Posts Tagged ‘Annabel’


10.02.2010

Alexander The Great: Faces Change

posted by Will

in Music Reviews

Sadly, bands like Alexander The Great seem few and far between in indie rock these days. These guys seem like they would have fit in perfectly on Saddle Creek back in the day with overlooked bands like Sorry About Dresden. You know those bands that sadly fell through the cracks…Alexander The Great seems like one of those bands. Not because they don’t do what they do well but because there is no flare to it. But that’s a good thing in my book. Faces Change is a solid guitar-centric indie rock record that just seems to go along its merry way without ever trying to impress anyone. No bullshit. These guys actually remind me a less poppy Annabel at times as well. Good stuff.

Label: Crossroads Of America

Alexander The Great “Invisible Ink”

08.01.2010

Best Of 2009: Volume Four

posted by Will

in Year End Lists

Here’s my final Top Ten of 2009. Click on the album cover for any more coverage.

#1 Tigers Jaw “Spirit Desire” 7″ (Tiny Engines)

The second release from Tiny Engines, a label I co-run with two other guys. Shameless self-promotion? Sure, but I can honestly say I listened to this release more than any other in 2009. Indie rock and pop punk mixed ever so perfectly!

#2 Brian Bond “Fire & Gold” (Self-Released)

It takes an awful lot for me to get excited about a singer/songwriter but Brian Bond did just that. The fact that he resides in relative obscurity is a shame. And he’s got another album in the can for 2010 that is just as good as Fire & Gold.

#3 Golden City “Self-Titled” (Magic Bullet)

Eric Richter of Christie Front Drive returns with a brilliant set of songs. Imagine CFD crossed with JEW.

#4 Everyone Everywhere “A Lot Of Weird People Standing Around” 7″ (Evil Weevil)

The second coming of The Promise Ring…at least at times it sure sounds like it. The new songs these guys have recorded sound incredible.

#5 Superchunk “Leaves In The Gutter” EP & “Crossed Wires” 7″ (Merge)

Other than Sunny Day Real Estate, there was no greater welcome back party for me than to have Superchunk return with a new set of songs. On their first two releases in years the band puts forth some of their most energetic material since their early days.

#6 Annabel “Each And Everyone” (Count Your Lucky Stars)

Following up on their brilliant EP in 2008 Annabel nail their first full-length. Understated indie rock with just the right amount of pop and power.

#7 Touch Committee “Winter Beard” (Self-Released)

I love when bands come from completely out of nowhere to floor me. Touch Committee did just that with Winter Beard.

#8 Oceans “Nothing Collapses” (Copper Lung)

Sadly, Oceans called it quits shortly after this release. Nothing Collapses is one of the best post rock records I have heard in years. So, can we put the nail in the post rock coffin now?

#9 My Heart To Joy “Seasons In Verse”(Topshelf)

Intelligent and pushing themselves beyond any genre constriction, My Heart To Joy are like a raging hardcore version of Trail of Dead.

#10 Broadway Calls “Good Views, Bad News” (Side One Dummy)

Broadway Calls are the best current pop/punk band period. Bar none.

28.12.2009

Rich’s Best of 2009

posted by Rich

in Year End Lists

Rich Duncan – SAL contributor

Albums
Rapid Cities “Machinery Saints”
Touch Committee “Winter Beard”
Native “Wrestling Moves”
Japandroids “Post-Nothing”
An Horse “Rearrange Beds”
Gray Young “Firmament”
Golden City “Self-titled”
Empire! Empire! (I was a lonely estate) “What It Takes To Move Forward”
Double Dagger “More”
Daitro “Y”
Communipaw “Self-Titled”
Caspian “Tertia”
Brian Bond “Fire & Gold”
Brainworms “Swear To Me”
Annabel “Each and Everyone”

EPs
Snowing “Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit”
No Age “Losing Feeling”
Certain People I Know “4 Songs”
Weed Hounds “Demo”
Dude Japan “Demo”
Victor! Fix The Sun “Person Place or Thing”

21.12.2009

Ben (from Annabel): 2009 Top Ten

posted by Ben

in Year End Lists

Ben Hendricks – Vocalist, guitarist for Annabel and SAL contributor

Check out Annabel’s Each And Everyone which came out on Count Your Lucky Stars earlier this year. One of my favorites of 2009…hint hint.

1. Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence
2. Mew – No More Stories…
3. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
4. Delay – Plain Language
5. Lymbyc Systym – Shutter Release
6. The Antlers – Hospice
7. Superchunk – Leaves in the Gutter
8. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
9. The Twilight Sad – Forget The Night Ahead
10. Do Make Say Think – The Other Truths

09.10.2009

Annabel “As It Happened” Video

posted by Will

in Music Video

annabel1

New Annabel video for “As It Happened” from the band’s amazing full-length debut, Each And Everyone, which sadly still has not been reviewed here at SAL. Come on contributors! The boys shot this during Kent Fest recently. I love it…gives me the grins every time I watch it!

09.03.2009

Spring Breaking

posted by Will

in Random Thoughts

Alright everyone, I am taking this week off to enjoy the weather and concentrate on getting ready for some upcoming Beartrap projects. This is something that will probably happen a bit more frequently in ‘09. Ah, such is life, I apologize.

Also, I think I announced this on Twitter recently but not sure if everyone (or anyone) saw it. SAL will start to have genre-specific weeks more often in the future. And if you have been paying attention during the last two weeks you will notice the site has already gone in that direction. Upcoming, I have a singer/songwriter week planned out and pop/punk should be close behind. Granted, this will not happen every week but should be fun regardless. See you in a week.

Oh, here’s what I’ve been listening to lately…

Annabel
The Appleseed Cast
Brian Bond
PJ Bond
Neko Case
Cheap Girls (still!)
Joie De Vivre
Morrissey
My Heart To Joy
Oceans
The Reptilian
Tigers Jaw
Touch Committee
Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves

27.02.2009

Annabel “People And Places” Video

posted by Will

in Music Video


Annabel – People & Places from Michael Ormiston on Vimeo.

“People And Places” is from the Annabel’s fantastic debut LP, Each And Everyone which comes out next week on the fairiest of labels, Count Your Lucky Stars. Love youz guyz!

06.01.2009

Columbia Show Alert!

posted by Will

in Random Thoughts

Beartrap bands Annabel and Makeout Party are playing at the New Brookland Tavern in Columbia tonight. Come on out for one of my rare public appearances and I will gladly buy you a beer. Annabel’s Now That We’re Alive was my #1 EP of 2008. Just sayin’!

22.12.2008

Top 20 EPs of 2008 (1-10)

posted by Will

in Year End Lists

Click on album artwork for more.

#10 – Fleet Foxes “Sun Giant” (Sub Pop)

- I listened to the Sun Giant EP much more than I did the band’s following self-titled LP. Take that for what it’s worth.

#9 – The Gaslight Anthem “Señor and the Queen” 2×7″ (Sabot)

- Simply put, this band can do no wrong.

#8 – Shuteye Unison “Self-Titled” (Parks And Records)

- Moody, atmospheric indie rock played with huge intentions.

#7 – Little Lungs “Hoist Me Up!” (Self-Released)

- From the ashes of Each Others Mothers and Tin Kitchen comes Little Lungs. Pieces of those bands exist here but Little Lungs throw in a more punk rock approach.

#6 – Lanterns “Apocalypse Youth” (Self-Released)

- Huge pop hooks buried underneath swirling guitars. Lanterns are Trail of Dead without the pretension.

#5 – Dinomania “Text Messages” (Bark And Hiss)

- I was addicted to these songs upon my first listen. Not sure what the future holds for this mysterious outfit but I hope it includes more music in 09!

#4 – Tin Armor “Self-Titled” 7″ (Whoa Oh)

- Tin Armor are what Smoking Popes once were. Yeah, I said it!

#3 – Look Mexico “Gasp Asp” 7″ (Tiny Engines)

- The first release on the label I started with some buddies. I already loved Look Mexico but these songs cement the band as one of my favorites! And they’re super cute too!

#2 – Iron Chic “Demo” Tape (Dead Broke)

- Do you miss Latterman? You shouldn’t after hearing the first five songs from Iron Chic. So amazingly good!

#1 – Annabel “Now That We’re Alive” (Self-Released)

- I listened to Now That We’re Alive so many times this past year. I feel incredibly privileged to have worked with the band for Beartrap. Debut LP upcoming…stoked!

13.12.2008

Mrs. SAL’s Top Eleven

posted by Will

in Year End Lists

Megan Mulligan – Columbia, SC

Annabel – Now That We’re Alive
The Decemberists – Always The Bridesmaid: Vol. 1-3
Colour Revolt – Plunder, Beg and Curse
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
Sun Kil Moon – April
City and Colour – Bring Me Your Love
The Gaslight Anthem – Señor and The Queen & The ’59 Sound
Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
Sigur Rós– Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
The Daylight Hours – How To Make A Mess Of Things

- Megan gets eleven cause, well, you know. – Will.

08.12.2008

Ben’s Top Ten Songs of 2008

posted by Will

in Year End Lists

Ben Hendricks – Annabel – Kent, Ohio

1. The Twilight Sad – “Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did.”
2. Dinomania – “Text Messages”
3. Death Cab for Cutie – “Cath…”
4. M83 – “Kim & Jesse”
5. Tin Armor – “The Roof and the Rod”
6. See Urchin – “To Be Yours”
7. The Notwist – “Boneless”
8. Des Ark – “Two Hearts are Better Than One”
9. No Age – “Teen Creeps/Things I Did When I Was Dead”
10. Cheap Girls – “Kind of on Purpose”

24.07.2008

Heads Up! Annabel On Tour

posted by Will

in Asides, Heads Up, Music News

Heads Up! Annabel On Tour!

Read more

14.06.2008

Tin Armor “The State Of Things” Pink Couch Video

posted by Will

in Music Video

Read more

24.04.2008

Band You Should Know: Tin Armor

posted by Will

in BYSK

I just got a hold of Tin Armor’s 2007 debut, A Better Place Than I Have Been, and it is an endearing slice of indie/pop/punk. The band hails from Columbus, Ohio and just finished a tour with fellow Ohioans, the SAL-approved and awesome Annabel. Tin Armor bring to mind the warm tones of a band like Smoking Popes. Both teeter on the line between indie rock and pop punk with remarkable precision. I just ordered the band’s new 7-inch and I am hoping for more of the same. I will have a review up for that next month but until now, do yourself a favor and check out Tin Armor.

www.myspace.com/tinarmor

11.04.2008

Annabel: Now That We’re Alive

posted by Will

in Best New Music, Music Reviews

annabel.jpgAnnabel come to us from the indie metropolis of Kent, Ohio and Now That We’re Alive is the band’s ridiculously good debut effort. This really reminds me of late 90’s stuff in the vein of The Anniversary and The Get Up Kids. It’s kinda emo, kinda pop, kinda indie rock. Hell, on the brilliant “Castles In The Air” you can even point in the direction of the legendary Superchunk for comparisons. Needless to say, with all these similarities, Annabel are delivering a whole heaping of melodic goodness here. But, as good as the first three songs of Now That We’re Alive are, I got this sinking feeling that I had quickly figured the band out. Luckily, I was wrong, wrong and so wrong. Just when you start to think Annabel might be a one trick pony (and a damn fine one at that), they go and pull out the final two tracks of Now That We’re Alive. “…And Elsewhere” is a down-tempo piece filled with lush keyboards. “If The Accident Will” starts out slow but shows incredible range as the band lets the feedback rumble up from beneath them. The song gets damn near epic close to its end. For goodness sakes, I thought Annabel were just a nice indie pop band but they have shattered that notion. While Annabel might have me confused they also excite me beyond words.

Genre: Indie/Rock/Pop

RIYL: The Anniversary, The Get Up Kids, Superchunk

Label: Self-Released

Parade Rest

01ParadeRest.mp3

www.myspace.com/annabelrock