overdrive. It all amounts to a debut that show the New Zealand label’s best days aren’t behind it.
2. Toy, Join …
January 6th, 2014 | by Josie Rubio | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
As 2013 wound to a close, I was left wondering: Have I seen everything there is to see? Most pop-culture events left me feeling blasé—even Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance. I may have been several Moonman-tinis into the evening, but I didn’t see what the big deal was. A shocking VMA performance? Try Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” in 1984. Former Disney starlets asserting sexier images? There’s …
December 30th, 2013 | by Staff | published in Best of the Year | 1 Comment »
#20The title track, which leads off the Wooden Shjips fourth album, sets the stage for the rest of the record: groove, repeat. The keyboard and rhythm section lay down the mesmerizing foundation for such a groove, with Ripley Johnson’s vocals barely registering above the music before his guitar makes an appearance for an intricate interlude. As repetitive …