Obscure Sound - Indie Music Blog

The European Sambassadeur

Mike Mineo — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:22:26 +0000

I am interested to see what this decade brings to Swedish pop music. One would be hesitant to call the ’00s a moment of global emergence for the movement, especially considering that the country has been generating quality music already for several decades. Its separable status in Western pop music is indicative of its special [...]

Obscure Sound: Best of Winter 2009/2010

Mike Mineo — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:41:28 +0000

In a bit of a twist, this compilation encompasses both December and January. The “Best Albums of 2009″ featured last month was a lot of fun, as was the three-week break I took after it was published. I am always exhausted after that feature every year, but I still used the vacation time to discover [...]

jj – jj n° 3 (2010)

Mike Mineo — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:44:21 +0000

Hugely anticipated follow-ups are prone to being rush jobs. After last year's acclaim, many wonder whether jj's newest album will appear triumphant or weakly conceived.

Jazz and Electronica: An Unlikely Partnership

Mike Mineo — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:23:54 +0000

Jaga Jazzist are expanding boundaries with their stylistic fusion of jazz and electronica. Their new album, One-Armed Bandit, is one of the most thrilling releases so far this year as a result.

Shearwater – The Golden Archipelago (2010)

Jay Mattson — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:53:43 +0000

Jonathan Meiburg and company return on their sixth album for more of what we love from Shearwater.

Citay’s Dream Get Together

Mike Mineo — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:01:59 +0000

It seems ironic how the age of “hippies” coincided with some of the most groundbreaking usages of production in music. In an era associated with peace, love, and psychedelics, the aspects of intricacy and innovation are often overlooked since associating love-children and technical achievements appears to contradict itself based on stereotypes alone. Documentaries primarily highlight [...]

Yeasayer – Odd Blood (2010)

Jay Mattson — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:23:06 +0000

Yeasayer's highly anticipated follow-up proves to be one of 2010's first great albums.

The Nightgowns Take Off

Mike Mineo — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:36:36 +0000

Before this Washington-based quartet changed their name to The Nightgowns, they went under The Elephants. It was an especially apt name for them at the time, especially since they were renowned more for circus tricks than music at the time. Although their musical potential was evident from the get-go, The Elephants’ first etchings of a [...]

The Best Albums of 2009

Mike Mineo — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:18:10 +0000

2009 concludes with a look at this year's top 50 albums.

Best Albums of 2009: #10 to #01

Mike Mineo — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:47:35 +0000

The top ten albums of 2009 are unveiled, capping off the end to a great year in music.

Best Albums of 2009: #20 to #11

Mike Mineo — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:21:50 +0000

The top ten will be unveiled tomorrow, but these albums are just as worthwhile.

Best Albums of 2009: #30 to #21

Mike Mineo — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:13:46 +0000

Part three of five finds an even mixture of debuts and veteran releases that made a mark in 2009.

Best Albums of 2009: #40 to #31

Mike Mineo — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:14:41 +0000

Part two of our five-day feature broadens the coverage of this year's finest albums.