University of San Diego Radio

It must be a tough gig opening up for Cage the Elephant at House of Blues in San Diego. All of the anxious future mosh pitters judging your level of hardcore, while waiting for the headliner’s lead singer to begin screaming into a microphone whilst sweatily thrashing about the stage. For a four-piece band from the United Kingdom, however, it apparently wasn’t a tough gig at all.

The 22-20s, made up of Martin Trimble on guitar and vocals, Glen Bartup on bass, Dan Hare, the newest member, on guitar and backing vocals, and James Irving on drums, put on an entertaining, badass performance last night, successfully warming up the HOB crowd and preparing them for the craziness to ensue further along the hour.             The band, which broke up in 2006, reconstituted themselves in 2008, adding guitarist Dan Hare, and toured secretly in the UK under the alias Bitter Pills, the title of the second track on their new album Shake/Shiver/Moan, to be released June 22nd via tbd records. Since the secret tour and subsequent release of live EP The Latest Heartbreak, 22-20s have been hitting America hard, first touring with Band of Skulls and The Whigs, then with Cage the Elephant. After experiencing a 22-20s show firsthand last night, I must say that I see big things for them in their American future.

What was most evident during the set was how well the band members communicate with each other. Simple glances between members can indicate many things as far as the playing of instruments goes, and in my highly uneducated opinion regarding how an instrument should be played, those glances indicated the right things. Trimble’s vocals paired with those of Hare’s were flawless, albeit a tad too perfect for my expectations of a rock show, and greatly hinted toward his UK roots. Songs like the title track of the new album, as well as “Latest Heartbreak” and “Heart On A String,” were a great testament to the talent of the band members and their dedication to creating well thought out and whole-heartedly played music. The set was so loud that it sounded a bit muted, and, trust me, that’s a very good thing. Very rarely do I find myself tapping my foot to the opening band, but last night I did just that.

You can catch 22-20s in Los Angeles at Spaceland on June 11th. As far as Cage the Elephant goes, please explain to me the rationale behind mosh pits.

TOBACCO to release second album, "Maniac Meat" on May 25th. See him at the Casbah on March 24th.

Tom Fec, aka TOBACCO, is your new favorite musician, and I’ll tell you why. He can never have a bad singing voice, he’s comparable to greats such as Daft Punk and Ratatat and his music is a little psychedelic, a little hip hop/dubstep/whathaveyou and a lot badass; some might say it’s like nothing you’ve ever heard before (unless you’ve listened to his first solo album, F*cked Up Friends, or his side project, Black Moth Super Rainbow).

Fec comes across as a pretty stand up, creative guy. He claims that he tries to make simple, catchy songs that are pop-esque, but when you listen to his albums, they are nowhere near the type of pop music you’ve grown accustomed to. Simple and catchy yes, but Britney status? Never.

“It’s just what I want to hear at the time,” Fec said when explaining what his music means to him. “It gets harder and harder to impress myself with the stuff that I do.” And that is understandable. When the only live instruments are synths and drums, and the rest of the sounds are voice distortion and samples, some musicians would probably get stuck in a rut. But not Fec. Fec’s newest album, Maniac Meat, to be released on Anticon Records May 25th, is quite impressive. Featuring the vocals of Beck on two of the tracks and providing listeners with some pretty intriguing lyrics and moods, the album is what I would consider a workout pumper-upper, a pre-party makeup putter-onner, a driving to school on a Tuesday ready-for-business attitude adjuster or just a simple passing the time thought-provoker/thought-allower. Notice I didn’t say a crazy soundtrack for your trip, a descriptor commonly used for his side project, Black Moth Super Rainbow’s music. This is very different.

Speaking of that side project which consists of more than one member, Fec has said in the past that he prefers working alone as opposed to collaborating with others. So why does he collaborate? “Sometimes I get in a funk and it’s good to hear what someone else can add. I feel like I started of on this weird mission to prove something to myself, and I think overall I really prefer working alone. But every once in a while you just wanna hear what someone else can do, and that can send you on a new path.” As far as the new album and working with Beck goes, “I was imagining his voice on it and that changed the way I was writing it, and then it turned out that months later I was able to actually do that and I think it was for the better.”

And what an amazing result that had. Beck’s signature voice can be heard on “Fresh Hex” and “Grape Aerosmith,” two of the many standout tracks on Maniac Meat. Others include the opener, “Constellation Dirtbike Head,” which boasts the lyric “Don’t eat the berries around you” (which I really like for some reason), “Mexican Icecream,” which brings to mind a dirtier Daft Punk and the summer season with lyrics like “You are my favorite day/ I’ll bring the sun to you” repeated over and over, “Sweatmother” which has a ‘90s hip hop feel until Fec’s distorted vocals kick in and the overall tone becomes much darker and “Overheater,” which is just pleasantly cool.

That’s not to say the other tracks are mediocre. They are just a little more violent, so to speak. For example, “Unholy Demon Rhythms,” which is a song one might hear when traveling between the different circles of hell in Dante’s Inferno, and also “Heavy Makeup,” the longest track on the album, whose lyrics consist mainly of “You got sick from a lolli lolli lollipop/ You feel free when you’re killing me.” This track brought to mind the film Hostel. Enough said.

I’d recommend this album if you’re a fan of Ratatat but think it can be a little weak, and if you’re a fan of Daft Punk but want something that makes you nod your head rather than dance your ass off. TOBACCO never gets boring and sounds new with every listen. Want to experience this mind-blowing music live? Get yourself to the Casbah on Wednesday the 24th (that’s next week) to see TOBACCO, The Hood Internet and Nice Nice. According to Fec, “It’s more like a DJ set, but it’s a little more than that. We’re developing this one character to kind of play along with the set. It’s mostly visual projection behind us, but I’m gonna have this other person…I don’t wann say for sure what he’s gonna do but it’s gonna be fun.”

Aren’t you glad your only class Thursday is at 2:30 in the afternoon? I am.

STS9's most recent album, Ad Explorata, was released in December. They will be playing at the House of Blues this Thursday.

Sound Tribe Sector 9, otherwise referred to as Sound Tribe or STS9, released a new album in December called Ad Explorata, and it is beautiful. For those who have never heard this genre-bending band’s music, it has been described as “post-rock dance music” and has a sound that is only enhanced when heard at its full potential: when it’s live.

Ad Explorata is what I would describe as an exploration of the two most amazing parts of the earth: the ocean and outer space. The first track, “Phoneme,” begins with the happy sound of bubbles popping underwater harmoniously. Yet, it is reminiscent of sounds one might here when floating through outer space (think WALL E). It made me feel peaceful, yet motivated, thus I would describe it as a perfect song to put on your late afternoon homework playlist. It’ll keep you awake and help you think.

The eighth and title track of the album, “Ad Explorata,” is much in the same vein as “Phoneme,” and could also be included on a kick ass homework playlist. Though not as epic as I expected it to be (being the title track and all), it is pleasant and thought provoking.

The second track, “Heavy,” is indeed heavy compared to “Phoneme.” More rock than ethereal, it’s a track one definitely hopes to hear at a live show. Then comes the track “Looking Back on Earth.” This track has more of an electronic feel to it, with the beginning sounds fading from the left speaker to the right. It transitions to a more mellow rock sound and then to water drips, so in a way it’s like three types of musical experimentation in one track, but it all fits perfectly.

“Oil & Water’s” sound exemplifies its title. It has a steady drone (the water) with a bunch of other sounds on top of it (oil). They don’t mix, necessarily, but in the way that oil and water look cool when put together, the sounds in this song sound cool when put together.

The fifth track, “Crypto City,” is what it must sound like inside a light up bouncy ball filled with sparkles while being chased by a cat. This is, in fact, a situation that I have seen, and I couldn’t imagine it sounding any other way. That’s not to say the song sounds silly, it just sounds so intriguingly fun for being the shortest track on the album. Much like the cat and ball chase, it doesn’t last long enough.

The sixth track, “EHM,” finds STS9 once again exploring their drum and bass roots. It starts out pretty chill, but towards the middle the track develops more of a hip hop/electronic badass sound, finishing off with a fast-paced drum and bass finale. “ATLAS,” the seventh track on the album, continues with the intense drum and bass feel, but with a little bit of air mixed in, meaning the listener is given points in the track in which they can feel free to take a much-needed breath.

Now to my favorite track, “Re:Stereo.” This track is so peaceful that it makes me not peaceful. If this were the soundtrack to all of my dreams, they would never turn into nightmares. They’d be intelligent, new and happy. About a third of the way through, this track delves into a deeper vibe. The drumbeat is a perfect foundation for all of the changes that this song goes through. If this song were, in fact, a dream, the drums would be the part that held it all together, keeping you asleep and helping bring the dream back to the forefront of your mind as soon as you wake up.

“Central” is a track that samples a woman’s voice reading numbers, that are actually number stations, or coded messages used by governments to correspond with spies that were overseas. The song overall is quite creepy and very, in a way, extraterrestrial.

The second to last track, “Lion,” is reminiscent of a hip lion on the prowl, walking through lives that sound like wind chimes. It’s like a mini-adventure, leading the listener to the final track of the album, titled “Echoes,” which essentially echoes all of the songs you just listened to.

The album is a complete success and lives up to what you would expect from a band like STS9, who are known for their live shows. Luckily for us Southern Californians, the band is playing two shows in our area. The first is Thursday, here in San Diego, at the House of Blues at 7 p.m. (21+), and the second is Friday in Los Angeles at The Wiltern at 7:30 p.m. (all ages).

My three favorite tracks from the album:

Phoneme

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Re:Stereo

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EHM

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This past January I was fortunate enough to attend the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, along with about 30 other USD students, including The Vista’s own Ryan Sidhoo and Maggie Klos. I had always assumed that this prestigious event was for the rich and/or famous only. But, much to my surprise, I, a starving, overworked and underpaid college student, was able to purchase a festival pass online. Easy peasy! Once I received my “Guide to Cinematic Rebellion” in the mail, the excitement began to set in.

Oscar's soul travels throughout Tokyo's nightlife in Gaspar Noe's "Enter the Void," which features a score created by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk.

I have always been a fan of weird, slightly uncomfortable yet thought-provoking films, and Sundance tends to serve as an outlet for them. My favorite film that I saw was Enter the Void, a disturbing take on the afterlife from the point of view of an American drug dealer living in Tokyo immediately after he is murdered.
What made this film so incredible was the way in which it was made. Every single scene was from behind the main character, Oscar’s, eyes, and then eventually his soul. It was an innovative way to create this film and it made the subject matter that much more affecting and disturbing. The visuals, colors and sounds (the score was created by Thomas Bangalter) were amazing. The best part of my experience watching this film? Seeing old couples walk out of the theater before the film ended because they couldn’t handle the content.

Adrien Brody harvests marijuana in "HIGH School," whose soundtrack boasts artists like Metric, The Dead Weather and MGMT.

But then there were the not so amazing films, like HIGH School, a stoner comedy starring Adrien Brody and Colin Hanks. I had high hopes for this film, which boasted a plot filled with risk: the two main characters had to get their entire high school high on marijuana in order to avoid expulsion (it makes more sense when you read the full summary in the Sundance feature in the Feb. 11 issue of The Vista). The deciding factor for me when deciding whether or not to see this movie was that Adrien Brody played a rasta’d out drug dealer/lawyer. The film’s storyline didn’t hold up so well, but the film was held together by the soundtrack, which made me realize that any bad movie becomes more bearable with each hip song that’s played in the background.

HIGH School opened up with MGMT’s “Time to Pretend,” which was very fitting for the film’s premise and target audience. Other songs in the film that got me excited include The Dead Weather’s “3 Birds,” Metric’s “Help I’m Alive” and Kid Cudi’s “The Prayer,” which samples Band of Horses’ song “Funeral.”

Robots fall in love in Spike Jonze's "I'm Here," which features the music of Girls and Animal Collective.

Another film with a great soundtrack was Spike Jonze’s short film “I’m Here,” which featured Girls’ “Hellhole Retrace” as background music for a robot party and Animal Collective’s phenomenal “Did You See The Words.” Adrian Grenier’s (of “Entourage” fame) documentary Teenage Paparazzo also succeeded in song choice by featuring my favorite song by The Kills, “U.R.A. Fever,” and Ratatat. Fortunately, these two films were actually good, so the music made the experience that much better.

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams examine how a relationship begins and ends in "Blue Valentine," which features the music of Grizzly Bear.

As far as music goes in the films I didn’t see, I wouldn’t normally be able to tell you if it was good or not because how would I have known? But when it comes to Blue Valentine, which stars Ryan Gosling (check out his band, Dead Man’s Bones) and Michelle Williams, I heard that Grizzly Bear did the entire soundtrack for the film. Needless to say, it’s sure to be incredible.

All in all, Sundance was a great experience
for me because it was film heaven and music heaven at the same time, which is every former A&C editor’s dream come true.

“When does why start” is a very confusing text message to wake up to, unless you are familiar with the verbal confusion that accompanies having a favorite band whose name is one of the “five W’s.”

I’ve written about WHY? a time or two in the past and I have introduced their unique and eccentric sound to nearly all of my closest friends. I greatly admire Yoni Wolf’s poetic prowess and the ability of his brother, Josiah Wolf, to play a drum kit that includes a xylophone. WHY?’s live show never ceases to amaze me.

The most recent WHY? show that I attended took place at The Loft at UCSD last Thursday. I assumed that The Loft would be a very small coffee shop type of place and that maybe 20 or 30 people would attend and it would be a pretty easy-going night – buy my assumptions were far from the reality of the situation at hand.

The line to see WHY? was about four people wide and went all the way to the end of the hall, at which point it began to snake around to the front. I was shocked, solely because I didn’t know the band had such a big fan base in San Diego. I mean, nobody ever knows who I’m talking about when I name WHY? as my favorite band, so why should I assume that the line at The Loft would be so long as to cause the show to start about an hour and a half late?

After my friends and I finally made it inside The Loft, I was impressed by the modernity of it’s architectural and interior design, as well as it’s size, the presence of a bar and it’s abundance of seating (though, who really wants to sit at a live show like WHY?’s).

The band began their set around midnight with “January Twenty Something,” a track from their new album, “Eskimo Snow.” The sparkling notes coming from the xylophone and keyboard, eventually accented by the deep boom of the drums, was an effective way to start a set that began so late. The speed at which they played and Yoni Wolf’s movements, reminiscent of a crazy maestro, shook me out of the “long line daze” I was stuck in.

What I found most interesting about the show was that WHY? played only four songs from their new album. Most of the set consisted of songs from the older counterpart to “Eskimo Snow,” “Alopecia,” which, in my opinion, has the best songs WHY? has ever created.

The live version of “By Torpedo or Crohn’s” differed slightly from the album version. It sounded as though it were in a higher key, yet Yoni Wolf’s voice remaimed the same and he delivered his lyrics both honestly and flawlessly. I was pleasantly surprised when, towards the end of the show, they jumped right into the extremely short yet impressive track, “Twenty Eight.” Thought it is only about a minute long, it’s a standout track on “Alopecia” and hits listeners hard when it’s played at a very loud volume.

To many longtime fans’ amusement, the band played two of their most popular songs from albums much older than “Alopecia” and “Eskimo Snow.” The tracks “Gemini (Birthday Song)” and “Sanddollars” had the audience singing along with even more fervor than they already had been.

The show was sprinkled with a variety of rude comments from members of the crowd, which bordered on being too much. But there were a few other members of the crowd that made me extremely happy. There was a guy directly across from me on the other side of the stage that moved to the beat in the way one might move at a Jay-Z show. He was a little intense. Then there was the girl next to me who was dancing uncontrollably throughout the duration of the show. I’ve never seen a bubblier concert-goer.

WHY? have proved themselves to be one of the coolest and most promising up-and-coming bands of today. I’m excited to see what big name festivals they will play in the next few years because, in my opinion, they have Coachella potential.

HARD HAUNTED MANSION RETURNS TO THE SHRINE AS A TWO DAY FESTIVAL, FRIDAY OCTOBER 30th AND SATURDAY OCTOBER 31st

HALLOWEEN LINEUP INCLUDES JUSTICE, BASEMENT JAXX, DEADMAU5, 2MANYDJS, CROOKERS, THE BLOODY BEETROOTS, A-TRAK, MAJOR LAZER, MODESELEKTOR, BURAKA SOM SISTEMA, DESTRUCTO, ZOMBIE NATION AND MANY MORE

HARD, the dance party impresarios who’ve brought you HARD New Year’s Eve and HARD Summer Fest have heard the fans requests and announced their line-up for this year’s HARD Haunted Mansion, a massive dance party taking place this Halloween at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.  Recognizing that one day just wasn’t enough for a lineup this good, HARD Haunted Mansion has been extended into two days of the world’s most premier DJs and electronic dance artists.

The lineup for this year’s HARD Haunted Mansion is a veritable who’s who of contemporary DJs known for consistently pushing the boundaries of dance music forward.  Headlining act Justice, a duo that needs no introduction, have become synonymous with a movement in maximal electronic music that defines the current era.  UK-based veterans Basement Jaxx are paying a rare US-visit to drop their brand of classic-yet-innovative house music in anticipation of their fifth studio album, Scars. Joining them are heavyweights such as Deadmau5, 2ManyDJs, Crookers, A-Trak, The Bloody Beetroots, Modeselektor, Major Lazer, Buraka Som Sistema, Zombie Nation, Steve Aoki, Destructo, Don Rimini, Shinichi Osawa and more. Anyone who appreciates a phenomenal dance party will not want to miss the most electric event in the country this Halloween weekend.

“…the hottest ticket in town on one of the year’s biggest party nights” – LA TIMES

HARD HAUNTED MANSION 2009
Friday October 30th and Saturday October 31st
Shrine Expo Center
2 days, 2 stages, 16 hours of music!!!
Limited Capacity
8pm – 4am

FRIDAY
Deadmau5
2ManyDJs
A-trak
The Bloody Beetroots
Mixhell
Destructo
Don Rimini
Danger
Harvard Bass
Staccato
**Special Guests

Saturday
Justice (DJ set)
Basement Jaxx (DJ set)
Crookers
Major Lazer
Modeselektor
Buraka Som Sistema
Steve Aoki
Zombie Nation
Shinichi Osawa
Classixx
**Special Guests

TICKETS ARE LIMITED!!!!
Individual daily tickets (pre-sale $60), VIP (21+, pre-sale $125) and limited 2 Day discount passes  ($100) available through Groove Tickets and various retail outlets.

For more tickets and more information, please visit:  WWW.HARDFEST.COM

With the 40th anniversary of Woodstock having just passed us, the film “Taking Woodstock” is being released on August 26th. The Ang Lee directed Comedy Drama stars Dmitri Martin as Elliot Tiber, who donated his family’s motel for concert organizer use for the Bethel, New York concert. The film also features Imelda Staunton, Emile Hirsch, and Eugene Levy. The film follows the true story of Elliot Tiber and is based upon his book “Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life.
Trailer
Taking Woodstock Trailer

To celebrate the anniversary and the film, a few USD Radio Dj’s put together a playlist of songs we’d wished we could’ve seen at the historical festival. Enjoy

Kaitlin Perry “Star Spangled Banner” by Jimi Hendrix: If I were able to attend Woodstock I would want to have seen Jimi Hendrix perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.” To hear a man like Hendrix play such a patriotic song during that time period would have been so unbelievably powerful. It would have made me feel that I, as well as my fellow hippie music lovers, were an important part of America and that we had the power to bring about change.
Star Spangled Banner live

Nick Peterson “Born on the Bayou” by CCR:  When it’s all said in done, no matter how you feel about CCR, they’re still one of the catchiest, best mood setting set of troubadours in the last 50 years.  I would’ve loved to have seen any CCR song, but this one flashes into my collective thoughts about every 6 days. I can’t get that bass intro out of my brain if I tried. Seeing it live would be as much as I could ask for
Born on the Bayou Live
“Rain Clouds” by Ravi Shankar: I remember stumbling upon Ravi when I was on my all-things-eastern binge sophomore year. Seeing him at Woodstock among the Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, soul searchin crowd would’ve been one hell of a trip, sunshine or not. Considered “the most famous Indian musician on the planet” by many, I’m sure he’d have exceeded my expectations.
Rain Clouds live

Christine Boyich: “Freedom” by Richie Havens. We all say we wish we could have been at Woodstock, and we all have different reasons why. Richie Havens’ performance of “Freedom” is probably the strongest driving force behind my desire to time travel to August 15, 1969. Havens was supposed to perform later during the first day of the festival, but the stage equipment was not set up yet and havens was acoustic so he was asked to perform first. This, I believe was fate, because nobody else could have opened up a festival like Woodstock like Havens did. I have never in my life seen an acoustic performance like that. My dad and I were watching Woodstock a few days ago and we were sitting in the dark family room with the movie on the big screen and the stereo almost at top volume. For those few minutes we watched Havens’ “Freedom”, I felt like I was there. I was in the crowds, I was feeling the unity surrounding me, I was feeling the movement, I was standing barefoot chanting “freedom!”, I was alive. I cried, as I’m sure many people did at the actual moment he was playing. And I wondered, did he know what he just started?
Riche Havens “Freedom”
“Soul Sacrifice” by Santana : When we were watching a documentary on Woodstock the other day, because this is all we have been doing lately, my dad told me that this performance by Santana was the best performance of the festival. I laughed. Then I stopped laughing. It was absolutely moving. This performance explains why I love live music. Could you imagine standing there, watching Carlos Santana freaking out on acid thinking his guitar is a snake and listening to what is mentioned as, and I agree with this statement, the greatest drum solo of all time. The kid is nineteen! This is what is beautiful about music. When it is so powerful and unique and strong and creative and smooth and moving that it gives you goosebumps and it feels like the music is trapped inside you, but you don’t want to let it go. You want to wrap yourself around it and hold onto that moment forever. I would give my right arm to be there watching Santana, dancing to the beat of the drums and the sultry sound of Santana’s guitar.
Santana “Soul Sacrifice”

Amanda Blank is one of the newest (and most sexed up) members of the hipster music elite and garners connections that any modern aspiring pop star would die for. With big names such as Diplo and Switch on the production ticket and guest vocals of Santigold, Lykke Li, Spank Rock and Chuck Inglish of the Cool Kids, Blank instantly gained mention in renowned publications such as Rolling Stone and Pitchfork Media’s website (which, as is their style, tore the album apart).

Blank’s debut album, “I Love You,” uniquely combines the styles of electro pop and hip-hop club hits to create the ideal pre-party “getting ready to go out” mix for any university girl that likes to push the party limits.

Tracks such as “Might Like You Better” (which borrows some racy rhymes from Romeo Void’s “Never Say Never”) and “Lemme Get Some” with guest vocals from Inglish stand out as the tongue-in-cheek tracks, the type of tracks that make you hold off on putting that dress on for another three minutes.

Blank can easily be grouped in with the likes of Uffie and Peaches, but her voice is rougher and her lyrics a bit easier to swallow. That’s not to say her lyrics are simple. They contain many an expletive and many a sexual reference, but rather than “F*** the pain away,” as Peaches would say, Blank would prefer to “Dance the pain away,” as is expressed in her track “DJ.”

Blank deserves much credit for her debut album. Her collaborations are creative, her talent is tangible and her beats are perfect to bounce around to in front of your bathroom mirror. If anything check out her cover of Vanity 6’s “Make-Up.”

“Might Like You Better”

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According to HARDfest.com:

We were required to shut down Hard Summer at The Forum last night by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. They declared the event a “hazard” after seeing concertgoers jumping from the balcony to the floor, along with numerous other potentially dangerous activities. The Inglewood Police Department backed the decision of the Fire Department and assisted in the clearance of the venue.

While we, the promoters, worked with the authorities to consider other options to continue the concert, ultimately they made the decision based on the safety of the concertgoers. We are happy to report that there were no major injuries.

We are offering refunds to all concertgoers.

Ticketmaster Sales:
Beginning Monday, August 10th at 10 am, if you purchased your tickets through ticketmaster.com or a Ticketmaster phone center, the credit card you used to purchase the tickets will automatically be credited. If you purchased your ticket through a Ticketmaster outlet, you will need to go to the point of purchase to obtain a refund.

Groovetickets Sales:
If you purchased your tickets online through Groovetickets.com, a refund for the total face value of your order will be automatically applied to the credit card you used. Please allow up to five business days for the credit to appear on your banking statement.

Retail Stores / Venue Box Office:
If you purchased your tickets through any of the retail stores or from the venue box office, you may obtain a refund by mailing your ticket(s) to:

The Forum
3900 West Manchester Blvd
Inglewood, CA 90305
Attn: Hard Refund Department

Please include the mailing address where you would like the refund check mailed to as well as an e-mail address. Include the payee’s full name for check payment or full credit card information. Please allow up to 30 days for your refund to be processed.

Tom Brosseau, originally of North Dakota, has presented nothing new with his third full-length album, Posthumous Success. The album, while folksy in nature, lacks a certain level of soul. The tracks are put together without any type of connection, the only pattern being that at some point they begin to alternate between a track with vocals and a track with no vocals (the tracks with no vocals being the most appealing). For an artist who says that some of his influences are literary, I feel somewhat guilty that I can’t name one lyric sung on this album. There’s something about Brosseau’s voice that I can’t connect with, resulting in me zoning out and paying attention only to the repetitive guitar plucking. However Brosseau’s music is in no way bad. He is a very talented musician whose guitar plucking sounds effortless. He knows folk music well, especially if he can name Mississippi John Hurt as one of his influences (an incredible folk musician from the 1920’s). However the only track that reminded me at all of Mississippi John Hurt was the first, “My Favorite Color Blue.” “Boothill” was reminiscent of a more woodsy Panda Bear while “You Don’t Know My Friends” flipped Brosseau’s sound around to one that is more undeveloped garage band-esque. It brings to mind The Walkmen minus the consistent yelling. Towards the end the garage band fuzziness had induced a headache that lasted throughout the duration of the album. While Brosseau has talent, Posthumous Success lacks emotion and an ability to connect with listeners.